Although I haven't seen the anime to HxH, it's a good manga, and I really enjoy it. There are time where I enjoy HxH more than I do than Naruto, not in this current arc though, it's gone to shit.

Sasori and Deidara seem to be characters made to show how good Naruto and Sakura have become in the two and a half years, they've been training.
As they had a good opening, walking into sand like they own the joint, taking gaara, smashing Kankurou.