Shikamaru yawned and stretched, then sighed as he following Asuma and Choji down the hall. "That nap was too short."

"I'm still hungry." Choji touched his stomach, and Asuma chuckled.

"Once this is all done, what if we all get some barbeque?"

"Oh!" Choji's eyes lit up and his mouth started to water. "Pork, beef, and chicken, with rice on the side and—"

"H-Hold on there, Choji." Asuma held up a hand, then scratched his head. "Don't get too carried away yet."

"I can't believe you really napped for the whole break." Ino looked at Shikamaru from the corner of her eye.

"You napped with us, Ino." Choji turned to her.

"W-Well..." Ino rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, then frowned. "I-It's not my fault! You guys talked me into it, and I was tired from being in the forest for so long and hardly sleeping in case anyone jumped out and attacked us..." She crossed her arms. "We should have been preparing for the matches instead."

"Getting rest is a form of preparing in its own way." Asuma patted Ino's head. "Being better rested than your opponents will mean that you'll have a distinct advantage in terms of Chakra regeneration and the ability to think and react more quickly in a fight."

"I guess you're right." Ino smoothed her hair again. "It'd be easier to feel less anxious if we only knew who we would be facing."

"Ninety-one." Shikamaru yawned again and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"What?" Ino blinked and turned to him.

"Ninety-one." Shikamaru repeated. "That's how many different possible combinations there are for each of us to be matched with."

"That many?!" Ino's eyes widened slightly. "Wait a second... when did you figure that out?"

"When do you think?" He shrugged. "It's easier to think of stuff like this when you're resting and aren't distracted by outside distractions."

"That's... kind of impressive, actually." Ino said.

"Huh? You really didn't think that'd I'd be able to figure out something this simple?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes slightly. "That was the easy part of it; The hard part is trying to come up with a strategy for everyone I might come up against."

"But how? We hardly know anything about the candidates from the other villages." Ino frowned.

"There's much more than you realize that you can tell about someone simply from watching them." Asuma answered. "Although, in terms of the other candidates, it's much more difficult."

"Then, can you tell what those others will be like in a match, Asuma-sensei?" Ino looked up at the Jonin.

"Me? Oh, no, I haven't got a clue." Asuma chuckled and glanced over at the Genin on the other side of the room. "From my experience, I might have a few guesses about a few of them, however, Otogakure is a recently-formed Village, and I'm not sure what to expect from their Genin. That said, I'm confident in your abilities." He smiled and looked between his students. "All of you have grown so much, and I'm sure you'll be able to handle whatever is thrown at you."

"Well, of course!" Ino scoffed, flipping her hair and crossing her arms. "I'm much stronger, smarter, and more beautiful than that Sakura. There's no way I'll lose in a preliminary match! I'll prove how impressive I am and Sasuke will fall for me."

"Sasuke again?" Shikamaru groaned. "It's always 'Sasuke this' and 'Sasuke that.'"

"As if you could ever understand!" Ino turned her nose up at him frowned.

"Girls are so troublesome... as if I'd ever want to understand." Shikamaru waved his hand, and Ino shot him a look.

Asuma chuckled and looked at Kurenai from the corner of his eye, smiling faintly as he watched her talking to her own students.

Natsumi walked with Hasu beside her back into the Arena room, with Naruto and Sakura behind them, and Kakashi following after. As they stepped into the door, Kiri stood beside the doorway with Kotetsu, grinning and waving to them.

Natsumi stopped walking to look at Kiri carefully, stepped aside to let the other pass, and then pointed at her friend, tilting her head slightly. "Kiri... why are your pockets... bulging?"

Kiri's lips curved in a wide smirk and she patted her pockets, glancing at Kotetsu. "All this cold hard cash I won from some chumps."

Kotetsu's face flushed and his eye twitched. "Y-You might have wiped the floor with us, but you're the only one left from our groups who's still just a Genin!"

Kiri balled her hand into a fist, exhaling hotly from her nose. "W-What did you say, you broke, spiky-haired gremlin?!"

Natsumi stifled a laugh, covering her mouth. "Kiri, you're only a Genin?"

Kiri puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, mumbling. "I-It's not as if I really need to be promoted to be in the ANBU."

"Eh? What're you muttering about?" Kotetsu held a hand up to his ear. "Miss Genin?"

Kiri pushed her sleeve up and huffed hotly. "Don't forget that you owe me your next paycheck, you punk."

Kotetsu paled slightly and held up his hands. "H-Have mercy. I still have to pay my rent—"

"You should have thought of that before you made the bet." Kiri cackled.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Natsumi poked her.

"It's not my problem if he was dumb enough to gamble away his own money." Kiri shrugged. "He can just stay with Izumo."

Natsumi raised an eyebrow and Kiri sighed.

"Oh, fine. He can pay it in installments." Kiri crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Kotetsu. "Be grateful to this cute little red velvet cinnamon roll." She turned and walked up to the platform with a huff.

Kotetsu sighed and rubbed his head. "I forgot how competitive she was and got carried away with our game."

"Maybe next time you should bet with chips or candies instead of money." Natsumi giggled, turning to follow Kiri up the stairs.

"Hmph. Not that my pride could handle a 'next time'." Kotetsu mumbled to himself.

Kankuro walked up the stairs and Baki turned to him as he joined them.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Kankuro asked, and then crossed his arms.

"The girl." Baki looked at the redhead as she entered the room with a group.

"She was surrounded by people the whole time. There was nothin' I could do about that." Kankuro shrugged slightly and walked by Baki to stand beside Temari.

"Of course she was." Temari commented, and Kankuro ignored her to watch the rest of the groups file in.

Hayate coughed and looked around the room as people began to file in once again. After a pause, he turned to the Hokage with a nod. "Now then, we'll get right to the fourth battle."

"Man, there's nothing but weirdos out of everyone left, ya know." Naruto crossed his arms to complain.

"Don't say that!" Kakashi looked over at him. "After all, Sakura is also left. Unless you're calling her a 'weirdo,' too."

"Yeah, Naruto." Sakura stuck out her tongue at him.

"You too, Sakura?!"

Sakura giggled, and Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder and leaned down.

"This isn't the time for laughing." He lifted a finger to point at the screen, and she turned to look, and her eyes widened.

"W-What?!"

Haruno Sakura

Vs

Yamanaka Ino

Sakura's eyes widened and she turned to look at Ino, who had only just walked onto the platform. Their eyes met and Ino furrowed her brows.

"No way! Ino? Of all people!" Sakura looked away briefly, then furrowed her brows and put a hand on her hip and looked back at Ino. "Fine! I won't lose."

"Good luck." Natsumi nodded at Sakura slightly, and Naruto gave her a thumbs-up.

"Do your best, Sakura! I'll be cheering for you!"

"T-Thanks." Sakura smiled faintly at the twins and walked quietly down to the center of the room to face off with Ino.

"I never thought that I'd end up fighting you, Sakura." Ino put a hand on her hip and met Sakura's eyes. "Especially not anytime soon."

"Likewise." Sakura furrowed her brows back at the blonde.

Asuma lit his cigarette and placed it between his lips, taking a long breath before exhaling. "Ino was a standout among the rookie Kunoichi. However, with Sakura as her opponent, will she... or, rather, can she fight with serious intent?"

"To think it'd be those two, of all people." Shikamaru rubbed his head and sighed. "This is kind of depressing."

"I wonder if Ino will be okay." Choji mumbled as he leaned his arms against the railing to slouch.

"That's for sure." Asuma nodded slightly. "Just what will you do, Ino?"

"Sakura! Kick her butt! And don't lose!" Naruto shouted down at her, and Sakura briefly looked up at him and a small sigh.

"That Naruto, being as loud as ever." Sakura glanced back at Ino. "But he's right. Naruto and Sasuke have carried the weight of the whole team this whole time. I can't afford to lose to Ino now like a weak link. I've got to give it my all and win!"

"Too bad Sasuke isn't here to witness my amazing victory." Ino smirked and flipped her hair. "He'd fall for me immediately if he saw my skill."

Sakura balled her hand into a fist and glanced downward. "Sasuke..."

"Aw, are you afraid of looking bad?" Ino covered her mouth and jeered. "It's okay. I wouldn't blame you if you just forfeited right now." Ino smirked and waved her hand. "We both know that you shouldn't have even made it this far and that you're only being carried by your unlucky teammates."

She blinked and turned her attention to Ino and smirked. "I hope you won't get too embarrassed losing in front of everyone, Ino."

"Why, you!" Ino clenched her jaw and Hayate coughed.

"Begin."

The girls ran at each other and Sakura quickly brought her right foot up in a high kick. Ino dropped to dodge and Sakura faced her again as Ino took a defensive stance before throwing a hard punch. Sakura raised her arm to block and knock Ino's arm away with her left hand.

Sakura furrowed her brows and dropped to the ground, bring her leg in a low sweep, and Ino jumped up to dodge. Sakura brought her foot back in a high kick, but Ino quickly dropped on all fours and then jumped back out of range.

Sakura threw several Kunai at Ino, who narrowed her eyes and turned her body to avoid them, grabbing one from the air to throw back at Sakura's last Kunai. They struck mid-air and clattered to the floor. Sakura ran at her again to exchange blows.

"Oh no. I knew it." Choji sighed and Shikamaru frowned beside him.

"Sakura's totally blowing Ino away!" Naruto grinned.

"Idiot." Shikamaru closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"What'd you say?!" Naruto turned to him.

"If you're not an idiot, then you must be not paying attention at all."

"Why you...?!" Naruto clenched his fists, and Natsumi crossed her arms and shot Shikamaru a look, who cringed slightly and glanced away.

"Pity. They are most certainly Kunoichi, by this level of combat."

"Excuse me?!" Natsumi's eyes twitched and she turned to Neji, who shook his head as he frowned.

"Why you—!" Naruto pushed up his sleeve and held a fist up. "Don't look down on Sakura!"

"I dare you to say that again." Natsumi mumbled, and Neji narrowed his eyes at her.

"It's not because they're Kunoichi." Tenten put her hands on her hips and frowned. "There's no 'man' or 'woman' in battle. Those two are just lukewarm."

"Lukewarm?" Naruto repeated and blinked, looking down at Sakura and Ino.

"It means that neither of them is actually fighting at full intensity." Natsumi glanced back at the girls as they traded blows.

"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "But the way they're fighting—"

"Is half-assed." Kiri added from behind the group, and they looked over their shoulder at her. She shrugged. "They're holding back."

"Holding back?" Naruto repeated. "But why?"

"There are always reasons why someone might hold back." Natsumi said softly, then rested her hands on the railing. "There are some people you just don't want to seriously hurt."

"Huh." Naruto scratched his head. "I guess I understand that, but I don't get why they'd be holding back, ya know."

Ino held up her arms in a ready pose as she caught her breath, watching Sakura do the same, and then they rushed at each other again to strike, dodge, parry, and kick.

"They seem almost evenly matched, but I see now that one of them is just a little slower, and their strikes aren't as heavy." Hasu commented behind Natsumi, and she nodded slightly.

"They're getting a little tired already, so we'll be able to see the difference soon." Natsumi mumbled.

Their legs crashed together in a simultaneous kick, and then Ino sent a barrage of jabs at Sakura's torso, with Sakura crossing her arms in front of her. Her guard slip and Ino landed a hard hit to her gut, causing her to double over and cough bile.

"Now's my chance!" Ino narrowed her eyes and threw another punch. It landed directly on Sakura's cheek.

Sakura's eyes widened on impact, unable to block, and she fell backward and hit the ground. Eyes all around the room widened as stillness settled between the fighters.

Sakura coughed again and spat out a small glob of blood, and Ino caught her breath and looked at her fist, then back to Sakura.

"N-No way..." Naruto's eyes widened and he gulped. "No mercy at all..."

She could have hit harder. Natsumi tapped the rail softly. It was slow enough that Sakura should have been able to block that, but she didn't. Was she distracted?

Natsumi gasped quietly, the breath forced from her, and she staggered backward. Kiri's eyes widened and she rushed forward to catch her before her head hit the ground.

"N-Natsumi?!" Naruto paled slightly and his eyes widened at her. "W-What happened?"

Kiri closed her eyes briefly and exhaled. "There's no doubt about it." She looked back toward the fight. "So, that's what your plan was."

"I-Is she okay?" Naruto knelt beside her, and Kiri pressed her hand to Natsumi's forehead.

"She'll be fine. Must be low blood sugar from a small breakfast." Kiri smiled slightly at him. "She'll wake up in a moment."

"Natsumi..." Hasu frowned and knelt with them, and Kiri cleared her throat quietly and whispered.

"Don't draw too much attention. We're being watched."

"Watched?" Hasu looked out across the room to the group of Suna Nin, two of which were watching, though he only recognized one. "I see."

Kiri gently leaned Natsumi against the wall and she and Hasu stood. Naruto waved his hands in front of his sister's face for a moment, then hesitantly looked back down at Sakura.

Kankuro's eyes widened slightly and he clenched his jaw, muttering. "She collapsed?"

"Of course she did." Temari scoffed. "She's weak and she took a hit directly to the face. Honestly, these Leaf Kunoichi are—" She turned to him, then followed his gaze and rolled her eyes. "You're not even watching the fight."

"It ain't interesting." He gripped the railing, glancing down at the two girls, and then cast his eyes back across the room to mutter again. "They're also not the ones I'm supposed to get close to."

"You can drop the act that you see it as a mission." Temari crossed her arms and watched him.

"Shaddup." Kankuro dismissed her and narrowed his eyes. "Something's not right."

Temari let out a breath. "Fine. But you should do yourself a favor and listen to your older sister. Don't get caught up with that girl."

"Poor Sakura, I didn't even hit that hard." Ino sighed and shook her head, walking towards the girl who wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "If I had known you were this weak, I would have just slapped you instead." She stopped in front of Sakura and looked down at her. "Well? Are you going to say anything?" She crossed her arms. "Make this easier for the both of us and concede."

"Or not." Sakura's lips twitched in a smirk and she disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Ino's eyes widened and she stepped back. "W-What?!" She turned around quickly, looking around the room. "Where did she go?!"

"Hey!"

"T-That voice!" Ino's head whipped toward the doorway, where Sasuke stood, bandages wrapped around his arms. "S-Sasuke?!" She clasped her hands together and blushed. "Sasuke, did you immediately think of me as soon as you recovered and you came to see me? I'm so flattered!"

"Shut up." Sasuke scowled.

Ino froze and a chill rushed through her. "His tone is so cold... what's going on?"

Sasuke took a step into the room and put his hands into his pockets, then looked at the other figure in the room. "Sakura..."

Sakura blushed and turned to him. "Oh, Sasuke, you're back already? I'm so glad you're alright."

"Sakura, I came to see you." He walked closer, then brushed her cheek with his fingertips, and her blush deepened.

"Sasuke, dear, I'm in the middle of a match." Sakura murmured and looked into his eyes.

"D-Dear?!" Ino's mouth gaped and she gasped. "This can't be happening! There's no way Sasuke would ever talk to her so tenderly!"

"Do your best." Sasuke ran his fingers slowly through his hair, then brought the ends to his lips. "I'll be watching you, so beat this ugly, weak girl for me, my love."

"Of course, Sasuke." Sakura puckered her lips and leaned in closer to him.

"NO!" Ino grabbed her head, shaking it quickly. "This can't be happening! This isn't real! There's no way Sasuke would ever love someone like Sakura! I'm so much prettier than she is!" She balled her hands into fists and raised her voice. "I won't accept this!"

She ran at Sakura, throwing a punch at her cheek, but it only went through her.

"W-What?!"

"Poor Ino-pig." Sakura's eyes darkened and her voice echoed eerily around the room. "No matter how much you try, you'll never beat me."

"You're wrong!" Ino flushed in frustration, swinging at her again and again, and Sakura laughed louder.

"You'll never me as beautiful as Sakura." Sasuke glared at her icily. "You're weak, pathetic, and you annoy me. Even saying your name disgusts me."

"Stop it!" Ino shut her eyes tightly and she backed away from them slowly. "Stop it! Stop it! It's not true!"

"Poor Ino..."

"Stop it!" Ino covered her ears and screamed to drown out the noise. "Sasuke would never say those things! This can't be happening! It's a nightmare! It's—" Her eyes burst open. "This is... a Genjutsu?" She looked back at Sasuke and Sakura, and her lip trembled. "It has to be! But since when...?"

Dozens of clones appeared of Sakura and Sasuke, walking closer to surround her as they mocked in unison.

"Poor Ino."

"Ugly girl."

"Weak Ino."

"You'll never be better than Sakura."

"Shut up!" Ino glared and continued to back away from the clones. "I have to break out of this!" She brought her hands together in a sign and closed her eyes. "Release!" She cracked open her eyes and gaped at the clones. "It didn't work?"

"Release! Release!" Ino shouted as the clones reached out to her. "Since when did Sakura get so good at Genjutsu?!" She ducked to avoid being grabbed and ran to the other side of the room. "Release!"

She stopped running and caught her breath. "If that's not working, then I'll need to... do something more drastic."

Ino's hands trembled and she gulped as she gripped her pinky finger. "If I can't Release myself from this Genjutsu, I have no choice but to..." She sucked a large breath and shut her eyes, then jerked her hand. She screamed out in pain and her eyes burst open.

Her breathing ragged, Ino opened her eyes to look down at her finger— already red as it swelled up and throbbed— and her eyes widened as she realized she was in the same place she had been before.

"I'm finally free!"

Ino looked up from her hand in time to see a fist just before it struck the side of her head, and she cried out and was knocked back several meters. She trembled as she slowly raised herself from the ground and the room spun rapidly around her. Her head throbbed and send waves of pain rushing through her, and she spat out blood and saliva. Black spots swam in her vision and she tried to sit up, only to vomit violently.

"It seems like you... were actually able to break out." Sakura huffed and smirked faintly, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Y-You...?!" Ino coughed and wiped her mouth, turning to Sakura to shoot a dizzied glare her way. Sakura's figure blurred in her eyes, and she saw three of Sakura instead until her vision returned to normal. "I-I thought... you were holding back?"

"You were the one holding back, Ino!" Sakura frowned and balled her hands into fists again. "You shouldn't have underestimated me!"

"You want me to actually fight you seriously, Billboard-Brow?" Ino narrowed her eyes, spitting blood onto the floor again as she forced herself to stand. "Fine! I'll pay you back double for what you made me see!"

"Whatever you saw, you must be so upset because it was true." Sakura put her hand on her hip and giggled, then her lips switched in a faint smirk. "In fact, you already know that, don't you, Ino-pig?"

"W-Why, you! Stop looking down on me!" Ino's eye ticked and she growled, running at Sakura with her fists formed.

Sakura exhaled to steady her breathing, smirking faintly as Ino drew closer. "She fell for it!" She dodged Ino's punch narrowly and twisted her body to wrap Ino's long ponytail around her fist tightly. Then, she kicked the backside of her knee and Ino's eyes widened as her legs buckled, forcing her to the ground Ino growled loudly in frustration as Sakura pulled her hair with one hand, and pointed the tip of a Kunai at her neck with the other.

"Sakura, you billboard-brow wench! Let go of me!"

"Woah, Sakura!" Naruto's eyes widened slightly and he grinned. "That was an awesome move, ya know!"

"Excellent form, Sakura!" Lee stared intently down at her and clenched his hand into a fist. "I expected no less from the girl I admire!"

Sakura's smirk widened slightly. "Of course, I'd be happy to let you go, Ino-pig, as soon as you concede!"

"N-Never!" Ino glared at her over her shoulder, and Sakura tugged on her hair again.

"Don't be so stubborn, Ino! I've won already!" Sakura furrowed her brows. "Just concede already!"

"No!" Ino gritted her teeth and stared down at the floor. "I can't lose to Sakura! Especially not in such a humiliating way!"

"Ino's sure gotten herself into a bad spot." Choji frowned slightly. "I thought for sure she'd have won by now."

"She let herself get riled up like that." Shikamaru let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head before crossing his arms. "And she fell right into Sakura's plan. What a drag."

"Sure enough, I knew Sakura was awesome!" Naruto crossed his arms behind his head and chuckled to himself. "Seeing her do cool stuff makes her even cuter!"

"I'm not..." Ino muttered, her hand reaching for a Kunai. "I'm not done yet!"

"What's she doing?" Sakura's eyes widened, lowering her Kunai slightly, and Ino smirked and brought her own Kunai back in a quick slice. "W-What?!"

Sakura gasped as Ino cut through her ponytail, and her grip loosened on the hair. It fell to the ground and Ino got to her feet, looking down at her hair and the Kunai in her hand before meeting Sakura's eyes.

"I don't need long hair to prove that I'm better than you! It's a hundred years too early for you to act so uppity!" She dropped the Kunai to the ground and shifted her stance. "I'll end this fast, Sakura, so don't cry when I beat you!"

She formed a hand sign, and Asuma's eyes widened, followed by Choji and Shikamaru.

"What is she doing?!" Shikamaru gripped the railing with one hand.

"C-Could she be...?" Choji gulped.

"Could that be... the hand sign of the Yamanaka clan's secret technique?" Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "Which means..."

"What is that girl doing?" Asuma rubbed his head. "The Mind Transfer Jutsu is meant to be used for spying, not in a head-on fight such as this. For Ino to use that Jutsu right now, in this situation, would be the same as suicide."

"It shouldn't be particularly scary if she moves about, but if Sakura dodges the Jutsu or Ino misses by even a hair, her consciousness won't be able to return to her body and Sakura will be free to beat her empty-minded opponent to a pulp." Kakashi let out a sigh. "If that happens, Hayate will have no choice but to be forced to put an end to the match. I hope she knows what she's doing, as the daughter of Inoichi."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth and gripped the railing tighter. "Fundamentally, it's a combination Jutsu meant to be used in congruence with the Nara's Shadow Possession Jutsu, after I've immobilized the enemy. There's no way she can pull this off successfully in a one-on-one fight."

"All I have to do to win is to ensure that you don't hit me. That will be child's play." Sakura's mouth twitched in a faint smirk and she formed a seal of hand signs. "Clone Jutsu!" A pair of perfect doppelgangers appeared beside her, and the tree of them ran around Into, weaving with one another. "She'll never figure out which one is the real me. I've all but won!"

"Clones now?" Asuma frowned deeply. "There's no way she'll be able to hit the right one. She might as well just forfeit..."

"Hmph. I'll show you for looking down on me!" Ino smirked and narrowed her eyes, looking at Sakura through the window of her fingers, watching the three Sakura figures moving around carefully. "I'm the daughter of Inoichi and a member of the famous Ino-Shika-Cho! I won't be beaten by the likes of Miss Billboard-Brow!"

"You idiot! Stop!" Shikamaru called out to her.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Sakura abruptly stopped running and her head dropped— limp— as Ino dropped to the ground across from her.

Asuma's eyes grew wide as he kept his eyes on Sakura's form, the clones now gone. "...Did she manage to actually pull it off...?"

"Which one...?" Shikamaru furrowed his brows and looked between the two motionless girls.

"Why's Sakura not doing anything? Ino's right there, so she should just go knock her out, right?" Naruto mumbled, scratching his head.

"Fascinating." Hasu whispered to himself.

"What? What's so interesting?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the older boy."

"I believe we may be witnessing the Yamanaka clans's famous technique." Hasu answered with a small smile. "They are an old clan, and an important one, historically, for the Leaf. To see their Jutsu used in person once again is a treat."

"What's so important about it? They're both just standing there doing nothing."

"According to my reading, the Yamanaka clan originated far North of where we are. They were ordinary Shinobi, but they encountered a fierce group of Yokai spirits. Spirits whom had the ability to enter animal's minds and control them. The Yamanaka were so impressed and intimidated by the Yokai, that they painstakingly developed a similar technique for their own use, passing it down diligently through their descendants as a method to counter the Yokai, should they ever encounter them again."

"Yokai?" Naruto repeated and frowned. "Those things aren't real."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Hasu turned his gaze back to the match. "It's simply the tale behind the clan. It may very well have been embellished over time. Nevertheless, their Technique is one that is well-known for a reason."

After a long pause, Sakura's hand slowly raised.

"I..."

"Hm?" Hayate looked at Sakura and examined her strained expression, coughing quietly. "What's the matter? Are you forfeiting?"

"W-What?!" Naruto's eyes widened. "Sakura, you can't forfeit! Ino's right there, ya know! All you have to do is knock her out!"

Sakura frowned deeply, opening her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she started to tremble and her brows furrowed intently.

"Are you unwell?" Hayate asked, though Sakura did not answer.

"Sakura, what're you doing?!" Naruto called out to her. "Don't you dare try to quit when you're so close to winning!"

Ino laughed to herself and looked around the dark space as she drifted through it slowly.

"It worked! I'm in that bratty Sakura's mind! And even Shikamaru thought I couldn't do it!"

She frowned and growled.

"He is so getting it once this match is over! Who does he think he is?! Just because he's a 'genius' and all doesn't mean he can look down on me! I'll show him!"

She huffed and looked around and then smirked slightly drew closer to a familiar pink-haired figure.

"Ah hah! There she is!" She laughed and floated behind the girl who sat with her knees drawn and her arms covering her head. "I found you, Sakura! I've got you beat already, so just be a good girl and concede, you Billboard-Brow!"

The girl stopped crying, sniffed, and then lowered her arms to look up at Ino. Ino's eyes widened slightly at the younger Sakura, whose cheeks were still rounded and her eyes were red from crying.

"S-Sakura...?" Ino swallowed and her chest tightened as she and the young girl locked eyes. "Why do you... look like you did back then?" Ino drifted backward slightly. "I don't...understand."

"Ino?" The young Sakura sniffed. "Even you've come to call me ugly, too?"

"W-What? I-I..." Ino fell silent and looked downward. "Why can't I say anything?! We're rivals now, so why do I feel... like this?"

"Ino..."

Ino blinked and looked at the young Sakura, finding the space empty, and a shudder passed through her. She turned slowly behind her, and her eyes widened as she saw Sakura- as she was in the present- standing behind her.

"S-Sakura?!"

"Ino..." Sakura glared and cracked her knuckles. "Get out of my head, you... you... you pig-brained preppy florist!"

"W-What did you just call me?!" Ino glared back and rounded on her, grabbing the collar of Sakura's dress. "I'm a Yamanaka! The mind is our domain! You can't beat me or resist me at all, and then everyone will see how weak-willed you are when I make you concede!"

"Eh?! In your dreams, Ino!" Sakura grabbed Ino's shirt and growled. "You might be able to get into my head, but this is my mind! Got that?! I'm in charge here! I'll make you wish you'd never come into my head!"

"As if you could ever beat me, Sakura" Ino clenched her jaw. "You and your giant Billboard-Brow won't be laughing when you've forfeited and embarrassed yourself!"

"So, I've got a big forehead, huh?" Sakura's eye twitched and she gripped Ino's shirt tighter. "Well, you know what? I might have a big forehead, but it is good for something!"

"Good for what, Billboard-Brow?" Ino scoffed.

"This!" Sakura slammed her forehead into Ino's head hard, causing her eyes to widen as she stumbled back.

"Why you—!" Ino rubbed her head, then lunged at her rival, the two of them wrestling.

"I will not be beaten inside my own head!" Sakura shoved Ino off of her, then twisted to pin her down. "Do you hear me, Ino?! I know I've been weak, but this is my time to shine! I refuse to need people protecting me anymore!"

Ino stared up at her for a moment and from the dim nothingness around them, a small red ribbon floated in the air between them.

Sakura loosened her grip on Ino to watch it pass, and then disappear once again.

"That ribbon..." Ino mumbled.

Sakura's expression fell slightly, and then she furrowed her brows again. "Ino, this is my mind, and you are being evicted!"

Sakura grew larger and larger as Ino gulped and got to her feet.

"W-What's going on?! You can't overpower a Yamanaka in mental fortitude!"

"Hah!" Sakura reached down to grab Ino, holding her up to meet her eyes in a glare. Then, she drew her arm back and Ino's eyes widened.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?!"

"Overpower this!" Sakura threw Ino hard through the mindscape and then raised her clenched fist after Ino was out of sight and could no longer be heard. "Cha! Don't look down on me!"

Sakura growled loudly, drawing her arm back, and then shouted as she threw herself off-balance. "Cha! Don't look down on me anymore!" She breathed heavily, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

Silence fell around the arena and Naruto rubbed his head.

"I'm not really sure what just happened at all..."

"It looked like she threw something but her hand was empty." Tenten frowned slightly. "And her technique was completely wrong for throwing Kunai or Shuriken, too."

Ino's eyes burst open and she gasped for breath. She sat upright and looked around, blinking as her vision adjusted to the light, and then her eyes fell on Sakura in front of her.

"I don't believe it..." Asuma muttered to himself.

"She... broke out of Ino's Mind Transfer?" Shikamaru asked under his breath.

"Impossible." Choji looked down at Ino, then at Sakura. "She must have a stronger will than we thought."

"Well done, Sakura." Kakashi nodded slightly, watching his student quietly. "However, after their extended hand-to-hand combat, the use of such an elaborate Genjutsu, and then managing to break free of the Mind Transfer has completely drained her of Chakra and exhausted her. No matter how impressive she has performed thus far, it's the end of the line for her."

"I don't have any more Chakra left, and it's hard to move, but still, I'm not giving up!" Sakura staggered forward with beads of sweat rolling down from her temple. She straightened to a confident pose, balling her hand into a fist as she looked Ino in the eye. "Then this... is my last chance! I've got to end this match with one hit."

"I can't believe she really just threw me out of her head like that!" Ino scowled and brought herself to her feet, watching Sakura carefully with a bead of sweat rolling down her own temple. "My Chakra's too low now to try the Mind Transfer again, so it all boils last to one last hit."

"I won't lose!" Ino and Sakura thought at once, and then Sakura rushed at her with a shout and a raised fist. Ino reflexively curled her fingers to form a fist of her own and shifted to run at her rival. As she locked eyes with Sakura, a faint image of a ribbon appeared in her mind, followed by a memory, and Ino's fist loosened. As Sakura drew nearer, she sighed and reached into her back pouch and held the small pouch close to her chest for a moment.

"This will be more than enough for you, Sakura."

Ino closed her eyes and opened the pouch in front of her face, careful not to inhale. With a single breath, a cloud of pale lavender dust enveloped Sakura.

"W-What?!" Sakura's eyes widened and she skipped to a stop with her fist only centimeters from Ino's face. She blinked rapidly and coughed, and then her eyes fluttered and she fell to the ground.

"Ino you... coward."

"Hmph." Ino closed the pouch and stepped back from the cloud as it slowly dissipated, taking in a breath of the unaffected air as she crossed her arms. She looked back at Sakura and then sighed softly. "Idiot..."

"What was that?! Poison?!" Naruto's eyes widened and he stared at Sakura, though her eyes were closed and she was no longer moving. "I-Is Sakura...?"

"She's just asleep." Kakashi patted Naruto's shoulder and answered quietly.

Naruto let out a breath, but frowned. "What a dirty trick... She couldn't even face Sakura for the final blow."

"That's not what happened." Kiri looked at the blond boy, shaking her head.

"But—"

"Girls are complicated. That's all you need to understand." Kiri winked at him with a chuckle.

Hayate approached Sakura and knelt beside her. He pressed his fingers to her wrist, them coughed and stood, raising his hand up.

"The winner, by inability to continue, is Ino Yamanaka."

Ino's eyes widened slightly and she turned to look up at her teammates. Asuma clapped quietly and nodded at her, and Shikamaru crossed his arms as she met his eyes. She looked back to Sakura for a moment and bit her lip.

"I'd actually almost forgotten why we were fighting in the first place, but I ended up winning. It feels... strange. Almost as if I wasn't supposed to?" Her eyes fell to the small pouch in her hand. "If I hadn't remembered this, we might have ended in a tie."

"Well done." Kakashi said, having appeared suddenly. He gently picked up the sleeping Sakura in his arms and turned back to the blonde. "I'm sure your father will be very proud when he hears how you've done."

"O-Oh. Thanks." Ino mumbled at the Jonin, but her eyes remained on Sakura.

"Don't worry; I suspect she won't harbor any hard feelings when she wakes up." Kakashi smiled.

"Hmph! I'm not concerned about that Billboard-Brow at all!" Ino huffed and turned away, and Kakashi chuckled as he carried Sakura away. As they started up the stairs to the platform, Ino's head began to throb and she pressed her hand against her temple, black spots filling her vision until she, too, fell to the ground.

"Ino?!" Choji and Shikamaru called out at once, but Asuma sighed and flickered next to her.

Carefully picking her up, he followed Kakashi and leaned Ino against the wall, next to where Kakashi had placed Sakura. Shikamaru and Choji hurried over and looked at the girl, and Asuma patted the boys' heads.

"Don't worry about her; She's just tired. She's earned a rest."

"Man, what a drag." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and put a hand on his hip. "Ino's always so troublesome, making us worry like that."

Asuma picked up the small pouch from Ino's hand to examine it, and Kakashi's eyes rested on it as he put his hands into his pockets.

"You have a pretty resourceful student, Asuma." Kakashi nodded at the pouch. "The 'Sleep Weed' flower only grows in the Forest of Death. For her to manage to turn it into an effective and refined powder in those conditions is impressive."

"You've trained her well." Asuma returned the compliment, looking at Sakura. "A Genjutsu that strong, and then still managing to break free from the Mind Transfer Technique... You should be proud."

"Sakura?! Sakura?! Sakura, wake up!" Naruto squatted beside her, prodding her shoulder with his finger.

"Naruto, let her rest." Kakashi turned to him and smiled faintly.

"O-Oh. Fine" Naruto stuck out his lip, crossing his arms.

"Not bad." Kiri commented to the Jonin, her eyes on the girls. "I mean, they've both got a long way to go, but they weren't bad." She looked at Natsumi, then reached into her pouch and stuck a food pill in Natsumi's mouth.

After a moment, Natsumi's eyes opened slowly and she groaned loudly and grabbed her head.

"Ugh... my head hurts..."

"Welcome back from dreamland." Kiri nudged her with a chuckle. "Have a nice nap?"

"I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Aw, come on, you're fine." Kiri helped her slowly to a stand, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Natsumi! You're okay!"

"Yeah, I—" She stopped suddenly and frowned as Sakura and Ino caught her eye. "What happened to them? What did I miss?"

"They just had a few things that needed to be worked out." Kiri patted her head.

"With their fists?" Natsumi raised a brow.

"What better way to do it?" Kiri laughed.

"I think those two will be fine now." Asuma chuckled.

"Most likely." Kakashi agreed.

"I still don't know what the heck just happened..." Naruto mumbled.

Ino's eyes cracked open and she watched Sakura's calm expression as she slept. "Sakura..."