Mission Cleared

is episode 6 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime. It and episode 7 were originally aired together as an hour-long special.

Synopsis
As Sunagakure makes its preparations to go into battle and evacuates its civilians, the everlasting battle between Gaara and Deidara goes on. Deidara creates his "Ultimate Weapon", a giant clay bomb, and drops it onto the village. In the mean time, back in Konoha, Naruto finally visits Ichiraku again, after years of practice, and orders some ramen, just when Iruka joins them and offers to pay for him as his treat.

Back in Suna, Deidara activates the bomb to cause a massive explosion that seems to be the end of the village. But Gaara quickly manages to rapidly move a load of desert sand above the village, covering it and deflecting the explosion and thus saving the village. He is distracted for a moment, and Deidara takes his chance to activate a bird-like clay bomb in front of Gaara's face, leaving all watching the battle in great shock. But as the smoke recedes, it appears that Gaara managed to protect himself in a nick of time. The Sand shinobi decide its time to strike back, and start preparing an attack. Gaara then discovers tiny clay-bomb ants in his protective sand. Gaara used the sand to crush one of Deidara's arms in combat. Deidara then managed to sneak some ants into the sand around his hand. Deidara activates the clay bomb ants and blows up the shell of protective sand around Gaara.

Naruto and Iruka eat at Ichiraku Ramen, remembering how Naruto grew up to become the great shinobi he is now. Naruto then states that he's disappointed because he never became a chūnin like the rest of his comrades had, Gaara even becoming Kazekage. In the mean time, Tsunade is deciding on which mission she should assign Sakura and Naruto. Returning to the battle scene again, Gaara's sand slowly slides off, leaving Gaara with no further protection. Gaara's condition is life threatening, the sand-shield around his face being fractured severely, but he still manages to move the desert sand he used to protect the village out of the village, with the last bit of power he has. The village then starts to fight back, launching numerous of exploding tag arrows at Deidara, none of the attempts being a success. Gaara falls down, and gets caught by the tail of Deidara's clay bird. Deidara heads out, back to the desert, leaving the village. His mission is cleared.