Hatake Sakumo ordered a few people to stay behind and investigate. Once the scene had been cleared up, he took the others along to escort Kana and her companions farther on. Once they reached the area under his jurisdiction, Kana could be considered safe. The enemy had already failed to attack her earlier, and succeeding here would be even less likely.
Hatake Sakumo could not leave his post. He bid Kana and the others farewell, wished them a trouble-free journey ahead, and watched them leave.
Kana and her companions indeed encountered no further attacks. The earlier attempt was probably all the enemy could manage for now, unless they truly chose to break openly with the village and deploy the Chakra Samurai in plain sight. Then they would be in real danger.
Fortunately, Tobi did not seem ready to make that break yet. Perhaps his injuries had not healed. If he really was the person who had attacked Asuna back then, he must have been gravely wounded, whatever means he had used to survive.
Their guesses were correct. Tobi still appeared at the Daimyo Mansion in the Capital as though nothing were wrong, but his wounds had yet to heal. Although the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan had allowed him to escape death, the Sage Art had still inflicted severe injuries. Soul Substitute could only perform a substitution teleportation similar to Flying Thunder God; it could not transfer damage.
Tobi had spent all this time recuperating in the Capital. Without his unusual constitution, he might have needed even longer to recover.
Until his wounds healed completely, Tobi could not break openly with Konoha Ninja Village. Undertaking such a move in poor physical condition would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous.
When Konoha Ninja Village came into view, Hyuga Qi, who was driving the