During a brief pitstop in Sunagakure, Team Kakashi is joined by Chiyo, Sasori's grandmother. The group follows the Akatsuki members' trail from Sunagakure while Konoha sends Team Guy for assistance. Deciding to stall the two groups long enough for them to extract Shukaku the One-Tail from Gaara's body, doppelgängers of Akatsuki members Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki are sent to distract them, and succeed in buying the needed time. The Hidden Leaf Ninja eventually converge outside the Akatsuki hideout just as the extraction of Shukaku reaches completion.