Ino's so-called "plastic sister" Sakura also had astonishing hand speed. Sakura had an impressive 8 points in "Hand Seals." Who knows how she trained to achieve that? Could it be that she practiced her hand speed while shouting Sasuke's name at home?
Ino's 5 points in "Hand Seals" paled in comparison to these well-trained individuals.
Her fastest record for performing the 44 hand seals of "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet" was 19 seconds. While it seemed like she was only 9 seconds slower than skilled Water Release ninjas, the gap was actually quite significant.
Old Man Kosuke also taught her a simplified version of the Water Dragon Bullet. Even with the Second Hokage's tricks and Old Man Kosuke's experience, she could only reduce the terrifying 44 hand seals to 39. Any further reduction would greatly increase the chance of the technique failing during execution.
"For your age, this level is already quite impressive. If I had this level of comprehension when I was young, I wouldn't have had so many regrets. If the Second Hokage, a genius in ninja techniques, saw you, he would definitely take you as his disciple." Ino herself wasn't satisfied, but the old man praised her every day, making her feel embarrassed.
Having 8 points in "Ninja Skill" also had its advantages. Her understanding of ninja techniques was very strong, and she quickly grasped the principles of the Water Dragon Bullet. After that, it was just a matter of practice making perfect.
Water Release techniques had many limitations on the battlefield, but they were simple to practice. All you needed was a place with water, and since it relied on natural water, the Chakra consumption was minimal.
In this regard, Fire Release, Lightning Release, and Wind Release were not as convenient as Water Release and Earth Release. The first three techniques were harder to practice with the help of the natural environment. Going out to practice Lightning Release during a thunderstorm? That was practically asking for death! Normally, you could only rely on your own Chakra to convert into fire, lightning, or wind, which slowed down the efficiency of practice. However, these three techniques were more powerful than Water Release and Earth Release.
It could only be said that the Five Nature Transformation Techniques each had their own pros and cons.
Ino wasn't the only one receiving special training.
Shikamaru's family's secret technique was the Shadow Imitation Technique, along with a series of techniques derived from it.
Like the Yamanaka Clan, the Nara Clan also possessed the Yin Release Chakra Nature.
Shikamaru's highest Chakra affinity was Fire, but his training in Chakra Nature Transformation was not yet complete. At this stage, he wouldn't delve into Fire Release techniques. After some thought, Old Man Kosuke taught him a Genjutsu called "Leaf Style Willow."
This was a technique that combined swordsmanship and Genjutsu. It didn't require hand seals; instead, you swung your sword or kunai, infused it with your Yin Release Chakra, and then either disappeared from the enemy's sight or directly restrained them.
Shikamaru's talent in ninja techniques was only above average. Having him learn Fire Release now would indeed be a waste of time. If it weren't for Ino's intense training, he wouldn't even bother practicing his family's secret techniques.
His talent in Genjutsu was about the same as his talent in ninja techniques. The "Leaf Style Willow" Genjutsu required more consideration of the surrounding environment, the enemy's line of sight, lighting, angles, and other factors, making it relatively more suitable for him to use.
Choji, the chubby one, also made significant progress—he learned Old Man Kosuke's cooking skills! How to find ingredients in the wild, how to season dishes, and how to make soup in the middle of nowhere. While Ino was by the river practicing the Water Dragon Bullet technique and Shikamaru was waving his kunai at a willow tree, Choji's culinary skills improved dramatically. Old Man Kosuke wasn't their master, and neither the trio nor their parents would allow their heirs to become his disciples. The master-disciple relationship was of utmost importance in the ninja world and had to be treated with great caution. Such a crucial "bond" couldn't be wasted on an old man who was already halfway to the grave.
"Goodbye, Grandpa Kosuke! Thank you for your guidance." A week later, the four of them returned to Konoha Village. They bid farewell to the old man at the village entrance. The seventy-year-old still had patrol duties to attend to, while the three of them headed back to their respective homes.
Ino returned home, dropped her backpack, and immediately went to take a shower.
After a week of living in the wild, undergoing intense training, and not being able to bathe, even a naturally beautiful girl couldn't withstand it. She could smell the sour stench on Shikamaru and Choji, and she probably didn't smell much better herself. After showering, she washed her ninja gear and changed into her casual clothes. She then strolled around the streets, looking for a Pot Point. As she passed by Shueisha Hall, she noticed that a booklet titled "Sasuke's Youth Story" had already been released.
To her surprise, she also spotted a tall man inside the store wearing a forehead protector with the character "oil," dressed in a red coat, and wearing wooden clogs.
That guy with the sleazy expression—wasn't that Jiraiya? Why had he returned to Konoha? Was he here to see Naruto? Ino had already stepped into the bookstore, and turning back now would seem suspicious. Fortunately, she hadn't used the Transformation Technique today.
The Transformation Technique might fool civilians, but the obvious flow of chakra on the face wouldn't escape the notice of a master like Jiraiya.
Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jiraiya flipping through "Sasuke's Youth Story." There wasn't much benefit in getting to know Jiraiya now, but it wasn't harmful either. Knowing him was better than not knowing him, especially since the core philosophy of Konoha and the entire ninja world still revolved around "choosing capable people among acquaintances and acquaintances among capable people."
Ino immediately put on a fangirl expression, brimming with anticipation, and asked the store clerk, "Boss, do you have the latest 'Sasuke's Youth Story'?"
The clerk was delighted. The book wasn't a bestseller, but it had a decent number of buyers, including but not limited to the daimyo's wife, wealthy women, housewives, young girls, the Nine-Tails kid, and the pervert not far away.
Ino, in his eyes, could also be categorized as a young girl. He had seen plenty of such fangirls.
"Yes, this book is selling quite well. We don't have much stock left. It's 1,500 ryo per copy."
Ino fidgeted a bit, pretending to be embarrassed. "I'm still a student. I really love the books published by Shueisha Hall, but I don't have much money. Could you give me two copies for free? If you could give me 3,000 ryo, I'd help promote it and give you a good review!"
The clerk: "???"
He was utterly confused, taking a while to process what she had just said. Good heavens! We're supposed to pay you instead? He instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Ino's pitiful expression, he felt a bit reluctant.
For a moment, he was at a loss.
Ino looked at him pitifully, but her actual target wasn't him at all.
Sure enough, the old pervert not far away burst into laughter: "What a cute little girl. How about this? As the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, I'll ask you a few questions. If your answers satisfy me, I'll pay for you, how about that?"
Ino put on a cautious expression, wary of the pervert, and took three steps back: "Uncle, go ahead and ask."
Jiraiya stroked his chin, pondering his words, then held up the book "Sasuke's Youth Story," using Sasuke's cover to face Ino: "These past few days, I've seen women of all ages buying this book. Help me figure this out—do you think a fifty-year-old woman would prefer this expressionless face or a man as majestic and domineering as me?"