The Jinchūriki of the Sand

Perched on his clay bird, Deidara chooses to strike Gaara from a distance, but Gaara answers by molding his sand into pseudo-Shukaku arms that reach across the sky. When Deidara climbs higher, Gaara raises a platform of sand beneath himself to keep pace. The shinobi of Sunagakure, Kankurō among them, watch the aerial duel from below. Deidara throws his explosive clay, only for Gaara's sand to soak the blast and rebuild itself, so Deidara escalates to a stronger version of the attack. Gaara seals himself inside a sand cocoon while his Third Eye preserves his sight, and at the same moment ensnares Deidara with his Sand Binding Prison, calling up Shukaku's arms to hold his opponent fast.

Far away in Konoha, Naruto and Sakura are still trying to claim the bells from Kakashi. Reading their movements with his Sharingan, Kakashi flashes through hand signs faster than the eye can track, chaining the Great Fireball Technique into the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique and finishing with the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. Unable to touch him, the pair fall back to rethink their approach, and Kakashi withdraws as well, noting how thoroughly the two have worn out his Sharingan. He weighs finishing his Icha Icha book but concedes the genin are too much to handle while reading.

Gaara demonstrates his mastery over sand by battling Deidara in midair, absorbing explosive clay attacks and trapping the Akatsuki member with his Sand Binding Prison. The clash establishes Gaara's growth as Kazekage and sets up the abduction that drives the Kazekage Rescue Mission.

In parallel, Naruto lists Kakashi's advantages over their peers, and Sakura insists even so gifted a ninja must have a weakness. Naruto puzzles it out, and the two rush Kakashi head-on while Naruto starts spoiling the ending of Jiraiya's novel. Kakashi covers his ears, then realises his Sharingan can still read Naruto's lips, so he shuts his eyes as well, and Naruto and Sakura snatch the bells to pass the test.

The episode adapts chapter 248 and opens the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc of Shippuden. It juxtaposes Gaara's desperate defence of Sunagakure with the lighthearted conclusion of Team Kakashi's bell test, using Kakashi's exaggerated devotion to his Icha Icha book as the comedic weak point Naruto exploits. Deidara's clay bombs and Gaara's sand techniques anchor the action of the aerial half.