While Sakura was holding the martial arts manual of the "First Hokage," preparing to practice tree climbing in an attempt to enhance her bust and beauty, and incidentally improve her Chakra control, Ino was resting at home.
Thanks to a kind donation from a certain benefactor, her meager wallet had finally recovered somewhat.
The battle with Sasuke had taken a heavy toll on her.
It was devastating! She had used a total of five Exploding Tags from Manten-do, and countless Senbon, Kunai, and Shuriken! Except for the Fuma Shuriken, which was inconvenient to carry to school due to its large, fan-like appearance, she had nearly exhausted all her Ninja Tools.
Ninja Tools could be retrieved, but she lacked the experience, was too exhausted at the time, and as a first-time fighter from a peaceful era, she was nervous despite being mentally prepared. Sasuke, too proud to pick up the tools, and she, too dazed to remember, resulted in all the tools being left for Naruto to collect. Today, she went out to mail a letter for someone and took the opportunity to replenish her Ninja Tools at Manten-do.
After some haggling, the excitement of defeating Sasuke completely vanished.
"I've become stronger, but also poorer!" This was Ino's genuine thought.
Now, the five thousand ryo from the kind benefactor had finally pulled her back from the brink of bankruptcy.
It wasn't until the third day, when her Chakra had mostly recovered, that Ino finally emerged from her low state.
"Ino, don't just lie around at home. Come shopping with me," Yamanaka Rino, dressed like a noblewoman, gently asked Ino.
Shopping meant spending money, and Ino didn't want to spend any at all. She almost didn't hesitate: "I still have a bit of a headache. I think I'll rest for another day."
Before she could finish, Yamanaka Rino raised a finger and gave a somewhat childish smile: "One thousand ryo. Accompany me shopping, and you'll get a reward of one thousand ryo."
Ino immediately hesitated. The headache caused by the massive Chakra consumption seemed to suddenly ease by half. It was truly miraculous.
"Well..."
"Two thousand ryo."
"..."
"Three thousand ryo!"
"Deal! I'll go change right now!"
It wasn't that Ino didn't want to stay home to reflect on the battle, but her cheap mother was offering too much.
When Yamanaka Rino said shopping, she really meant "shopping." She looked here, asked there, and when Ino asked what she wanted to buy, she didn't say, seemingly just wandering aimlessly.
What's the meaning of this? Ino was completely baffled by her cheap mother's behavior.
As they wandered, Yamanaka Rino's eyes suddenly lit up, and she pulled Ino with undeniable force toward a middle-aged woman.
"Yoshino!" Yamanaka Rino smiled warmly, as if she had run into a good friend on the street.
The woman was first surprised, then also broke into a bright smile: "Rino? What a coincidence! Oh, little Ino is here too."
Ino had seen this middle-aged woman before. She was the "troublesome woman" who had caused Shikamaru a lot of childhood trauma and was often mentioned by him.
This woman was Shikaku's wife, Shikamaru's mother, Nara Yoshino! Soon after, Ino witnessed what could be called "friendship." Yamanaka Rino, moving with a seemingly slow but actually swift pace, dragged out Choji's mother, who was hiding in a small grocery store trying to conceal her figure. The three of them exchanged some casual greetings and then walked together.
Ino secretly sighed, thinking that Choji's mother's reaction speed wasn't slow, but where could you hide with such a hefty figure? And you underestimated the sensory abilities of the Yamanaka clan! Yamanaka Rino, Shikamaru's mother, and Choji's mother started shopping, while Ino faithfully fulfilled her role as a tool person. Whenever the three mentioned her name, she would simply show a shy or surprised expression based on the context.
Yamanaka Rino asked, "How's Shikamaru's studies recently?" "Not good! That troublesome kid keeps saying 'what a drag' all the time, it drives me crazy! Your Ino is so much better! Smart, cute, and obedient, she's really great."
"Ino isn't doing well either. Her father criticized her just yesterday. That girl struggles even against an Uchiha Sasuke, it really worries us parents."
Shikamaru's mother: "..."
Choji's mother: "..."
Uchiha Mikoto in the afterlife: "..."
"Shikamaru is smart, Choji is kind, they're both good kids."
"I've noticed long ago that among our three families, Ino is the most outstanding! Rino, you'll have a blessed life in the future."
"Not at all, you don't know how much more troublesome it is to raise a girl compared to a boy."
Ino, like a wooden puppet, silently listened to her so-called mother showing off.
After having lunch together, the joint shopping trip finally ended as the sun was about to set in the evening.
Ino wiped the sweat from her forehead, thinking that earning these three thousand ryo wasn't easy at all. Sakura's money was much easier to trick... Just as she was thinking about Sakura, she suddenly looked up and saw the wide-foreheaded girl wearing a pink high-slit cheongsam standing at her doorstep, clearly waiting for someone.
Standing at her doorstep, she must be waiting for her, right? She couldn't be coming to the Yamanaka household looking for Sasuke, could she?
Had the First Hokage's secret been exposed? That shouldn't be the case! Ino thought she had been very discreet. Besides, the tree-climbing Chakra training method was a real bargain at five thousand ryo for civilian ninjas, it was definitely a friendship price.
Her movements became hesitant, and her steps unconsciously slowed down.
Yamanaka Rino, who had been enjoying herself all day, cheerfully said, "That girl is here to see you, right? Go play."
Ino slowly walked over and noticed that Sakura's expression today was quite strange, a complex mix of determination, anxiety, and hesitation.
What on earth is she here for? "Can you walk with me?" Sakura said in a low voice.
Ino wasn't afraid of her, but she felt like she hadn't done anything all day except accompany people on walks. She nodded, "Alright."
Both of them remained silent as they gradually moved away from the crowd and entered a park. When they passed by a sea of flowers, Sakura stopped.
Sakura, with her back to Ino, softly said, "Ino."
Completely baffled by her behavior, Ino was somewhat confused, "What's the matter?"
Sakura remained silent for a few seconds: "There are some things I originally planned to say after graduation."
Ino stared at her back, then shifted her gaze to the distance: "Then just say it after graduation."
"Ino, you're so beautiful and cute, you know so much, your Shuriken skills are strong, and now your Ninja techniques are so impressive that even Sasuke isn't your match." Sakura paused for a moment: "Do you remember what we said here back then?"
What did we say? Ino looked around, and the original owner's memories quickly surfaced.