Deidara realizes that he is in a dangerous situation when Gaara’s Desert Prison begins to encircle him. Deidara attempts to escape the sand but crashes into some arms trying to prevent his escape. Gaara watches through his sand eye, seeing a sphere made out of sand where Deidara once was.

Down below, Kankuro tells the sand ninja around him that it is over. The sand ninja say that the Kazekage did as expected of him and the village is safe as long as he is there. Kankuro smiles for a second and then says no.

Inside the Desert Prison, Deidara performs a jutsu and a section of the Desert Prison surrounding him explodes. Deidara rushes out, falling to the ground. Gaara picks him up with his sand and slings him back towards the Desert Prison. Deidara throws forth a ball of clay, exploding it into a bird. Deidara jumps on the bird and flies away, with the sand in pursuit.

Kankuro calls Deidara an idiot from below, saying that no one escapes Gaara’s sand.

Deidara evades each attempt by the sand to grab him.

Kakashi tells Naruto and Sakura that he can’t believe he lost like that. Naruto and Sakura simply laugh while ringing their bells. Kakashi tells them that he should’ve read to the end earlier and Naruto laughs saying it’s amazing how much he enjoys reading that boring book. Kakashi wonders what Naruto is talking about and Naruto tells him that Jiraiya lent him a copy but he thought it was so lame that he didn’t read past the first ten pages. He goes on to say that he actually has no idea how the book ends. Kakashi gets wide eyed and then falls forward depressed. Sakura tells Kakashi that even thought Naruto didn’t know the ending, they figured he would react to just hearing the book’s name. She then asks Kakashi if it was a good strategy but before Kakashi can answer, Tsunade and Shizune appear. Tsunade tells Naruto and Sakura that she has seen how they have grown and asks Kakashi if he has anything to say. Kakashi says Naruto and Sakura did a good job of stealing the bells from him. Tsunade nods. Naruto asks what Tsunade and Kakashi are talking about. Shizune says it’s about what they’re going to do with both of them. Tsunade gains a serious-business like voice and calls out Naruto and Sakura’s full names. She tells them that along with Kakashi they will form Team Kakashi. Naruto asks what that means and Kakashi tells him the three of them will be teaming up on future missions and that they are no longer teacher and pupil but are equal Konoha shinobi. Kakashi asks Naruto if he has it and Naruto says yes. Jiraiya watches from a tree branch, smiling.

Baki appears before Kankuro with more sand ninja and asks him if Gaara is fighting and if so, where he is. Kankuro says he is and points to the skies. The sand ninja with Baki are amazed and Baki simply looks on, saying Gaara’s name.

Deidara continues to evade Gaara’s sand for a little while but then the sand is able to grab hold of his left arm. A hole appears in Gaara’s sand sphere. Gaara extends his arm as his sand encompasses more and more of Deidara’s arm. Deidara reaches into his bag of clay with his free arm and throws out a giant centipede that spirals around the sand extending from Gaara’s sphere, causing it to explode. However, the explosion doesn’t free Deidara from the sand. Gaara closes his fist, using the Desert Coffin jutsu. The sand surrounding Deidara’s arm compacts, crushing his arm and expelling blood into the night sky.

The villagers cheer for their Kazekage, saying he did it.

Deidara flies lower, managing to escape the sand. Gaara retracts his arm.

Baki sees Deidara get away and Kankuro says he is lucky.

Deidara says, “Not bad.” and realizes that the sand Gaara used to crush his arm has greater speed and power than regular sand. Deidara tells us that according to Akatsuki’s information Gaara always carries a fixed amount of sand that is already infused with a large of amount of chakra. That sand is usually used for defense but can instantly go on the offensive. Deidara wonders what they call Gaara’s defense…Gaara’s sand makes a go for Deidara once more and then he remembers, telling us it is called “Absolute Defense”. Deidara continues telling us more about Gaara, pointing out that the hole in Gaara’s absolute defense is from where he used sand to crush his arm. Deidara reaches into his clay bag to see he only has a little bit of clay left. Deidara and Gaara exchange looks. Deidara’s hand eats more clay and Deidara says to himself that he wasn’t prepared enough and seriously under estimated Gaara, just as Sasori said. Deidara says all he has left is one pursuit-type explosive and his specialty. With the clay his hand just ate, he creates a clay doll with a ghost-like expression on its face. Deidara gains an evil grin and says he is going to destroy the village after all.

On the outskirts of the village, Sasori damns everyone and wonders how long Deidara intends to make him wait.

The villagers watch on as Deidara floats in the air.

A sand ninja examines Deidara’s clothing through a set of binoculars, telling Kankuro and Baki that judging from the way he is dressed, he is a member of Akatsuki. Kankuro says that’s who he thought it was. Baki begins to tell Kankuro something…

In the skies, Gaara’s special sand starts making repeated attempts to hit/grab Deidara, but Deidara simply evades it.

Baki tells Kankuro that Gaara is using his “Absolute defense” sand to fight and because of that they must assume their enemy is highly skilled. Because of this, they need to consider a scenario where Gaara loses control and Shukaku emerges, risking the lives of all the villagers. Kankuro smiles and says that won’t be a problem because Gaara will never hurt the villagers no matter what. We see a flashback of Gaara and Kankuro looking out at the setting sun atop a cliff. Kankuro tells Gaara to give it up and that the village only he thinks of him as a menacing weapon. Gaara doesn’t respond. Kankuro tells him that he will have a really hard time if he was to leave their squad and join a regular one. He goes on to say that the higher ups don’t think much of him and most of the villagers are scared of him.

“I know, but just sitting around waiting will cause more fear and suffering. In order to escape a path of loneliness, I have no choice but to work hard and make my own path. If I do that, then someday…someday…I can be like him. That’s why, as a shinobi of the Sand, I’ll aim to be the Kazekage. So I can live a life connected to my village. I want to work hard so that others will accept my existence. That’s what I thought when I looked at Uzumaki Naruto. Up until now, my bonds with others have only been ones of hatred and murder. But, seeing him fight so hard made me wonder what a bond really is. I think I understand a little now. Suffering, sadness…and joy. To be able to share it with another person…Uzumaki Naruto…When I fought him, I feel that is what he taught me. He experienced the same type of suffering as I. And he taught me that you can change how you live your life. Someday, I want my existence to be necessary to others. Not as a weapon to be feared, but as the Hidden Village of Sand’s Kazekage.”-Gaara

Kankuro looks to the skies and says to Gaara that he is needed by everyone there and that he is the Sand Village’s Kazekage. Throughout the village, we hear the people cheering for their Kazekage.

In the streets of the Leaf village, Kakashi tells Naruto and Sakura that they have become stronger and that he can’t believe they actually got the bells. Naruto says he think he may of surpassed Kakashi and Sakura tells him not to act so high and mighty. Kakashi laughs and replies that he is still young too and begins to tell them about an unbelievable new technique until Naruto’s stomach rumbles. Naruto tells Sakura that he hasn’t been to Ichiraku Ramen yet and Sakura replies she hasn’t eaten anything since the day before. Naruto and Sakura run off, leaving Kakashi thinking about how in the old days they were cute because they would react to everything he said. Jiraiya appears and tells Kakashi that as they agreed he is returning Naruto to him. We see Naruto and Sakura yelling to Kakashi that it is his treat. Jiraiya tells Kakashi that Akatsuki is on the move again and he is going to go out and gather information. Kakashi nods and then Jiraiya disappears. Sakura and Naruto yell at Kakashi and tell him that they decided he is treating them to ramen. Kakashi says he has to make a list of new teams and submit them and then disappears. Sakura tells Naruto that even though he said that he is really going to read that book. Naruto comes up with an idea and pokes his fingers together. He tells Sakura that the two of them can go on a date. Sakura tells him that is fine but he has to pay. Naruto checks his bag and then asks Sakura to pay for half. Sakura tells him no.

Baki orders a sand ninja to order emergency summons. He then orders another to gather two swords and guard the reservoir. A third is ordered to seal all the roads leading the A-Block! Baki tells the rest there is no reason to believe that there is only one enemy and because of that they can’t slack on battle preparations. A fourth ninja is ordered to gather the medical teams to create a barrier to protect the civilians.

Around the village, the orders take place. Sand ninja rush the civilians into the barrier.

Baki begins to say they will help Gaara with their full strength but then says Kazekage.

More sand ninja appear with their weapons at the ready.

Deidara watches on saying to his self that trouble from below will ruin the fun. He then looks at Gaara and says he is getting tired of looking at his impassive face so he releases his clay doll, which explodes in the air, causing it to grow in size. Gaara’s eyes widen as the doll falls towards the village. Deidara laughs and explains that he makes his exploding dolls by eating clay with his hands and combining it with his chakra. His “specialty”, the doll, contains his highest level of chakra, C-3 and its explosive power is his finest art.

The sand ninja wonder what is about to fall on them. Baki yells for everyone to retreat.

Deidara makes a hand sign and says it’s too late.