Are the things learned at the Ninja Academy useful? If you say they are useful, then they are useful for exams or certain special missions. But if you say they are useless, when facing those who play with snakes, carry rice, or dance, then they are truly useless.
Regardless of whether she was listless or not, Ino was at least taking notes. Some people didn't even bother to make a gesture, like the two gentlemen behind her. The skinny one was sleeping with his head on the desk, and the fatty next to him, 1.5 meters tall and weighing 60kg, kept eating snacks.
The crunching sound of puffed food filled the air, but the twenty-seven students and one teacher in the classroom seemed accustomed to it. Choji was eating with immense joy.
Seeing Ino turn around from the front row and stare at him with dead fish eyes, Choji hesitated for two seconds, then flashed a gentle smile and offered her his potato chip bag. As Ino slowly reached out, he very seriously held up one finger, meaning she could only have one chip, no more.
Choji didn't care about classroom discipline at all. Why eat in class? Don't ask; the answer is that it's necessary for his training. Ino still respected diligent and responsible teachers, so she moved lightly. She quickly glanced into the chip bag, then overlapped her left and right thumbs upwards, with her left thumb slightly higher than her right, forming a standard 'Unformed' hand seal.
"Perception!"
The world around her instantly became clear within her perception. The sound of people breathing, Iruka's peripheral vision looking towards them from afar, students passing notes, drawing stick figures, picking their noses in the classroom—a flood of information that was usually filtered out by the brain suddenly rushed in.
Ino already had some talent in perception. As a salesperson, she was sensitive to human emotions, and after transmigrating, the fusion of two souls further enhanced this ability. She ignored the useless information and, without much effort, used her perception to pick out the largest potato chip. Then, under Choji's astonished gaze, she slowly put it into her mouth and chewed it with relish.
Though it was called the largest, it wasn't significantly bigger. Most people wouldn't even notice the subtle difference, but for a top foodie like Choji, even without powerful perception, he could still detect the difference based on his rich experience and intuition.
"Ah?! This… you…" Choji, a fatty whose family name was 'Butterfly' despite him being as fat as a pig, was very committed to his promises. Having the largest chip taken from him, he felt a little pained, his face bitter and his expression conflicted.
"You two are really childish, like little kids," Nara Shikamaru, whose family name was 'Deer' and who was slumped next to Choji, commented lazily.
"Hmph, you're so old-fashioned. You're only one day older than me," Ino said, her lips curling slightly as she gave them a triumphant look before turning back to her notes.
Three months had passed since her transmigration and memory fusion. As a descendant of the famous Ninja clan alliance, Ino–Shika–Chō, it was highly likely that her teammates for a long time in the future would be these two behind her.
Teamwork and understanding should be fostered early; who knew, this unspoken understanding might save her life at a critical moment in the future.
She was very concerned about her own life.
The original Ino's relationship with these two was just average. At 12 years old, boys played with boys and girls with girls. It was hard for her, a girl, to play with these two boys. More often, their parents were close, greeting each other during holidays and nodding in acknowledgment when they met at school.
After Ino transmigrated, she consciously worked to change the situation. Being a salesperson wasn't for nothing; she didn't need to sell houses, renovation materials, and furniture to her companions. By engaging in daily interactions, their relationship naturally grew closer.
The three were heirs to their respective clans. The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance was clearly defined; if one family were to absorb another through marriage or other means, the foundation of their alliance would cease to exist. Romantic relationships were impossible; the families wouldn't allow it. This made it easier for Ino to build relationships with them without any misunderstandings, and now the three shared a simple friendship.
Shikamaru had high intelligence and strong vigilance; he was an exceptionally smart person. Ino didn't try to curry favor, so their relationship was neither too close nor too distant, just slightly above that of classmates.
After Ino promised to introduce pretty girls to Choji, she and Choji were already good friends. Facing countless protagonists in the myriad worlds, she could proudly say that she started with a fatty best friend.
Ino had a way with fatties, especially young ones. The strategy of eating, drinking, and building relationships was timeless.
She said, "Let's go eat barbecue after school. Yakiniku seems to have a 10% discount today."
Choji's eyes blazed. He slammed the table, "Really?! You're treating?"
When it came to treating, Ino felt a bit awkward. Her purse was rather empty. The previous Ino had bought clothes and shoes, leaving her with little money. Plus, the fatty could eat an enormous amount—twenty plates of barbecue in one sitting. She was very worried about her wallet, but the words were already out, and she couldn't go back on them.
"Hehe, I'm treating, I'm treating." She gave a dry laugh. While Choji was envisioning delicious barbecue, his eyes glazed over, she covered her mouth and whispered to Shikamaru, "Hey, the money I brought today might not be enough. Can you spot me a little then?"
Shikamaru glanced at Choji out of the corner of his eye. "All my allowance has been eaten by this guy."
Ino and Shikamaru exchanged glances and both sighed. Having a fatty best friend had this one downside: he ate too much.
The mention of money dispelled Shikamaru's desire to sleep. The Ino–Shika–Chō families were all renowned clans in the Ninja World, and now they were top-tier wealthy families in the Village. Their clans weren't poor, but they were young and had limited allowance, making them personally poor. Their best friend's stomach was like a bottomless pit; he was either eating or on his way to eat. Shikamaru's allowance had all been consumed, and now he was uncharacteristically serious for a moment.
He asked, "We can't take on missions, and our allowance is limited. Do you know any ways to make money?"
As an unemployed person who had been scrambling for housing just three months ago, Ino blurted out, "Rent out idle houses?"
After saying that, she paused, and Shikamaru also began to ponder seriously.
"Your family has vacant houses?"
"Yours too?"
The two looked at each other again, both thinking, 'Eh? This idea seems feasible!'
They didn't own houses themselves, but their families did.
Konoha Village had gone through three Shinobi World Wars, and the price of victory was the deaths of many Ninja. The Ino–Shika–Chō families had many clan members who died in the wars, leaving many houses vacant for years. Renting them out wouldn't be difficult.
Now was a time of peace. Not all residents of the Village were Ninja; there were civilians, merchants, blacksmiths, and monks, all of whom had housing needs. There was a market for rentals.