Sunagakure.
"Please, take me to the place where Kankuro fought."
"Hmm?" Looking at the bewildered expression of the Sand ninja, Kakashi spoke with confidence. "Don't let my appearance fool you; I'm an expert at tracking."
"As long as even a faint trace of their scent remains..."
"There's no need for that." Kankuro, having just regained consciousness, forced his body upright and scrambled out of bed.
"My puppets... they were all recovered, weren't they?" Kankuro wheezed, his voice heavy as he addressed the group.
"There are three enemies. One is carrying Gaara. You just need to track Gaara's scent... Even if they split into three paths, his scent is on this."
As he spoke, a scrap of fabric appeared in the puppet's hand.
Kakashi inspected the cloth. Confirming it was correct, he remarked with a hint of admiration, "Even after being defeated, you refuse to give up. Truly a ninja of the Sand."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Kankuro looked at Naruto, his eyes filled with a complex swirl of emotions.
"Ah, he came all the way from Konoha just for this," Temari introduced Naruto to her brother.
"Naruto Uzumaki..." Kankuro's voice trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth, looking at Naruto with a mixture of grief and indignation.
"Naruto Uzumaki... do you know?"
"Know what?"
"Of the three who took Gaara, do you know who was the only one who actually made a move to capture him?"
Naruto's eyes flickered. He had known the answer deep down, but even if there were only a one-in-a-million chance it wasn't true, he didn't want to accept it. He asked the question he already knew the answer to: "Who...?"
"Kanon Uchiha."
The moment the words were spoken, the room fell into a dead silence. Sakura, who was bringing over the antidote, nearly dropped the vial.
"So it really is her..." Kakashi muttered, sounding somewhat helpless. Even Naruto's body swayed, his legs nearly giving out.
"Naruto!" Kakashi quickly reached out to steady him.
"Keep talking..." Naruto signaled that he was fine. He needed to know more; Kankuro was the only one who had witnessed the entire battle.
"Kanon Uchiha is incredibly strong. Gaara was no match for her at all... and her resolve is terrifyingly high. Naruto, you have to be careful..."
Kankuro gritted his teeth again as a piercing pain surged through him.
Nearby, Kakashi performed a Summoning Jutsu, bringing forth the Ninken to begin searching for Sasori's location.
"We need to find out where this person went," Kakashi murmured.
"Understood! We'll contact you as soon as we find them!"
Naruto let out a roar to the group. "Right! As soon as Pakkun and the others get back, it's our turn to move!"
…
One day later.
Pakkon arrived at the Akatsuki hideout where Kanon had previously been.
"Is it there?" Pakkun gazed at the massive boulder beside the torii gate, whispering to himself, "If I get any closer, I'll likely be discovered."
In the next instant, Pakkun vanished like a blurring afterimage.
…
Inside the hideout, the extraction of the Tailed Beast chakra from Gaara continued.
"Kanon-chan has been sitting there for a long time. Why isn't she moving?" Hidan asked.
"The girl fell asleep," Itachi murmured flatly.
Sure enough, from the perspective of Kakuzu and the others, Kanon had indeed drifted off. Her eyes were closed, and her head was tilted down, looking quite adorable in her slumber.
"Should we wake her up?" Deidara asked.
"No, let her sleep for a while," Konan said with a light smile. The group continued the sealing process.
…
"I see. So this is their lair?" Kakashi looked at the spot Pakkun was pointing to with his paw.
"Most likely. Gaara's scent is coming from the same place."
"Understood. I have one more favor to ask."
Once Naruto woke up, Kakashi and Pakkun greeted him. Seeing Pakkun depart, Naruto asked curiously, "Kakashi-sensei, do you already know where the Akatsuki are hiding?"
"Yeah. We're heading out immediately!"
At the gates of Sunagakure, Naruto and Sakura had already donned their packs. Kakashi looked at the two and announced the mission: "Then, once the Sand is ready..."
"We will head out with them to rescue Gaara. Understood?"
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Temari stepped forward, five shinobi following behind her.
"You're here?" Kakashi asked.
"Great! Let's move!" Naruto said excitedly.
"Wait!" Someone suddenly called out to Temari.
"Hmm?"
"Temari, you are to remain in the village to guard the border. These are orders from above. Their reasoning is that if word gets out that the Kazekage is missing, it wouldn't be strange for the village to be attacked at any moment."
Temari moved to protest. "But that's exactly why we should rescue Gaara as quickly as possible! These Konoha ninja came all this way specifically to save him. Is Gaara not our Kazekage?! If the Sand doesn't go, then what are we supposed to do?"
"But..." Facing Temari's interrogation, the shinobi looked conflicted.
"I will go," Chiyo's voice drifted from the distance, leaving everyone puzzled. "One person from the Sand is enough."
"Chiyo-baasama?!"
"But, even for you..."
Chiyo smiled at the group. "In any case, I've been retired from world affairs for years. Where I go and what I do is up to my own will. Don't treat me like a useless old hag."
With that, Chiyo leapt down from her perch, landing in front of Naruto and Sakura. "It's been so long... I'd like to show some affection to my dear grandson."
On the road, Chiyo educated the group on the origins of the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beasts.
Meanwhile, Team Guy met up with Kakashi's summon, Pakkun. Pakkun informed them of their objective.
"We discovered they've headed to the Land of Rivers, between Konoha and Suna."
"The Land of Rivers?" Neji questioned.
"That's right. Which means the ones currently closest to the Akatsuki are you guys, who were heading from Konoha to the Sand."
"I see." Lee nodded slightly. They all understood what needed to be done next.
"Please follow me. We'll discuss the details as we move."
"Right! Everyone, move out!" Guy roared.
Beside him, Tenten, panting for breath, complained, "Eh?! We're leaving already?!"
As they departed, Zetsu's form emerged from the branches of a tree in the direction they were heading. Every movement and word of Team Guy had been observed.
…
Akatsuki Hideout.
Amidst the long-silent sealing process, Zetsu's voice rang out.
"Enemies are approaching our gathering point."
"Enemies?" Deidara asked.
"And they are high-level experts. The name is Might Guy."
Pain spoke flatly, "And who is he?"
"An elite Jonin from Konoha, a specialist in Taijutsu. He's quite powerful; you'd better not underestimate him." Itachi met Pain's gaze and, understanding the silent prompt, shared the intel with the group.
Kisame seemed to recall him. "Ah... so it's that 'rare beast' again."
"Use that jutsu," Pain commanded.
Standing nearby, Hidan volunteered, looking at Pain. "Then let me go! I haven't found a Jinchuriki in a while, and my hands are itching for a fight!"
"No, I'll go. I have a bit of a personal grudge with him," Kisame interrupted Hidan with a grin.
"Indeed. Even within the Akatsuki, that jutsu is best suited for you, as you possess the most abundant chakra," Pain said impassively.
"Understood," Kisame smiled and began to weave hand signs. "Even so, it'll consume thirty percent of my chakra. Finally... I can pay him back for that kick."
"Wait, Kisame-senpai. I'm coming too." Suddenly, Kanon's voice drifted up from below.
"You're going as well?"
"I'll send a Shadow Clone to accompany you," Kanon said casually.
"Fine. After all, I've worked with Itachi-san so much, working with an Uchiha really is more interesting," Kisame nodded.