Ep 17: Gaara's Death

Neji keeps watch as the others sleep.

Chiyo and Kakashi keep watch as Naruto and Sakura sleep. Chiyo thinks back to Sasori sleeping between his parents.

Gai wakes up ready to go. Pakkun checks with Neji who can see Gai has recovered (“so fast it's kind of annoying”). Tenten claims she's fine too. Gai plans to go twice as fast. Lee ups it to three times. Gai ups it to four times the pace.

Kakashi wakes up Sakura and Naruto. Naruto wants another minute until Kakashi mentions Gaara.

Temari looks down from the fortress, looking toward the enemy's hideout.

The Akatsuki are about to enter the final stage. The statue’s eyes open.

Matsuri thinks back to the Sand council ordering them to keep the Kazkage's kidnapping a secret. In case the secret is leaked, they must secure the borders. She wants to search for Gaara instead of waiting for enemies that may not come. Temari agrees but those are their orders.

Neji can't sense the enemies’ presence at all.

Kakashi and Chiyo deduce they don't need to delay them any more.

Naruto thinks back to his friends and comrades while Gaara had no one. Naruto races ahead. Chiyo asks why he's so set on saving someone from another village. Kakashi tells her he's also a jinchuuriki with the kyuubi inside so he understands how Gaara feels. Jinchuuriki are treated the same everywhere.

Chiyo was the one who performed the technique to merge Gaara with the Jinchuuriki. She thinks maybe everything she's done in the past was a mistake. She laments being old but Kakashi says she's still young enough (such a charmer!).

As Gaara’s last bit of chakra is extracted, he has a vision of himself and wonders if anyone needed him. All eyes open in the statue and Gaara falls to the floor dead.

Kankurou is in bed at home. A picture of Gaara, Temari and Kankurou falls to the floor and breaks.

Team Gai arrives at the hideout. Team Kakashi arrives soon after.

End: Konoha Fashion Communication - Kakashi discusses ways to wear a forehead protector and shinobi equipment such as the shuriken and kunai set, attachable holster, shinobit vest with scroll pockets, etc. Gai interrupts with his body suit.

Review: No action but the Gaara death vision was nice.

Notes:
Bijuu extraction took three days and three nights.

Thoughts:
Jinchuuriki are treated the same everywhere, which means they’re shun by the villages and treated with fear and distrust. But they’re supposed to be used as weapons by the village. You’d think an ultimate weapon to protect the village should be honored.