"Jiraiya-sensei?"
The Deva Path murmured the name softly. Its expressionless face seemed, for a fleeting moment, to hold a trace of nostalgia for a past long gone. But it vanished as quickly as it came.
"I once believed that people could truly understand one another, that love could change everything… But now I see that Jiraiya-sensei was far too naive. And so were we."
"Come, Konan. Take me to the five bodies. Once the Six Paths of Pain are complete, it will be time for us to reclaim our home."
Konan nodded, her expression somber. "Okay…"
Back at Uchiha Madara's secret base, both father and son were exhausted after a long day of intense training. Madara, especially, felt the strain in his ancient body. All he wanted was to hold little Shiro in his arms, crawl into bed, and fall into a deep, restorative sleep.
"My son, come. It is time for sleep. Tonight, your father will hold you as you rest."
Uchiha Madara sat on the edge of his bed and gently patted the empty space beside him, beckoning for Shiro to join him.
"I want to take a bath before I go to bed. I feel so grimy from all the training. Godfather, will you take a bath with me?"
When his son made a request, how could the father possibly refuse? As a man who had become completely devoted to spoiling this child, Uchiha Madara forced his weary body to stand. He walked to an open space in the main cavern and announced with a proud smile:
"My son, watch closely! Your father will now construct a bathtub for you!"
"Wood Release: Grand Bathtub Technique!"
Bang!!
With a rumble that shook the cavern, a massive wooden tub rose from the stone floor. It was a colossal structure, at least twenty meters in diameter. It was large enough not just for bathing, but for swimming laps.
With the tub solved, the next problem was the water. Madara was unfazed. Deep beneath the base was a natural hot spring.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Uchiha Madara had rarely used water-style jutsu in his life, but he had witnessed his enemies use it countless times. With the copying ability of his Sharingan, he perfectly replicated the hand seals, summoning a colossal dragon of water from the underground spring. The magnificent creature roared before crashing down, filling the enormous tub with steaming spring water.
"Wow, father, you're amazing!"
"Hmph. It is a simple matter. Nothing is beyond the abilities of your godfather." Uchiha Madara was practically glowing under his son's praise. Every man who becomes a father knows there is no greater source of pride than the genuine admiration of his own son.
"Come, my son! Let us wash together!"
In his good mood, Madara quickly shed his robes and leaped into the tub. Shiro followed suit, and the two of them jumped high into the steaming water. Two splashes, one large and one small, rippled across the surface. When they emerged, they looked at each other and burst into simultaneous, joyous laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
In his long, storied life, Uchiha Madara had never experienced such pure, heartfelt happiness.
"father, it's wonderful here."
"The feeling is mutual, my wonderful son."
"Hehe…"
Shiro splashed happily in the vast tub, the grime and sweat of the day washing away, leaving him feeling refreshed and joyful. Madara leaned quietly against the wooden edge, watching the boy with a kind, loving gaze. It wasn't that he didn't want to play with Shiro, but he was conscious of the face of his old rival embedded in his chest. He did not want to show it to Shiro, for fear of frightening the young boy.
At that moment, Obito and Zetsu returned.
Seeing the "colossal facility" that had suddenly appeared in the cavern, the two of them were stunned. After a moment, Obito and Zetsu exchanged a knowing smile, and without a word, began to strip off their own clothes and join them.
White Zetsu submerged itself with a sigh of contentment. "Oh my. This is my first time taking a bath. It feels quite comfortable."
Black Zetsu added dryly, "A part of your consciousness is still a mass of roots soaking underground. It seems being a clone has its perks."
The spiral-faced Zetsu giggled. "I love taking baths! It's so good for my skin! Come on, Shiro, sing with me! Let it all out!"
Obito shoved the spiraling creature off his back. "Shut up and get off me. It's my turn to hold Shiro!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, Obito, so aggressive! Fine, for Shiro's sake, I won't argue with you today, hehe~" The Zetsu slid off Obito's body and into the water.
Impatiently, Obito swam to Shiro's side, lifted him up, and placed him on his shoulders.
"Come on, little Shiro. Let's ride around. I used to do this with you all the time when you were smaller."
"Whoa!"
The feeling of speeding through the water on Obito's shoulders was thrilling.
It really is good to be a child, Shiro sighed contentedly in his heart.
They played like that for nearly thirty minutes, with Obito showing no signs of fatigue.
Black Zetsu's voice cut in. "Hey, Obito, that's enough. It's my turn now."
White Zetsu protested, "It should be my turn! I am ranked second!"
The spiral Zetsu whined, "No, no, no! By any logic, it should be my turn! Little Shiro, do you want to experience the feeling of being completely wrapped up? It's my specialty! It's very warm and tight~"