"Don't worry, I'll definitely defeat her in the official match," Ino declared solemnly, promising to avenge Tenten by beating Temari during the competition.
"You guys chat, I'm going out to change my bandages," Tenten said, noticing that Neji seemed about to say something, and she excused herself from the hospital room.
Ino glanced at Neji and remarked, "Huh? You actually look better than before? Did you gain some insight during the fight?"
Neji seemed to have shed the burden of being a genius. A defeated genius was no longer a genius, and from now on, people's attention toward him would diminish. Having fallen from the clouds to the mortal world, his expression actually carried a hint of relief.
He nodded and said, "You've also been working hard to improve your weakness in Body techniques, right?"
Misinformation had led him to believe that Ino's Body techniques were pitifully weak. In reality, her Body techniques weren't as bad as the rumors suggested. The two of them could exchange over a dozen moves without issue. This miscalculation kept piling up, and by the time Ino successfully executed the Shadow Clone Technique, he had already lost. The subsequent Eight Trigrams: Rotation did little more than wreck the arena, with no real significance.
"Do you think I need to focus more on training my Ninja techniques?" he asked bluntly.
Did he? Ino's current obsession with Ninja techniques was born out of necessity—time was running out.
Body techniques were undoubtedly good, but on one hand, she didn't have Rock Lee's perseverance, and on the other, there simply wasn't enough time.
With just over three years left until the Fourth Great Ninja War, even someone as hardworking as Rock Lee barely managed to reach the level of opening the Six Gates by the end.
What use were the Six Gates in the final battle? All that sweat, all those sleepless nights of relentless training—what did it ultimately achieve? Ino used herself as an example: "Look at me. I mainly focus on Ninja techniques. As long as my Body techniques aren't too weak, I won't get completely crushed by experts like you. Since you already have such a high talent in Body techniques, switching to Ninja techniques now is unnecessary. Just do some training in Ninja techniques—that's my humble opinion."
"Understood. Thanks for the advice."
"You're welcome."
While waiting for Inoichi to gather information about Tsunade over the next couple of days, Ino carried a large set of keys and went around the village collecting rent from tenants. Some paid honestly, while others tried to freeload—either pretending not to be home or timing their outings to avoid her. How could she tolerate that? Was the Shadow Clone Technique just for show? As Ino engaged in a battle of wits with her tenants, she unexpectedly discovered that a new shop had opened in the village—the Curry of Life Shop! The cook was none other than her old acquaintance, Granny Sansho, and her grandson, who had turned over a new leaf.
After some inquiries, she found out that the curry shop had been privately funded by Shikamaru, who had invited Granny Sansho to open it in Konoha.
Seeing Shikamaru, drenched in sweat from the spiciness, still struggling with his curry, Ino was baffled.
"I never knew you had this kind of hobby. Eating something so spicy? Are you okay?"
Shikamaru's face was red from the heat. He waved his hand, indicating he was fine, and gulped down two buckets of cold water to finally quell the spiciness.
After understanding the situation, it wasn't anything new—it was just the result of internal competition. Shikamaru had been reflecting on his own abilities. He could train in ninja techniques, genjutsu, and body techniques. He wasn't like Ino, who could master a C-rank ninja technique after seeing it once or use a B-rank technique at 50-60% proficiency after a few days of practice. He didn't have that kind of natural talent for ninja techniques, but these things could be compensated for with hard work. However, there was one thing he couldn't improve through effort alone—chakra!
There were very few ways to increase chakra after birth. Shikamaru's chakra wasn't particularly low, but it certainly wasn't abundant either. Faced with this internal competition, he had to find ways to increase his chakra.
He had once witnessed Ino's chakra surge at the Curry of Life Shop and thought that eating chili peppers might be a solution. Surprisingly, chili peppers could warm the stomach, dispel cold, and promote blood circulation. After consuming a large amount, he noticed a slight increase in his chakra. Additionally, as a ninja from a prominent ninja clan, Shikamaru had been taking elixirs since childhood to enhance his physical constitution. Now, the chili peppers had fully activated the accumulated medicinal effects in his body, and he felt that his chakra had recently grown a bit.
What else was there to say? As long as it didn't kill him, he would eat as much as he could.
First, it was Shikamaru, then his good friend Choji, followed by Rock Lee, who had a particular fondness for curry. Then came Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata. Finally, even Neji, who had just recovered from his injuries, was dragged by Tenten and Rock Lee to have a meal.
As Rock Lee put it, "Come and try it, it's absolutely delicious."
Neji, with the mindset of "giving it a try," went to the Curry of Life Shop. However, after eating, he almost "passed away." Less than thirty minutes after being discharged from the hospital, he was carried back for stomach pumping and induced vomiting—quite a ordeal.
The process was a bit convoluted, but after this embarrassing episode, Neji's aloof demeanor diminished by about 70-80%. With Tenten and Rock Lee acting as bridges, and his relationship with Hinata, he somewhat awkwardly integrated into Ino's small group.
The Konoha 12 were all gathered! Shikamaru treated everyone to another round of curry.
Hearing from his students that curry could increase chakra, Guy rushed over to join the meal. To set an example for his students, he didn't even consider the double or quadruple spicy options. A real man should be tough on himself—he went straight for the 100x spicy curry. He ate until he was drenched in sweat, his hair almost turning red, and even licked the plate clean. He then gave his students a thumbs-up, indicating that this was also a form of training!
Another day passed, and Inoichi managed to track down Tsunade's whereabouts. Ino didn't leave through the main gate guarded by her comrades. With the Third Hokage's permission, she quietly exited the village through a hidden sentry post.
She hadn't gone more than 500 meters from the village when she saw three masked Anbu ninjas quickly chasing after her.
What was going on? Ino was completely baffled. Had she done something wrong? She hadn't, right?
She hadn't betrayed the village, so why this? As they got closer, she recognized the leader—a purple-haired female Anbu ninja with a long sword on her back. Was that Uzuki Yugao?
Uzuki Yugao, to emphasize the severity of the situation, immediately removed her mask and grabbed Ino's hand. "Quick! Hayate is injured, and it's serious. The Third Hokage believes only you can save him. Can you contact Lady Tsunade? Or do you have any miraculous medicine for injuries?"
When it came to her lover's life, the usually aloof Uzuki Yugao was extremely anxious.
After all that had happened, that unlucky Hayate Gekko still ended up getting slashed? And the Third Hokage thought she could heal him?
For a moment, Ino felt a surge of goodwill toward the Third Hokage. As the teacher of the Three Legendary Sannin, what did this mean? It meant he had a discerning eye! Look, she must have some real talent in Medical Ninja Techniques if even the Professor of Ninja Skills recognized her abilities! But then her heart sank again. Did she really not know her own level?