Ino groaned when her alarm went off at six o clock in the morning. She rolled over and slammed her hand against the snooze button before huddling into her bed once more. Two minutes later the same alarm buzzed and once again she felt around blindly before hitting the snooze button. The third time the alarm buzzed she grabbed it and threw it against the wall where it fell to the floor with a louder clatter than the actual sound of the alarm. She sighed and sat up, running fingers through her messy blonde hair and rubbing sleep out of her cerulean eyes.

She shoved the covers away from her body and changed into the closest set of work out clothes that she could find. Yanking on a pair of shorts and a sports bra, then pulling on her workout shoes, Ino slipped out the door and went on a run through the village. Running in the morning was Ino's favorite time. The sun was just beginning to rise, bathing the village in a glow of soft colors. The smells of bread baking in the bakery and coffee brewing at the cafes wafted through the air as she ran through the mostly empty streets of the city.

An hour later she returned and after showering and changing into her typical purple attire, walked to the kitchen where she had left her scrolls on clan jutzus and about the human brain. She grabbed the scrolls, books, and a granola bar before walking to the flower shop. Her father was away on a mission for the next two days and Ino had agreed to work the shop for him. It was the least that she could do after him spending countless hours with her answering her questions about the new clan techniques and the ways that the brain was mapped. She hummed to herself as she began the morning routine of taking inventory and watering the flowers, removing the dead ones and bringing in the bouquets from the back that her father had created the night before. Once finished she flipped the sign to open and sat at the counter.

Her newest test for herself was to see if she could draw the image of the brain and label all the parts of it as well as their functions without looking at the original drawing. As soon as she mastered that she planned on doing the same with the neurons. She was currently trying to remember the functions of the medula before the bell chimed and she looked up to see a waft of cigarette smoke float among the aisles of flowers before her teacher appeared before her.

"Asuma-sensai." she greeted happily.

Her teacher jumped turned to her and smiled. "Hello Ino. I didn't know that you were working the shop today." he exclaimed.

"I told you last night when I said I wouldn't be able to train with the rest of the team today or tomorrow because Dad is away on a mission and I told him that I would be watching the shop until he got back." Ino deadpanned.

"Oh well in that case. I just wanted to um- to." he stuttered. Asuma wasn't expecting his student to be working the shop this early.

"Just between you and me, sensai. I heard that Kurenai-sensai is partial to asters and carnations. Just a little heads up." Ino said, exposing the worst kept secret in the village.

Asuma blushed. "What do they mean?" he found himself asking.

Ino chuckled lightly. "Asters are said to bring luck and protection, while carnations show admiration, love and affection." Ino replied.

Asuma stood in the shop for a moment and looked at the girl before sighing. Leave it to Ino, the hopeless romantic to figure out his relationship with Kurenai so quickly. "Love and affection, huh?" Asuma asked rubbing his chin in thought.

Ino smiled. "Yep." Then she stood up and walked down the aisle where there was a bucket of water holding the carnations and another holding the asters. Deft fingers plucked the flowers and created a small bouquet for the flower, she then added a few other flora that caught her eye before wrapping them in the clear plastic and holding them out to her teacher.

"Is this alright?" she asked.

Asuma stared for a moment at the lovely bouquet before him. Ino had chosen all reds and whites as well as a few darker purple colors weaved in there. The flowers together seemed to scream Kurenai from their colors to the message that he was trying to convey to the woman that he loved. "Perfect." he replied.

Ino rang him up at the cash register. "Thank you, Ino."

"See you soon, Asuma-sensai." she replied waving as the man walked out the door.

Ino quickly returned to her drawing, labeling and drawing the images of the brain to the best of her ability. She was interrupted again when the bell chimed. She looked up in shock seeing the man she would be battling in a three weeks, Dosu standing in the doorway. Quickly she shoved the scrolls and papers she had been studying aside, hoping that they would cover one another. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"No. I just wanted to scope out the competition." Dosu replied as he looked around the shop. "You have lovely flowers." he mused as he walked among the aisles dragging wrapped fingers along the buckets that contained them.

"Thank you. My father picks them in the fields not far from here." she managed to say with a tight voice.

"Your father. He is a ninja as well?" Dosu inquired. Ino knew what he was doing, he was trying to be nice, sweet talk her. She remembered her father telling her once to always get to know your enemy. Either get to know them through others via investigation or do what the Yamanaka did best and play mind games. That was what Dosu was doing, he was trying to make himself seem more likable, less deadly than he really was. Charm her into letting her guard down before slitting her throat. It's a shame I remember our last interaction so well. I bet that if you had better posture and a cute face under those bandages you might get a shot.

"Yes." Ino replied tightly.

He chuckled. "Like father, like daughter. Was your mother a ninja as well?"

"No she was a civilian." Ino said.

"Was?" Dosu inquired.

"What about you?" she asked quickly changing the topic.

"I come from a long line of sound affiliated ninja. How else do you think I would have managed to get this device on my arm." Dosu inquired.

Ino nodded. "Interesting." she replied.

Dosu had finished his patrol up and down the aisles and was now standing before the counter looking at her through his one visible eye. You know, I used to think that was hot with Kakashi-sensai and all…but on this guy it's just a bit creepy.

"I'll cut right to the chase here, princess. I want to fight the Uchiha and you are in my way." he said.

Ino narrowed her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you. Looks like you are going to have to get past me to get at Sasuke-kun." she replied slightly proud that she was protecting Sasuke.

"Because I think you are cute, I will tell you. Drop out." he dead panned.

Ino held in a groan. Why the hell does everyone what me to drop out?!

"Or I could always kill you." Dosu said nonchalantly giving her a smile.

Ino's body tensed then. She was training to fight this guy that was true, but was she ready? She wasn't sure how confident she was now that he was standing right in front of her. The fur jacket he wore as well as his bad posture made him look like some twisted monster that could be found in the mountains in the Land of Snow. His black eye narrowed as he peered down at her.

"Well?" he asked.

"Why not wait? We are fighting in a few days." Ino managed to say casually.

"Because I shouldn't have to waste chakara on a weakling like you." he replied simply.

Ino's mind was racing, she thought about the new techniques that her father had been teaching her. Could she do it? She hadn't really tried yet, sure she knew it in theory. Well no better time than now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she quickly wove the three simple hand signs beneath the counter. She opened them again and almost gasped for joy when she saw the entire human brain visible through Dosu's skull. Is this what Hinata and Neji see? She tried to keep her mind on the conversation and while she looked through his mind trying to find any part of the brain that she could send a message to.

"Well if I am so weak. Why does it matter?" she asked, she was stalling.

"I told you. Regardless it would be a waste of my time and energy. So Yamanaka what's it going to be?" he asked again.

Leave. You have something else to do. She mentally spoke.

Dosu looked at her. "Did you say something?" he asked.

Ino shook her head before repeating the thought You just remembered you have something to do.

"I am not going to drop out." she managed to speak before quickly adding an after thought You don't have time to kill me.

She noticed him hesitate for a second. "Let's make this quick, Yamanaka. I have things to do."

Shit. Ino thought to herself. She quickly reworded her thoughts, pressing even harder She isn't worth your time. You are too busy to kill her right now. It's too messy.

"Then I guess that I am just going to have to" he paused as Ino sent him another message.

"The battles are in a few weeks. Can you not wait?" Shikamaru asked. Ino jumped she didn't even hear the door open.

Dosu gave a sarcastic laugh. "Caught in your shadow again, am I?" he asked.

Ino drew a kunai. "Only this time you are alone. Shikamaru can hold you as long as I need."

Dosu narrowed his eyes at her "I'm just going to leave you with a warning doll face, I will meet you in that stadium, and that pretty face of yours is going to be the first thing that I cut up."

She tightened her grip on her kunai. "Shikamaru let him go. Dosu just walk away. I will see you in the stadium."

She saw Shikamaru's hesitation. "My dad will kill me if we get in a fight in the flower shop. Let him go. He's leaving."

Shikamaru sighed and released the jutzu. Dosu glared at them both before walking out the door. It was only then that Ino allowed herself to collapse on the counter both in relief and exhaustion.

"Ino? I told you. You can't handle that guy." he said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Ino laughed then. "But I can. Because I can see his mind now." she replied.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"This new jutsu I am working on. It's essentially a hypnosis, I am still in my body and his mind is open to suggestion." she explained.

"It didn't look too open." Shikamaru replied.

"I almost had him. If you hadn't interrupted I might have been able to do it!" she cried out angrily.

"Or you could have been killed!" Shikamaru shot back.

Ino glared at the boy before her. "Now we will never know! I had him Shikamaru, he was already starting to question why he was here!" she all but cried out.

"Why was he here, Ino?" Shikamaru demanded.

"I have a lot of work to do."

"Why was he here?"

"The same reason you are here." Ino replied.

"To tell you that my mom wants you to come over for dinner tonight since you are by yourself?" he asked.

Ino shot him a glare.

"He wants you to drop out as well. Why?"

"He wants to fight Sasuke." Ino muttered crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ino. That guy could probably defeat Sasuke." Shikamaru replied.

"I graduated higher up at the academy than Sasuke." Ino pointed out.

"But you are not as strong as Sasuke."

"I will be by the time this match happens."

"Why are you so damn difficult!" Shikamaru yelled.

Ino jumped back. Shikamaru got irritated with her, but he had never yelled at her. That took way too much effort on his part. Ino glared at him.

"Get out." she replied.

"Ino, I…" he started.

"Get out, Shika. Tell your mother that I have to decline her invitation."

Shikamaru opened his mouth as if he wanted to reply but instead just turned and walked out the door muttering something about troublesome women along the way. How could she be so stupid? She knows how strong that guy is.

After work that day, Ino all but ran to the training grounds to get some training in. Her mind was still racing after her interaction with Dosu and Shikamaru. She sighed after finishing her ab workout and decided to try Hinata's exercises. Maybe some of the yoga would help her thoughts. She took a few deep breaths and began the sequence that Hinata had taught her. She held each pose for fifteen long and deep breaths. Each second pushing herself a tiny bit more into the stance. Hinata had told her that she needed to clear her mind and let her gaze travel into infinity. That seemed impossible to the blonde, in fact she wasn't sure if she could be silent for more than two minutes. But to her surprise her buzzing thoughts began to slow down, her fear of Dosu quelling and Shikamaru's screams died down to his lazy droll once again. She was sure that she had almost reached that state when a voice broke her thoughts.

"What are you doing, Yamanaka?"

Ino opened her eyes and moved out of the warrior pose and back to a standing position. "Well I was trying to do a yoga sequence until someone interrupted me." Ino stated, just because her mind was at ease a few seconds ago, didn't mean that she wasn't still irritated with the events before. And now that Neji had interrupted her lack of thoughts, he also brought her angry ones back.

"That is a sequence the Hyuuga clan uses. How did you learn it?" Neji demanded.

"I was taught." Ino replied simply. When Hinata had first taught her the moves, she made sure to clarify with Ino time and time again that even though these were the moves that the Hyuuga used with their most basic training, it was a sequence that many practitioners of yoga also preformed. "Ashtanga is a sequence that is practiced widely, Hyuuga. Not only your clan uses it."

"Hinata." Neji said his cousin's name bitterly.

"Taught me a sequence that any experienced or master yogi would know." Ino clarified, she was pissed to say the least. From the icy look in his pearlescent eyes, Ino could tell that he felt the same.

"Why is my cousin wasting her time with you?" Neji demanded.

"Because unlike you, she actually gives a damn about others." Ino replied crossing her arms over her chest.

Neji narrowed his pearly eyes. "Don't test me Yamanaka." he said.

"Or what? You will kill me like you tried to do to you cousin?" Ino demanded. Gods damn me and my fucking big mouth. She thought to herself when she saw Neji's byukagan activate.

"Don't tempt me, Yamanaka. I warned you last week." he growled.

Ino rolled her sapphire eyes. "Is that a challenge?" she demanded.

Neji smirked and Ino found herself sliding into a fighting stance.

"Ino. Neji." a voice barked from behind.

Both genin turned to see Gai and Asuma standing before them, Guy with his hands on his hips and Asuma with his omnipresent cigarette smoking between his lips. "Both of you. Save your skills and energy for the battle." Asuma stated.

Neji's eyes returned to their normal state and Ino relaxed, arms once again crossed and eyes narrowed.

"She is wasting her time. Once a weakling always a weakling." Neji said closing his eyes.

"Why you little." Ino growled before beginning to charge towards Neji.

Asuma caught her. "Woah, woah, woah, feisty. Control that temper of yours."

Neji smirked. Her emotions get in the way. All I have to do is get her worked up. She will get a team killed with those emotions of hers.

"Go home, Ino." Asuma said to her.

"But Asuma-sensai." Ino began.

"You heard me, come on." he said leading her away from the training grounds.

"You know she graduated top in her class, right?" Gai inquired.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think this year's batch was so weak. She almost lost to Sakura, who didn't graduate that high on the roster. She is on a team with that Nara boy who almost failed."

"And yet those two both made it to the final examination. Don't underestimate your enemies. You are aware of what the Yamanaka Clan is capable of right?" Gai asked.

Fucking with your head. "Possessing your body." Neji replied simply.

Gai chuckled. "If only it were that simple. Have you ever wondered how Konoha manages to extract the information out of every single enemy?"

"Ibiki." Neji replied simply.

Gai shook his head. "A Yamanaka. Ino's father to be more precise."

Neji looked at his teacher.

"The Yamanaka can manipulate the human mind. They can make you believe almost anything. Their mind tricks are like a genjutsu that you can't escape from. A skilled mind walker like Inochi can communicate telepathically, take over the minds of humans and animals alike, and make people believe almost anything."

That pathetic girl is the daughter of Inochi Yamanaka. She is capable of doing all that, why the hell did she almost loose to Sakura.

"Then why is she so weak?" Neji demanded.

"Ino doesn't have her priorities straight yet. She worries about other things than being a kunochi, although from what Asuma has been telling me, she has been training harder. Almost loosing to Sakura really shook her up."

Neji sighed. "And you are wasting my time telling me this because?"

Gai also sighed. Neji was a genius there was no doubt, but he was a hardheaded and proud genius. Something that Gai himself couldn't stand. Almost like Kakashi only less lazy and definitely not modest.

"All I am saying Neji, is don't judge a book by it's cover. It is true that the Yamanaka girl is a pretty face and prideful. However, she is capable of great things and she might just surprise you."

Neji rolled his eyes. And I will loose to the dobe, Naruto.