Interesting chapter. I have wanted to see shikamaru working with kakashi since we found his eye vortex jutsu. They are a deadly combo, shikamaru immobilizes them and kakashi pops them out into oblivion.

Obviously they are going to break the shadow binding somehow, even if its with some stupid plot device. I dont know how the fight is going to develope but I get the feeling that the ones that will need backup this time will be the akatsuki ones when sakura, yamato and naruto arrive.

About that thing Deidara said I think that it has sense (not too much, but a bit). In their fight Deidara didnt count Naruto and was just worried about Kakashi, but even Kakashi said that he was looking to the wrong side, referring to only care about him. Then he was surprised by his smart use of the clones and the power his punch had.

Slowly everyone is acknowledging Naruto, in the last part of the training we saw how Kakashi acknowledged him, and that is something to have in count, Kakashi doenst talk like that too often. Or maybe Deidara was just talking about Itachi's obsession with Naruto, who knows.