Had Inoiki voiced those thoughts aloud—especially in front of Naruto—he would've been immediately labeled heartless. And perhaps, in some ways, that accusation wouldn't be entirely wrong.
But it wouldn't be entirely right, either.
In truth, Inoiki didn't feel particularly concerned about Gaara's life or death—not because he wished him harm, but because he simply didn't know the boy. They had met only a handful of times, spoken just once. His understanding of Gaara didn't come from personal experience, but from the scattered fragments of knowledge lingering in his mind—remnants of a past life as a reincarnator.
And that knowledge told him one simple thing: Gaara would survive this arc.
So, for Inoiki, it wasn't worth fretting over. The plot would play out. Life or death didn't feel like stakes when the outcome was already carved in stone. With that logic, he cast aside any distractions and focused on what mattered most to him now: his weapon.
He would leave the Iron Country the moment it was ready. Not before.
Three days after Team Kakashi departed from Konoha...
The sun had already begun its descent behind the rocky outcrops of the Wind Country by the time Team Kakashi arrived in Sunagakure.
Their pace had been relentless. Now, standing at the village gates their expressions were grim but determined.
There was no time to rest.
Naruto and Kakashi begin gathering intel from the high level people of Sunagakure or to be precise Baki, trying to piece together everything that had happened since Gaara's disappearance.
Meanwhile, Sakura was taken to the medical ward where Kankuro lay unconscious, his body deteriorating from the poison delivered by Sasori of the Red Sand.
Sakura labored through the night, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Drawing on every ounce of skill Tsunade had taught her, she fought to save Kankuro—pushing her medical expertise to its limits.
By midnight, her efforts bore fruit—Kankuro stabilized.
Kankuro woke early the next morning and immediately handed Kakashi a torn scrap of cloth—ripped from Sasori's mask during their previous encounter.
Without delay, Kakashi summoned his ninken, Pakkun, and gave him the cloth to track Sasori's scent. True to his skill, Pakkun returned within a day, having located Sasori's current hideout. He not only reported back to Kakashi but also pinpointed the exact spot where he had picked up both Sasori's and Gaara's scents.
During this time, Kakashi also received word that Team Guy was on their way to provide backup. Acting swiftly, he dispatched Pakkun once more—this time to lead Guy's team directly to Gaara's location.
A few hours later, Team Kakashi, accompanied by Chiyo, departed Sunagakure and began their journey to the Akatsuki hideout.
That evening, deep within the Akatsuki hideout, several spectral figures stood on the outstretched fingers of the towering Gedo Statue—illusory projections of the Akatsuki members. Only Deidara and Sasori were physically present.
Moments earlier, Itachi and Kisame had returned after stalling Teams Kakashi and Guy. They had each engaged their respective squads in battle, delaying them for several hours. In preparation for the encounters, Pain had used the Shapeshifting Technique to create near-perfect clones of Itachi and Kisame, sacrificing captive ninja as vessels. This allowed both Akatsuki members to engage the enemy without leaving the hideout.
Zetsu had relayed intelligence to Pain earlier, warning him that two Konoha teams were approaching. With this information, Pain acted quickly, deploying the shapeshifted clones to intercept and buy time. Despite fighting fiercely, both clones were ultimately defeated—after all, they only had 30% of their chakra reserves.Itachi and Kisame had just returned to report.
Pain turned his gaze to the flickering, translucent form of Itachi and asked, "Itachi, what are their numbers and capabilities?"
Itachi responded calmly, "Team Kakashi consists of four members: Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno from Konoha, and Chiyo from Sunagakure."
The mention of Chiyo caused Sasori to stiffen. His eyes narrowed, the name clearly rattling him.
Kisame nodded. "Yes, and the team I fought—Team Guy—was also a four-man squad."
Pain acknowledged the information with a quiet "Hmm," taking in the reports from both Kisame and Itachi. "Our primary objective was to stall for time," he said, "and we succeeded."
The others murmured in agreement—until Zetsu interrupted. "I have urgent news," he said, his voice edged with tension. "Moments ago, I spotted a streak of blue light piercing the skies over Wind Country. Unless I'm mistaken, that was Inoiki entering the region. We know that's how he travels."
Pain considered this. "Your assessment is likely correct. Based on Inoiki's recent movements, he was last seen causing significant disruption in the Iron Country. If he's returning now, the Hokage may have ordered him to reinforce the Konoha teams."
Zetsu shifted uneasily. "If he intervenes, escaping will become far more difficult for Sasori and Deidara."
Deidara scoffed. "Tch. You think some flashy light show scares us? If he shows his face, he'll end up just like those other fools."
Pain's tone turned decisive. "No. Zetsu has a point. I'll dispatch additional support to intercept Inoiki—or at the very least, delay him."
Sasori's voice was cool, measured. "You're not planning to use the Shapeshifting Technique again, are you? To summon reinforcements?"
Pain's reply left no room for debate. "No. I'll send someone else." A pause, deliberate. "Your only priority now is sealing Gaara's chakra—nothing else matters. Stay focused on that. This is final."
For a moment, silence hung between them. Then, with a shared glance, Sasori and Deidara gave a slow nod—no further objections.
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