As Kazama infused a surge of Yohi no Chikara (Yang Fire Power) into Kakashi, the change was immediate.
Just a moment ago, Kakashi's face was pale as death, his breathing faint and ragged.
Now, his cheeks were flushed, his breathing steady—he was clearly out of danger.
"Thank goodness!"
Seeing Kakashi finally safe, Tsunade and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
But then Tsunade turned to Kazama, grumbling.
"You little punk, where the heck have you been? Ignoring your own sensei like that?"
"Tsunade-sama, aren't you getting it backward? Shouldn't the sensei be the one looking after the student?"
Shizune whispered timidly.
"Does this kid even need looking after?"
Tsunade's scolding left Kazama scratching his head awkwardly.
At that moment, Kakashi stirred, regaining consciousness.
"Kazama, you're finally back, you rascal… cough cough!"
Though his injuries were healed, Kakashi's body was still weak.
"Kakashi-sensei, who hurt you this badly?"
"Yeah, Kakashi! Who attacked you and took Sasuke? Tell us what they looked like, and I'll have the Anbu track them down!"
At Kazama and Tsunade's urgent questions, Kakashi sighed helplessly.
"I didn't get a clear look at them. One was pitch black, with blurry features. The other wore a spiral mask. The moment I engaged them, the black one possessed me and attacked. The guy with the spiral mask used some kind of space ninjutsu to take Sasuke away. I didn't even have a chance to fight back."
"One can possess people, and the other uses space ninjutsu? Damn, who are these guys? Their strength is terrifying!"
Tsunade was at a loss after hearing Kakashi's account, clearly clueless about their identities.
Kazama, meanwhile, furrowed his brow. He knew exactly who Kakashi was describing: the pitch-black one with possession abilities was Hei Zetsu, and the spiral-masked ninja with space ninjutsu was Uchiha Obito.
"No wonder Kakashi didn't stand a chance—those two took Sasuke!"
"Kazama, do you know who they are?"
As Kazama was piecing it together, Tsunade pressed him for answers.
"They're Akatsuki members!"
"Akatsuki?"
"That's right. The one who can possess is Hei Zetsu from the Akatsuki. The other one…"
Kazama glanced at Kakashi on the hospital bed.
"…the other goes by A—aspiring Tobi—and he can suck himself and anyone he touches into another dimension!"
Kazama didn't reveal Obito's true identity.
He knew Kakashi, who still saw Obito as a dear friend, wouldn't be able to handle the truth.
"Kazama, since you know so much about these two, you're in charge of the mission to rescue Sasuke. The biggest problem now is tracking them down…"
"That's easy. I can find them right now!"
Before Tsunade could finish, Kazama activated Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).
He'd long ago placed a seal on Hei Zetsu.
While he might not be able to locate Obito, Hei Zetsu was a sure bet.
"Is it safe to keep Sasuke hidden here?"
In a secluded hideout, Hei Zetsu glanced at the unconscious Sasuke, still worried someone might track them down.
"No problem!"
Obito replied, checking on Sasuke's condition.
"It's been three days since we took him, and we've switched locations multiple times. There's no way Konoha can find us!"
"I'm not worried about the rest of Konoha. It's that Sanada Kazama kid who bothers me!"
"Relax. Unless he's a god, there's no way he'll find our hideout!"
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure!"
At that moment, Kazama appeared behind Hei Zetsu, courtesy of Hiraishin no Jutsu.