Broken branches and rotten leaves… this forest had suffered yet another round of devastation, looking as if it had been ravaged by a storm.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto shouted, his sharp eyes spotting the figure lying on the ground. He rushed over without hesitation.
"Naruto, stay calm! Be careful… there might still be enemies around!"
"Naruto-kun, slow down..."
Behind him were Yamato and Hinata, who were part of the same team. Seeing the distress signal, they had naturally rushed over first. The cautious Yamato tried to stop Naruto, after all, as the Jinchuriki, he couldn't afford to take risks, but Naruto didn't even look back.
Hinata and Yamato had no choice but to speed up to catch up. They moved from the open grassland into the forest. At the same time, from a diagonal position behind them, more figures emerged… other Konoha's teams had arrived as well.
Yamato quickly assessed the battlefield. The destruction was chaotic and severe, but the air was quiet, with no signs of ongoing combat. It seemed everything was already over.
Kakashi looked as if he had been through a brutal fight, leaning weakly against a tree with his left eye tightly shut. Mai and Pakkun crouched beside him, tending to him.
"You're here..." Kakashi's consciousness was intact, though his voice sounded exhausted. "Sorry, I couldn't stop them."
The surroundings were calm, with no sign of Akatsuki or Sasuke. It seemed they really hadn't gained anything. Still, the fact that everyone was unharmed was the best news. Yamato's gaze swept over Mai and Pakkun before he said steadily, "We ran into some trouble on the way too. That's why we're late."
Seeing that Kakashi could still speak, Naruto sighed in relief, but he was still restless, "Kakashi-sensei, what exactly happened? Who were the enemies?"
Within moments, Sakura, Shino, and the rest of the team had gathered around Kakashi, all concerned.
"It was Sasuke... and Deidara from Akatsuki." Kakashi said after a pause, his tone grave, "We found them in the middle of a fight, but unfortunately, they still got away."
"Huh?" Naruto reacted the most strongly, "You ran into Sasuke?"
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She took half a step forward, her nerves on edge.
"That's right." Kakashi nodded, addressing the group, "The reason for their fight is unclear, but Sasuke was interrogating Deidara for information on Uchiha Itachi... If nothing goes wrong, Sasuke is here to settle his revenge with Itachi."
Yamato listened and thought for a moment, "Then the village's intel was correct. Just as we suspected, our mission's starting point was accurate..."
Everyone carefully digested the implications of this encounter and the possible adjustments they'd need to make moving forward.
"Damn it!"
Amid the heavy atmosphere, Naruto suddenly slapped his thigh. He stood up and looked around, his thoughts clearly not on the same wavelength as everyone else's, "Which way did Sasuke run off to?"
"Damn it, we finally caught up to that guy, and he slipped away again..." Naruto clenched his fists, eyeing the nearby vegetation scorched by lightning jutsu with deep frustration.
"Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you hold on a little longer?"
Kakashi: "…"
Naruto swung his fists dramatically, as if he were already delivering the 'Friendship Punch' he had rehearsed countless times in his mind straight to Sasuke's face. He really wanted to knock some sense into his old friend.
Sakura tugged at Naruto's sleeve, signaling him to read the room... Meanwhile, Kakashi looked utterly speechless, 'Who would've thought that Deidara and Sasuke, who had been fighting so fiercely just moments ago, would suddenly join forces against me to make their escape?'
'And Sasuke's Sharingan usage had become frighteningly refined...' Kakashi's lips twitched slightly.
"Naruto, how can you say that to Kakashi-sensei?"
Mai, who had been quietly fulfilling her duties, suddenly spoke up in Kakashi's defense. Her small face was stern as she declared righteously, "Kakashi-sensei fulfilled his duty as a team leader! He ordered me to stay behind while he risked his life fighting two enemies alone! Could you have done any better, Naruto?"
"Uh..." Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Oh, so it was one against two..."
"Alright, alright, the only reason Mai didn't engage was because she had to monitor the situation and fire the signal flare. Let's focus on tracking them next." Kakashi interjected, knowing Naruto meant no harm.
Returning to the main topic, the others exchanged intel from their searches. After a brief rest, Kakashi regained some strength, and they regrouped, setting off in the direction Sasuke had fled.
…
Elsewhere, at the designated rendezvous point for Team Hebi.
When Sasuke returned, covered in wounds, his teammates were visibly shocked and panicked.
"It's nothing serious. Sit down," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, placing the Kusanagi Sword aside.
Karin anxiously pulled her sleeves, giving her exposed arms towards Sasuke's mouth. Her face was full of distress as she looked at his numerous injuries. "I'm sorry, Sasuke... We were too careless. After finishing our search, we should've come to find you."
Just like Konoha's team, Sasuke had initially assigned Team Hebi the task of locating Uchiha Itachi, so they had split up. Karin had even passed by Sakura in a small town, but neither recognized the other.
Suigetsu bared his jagged teeth slightly as he sat down, pulling out a water bottle, "Who did you run into to end up like this?"
"Deidara from Akatsuki... and Hatake Kakashi. Konoha's people are here." Sasuke replied, closing his eyes as he accepted Karin's healing to restore his chakra as quickly as possible.
Suigetsu's interest was piqued. He ran a hand along the Kubikiribocho resting on the rock, "So that's the guy who killed this sword's previous owner, huh? Heh... If he's chasing us, I suddenly feel like cutting him in half."
The silent Jugo crouched under the tree, but his answer was as simple and direct as ever, "Should we strike back?"
"No need. Finding Uchiha Itachi is the priority." Sasuke replied coldly. Deep down, the appearance of those familiar faces from Konoha only annoyed him.
To be honest, he really didn't want to run into Naruto. After all, he was too loud.
…
Obito carried a battered and bloodied Deidara on his back, the trees blurring past as he contemplated his next move.
About half an hour later, a pained groan from behind interrupted his thoughts.
Noticing their surroundings, as they were far enough now, he spotted a natural cave halfway up a cliff ahead. He adjusted course and entered, carefully setting Deidara down.
"Tch, be gentle, Tobi."
Deidara's clothes were half-gone, his body covered in blood and dirt, his left arm missing entirely. Leaning against the cave wall, he sucked in sharp breaths.
"Senpai! That Uchiha Sasuke is so abominable! How dare he hurt you like this!"
The junior's righteous anger gave Deidara a sliver of comfort, but he still scowled, "Oh, now you care? Where were you when I needed backup, huh?"
"Ah, well, Senpai, your battle was just too grand, too spectacular! After that giant clay explosion of yours, I had to take cover..." The other party scratched his head sheepishly.
"Tch. Fine. My art is dangerous, I suppose. 'Grand' and 'spectacular' are good descriptors. Note that down. Hmm..." Deidara played the magnanimous senior, quickly forgiving him, "You would've just gotten in the way."
Obito tended to Deidara's injuries.
With one arm gone and his clay nearly depleted, Deidara was in no shape to fight. As he recalled the battle, those damned three-tomoe Sharingan eyes flashed in his mind.
"If those Konoha bastards hadn't shown up, I would've blown Sasuke to pieces!"
"Senpai, rest here for now. This isn't over… I'll make sure to settle the score for you!"
"Oh? Now that's the spirit!" Deidara's eyes lit up, impressed despite himself. But then he narrowed them, skeptical, "You? Really?"
"Well, at the very least, I can make their lives a little difficult."
Behind the mask, Obito, playing the role of 'Tobi', grinned. His sharp gaze remained hidden in the shadows.