In the first match of the finals, Naruto gets to fight Neji Hyuga. With Neji being more naturally skilled than he is, Naruto is forced to call upon the dormant powers of the demon fox to get an even footing. The two ultimately clash, and after the smoke clears Neji appears to be the victor. Before he can be declared the winner, however, Naruto manages a successful sneak attack, which knocks Neji out and lets Naruto claim victory. For the next match, Shikamaru Nara fights Temari. Shikamaru uses his shadow to try to trap her, and although Temari tries to stay out of his shadow's range he is able to catch her. Though poised to win his match, Shikamaru forfeits instead due to the amount of energy wasted in trying to catch Temari.