(A/N: Play music for more effect. Also, look at a cool picture of Sasuke arriving with Kakashi!)

Neither one moved, both just staring into each other's eyes. Temari couldn't help but shiver from the cold, green eyes that bore into hers without any remorse.

"What are you waiting for? Fight," Ibiki barked, and then the blonde set into action.

I'm at a clear disadvantage. She knows my fighting style, what type of distance I can fight from, and just about everything else. If she's really good at analyzing for a genin, she might even have a thought pattern already down for me. However, I'm physically stronger than her, which means she's most likely a long-distance, like me. This will be tough. I may have to go out of my comfort zone to take her down.

Immediately, Temari sent kunai and shuriken towards her, to see how fast and agile she was. Sakura dodged them all clumsily, making the Sunagakure kunoichi smirk confidently. Never mind what I said about her earlier, and never mind what Gaara said. It's a miracle this girl was able to make it.

Sakura stared blankly at nothing as she dodged the weapons being projected towards her. Rule number six of the Shinobi Code states: 'Misdirection is the sharpest blade'. If I am able to fool Temari of Sunagakure into believing I am incompetent, it will be her demise later on.

Just after she dodged all the weapons, Sakura ran for the trees that hadn't been cut down from the previous fight.

Oh! She's fast... Temari grinned as she pulled her giant fan off her back. I'll just finish this in one blow—! A huge swirl of deadly wind made its way towards the trees. When the dust cleared, all the trees were gone, the walls behind them scratched up.

:::

"Oh man, dattebayo, is Sakura-chan gonna be okay?" Naruto groaned and buried his head in his arms.

"Sakura'll be fine," Shikamaru reassured the blonde boy. "She graduated the top of our class, and is extremely intelligent, which makes up for being physically weak."

:::

Now where did she go...! Temari's eyes widened as shuriken that looked like they were made of leaves made their way towards her, at least twenty coming at her. Is it genjutsu? Is it real? This is why it's so difficult to fight an unknown opponent. Deciding she wouldn't take chances, she unfolded her fan again and blew all the shuriken away.

:::

"What the hell is she doing, —ttebayo?" The two genin watched in confusion while Temari wasted her chakra on blocking invisible weapons no one but her could see. She was running as if avoiding attacks.

"Hn. Genjutsu," a gravelly voice said, making Naruto turn around. "Teme! You're really, really late! What the hell took you so long, —ttebayo? Or more importantly, what are you wearing?" He snickered behind a hand as he looked at Sasuke's all-black outfit. "Is that a...romper?"

"The hell's a romper," Shikamaru muttered, then shook his head and focused on the shimmery-looking area he had seen earlier before he was interrupted. Just as I thought. Very clever, Sakura. In front of him was a giant saguaro cactus around forty feet, with a bright, pink flower on the top. The cactus must have genjutsu-like properties or emit some sort of hallucinogen.

Suddenly, Sasuke stopped fighting with Naruto, and turned to the center of the arena. "Hn, is it just me, or is that a cactus?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean, —ttebayo?" Naruto squinted.

"It must have very strong genjutsu power if it can fool even some jōnin," Shikamaru muttered, still looking at the flower. No one heard him.

"Do you think it's actually there?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the still growing cactus.

"Yes," the lazy boy replied. "It's covered by genjutsu, though."

:::

Sakura sat inside the cactus, her eyes closed in concentration. Outside, she could hear Kankurô of Sunagakure yelling at his sister to give up. They have underestimated my abilities. It is their fault, and their ultimate demise. Again, she shut her eyes and focused on expanding the cactus, remembering what the scroll had read:

A B-ranked jutsu only possible for those gifted with Shokuton. The cactus has thick skin; so thick it blocks nearly all taijutsu attacks, and ninjutsu, other than powerful types. The flower that buds at the top releases a sweet odor that causes the opponent to fall under a strong genjutsu. The cacti's thick needles on the outside are coated in a toxin unique to its family, and causes severe blindness. When wanting to, the user may exit through the flower at the top at any given time.

Sakura remembered her readiness to get this jutsu right, and she did after spending time with nature for a month. This jutsu is both offensive and defensive, as well as unknown due to it being a kekkei genkai that resides in only the Senju clan.

She willed the genjutsu from the fumes of the flower at the top to cease, allowing everyone to see what she had created and worked on for the entire month.

Temari turned around, eyes wide at the cactus that towered over her. I've heard of tall cacti in the deserts of Sunagakure, but this one makes the others look small! This still shouldn't be a problem for me, though. She readied her fan, and with one large sweeping motion, pushed another wave of powerful wind towards her opponent. It didn't do anything. Wh-what?! This is like Gaara's ultimate shield! Is it possible she could have one of those demons in her...? Again and again, she tried to bring the cactus down, but it didn't budge.

Inside, Sakura's eyes snapped open suddenly. "Shokuton: Idaina Saboten Shōheki no Jutsu," she muttered, when she sensed Temari coming closer. She had most likely figured out that there was no way to destroy the thick walls of the cactus using her own wind jutsu. It would take incredible taijutsu force so strong that Temari of Sunagakure couldn't possibly conjure. The saguaro is also able to shoot its needles, which are laced with a poisonous toxin that causes nerve damage and more.

Outside the cactus, Temari growled. This is taking way too long! I'm not about to let a little girl with stupid, pink hair beat me, no matter how many times Kankurô tells me to forfeit! As she approached the thick walls with endless spikes, the sickening stench of flowers reached her nose.

Sakura waited patiently inside, deciding to have Temari of Sunagakure get closer to her. Then, she struck.

:::

Naruto's eyes widened. "That Suna girl just collapsed! What happened, —ttebayo!"

"Shit," Kankurô cursed. This is bad! If she was poisoned, she may not be able to fight in the invasion! Damnit, Temari, why didn't you just forfeit?!

"This match is over! Sakura of Konohagakure won her match," Ibiki shouted, then directed medics to take Temari to the infirmary. Sakura walked out of one of the lower flowers on the cactus and made her way to the exit where everyone else was.

On the way, Temari had woken up, Kankurô running beside her. Her eyesight was fuzzy, and when she blinked, it didn't improve. "Kankurô," she whispered hoarsely, "I can't see. I can't see... I can't see!" She cried out, flailing as the medics tried holding her down.

"Temari, calm down! The medics will treat you!" He glanced at the few doctors there.

"Um, actually," the head medic started, "we've never seen a toxin like this before. We would have to do standard treatment on any poison. Hopefully, the poison was just used to temporarily blind her."

"Where's that Sakura brat?! She should know about the poison she used!"

Everyone turned when they saw Sakura reach the top of the stairs. "I am not a brat. Temari of Sunagakure was an incompetent opponent that underestimated the power I hold. Had she followed the Shinobi Code, she would not be in this situation."

"Why, you—!" Kankurô began making his way towards the girl when he was stopped by Genma, the proctor from earlier. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru all stood protectively between Sakura and the Sunagakure genin.

"I would suggest not picking a fight with the hosting village's inhabitants," Sakura commented, then turned to Sasuke. She nodded in acknowledgment, and he nodded back, looking her up and down. "Your hair is unflatteringly long, Sasuke," she noted, causing him to roll his eyes and bite back a comment. The pinkette didn't seem too scratched up, which was good.

"For the next round, we have Gaara of Sunagakure and Sasuke Uchiha!" The medics, along with Kankurô, began rushing towards the hospital, while Sasuke stood next to Sakura.

"Good luck, Teme!" Naruto grinned and slapped him on the  back heartily.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded, then glanced at Sakura, who only surveyed the crowd. He smirked, realising he was now taller than her by a few inches instead of being the same height, hopped onto the railing and looked back. "See you later, annoying Sakura," he said, smirking, before jumping.

How was Sakura's fight? Was her jutsu cool?

The tables have turned! Temari, an important figure in the plan, has been immobilised! How will the plan continue with out her, and possibly Kankuro?