Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

She armed herself with harsh words and provocations.

It seems that this would prove that she is better than Sakura and more qualified to stand by Sasuke's side.

But at this moment, seeing the calm and determination in Sakura's eyes that was different from the past, Ino's inexplicable irritation rose up again.

Stop pretending to be so profound! Just because you went through some things in Class 7, you think you're superior? Lady Ino won't lose!

"Hey, broad forehead!"

Ino broke the silence first, hands on her hips, chin raised, trying to make her voice sound as provocative as ever, "What are you spacing out for? Scared? It's not too late to admit defeat now! Otherwise you'll be controlled by my 'Mind Transfer Technique' and embarrass yourself in front of everyone!"

Sakura took a deep breath and didn't immediately retort with "Inoboro" as she usually would.

She simply looked at Ino calmly, her eyes clear and firm.

Chapter 89: Isn't this script a bit off?

Faced with Ino's provocation, Sakura did not refute as she usually would.

Instead, amidst everyone's puzzled gazes, she silently untied a small pocket on the side of her ninja tool bag and took out a roll of... medical bandages?

"Huh? What's she doing with the bandages?"

From the stands, Ya, with his nose still bandaged after being treated by a medical ninja, asked in a muffled voice.

"Bandage the wound? The competition hasn't even started yet?" Tian Tian looked puzzled.

“I don’t understand…” Shikamaru frowned, feeling that things weren’t so simple.

Sakura lowered her head, her movements steady and focused, and began to wrap the white bandage around her right palm and wrist, one circle at a time.

The bandages were wrapped tightly, outlining the shape of her fingers.

Her movements were unhurried, carrying a peculiar sense of ritual.

Ino was also taken aback by Sakura's unusual behavior, and the next sarcastic remark she had prepared got stuck in her throat.

What's with that wide forehead? Is it just a charade?

Finally, Sakura finished bandaging her hands, clenching her right hand into a fist. The bandaged fist didn't look particularly special.

She slowly raised her head and looked at Ino, her eyes calm and undisturbed.

"The match begins!" Moonlight Gale's voice rang out!

The moment the character "始" (beginning) was written!

It's not hand seals! It's not a sprint! It's—

She suddenly lowered her stance, shifting her weight downwards, and raised her bandaged right fist high in the air!

The chakra throughout his body flowed like rivers flowing into the sea.

With unprecedented speed and ferocity, it frantically converged towards that clenched fist!

Her arm muscles instantly bulged, and her sleeves moved without any wind!

An invisible, heart-pounding sense of oppression suddenly spread from her center!

"Xiang La Lou—!!!"

Accompanied by a clear shout that embodied all determination, strength, and even complex emotions.

Sakura's right fist, brimming with terrifying chakra, was like a meteor falling to earth, or a giant splitting a mountain.

With a resolute and destructive force, it slammed heavily and without any frills onto the ground beneath her feet!

boom! ! ! ! !

A deafening roar, far more muffled and terrifying than a tooth-to-tooth attack or even a toad-fire bomb, as if the earth itself were groaning in pain, suddenly exploded!

Centered on the point where her fist landed, the incredibly hard arena paved with special stone resembled a fragile ice surface tossed with a boulder!

A terrifying network of cracks, dense and bottomless.

As if it had come to life, it spread, exploded, and shattered in all directions at a frenzied speed, leaving no blind spots!

Snap! Snap! Boom!

The rubble shot out like cannonballs!

Smoke and dust rose into the sky like a tsunami!

The entire competition venue collapsed and disintegrated in less than a second, leaving everyone stunned!

It looked as if a small earthquake had occurred! A huge crater with a diameter of over ten meters suddenly appeared!

Ino, who was standing at the other end of the field, was the first to be hit!

She suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet collapse, and the spot she was standing on crumbled instantly!

My body completely lost its balance amidst the violent shaking and dust!

Like a small boat in a raging storm, it was thrown into the air!

She screamed in terror, trying to form hand seals to activate her family's secret technique, "Mind Transfer Technique."

But as a person tumbles through the air, their mind is violently shaken, and their chakra cannot be effectively gathered!

Not to mention locking onto Sakura, who was also faintly visible in the smoke and dust!

In the stands, Shikamaru and Choji gasped in surprise, and Asuma also jumped to his feet!

Amidst the earth-shaking chaos, a pink figure shot through the billowing dust like an arrow.

With unstoppable momentum, he rushed to Ino, who had just fallen on a protruding rock, dizzy and covered in dust!

Her eyes were sharp as knives, and she was covered in dust, but her aura had reached its peak!

Her left fist clenched again, terrifying chakra light flickering on it, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air.

He slammed the punch down relentlessly towards Ino's face! The power of this punch was no less than, and no less than, the punch that had just struck the ground!

"what--!"

Ino stared at the bandaged fist that was rapidly enlarging in her pupils.

Feeling the overwhelming aura of death, my mind went blank, leaving only an instinctive scream!

In the stands, everyone held their breath! Kakashi's eyes, hidden behind his mask, suddenly widened! Even Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply!

At the critical moment!

Sakura's fist stopped abruptly just an inch from Ino's nose!

The violent force of the punch stung Ino's cheeks, and her golden hair flew wildly.

Time seemed to freeze.

Sakura was breathing heavily, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at Ino, whose face was deathly pale and whose pupils were dilated with extreme fear.

The chakra light on her fist slowly dissipated, and in the end, she did not fall.

But she didn't stop!

The fist, which had stopped, suddenly veered to the side, grazing Ino's ear, and then slammed hard into the large, still relatively intact stone slab behind Ino!

boom--! ! !

Another loud noise!

The thick stone slab was easily pierced and shattered like tofu! Shards flew everywhere, and dust rose again!

Sakura's fist was deeply embedded in the crack in the ground.

She remained in that position, breathing slightly heavily, and looked up at Ino, who was standing close by, still shaken.

The voice trembled slightly, yet remained exceptionally clear:

"You lost, Ino."

Ino stared blankly at Sakura, watching the complex emotions surging in those emerald green eyes so close to hers—a declaration of victory.

There was reluctance, exhaustion, and even a trace of... lingering concern that she almost thought had long since disappeared?

Then he felt the lingering, terrifying force of the punch in his ear, and the easily shattered rocks behind him…

The immense fear and lingering dread were like ice water poured over her head, leaving her feeling cold all over and her teeth chattering.

For a split second just now, she really thought she was going to die!

All the pride, all the provocation, all the competitive thoughts about Sasuke.

Compared to the absolute power difference and the fear of life and death brought about by this punch, everything else seemed so pale and laughable.

"me…"

Ino opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't make a sound.

My body trembled slightly from fear and exhaustion.

She knew she couldn't possibly withstand that punch, let alone in her current state of mental disarray.

A huge sense of frustration and indescribable bitterness welled up in my heart, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

She lowered her head dejectedly, her voice thick with nasal congestion and choked with sobs: "I...I give up..."

"The winner... cough cough cough... Sakura Haruno!"

Even Moonlight Gale was shaken by the earth-shattering punch, and his cough worsened, but he still managed to announce the result in time.

On the high platform, the pipe in the hand of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, fell to the ground with a "thud".

He stared in disbelief at the huge crater and shattered stone slabs below.

And the figure of the girl with pink hair standing in the center of the ruins, her cloudy old eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

The Third Hokage muttered to himself, "This power...this destructive force...and this monstrous strength...it's...it's exactly the same as Tsunade when she was young!"

He seemed to see through Sakura's figure the blonde girl from decades ago who had also shocked the entire arena with the power of a single punch.

That unreasonable and tyrannical power, that terrifyingly precise control over chakra... it's just too similar!

If Tsunade weren't still out there hiding (playing) to avoid debts.

If it weren't for the Third Hokage's recent observation that Sakura was only learning medical ninjutsu at the hospital...