Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 10

Ino was shocked. She didn't expect to be paired up with Sakura of all people.

Meanwhile, Sakura was freaking out. This is all my fault. If I had just hoped to go against one of the sound ninja, this wouldn't have happened!

"Sakura-chan!" Her blond teammate called. "Win this and we'll go to the final round together with Sasuke, believe it!" He pushed out his fist which Sakura reluctantly accepted. She then slowly made her way down the stairs as did Ino.

The two kunoichi stood opposite each other, Hayate between them. "The match begins..." He coughed. "...Now!"

No one moved. They continued to stare at each other, daring the other girl to move.

"I didn't think I would be matched up with you." Ino said. "This is going to be an easy win."

"Yeah, for me." Sakura retorted.

"You're all talk!" The blonde accused her, grabbing her kunai out. The pinkette copied.

They charged.

Sakura jumped over Ino before they could get into contact and began to strike her in the back.

Ino quickly turned around and blocked using her ninja tool. Sakura used her left hand to punch Ino away, landing a hit to her right cheek.

The Team Ten ninja stumbled backwards and Sakura jumped back a bit to put distance between them.

"This is a battle between two leaf kunoichi..." Neji sighed, disappointed and Naruto looked at him curiosly.

"It's not because they're female!" Tenten scolded her teammate. "We all had a tough time in the forest and," Tenten looked back at the two girls who were evading each others attacks. "They seem to be restraining themselves."

"Restraining themselves?" The host to the nine-tails looked at his teammate. How exactly did she get the Earth Scroll? Naruto wondered. Not that he thought Sakura was weak, he just wanted to know what happened.

Ino missed her punch towards Sakura but was slowly inching her enemy towards the wall. When Ino punched, and was certain it would hut Sakura, the cherry blossom jumped up and stood on the side of the wall.

I guess I am good at chakra control. Sakura praised herself.

Ino was annoyed. The amount of times her and Sakura would battle, back when they were friends, and Ino would win. Now, here was Sakura who was able to block or dodge her punches.

"There's no way." Ino announced. "No way that you're better than me." Sakura glared at her and leaped to the other side of the hall.

"You're annoyed at me being better than you? Don't cut yourself on that edge." The cherry blossom smirked.

"Argh..." Ino gritted her teeth. "Fine!" She growled and started to perform hand seals.

"Asuma-sensei..." Shikamaru said. "I don't recognise those hand signs."

"Neither do I." His teacher replied.

Have to thank Kaa-san for the justu. Ino thought. Ninja Art: Covered With Flowers.

Wind flew around the hall as flowers that appeared from no where surrounded it.

What the hell? Sakura thought. Everywhere she looked, there were purple flowers. She couldn't even see the people who were watching the match.

"Kakashi-sensei, I can't see anything!" Naruto complained.

"I didn't know she could do this." Chouji said, happily muching on his potatoe chips.

Ino ran through the flowers, kunai in hand and aiming for Sakura. The cherry blossom saw her coming but it may have been to late.

The flowers desended to the floor and the spectators could now see. They could see Ino's kunai impailed into Sakura's stomach and Sakura's kunai in hand, targeted onto Ino's head.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto looked on in horror at the display.

"..." Ino couldn't believe she had done it and she couldn't look up at Sakura's eyes, focusing her own eyes on the kunai.

She heard Sakura laugh and finally looked up at her, a quizzical expression on her face.

"...You always liked flowers." The pinkette smiled as her body divided into cherry blossoms and her kunai dropped to the floor.

"A... a clone?" Ino looked around her. Where is she?

Sakura ascended through the ground right beside Ino and kicked her former best friend in the right cheek again but this time sending her flying away.

In the forest, I was too scared to do anything... Sakura thought. I didn't even use any of the techniques I had been training. Not anymore.

"Sh- she just broke through the ground!" Naruto exclaimed and he turned to his teacher. "Did you teach her that?!"

"No, she learnt it on her own." Kakashi said, remembering the Earth Release Scroll he had left for her in the library.

"Sakura-chan, you're so cool!" Naruto cheered for his teammate.

Sakura blushed a bit but focused her attention on a furious Ino.

"So, now you've learnt some weird techniques?!" Ino stood up and Sakura swore she saw steam coming out of her ears. "Weird clones, earth style and even red chakra!"

It surprised some people that she had red chakra. Some of the older folk looked at Kakashi, who paid them no mind and looked at Sakura in wonder.

"And all you know is how to make flowers come out of no where." Sakura taunted her.

"You actually think you're better than me!" The blonde shrieked and pointed at the Team Seven ninja.

"I don't think, I know."

"Yes, Sakura-chan!"

"And this now found confidence?! All because you cut your damn hair!" Ino grabbed her kunai.

"She's gone absolutely mental." Asuma said to Kakashi.

"I guess that's what happens between rivals." The silver-haired man replied.

Ino sliced her pony-tail off and threw the strands onto the floor.

"You're crazy." Sakura said, eyeing her former best friend.

"Arghhhh!" The blonde growled and formed a hand seal that Sakura and Team Ten knew well.

"She's not-" Shikamaru was shocked.

"The Mind Transfer Jutsu." Sakura said. "You already used that on me during the written exam."

"What's she doing?" Naruto asked and Kakashi who didn't reply.

"You can use it but if it misses..." Sakura was curious as to why she would use it. She, of all people, should know what happens if the jutsu misses or if the target of the jutsu dodges.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Sakura jumped out of they way and Ino's body slumped forward.

Is it done? Did I win? Sakura was going to move but she found that she couldn't. Looking down, she saw that Ino's hair was stopping her from doing so.

Ino began to laugh. "You actually fell for it." The pinkette looked at her, wide-eyed. "Now..." She formed the Mind Transfer hand sign.

I need to form a clone to get out of here! Sakura formed a hand sign but it was too late.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

The hall was quiet. The surprise turn had left them all shocked. Even Neji was on the edge of his metaphorical seat.

Sakura raised her hand. "I, Sakura Haruno-"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto interrupted her. "Don't give up! You're so close to the final round! Don't let this girl stop you!

Ino/Sakura frowned. "I-" She began to clutch her head. "Ugh! What?!"

Ino found herself infront of a cage. "What in the world?" Inside the cage, she saw Sakura. A grey Sakura.

It seemed as though Inner Sakura had made an appearance after so long.

In the hall, Sakura clenched her fist. "Get out, Ino. Shannaro!" The audience were confused. Even the Third Hokage was lost as to what was going on.

Ino saw a beast behind Inner Sakura. Inner Sakura had passed through the bars of the cage and punched Ino. Obviously, in the right cheek again.

Ino was sent back into her body and Sakura was back in her own.

"Wh... what the fuck?" Ino yelled. "What the hell are you?!" She shrieked.

I've had enough of this. Sakura performed a hand sign. Cherry Blossom Clone Jutsu!

Three more Sakuras appeared and formed a triangle around Ino. All used hand signs at a rapid pace and put their hands on the floor.

"Earth Style: Earth Shock Jutsu!" They announced in a chorus.

The ground around Ino broke and she jumped up to avoid it. But she forgot about the real Sakura who was up high, above her.

Sakura formed a fist and the boiling sensation was back. Infusing her chakra into her fist, she cried "Shannaro!" She aimed at the ground next to Ino, not wanting to actually hit Ino.

Smoke now surrounded the hall. Once it cleared, everyone could see Sakura on top of Ino. The pinkette's left hand pinning Ino's hands above her head. Sakura's right hand had a kunai positioned by Ino's neck. The cherry blossom's body was stopping Ino from using her legs.

"The match is over. The winner is Sakura Haruno." As soon as the words left Hayate's mouth, Sakura stood up and moved away from Ino, almost falling as she did so.

Medics rushed to Ino but she waved them off. "I'm fine." She said but, right after, she collapsed. Asuma picked her up and successfully waved the medics off.

Sakura rushed up the stairs, avoiding the stares people were giving her.

"Sakura-chan, you did it!" Naruto hugged his teammate.

"Congratulations, Sakura." Kakashi said and, once again, Sakura blushed.

Lee walked up to Sakura. "Nice work, Sakura-san!" He gave her a thumbs up and a smile. His teeth made a 'ping' sound again.

"Thank you, Lee-san." The cherry blossom bowed her head and Naruto scowled at the Team Three member.

Gai then walked up to Kakashi. "Those are some well-taught ninja, Kakashi." The jonin complimented about both Sasuke and Sakura. "Lee will not stop talking about Sakura. And her red chakra in the Forest of Death." He lowered his voice down at the end.

Kakashi didn't reply. He didn't know how. When he told Sakura that she was the host to the five-tails, she wanted nothing to do with it. Was it possibe that she was now harnessing the beast's chakra?

And... Sakura thought. I have to thank you, Gobi.

"Kokuo."

Pardon?

"My name is Kokuo."

Well, thank you, Kokuo-chan.

Hayate announced that the next two genin to battle would be Tenten and Temari.

Sakura studied Temari's attacks. It didn't seem that hard to decipher that her attacks were wind based because of the giant fan on her back.

Temari won the battle and she threw Tenten across the hall. Lee appeared below and caught his teammate.

Half of the matches are done... And I'm one of the people who are going to the final round. Sakura smiled. Both Sasuke and I have won our battles. Now, Naruto needs to win... Oh!

Before her battle with Ino, Sakura had planned to do something if Naruto was called for his match. Now that hers was over and done with, she could do it now.

"Naruto..." Sakura had his attention. She held out her pouch for him to take. "You lost all of your kunai in the forest. You may need some... So... Here." Her cheeks were as pink as her hair. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Maybe it was beacause their Sensei was standing right beside them.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto honestly wanted to cry. Sakura had a gift for him. "Thank you!" He gave her another hug, tighter than the one before.

"N- Naruto! Can't breathe!" The blond quickly moved away from her, afraid that she would hit him.

"I'm sure to win with these!" Naruto attached the pouch to his right leg.

"Sakura..." Said girl turned her head to the voice to see Ino who had now woken up. The blonde held her hand out, looking away.

Sakura accepted it.

"Next time, I won't lose." Ino said, smiling.

"I look forward to it." Sakura smiled too. Right, Kokuo-chan?

"Right, Sakura-chan!"