The difference between Naruto and Gaara shouldn't be to great, I think it would be rather small, and with Gaara losing the fight and being captured tells me that the Akatsuki are going to be around for a while. He did put up a fight, and yes he had to protect the village, but the Akatsuki member wasn't trying to kill him, which is always an easier thing to do. Gaara would have lost in the long-run anyway, and that was one Akatsuki member, the other was watching the fight from the ground.

If Naruto is able to defeat any Akatsuki member it would be the weaker ones in the group, I don't think he will be able to defeat Itachi yet, but the battles will be good and i think time consuming and chakra consuming, I have nothing to prove this on as they haven't shown Naruto fight properly yet.

Well I'm also thinking that Kankurou may deliver the news, I wonder what Konoha's reaction is going to be, I'm talking about Tsunade, meaning what's going to be her step in this development, send some ANBU out, send another team, send Naruto. etc. I'm also curious of Naruto's reaction.