I enjoyed watching Temari smack down Tayuya a little too much--having a potty mouth as her only unique character trait didn't endear her to me much. Or any of the Sound Five, really. Unlike the Sand, I don't think we were supposed to like any of them. Except Kimimaro, because he's pretty and runs around half-naked, and I'm still not sold on him.

I might like him if he shows up at the last minute to miraculously save someone I adore from death. So far, it's worked for Iruka, Lee, Asuma, Gaara, Kankurou and Temari.

Gaara was already losing it and manifesting Shukaku when Naruto fought him--he'd started doing it way back in the first fight with Sasuke. If he'd been saner, maybe he would have tried more of the stuff he was doing with Kimimaro in 126--the sand tsunami, bringing up more sand from the ground, etc.