@RobbyBevard:
Two akatsuki have been taken out in the course of a single chapter by a team consisting of SAI and KANKURO. And some nobodies who didn't exist prior to that chapter.
Somehow I don't see them being that big a threat or giving the side characters one last moment of glory/character development.
I mean hell, Zabuza is fighting Kakashi who beat him years ago.
were you really not expecting the rookies to take out the akatsuki? they at least used some stratgey and didn't just have some cheap excuse, except for shin with talk no jutsu and sasori had already been captured by then, and deidara will get out and fight onoki, so he has more to come, but if your expecting anyone who's considered a side character and not just fodder to get killed, then I think you should stop reading it will end most likely like the sasuke retrieval arc where people get hurt bad but not killed for who knows what reason, if you haven't come to except that's the way this manga is then you'll probably be disappointed in the end
and I just want to see side characters get some time again, for me at least, they may not get much but anys good at this point, sad that it's come to that but that's the reality
and as for the kakashi vs zebuza thing it's diffrent now, Kakashi's way stronger but zebuza is immortal and it gives the old guys some time to catch up ya know…. that was a joke