Konoha's Rookies vs Tobi

"Sasuke, what happened to you? How did you come back so injured?" After returning, when Sasuke met Suigetsu, he couldn't hold on any longer and just lay down. Suigetsu had to catch him and bring him back with Jugo. Unfortunately, without Karin's presence, his injuries were going to take quite a while to recover.

Fortunately, they could afford to hire medical ninjas for treatment. Coming from Orochimaru, they didn't have to spend much money, but either being rogue ninja or experimental subjects, they didn't want to attract attention. So the medical ninjas they hired weren't very advanced, but they significantly reduced Sasuke's recovery time.

A month later, Sasuke had fully recovered. After his recovery, he was eager to kill Itachi and seek revenge against Deidara by activating the Mangekyo Sharingan. Orochimaru was certainly pleased with this development. He least wanted Sasuke to cause trouble again. It was best if Sasuke could fight Itachi quickly, and a fight where both were severely injured would be even better.

At that time, Orochimaru could take Sasuke's body with minimal damage to his soul. And if Sasuke's body couldn't activate the Mangekyo Sharingan, then Orochimaru would transplant Itachi's eyes into him. After all, they were brothers, both with Uchiha blood and very similar. Even Kakashi could use the Mangekyo Sharingan so effectively; with bloodlines so close, it shouldn't be a problem.

"That guy seems to have suffered some kind of shock," Suigetsu remarked, watching Sasuke's cold expression as he left. It was as if he had been like that since he returned injured.

"He was probably defeated by someone, possibly by an Akatsuki member. Sasuke thought he was impressive after defeating Orochimaru, but I know better. This world never lacks powerful individuals. Maybe he was defeated just when he was at his proudest moment," Jugo said after a moment of thought.

"It's surprising, indeed. Sasuke isn't weak in terms of strength. He could at least win against Orochimaru (though he actually made a deal with Orochimaru to save his life, he doesn't know that). Even if he couldn't win, there's no reason for him to be so badly injured. And from the way he looked, I could see a hint of fear in his eyes when I encountered him. It's as if he faced something terrifying, and escaping was already fortunate."

Suigetsu recollected Sasuke's disheveled appearance back then and agreed with Jugo's assessment.

"It seems that the depths of the ninja world are truly extraordinary. It's true, maybe we overestimated Sasuke. Back when the Uchiha clan wasn't annihilated, so many with the Three Tomoe Sharingan were suppressed by Konoha, unable to move freely, forced to live as Konoha's dogs.

Now, with only two remaining after the clan's annihilation, it's even more difficult for them to achieve anything significant. After all, the Sharingan isn't an unattainable power. Ultimately, the Sharingan is just one of the many bloodline limits, albeit a more powerful one. Even if he has the Sharingan and is defeated, it's not something he should find hard to accept."

Suigetsu thought to himself, but of course, he wouldn't voice these sentiments. After all, these words could be quite hurtful. Sometimes, as an observer, he could see things more clearly than those directly involved.

"It's Sasuke's scent." The ninja dogs sent out by Kakashi, who had been searching nearby all this time, finally picked up Sasuke's scent. However, since Sasuke lacked the heightened sensory perception of a ninja like Karin, the Konoha's pursuit remained undetected. But after being saved by a mysterious person, he had become much more cautious and had shed much of his arrogant pride.

Therefore, tracking him wasn't that easy. Plus, with Tobi and Black and White Zetsu secretly protecting him, the endgame was near, and the final battle was approaching. They couldn't allow anyone to disrupt their plans.

"Chase him." To be honest, if Naruto were to activate Sage Mode, he could still sense Sasuke's chakra location. However, the more mature him knew when and how to use his abilities. Sage Mode was the source of his combat strength and his last resort for survival. It had to be used against Sasuke or members of Akatsuki. Using it just for searching was not worth it.

Moreover, there were many highly skilled sensor-type ninja around him, making his personal use unnecessary. They had already located Sasuke, and there was no need for Kakashi to go that far. They could catch up following Inuzuka's Pakkun, Akamaru, and other ninja dogs.

When the group of Konoha ninja entered a forest with tall trees, they encountered someone wearing a whirlpool mask, waiting for them. It was clear that he was an obstacle since no one like Karin had sensed the Konoha's presence beforehand. So, Naruto and the others quickly caught up, almost reaching Sasuke before his fight with Itachi.

Aware that he didn't want Sasuke and Itachi's battle to be disrupted or intervened in, Tobi could only part ways with Deidara. He stood alone, stopping the Konoha group. After all, his goal wasn't to determine victory or defeat against the Leaf ninja; he needed to delay them until the outcome between Sasuke and Itachi was clear.

"It's a member of Akatsuki." Kakashi didn't waste any time and activated his Sharingan, focusing on Tobi. Others also assumed combat-ready positions.

"I'm really sorry, everyone. I don't want to stop you here, but there's no choice. How about we play a game of hide and seek? If you catch me, I'll let you pass."

Tobi said childishly, though his attire made people hesitate to underestimate him. After all, in the eyes of those from the Konoha, members of Akatsuki were anything but ordinary.

"Go, Akamaru!" Kiba knew that Kakashi was excellent at observing enemies and devising strategies for one-hit kills. Now was the time for Kakashi to observe, while they could also test the enemy's strength.

"Gatsuga!" Akamaru transformed into Inuzuka's Kiba form, and they both unleashed the Gatsuga, two tornado-like attacks aimed at Tobi. 

"Hey, hey, hey, that's too dangerous! You can't just mess around." Tobi seemed panicked, but each of his movements was perfectly timed to evade the attacks.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!" Yamato created wooden walls that entwined around Tobi like serpents, attempting to bind him. However, Tobi's agility allowed him to evade them one by one. But just when he was about to dodge, Naruto leapt into the air, wielding a Rasengan aimed at Tobi.

"Hehe." Tobi chuckled triumphantly, standing still without any signs of panic. The Rasengan, along with Naruto's body, passed right through him, as if Tobi wasn't a real person but merely a projection.