Uchiha Madara had indeed learned that Hyuga Sho had left the village.
Hyuga Sho was also heading toward the Land of Wind, preparing to track Pakura at sea.
So it seemed...
Hyuga Sho's actions had nothing to do with the Land of Water...
But in reality.
Hyuga Sho would take a different route, eventually arriving at the same intersection as Kakashi...
That was.
His final destination: the Land of Water.
Several days later.
The news that Nohara Rin had been captured by Mist Village Ninja became known through the other Konoha Ninja who had been traveling with her.
The news was relayed back to Konoha.
After learning of the incident, Kakashi, who was an ANBU member, immediately went to see Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He requested permission to personally rescue Nohara Rin.
Although Konoha had temporarily driven back Iwagakure, making it afraid to launch another large-scale invasion at will,
the Third Shinobi World War was far from over.
The fighting between ninja continued, and a large number of missions were still ongoing.
Konoha was temporarily unable to spare many people to act alongside Kakashi.
Therefore...
Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to Kakashi's request on the spot.
He told Kakashi to go alone first.
Afterward, once the ninja from the other villages had been assembled, they would be sent as a reinforcement force to support Kakashi.
Deep underground in the Land of Grass.
"Madara... Nohara Rin has been successfully captured..."
Black Zetsu and Tobi appeared and reported the news to Uchiha Madara.
"Good..."
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes and gazed at Uchiha Obito, who was training in the distance.
It had been nearly a year since Uchiha Obito had been rescued from beneath the rocks crushing him.
Until now.
Nearly a year had passed.
During that year.
Half of Uchiha Obito's