A/N: I am so sorry that this is late. I was almost done with this and then it got deleted so I had to re-write all my work.
The next day, Hanara went to Training Ground 4 a bit earlier than usual. Asuma-Sensei trained before he trained them so she knew that he would be there.
"Asuma-Sensei!" she called.
He turned, "Hanara? Why are you here so early?"
"I have a question for you," she said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Do you know anyone who knows how to use chakra threads and would train me this month?"
"Hmm... chakra threads, huh? Sorry, I don't think I do. Why do you want to use them?"
"It's just, most of our team's strategies rely on Shikamaru trapping our opponent and then me or Choji finishing them off. If I used chakra threads and a clone, I could do both myself instead of trying to make different strategies for the exam."
"Huh. That's a good idea. I think that if you go to the International Techniques section of the Shinobi Library you should be able to find some instructions. You probably will have to make some stuff up on the way but if you watched that puppeteer with your Byakugan active, copying the way he moulded his chakra should make things easier," Asuma-Sensei advised, "We'll be doing endurance and stamina training as well as chakra building exercises on Fridays so come over then. Sorry I couldn't be much help."
Hanara smiled excitedly, "No you were amazing help! Thanks, Asuma-Sensei!"
The next six hours were uneventful. Hanara was just practicing using chakra threads, the Gentle Fist, drinking water, or eating. Chakra threads were used by creating wire-like threads out of chakra from your fingertips and controlling them. To use that technique, you need to have above-average chakra control, but thankfully, Hanara had that. The Gentle Fist made sure of it. Seeing as she needed to also shoot chakra out of your fingertips for the Gentle Fist, Hanara was progressing quite fast in the 'Creating Chakra Threads' bit of her training. The 'Controlling Chakra Threads' bit... not so much.
However, now she was bored out of her mind. There was only so much training you could do before you either collapsed or stopped putting in effort. Neither of those options didn't seem very appealing to Hanara. Collapsing just causing lots of pain and is just plain unnecessary while not putting in the effort is just a waste of time.
'Maybe I could go drag Ino to the hot springs with me. If she isn't there I could go get... Sakura maybe? Hinata? Nah, both those options would just be plain awkward. Tenten, then? Okay, it's just sad that I only have one girl friend. Let's hope Ino is available...''
The walk to Yamanaka Flowers was uneventful as all the people Hanara knew were usually training at 15:00. When she opened the door to the flower shop, she was greeted by the startled face of Ino.
"Oh hey, Hana. Sorry, I didn't see you there," Ino said sheepishly.
"I could tell," Hanara deadpanned.
"Anyway, what are you doing here," Ino asked as she stepped back inside the shop, allowing Hanara to step in as well.
"Can't a girl visit her friend?" Hanara questioned innocently.
"You never do that. You're obviously here for a reason," Ino said, shaking her head, "So what is it?"
Hanara sighed, "Fine. I did come here for a reason, but it was to hang out with you. I wanted to ask you if you'd go to the hot springs with me."
"Okay, sure! That's a great idea! Only for an hour though. Dad wants to train with me later."
At the hot springs:
The girls were relaxing in peaceful silence when out of nowhere, Ino looked at Hanara, confused, "Why me? You usually ask someone else to hang out with you."
"I may have just realized you're my only female friend," Hanara mumbled.
A huge grin formed onto Ino's face, "Sorry, come again?"
"I may have just realized that you're my only female friend," Hanara repeated, louder this time.
Ino burst out laughing, "Oh this is priceless! I feel so honoured! Out of all the girls in the Leaf, the great Hanara Hyuga is only friends with me!"
"Shut up," Hanara muttered, cheeks flushed.
"Oh, no. I'm holding this over you until you make some other ones and I'm telling them this, too!" Ino chortled.
Hanara playfully pushed Ino, "I hate you."
"Love you too!" she smiled.
"Well I mean, doesn't it make sense? Most of the girls are clueless Sasuke fans that only talk about him. You're decent about it now, and thank goodness for that. And then there's Lady Hinata and Tenten."
"I just don't talk about him in front of you too much," Ino protested, "Sasuke is still amazing! Not that you'd understand, with your crush on Shikamaru."
"That's tr- wait what? What crush on Shikamaru? What are you talking about?"
"Asuma-Sensei told me all about how you guys were acting during my match. I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Ino exclaimed.
"I mean, sure I get flustered sometimes around him and want him to pay attention to me, but that means nothing!" Hanara defended.
"That, my child, is the literal definition of a crush," Ino said.
"It is not! I refuse to believe that I have a crush on Shikamaru and that is that!"
"Denial~" Ino sang.
Hanara sighed, "I won't be able to change your mind."
'Do I really have a crush on Shikamaru? I mean, I've never had a crush before and it would make everything clearer...'
"Damn straight!" Ino said happily.
The girls sat and chatted for a while, enjoying the soothing sensation that the hot springs provided before reluctantly, dragging themselves into the changing room.
"Man, we should do this after a mission instead of stuffing ourselves at Yakiniku Q," Ino sighed.
"Don't let Choji hear you say that," Hanara laughed, "You know how he-"
"Hey, you Pervy Sage, stop staring at the girls and teach me!" a male voice yelled.
"PERVERT!" the girls in the hot spring squealed.
Ino's eyes narrowed, "Hanara, what's happening?"
'Byakugan!'
"There's Naruto and some old dude behind the gate on the east side of the hot spring. Seems like the old dude was spying on us," Hanara relayed.
"Oh, he won't know what hit him," Ino growled as she cracked her knuckles, "Hurry up and lead me to him."
Hanara obediently led the way, half afraid for the Toad Sannin's life and half eager to see him get what he deserved. If she wanted to stop Ino, all she needed to do was mention that Jiraiya was a Sannin. Anyway, who was she to get in the way of Ino's revenge?
Soon, the Toad Sannin was in sight.
"-help me with this at all! Everyday, it's the same thing! You just perv on girls until they disappear! It's so-" Naruto was yelling before Ino interrupted him by punching Jiraiya from behind.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, PERVING ON US LIKE THAT?" Ino yelled.
Hanara slowly walked towards Naruto. This was gonna be interesting.
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! I SHOULD REPORT YOU TO THE HOKAGE! WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELAX IN-"
Hanara stopped listening and shot a sheepish glance at Naruto. Ino was just voicing the same things Hanara was thinking.
Hanara rubbed the back of her neck, "We were changing back into our clothes when we heard the girls scream. Thought we should teach him a lesson."
"Hey, aren't you in the finals? Shouldn't you be training?" Naruto asked.
"I was taking a break. I don't have the stamina to train for days straight," she told him before turning to Ino, "INO! You might not want to kill one of the Sannin even if he isn't fighting back. As the Yamanaka heir, you wouldn't want that on your record. And, you do have training to get back to."
"EH! He's the Toad Sage?" she asked incredulously, backing off, "He's just an old pervert!"
"Oho!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he stood up, acting like he hadn't seen Hanara yesterday in the Hokage's office, "I see someone recognizes me. You have an eye for greatness!"
"No, I just have a brain," Hanara snorted.
"Hehehe," Ino chuckled nervously, "I'm just gonna go now... bye!"
And Ino was gone.
"Hm... since you're here, do you think you can help me with something?" Jiraiya asked.
"I guess," Hanara shrugged, "It depends."
"I want you to check Naruto's chakra network when he tries to do the summoning jutsu."
"Pervy Sage!" Naruto whined, "You can't just go and give my new technique away to someone who's going to participate! Besides, you wanted me to use that chakra!"
"She already knows about that," Jiraiya said nonchalantly.
"Wait, you knew?" Naruto turned onto her, "How?
Hanara tapped the corner of her right eye with her right hand, "Now, I'm going to let you in on a secret that you can't tell anyone, got it? Just like I can't tell anyone about the Nine-Tails."
Naruto nodded, uncharacteristically solemn.
"My Byakugan's weird, it can see through seals. The first time I scanned you with it, I saw two chakras. I did some research and came up with a hypothesis saying that you were the Nine-Tails' jailer. It was only confirmed yesterday," Hanara said honestly.
"And... you don't think I'm a monster?" he asked, sounding vulnerable.
Hanara narrowed her eyes, "Of course not! You're annoying, loud, and sometimes stupid, but you were never cruel! You never did anything that the Nine-Tails would. In fact, you're a hero! You saved the village by being there just in time for the Fourth Hokage to seal it in you! If it weren't for you, the village would be destroyed!"
"Y-You're right, y'know! Thank you!" Naruto said, smiling. He ran up and hugged her.
Hanara's eyes widened, "U-Um..."
'I'm so glad Shikamaru doesn't give impromptu hugs. If he did, I'd be fainting everywhere just like Hinata. Dammit, Ino. Now that I'm aware, everything's gonna be even weirder!'
Jiraiya cleared his throat, "Naruto? We have to get back to training."
Naruto immediately released her, "Right! Back to training!"