Episode Summaries

As Team Asuma were reaching the oasis water to hydrate themselves, they were stopped in their tracks by Team Ameno. Ameno politely suggested to the Konoha-nin to hand over their scroll, and in return her team would allow them to pass to get to the oasis water and give them medical treatment if needed. However, Team Asuma refused the offer. Ino takes the initiative of attacking the Suna-nin first by launching a few kunai but her attack fails and she is knocked unconscious by Shishio's sand lions.

While Sakura battled Ameno and Chōji battled Kōji, Shishio infused his chakra onto the ground. When set, Shishio cloaks his teammates from sight. This puts Team Ameno at an advantage as neither Sakura or Chōji could detect the enemies properly. As Sakura and Chōji began losing, Ino awoke, sensing the enemies' location and warned her teammates in time to have them counter to hit their opponent before they could strike. However, the Suna-nin were able to heal their injuries. The Suna-nin attack again, and because of the sensing barrier Shishio used, it disrupted Ino's ability to sense his now invisible teammates again. While restrained, Ino forces herself to transfer her teammates' thoughts to one another to help them warn one another of incoming attacks they could see from one another's blind spot where the enemy attacked from. This allowed Sakura and Chōji to defeat the Suna-nin but Team Asuma ultimately decides not to take their scroll since they already have two matching scrolls with them. After the medical-nin from both teams healed one another's teammates, they part ways, promising each other to meet in the third phase.