Before long, Ao arrived with his team at Kakashi and the others' location.
The Kirigakure ANBU quickly organized relief for the villagers caught in the disaster. Ao's face, now missing its Byakugan, was grave.
"Jonin Ao, what happened with the Masked Man?" Kakashi asked.
Ao shook his head. "He didn't linger to fight. He's already escaped using Space-Time Ninjutsu."
In truth, Ao was putting it mildly. They had barely managed to hold out against the Masked Man. Later, seemingly because the battle at the Mizukage Building had ended, the enemy had simply strolled away.
"We failed on our end too." Kakashi pulled his eyepatch back down and continued, "The enemy can absorb chakra, and his ninjutsu and taijutsu are extremely powerful."
"I see..." Ao nodded slightly.
Any ninja whose strength Kakashi acknowledged might truly be powerful to an unreasonable degree.
He knew full well how strong the team Kakashi led was. In terms of strength, they probably rivaled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at their peak, and could even defeat a jinchūriki with ease.
After a pause, Kakashi asked Ao, "How are things going with the Mizukage?"
Kakashi hadn't forgotten their objective. They were there to stall the Masked Man and help the Fourth Mizukage escape the Akatsuki's control.
"It should be over by now..." Ao's expression dimmed as he continued, "But I can no longer see exactly what's happening."
Ao was referring to his stolen Byakugan. That eye had made him Kirigakure's finest sensory ninja.
Only a short while ago, he had nearly fallen out with the Konoha Squad over that eye. Yet despite treasuring it, he had still lost it to the Akatsuki.
Kakashi's expression changed as well. With a strategic weapon like the Byakugan in their possession, the Akatsuki would be even harder to deal