

**This question contains spoilers for early manga readers and anime viewers**

Konan mentions during her fight with Tobi that Tobi's dematerialization
technique can last for only 5 minutes. This can be confirmed as true since
Tobi resorts to Izanagi to escape her ultimate technique, Kami no Shisha no
Jutsu. It is later revealed that Tobi's dematerialization technique is
actually just teleporting himself into his alternate dimension with Kamui.

However, earlier during the Five Kage meeting arc, he had teleported Sasuke
and Karin and kept them in the alternate dimension for quite a long time. He
also kept Fu and Torune in the alternate dimension for several days. This
shows that he does not face any significant side-effects, like draining
chakra, by keeping people in the other dimension. Also, staying in the
alternate dimension did not seem to have any adverse effect, on at least
Sasuke and Karin.

Why can Tobi not keep himself in the alternate dimension for more than 5
minutes? In particular, why could he not just escape Konan's ultimate
technique by staying in his alternate dimension for 10 minutes, rather than
use Izanagi?


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naruto
Why is there a time limit on Tobi's dematerialization technique?


There's no definite answer yet.

The technique is about sending parts of yourself to the other dimension, to
avoid being hit.

Two reasons I can think of are:

  * Since [it's an activated mode type technique](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/269/does-tobi-control-his-teleportation-consciously/272#272), it constantly drains his chakra. Five minutes are his limit. 
  * He cannot keep parts of his body separated for so long, because there could be some sort of biological limitation of transferring oxygen and blood to the organs in the alternate dimension. 

The first sounds more feasible to me, but since it isn't explicitly specified,
we can't give you a definite answer.


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The answer is simple, the 2 situations you describe are actually 2 different
techniques. This answer contain a minor spoiler about the ability, especially
the wielder of the other Mangekyou Sharingan eye.

[Kamui](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Kamui) has 2 abilities.

1) The user can create vortexes that transport anything they suck in to the
Kamui Dimension. Objects can remain in that dimension indefinitely it seems.
The downside is that it takes time to suck objects in, and they are vulnerable
while doing so. If Tobi tried to use this, he would be wide open and take the
full force of those explosions by Konan. As well, Later on, Truth Seeking
Balls (balls that destroy just about everything they touch) nearly touched him
while he was trying to use this ability, because they got to him faster than
he could teleport. He was forced to cancel the vortex teleport to dodge them.

2) Grant the users body intangibility, by temporarily transporting segments of
the users body to the Kamui Dimension when objects in the main dimension come
into contact with their body. The user is unable to attack while this is
active. This is the one with a 5 minute limit, as it is not a complete
teleportation, Only overlapping segments are moved. Tobi used this to dodge
the 4th Hokage's abilities, but turned it off to attack, which is how Minato
hit him with his Rasengan. This ability can be cast near instantly, though it
may have a cool down after being turned off before it can be turned on again.
Another downside is that if someone is in the Kamui Dimension, the segments of
the body will be clearly visible to them, and they can attack it.

Now, Tobi had the right eye, which has ability 2, and could create vortexes,
but only centered around the eye itself. It could control the direction of the
sucking force of the vortex to a Cone shape, allowing him to decide if it was
his target or himself being sucked in. Kakashi had the left eye, which could
only create vortexes, but could do so at range, but the force could not be
controlled, it was always spherical.


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