A Declaration of Defeat…?!

With Sakura's body under her control, Ino moves to force a surrender. Naruto's cry urging Sakura not to quit stirs Inner Sakura, who drives Ino out of her mind. Shaken by the reversal and out of energy, Ino cannot try again. Kakashi guesses that her depleted chakra allowed Sakura to break loose, while also crediting Sakura's fierce refusal to lose. Both girls, spent, throw themselves into one last exchange and drop each other at the same instant, so Hayate rules that neither advances.

Carried off to recover, the two mend their bond upon waking, agreeing to remain friends even as they keep vying for Sasuke's attention. The stage then belongs to the fifth match, where Temari faces Tenten. Temari makes short work of her, her wind techniques rendering every one of Tenten's thrown weapons useless.

Ino tries to force Sakura's forfeit, but Naruto's encouragement lets Inner Sakura expel her. The two knock each other out, and Hayate passes neither to the next round. Waking up, they renew their friendship while still competing for Sasuke. Temari then defeats Tenten with ease, nullifying her projectiles with wind.

The chapter resolves the preliminary bout that reframes Sakura and Ino from bitter rivals into reconciled friends, and it introduces the lopsided edge Temari's wind style holds over weapon users during the Chunin Exams.