Ino groans as she struggles to her feet. Ibiki is standing before her, unfazed.
"Quit trying to move me Yamanaka. You definitely can't win that way. There's a large difference in body weight here." Ibiki chastises.
"Can't Anko be my partner instead?" Ino complains.
Anko looks over with a dango stick in her mouth. How is she not tired of dango? Ino thinks to herself.
"Sorry champ. I have a mission tonight."
Ino blanches "Tonight! But you just got back."
"Yep." the snake mistress replies.
"Again, Yamanaka." Ibiki commands. He attacks her- she knows he is holding back, his movements are exaggerated and slow so that she can follow them. She steps to the side wrapping her leg around Ibiki's shoving him with all her strength.
He easily throws her to the ground.
"Quit trying to muscle your way through this! You are never going to out weigh or out muscle Ibiki. At least not anytime soon." Anko says from her spot in the shade of the tree.
"That's what I'm doing." Ino snaps.
"No it's not. I am stable as that tree. You need to get me off balance, just wrapping your leg around mine isn't going to be enough."
Ino tilts her head.
"Watch." Ibiki approaches her head on.
He grabs her shirt and turns his body against hers, forcing her to face him from the side instead of face to face and causing her weight to shift from a grounded position, all of it on her left leg.
"You feel that?" he demands.
"Yeah." Ino says, she has already grabbed her sparring partner's shirt to catch her balance.
"Now that you are off balance." he pauses, wraps his leg around Ino's and shoves. Ino falls to the ground "All I have to do is shove you."
Ino groans. "Damn it."
"Get up, Yamanaka." Ibiki commands.
Ino sighs and climbs to her feet.
She is on the ground in seconds.
Again.
And again.
"Fuck, this is getting really old really fast."
"You think it's getting old for you? I've run out of dango and it's only fun to watch Ibiki throw gennin on the ground so many times." Anko says. She is sitting on the ground, her legs are crossed at the ankle and she is currently weaving flowers together.
Ino opens her mouth to reply, a snarky comment on her lips.
"Yamanaka, I have places to be and better ways to waste my time than throwing you on the ground" Ibiki cuts her short.
"Waste of time?" Ino screeches.
"Well, you certainly haven't managed to knock me off my feet yet." Ibiki goads.
Ino grabs her superior's jacket in anger and shoves her body against him. She is fed up with people telling her that she is a waste of time. Neji. Shikamaru. Asuma. Dosu. Now Ibiki?
Fucker has only been training me for a few hours. Damn it. And he and my Dad are friends- the man has been over to my house, given me birthday presents, hell he has even babysat me before!
She shoves him hard, and Ibiki falls to the ground.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Anko cries.
Ibiki smirks at her from the ground. "Took you long enough, Yamanaka."
Ino knows that Ibiki has been taking it easy on her, that he could have easily avoided her movements, but she did it! She had bested her teacher, she had made Someone realize that she is actually worth something.
Anko recognizes it. She thinks to herself. But Anko doesn't count, Anko's insane.
"Thanks." she pants as she offers her superior a hand to help him to his feet. Ibiki smiles and ruffles the Yamanaka girl's hair. Ino knows that the older man has a soft spot for her, just like the other members of Ino-Shika-Cho, Ino had grown up with Ibiki at her home and seeing him at the T&I department.
Ibiki turns his glare to Anko, "Alright, Mitarashi. Time's up. I helped you with Yamanaka. Now get back to work!"
Anko sighs and climbs to her feet. There is a crown made of flowers in her hands.
"I thought you had a mission." Ino says.
"Any day with Ibiki is a mission, kid." Anko says stepping forward.
Ibiki takes a deep breath and releases it loudly through his nostrils, not even trying to hide his frustration.
"Nice work today." Anko praises placing the flower crown of dandelions on Ino's head.
Despite the immature display of affection, Ino can't help but beam at Anko's gift.
"See you tomorrow, kid." Anko waves.
"Already?" Ino whines.
"Yep. You did good."
"Anko, the exams-" she begins
"Are three days away." Anko finishes.
"So why are we-"
"Cutting today's session short? We aren't. I am giving you time to do you little cardio routine and see if you can convince one of your little friends to let you probe around their mind for a bit. Try that one with the pink hair that almost bested you."
Ino bites her tongue to keep from arguing with Anko.
"Anko!" Ibiki calls from across the training ground.
"See ya tomorrow." Anko replies before dashing away.
Ino groans and leaves the training grounds to find Sakura.
"Oi, Forehead!" Sakura looks up from the book she is reading at the tea shop. Ino is walking towards her with a purpose and a ridiculous crown of dandelions on her head.
"Nice crown, Pig. Did a kid make that for you?" she scoffs.
Ino rolls her eyes and pulls the crown off her head. "No. Anko-sempai did. So yeah, might as well have been a kid."
Sakura blinks at her frienenemy.
"I need you help." Ino says with a sigh.
Sakura scoffs. "You need my help?"
"Yes!"
Sakura can tell that Ino is already mad that she has to ask her for help. Ino's pride is going to be the death of her.
Ino sighs and crosses her arms over her chest, Sakura can't help but notice that Ino's cheekbones are sharper, lean muscles are gracing her arms and legs, and her jawline more defined. Ino really could be a model if this whole kunochi thing doesn't work out she thinks bitterly.
"Look, you almost beat me at the chunnin exams. And you broke through my jutsu."
Sakura bristles at the word almost.
"I need to practice, I don't want that Dosu guy breaking out and killing me."
Sakura hesitates and looks at Ino. The two of them have formed a tense truce, and their friendship is slowly on the mend.
Despite Ino's poorly concealed impatience, the blonde girl doesn't say a word. Sakura mentally chuckles wondering how long her loudmouth friend really can go without making her opinion known.
Sakura can't help but consider pondering her question even longer. To her surprise, her friend still remains silent, although the telltale tensing of jaw is obvious.
"Fine." Sakura finally responds.
Ino smiles a genuine smile. "Thank you. Can you meet at training ground 8 in a couple of hours."
"Sure thing, Pig"
"Forehead." Ino replies with another dazzling smile and a nod before running off.
Two hours later, Ino is once again standing across from Sakura, preparing to battle once again. This time I am ready, there is no hesitation, just a body posession.
As Sakura begins to charge, Ino uses the Mind Transfer Technique. She hits Sakura dead on, and instantly takes control of her body. Ino's father's theory is right, it isn't that Sakura has two souls, it's that Naruto was cheering her on, it was Naruto that broke though Ino's jutsu and reached the pinkette before her.
Fucking Naruto.
Ino immediately breaks the jutsu and Sakura regains consciousness. "You did it already?"
Ino nods doing her best to hide her triumphant smile. From Sakura's reaction, she succeeded.
"Why couldn't I break though it this time?" Sakura demands.
Ino sighs; she isn't sure if she wants to break her friend's heart. Then again…sometimes the hard truth is better than nothing. Besides Naruto is so infatuated, maybe this will make Sakura like him? Then Sasuke will be all mine.
"I used my jutsu on you during the written exams." Ino explains.
"No you didn't." Sakura says stubbornly.
"Do you really think that Shikamaru would willingly fill out a test?" Ino challenges.
Sakura bites her lip. "No."
"You broke though last time because of Naruto. That moron's cheerleading managed to bring your consciousness back," Ino explains.
"Let's go again." Sakura demands, drawing a weapon and charging.
Ino mimics her actions and evades the pink haired girl's attack. Ino can''t help but realize that she has gotten stronger and faster than Sakura, she disarms the other girl quickly. Sakura switches attacks and begins to kick and punch, Ino dodges to the left then ducks to avoid a roundhouse kick. She leaps out of attacking distance and quickly preforms the few handsigns for the Hypnosis Jutsu.
She quickly scans the neurons, but is stopped too quickly by Sakura who punches her in the face, sending her flying.
Ino climbs to her feet again-but is still unable to use the technique with Sakura immediately attacking her once again, narrowly managing to block the pink haired girl's weapon.
"What's wrong, Pig? Slowing down?" Sakura taunts.
Ino chuckles. "You wish, Forehead." she kicks Sakura hard in the chest, sending the other girl flying. Once again, Ino quickly preforms the jutsu.
This time she finds the part of the brain she is looking for just as Sakura climbs to her feet.
This is pointless Ino nudges.
Sakura shakes her head, noticing the handsigns that Ino is holding.
"What are you doing?" Sakura demands.
I don't really want to do this Ino nudges again, a little harder.
Sakura hesitates.
Just drop the kunai. Do you really want to attack your friend?"
Sakura's grip tightens and Ino winces.
Drop the kunai. This time Ino shoves hard, her head already beginning to hurt from the strain.
Sakura drops her weapon and relaxing her stance.
Ino charges and has a kunai in Sakura's back.
"I win, Forehead." she says softly. Note to self, make sure to say the right thing. I had to try a lot harder after I fucked up. Then again, Dosu will probably be that hard.
"What did you do to me?" Sakura demands, she knows that Ino had managed to do something to her. She saw Ino holding handsigns for a technique- but for some reason she didn't attack. She didn't want to attack. But we were sparing, why would I not attack?
Ino steps back and puts her kunai back in her holster.
"A new technique." Ino says simply.
"What is it?"
"Another mind one." Ino answers.
Sakura puffs out her cheeks and releases an annoyed sigh. "Well no shit, all of your jutsu are mind games."
Ino chuckles. "You're smart, Forehead. You'll figure it out, let's go again."
Sakura shakes her head. "I think I'll pass, having you in my mind is creepy. Whatever that new jutsu is, that's super creepy. It's like I was hypnotized."
Ino groans.
"Find someone else to torture." Sakura says.
Ino plops on the ground and to her surprise, Sakura plops down next to her. The two are silent, but Ino can feel Sakura wanting to ask a question.
"What is it?" Ino says cutting to the chase.
"Are you scared?"
"Terrified." Ino finds herself answering honestly.
"Then why are you doing it? You can drop out."
Ino laughs. "You too?"
"Me too?"
"Don't think I can do this?"
"You've gotten stronger and faster- I don't think that you will go down without a fight." Sakura replies.
Safe answer. But probably the only one that gives her hope and pride- that and the hesitant one that Kiba had given her almost a full month ago. If Sakura was able to both admit and notice that Ino has gotten stronger, then the Yamanaka girl will certainly take the compliment.
"I can't drop out. You know what the village thinks of me. That I'm another loudmouth, vain, pretty blonde gossip who is too concerned about her looks and boys to actually be taken seriously as a kunochi."
"Well you got the loudmouth and vain part down." Sakura seeths.
Ino glares.
"As for the gossip part- well you're more of a gossip columnist."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ino snaps.
"You can and know how to keep a secret- it's the little funny shit like Anko and Kakashi are secretly dating or Gai and Kakashi had a crazy drug fueled orgy with a bunch of Kumo kunochi. types of secrets that you can't keep. That and you always have to make your opinion known."
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion." Ino replies haughtily. And little do you know, Kakashi and Anko actually are dating…I think. The mindwalker mentally adds.
Sakura rolls her eyes. "Look, Pig. I get it. You have something to prove, I did too coming from a civilian family. Just don't get yourself killed."
Ino sighs. "Thanks, Forehead."