Chapter 2: Akimichi Chōji and Nara Shikamaru

Was the knowledge learned at Ninja Academy useful? Well, it's both useful and useless. It's useful during exams or specific missions, but when facing opponents like Orochimaru, Pain, or Madara, it's pretty much useless.

Regardless of whether it's half-hearted or not, at least Ino was taking notes. Some people didn't even bother to pretend, like the two guys behind her. The skinny one was sleeping on the table, while the chubby one next to him, who was 1.5 meters tall and weighed 60 kg, kept munching on snacks.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. The sound of mouth, chewing puffed snacks filled the classroom. The twenty-seven students and one teacher seemed accustomed to this sound, and the chubby guy seemed delighted by his snacks.

Seeing Ino turn around and give him a deadpan stare, the chubby friend hesitated for two seconds, then showed a very gentle smile and handed the bag of potato chips to Ino. As Ino slowly reached out her hand, he solemnly raised a finger, signaling that she could have only one chip—no more.

The chubby friend didn't care about classroom discipline at all. Why eat during class? Don't ask; the answer was for training purposes. Ino still respected teachers who were earnest and responsible. She moved lightly, glanced into the bag of potato chips, and then overlapped her left and right thumbs upwards, with her left thumb slightly higher than her right thumb, forming a standard "未" symbol.

'Perception!'

Suddenly, the world around her became clear through her senses. She heard people breathing, noticed Iruka's sidelong glance in their direction, and observed classmates passing notes, drawing stick figures, and picking their noses. Many details that her brain usually filters out flooded her perception.

Ino had a natural talent for perception. Her experience in sales has made her sensitive to human emotions. After the fusion of two souls following her transmigration, this ability was further enhanced. She easily ignored irrelevant information, using her perception to select the largest potato chip. With a calm expression, she placed it in her mouth and savored it, much to the astonishment of her chubby friend, Chōji.

Although she said it was the largest, it wasn't that big. Most people couldn't even discern the slight difference. But for a top-tier foodie like Chōji, even without powerful perception abilities, with his rich experience and intuition, he could still perceive the difference.

"Ah?! You..." Although he was chubby, Akimichi Chōji, whose family name ironically meant "butterfly," took promises seriously. Having the largest chip taken away by Ino, he felt a little distressed, his face showing a conflicted expression.

"You two are really childish, acting like little kids." Lying next to Chōji, Nara Shikamaru lazily commented.

"Hmph, you're the one acting all old and serious. You're only one day older than me," Ino smirked, making a victorious expression at the two, then turned back to continue writing her notes.

It had been three months since she crossed over and merged memories. As a descendant of the renowned ninja alliance of the Ino-Shika-Chō (Pig-Deer-Butterfly) trio, it was highly likely that her future teammates for a long time would be the two boys behind her.

The understanding between teammates should be cultivated early. Perhaps this understanding could save her life at a critical moment in the future.

And yes, she does care a lot about her own life.

Previously, the relationship between Ino and the two boys behind her was just ordinary. At the age of 12, boys played with boys and girls played with girls. It was difficult for her, as a girl, to play with these two boys. Their interactions were limited to occasional greetings during family gatherings or chance encounters at school.

After crossing over, Ino consciously changed the situation. She wasn't a salesperson for nothing in her past life. Now there was no need to push houses, building materials, and furniture onto her peers. Instead, she engaged in everyday interactions, allowing their relationships to naturally grow closer.

The three of them—Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji—were heirs to their respective family clans. The boundaries between the Ino-Shika-Cho clans were well-defined. Any attempt by one family to absorb another through marriage or other means would threaten the foundation of their alliance. Romantic feelings between them were out of the question; their families wouldn't approve. Thus, their current relationship remained one of simple friendship.

Shikamaru is highly intelligent and vigilant; he is a truly clever person. Ino hasn't deliberately tried to please him, and their relationship is neither close nor distant, just a slightly more elevated relationship between classmates. When Ino agreed to introduce Chōji to pretty girls, she and Chōji became good friends.

When dealing with Chōji, especially the younger version of him, she had her ways. Eating and drinking to build relationships never gets old.

She said, "Let's go eat barbecue after school. Yakiniku Q seems to have a 10% discount today."

Chōji's eyes lit up, and he slammed the table excitedly. "Really? Are you treating?"

Speaking of treating, Ino felt a bit embarrassed. Her wallet was quite thin, as the previous Ino had spent most of her money on clothes and shoes, leaving her with little to spare. Plus, Chōji could eat a lot—easily devouring twenty plates of barbecue. She was really worried about her wallet, but since she had already made the offer, she couldn't go back on her word.

"Hehe, I'll treat, I'll treat," she chuckled awkwardly. While Chōji was lost in thoughts of delicious barbecue, she covered her mouth and whispered to Shikamaru, "Hey, I might not have enough money today. Can you support me a bit?"

Shikamaru glanced at Chōji from the corner of his eye. "My pocket money has been eaten up by this guy."

Ino and Shikamaru exchanged a resigned sigh. Having a food-loving best friend had its downsides—they could eat endlessly.

Talking about money put an end to Shikamaru's mood for sleeping. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio were famous ninja clans in the Shinobi world and are considered top-tier households in the village. However, being young, their allowances were limited. Choji's insatiable appetite was like a bottomless pit. His days consisted of either eating or thinking about eating. Shikamaru's pocket money had been completely spent. At this moment, he was unusually serious.

He asked, "We can't take on missions, and our pocket money is limited. Do you know any ways to make money?"

As someone who had been struggling for a house just three months ago, Ino replied casually, "How about renting out vacant properties?"

After saying that, she paused for a moment, and Shikamaru also began to seriously consider it.

"Does your family have vacant properties?"

"Does yours?"

They looked at each other again, both thinking, huh? This method seems feasible! They don't own any houses, but their families do.

Konoha had experienced three Great Ninja Wars. The price of victory was the death of many ninjas, including members of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Many houses had been vacant for years due to casualties in the war. Renting them out was not difficult.

Now it was a time of peace. Not all residents in the village were ninjas; there were civilians, merchants, blacksmiths, and monks, all in need of housing. Renting out properties was a viable market option.