Sasori...
All right, break's over.
Gai-sensei, are you sure?
Yeah. I'm totally fine. I woke up completely refreshed.
Neji.
No problem. He has appalling recuperative power.
So that leaves...
I'm ready to go, too.
All right, now to make up for the time we lost resting, we're going to double the pace.
What?!
No, let's make it triple.
If we do that, we'll arrive earlier than first planned.
I see.
All right guys, let's make it quadruple the pace while we're at it.
What's the matter?
That's impossible, no matter how you consider things.
I told you guys to stop getting so carried away!
Gai-sensei, that's why I said triple the pace.
Lee, that's a little off, too.
Now then...
That should be enough rest...
Break time is over. We should get going.
Wake up, you two.
We're leaving.
Okay...
A little longer... Let me sleep a little longer.
You're going to save Gaara, aren't you?
Of course I am!
The Death of Gaara
The enemy hideout should be in this direction...
I'm sorry... Gaara...
We'll now be entering the final stage.
What shall we do about the pesky flies?
They're moving at a greater speed than anticipated.
No problem.
We stalled them effectively. Just ignore them.
Besides, we've got some insurance.
In the end, we'll be the ones who have to take care of them.
Let's hurry and finish things up here, Deidara.
We've got guests to greet.
You'll want to catch a breath before that, don't you?
That's right.
We have welcoming preparations to take care of.
Man, they're sure a pain.
And we're having a hard time finding our Jinchuuriki...
Don't get so irritated.
We just need to take care of our own missions.
That's enough idle chatter. Concentrate!
Mistakes will not be tolerated from here on.
Each team will be deployed as I just announced.
The absence of Lord Kazekage is a highly classified matter!
However, operate under the assumption that the information has already been leaked.
It's conceivable that the nearby lands will take advantage of this confusion and execute an attack.
Don't think of this as just an ordinary border patrol.
The teams that are ready will depart at once.
What's the matter, Matsuri?
Is this really okay?
Is what okay?
Lord Gaara has been kidnapped.
And yet, here we are guarding a border for an enemy who may or may not come instead of trying to save him.
It's an order from our superiors. We can only obey.
No way!
Lord Gaara is the Hidden Sand's... our Kazekage!
I know that!
Gaara's my little brother, you know!
I'm sorry...
This way.
Right!
I don't like it.
What is it, Neji?
Is it an enemy?
No, just the opposite.
I don't feel any enemy presence at all. That's what's bothering me.
Here they went so far as to use that powerful technique in an attempt to stall us.
Then...
Could it be...
They no longer need to stall us.
There's a good chance of that.
Don't tell me...
H-He's...
Hang on, Gaara.
Naruto, wait up!
Geez.
Why's that kid trying so hard to save Gaara who's from a different village?
And what in the world is he?
He's also a Jinchuuriki.
He has the Nine-Tails sealed within him.
Indeed, Naruto probably doesn't have much attachment to the Hidden Sand itself.
But Gaara is a Jinchuuriki just like he is.
More than anyone in the Hidden Sand, Naruto knows how Gaara feels.
After all, the Jinchuurikis have been treated the same way in every village.
That's exactly why he feels he has to save Gaara.
It doesn't make any difference to him if he's from the Leaf or the Sand.
For Naruto, Gaara is a friend who knows the same pain as he does.
Naruto's dream is to become the Hokage.
He was frustrated when he heard that Gaara had become the Kazekage.
I see. So Gaara became the Kazekage, huh?
But at the same time, he was also very happy for Gaara from the bottom of his heart.
I won't be outdone by him!
I'll become the Hokage, no matter what.
Just you wait, Gaara!
Naruto has a mysterious power.
However small the words he exchanges, he makes friends immediately with everyone he meets.
I have lived a long life.
I've seen many things.
And in my own way, I've learned the nature of things in this world.
Learning that the alliance with other lands were for show only,
what I did was to create resources to protect the Hidden Sand.
I'm the one who used the technique and forced the possession of the Shukaku on Gaara.
After consulting with his father the Fourth Kazekage, that is.
What I did to protect the village ended up just hurting it.
And now a village I avoided because I couldn't believe in alliances is trying to help us.
Everything I've done might have been mistaken.
And now I've gotten old and learn to give up easily.
Kakashi...
Young people have much potential within...
I'm so envious.
Oh no, you're just getting started...
You're still very much young.
That's right...
There might still be something an old bag like me can do.
Something I can do.
It's about finished.
Whose... hand is this?
Oh... it's my hand.
Have I... become an existence someone needs?
Huh? What?
Is that me?
That's me... The me who wanted to be needed by... someone...
Why? Why did I want to be like that?
Why... am I... an existence that desires that?
Those eyes.
That nose.
That mouth.
Why?
Why is that Gaara?
I was inside that...
No... What am I in the first place?
I'm just aware that I'm me.
What am I... in the first place?
I'm just a small... feeling.
It's finished.
Oh man.
In the end, it took three days and three nights.
It's exhausting every time, isn't it?
Oh, my shoulders are all stiff.
Good work, everyone.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
Damn it! Isn't there something I can do?
This is the place, huh?
Gaara is on the other side of this boulder.
It looks like they put up a barrier.
What's the plan?
Let's bust through!
No!
You're late... Kakashi.
Well, you see... We got caught up in something troublesome along the way.
Naruto! Sakura!
Kakashi... By troublesome, you certainly don't mean me, do you?
Hey!
Naruto...
We were just a step behind you guys, huh?
Who's the old woman there?
Oh, this is Lady Chiyo, a consultant to the Sand.
Nice to meet you.
Now, shall we do this, Kakashi?
Yeah.
Forbidden
Hang on, Gaara.