Everyone was getting into position to break the barrier, Aceso squatted on the entrance poles with a rope attached to Kakashi, as Naruto and Lady Chiyo stood at the bottom as Sakura ran back to get a good running start to destroy the rock.

 "We'll make our assault, using a button hook entry," Kakashi announced as he got ready to rip off the tag.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Naruto said.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded, she was smirking. Kakashi ripped the tag off the boulder.

"Now, Sakura!" Kakashi shouted.

"Right!" Sakura responded charging towards the entrance. Aceso pulled Kakashi out of the way as Sakura destroyed the boulder with a single punch.

'So she's has Tsunade's brute strength,' Aceso noted to herself. Kakashi gave a signal, and they all headed in, upon entry, Aceso saw Deidara sitting on Gaara's body and Sasori. They all gasped at the sight.

"We're too late," Kakashi said gravely.

"Gaara," Aceso breathed in disbelief, in a soft tone.

"Oh," Lady Chiyo whimpered. Aceso fought hard to hold back tears, she glanced to see Naruto trembling with anger.

"Finally," Deidara said. "Well then, which one of you would be the jinchuriki?"

"You!" Naruto growled as his eyes grew red and his teeth grew sharper. "You bastard! I'll kill the both of you!"

"The one who bursts in, and starts barking," Sasori said. "That would be him, then."

"Sasori, my man, I think you're correct," Deidara said.

"You bastards!" Naruto growled. "Where the hell do you think you're sitting?"

"Well," Deidara breathed. "So much for that mystery. This kid's the jinchuriki. He's the one who bursts in and barks first, all right. Seriously, Itachi was right on the money, huh?"

"Gaara!" Naruto called out. "What the hell are you doing? Come on! Why are you just lying there? Get up! Gaara! Answer me. What are you, deaf? Come on, knock it off already!" He went forward.

"Enough, Naruto!" Kakashi snapped. "You know that full well that-"

"Your friends, right. And you know it, too," Deidara said. "He's been dead for a while now." He tapped Gaara's face.

"Well," Sasori breathed as Naruto's hair grew spikier. 

"Oh yeah, that's him all right," Deidara said. "Good to see you again red, thought you said you didn't know the one-tails jinchuriki." Kakashi glanced at Aceso, he knew she faced a lot of trouble, but now there were faces to the people that gave her trouble. 

"Give him back," Naruto growled. "Give Gaara back, you damn--" He started charging, Kakashi got in front of him. 

" Cool it," Kakashi ordered."Charge in without thinking and we're done for." Aceso just noticed that Deidara was missing an arm, like last time. Sasori looked over at Deidara.

"What?" Deidara asked. "Something on your mind, Sasori, my man?"

"I'll hold on to him," Sasori said.

"Huh?" Deidara asked.

"Since it appears that Jinchuriki will stop at nothing to get him back," Sasori said.

"That's putting it lightly," Deidara said looking at Gaara.

"Ok, it looks like the guy on the left is the one who infiltrated the Sand and took Lord Kazekage," Kakashi said.

"That's Deidara," Aceso informed. "He's tougher than he looks."

"Which means this one is the puppet master who wounded Kankuro so badly," Kakashi concluded looking at the other one." He looked back at Lady Chiyo. "Her grandson Sasori, huh?"

"Yeah," Aceso breathed.

"Well, my man, I doubt that you want to hear this, but I'll go ahead and say it anyway," Deidara said. "I think I'll take care of the Jinchuriki."

"Look," Sasori breathed. "Our quota us one apiece. Don't push your luck, Deidara."

"An artist must always seek ever greater stimulation, lest his senses go dull on him, my man," Deidara said, he glanced over at his partner. "Rumor has it, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is pretty powerful. A canvas truly worthy of my artistry."

"What?" Sasori demanded. "Those pyrotechnics of yours? Art? Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity. Art is eternal beauty."

"Eternal beauty?" Deidara asked. " Are you kidding me? Look, don't get me wrong. As a fellow artist, I respect your point of view, but true art is fleeting. A flash of beauty burning brightly, and vanishing in a heartbeat. Heh."

"What did you say?" Sasori demanded.

"I-I don't get it," Sakura said. "What's with them?"

"Just like last time, they're arguing about art," Aceso answered.

"Apparently, Deidara, one of us doesn't understand what true art is," Sasori said. 

"That would be you, my friend," Deidara argued.

"You lousy, rotten--" Naruto growled. 

"Nonsense," Sasori argued. "Eternal beauty is what constitutes real art."

"Don't be absurd," Deidara argued. "True art only lasts a moment."

"Enough is enough!" Naruto snapped. He took out a scroll, a giant shuriken appeared. He charged, chucking the shuriken, Sasori easily blocked it with his puppet tail. 

"Are you trying to make me angry?" Sasori asked.

"Hey, easy," Deidara said. " I told you he wouldn't wanna hear it, didn't I? Give me a break, will ya?"

"I don't have to remind you what happens when I get angry, do I?" Sasori asked. "Why don't you explain it to me again, Deidara?" Deidara smirked, he stood up, finally getting off of Gaara.

"Art is one thing, and one thing only," Deidara answered. "The explosion itself." He threw up a small clay bird. He did a hand sign, smoke appeared, out of the smoke appeared a giant clay bird." It let out a sound, flapped its wings, and lowered itself to the ground. "It's not even in the same league compared to your grotesque puppet show." The bird took Gaara into its mouth. Sasori's tailed soared over to Deidara, the explosion boy jumped up with his giant clay bird, he landed on the bird.

"See you around, my man," Deidara said. The bird took Gaara fully into its mouth and flew out of the cave. Naruto took off after the Nine-tails.

 "Deidara, you fool," Sasori groaned. " I don't believe this!"

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto!" Aceso and Kakashi exclaimed as they ran out of the cave.

"As always he can't just help himself," Kakashi groaned.

"Right now, the only thing driving him is his emotions," Aceso said as they stopped. Aceso tossed a chakra patch and vials of the antidote to Sakura, which she caught, sticking it in her bag.

"Naruto, Aceso, and I will handle to the one outside," Kakashi informed. "Sakura, Lady Chiyo, take the one inside."

"But please, don't do anything rash until Team Guy gets back," Aceso requested.

"Right, you got it," Sakura responded. Kakashi and Aceso took off towards Naruto, he was on the long top pole. They looked up to see Deidara flying around in circles. 

"Give him back!" Naruto growled. " Give Gaara back!"

 " All right," Kakashi said lifting up his headband. "Not time to waste here."

"Gaara," Aceso breathed.

"Are you really sure you want to waste your time on me?" Deidara asked. "Hm? Kakashi-sensei with the Sharingan?" He stared up at the explosion man. "You know, my man Sasori is probably a more dangerous opponent than I am, as much as I hate to say that." He smirked. " His idea of art is very different from mine.

"It seems they've started," Deidara said. They looked back to see Sakura and Lady Chiyo taking on Sasori. "How confident are you in that young girl and the old lady? You really think they're good enough to handle my man, Sasori? Huh?"

" Go on sensei, little sister," Naruto said. "Go to Sakura. I'll handle this." Naruto clutched his fist tighter. "Go on sensei! Sister! Don't worry. I'll take care of it! I'll save Gaara!" He launched towards Deidara. The explosion man easily moved out of the way, he threw a small clay bird. Kakashi and Aceso jumped up, the bird got bigger, they both hit the bird with a shuriken, Deidara made it explode. Shuriken flew at them, they easily blocked it.

"Good," Deidara breathed. "It would be very disappointing if you'd been beaten that easily." Naruto crawled out of the wall he slammed into.

"Let go of him!" Naruto demanded. "I'll never let you have him! I'll get Gaara! Nothing can stop me!"

"You're quite an unusual Jinchuriki, aren't you?" Deidara asked. " I thought you were all sullen loners who didn't care about anyone else. To date, we've destroyed two Jinchuriki, not including him, not including him of course. But nobody ever tried to save them from us before. Not a single friend or neighbor. Not a soul came to their aid. In fact, it seemed like most people were happy to finally be rid of them. You can't forsake one of your own kind, can you? You feel connected to this pathetic creature. Such a shame. Gaara died when the One Tail was extracted from him. Very soon now, the same thing'll happen to you." The nine-tailed stated on Naturo weighted, steam came off of his hands.

"If Gaara's dead, you're gonna pay!" Naruto warned. They went down to stand on the river for more stable ground.

"Ah, damn it all to hell," Naruto growled as they watched Deidara. "I've had it. Hand over Gaara right now!" The bog white bird swallowed Gaara fully. Deidara began to fly away. " You bastard! You're not getting away!" Naruto ran after Deidara. "Hold it right there!"

"Naruto, no!" Kakashi shouted. "Stop!" Naruto looked back.

"Just stay and help Sakura," Naruto ordered. " I can take this guy, Kakashi-sensei, and little sister."

"Damn it, Naruto," Aceso breathed. The two looked back in the cave, then charged after Deidara and Gaara, with Naruto.

"At this point, there is no way we can help the others," Kakashi revealed.

 "Sakura and Lady Chiyo will just have to hold their own a bit longer," Aceso said.

"There's no chance I'm letting you get away!" Naruto growled. 

"You better catch up to be soon!" Deidara shouted as he shoved a hand into his pocket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Naruto demanded. Deidara spun, throwing three small clay birds. As the birds got closer, they grew bigger. Two of them got close to Naruto and exploded. 

"Naruto!" Aceso exclaimed. She threw a shuriken, striking the third one, it exploded. Naruto then crawled up on a log from below the one that broke.

"Dammit," Naruto growled. "We're not done, yet." A bird flew past Naruto, aiming right towards Kakashi and Aceso, it exploded. "Kakashi-sensei! Little sister!" They both exited the smoke unharmed.

"Ready for round two, red?" Deidara asked. 

"It won't end like last time," Aceso said.

" All right, that does it!" Naruto growled.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi called out. He got next to Aceso. "We've strayed too far from Sakura. Any further, and we'll be out of transmission range too. I won't be able to contact Gai's team. We have to hurry!"

"Sakura and Lady Chiyo should be able to hold their own," Aceso said. "Sakura's a lot stronger than she was two years, and Lady Chiyo seems strong as well."

"I hope you're right," Kakashi said. "What about Gai's team?"

"They are strong as well,  " Aceso said. "With some struggle, they will overcome their opponent, and rejoin us."

"Hm," Kakashi nodded. Aceso did a hand sign, her ropes shot forward towards a log in front of Deidara, she did another hand-signed and zipped towards the log, she launched up, spun landing a kick on Deidara, he flew back to the tail of the bird.

"I was wondering when you wearing coming up, my dear" Deidara smirked. "I won't waste my clay on you." They began hand-to-hand combat. "It seemed you did a lot of lying, very naughty."

"Says the one who captured Gaara," Aceso grunted as she punched him. He back up holding his cheek.

"We did more than just that," Deidara said as he got back into combat. "Now all I want is the Jinchuriki."

"Can't have him," Aceso said. "Or the former one."

"You and that copy ninja's a headache I don't need," Deidara said. "I'll find a way to separate you two from the jinchuriki." He threw down some clay spiders.

"Watch out!" Aceso shouted as the spiders fell. "Avoids the spiders!"

"If you are so worried, go get exploded with him, become part of my art," Deidara suggested.

"Papa is strong," Aceso said. "He won't be taken down so easily by your so-called art." Down below Kakashi ran into a few of the spider explosions.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. Kakashi emerged from the smoke seconds later. " Ha, still the best." He looked back up at Deidara. "Don't wear yourself out sister, I'll come to take over!"   

"So much for strategy," Deidara said as he glanced at the others. " I guess my only option is taking all three of you down together." Which earned him a punch in the stomach. 

"You aren't going to be able to," Aceso said as she ducked a kick.

"It doesn't help that, I don't have much detonation clay left-" Deidara said. He got cut off by a punch to the nose, blood dripped off it. "Cut it out!" 

"Just give back Gaara," Aceso ordered as she threw up her leg, he grabbed it and then blocked a punch with his other hand.

"A shame really," Deidara said. "If I knew I was going to end up in this predicament, I probably would have brought along a little extra. Heh. Oh well, I still got my prize card." He swung his leg, kicking down Aceso, she landed on her back. They heard an explosion from where the save was located.

"Step it up Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto demanded. "Come on, let's go! We're going to lose sight of them if we don't get a move on."

"It's ok," Kakashi said. "You're the whole reason he's here. Don't forget that. He won't get so far ahead as to lose us completely." Deidara looked back.

"Fine then, just tell me how to take this guy down, already," Naruto demanded. "We're running out of time."

"Don't worry, Naruto," Kakashi assured. "I've got a couple of strategies in mind, but I need a little more time to work out all the angles."

" I can't hang back anymore and let little sister do all the fighting," Naruto argued. "Don't you get ut? I've got to get to Gaara before it's too late.

" I don't know what your dad's plan is, but at least the Jinchuriki is a simpleton," Deidara said as he looked back at her taking out a kunai. "I Just got to keep them too busy to think. I wonder if they can match my speed." The bird flew faster. " Now, time to finish you off properly."

"Hey, you jerk, get back here!" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi cried out. Deidara drove his kunai forward, Aceso deflected his wrist making the kunai fly out, she arched herself, and pushed up, kicking Deidara, he flew back towards the tail of the bird.

"Land this already!" Aceso demanded as he went to the head of the bird.

" I think I'll play with you a little longer," Deidara laughed as he got to his feet. Aceso could see that both had gotten stronger since the last time they met.