A Meeting With Destiny

The door opens on the worst possible scene: Gaara's lifeless body, the extraction finished, and two Akatsuki lounging atop it like trophies. Naruto's fury detonates — fox chakra flickering as he charges the men who killed his friend — and the chamber becomes a standoff. Deidara baits the jinchuriki into chasing him outside on a clay bird while Sasori stays behind to face Sakura and the grandmother who knows his secrets. The arc splits into its two defining duels, both fueled by the body on the floor.