When they got to the top, Aceso began to put the ropes back around her body, she had about four altogether.

" It's time to begin the fourth battle," Hayate coughed as Naruto began to wrap Aceso in one of the ropes.

" Well, no matter who's picked it'll be two weirdos," Naruto declared as Sakura came back from the bathroom. " This contest is chock-full of them."

" Well, you're one to talk," Kakashi stated.

" Yeah, good point," Sakura smiled.

" Hey, gimme a break!" Naruto yelled as he tied a knot. Aceso saw that the next two names chosen were Sakura and Ino. Sakura gasped and glanced over at Ino, the blonde did the same. The two girls made their way down to face-off, Aceso readjusted Naruto's rope, so her arms weren't tied to the side.

" I never thought I'd fight you," Ino admitted. " Or at least I didn't think it would happen this soon. But don't expect me to go easy on you."'

" Of all the people for Ino to for up against, it would have to be Sakura," Shikamaru admitted. " What a mess."

" I know," Choji agreed. " I hope Ino will be ok."

" Go, Sakura!" Naruto shouted. " You can do it! Don't lose!"

" Very encouraging," Aceso stated with an annoyed look. The last thing you want to tell someone is to not lose.

" Begin," Hayate ordered, the two girls charged at each other. The girls dodged each other's attacks, Sakura then threw three kunai knives at Ino, she caught one and used it to cancel out the other two.

" Oh no," Choji breathed as Sakura charged at Ino.

" I just knew it," Shikamaru stated.

" Sakura's totally blowing Ino out of the water in this battle!" Naruto cheered.

" What a fool," Shikamaru said.

" What did you say to me?" Naruto demanded.

" You wanna make something of it?" Shikamaru asked as he looked at him. " Then go ahead, 'cause you'll lose."

" Who do you think you are?" Naruto demanded as he started towards Shikamaru.

" Don't even," Aceso declined as she grabbed the back of his shirt, stopping him. Her eyes never left the match.

" That's it?" Neji asked. " That's as good as Kunoichi can get at hand-to-hand combat?"

" What?" Naruto demanded as he turned around angrily.

" It's not because they're girls, you know, Neji," Tenten stated in annoyance, Aceso noticed that Lee had a rope wrapped around his waist, below his leaf village headband.

" Huh?" Naruto asked.

" They're using kid gloves," Aceso stated as she looked back at the match.

" Exactly," Tenten nodded. " It doesn't matter if you're a man or woman in battle."

" Huh?" Naruto asked again. " Uh, using kid gloves?" He looked back at the two kunoichis. The two's kept colliding, canceling out kicks, arms, and punches. Ino punched Sakura in the stomach, she spat out water. She then rounded up for another punch and ended up just smacking her on the arm, everyone's eyes went wide. Sakura was shocked, she looked at Ino, who was looking as if she saw a ghost. She gasped and looked at her hand.

" All right, listen up, Ino," Sakura began as she clenched her fist. " I'm not going to fight with you over Sasuke."

" What did you say?" Ino demanded.

" I'm not the weak, needy girl I used to be," Sakura declared. " You're not even on my radar, and you're not Sasuke's type, Ino-pig!"

" Sakura, you'd better watch your step!" Ino threatened. " Do you have any idea who you're mouthing off to? Don't press your luck with me, little Billboard Brow!"

" Did you hear that?" Naruto asked. " Sakura was so mean! That's out of line, isn't it? She sure made Ino mad. I've never seen her look so scary."

" I don't know if you noticed, but Sakura is pretty mean," Aceso informed.

" There's more to it than that, Naruto," Kakashi informed.

" Huh?" Naruto asked.

" Sakura isn't the kind of person to do things like needlessly flaunt her own power, callously hurting people," Kakashi explained. " But she also doesn't like having Ino take pity on her and pull her punches."

" So I'm bud that hasn't flowered, huh?" Sakura asked. Seconds later she took off her headband.

" What-what in the world is going on?" Naruto asked.

" What do you mean?" Aceso asked.

" Why are those two getting so worked up just looking at each other?" Naruto asked. Aceso shook her head if only Naruto could see how he is with Sasuke.

" Well, Naruto, rivalry is a tricky business," Kakashi explained. " Not that I would know." He then glanced at Gai sensei, he looked over.

" Oh, hi there," Kakashi laughed with a wave, Gai glared at him.

" I understand, Sakura," Ino smiled as she took her headband off her waist. The two put the headbands across their foreheads.

" Let's show Aceso what a real kunoichi is," Sakura declared before the two started charging at each other. Their fist collided together, and everyone gasped. The two jumped away from each other, then charged once more, Sakura did a simple clone Jutsu, making two more of her.

" This isn't just some Ninja Academy graduation exam," Ino blurted out. " Do you really think you can beat me with a basic ninja art like that?" All three of them launched at Ino for an attack, two of them missed while the real Ino landed a hit sending Ino back.

" I'm not some cry baby anymore," Sakura declared. " You play with fire and you're going to get burned. Let's see your best Ino."

" It's not like I needed your invitation, you know," Ino said as she wiped her mouth. " I'll give you my best, but you're not going to like it."

" You're doing awesome Sakura, awesome!" Naruto cheered. " Believe it!"

" Powerful strikes using chakra," Kakashi noticed. " Top notch considering she's a rookie."

" Huh?" Naruto asked.

" I've never seen Sakura this good," Kakashi admitted.

" Hold on," Naruto protested as he looked back at his sensei. " You're not saying she's better than me?"

" No, you're the greatest," Kakashi said sarcastically. Aceso giggled as Naruto groaned. " Sending chakra all throughout her body and using it in conjunction with a well-timed Jutsu. I don't even think that Sasuke could have done it better. Well, even from the start of her training she was extremely good at chakra control. So this isn't a surprise."

" Yeah!" Lee cheered as he put up a fist as the two charged at each other once more. The two punched and ended up wrestling with each other's arms. They jumped back, both reached for a throwing star, whipped it at each other, they canceled each other out. Everyone watched as the battle continued to rage on, it was taking a long time.

"Ah!" the two girls yelped as they punched each other in the face at the same time and flew back.

" Whoa," Naruto and Aceso breathed.

" This isn't how this was supposed to go," Ino declared angrily. " How can you be evenly matched with me?"

" I guess you're right Ino," Sakura agreed. " Your obsession with your looks and your hair can't be surpassed. I've been training too hard to worry about that stuff."

" You're going to pay for that," Ino warned as she took out a knife. " I've had enough of you making fun of me."

" What an idiot," Shikamaru groaned. " Ino's falling for her trap. She's so riled up by Sakura there's no telling what she'll do."

" Oh man," Choji breathed. " I hate it when she's like this." Ino reached up and cut off her own long blonde locks.

" You think that will help?" Sakura asked.

" I can't tell which way this fight is going," Aceso admitted. " I don't know who will be treated the most."

" Whoever you treat will be treated by the best," Lee said as they stared at the battle.

" That's it!" Ino yelled. " See." She threw her hair all over the arena. " I don't need this."

" And I thought she looked scary before," Naruto stated.

" All right," Ino said as she put her hands together. " I'll put an end to this right now. Get ready to tell everyone that you lost me Billboard Brow and Aceso is a real ninja." Aceso put her head in her arms. She does not like her name being brought into fights this much.

" Wait," Shikamaru protested. " Don't tell me she's going to--"

" Could it be?" Choji asked.

" I knew I recognized it," Shikamaru said as Ino put out her hands in a symbol. " It's the Mind Transfer Jutsu sign."

" Oh, man," Asuma groaned. " That fool."

" Look, I know you're frustrated, but that's pointless," Sakura stated.

" Oh yeah?" Ino asked. " We'll just see about that!"

" Ninja art Mind Transfer Jutsu," Sakura revealed. " It's a Jutsu that allows the user to take over their opponent's spirit and wrest control of their body away from them for a few minutes by discharging all of their own spiritual energy and striking their enemy with it. But despite its power, there are major flaws to this formidable Jutsu that makes it extremely dangerous. First, the user's discharged spiritual energy can only fly straight, and it moves at a very slow speed. Second, even if the spiritual energy misses the enemy it can't return to the user's own body for several minutes. And this, in battles that are most often measured in seconds. I should add that while the spiritual energy is gone, the user's body, your own body Ino, can't move at all. It'll be little more than a doll." Aceso felt someone pull on her left braid, she looked up to see the battle about to take a turn for better or for worse.

" So what?" Ino exclaimed. " I don't care. I won't know unless I try."

" If you miss, it's all over," Sakura warned as she got ready to run. " You do know that, right?"

" Don't do it!" Shikamaru protested as Sakura began to run.

" Ninja art Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino shouted, and shockingly it hit Sakura. Ino fell to her knees, as Aceso stood up straighter.

" Did it work?" Shikamaru asked.

" She hit her target," Aceso breathed in surprise.

" Ha, ha, ha," Sakura laughed. " What an unfortunate choice Ino."

" I'm not sure if you're right," Tenten disagreed.

" So it's all over right?" Shikamaru asked.

" I can't believe she did it," Choji said.

" You're done Ino," Sakura declared. She took a step forward, but she was stopped. Chakra had Sakura locked down on her feet, all by a piece of hair. " No way!"

" You fell for it Sakura," Ino teased. " Ha! I finally caught you."

" It can't be," Sakura declared.

" Ha, ha, ha," Ino laughed. " I'm afraid it can. All those hands signs earlier were just an act to fool you, to trick you into running straight into the trap I laid for you. And it worked. Now you can't move at all, can you? You're being held by a special rope that's made from my hair, with my chakra poured into it." She put a foot on the strand. " Now that you're trapped I can take over your body and make you say that you're giving up on this match." She did the mind transfer sign again. " There's no way I'll ever miss with this Jutsu now."

" You gotta get out of there quick!" Naruto shouted.

" Now, Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino exclaimed. The chakra disappeared, Sakura stopped struggling to escape and Ino went limp.

" Ha, ha, ha," Sakura laughed.

" That's really unfortunate," Choji said.

" Hm, no wait," Shikamaru said.

" Sakura has been-" Lee began.

" Nice one Sakura," Naruto smiled.

"Not quite," Sakura declined, her voice was in sync with Ino's voice.

" I don't get it," Naruto admitted. " What's with Ino, and with Sakura? I mean, Sakura's acting really stranger, don't you think? This is her chance. Do it already Sakura! Attack!"

" The Mind Transfer Jutsu worked," Kakashi gathered. " Sakura's done for." Naruto and Lee looked at him.

" The Mind Transfer?" Lee asked. " Des that mean that Sakura has-"

" Yes," Aceso confirmed. " I'm afraid so."

" Sakura's spirit has been completely taken over by Ino," Kakashi confirmed".

" What?" Naruto gasped.

" Ino's spirit is inside of Sakura now," Aceso explained.

" I'm guessing that Ino's goal is probably--" Kakashi began as Sakura smiled. Lee and Naruto both grabbed one a braid from Aceso's hair and put it in their mouth and started to chew on it.

" It's not a chew toy," Aceso said as Sakura began to raise her hand.

" Now, I, Sakura Haruno would like to say that I with-" Sakura/Ino began.

" No!" Naruto shouted as he clenched the braid. " Sakura don't!"

" Gah, man, that kid's just so annoying," Sakura/Ino complained,

" You worked so hard to get here Sakura!" Naruto shouted. " Don't disgrace yourself now by losing to that lame Ino girl!"

" Yell all you want," Sakura/Ino said. " There's nothing you can do now." She then looked surprised. " What?" Her hand went down. " Ah! What's happening?" Sakura was grumbling and crying out. " Oh, Sakura. This can't be happening?"

" What's wrong? Or you withdrawing?" Hayate asked. " Well, are you or not?" She then screamed standing back up. " No, I won't be withdrawing! Not today or anything other day! Cha! You're mine!" Sakura was shaking, she fighting with Ino somehow.

" What's up with Ino?" Shikamaru asked. " Something looks wrong." Sakura had her hand on her head and was shaking. " Release!" Ino's spirit left Sakura's body and returned to her own. Sakura then fell to her knees panting.

" How can you have two spirits in you?" Ino asked. " Just what are you anyway?"

" Someone who's just as strong as she is beautiful," Sakura answered between pants." I mean a girl's got to be tough if she's going to survive something like this. Along with a real ninja." They charged at each other once more.

" This ends right now!" Sakura and Ino shouted. They punched each other in the face, blood spewed from their mouths, they flew back and both of their headbands flew off as well. The two lifted themselves up, before collapsing unconscious at the same time. Lee and Naruto both latched on to Aceso with their arms, as they stared down at the two knocked-out components.

" Since neither combatant is able to continue, by double knockout no one gets through the fourth battle of this preliminary. This match is over."

" What?" Everyone gasped.

" Sakura!" Naruto breathed.

" This can't be," Everyone said.

" No way!" Naruto exclaimed. Both of their sensei went down and retrieved them.

" Very well, then," Kakashi said as he picked up Sakura.

" Good grief," Asuma breathed as he picked up Ino. They jumped up to the second level, Aceso broke free and ran over to the four of them.

" Hey, Ino!" Shikamaru shouted as he and Choji ran over.

" Sakura, no!" Lee shouted.

" Sakura, wake up!" Naruto pleaded. Aceso took out some ointment and put it on the two of them. " Are you ok?"

" Shh," Kakashi said as he put a hand to his lips, as Aceso continued on with her work.

" Both of them will be just fine," Aceso confirmed as she checked for any broken bones.

" I don't think that treatment will be necessary," Asuma told Aceso. " They'll probably just wake up after a little while. But they both certainly put up a great fight."

" Yeah," Kakashi agreed. " Despite her success with Naruto and Sasuke. I didn't think Sakura had what it takes to win here, but she's grown a lot. She may not have done as well as she would have liked, but still, a lot of good happened here. I really feel that it was the right choice to send her to these Chunin exams."

" Give it a round or two," Aceso advised as she stood up. " Asuma is right, they will come around." Soon the next contestants appeared on the screen, and both Temari and Tenten walked down ready to fight.