In the evening, the four of them had roasted wild boar for dinner.
Old Man Kosuke skillfully took the iron pot from his back, lit a fire, boiled water, dismembered the boar, removed its hair, and then proceeded to skin and debone it with swift and graceful movements.
While handling the boar, he shared his experience with the three of them.
"Choose a campsite on the leeward side of a hill."
"Remember, even though we are ninjas, our bodies are still fragile. When unprepared, a single beast can take your life. When selecting a campsite, observe your surroundings. Look for footprints of large beasts and check if you're on their path to water."
"Watch my movements. When handling a beast, target the abdomen. In the wild, always remember to clean the blood and internal organs thoroughly because enemy ninjas can track you by scent."
The fifteenth generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation nodded in agreement. There was a difference between textbook theory and reality. These small details might seem insignificant, but if overlooked, they could lead to unexpected disasters.
Even Ino listened attentively. She wasn't like Naruto, the crown prince, who didn't need to understand these things. Naruto could just charge ahead recklessly. If he ever faced danger, the Nine-Tails Chakra, Minato's Chakra, Kushina's Chakra, Asura's Chakra, and even the Sage of Six Paths would jump out to help him. Ino didn't have that luxury; she had to rely on herself.
Ninjas were much stronger than ordinary people, but their bodies were still fragile, made of flesh and blood.
If she were to die from a wild boar's bite while sleeping in the wild due to her own carelessness, she would feel utterly frustrated.
After the survival lesson, they began their dinner.
The wild boar meat was decent. The skin was crispy, and the lean meat was firm, somewhat resembling beef, but it had a strong gamey flavor. Old Man Kosuke had limited seasonings, and Ino found it a bit hard to get used to.
But seeing Shikamaru frowning as he slowly ate, she forced herself to have a few pieces.
Out of ten portions of wild boar meat, Old Man Kosuke had one, Ino and Shikamaru shared one, and the remaining eight all went into Choji's stomach.
This guy really had no qualms about eating anything.
Over the next two days, Old Man Kosuke continued to teach them essential survival skills, such as how to set traps, lure enemies into them, escape pursuers during retreats, and erase traces.
All three of them listened attentively, even the food-loving Choji didn't slack off.
Perhaps in the later stages of the ninja war, it would be a Susanoo on one side and a Top Transformed Buddha on the other, with brute force creating miracles, and two mechas duking it out. But in the early stages, these skills were still very useful.
Old Man Kosuke didn't just teach survival skills; he also gave them individual guidance on their ninja techniques, body techniques, and combat styles.
The B-rank Shadow Clone Technique and the subsequent A-rank Multiple Shadow Clone Technique were both developed by the Second Hokage. As a subordinate of the Second Hokage, Old Man Kosuke knew the Shadow Clone Technique.
He wasn't like Naruto, who would extract a ton of Chakra and then just go at it with his eyes closed. His method was very systematic, detailing how to divide Chakra, how to give clones partial consciousness, and how to have clones participate in combat. Under his guidance, Ino gained a clear understanding of several key points of the Shadow Clone Technique. She estimated that with some further study back in the village, she could master this B-rank Ninja Technique.
"I heard you're skilled in Water Release Ninja Techniques? Let me teach you another one. Watch closely. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Old Man Kosuke quickly formed hand seals. After twelve seals, the water from the nearby river was drawn by his Chakra, and a massive water dragon surged into the sky. White waves rolled as the dragon, several meters high, coiled and spiraled, using its immense force to plow through the forest directly in front of the old man.
Ino was stunned. The Water Dragon Bullet, which seemed pretty useless in the manga, was now a sight to behold. It was no wonder it was an Elite Ninja-level technique—its power was overwhelming! If she had this technique when fighting Sasuke, one move would have taken him down. Sure, he could withstand a C-rank Water Disruption Wave, but could he handle a B-rank Water Dragon Bullet? "Did you see it clearly?" the old man asked without waiting for her reply. "I'll do it again."
Another Water Dragon Bullet shot into the sky, flattening a large section of the forest to their right.
Kosuke asked, "What's the difference between the two techniques I just used?"
Ino secretly rolled her eyes. Was he really treating her like a child? Did he think she was that clueless? To humor his teaching enthusiasm, she put on an excited face and replied, "The order and total number of hand seals were different. The first one had twelve seals, and the second... was it forty-two or forty-three seals?"
Kosuke corrected her, "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet requires forty-four hand seals. Even for a highly skilled Water Release user, it takes about ten seconds to perform. In other words, you need to form about five seals per second. The truth is, very few in the ninja world can seal that fast these days. If you encounter an enemy who can complete the Water Dragon Bullet in ten seconds, they're definitely an Elite Ninja from their village. Your only option is to run."
He paused for emphasis, then continued, "The Second Hokage's understanding of Ninja Techniques is unparalleled. He simplified this technique to just three hand seals. I'm nowhere near his level—I need twelve seals for the Water Dragon Bullet."
Ino was internally blown away. The Second Hokage was truly a genius inventor! He reduced forty-four seals to just three? That's a huge advantage!
Even though Ino always considered her fingers to be nimble, forming five seals per second and completing forty-four seals in ten seconds, while also adjusting Chakra, adding nature transformation, and performing shape transformation—this B-rank Water Release Ninja Technique was just too difficult. Simplification was definitely the way to go!
"Little girl, want to learn?" the old man asked with a kind smile.
Ino could only continue playing cute, "Yes, Grandpa Kosuke, I want to learn!"
"Then let's start practicing this forty-four-seal Water Dragon Bullet."
Ino: "..."
After practicing by the riverside for an entire day, Ino was very dissatisfied with her learning progress. Her "Ninjutsu" and "Chakra" had met the standards, but this time, her "Hand Seals" score of 5 was holding her back.
Old Man Kosuke said that ninjas who could perform five hand seals in one second were extremely rare nowadays. This statement was both right and wrong. He had never seen Uchiha Itachi perform hand seals. When Uchiha Itachi fought Kakashi, he could perform six hand seals in one second, and he could even do it with one hand! It has to be said, Itachi's hand speed, honed by ignoring women and staying single for twenty years, was truly exceptional! Without a doubt, this was a "Hand Seals" level of 10, something Ino simply couldn't compare to.