216: The Vanished Artisan! Shukaku Targeted!

Kakashi summons his pack of nin dogs for a mission to Takumi Village where there are creators of professional weapons supplied to the shinobi of the five great countries. Recently there have been dark rumors about trying to manufacture an ultimate weapon and make the five powers their enemy. The nin dogs investigate from rooftops to underground.
Meanwhile Kakashi reads his book in the forest, giggling madly. He hides his book when Pakkun appears from underground to report that there is no one in the village but they did find a numbers of coffins and a tomb.

Naruto runs along thinking of ramen when he sees Sakura and Shikamaru talking and laughing. Sakura gives Shikamaru a message which he finds troublesome. Naruto runs over, accusing them of seeing each other, but Sakura had just given Shikamaru a medicinal list.

Meanwhile in Sand Village, Temari, Kankurou and Gaara are instructors to a group of shinobi wannabes. Temari tells the trainess to pick a weapon. A girl asks if she must select a weapon since it would hurt someone. Gaara is about to say something then stops. They break up into three groups for combat training. Temari tells Gaara to smile or no one will pick him. The children whisper amongst themselves and are afraid of Gaara. No one chooses him except the girl Matsuri since she wants to know what Gaara wanted to say before. Matsuri has to pick a weapon but the sword scares her and the club is too heavy. Gaara selects a jouhyou, a knife at the end of the rope, which is used to keep the enemy away and to tie them up.

Sand guards are taken out by four enemies. They let one live to take a message back.

Matsuri explains her mother and father were killed by countless weapons before her eyes. Gaara tells her the reason for wielding a weapon (flashback to Naruto talking about protecting his friends).

A group calling themselves the Shitenshounin, who use mysterious weapons, delivers the message to Gaara "We who are the ultimate weapons announce our challenge to you. If you do not accept, everyday we will kidnap somebody close to you until you respond." Matsuri is the first victim. From the position of her jouhyou, points in northeast direction, Gaara deduces that's where they're headed.

At the jounin meeting, they decide to request help from Konoha since the enemy is headed northeast to River Country which is between Wind and Fire. Temari, Kankurou and Gaara are sent with their students while others stay behind in case this is a decoy. Baki discusses this with a counselor (flashback: discussion after Shukaku appeared), who implies many would like Gaara to disappear. Baki stays behind for another mission.

The messenger bird arrives and perches on Shizune. Shikamaru is given the mission . The enemy is currently fleeing from River Country in direction of Fire Country with Gaara, Temari and Kankurou in pursuit. Shikamary says, "Are you telling me to set up a plan to stop someone overconfident enough to challenge Gaara?" Tsunade gives him a list of available genin and 30 minutes to form his team. He asks to borrow Sakura. Choji, Ino, Naruto, Kiba and Lee meet him at the main gate. Kiba notes he's the only one with tracking ability. Shikamaru calls them "Team Return a Favor" for the Sasuke incident. Sakura is not present.

The team divides into two-man cells for ambush/pursuit. Ino-Shikamaru, Kiba-Choji, Lee- Naruto. Shikamaru has already sent Shino, Neji, Hinata and Sakura ahead. Those four took a different route and will not participate in combat. They're searching for the enemy and will be dedicated to medical support. Shikamaru knows he’s responsible for their lives.

Review:
Poor Gaara, with only one student, made me sad.

Notes:
jouhyou = weapon composed of a blade at the end of a rope
Matsuri = Gaara’s student
Shitenshounin = group from Takumi village

Thoughts:
Are Gaara, Temari and Kankurou teaching genin or just academy students? They seem to be the latter.
Sakura is paired with Shino and his bugs. Neji and Hinata are together and use their byakugan to follow the bugs. Wouldn’t it make more sense to split up Neji and Hinata?