A shadow suddenly raised above him. It jumped on the railing in front of Naruto and made him fall down on the spot where Sakura just was. The figure did a flip and landed across from Ino before the countdown reached ten.
Naruto stood up and was amazed. "Sakura!" He yelled together with Lee.
Sakura stood there with an emotionless face. Ino was shocked but than smirked. "Look who that cat dragged in, forehead girl."
Sakura didn't change her expression. "Let's get this over with."
The announcer looked at both Sakura and Ino. He than looked at Sakura. "You'll be eliminated if you don't have a forehead protector."
Naruto dug in his pocket and took out Sakura's forehead protector. "Sakura, catch!"
Sakura caught it without glancing at Naruto. She tied the forehead protector on her forehead like Naruto and Sasuke. Ino did the same.
"Let the match begin!" The announcer said.
Sakura was slower than usual. The hole in her stomach became bigger. Sakura clutched her stomach with one hand. She managed to throw Ino a few feet away. Ino cut her hair. Sakura than fell on one knee. She looked at her hand, which was covered by fresh blood. Damn, the wound must be reopening from inside. I healed it. How can it reopen?
Sakura looked at Ino who was charging at her. Sakura dodged her attack and threw a kunai. Ino dodged that. Ino tried to punch Sakura in the stomach but her hand went through. Everyone's eyes widened. Ino looked up at Sakura. Sakura kicked Ino away.
Ino looked at her hand, which was covered by Sakura's blood. Her eyes watered. "What happened to you Sakura?"
Sakura looked at her own blood-covered hand. "It was during the exams. Can we now continue the fight or do you forfeit?"
Ino smirked. Sakura realized that Ino had tied invisible strings around her legs. "Not in a thousand years."
Naruto saw the strings. "Sakura! Forfeit the match! You can't fight with a hole in your stomach. You'll die!"
Sakura was standing still. Her head dropped and was covered by a shadow. Ino's head also dropped. Ino had entered Sakura's head. Ino (in Sakura's body) raised her hand. "I, Sakura Haruno for-" She couldn't finish her sentence. Her hands clutched her stomach as pain went through her. "I can't take this pain any more." Tears began to fall down her cheeks from the pain.
Ino was now in Sakura's head when Sakura appeared. Sakura looked at her with emotionless eyes. "Get out of my head before you feel real pain."
Ino didn't understand. Sakura was now twice her size. She began to push Ino. "Stop it! Just stop it. Let me control your body!"
Everyone was confused. Sakura (as Ino) was now clutching her head and screaming to stop. Sakura screamed and Ino fell back into her head. She was sent flying until she hit the wall.
Sakura fell on one knee. "You weren't supposed to do that. It only made you feel pain."
Ino stood up with great difficulty. "How can you stand that kind of pain? It's like you've been stabbed a hundred times."
Sakura smiled weakly as she stood up. The hole has opened to its original size. The blood was gushing out of her. It began to make a blood puddle. Sakura looked at it and her eyes became pupil less. She looked at Ino. "I guess I'm not the kind of person to give up…even when I'm close to death."
Ino was shocked. Everyone was. Tears formed in her eyes. "You need to stop Sakura! You'll die of blood loss. I'll forfeit if that'll make you stop."
Sakura stayed the same. "Nothing can stop me now. It's too late. I have chosen my path."
Ino charged at Sakura and tried to punch her. The locket around Sakura's neck glowed a faint pink color created a barrier for Sakura. Ino was repelled and was sent flying. She tried to sit up.
Sakura smiled as she felt the warmness from the light. It became the same figure as in the forest. She touched Sakura's forehead with her index finger. Sakura found herself falling. She reached out her hand to the figure. "Thank you Goddess." She said and everyone heard it, even if it was hard to make out the words. She fell into the blood puddle. She closed her eyes. The figure went back into the locket.
Naruto, Kakashi, and Lee jumped down and ran to Sakura. Kakashi checked her pulse. "Her breathing seems to be fine but she's losing a lot of blood. Someone get a medic!" Two men came in and carried her away.
