Ino groaned when she saw the bill that she had to pay after her spar with Shikamaru.

Shikamaru smirked as Ino counted out her money to pay for the tab. He would never admit it, but Ino had gotten close to defeating him in that spar. She was getting better at forming strategies, her fighting skills and movements were getting better. Her almost defeat by Sakura had made her focus more. She was less cocky now…although she has almost gotten too cautious.

No wonder she graduated top in their class. She was smart.

But he was smarter.

When she finished paying she stood up with a slight huff "You coming genius?" she demanded.

Shikamaru stood up lazily "Nah, I'm going to go to the hill" he stated placing his hands in his pockets.

Ino groaned but waved good bye as she headed out the door towards the training fields.

I have to get stronger.

She started her warm up by running around the training grounds. After a couple of miles she stopped to catch her breath before deciding to work on her target practice. Ino was a pretty good shot, but out of the ten kunai she threw only six of them hit the center of the target, the rest although they hit the target, were too wide.

"Looks like someone needs a bit more practice" a voice sounded from behind her.

She jumped and turned around a kunai in her hand.

"Relax Yamanaka-san, I came here to train the same as you" the Hyuuga boy stated as he entered the training grounds.

Ino still glanced at him skeptically. It was hard to trust a boy who was almost as pretty as she was.

"I am going to use do some byukagan training. You continue your target practice. I will be behind you" Neji said.

Ino scoffed. "How do I know that you won't attack me?" she demanded.

"You aren't worth my time , besides I am amazed that you made it to the final battle" Neji replied.

Ino had a short temper and she was willing to admit that. She turned around quickly and threw a kunai at the Hyuuge protégé.

Neji turned quickly and caught the kunai. His byukagan was not activated but he certainly wasn't expecting someone as "weak" as Yamanaka to challenge him.

Ino instantly realized her mistake when she saw the boy activate his byakugan.

Shit her inner self whispered.

But before she could react, Neji had her pinned against one of the targets, his arm spread across her collar bones just blow her neck and his hand inches away from her heart, glowing with chakara of the now activated byukagan.

"If you try anything like that again, I will kill you" Neji stated his face only inches from her own.

He released Ino who fell to her knees in shock and relief.

She glared at the Hyuuga boy's retreating back as he left the training ground.

When he was out of sight she climbed to her feet. She was still shaking from the interaction her and Neji had just had. She then recalled the chunin exams when Neji was about to deliver a death blow to Hinata.

He won't even hesitate to kill his own cousin. What makes you think he wouldn't take you out? Her inner self said to her.

She took a deep breath before walking around the targets and pulling each of her kunai out of the target before standing in the middle of the ring.

Let's try again.

She trained until the sun went down. Her target practice switched to taijutzu and was then replaced with push ups and sit ups.

Once the workout was finished the sun was beginning to go down and she decided it was time to leave the training grounds. As she wandered through the training grounds she saw Kiba and Hinata sparring one another. It was obvious to tell that Kiba was holding back against the Hyuuga heiress, Ino had always had a soft spot for the pretty Hyuuga girl so she wandered over.

"Hi Hinata, hi Kiba" she greeted with a smile.

"Ino" Kiba replied obviously wondering why the blond kunochi was there.

"H-hello I-Ino chan" Hinata greeted with a small smile.

Ino instantly turned her attention to the Hyuuga girl. "Hinata, I couldn't help but notice the way you are holding and swinging you kunai…I know it is very forward of me but do you mind if I give you some pointers?" Ino asked.

"um.. o-ok" Hinata muttered.

Ino smiled brightly and walked slowly over to the Hyuuga girl ignoring the dirty look that Kiba was giving her.

"Hinata, with the byukagan…you are a close range fighter, right?" Ino asked as she drew her own wepon.

"H-hai" Hinata stuttered.

"Show me your stance and how you hold the kunai" Ino demanded.

She watched as Hinata fell into her stance holding her kunai awkwardly. Ino walked up to the girl and moved Hinata's feet with her feet and reached down to push her knees into a bent postion.

Hinata blushed at the contact. "I…I feel like I..I am…in t-the b-byukagan p-position"

Ino nodded as she stood up. "Exactly…why try to fight in a different position if you already know a successful way to use close contact" she explained.

"OK Kiba. Go" she said.

Kiba nodded and attacked Hinata who blocked the attack and continued to fight against the Inuzuka boy. Hinata she was doing better and Ino could tell that Kiba suddenly had to bring it up a notch. But he eventually knocked the kunai out of Hinata's hand.

It was then that Ino noticed that way that Hinata's hand was awkwardly wrapped around the kunai and the way that it was easily knocked out of the girl's hand, as well as the way that she picked up the kunai with her left hand.

"Hinata…are you naturally left handed?" she asked.

Hinata looked at the girl with a blush…"Y-yes…but f-father s-says i-it's in-inappropriate"

Ino smiled sympathetically. "Just try with your left hand" she encouraged as she nodded to Kiba to attack again.

This time Hinata's grasp on the kunai was more solid. And Kiba had to kick it up another notch. Ino smiled as she watched the spar until finally Hinata successfully knocked the kunai out of Kiba's hand.

"Hell yeah, Hinata" she cheered.

Hinata was still in shock while Kiba was smiling proudly.

"Th-thank you…i-Ino chan" "Hinata said softly.

Ino smiled. "No problem" before she walked away.

When she got home she greeted her father happily. Although there was always a pang of sadness; she expected her mom to be too, but she wasn't.

Ino's mother had died the year after Ino entered the academy.

Cancer had taken her life. That night she had cried in Shikamaru's arms while her father, Shaiku and Chouza sat together and drank sake.

"How are you, daddy?" she asked.

Inochi gave her a soft smile before tugging at Ino's stubby ponytail. "I'm sorry you had to cut your hair" he said "I never got to tell you that"

"But I won the battle…so it was worth it" she said with a smile.

Inochi gave her daughter a proud smile before saying "I can't argue with that"

Ino smiled "What do you want to make for dinner?" she asked. Her father was a horrible cook so Ino had taken over cooking while he washed the dishes. Whenever they got in a fight, Ino made sure to dirty as many pots and pans as she could… what can I say, I am vengeful like that.

"Whatever you want to make, sweetheart" he said.

Ino decided to make some yakisoba noodles with some vegetables. When she finished she and her father sat together to eat.

"How was training today?" he asked.

"Shikamaru beat me again" she muttered as she angrily stabbed a carrot.

"Remember that boy is a genius lazy as hell but a genius, Ino. Odds are he could beat a number of people"

Ino sighed she knew that he was right. But she wasn't about to give up yet.

"I got close to beating him today…I mean as close as one can get" she said with a smile.

"That's my girl" he said proudly.

She smiled as they finished eating their meal.