In the end, the little Nine Tails had no choice but to accept his slightly embarrassing new name — Little Red.
By the time that name was officially decided, night had already fallen.
Minato and Kushina didn't plan to stay overnight at White Wolf Ridge, so after reminding Lobo and the others to carefully absorb the Nine Tails' chakra, Hoshiyomi took the group and headed back toward Konoha — Little Red included, of course.
When they returned, it was right around dinnertime.
Come to think of it, ever since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, everyone had been so busy with Konoha's reconstruction and the whole Nine Tails affair that they hadn't actually sat down for a proper meal together.
So Hoshiyomi suggested that he, Minato, and Kushina all head to the Senju compound for dinner.
Before that, Hoshiyomi made a quick stop at Konoha Hospital to invite his other student, Kuugetsu.
Thanks to Tsunade's Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique and the diligent care of the nurses in the village's special recovery ward, Kuugetsu had made a full recovery — though she was still staying in the hospital for observation.
When Hoshiyomi invited her to the dinner, she didn't hesitate for a second and happily agreed.
On the way there, the recently recovered Kuugetsu kept sneaking glances at the small fox nestled in Kushina's arms.
Clearly, even she wasn't immune to the overwhelming cuteness of Little Red.
Because Sakumo and the others were either spending time with family or tied up with work, Hoshiyomi didn't call for them.
He just brought his three students along to the Senju compound, where they joined Tsunade and Nawaki for a warm, cheerful hotpot meal.
At the table, Tsunade's expression remained calm and composed — but under the table, her hands were anything but idle.
It was obvious that after so long without any "intimate contact," Tsunade's motherly instincts were getting… intense.
Hoshiyomi was in for a busy night.
...
Meanwhile, while the Senju compound was full of laughter and the aroma of hotpot…
In a remote underground cave, an elderly man and a shadowy figure — the kind that practically screamed "sinister mastermind" — were sharing a bland, joyless dinner.
Madara silently shoveled a salad made of wormy leaves and something that might've been wild greens into his mouth.
Even for someone as stoic and battle-hardened as him, life as an underground hermit for so many years had dulled his spirit.
For the first time in ages, he found himself missing the food of the human world.
He knew his body better than anyone.
At this point, it could only be described as being on its last legs — if he was lucky, he might have a year left, at most.
Hah… at this rate, I'll die down here in this hole. Would be nice to taste something from the surface one last time before I go.
Just as Madara was sinking into these thoughts, the ground nearby suddenly bulged — and out popped what looked like… a pitcher plant?
Wait, no — a wild White Zetsu.
This one, however, looked a little… different.
Most White Zetsus were more or less identical, though each had subtle quirks.
This one, though, had an unusual "personal flair" — sprouting leafy, pitcher-like fronds from both shoulders.
Maybe he was just… into plants.
Smiling, the pitcher-plant-looking White Zetsu waved a small bag in his hand.
"Lord Madara! I've just come back from Konoha!
I brought some very interesting information — and a few snacks from the Land of Fire!"
With a proud grin, he presented the bag to Madara like an offering.
"Please, try them, Lord Madara! These are three-colored dango, a popular treat from the Land of Fire!"
Madara stared at the skewers of pastel-colored dango before him.
For a moment, his long-starved stomach let out a quiet growl.
And — though he'd never admit it — his eyes actually grew a little misty.
There is no greater happiness in the world, he thought, than when someone brings you delicious food right when you're craving it most.
Picking up one of the three-colored dango skewers, Madara examined it carefully.
For some reason, he thought these soft, pastel dumplings looked even more beautiful than three Sharingan eyes put together.
He took a slow bite, savoring the chewy sweetness.
In that instant, his affection for the White Zetsu in front of him shot up by +999.
Chewing contentedly, Madara spoke in a much softer tone than usual:
"All right, tell me — you've been lurking around the area near Konoha for quite a while. What new intel have you gathered?"
The White Zetsu, knowing full well that this was exactly what Madara wanted to hear, began his report with great enthusiasm and detail.
He went over everything — from the end of the Third Great Ninja War, to the Uchiha clan's rebellion, and finally, the Nine Tails' rampage.
As expected, Madara's eyes gleamed with interest while he listened.
This time, though, he paid little attention to the heroic feats of that meddlesome Gekko Hoshiyomi.
His focus was entirely on the Nine Tails and the rebellious Uchiha.
When he heard that the Nine Tails had already been resealed, Madara clicked his tongue regretfully.
"Tch. What a waste. If not for that, I could've sent Tobi to have Nagato capture it right away."
The order of his plan might've been off, but he knew well that the Nine Tails was the hardest beast to deal with — once it was secured, the rest would be much easier.
Still, there was an unexpected bonus in all this — those rebel Uchiha.
And apparently, there were quite a few of them.
Madara wasn't exactly sentimental about those fools who couldn't even stage a proper rebellion (as if he had succeeded in his).
What interested him were the Sharingan — and the sheer number of them.
If that many Uchiha were involved, there had to be at least one or two who'd awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He didn't even need a pair of brothers to awaken them — just one would do.
With Hashirama's cells and a Mangekyō, and maybe a dozen or two standard Sharingan as backup fuel for Izanagi activation…
Mangekyō + Hashirama cells + a stash of three-tomoe eyes as hidden energy reserves — that should be enough to "stack" together another useful pawn, someone on Nagato's level.
Always best to have a backup plan, after all.
Licking the bamboo skewer clean, Madara looked extremely satisfied. He nodded approvingly at the White Zetsu.
"You've done well. Very well. I'm impressed."
Then, in a deep, commanding tone, he continued:
"Since we now know there are so many Uchiha locked up in Konoha's prison, we can't just ignore them.
Go inform Tobi — have him use that… what's-his-name… ah, Danzō.
Let him make a trip to Konoha and find a way to bring those clansmen to me.
If he can't bring them alive, then at least take their eyes.
Handle it cleanly — leave no traces. After the extraction, send a number of White Zetsu to impersonate the captured Uchiha as decoys.
I'll leave the arrangement of these replacements to you.
My time in this world is running short. From now on, aside from the Tobi–Danzō pair, there will be another — you and Black Zetsu.
From this day forward, the two of you — or rather, the four of you — will be my lingering shadows in this world.
Whether the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeds or not… after Nagato, it all depends on you."
As he said this, Madara waved a hand.
The Black Zetsu, who had been sitting silently opposite him, rose to his feet and, without a word, merged with the White Zetsu.
And so, a Pitcher Plant with a half-black, half-white face was born.