Uchiha Madara held Shiro for a long moment, simply basking in the revelation. After indulging his affection, he finally set the boy gently back on the cavern floor. Looking down at the three-year-old child who was now, impossibly, his kin, Madara couldn't help but voice his awe.
"As far as my knowledge of our clan's history extends, Shiro is the very first Uchiha to awaken his Sharingan directly to three tomoe! And at only three years of age…"
"With the right guidance, his strength could one day surpass my own peak, even that of Hashirama. No! He will definitely surpass us!"
"With such monstrous talent, it may only take a few years for Shiro to reach that pinnacle. When that day comes, my son will be truly invincible!"
Black Zetsu's voice slithered from the shadows. "Invincible, you say? I am inclined to believe it. But Lord Madara, what if the enemy does not come from this world? One can never be certain… the moon is so very large and round. You cannot guarantee that outsiders will not one day descend from the heavens…"
"And what of it? Am I not here?" Madara scoffed, his arrogance a tangible force. "With me at his side, who in this universe would dare to harm a single hair on my son's head?"
The Uchiha are a clan defined by the intensity of their love, and the Madara of this era had undeniably poured the entirety of his vast, formidable heart into Shiro. He had come to truly regard the boy as his own flesh and blood.
Obito couldn't help but complain, his voice tinged with a familiar resentment. "Madara, Shiro and I are both children of the Uchiha. Why were you never so enthusiastic when you found me? You always looked at me with such a sour expression."
White Zetsu giggled mischievously. "Hahaha, Obito, are you jealous?"
Uchiha Madara didn't even spare Obito a glance as he listed off his reasons with cold, dismissive precision.
"Are you as endearing as little Shiro? Are you as talented as little Shiro? Do you possess Shiro's miraculous ability to heal and restore life?"
"Aside from a head full of nothing but 'Rin, Rin, Rin,' what else do you truly have to offer?"
"Hmph!" Obito pouted and turned his head away, falling silent. There was nothing he could say. Everything Madara had said was brutally, undeniably true. Shiro's charm and talent aside, his unique restorative aura was a power that bordered on the divine. For three years, Obito had remained by the child's side, and now, he could feel his hollowed-out eye socket knitting itself back together, on the verge of complete recovery.
Seeing Obito's silence, Madara dismissed him from his thoughts. He bent down, squatting in front of Shiro, and gently ruffled his white hair.
"My son, your godfather can see that you are a true prodigy, a natural seedling for the ninja arts. And since you have the desire to learn, I will not hold back…"
"Starting today, I will personally oversee your training, day and night. It will be exhausting, and my methods will be strict, but you must persevere…"
"Once you have grown strong, with you assisting me, perhaps your godfather's grand wish for this world can be realized even sooner!"
Shiro nodded with solemn determination. "Okay. Believe in me, Godfather. I will work as hard as I can."
Hearing the resolute tone in Shiro's tender voice, Uchiha Madara straightened up, took the boy's small hand in his, and laughed, the sound echoing with triumph.
"Hahahahahahaha, excellent, my son! Let us begin now!"
After his booming laughter subsided, Madara prepared to lead Shiro into the cavern's makeshift forest to begin his training. But before they had taken more than a few steps, White Zetsu's voice called out, stopping him. "Lord Madara, wait a moment! I have an urgent matter to report!"
"What is it now? What could possibly be more important than me instructing my son in the ninja arts!" Madara replied, his voice laced with annoyance.
"Lord Madara, this is a truly urgent matter," White Zetsu insisted. Its usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a stark seriousness.
"..." Seeing the gravity in its eyes, Madara's expression immediately sobered. He looked down at Shiro, his eyes softening.
"My son, wait here for me. I need to have a quick word with your White Zetsu nanny, then I will come back and play with you."
"Mhm! Got it, Godfather."
Madara walked over to White Zetsu's side and asked in a low, serious voice, "Speak. What is it?"
"Lord Madara, Yahiko is dead."
Madara raised a single eyebrow. "Yahiko? And who is Yahiko?"
Black Zetsu's voice filled the space. "He was Nagato's closest friend, the kind with an unbreakable bond. Yahiko's death has inflicted a great trauma upon Nagato's psyche. It seems he is finally beginning to realize that ideals of love and hope alone cannot bring peace to the ninja world."
Uchiha Madara snorted, a cold flicker in his eyes. "Hmph. So Nagato has finally shed his naivety. That is what you call growth. It is a truth everyone must eventually learn."
"By the way, I have been preoccupied with Shiro these past few years and have paid little attention to Nagato's progress. What has he been doing? And how did this Yahiko die?"
White Zetsu explained, "During this time, Nagato, along with Yahiko and their friend Konan, established a mercenary group in the Hidden Rain called the Akatsuki. Their stated goal was to bring peace to their village, and eventually, the world."
"However, as their organization grew in power, it threatened the leader of the Hidden Rain, Hanzō. Tsk tsk tsk… He secretly colluded with Konoha's Danzō, orchestrated a conspiracy, and killed Yahiko. The good news is that Yahiko's death triggered Nagato to perfectly awaken the full power of the Rinnegan. He even summoned the Gedo Statue!"
"Oh?" Uchiha Madara's pupils dilated, and a faint, chilling smile played on his lips. "This Yahiko… his death was a most fortunate development."
"Originally, I intended to wait until my body returned to its peak before stepping out to personally rectify this world."
"However, Nagato's rapid growth has exceeded my expectations. To think he has already summoned the Gedo Statue…"
"As expected of one from the Uzumaki clan. He is excellent material for a pawn. And when a pawn is so capable, it would be a terrible waste not to use him."
The chill in Madara's eyes deepened. After a moment of cold calculation, he issued his commands.
"Obito, you will go and make contact with Nagato. Approach him in my name and present him with our ideals. After what he has just experienced, I believe he will be very receptive to our vision."
"White Zetsu, Black Zetsu, you will accompany and assist him."
"Understood." Obito turned to leave. But before he departed, he, along with the two Zetsus, paused to say their goodbyes to Shiro.
"Little Shiro, we have to go take care of something, but we will be back soon. Don't miss us too much! Actually, it's okay if you don't, because we will miss you…"
"Wait. I am not finished," Uchiha Madara's stern voice cut them off.
"This Akatsuki organization… the name is fitting."
"To achieve our ideals, having more powerful pawns is never a bad thing."
"Tell Nagato to recruit as many strong, like-minded individuals as possible for our cause. Then, I want you to stir the pot of this world! Let the great nations reveal their true, hypocritical faces. By the time the chaos reaches its peak, I will have nearly recovered my full strength! Hmph! And that will be the day of my glorious return!"
"Now go, and do as I have commanded."