The Third Kazekage
has formed the Iron Sand into a giant pyramid and rectangular prism, which he uses it to attack . Recalling her training with , in which the Slug Princess taught her to evade an enemy's attacks and read their movements, Sakura is able to anticipate Sasori's movements, impressing Chiyo, and the former uses her Chakra Enhanced Strength to punch and kick the pyramid and rectangular prism around the cave. This causes the entire roof of the hideout to collapse.
Impressed by Sakura's strength and realising she could continue to repel his attacks, Sasori decides to expend more of the Third Kazekage puppet's chakra by creating more Iron Sand, which he manipulates into a gigantic sphere of branching spikes. Sakura finds herself unable to block or evade the attack, and is helpless as the attack rains down on her. Although she manages to avoid severe physical injury, it turns out Sasori had infused the Iron Sand with his special brand of poison, and that the Iron Sand's branches managed to cut Sakura; she collapses due to the poison. Sasori states that while Sakura would die in three days if left alone, he would rather finish her off right now. Revealing a blade hidden within the Third Kazekage puppet, he sends it towards Sakura to personally finish her off, only for Sakura to leap up and destroy the entire puppet in a single punch.
Outside the cave, Team continues to fight their clones, though to no avail. All of them notice the rumbling around them, and notifies them that the hide-out is collapsing; praises Sakura's ability to hold her own. Elsewhere, notices the sound of the cave-in, but is out of range of everyone else and continues to follow , who is pursuing .

