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We had run into Temari along our way to Sunagakure and the seven of us continued the journey together. It took us a full day to arrive at the village and the moment we did a Suna Jounin informed us of Kankurō's state. Heading straight to the hospital and after a brief confrontation with Chiyo, Sakura and Sasame set to work on Konkurō while the rest of us waited outside.

"... We don't have time to really dwell on Kankurō," I said to the tense silence. "Sakura-chan and Sasame-chan can take care of him, but we need to begin discussing our plan of action to go after Gaara-kun."

"She's right," Naruto growled.

"I've already sent Pakkun out to try and find Gaara's trail. It will take time," Kakashi consoled. "And it's already late. We won't be able to do anything more when night sets in."

"Then we'll just leave at first light," Sasuke decided.

"I want to go with you," Temari said. "Gaara is my brother and I know these deserts. It would be best if you had at least one Suna shinobi with you."

"We might need all the help we can get," I agreed. "I don't have a problem with it."

"Fine," Kakashi replied.

"Now hold on, you youngsters," Chiyo said softly, "Temari, you will be needed here. The village is already at a weak point and they need a strong leader."

"Then Baki can stay here and I will go, council be damned," Temari insisted.

"I think she should go with us," I supported. "We're most familiar with Temari-senpai and she knows how we work."

"But it will take more than just one fresh kunoichi to bring back our Kazekage from the Akatsuki."

"We can do it just fine," Naruto snapped.

"I'll go with you," Chiyo decided.

"No," Sasuke dismissed immediately. "We don't need some old hag slowing us down."

"Sasuke-kun," I reprimanded before turning to eye Chiyo, "I think Chiyo-sama should come with us. You mentioned you were familiar with one of the Akatsuki members, right? So that should prove useful. Besides, Sasuke-kun, this is her family reunion. You won't deny her that, right?"

Sasuke eyed Chiyo, his face utterly blank. "... Fine, but don't slow us down."

"Wouldn't dream of it, cheeky-brat," Chiyo laughed.

The door to the ER opened and Sakura stepped out, smiling. "He should be fine. We were able to come up with the correct antidote in time, he's weak, but he'll be back up to speed in no time."

"Thank you," Temari said, clear relief in her voice.

Baki exited the ER as well, eying all of us. "We will have rooms prepared. Which one of you is the commander?"

Kakashi stood up from his chair. "That would be me. We already have a plan in mind, but it would be best if we had your permission first."

"Of course," Baki returned smoothly.

('･ω･')

Just as the first rays of light touched the desert floor, the eight of us were headed out. Pakkun had successfully managed to nab the first scent and guided it out to me, and with that, I was able to lead us in the tracking while Kakashi sent Pakkun back to Konoha to inform them of what was going on.

Hours passed by as we ran. There were conversations being held behind me, but I was so entirely focused on Gaara's scent, that I didn't hear them. It wasn't long before we had to stop dead in our tracks when a new scent presented itself to me.

I held out my arms, signaling for a stop and I soon found myself staring head on at Kisame.

If we had encountered Kisame, that meant that we were the first team to be spotted—meaning either Gai's team wasn't coming or we were significantly ahead of them. Whatever the case would be... I could feel Sasuke tense beside me.

"You were with..." Sasuke said lowly.

"Who are you?" Temari demanded.

I stepped back, dropping my arm and allowing Sasuke to step closer to Kisame. "There's something off about his scent. He reeks of a rotting corpse and his chakra reserves are significantly lower than what I remember from our first encounter. More than likely this one is just a dummy."

"Doesn't matter," Sasuke snapped. "He's an associate of That Man."

"He's an obstacle against Gaara," Naruto growled, moving closer. "I say we just take him down now and be done with it.

I stepped back, moving out of the way.

A royally pissed off Sasuke and Naruto, along with a mildly annoyed Kakashi against a phony Kisame at only 30% of power.

Yeah. I wasn't needed in that battle.

This is just going to be a testosterone battle, isn't it?

Pretty much, yeah.

From Sakura, Temari and Sasame's sighs, I could tell they were thinking along the lines as me.

('･ω･')

We had reached the cave, only this time, there wasn't a team Gai to greet us there.

"... Do you recognize the seal, Imouto?" Naruto asked, peering up at the paper.

"It's a five prong seal barrier," I explained. "... We're going to have to split up and dissemble it all at once."

"Where's the nearest part?" Temari asked.

I hesitated before leaping up onto the rock and sniffing the paper carefully. Very faintly, I could detect a scent that reminded me of gunpowder. I straightened up and sniffed the air again, eying the surrounding. "... Five hundred meters directly west from this point, the next one would be seven hundred meters south-west at a forty-five degree angle. Third point, nine hundred meters north-east at a twenty degree angle, fourth point is south roughly three hundred meters give or take a few."

"I'll take point one," Temari said. "Whatever it takes to get to Gaara as quickly as possible."

"I'll take point two," Sasame offered.

"Three," Sakura said.

Naruto looked pained while Chiyo stared at the ground contemplatively.

"I'll take the last point," Sasuke finally said. "I'm not that close to Gaara and I have no opinion of meeting the other members of the Akatsuki, not to mention I'm second fastest, so I'll be able to get back more quickly."

"Thank you," Naruto said quietly.

Sasuke shrugged. "Whatever."

"Alright, everyone grab a radio-set and we'll pull those tags off," Kakashi ordered.

('･ω･')

"At three... One... Two... Three!" I ripped off the fifth tag on the boulder and Naruto rushed towards the rock, Rasengan flaring.

The rock shattered and I dove into the cave, falling to side beside Naruto and Chiyo.

I felt my heart flutter and my stomach drop as I stared in morbid fascination at Gaara's lifeless corpse. He looked battered and beaten, but there was a peaceful look on his face. Tranquil.

"We're too late," Kakashi whispered, his voice tense with regret and anger.

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

Deidara, just as before, sat atop of Gaara's corpse with Sasori in his deformed puppet beside him.

"Well, so much for that mystery, un," Deidara mused. "You're one of the jinchūriki. He's the one that bursts in and barks first, alright. Seriously, Itachi was right on the money, un."

Deidara turned to glance towards Sasori, but the puppet user was fixated on Chiyo, his grandmother and former caretaker.

"Gaara! What the hell are you doing? Come on, why are you just lying there?" Naruto shouted. "Get up. Gaara! Answer me, what are you, deaf? Come on, knock it off already—"

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi interrupted, his voice sharp and bringing Naruto out of his rising hysteria. "You know full well... that..."

"You're friend's right. And you know it too, un," Deidara said softly, bring his hand to tap it against Gaara's cheek.

I could feel Kurama's chakra surge through Naruto from Deidara's gesture and from Kurama's quiet chuckle, I knew that Naruto was subconsciously drawing upon his energy.

"Give him back," Naruto snarled, his voice quiet, but sharp and carried throughout the cave. "Give Gaara back, you damned—!"

Naruto charged towards them, but before I reacted, Kakashi flickered in front of Naruto, halting the charge. "Cool it. Charge in without thinking and we're done for."

I could feel Naruto's anger spiking, but he held still.

Sasori glanced towards the other Akatsuki member before moving his eyes to rest on Gaara. "I'll hold onto him, since it appears that jinchūriki will stop at nothing to get it back."

Deidara snorted. "Hn, yeah, that's putting it lightly, un."

There was a significant moment of tense silence before Deidara broke it by casually saying, "Well, Sasori-no-danna, I doubt you want to hear this, but I'll just go ahead and say it anyway. I think I'll take care of the jinchūriki, un."

"Our quota is one-a-piece, don't push your luck, Deidara," Sasori warned.

"An artist must always seek ever greater stimulation, lest his senses go dull on him. Rumor has it that both of the Kyūbi jinchūriki are pretty powerful. A canvas truly worthy of my artistry, un."

"What? Those pyro-technics of yours, art? Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity. Art is eternal beauty." Sasori turned his giant puppet body towards Deidara, completely giving us his back.

I love how they're discussing views on art with two pissed off jinchūrikis are right in front of them.

"Art, eternal beauty, are you kidding me, un? 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 then vanishing in a heartbeat, un."

"What did you say? Apparently, Deidara, one of us doesn't know what true art is."

"That would be you, Danna, un."

"You lousy, rotten—" Naruto growled.

"None sense," Sasori dismissed. "Eternal beauty is what constitutes real art."

"Don't be absurd, true art only lasts a moment, un."

"Enough!" Naruto yelled before pulling out a blue scroll from his pack, unrolling it and summoning a giant windmill shuriken in the same instance. He leapt past Kakashi and threw it towards Sasori.

Not even looking, Sasori deflected the attack with his poisoned-tip tail.

"Are you trying to make me angry?" Sasori continued his debate with Deidara, completely disregarding us and Naruto's attack.

"Hey, easy, told you that you wouldn't want to hear it, didn't I? Give me a break, will you, un?"

"I don't have to remind you what happens when I get angry, do I?" Sasori threatened, his tail tensed and poised for striking.

Deidara scoffed, getting off of Gaara and standing up. In his hand he held up a miniature clay bird. "Art is one thing and one thing only. The explosion itself."

He tossed the bird up into the air before it exploded in a cloud of smoke before reappearing significantly bigger than before. The bird landed on the ground next to Deidara before grabbing Gaara in its mouth and preparing for take-off.

"It's not even in the same league as your grotesque puppet show, un."

Sasori's tail snapped out towards Deidara just as the bomber jumped up onto the bird, effectively dodging the tail. The bird took flight into the air before it flew above us and out of the cave.

Naruto didn't hesitate to chase after him.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called out, he gave an irritated sigh. "... Naruto and I will handle the one outside, Miwa, Chiyo-sama, take the one inside."

"Dead or alive?" I asked.

"Either works fine," Kakashi instructed before leaving the cave and chasing after Naruto.

... I want alive.

Of course you do. You can't separate your biased opinion of him.

That's not true. I'm furious at what he did to Gaara, and I feel horrendous that I let it happen. I really want to hurt him. But I'm also aware of his close eye on Orochimaru. I still don't feel comfortable about having Orochimaru run about. I feel too worried for Sasuke and it would just be better for everyone if we could gather enough information on the snake before eliminating him. And while Jiraiya has a good spy network, it's nowhere near as efficient as Sasori's.

Hmph. Brat, do you really think he'll be willing to cooperate with us?

I think he has a better chance than the others. But while I do want him alive, I won't hesitate to kill him if he presents too much of a danger for myself and the others.

I flexed my fingers, moving closer towards Chiyo as I eyed Sasori.

Naruto and I are probably the best ones to fight him. His poison, while it will be a hassle, won't be too much of an issue, I think. At worst case, I can always slice myself up and bleed it out. We both know I can take that much.

Keep in mind, however, that even Sakura warned us not to have it too long in our system. While most others would be affected by it within five minutes, we have fifteen minutes. That doesn't mean it won't do any lasting damage that could prove harmful to battle, not to mention while you heal fast, you are not superhuman. You need time to heal, just like everyone else.

As I said; worst case scenario. Besides, we do have two of the antidotes on us. Thankfully, Sakura gave them to me instead of Naruto or Sasuke.

Sasori gave a low sigh, turning to face us, his eyes resting on Chiyo. "The way I've heard it, you retired a long time ago."

"I suddenly longed to see my grandson's face again," Chiyo returned. A moment passed before Chiyo took several steps away from me and towards Sasori.

Chiyo brought her hands into her opposite hands' sleeves, and when she pulled her hands out, we were presented with many kunai attached to a long thread of chakra. She released the chakra thread, bringing her hands together. The kunai glowed a pale blue before they were hurtled towards Sasori at an impressive speed. Just as before, Sasori deflected the kunai with his tail.

"If you insist on interfering, I guess I have no choice," Sasori said, his voice coming out more like a growl due to the puppet's voice changer. Slowly, his Akatsuki cloak ripped away, revealing a grotesque puppet spread out on all fours with a giant face mask strapped to its back and the tail coming out of its mouth. "How would you and that brat like to become part of my collection?"

"A puppet body," I mused, finding myself morbidly fascinated by it. "And to answer your question, Sasori-san, I think both of us will have to decline you on that.

I moved my hand down to my right dagger. I threw one behind Sasori, where it dug into the far wall. I then grabbed my tanto, pulling it out of its sheath and presenting it. I slid into my stance, tensing.

The tanto was a gift from Kakashi, it was the same tanto he used to train with; a specially made blade that reacted well with lightning chakra, forming a sort of blade. It was how Kakashi came up with Chidori.

"Chiyo-sama, are you ready?" I asked.

"Come closer, child," Chiyo murmured, and I did as she asked, moving closer so she would whisper quietly in my ear. "He will more than likely use a poisoned needle shower; we will need to evade it at all costs. I don't expect you to be an expert in that and that is why I am here. I will attach chakra strings to you to help maneuver you threw it."

"I understand," I murmured, pulling away. "Ready when you are, Sasori-san."

"Are you sure? Well, it's about time; I really hate to be kept waiting, don't you?"

"Yes," I answered honestly.

I gripped my tanto tightly before Chiyo and I began to sprint towards Sasori. Sasori lifted up his right hand towards Hiruko's lower face before ripping off the cloth covering it and revealing a gaping mouth. Thousands of needles shot out of the mouth. With my tanto, I easily deflected a few, twisting my body to dodge the others. However, I could feel the tug on Chiyo's chakra strings, pulling my body in different and odd ways to evade the ones I couldn't normally dodge.

What couldn't have been more than ten seconds, stretched on to minutes in my mind.

Halfway to Sasori, the needles stopped and Chiyo and I both froze.

A heartbeat passed before a wooden canister erupted from Sasori's side, flying towards us. The canister erupted once more and fifty or so even tinier canisters presented themselves. Inside, I knew, were at least twenty needles in each of them, reading to explode after a handful of seconds had passed.

Chiyo's strings tugged on me and I was forced to bend in an awkward way to safely evade the needles that shot themselves towards us.

My heart was hammering and I could start to feel the thrum of adrenaline coursing through me as time dropped to a slow crawl in my mind. Finally, the needles stopped and Chiyo and I were stuck at the same distance away from Sasori. I didn't hesitate before I sprinted towards Sasori, my tanto poised and ready for strike. As I neared Sasori, his tail whipped out, snapping towards me, but stopping short of actually touching me.

I inwardly smiled, knowing that Chiyo had attached her chakra strings to Sasori's tail from her first attack with her kunai. Not even pausing at his frozen state, I leapt up into the air, maneuvering my tanto and thrusting it down inside Hiruko's back. Channeling my chakra through my tanto, Hiruko's entire body glowed blue from the electricity burning and coursing through it. The puppet exploded and I leapt back, watching as the flaming pieces of Hiruko fell away. I saw a black cloaked figure flicker out of Hiruko, his back turned towards us.

I landed beside Chiyo, ignoring the flaming Hiruko, my eyes fixated on the real Sasori.

"Come now," Chiyo cooed, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Let me get a good look at you, I've come all this way to see you. I've waited twenty-years. I want to see my grandson's face."

"Well played," Sasori finally said, his honey smooth voice holding no affliction. "I should have expected no less from my own Grandmother. No wonder a kid like that could dodge my attacks so easily. You can foresee my attacks and then you control the girl with chakra strings. By the way, how clever of you to attach chakra strings to Hiruko's tail. Silly me, I only noticed when the tail's motion was brought to an abrupt halt, you did it when you threw those kunai, didn't you? Those threads on the knives stuck the tail when they were thrown and I deflected them. You kept them very thin to remain unnoticed."

"Good, you figured it out."

"But of course, remember who taught me how to play with puppets?" Sasori mused, turning around reaching up for his hood. He pulled it down, revealing his shock of red messy hair and incredibly attractive face. "It was you."

Chiyo gasped, her eyes widening.

"So, do you still think this will be easy?" Sasori asked, clearly amused by Chiyo's reaction.

"I don't understand. Your face is exactly the same, you haven't aged," Chiyo whispered.

"Come now, Chiyo-sama," I murmured. "It's not that hard to figure out. The man uses human puppets and is obsessed with eternal beauty. Moreover, he calls his puppet collection a work of art. Surely you can guess what he's done... what he is?"

Chiyo gasped again. "Sasori... you didn't...?"

Though Sasori laughed, his face remained the same and the laugh sounded mocking. It reminded me of how a master would laugh at something his pet did particularly cleverly. "What a bright little girl you are. Yes. I have turned my body into the ultimate show of art, an eternal beauty. I am art itself now, but while I have your attention, let me show you something special. I guarantee you it will move you."

A scroll rolled down into Sasori's right hand and he held it up for us to see. He unrolled it partially, revealing the number three.

"This piece was particularly hard to acquire, but on the other hand, that's what makes me so fond of him."

The scroll erupted into a cloud of smoke and I took this chance to tighten my gloves, and shift hands with my tanto. When the smoke cleared, Sasori presented us with his Kazekage puppet.

"No... That can't be... our Sandaime Kazekage..."

Sasori poised himself with the Kazekage, chuckling at Chiyo's growing resigned expression. "What do you think? Doesn't it just take you back?"

"So this must be what had happened to him... It's been over ten years since our Kazekage suddenly disappeared from the village without a trace. We scoured the country side, but could never find him. The strongest of our Kazekage simply vanished. Sasori... it was you?"

"Yes," Sasori answered "So what if it is? I'm not afraid of a retired old woman, you've got one foot in the grave and you want revenge? You can't even touch me."

"'Retired?' 'One foot in the grave?' Maybe, but if I hadn't dragged this old body to face you, I would have died with far too many regrets. My own grandson, it's bad enough you got yourself mixed up with this despicable organization... but to think you could betray your own village and meddle with the Kazekage for the third time!" Chiyo snapped. "Orochimaru may have been the one who killed Yondaime Kazekage, but Sasori was complicit from the beginning. And now he's taken Gaara and the Sandaime Kazekage."

"Wait a minute, I wasn't involved in the Yondaime's death," Sasori said. "That was one of my agent's."

"Are you really saying that you weren't involved at all?" Chiyo demanded, clear disbelief in her voice.

"It's true that Orochimaru and the Akatsuki have some history, we've done some work together."

My body, almost unconsciously, stiffened from Orochimaru's name.

This is the information I needed. Not that bridge stuff, but genuine information to use so we can effectively take out Orochimaru once and for all.

That or he knows nothing.

Don't be a buzz kill.

"You... You have all the answers I need," I mused aloud.

Sasori smirked.

"I'd really love to stay and chat, but I must eliminate the two of you and then go capture that jinchūriki," Sasori replied. "I do hate to keep people waiting, so sadly there's no time to answer little questions.

I smiled in sardonic amusement at that.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Sasori asked, sending his puppet flying towards me. Chiyo tugged sharply on my chakra strings, pulling me far back just as the puppet introduced six blades on the right side, curved and coated with poison.

I brought up my tanto in preparation of defending myself against the attack, but Chiyo managed to grab hold of Hiruko's tail with her strings and bring it up instead. The tail shattered from the attack and Chiyo used that moment to pull me further back.

"Slick move, old lady, but how are you going to block this one?"

The Kazekage puppet brought forward its left arm, extending it, before it opened up. Seals written inside of it glowed a pale blue before hundreds of wooden arms came flying through it, forming a thick, dense forest. They flew up above me before they came crashing down towards me, and just as they were about to crush me, Chiyo maneuvered my body again.

I fell to the floor, forced to twist and bend my body at very awkward angle that if I wasn't so flexible, would be damn near impossible. I gritted my teeth at the uncomfortable position my arms were in.

A heartbeat passed before Chiyo pulled again and I was pulled out of the forest by Chiyo. Not even a full second out of it-and still in the air-did a canister open up and present itself. The canister's lid slid off and purple gaseous poison blew out of it, along with kunai ropes. The ropes wrapped themselves around me while the poison engulfed me.

I held my breath.

Well, I don't feel like going along with what Sakura did in Canon anymore. It's time to finish this.

I allowed some time to pass, just a handful of seconds before my body sagged and I heard Chiyo cry out my name. By sagging, I was giving her the impression that I had lost consciousness, and if I gave her that impression then Sasori would no doubt think that as well. That or that I was dead, either worked for my purposes. At the moment I couldn't exactly tell her my plan and ask her to play along, so...

I then wiggled my left hand to grasp onto my left dagger.

And if the cloud of poison wasn't blocking their view, to the eyes I would have disappeared in a red flash.