A Sand...
What does this mean?
I don't know either...
But...he went missing right around the time Gaara was taken.
Could it be that... he was a spy for the Akatsuki?
I don't believe it.
He served on the council for four years...
Was he disguised with the Transformation Jutsu?
No.
This is a Jutsu of a much greater level...
The Fire Ball Jutsu was created by the Uchiha Clan
and they use it a lot by preference...
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.
And that Jutsu was the real thing.
It looks like you're done as well.
Yes... I'm out of Chakra...
Well, the Chakra we sacrificed was only about thirty percent...
Although it's a Jutsu handy for creating exact duplicates of us,
the quantity of Chakra we gave them wasn't that much.
And the Jutsu they can use are proportionate to that quantity.
But it was more than enough to buy us time.
The Jutsu wore off, huh...?
However, we were able to buy quite a bit of time...
This should be enough...
Well done, Itachi, Kisame.
That's easy to say.
The two who became sacrifices
and gave up their bodies for your Jutsu...
were both my subordinates.
You should be the one thanking me...
With my Impersonation Jutsu,
they were both able to become members of the Akatsuki,
although only for a short time.
It's almost time...
The Secret of Jinchuriki
Damn it! This means the real one is in the hideout, huh...?
I guess we can say his goal was to stall us and to gather information.
Now that we know that, there's no point in hanging around here.
All right! Let's hurry!
This way!
Just as I thought...
They were clearly stalling for time...
They've sure got a good Jutsu...
I never realized...you were... fighting against people like this, Naruto.
Using a Jutsu like this to stall us means...
they're undoubtedly already extracting the Tailed Beast!
We don't have time. We must save Gaara right away.
- E-Excuse me... - Hm?
What do you mean... extract the Tailed Beast...?
It's likely that they're intention is
to create a new Jinchuriki using the One-Tail, Shukaku.
Jinchuriki...?
I explained before how the Tailed Beasts possess
a power beyond human comprehension, didn't I?
And how each land attempted to use them as military weapons.
The Jinchuriki... is what you might call...
the one who controls that power.
But earlier you said...
The Tailed Beasts have immense Chakra,
and in the world of Ninja were used for military purposes
by Hidden Villages around the world.
They competed to get their hands on them.
But none was able to control that power which had surpassed human intelligence.
In the end, that is...
But in the past, there were those who attempted to control that power.
They attempted to control the Tailed Beast...
by sealing it inside people.
By doing so,
they tried to suppress the extreme power of the Tailed Beast
and then control that power.
And the ones with the Tailed Beast sealed within them...
in other words, people like Gaara were called the Jinchuriki.
The striking feature of the Jinchuriki is
how it utilizes unbelievable power by resonating with the "Tailed Beast."
Including Gaara, there have been three Jinchuriki in the history of the Sand.
I'm counting on you.
So wars were fought often using the Jinchuriki?
That's right.
Then, the people who've been turned into a Jinchuriki...
How can the Tailed Beast be extracted?
What's required is a Sealing Jutsu with the ability...
to instantaneously balance the power of the Tailed Beast,
in addition to plenty of time.
But if that's done, the Jinchuriki...
Don't tell me...
That's right...
The Jinchuriki that has his Tailed Beast extracted...
dies.
The two people I mentioned earlier...
The Sand Jinchuriki other than Gaara
both had the Shukaku within them extracted...
and died as a result.
You're sentimental as always, huh? Sakura...
Don't worry.
I'll be saving Gaara!
I-I was concerned...about your...!
Let's hurry.
Naruto...
It's from Big Sister, huh...?
You shouldn't be moving yet.
It's not good for you in your condition.
I'm okay.
I can at least walk...
More importantly, it seems we've been contacted by Granny Chiyo.
I can't just lie around!
I see... So you've heard, huh?
As it happens, we've learned something terrible from her message.
Yura was a spy?!
I can't believe it...
A man who served on the council for four years wouldn't...
But...now it makes sense.
How the enemy broke through the village defenses that easily.
And I'm sure nobody imagined
a man in charge of security would be an enemy spy.
Here I thought we had thoroughly checked everyone out
when Gaara became the Kazekage!
The person in question might've just been controlled by some kind of Jutsu.
More importantly,
it doesn't say anything about the most crucial thing!
When's the Kazekage coming back?!
Having the Kazekage of one of the Five Great Shinobi Lands no less
kidnapped by some bandits sets a bad example for the other lands!
And it seems one of them is Sasori of the Red Sand!
It'll be a tremendous disgrace if this gets out to the other lands!
If it becomes known that the Kazekage is missing,
who knows when the neighboring lands will intervene.
Our most pressing need is to immediately elect a new Kazekage...
and make an effort to stabilize the village.
Gaara could still very well come back!
Well, the fact is...
it might just be better for the village if he doesn't come back.
What're you getting at?
Gaara is an unstable monster with the One-Tail inside him.
We thought he would be easier to control if we made him the Kazekage...
But in the end, there's no telling when he might go out of control.
There's no mistaking he's trouble.
Gaara originally resonated with the One-Tail, Shukaku.
But he's an unstable experiment we can hardly call complete...
And he's a failed creation who was even once ordered for assassination
by his own father, the Fourth Kazekage.
Right now, some of the younger people just blindly admire him.
But the fact is most of the people in this village are just scared of him...
and have no expectations of him!
Just try talking trash like that again!
I don't care if you are on the council. I won't allow it!
Stop, Kankuro!
You're before the statues of the Kazekage!
This is a holy place!
Kankuro, your anger is understandable.
But there's an element of truth to what he says.
But the fact is...
this isn't an issue of whether or not Gaara should be trusted.
Something like this happened before a long time ago...
The Third Kazekage was kidnapped.
There were all kinds of conjecture
in regards to the whereabouts of the Third Kazekage,
war broke out and the lands were in chaos...
If only we paid our attention towards securing the village,
rather than eagerly searching for the Third Kazekage,
that wouldn't have happened.
Then why didn't you do that...?
The Third Kazekage was an exceptionally powerful Kazekage
in our history.
And most importantly, a body was never found.
No one thought someone as powerful as he could have been killed that easily.
Something like that must never happen again!
That's why...we must consider the best interests of the village!
So that's why the borders are being secured...
The village plunged into chaos
when the enemy broke through our border by seizing the opportunity
while we were engaged in the search for the Third Kazekage.
Our most pressing need is to secure the borders.
But there was no reason to go out of your way to send Temari...!
Kankuro...
What're you saying?!
Originally we were going to have you take on that mission as well!
But then you get yourself poisoned...!
If we assign Gaara's siblings to border patrol missions,
the young people won't start talking about nonsense like rescuing Gaara.
Temari was dispatched to a place
that's been infiltrated by the enemy many times in the past.
We needed someone of Jonin rank or higher to go.
I know... But...
But...
Gaara's...
my little brother.
Zetsu.
Dispose of the two we used for the Impersonation Jutsu.
Understood.
Itachi, tell me about the enemy's number and their features.
They're a four-man squad with Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno,
and the Nine-Tail Jinchuriki Naruto Uzumaki from the Leaf,
and Chiyo, the Sand's advisor.
Did he say Granny Chiyo...?
It seems he's still not quite accustomed to using the Giant Rasengan...
It looks like opening the Gate of Joy has left him quite exhausted...
Are you okay, Guy Sensei?
What do you mean?
I'm always full of energy.
Guy Sensei!
He's not okay at all!
It can't be helped. He just used the Asakujaku.
We should rest somewhere...
That's the place!
Is there really a point to us guarding this place?
Orders are orders.
We'll guard in 24-hour shifts as of now.
- Yes, ma'am! - Yes, ma'am!
Stop!
What is it, Kakashi Sensei?
We're going to take a short break here.
That's a wise decision.
Why?!
You're the one who said we don't have time!
If we waste time taking a break here, Gaara will be...!
Compared to right before we encountered the fake Itachi,
our pace has clearly slowed.
He's absolutely right.
If we rest up here, ultimately we'll reach our destination faster.
And tomorrow, we might end up fighting the guys...
who took Gaara.
It's best if we're at full strength.
Fine.
So this is Kisame's, huh...?
He looks to be worth disposing of...
Then let's get to it.
Right...
Now the break is over and both teams have started off again.
Team Kakashi has departed from point A and Team Guy from point B.
They are both charging straight for the one finish line.
They say that Guy and Kakashi are called the Eternal Rivals.
I just can't take my eyes off them.
Guy commented before the race that he would definitely win.
That was quite memorable.
The two of them are neck and neck as they head for the finish line.
We wait with breathless anticipation to find out
who will control this punishing race and grab the glory of victory.
Next episode: "The Death of Gaara!"