"Okay, we have the fabric. All we need now is to sniff out the scent and follow the trail!" Sasuke declared.
"Sure thing!" Kakashi replied, swiftly weaving hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!" He announced, calling forth a group of eight ninja dogs, also known as ninken.
"Ready and waiting, eight ninja hounds!" Pakkun, one of the ninja dogs, responded.
"I need you guys working on this ASAP!" Kakashi instructed, presenting the piece of cloth to the ninja dogs. "Determine his direction, got it?" He let the dogs sniff the cloth before commanding, "Now, get moving!" The dogs swiftly departed.
"We'll report back once we've got something!" Pakkun assured before following his pack.
"So, what's next?" Sasuke queried.
"We'll sit tight and wait for the Ninja dogs to locate our adversaries. In the meantime, we could use a breather. It's been a three-day haul getting here," Kakashi suggested.
Team 7 concurred.
Lady Chiyo and Master Ebizō approached Kankuro's bedside; he seemed to be recovering well after Naruto's healing.
"You're both here?" Kankuro questioned.
"We need some information, and we believe you're the one to ask. Was it Sasori you fought against?" Chiyo probed.
Kankuro cast his gaze downward, a somber expression on his face.
"Don't hold back, Kankuro. Speak up!" Ebizō nudged.
"Indeed, it was Sasori of the Red Sand. He confessed as much," Kankuro confirmed.
"Sasori of the Red Sand, I see. Seems like you might have some valuable intel on the Akatsuki," Kakashi inferred. "Would you share it with us?"
After some time, Chiyo relayed everything she knew about Sasori and the Akatsuki to Kakashi and his team.
"Appreciate the insight!" Kakashi expressed.
Baki entered the room, instructing, "Kankuro, you need to rest. And the same goes for you lot," he pointed at Team 7, "We've arranged accommodations for you."
"Gracias!" Naruto thanked.
"Naruto," Kankuro called, causing Naruto to turn his attention towards him. "Promise me you'll save my younger brother."
Naruto was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered, grinning slightly. "No need to worry, we'll definitely rescue him," he assured Kankuro confidently.
In the meantime, Pakkun had successfully traced the Akatsuki members and located their base after an extensive search.
"They're definitely in there!" Pakkun reported. "If I get any closer, I might be spotted." He began making his way back to Kakashi and Team 7 in the Sand Village to inform them of the Akatsuki's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, inside the hideout, the process of extracting the One-Tails from Gaara was underway.
The following day...
"Are you certain that's where their hideout is?" Kakashi inquired, referring to the location Pakkun had tracked and marked on a map.
"It's highly likely, considering Gaara's scent was emanating from that place too," Pakkun confirmed.
"I see! I have one more request for you," Kakashi stated. "You need to find Guy's team, who are on their way here, and guide them to the hideout."
Meanwhile, Naruto entered the room. "So, as expected, Pakkun is here. Did you find the location?" he asked.
"Yes!" Kakashi replied, glancing at Pakkun. "Now, go!" he ordered, and Pakkun departed once again.
"Alright, let's get moving!" Naruto declared.
Meanwhile, in the village hospital where Kankuro was being treated, a Sand Ninja informed Temari about the situation.
"What? Gaara! Are you certain?" Temari questioned the ninja.
"Yes, ma'am. They've discovered where the Akatsuki took him. The ninjas from the Leaf Village are preparing to act," the Sand Ninja reported.
"Alright, assemble a pursuit squad and make it snappy!" Temari instructed the ninja.
"Understood!" the ninja acknowledged before leaving.
"Temari!" Kankuro called out, waking up upon hearing Gaara's name.
Temari rushed over to Kankuro, concerned. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.
"Yes, much better, but I need to go now, to protect..." Kankuro started.
"You're not going anywhere. Despite feeling better, you still need to rest a little. I promise I'll bring Gaara back," Temari insisted.
Meanwhile, at the gate of the Sand Village, Team 7 gathered.
"It looks like we'll be working together with the squad from the Sand Village. As soon as they arrive, we'll move out," Kakashi informed them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Temari said as she and a group of Sand ninjas approached.
"Temari!" Sakura called out.
"Is everyone here?" Kakashi asked.
Before Temari could answer, Baki arrived. "Temari, you and your group will stay here and patrol the perimeter," Baki ordered.
"Are you kidding me?" Temari exclaimed.
"It's orders from above. If word gets out that the Kazekage is missing, our enemies might take advantage and attack the village," Baki explained.
"The village elders are the worst..." Naruto muttered, catching everyone's attention. "What? Did I say that out loud?" Naruto exclaimed.
"Don't you understand? That's even more reason why we need to bring Gaara back as soon as possible. Look at the Leaf ninjas. They left their village and came all the way here just to help us rescue Gaara, and he's not even their leader. Gaara is our Kazekage. It's up to us, the Sand shinobi, to save him," Temari passionately expressed.
"Save him? You couldn't save him when he was in your own village, and now you think you can go there and defeat the Akatsuki members in their own hideout? What a joke!" Naruto thought to himself. Although he wanted to say it out loud, he knew he shouldn't.
"I'm sorry," Baki apologized.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the air. "Well, I am going!" Everyone turned their heads to see Chiyo standing at the top of a high place.
"If a Sand shinobi is needed, then I'm the one to go!" Chiyo declared.
"Granny Chiyo!?" Temari exclaimed in surprise.
"But... But... you're so..." Baki tried to speak.
"I may be retired, but that just means I'm free to do whatever I want," Chiyo explained.
"Yes, but the journey will be difficult," a Sand ninja expressed concern.
"Don't treat me like a fossil," Chiyo retorted, jumping down from her perch. "After all, it's been a while since I've seen my adorable grandchild." She landed gracefully on the ground.
Some time later, Team 7, accompanied by Chiyo, stood outside the gate of the Sand Village.
"Alright, then we'll head out on our own," Kakashi announced.
"Thank you. I'll try to convince the council to change their minds," Baki said.
"Don't worry, we'll catch up to you!" Temari assured them as Team 7 with Chiyo, the Kazekage rescue team left.
Meanwhile, Kankuro sat up in his bed, frustrated and clenching his fist. "I am the one who should go after Gaara. I don't need rest," he thought.
Meanwhile, Team Guy was moving at a rapid pace towards the Sand Village. Rock Lee and Might Guy were in the lead, with Neji and Tenten following behind.
"Hey, slow down a little bit. We've been going at full speed since we started! Would it kill us to take a little rest?" Tenten called out to Rock Lee and Might Guy.
"Tenten, you're not training hard enough!" Rock Lee replied.
"Lee, up ahead!" Neji commanded, and they all stood on the same tree branch as they noticed Pakkun.
"Heeey, Guy, wait!" Pakkun called out.
"Pakkun!" Guy exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Team 7 and Chiyo continued to move forward towards the Akatsuki hideout.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out, catching Naruto's attention. "Can I ask you a question? How long do you think Akatsuki has been after you?"
"As far as I know, it's been a long time. When Jiraiya-sensei and I went to find Grandma Tsunade, I encountered two Akatsuki members. One of them was named Kisame, and the other..." Naruto stopped and looked towards Sasuke.
"Itachi Uchiha," Sasuke said, increasing his speed. "I need to get there quickly. Today might be the day I get my revenge!" he thought to himself.
"He's still the same old Sasuke, getting all fired up at the mention of Itachi's name," Naruto thought.
"Actually, according to our research from the time I was part of the research squad, Akatsuki is after the Jinchurikis of the tailed beasts. But their motive is still unknown to us," Naruto interjected.
"So, if they're going after the Jinchurikis and they're also after you, that means..." Chiyo trailed off.
"Yes! I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails," Naruto confirmed.
A moment of silence fell over the group as they continued moving forward.
"It's been three years since that incident, and the two Akatsuki members came to the village looking for Naruto at the same time. But for three years, there were no movements from them. Now, they're back," Kakashi said, breaking the silence.
"Why do you think they waited so long to make another move?" Sakura asked.
"It could be because they wanted to make their move earlier, but for some reason, they couldn't. Master Jiraiya mentioned that Naruto almost defeated one of the Akatsuki members. But before he could fight Itachi, Sasuke arrived and was defeated. When Master Jiraiya reached the scene, they ran away," Kakashi explained.
"That's not the only reason. Although it could be one of the reasons, from what I've learned, there is an entirely different reason why they had to wait this long," Chiyo added.
"What is it?" Sakura inquired.
"If they want to extract the tailed beast from the Jinchuriki, a great deal of preparation is involved. They simply need more time," Chiyo explained.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]