Naruto has just woken up after being hit on the head by Chouji and Shikamaru. Naruto quickly looks around and then yells for everyone to be careful because of the grass ninja. Shikamaru tells Naruto he gets on his nerves. Naruto looks at Sakura and runs to her and tells her something happened to her hair. Sakura says she just wanted to change her look because her long hair gets in the way in the wilderness. Naruto asks Shikamaru and Chouji why they’re here and Sakura says they just showed up to help. Tenten tells Ino to give her Lee so she can take care of him. Ino hands Lee over and Tenten shakes him until he wakes up. Lee asks why she is there and where are the sound ninja. Tenten says she came to help and that Sasuke took care of the sound ninjas. Tenten asks why Lee rushed in to fight and Lee says he did it to protect Sakura. Naruto runs up to Lee and Sakura knocks him down telling him not to say anything bad about Lee. Naruto wonders what is going on and Shikamaru and Chouji discuss how out of the loop Naruto is. Sakura thanks Lee and tells him because of him she was able to stand up for herself. Lee begins crying and thanks Sakura. Lee tells Sasuke he is as good as his reputation because he was able to chase off the ninjas, unlike him. Sasuke is surprised to hear that Lee got beaten. Lee tells Sakura that the lotus of the leaf village blooms twice and that he will be a stronger ninja next time they meet. Ino tells Sakura to come over so she can fix her hair. Ino begins cutting Sakura’s hair and then calls her a sneaky troll for hugging Sasuke. The two begin fighting. Neji watches Sasuke and thinks about how he is stronger than he expected.

Elsewhere, Kiba’s dog, Akamaru, is shaking. Hinata and Shino ask if it is because of what he saw. We see Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Akamaru traveling to the tower with both of their scrolls (they got an earth scroll from the ninja who were caught in their trap. Kiba is celebrating that they’re going to be the first team to reach the tower but Shino tells him they can’t be overconfident and must be careful not to run into other teams. Kiba tells Shino that he understands that and then calls Shino a bug nerd. Hinata tells Kiba that Shino has a point. Kiba tells Hinata he knows and that they should just keep moving. Kiba then tells them they need to stop and tells Hinata to look a kilometer ahead for enemies. Hinata uses her byakugon and sees Gaara’s team. Shino listens to the ground and realizes there are six ahead. Kiba says they should check out it. Shino says they aren’t going to do that. Kiba says they should because if they take more scrolls then there will be less to go around and therefore less competition. To make Shino and Hinata feel better, Kiba tells them if it looks dangerous then they can leave. Kiba disappears to go see the ninja up ahead, forcing Shino and Hinata to follow. Along the way, Hinata wonders if Naruto is doing ok. Later on Kiba stops suddenly because Akamaru is shaking. Hinata asks what is wrong with him and Kiba says that he is frightened. Kiba says Akamaru has the ability to sniff out a person’s chakra and the ninja ahead must be very strong.

Up ahead, we see Gaara and his team about to face off with another group. Kiba and his team arrive and hide in some bushes to watch. Kiba wonders what Gaara is thinking because he is much smaller than the guys on the other team. Akamaru tells Kiba that the big guy is big trouble. Hinata thinks to herself that both teams look like bad news. The opposing team tells the sand ninja they’re all going to die and Gaara tells them he has heard enough out of them so he will make it quick. Kankuro tells Gaara that it would make more sense to follow the other team to learn what scroll they have instead of wasting time. Gaara says he doesn’t care because they looked at him the wrong way so they’re going to die. The other team’s leader throws some umbrellas in the air and uses senbon rainstorm jutsu. The umbrellas begin spinning in the air and needles shoot out towards Gaara. The needles land in Gaara’s direction and kick up some dirt, making the ninja believe he has won. However, when the dirt has blown away we see Gaara surrounded by a needle pierced sand barrier. The ninja is shocked to see that Gaara doesn’t have one wound and tries attacking once more. Gaara’s sand blocks the needles.

“A senbon rainstorm huh? I have an idea. Let’s make it rain blood instead.”-Gaara

Kiba tells his team that the sand Gaara is using has the odor of blood.

Kankuro tells the other team that the sand is Gaara’s defense that he carries around in a gourd on his back. Kankuro explains that Gaara’s chakra hardens the sand and it is a jutsu that only Gaara can do, independent of his will (automatic). The other team’s leader rushes Gaara. Gaara uses sand coffin which causes the ninja to be wrapped in sand. The ninja’s umbrellas finally fall to the ground so Gaara picks one up. Gaara tells the ninja all he has to do is cover his mouth and he will die but that would be too easy and too boring. Gaara lifts the ninja into the air with his sand and then closes his fist, using sand burial. The sand crushes the ninja, sending blood everywhere. Gaara uses the umbrella to prevent himself from getting wet. The ninja’s teammates begin freaking out and Gaara tells them there was no pain because he used too much force.

“The corpse’s bitter crimson tears flow and mingle with the endless sand, feeding the chaos within me and making me stronger.”-Gaara

One of the ninja lays down a heaven scroll and asks Gaara to spare them. Gaara throws the umbrella to the side and then uses sand coffin on the two remaining ninja. The two ninja are engulfed in sand and then crushed.

From the bushes, Kiba tells his team they need to get away before Gaara sees them and kills them.

Kankuro picks up the scroll and says they’re lucky it was a heaven scroll. Kankuro tells his team they can now go to the tower. Gaara tells Kankuro to shut up and says it (killing) is never enough for him. Gaara looks towards the bushes, causing Kiba and co. to think Gaara has discovered them. Kankuro tells Gaara to come on but Gaara asks Kankuro if he is scared and calls him a coward. Kankuro walks towards Gaara and tells him that one set of scrolls is good enough. Gaara tells Kankuro that losers can’t tell him what to do. He raises his hand as if he is about to use sand coffin on Kankuro. Kankuro grabs hold of Gaara and tells him that sometimes he needs to listen to his big brother. Gaara tells Kankuro that it’s too bad he doesn’t think of him as his big brother and that if he gets in his way he’ll kill him. Gaara pushes Kankuro away and then raises his hand once more. Temari tells Gaara to hold on and tells him he doesn’t have to treat them like the enemy. Temari then asks Gaara to come with them as a favor to her, his sister. Gaara momentarily points his hand at Kankuro and then at where Kiba and co. are hiding. Sand begins swirling around Gaara’s hand making Kiba and co. believe they’re finished. Temari yells Gaara’s name and then we see Gaara was just making the cork for his gourd. Gaara walks away and Kankuro and Temari are relieved.

Kiba tells Akamaru he understands why he was so freaked out.

Later that night Kiba and co. arrive at the tower. Kiba believes they’re first but Shino says he thinks he sensed some people at the tower earlier. Hinata checks on Akamaru. Shino asks Kiba what Akamaru was trying to say about the big guy being powerful and Kiba says Akamaru must’ve meant the big was in trouble because the small guy was going to kill him. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro appear. Gaara gives Kiba and co. which scares them.