The battle continued, both girls nearing the limits of their stamina. Sakura stood unsteadily, and Ino was hardly any better off, but an unyielding fire still burned in their eyes.
"I won't lose... I absolutely won't..." Sakura gritted her teeth, preparing to launch one last attack.
"Who wins and who loses... hasn't been decided yet..." Ino forced herself to remain standing as she readied her final counterattack.
Yet at that moment, both girls reached their limits almost simultaneously. Sakura's body went limp, and she toppled forward; Ino could no longer hold out either and fell backward.
Thud! Thud!
Two dull impacts rang out as the girls hit the floor at the same time, unable to get back up.
"Ahem... Since both contestants have lost the ability to fight, this match... is a draw! Both are eliminated!" Gekko Hayate announced a result no one had expected.
Medical ninja rushed forward and carried the two unconscious girls away.
In the second-floor viewing gallery, Toru Kujyo sighed softly. This was youth, pure and fiercely passionate-knowing they would get hurt, yet charging ahead without hesitation.
Sasuke watched Sakura and Ino being carried away, his heart a tangle of emotions. He suddenly realized that he had never truly taken their feelings seriously. Everything they had given, their tears, the injuries they had suffered for his sake...
"Sasuke." Toru Kujyo's voice came from the second floor, quiet but clearly audible to Sasuke. "Remember this moment. Someone is willing to give everything for you. Feelings like that are precious beyond measure. Don't betray them, and don't squander them."
Sasuke trembled slightly. Those words struck him like a sudden revelation, making him reflect on his attitude toward others' feelings for the first time.
The names on the large screen scrolled again, soon settling on the next matchup.
Match