The Retired Granny's Determination

is episode 12 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime.

Synopsis
As the Akatsuki sealing continues, Pakkun finds the organisation's hideout. That same night in the Sunagakure, Chiyo unlocks a chest and takes the two scrolls. That morning, Pakkun relays his discovery of Akatsuki's hideout to Kakashi, who has one more task for Pakkun to accomplish. Once Naruto wakes up, everyone gets ready to set out. Everyone except for Kankurō, who is still trying to force himself. However, Temari promises that she'll bring Gaara back.

Before anyone can take off, however, Baki intervenes and tells Temari that she and her squad will remain in the village on border patrol as an order by their superiors. Now that Gaara is no longer around, any other village could attack at any moment, so their defences need to be boosted. However, Gaara is their Kazekage, so someone from the Suna needs to accompany the Konoha shinobi on the mission. It's at this point that Chiyo steps in and volunteers herself.

The Akatsuki continue to extract Shukaku from Gaara and the eyes of the giant statue slowly begin to open, one by one.

Team Guy's journey is interrupted when Pakkun meets them. He tells them that Kakashi and the others are headed to the Land of Rivers, which is between the Sunagakure and the Konohagakure. So, Guy's team is closer to Akatsuki than anyone else is for the time being.

Elsewhere in the forests, Sakura asks Naruto how long Akatsuki has been after him, but even he doesn't know the exact answer to that. Itachi and Kisame came after Naruto almost three years ago, but they're only starting to move again just now as opposed to earlier. While Kakashi believes it has to do with Naruto being around Jiraiya all of the time, Chiyo's sources say different. A lot of preparation goes into extracting a tailed beast, such as Shukaku from a person's body. Not everyone in the Konoha would know that because the Nine-Tailed Fox is one of those topics that are better off not discussed. The tailed beasts contain enormous amounts of chakra and were wanted during the Great Ninja War when villages could use their power for their own personal gain.

Zetsu, after viewing Pakkun's meeting with Team Guy with his real body, informs the other members of Konoha shinobi possibly on their way. Having dealt with Guy earlier, Itachi and Kisame tell of how he uses taijutsu. Hidan volunteers to go because he hasn't found his jinchūriki yet, but Kisame decides he will go because he owes Guy for that kick he gave him awhile back when he and Itachi first came to the Konoha. For "that" technique to work, however, the leader will need thirty percent of Itachi's and Kisame's chakra.

In a mountainous region, Pakkun and Team Guy are intercepted by Kisame, who Guy doesn't remember whatsoever. However, Neji notes that the chakra emanating from Kisame is something similar to that which he faced when he fought Naruto during the Chūnin Exams.

Zetsu spots Team Kakashi and Chiyo and the leader questions whether or not Deidara was actually capable of accomplishing his mission. He and Sasori get a brief argument that stops when Zetsu tells the members that the shinobi coming are from the Konoha.

In an open area, Kakashi and the others come to a halt when they're confronted by none other than Itachi Uchiha.