Madara frowned and stared at White Zetsu, suddenly piecing things together. Calmly, he asked, "Did you get caught again?"
The moment the words left his mouth, White Zetsu stiffened like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, crossing his neck and stomping his feet. "Lord Madara, how can you accuse me of such things without evidence?"
"Hmph. Sneaking out again, weren't you?"
"Sneaking out? Going out to do research isn't sneaking! Can an artist's work be called sneaking?"
White Zetsu went on about "line thickness" and "color contrast," babbling in a way that made little sense. Seeing Madara's doubtful look, he quickly smiled and added, "Well, it's not exactly that we've been 'discovered,' but it's not like we haven't been noticed either… It's more like some organization has caught our attention."
"An organization?" Madara's eyes narrowed.
Things were getting serious, and White Zetsu was telling him they weren't fully discovered yet? 'This fool probably went out doodling again.'
His tone turned cold. "What organization? Kusagakure?" A cold smile stretched across his lips. "I'm weak now, but I can still beat those trash… damn it!"
Those odd stories flooded his mind again. "Just some weak Kusagakure. Even though I'm relying on the Divine Tree to keep me alive, I have nothing to fear."
"Well, Lord Madara, it's not exactly Kusagakure… but kind of is."
Madara raised an eyebrow. "Explain yourself clearly!"
'These idiots really were hopeless. Looks like before I leave, I'll have to leave instructions to guide them!'
Noticing Madara's growing impatience, White Zetsu quickly said, "The Akatsuki! That organization is the Akatsuki!"
"Akatsuki?" Madara frowned. "Why have I never heard of them? A new group?"
"Yes! They just formed recently! A new organization! Set up to reveal the truth!"
"They're a group from above..." White Zetsu began, but Madara cut him off before he could finish.
"Reveal the truth?" Madara scoffed coldly. "How interesting. But the truth is already in my hands."
Still, his curiosity was piqued. After all, it was because he understood the truth that he aimed to bring true peace to the shinobi world.
"How strong are they? How many? Can I use them? Control them? Make them see the real truth?"
"Well... that might be tricky," White Zetsu hesitated. "They're just a bunch of kids, still in Academy. Not even Genin yet."
Madara froze, then fell silent as he stared at White Zetsu. "A bunch of kids?"
"Yes! They're literally still in Academy! Madara, are you seriously thinking about recruiting them?"
"Get lost! Cough cough cough!"
'A bunch of kids? Why make such a fuss over that? As expected, they were just useless children!'
"Get lost!"
"But I said I wasn't sure if I should say anything! Lord Madara, please don't be angry, if you get mad, there'll be no peace in the shinobi world!"
"Get lost right now!"
"I'm going! I'm leaving! Please don't make yourself sick, Lord Madara."
Remember, Black Zetsu was still hiding, and his original body was out working. So the job of taking care Madara fell to White Zetsu.
If Madara died from anger, White Zetsu would probably be the one to pay the price. Despite that, seeing Madara close his eyes once more, White Zetsu nervously licked his lips and leaned closer, shyly saying, "Lord Madara, I still have something to ask."
Madara, seemingly calmer now, was silent for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. He looked at White Zetsu's hesitant face and said flatly, "Speak."
"In a few days... I want to take some time off."
Madara blinked in surprise. "?"
"The Land of Grass is preparing a temple festival, a New Year's festival. I heard it's the first one since the country was rebuilt, and it's supposed to be lively! So I want to go see it."
"Get lost!"
"Don't worry, Lord Madara. I'll bring you back some tasty treats!"
"Don't be mad~"
"Fire Release?…"
"Aiya! Aiya! I'm leaving! Isn't that enough already?"
After watching the White Zetsu finally run off, Madara clutched his chest as those strange words echoed in his mind. "Old age, no worries… pfft!"
Feeling a bit better, he slowly closed his eyes and muttered, "How did I end up stuffing that idiot Hashirama's cells inside me back then?"
Really infuriating!
Soon, the 37th year in Konoha was drawing to a close. The Land of Grass was preparing to celebrate its first New Year since being rebuilt.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, a certain white-haired, spiky-haired guy was looking around curiously, mumbling to himself, "So this is the Land of Grass? Not bad at all. Not as terrible as people say. Ah, whatever, why bother?"
With that, he pulled a book out of his pocket titled "XXX Customs XXX" by Mr.Inevitable. A determined, pilgrim-like expression crossed his face. "Mr.Inevitable, I… the Toad Sage! I will definitely find you!"
Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, always kept his promises.
***
Charlie sneezed and shivered slightly, rubbing his nose in confusion. "I can't shake the feeling that someone's been watching me these past few days," he muttered to himself.
"Or maybe they're just cursing The lord," came a dry reply.
Charlie couldn't help but wonder if this guy even knew how to talk. Usually, when dealing with other shinobi villages, he was smooth and composed, living up to the Land of Kusa shinobi's reputation for being wise fence-sitters, people who knew exactly when to pick their battles.
'So why was this guy getting under his skin?'
He told himself, No anger, no anger, and forced a friendly smile at Mujie, who was unusually well dressed today. "Makes sense! I'll just take it as if you're cursing me!"
Mujie raised an eyebrow and hesitated before saying, "Lord, there's something I'm not sure I should say."
"Mujie!" Charlie straightened up immediately, folding his hands behind his back and speaking with the confidence of a seasoned veteran.
"Don't keep your thoughts to yourself. Bottling things up only hurts you. Remember, the Land of Grass is a democratic country. We won't hang you from a tree or cover you with explosive tags just because you say something wrong, then light fireworks on a festive day for everyone!"
"…Since The lord says so, I'll be straightforward," Mujie replied.
Charlie's tone lifted expectantly. But then, Mujie's voice grew solemn as he spoke.
"On behalf of all the citizens of the Land of Grass, I must express our deepest gratitude to The lord for bringing peace. With your own strength, you've quelled the chaos that once plagued our land; with your charisma, you've inspired the shinobi of Kusagakure to pledge unwavering loyalty. Under your Lordship, peace has returned, and the lives of our people have steadily improved, bringing happiness to all."
He raised his fist with growing passion. "The lord has come! The Land of Grass is at peace! The lord has come! The people are happy! Life is on the rise!"