Sasuke was found by the Konoha group in a training field in a dense forest area with giant trees, it looked very much like the Forest of Death from the Hidden Leaf Village.
Sasuke was not alone, Ranmaru, Karin and Suigetsu joined him as they faced a formidable enemy.
Kimimaro.
Kimimaro, in the second stage of the curse, was facing the four, Karin providing support with her chains from the sides, Suigetsu wielding Kubikiribocho advancing first, Ranmaru's eyes glowing red as he tried to influence Kimimaro with illusions, using water style from the sides for support.
They were all in the second stage of the cursed mark.
Sasuke harassed from the flanks, waiting for a chance to strike directly, ready to use the Chidori to advance at the slightest opening, his Sharingan tracking Kimimaro's every move.
Kimimaro was letting everything go, faster than they could react. With a versatile Kekkei Genkai, he fired bone bullets from his fingers at medium range, wielding a bone blade in his right hand and bone spurs around his body. He could have finished off all four of them if he wanted to, but he held back.
Ranmaru's illusions quickly dissipated, Suigetsu's advances were easily countered, Karin's chains failed to touch him, his concentration was now focused on Sasuke, waiting for the moment when the boy would tire of playing around and attack with everything he had.
But seeing the Konoha group arriving with Guren, the group stopped abruptly, turning to the invaders with curiosity and caution, if the group hadn't been guided by Guren, they would have already attacked.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed when he saw the group, his Sharingan still active, scanning them before settling on Kakashi. His lips pursed in irritation, sensing that his training time would be affected.
Sasuke was very pleased with the Village Hidden in the Sound, finally achieving the power he sought. Here, he was advancing by leaps and bounds, a far cry from the childish games of Konoha.
Even Karin and Ranmaru stopped being "useless" and became "good helpers", even Suigetsu, the idiot, had potential.
Kakashi's eyes also met Sasuke's and the two looked at each other silently for a moment.
Kakashi had seen a lot in his life, he had also been Sasuke's teacher. So when he saw Sasuke's eyes, he didn't see what he expected, pure darkness, but rather the unwavering gaze of someone with a goal, fighting with all his might to achieve it.
Kakashi had already seen the end of the training session and only then did he realize that Sasuke had made significant progress.
The group slowly reversed their curse marks, returning to their normal state. They looked at Guren curiously and Kimimaro stepped forward as he spoke. -Who are these people?
-Jiraiya from Konoha, they came to talk to Sasuke, but before that, Sasuke-kun, may I speak with you for a moment?- Guren asked without changing her expression, walking aside so they could talk alone.
Sasuke clicked his tongue, but followed her anyway, averting his gaze from the Konoha group, he only hoped he hadn't been sold.
Guren wasted no time and began recounting what had happened in Jugo's office earlier. Sasuke listened calmly, but soon focused on the key points: two years, the fight against Naruto.
Sasuke let out a slight sneering sound, he didn't care about being used as a bargaining chip. Jugo clearly did this with confidence in his victory.
He turned to look at the Konoha group, without saying anything to Guren, he approached them. Jiraiya turned and looked at Kakashi, clearly he was the best one to speak now.
Kakashi let out a soft sigh before approaching with his hands in his pockets.
The pair stared at each other for a moment, their eyes speaking louder than any words could.
-Are you sure about that?- Kakashi finally asked, as if he wanted his judgment to be wrong.
-I'm not coming back, Kakashi. I'm tired of playing games with you. My goal has never changed. Here... I'm going to gain the power I seek.- Sasuke explained. It was more than he would normally say, but he wanted to make it clear to the man, deep down, Sasuke still respected Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't speak for a long moment, his single eye growing a little heavier, but the man had been through a lot in life. He simply nodded before saying. -Sasuke... Naruto, Sakura and I... we'll wait for you.
Saying this, he turned and left. No one spoke during the conversation. Guy seemed to have a thorn stuck in his throat, wanting to scream but holding back. Asuma sighed lightly. Jiraiya seemed a little melancholic, his eyes wandering as he remembered the past.
Shaking his heads, he said nothing more, turned around and left.
Sasuke frowned for a brief moment, but clenching his fists, he looked away and returned to Kimimaro, his training was not yet over.
Guren watched the Konoha group depart, then waved to Kimimaro and the others as they left in a Shunshin.
Karin sensed that Sasuke's chakra had become heavier, yet firmer at the same time. She pursed her lips slightly, having developed a sense of camaraderie with the boy.
Ranmaru gave Sasuke a light pat on the shoulder, offering a gentle smile of comfort.
Suigetsu, on the other hand... - Hey, Sasuke, do you need a shoulder to cry on? - Yes, he didn't miss the chance to mock Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at him as if he were an idiot and ignored him, Suigetsu just continued to smile indifferently, not caring about the obvious disdain. - Looks like I touched a nerve.
Karin glared at Suigetsu and felt the urge to kick the idiot, but she didn't want to get wet, so she avoided attacking Suigetsu, although the thought of using her chains on him lingered, unfortunately, their speed couldn't keep up with Suigetsu's speed.
Suigetsu had been caught by her once, thinking they were ordinary currents. When he couldn't transform into water, he realized he was in trouble and never let himself be caught again, he even kept a safe distance from Karin.
Kimimaro looked at all of this with clear disinterest, he returned to the second stage of the curse while saying. -Continue.
The group looked at Kimimaro and stepped back, returning to their fighting stance.
The only difference between before and after was that Sasuke was attacking more heavily, he needed to keep going! Whether it was fighting Naruto or killing Itachi, Sasuke couldn't stop.