i enjoyed it. it had some weak points though. I couldn't personally care less about that random sand girl (though it was nice to see more Baki, that guy's got it), and Kankuro and Temari sort of pissed me off a bit. The show sorta pisses on them, since Gaara's sufferring is always emphasized to be worse than Naruto's because Gaara had nobody supporting him. Yet Gaara has a brother and sister. They constantly, silently, make Kankuro and Temari out to be horrible up until this point... where suddenly they care about their bro? Or was it that previously Gaara was too much of a psycho, living up to the fears about the Bijuu?

I hate Naruto's teary-eyed crap about how the suffering of outcasts is all the same, blah blah blah. They literally re-use that crap one out of every five episodes. This time, with the sequence of Naruto thinking about Gaara, and how Naruto's 'allies' appear one after another (funny how Ten-ten appears before Shikamaru, yet we've seen tons of flashbacks implying the two at least had some bond before even becoming Genin), but poor Gaara doesn't ever get any friends... it was EXACTLY the same as in the previous episode, but slowed down "to be more dramatic"... We get the fucking point already.

Interesting to know that Akatsuki has acquired (apparently) three Bijuu now. Wondering how they're dividing the power, or if they're just saving them all together to be used in one big spectacle when all the nine are captured?

Some small facts revealed about Chiyo and to her. It became very apparent that she'll probably sacrifice herself in the upcoming battle w/ her grandson and Deidara. (the flashback to start the episode, her "maybe there's something an old bag like me can do... something..." Yup, I'm putting 10 on her buying the farm.

I liked Gaara's death sequence, with the gradual disenfranchisement with his physical body.

"What's that?
Me?
That's me.
The me... whose existance someone else needed. (translation on this one?)
Why?... Why did I want to become like that? Why did I desire it so badly?
Those eyes.. That nose.. that mouth...
Why?
Why is that "Gaara"?
I used to be inside that.
But what am I now?
Just one state of consciousness
(rapid zoom out)
What did it used to be?
It was just... a small feeling..."
(I'd greatly appreciate some confirmation on the accuracy of the translation here)