In the government building, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura are walking down the hallway. Naruto tells Kakashi and Sakura that it has been so long since he has gone on a mission so he is psyched. Sakura tells him not to complain about the mission no matter what it is. Naruto says he won’t complain and Kakashi says if only he could keep his word. A ninja comes dashing down the hallway and tells the three to get out of her way. Naruto yells at her to be more careful because what she did was dangerous. Kakashi thinks to his self that they sent for a decoder so the bird he saw earlier was… (We don’t hear the rest of his thoughts but we can assume he was thinking the bird was either important or from the Sand Village).

The decoder arrives at the bird tower and confirms if it was a Class-1 Emergency Alert. One of the ninja says yes and points to the message. The decoder walks up to it and sees it is from the Sand Village. The decoder unseals it, and opens it up. Two of the ninja say that the message must be important and the decoder says it is and that she’ll decode it immediately.

In the desert, Kankuro tells Sasori that he is impressed that he can match Karasu’s speed (referring to when Sasori grabbed Kankuro’s puppet, Karasu, with his tail). Sasori asks Kankuro if he is referring to “that” little fly and says it looks like it stopped. Deidara says that he now remembers and explains that the Jinchuuriki (Gaara) had some siblings. One of which uses the puppet technique. Deidara says that he believes the guy fighting Sasori to be him and wonders what his name was, spitting out the names Kantarou and Kenpachi. Kankuro yells at his correct name, Kankuro. Kankuro pulls Karasu out of Sasori’s tail’s grasp. Karasu jumps towards Deidara but Sasori knocks him down with his tail. Sasori tells Kankuro that he said he would be his opponent. Sasori tells Deidara to stop gawking and move it because he is in his way. Deidara says he’ll leave then and then flies away. Kankuro tells him to wait but Sasori attacks Kankuro with his tail, forcing Kankuro to leap back. Sasori tells Kankuro to not make him say it again, he is his opponent. Kankuro decides that his only option is to take out Sasori and then pursue Deidara. Deidara looks back and says that Kankuro is one unlucky guy because Sasori is his worst possible opponent.

At the Sand Village’s entrance, Baki warns the workers who are clearing away the rubble to beware of traps that may still be around. Four ninja appear before Baki and one of them tells him that preparations for the pursuit squad are ready. Baki orders them to find Kankuro and to avoid combat if they encounter the enemy because their only objective is to find the location of Akatsuki’s hideout. The ninja say ok and Baki tells them that once they find the hideout he will send reinforcements to retrieve the Kazekage. Baki finishes up by telling them they will return with information and then tells them to leave. The ninja leave. Baki tells Kankuro in his head to not do anything foolish.

Kankuro tells Sasori that he will show him his puppets’ performance. Kankuro throws his hand forward, causing two of his puppets to run around Sasori. Kankuro speeds up the movements of his hand and Karasu spits two kunai out of his mouth at Sasori. Sasori blocks them with his tail. Kankuro tells Sasori that he is good but he didn’t notice his third puppet, Kuroari, vanish. Sasori gets knocked into the air when Kuroari comes out of the ground. Kuroari’s chest opens up and Sasori lands inside. Kuroari’s chest then closes. Kankuro tells Sasori to get ready and then dismantles Karasu through his chakra strings. Karasu’s limbs extend blades. Kankuro performs Karakuri Engeki. Kankuro then performs Kuro Higi Ippatsu (Puppet Performance, Crisis of the Two Debut). Karasu’s limbs pierce Kuroari’s body. The desert sand blows by and Kankuro says it is over.

Naruto complains about the convoy escort mission he has been given. Tsunade asks him if he has a problem with it and Naruto tells her it is only a C-ranked mission so he is going to have to say no thank you. Sakura thinks to herself that Naruto say he wouldn’t complain. Kakashi thinks that Naruto should not to be so selfish because he’ll get it if Tsunade gets mad. Tsunade thinks to herself that she knew Naruto would respond like that. Shizune puts a big smile on her face and thinks to herself that Tsunade was right. Iruka sighs and tells Naruto that he hasn’t matured at all. Tsunade tells Naruto that she assigned him a simpler mission because he hasn’t been in action for a while. Naruto tells her that is bullshit and that he doesn’t need her to go easy on him. Sakura grabs Naruto’s head and apologizes to Tsunade, telling her she will talk to him. Sakura thinks to herself that Naruto is an idiot and that he only talks like that because he doesn’t know how scary Tsunade can be. Tsunade pushes forward a paper and tells the three the mission details are written on it. Kakashi approaches the table and says ok. Naruto lifts his head up slightly from Sakura’s grasp and says that the Third Hokage was more understanding. Tsunade raises her voice and asks him if he said something. Sakura strangles Naruto and tells him to knock it off. The decoder enters the room and tells Tsunade there is an emergency. Tsunade asks what is wrong and the decoder tells her they recently received an emergency message from the Sand Village. Sakura and Naruto stop fighting and the decoder gives Tsunade the message. Tsunade is surprised at the message’s content.

Sand pours from Kuroari’s body. Kankuro notices and opens Kuroari’s chest up. Inside his a clone of Sasori that falls to the ground. Sasori rises out of the sand behind Kankuro.

Iruka and Shizune read the message and are shocked. Naruto asks what happened and Tsunade tells him that the Sand Village’s Kazekage has been kidnapped by Akatsuki. Naruto thinks of Itachi and Kisame. Tsunade tells everyone that they have more information pertaining to Akatsuki then they do and that is why they have requested assistance from the village. Shizune asks Tsunade if she really plans on sending Team Kakashi. Tsunade says it is an emergency and they can’t be picky. Tsunade goes on to point out that Kakashi has fought Akatsuki before. Shizune says that is true but gets interrupted by Tsunade. Tsunade tells Team Kakashi that she is assigning them a new mission. They’re to go to the Sand Village, learn about the situation, send a report back to Konoha, and follow any of the sand’s orders.

Karasu jumps out of the sand and shoots poisoned needles at Sasori, but Sasori swiftly moves to the side a few feet. Kankuro wonders how Sasori is easily beating his puppets. Kuroari approaches Sasori from behind but Sasori knocks the puppet away with his tail. Kankuro wonders once more how he is doing it and then dismantles Karasu once more, extending blades from his limbs. The blades fly at Sasori with poison dripping off them but Sasori knocks those away with his tail. Kankuro wonders how Sasori is reading his attacks so easily. Sasori asks him what is wrong and if he is already done. Kankuro says he is just getting started and sends Karasu and Kuroari at him, forcing them to run around him in circles. Karasu shoots smoke bombs out of his arms. Kankuro uses Poison Fog, Blind Spot Destroyer jutsu and Karasu/Kuroari shoot needles into the smoke. The smoke clears and Sasori is standing in the middle of all the needles, unharmed. Sasori asks Kankuro if he is done now. Kankuro says what he is doing is impossible and then asks how he can stand in a cloud of poison and live. Sasori raises his tail,

“Keeping people waiting any longer than this goes against my policy.  Now it’s my turn.”-Sasori

Sasori’s tail shoots forward at Kankuro but Kankuro brings his third puppet, Sanshouo, in front of him, blocking the tail. Kankuro tells him that Sanshouo has the strength of an iron wall. We see a flashback of one of Sasori’s traps going off. In the flashback, Kankuro summons Sanshouo and protects his self and two other ninja from falling debris. Kankuro tells Sasori that it can even withstand the impact of thousands of rocks. Kankuro goes on to say that Sasori won’t be able to put a single scratch on him. Sasori tells Kankuro that he agrees and that the defensive power of Sanshouo is of the highest level but it has a weak spot. Sasori raises his tail and shoots it forward. Sasori’s tail destroys Sanshouo’s defense and then attacks Kankuro but Kankuro evades it. Kankuro lands behind Sasori and questions how he was able to discover his puppet’s weakness with a single glance. Sasori’s tail hits Kankuro square in the chest, sending him flying back. Sasori tells Kankuro that no matter how sturdy a puppet seems; it’s only as strong as its weakest joint. Kankuro stands up, holding his chest. Sasori brings his tail in front of him, allowing us to see poison dripping from its end. Sasori asks Kankuro if he is ready for the finale.

In a tea house, Temari watches her cup crack. Temari thinks to herself that she doesn’t usually buy into bad signs and omens but she has a bad feeling. (The cracked cup is a sign that someone is in trouble. A.k.a. her brother Kankuro)

Kankuro attacks with Kuroari and Karasu once more, sending kunai out of both of his puppets. Sasori blocks the kunai with his tail and the kunai fall to the ground. Kankuro asks himself why Sasori able to read his hidden weapon attacks. Sasori tells Kankuro he has a lot of skill but he just messed with the wrong guy. Karasu’s head appears out of the sand but Sasori knocks it away with his tail. Sasori tells Kankuro that as for his puppets and their weaponry, he can see right through them. Sasori sends his tail through the sand, knocking Kuroari out of his hiding place. Sasori’s tail then attacks all three of Kankuro’s pierces, splitting each apart. Kankuro thinks that no one has ever been able to counter his attacks like Sasori has been doing. Sasori tells Kankuro that he looks confused and tells him he must be thinking how he is able to read his attacks so easily. Sasori names off Kankuro’s puppets and tells him that the designer of the puppets is none other than he. Kankuro’s eyes widen.

Jiraiya lies sleeping in bed. A frog appears on his face with a message and he knocks it away. The frog keeps returning and Jiraiya keeps knocking it away. The frog eventually releases some water on Jiraiya, waking him up. Jiraiya sees the scroll on the frog’s back and tells him to hurry up and give it to him. Jiraiya opens the scroll and sees that the Kazekage of the Sand Village has been kidnapped. Jiraiya states that he doesn’t have time to lie around sleeping.

Sasori tells Kankuro that it looks like he ended up making Deidara wait a bit but he couldn’t resist fighting against his “cute little successor and these hand-me-downs.” Kankuro asks Sasori if he is the genius designer who created the puppet squads, Sasori of the Red Sands. We see a scorpion seal on one of Kankuro’s puppets. Sasori tells Kankuro that he is honored that even a whelp like him knows his name. Kankuro asks Sasori why he is doing this after deserting the village twenty years ago. Sasori asks Kankuro what the point in asking that is when he is about to die. Kankuro falls to the ground and realizes his body is going numb. Kankuro wonders when Sasori struck and realizes it was when his tail hit him in the chest. Sasori tells Kankuro that the poison has started spreading and that he is finished. Sasori attacks with his tail but Kankuro blocks with Kuroari’s head. Kankuro then sends one of Karasu’s limbs at Sasori, cutting off a piece of Sasori’s mask. One of Karasu’s limbs grabs the piece of fabric. Sasori tells him that he is only causing his self to suffer more but since he wants to live so badly he won’t finish him off since he will die anyways within three days from the poison. Sasori turns and walks away. Kankuro thinks about Gaara and then blacks out. We hear the pursuit squad spotting Kankuro and his destroyed puppets.

At the gate of the village, Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, Tsunade, and Iruka have grouped. Naruto and Sakura say they’re off. Iruka tells Naruto to do his best and Naruto says ok. Team Kakashi begins walking away but Jiraiya appears before them. Jiraiya asks Naruto if he is going on a mission and Naruto says ok. Jiraiya walks up to Tsunade and begins telling her that the Sand Village’s Kazekage has been kidnapped. Tsunade interrupts and says she knows. Tsunade tells him she is sending Team Kakashi to the sand. Naruto nods. Jiraiya leans into Tsunade and whispers to her, asking if she knows about Akatsuki and Naruto. Tsunade says it was an emergency and this was the best decision she could make. Jiraiya tells Naruto to come to him for a minute. Jiraiya tells Naruto not to be reckless. Naruto tells Jiraiya that they’re after him so he is going to take the fight to them. Jiraiya tells Naruto that he has gotten stronger but if he loses his cool then things will only get worse because his short temper is his worse habit. Jiraiya grabs Naruto by the shoulders and tells him not to use “that” power (referring to the Kyuubi). Naruto looks down and says he knows. Jiraiya tells Kakashi to keep an eye on Naruto and to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Kakashi nods. Naruto begins walking away and tells Sakura and Kakashi to come on. Tsunade asks Iruka if he is worried about Naruto and Iruka says no because Naruto is no longer a weak shinobi who needs him to dote on him. Tsunade says growth is a mysterious thing. Naruto leaps into the air, telling Gaara to hang on.