Naruto fidgeted and his hands brushed against a broom here, a stack of scrolls there, each touch a reminder of the oddity of the situation. Across from him, Ino was all focus, her hands at her side. "Don't move," she instructed as her gaze locked onto him with an intensity that made it clear she wasn't joking.
"Like I'd make this easy for you," Naruto retorted, but he held his ground, fighting the urge to bolt or crack another joke.
Ino's eyelids fluttered shut, her breaths becoming long and even as she sought the chakra within. Naruto watched, half-expecting her to jump out and yell 'Gotcha!' But minutes ticked by, and she remained still, a statue of concentration. He had to admit, he was impressed; not once did he feel like pulling a prank on her.
Taking another breath, Ino focused on the next step. She had to transform her consciousness into spiritual energy—a concept that felt like trying to grab smoke with bare hands. Sakura would've geeked out over this part, Ino mused, a twinge of regret pricking at her for not inviting her brainy friend. But she shook it off; there was no way she'd let Naruto see any hint of doubt on her face.
Chakra surged through her pathways, a river of power she was learning to navigate. Now, to separate the spiritual from the physical.
"Come on, where are you..." she muttered under her breath, trying to isolate the sensation her teachers had described but never detailed. The lack of guidance irked her, but she refused to let it show. The dead-last of their class didn't need to know that even Ino Yamanaka hit snags in her training.
"Is it supposed to take this long?" Naruto's voice broke through her concentration, tinged with a mix of curiosity and impatience.
"Shut up, Naruto," she said, her tone sharp as she refocused on the task at hand. "This takes precision and patience."
"Got it, got it. No more talking," he mumbled, and Ino could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
She exhaled slowly, letting the irritation fade, and reached deeper within herself. There had to be a way to grasp that elusive spiritual energy, to mold it into the tool she needed to master the Mind Body Switch jutsu.
"Remember, spiritual energy is more head-y," Ino muttered to herself, parroting her dad's vague descriptions. She exhaled a frustrated sigh. "Great guidance, Dad."
Ino willed her mind to quieten the buzz of doubt. She sought that peculiar sensation, something beyond the physical—ethereal, even. Her body became a distant anchor as she concentrated on the lightness sprouting within her consciousness.
"Focus," she whispered, the word almost a command to herself. The storage room faded away, leaving only the sensation of floating, as if her spirit hovered above her still form.
She felt for the wisp of her spiritual energy. With an invisible nudge, she tried to push that delicate, light essence outwards towards Naruto's waiting chakra.
"Whoa, Ino!" Naruto's voice was a fading echo in her ears.
A sudden lurch, a slip in concentration, and the world dipped into darkness. Ino's awareness slipped through her fingers like sand, the last thread of connection snapping as she toppled into unconsciousness.
"Hey, Ino! Ino, can you hear me?"
Naruto's voice slowly pulled her back from the void. Blinking the haze from her eyes, Ino found herself slumped in an office chair, Naruto's concerned face hovering over her. His hands gently steadied her shoulders, his brows knitted together in worry.
The unmistakable scent of old scrolls and ink wafted through the air. She groaned softly, her head pounding as if her brain had tried to somersault out of her skull.
Naruto's voice cut through her haze of discomfort, concern lacing his tone. "Do ya need me to get a teacher or something?"
She sighed heavily, pushing herself up on shaking arms. "No, I'm... I'm fine." Even in her weakened state, she could sense Naruto's relief. Despite herself, a warm feeling of gratitude towards him flickered inside her, but she quashed it quickly, replacing it with her usual air of cool indifference. "We're going to the library."
Naruto's eyebrows knitted together, his mouth opening to question her, but one glance at Ino's scowl and the words died before they reached his lips. They exited the storage room, stepping into the hustle and bustle of Konohagakure's streets.
As they walked, Ino caught the sideways glances and hushed whispers aimed at Naruto. It was weird, seeing how the villagers looked at him with such disdain, almost like he was a misplaced puzzle piece in their perfect little picture. She knew about the whispers behind closed doors, sure, but this was different. This was raw and unfiltered. She felt a pang of something but stomped it down.
"Alright, spill it. Why the library?" Naruto finally broke the silence, scratching his head absentmindedly.
"Because," she huffed, fixing her gaze ahead, "there's a book that might help me nail the technique without knocking myself out."
He seemed bored at first, but then his eyes sparked with genuine interest, a hunger for knowledge she hadn't anticipated from him. "Really? That could be useful for training."
"Ha! Look at you, all eager beaver. What a nerd," she teased, a smirk dancing on her lips.
"Oi, I'm not—"
"H-hey, what are you two doing here?" Sakura's voice sliced through their banter. She stood before the library, hands on hips, an expression of surprise etched across her face.
Sakura tilted her head, eyeing Ino and Naruto with a hint of curiosity, the library's beige facade casting a shadow over them like an ancient tree. Ino arched an eyebrow, seemingly caught off guard by Sakura's presence, but then a light bulb flickered on in her mind.
"Hey, Sakura, you wouldn't happen to know a good book on chakra theory, would you?" Ino asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "Something more... advanced?"
Sakura pursed her lips, deep in thought. There weren't many books that delved deeply into the essence of chakra – it was a subject that mystified even the most learned scholars. "Well," she began, "there are only two that come to mind. One's the standard text we use at the academy. The other is this obscure tome I stumbled upon; it's packed with intricate details."
"Cut to the chase, Sakura," Ino interrupted, her impatience getting the better of her. "We need specifics – like recognizing spiritual energy and transferring it between bodies. Basic texts won't cut it."
"Ah, yes, that one should have what you're after," Sakura confirmed, nodding with a newfound confidence.
The trio stepped through the library's threshold, enveloped by the scent of old paper and whispered secrets. Sakura felt right at home among the towering shelves, while Ino walked with the air of someone on a mission. Naruto, on the other hand, looked at the rows upon rows of scrolls and books, briefly wondering about all the amazing techniques they might hold.
Their entrance didn't go unnoticed. Murmurs rippled through the space, eyes darting towards them with confusion and, in some cases, disdain. Sakura's cheeks flushed with discomfort, feeling a pang of guilt for the way Naruto was singled out. Ino meanwhile averted her eyes, speeding up her pace. Naruto wrinkled his nose, remembering how different it had been when he'd paraded as Tamashiro Bunko.
"C-come on," Sakura whispered, leading them past the prying eyes and deeper into the labyrinth of knowledge.
A curious sight caught Naruto's attention: a rope strung across an aisle, adorned with a paper seal that practically screamed 'keep out'. He knew better than to mess with such warnings.
"Only the hokage and the elders are allowed back there," Sakura explained quietly.
"Those grumpy old folks who hang with Jiji?" Naruto mumbled, quirking an eyebrow in surprise.
Ino shot Naruto a warning glance, a finger pressed against her lips to silence him. She didn't want to draw any more attention to their presence than necessary. The library's hushed atmosphere seemed even more pronounced as they ventured deeper, the shelves leaning in like guardians of ancient wisdom.
Sakura's fingers traced the spine of a hefty volume, pulling it from the clutter of leather and parchment. The book, imposing with its dark cover etched in gold, felt like it held the weight of secrets within its pages. Sakura hunkered down on the library floor, the tome thudding open as she flipped through the dense text.
"It's for a clan technique, right?" she hummed, glancing over her shoulder at Ino.
Ino exhaled softly, her nod confirming what Sakura already suspected. "Yeah," she admitted, feeling that familiar twinge of envy for Sakura's sharp intuition.
Sakura's eyes sparkled as she hunted the pages, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Here we go..." She leaned closer to the text, reading aloud, "...the relation of spiritual energy and one's consciousness has been utilized in various clan jutsu."
Naruto squinted, his brows knitting together as he tried to make sense of the words. 'Consciousness, spiritual energy...' He chewed on the inside of his cheek, determined not to let Anko down. But the jargon twisted around his brain like a leaf in the wind, and he caught only fragments.
Ino, though more adept, still grappled with the nuances. She listened intently, checking and revising her knowledge.
"Concentrate on the feeling of learning," Sakura continued, her finger trailing the lines, "ignore your senses... It's an art, really, especially for those with strong chakra control."
"Art, huh?" Naruto muttered; his face scrunched up in concentration. The words swam before him, but he couldn't quite latch onto their meaning.
"Something else you needed?" Sakura asked, directing her gaze back at Ino, who nodded earnestly.
"Chakra channeling," Ino confirmed, watching Sakura's lips form the word 'Tenketsu' with a murmur.
"Tenke-what-now?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, feeling out of the loop. That term hadn't made its rounds in the academy—yet another mystery to unravel.
"Tenketsu," Sakura repeated, her finger sliding down to a new page. "They're like gates where chakra is released—though usually just from the hands unless you're a Hyuuga."
"Hyuuga..." Naruto mused, the name tickling the edge of his memory. He imagined unleashing jutsu from his feet, striking awe into his opponents.
Ino's palm met her forehead with a soft smack. Of course! Her technique had faltered because she hadn't used her hands. A rookie mistake—one she wouldn't make again.
"Guess I've got some practicing to do," Ino said, determination lighting her features like a beacon.
"Me too," Naruto chimed in, a grin spreading across his face, undeterred by the complexity of it all. "Starting with figuring out what half those words mean."
The sun dipped low, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple as Ino, Sakura, and Naruto, in his guise as Tamashiro Bunko, meandered toward the academy. Villagers glanced their way, smiles blooming at the sight of the trio.
"Hey, why did you want me to transform?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously.
Ino muttered, her eyes darting away. "I was just tired of their stares, that's all." But deep down, she couldn't pinpoint why their looks gnawed at her so.
Naruto's grin widened. It was rare to see someone on his side.
"Knock it off with that goofy smile," Ino snapped, though her heart wasn't in it. She brushed off the feeling as nothing more than annoyance.
From the corner, Sakura chimed in, her voice soft but genuine. "Y-Your transformation jutsu is actually pretty amazing, Naruto. We haven't even learned that yet."
"Thanks, Sakura!" Naruto beamed, puffing his chest out a bit more with each step. He could get used to this kind of praise.
"Stop feeding his ego," Ino grumbled, shooting Sakura a sidelong glance.
Evening shadows stretched out across the village as they approached the academy. The Head Teacher, Kimi, stood by the entrance, her presence like an unyielding gate. She greeted Ino and Sakura with a polite smile and nod, oblivious to Naruto's nervous sweat.
"Evening, Shinohara-sensei," Sakura said, bowing slightly.
"Good evening," Ino added, her voice steady despite her racing thoughts about the technique waiting for her.
Naruto meanwhile simply nodded which made the teacher raise an eyebrow.
They slipped into the storage room, the familiar scent of stale air and old scrolls greeting them. Ino's eyes were fixed on the clock. "My dad expects me back by eight. Let's make this count."
"Ready when you are," Naruto said, stifling a yawn. Even his usual restlessness had taken a backseat to exhaustion.
Sakura took her spot on a crate, her curious gaze locked onto Ino.
Ino closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, hands poised before her. The world quieted, her senses fading into a backdrop as something else took the forefront—spiritual energy, light and tranquil.
Without a word, she pushed forward, her spiritual essence surging towards Naruto. Silence hung heavy for a heartbeat, then suddenly, energy coursed through her like a raging river. Her vision blurred, colors and shapes dancing wildly.
Blinking rapidly, Ino's eyes focused on Sakura, who knelt, concern etched on her face. Confusion twisted Ino's thoughts until realization dawned—those were her own limbs that Sakura hovered over.
She had done it.