Wok Shadow Ninja

Chapter 117: That Person and That Technique

"Should I use Water Dragon Bullet? Or maybe Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave? Hmm, or perhaps Water Severing Wave?" Ino thought hazily, her mind working much slower than usual. It took her a long while to finally come up with a solution to sober up.

That solution was the Partial Water Transformation Technique.

Her talent for ninjutsu was indeed remarkable. Despite messing up two of the five hand seals required for the technique, her skilled chakra control allowed her to partially transform her left hand into water.

She shook her hand wildly, and as some of the alcohol was separated from her system, she felt her dizziness slightly alleviated.

Tsunade, standing nearby, urged her on: "Hurry up, hurry up! Keep practicing! Don't let me down... hic... don't let me down..."

A miracle happened!

This time, when Ino channeled her chakra to stimulate cell growth, she successfully revived a nearly dead saury fish.

The Yang attribute on her status panel was also unlocked, and her Yang Release level was now LV1.

Among the seven chakra natures, she had already mastered five: Water, Earth, Wind, Yin, and Yang. Only Fire and Lightning remained.

She laughed triumphantly: "I did it?! I did it! I told you I'm a genius! There's no way I'd be stuck on such a beginner-level technique for so many days! Hahaha this is great! Let's keep drinking!"

Tsunade shouted to the outside: "Hey! Boss, bring us more drinks! You know me, right? Put it all on Jiraiya's tab... hic... yeah, Jiraiya's tab. You know, that white-haired guy from last time."

Five days later, Jiraiya came to pay the bill.

By then, Tsunade, Ino, Shizune, and even the pig, Tonton, were all completely drunk.

Jiraiya had expected Tsunade to pick up another drinking buddy. After all, it's hard to learn good habits, but bad habits come all too easily.

"Wake up, little Ino! Hey, hey?! Hurry up and go back. The Third Hokage told me to inform you that the Chunin Exams are about to start!" Jiraiya shouted into her ear.

Ino tilted her head and stared at him blankly. It took her nearly five minutes to process what he had said.

She panicked: "Chunin... Chunin? The Chunin Exams! They've already started? What's today's date?!"

She looked around frantically until her eyes landed on a calendar. She breathed a sigh of relief there were still two weeks left before the exams.

Jiraiya burst into laughter, thoroughly amused.

Though it seemed like there was still time, returning to the village, registering, and reviewing the theoretical material would all take time. She didn't need a perfect score, but she couldn't afford to pull a Naruto and hand in a blank paper. Her reputation as a genius was at stake. When she thought about it, time was actually quite tight.

She washed her face, combed her hair, and changed her clothes. By the time she came out, she saw Tsunade hitting Jiraiya.

Ino, now in full spectator mode, hid in a corner with Shizune to watch the show.

Jiraiya and Tsunade, whose relationship was just one step away from being fully acknowledged, were used to this kind of interaction. After a brief scuffle like a pair of kids, the two fifty-year-olds finally calmed down.

Jiraiya went to settle the bill, while Tsunade started eating porridge on her own.

Ino walked over, scratching her head: "Sensei, um..."

Tsunade handed her a booklist and a summoning scroll.

She declared with authority: "Your knowledge base is insufficient. Medical ninjutsu is fundamentally different from regular ninjutsu. You need to build a solid foundation. Study more, observe more, and it's best if you participate in more surgeries to treat patients. The more you do, the more you'll understand!

You know how to use summoning jutsu, right? Sign your name here. From now on, you'll be considered part of the Shikkotsu Forest lineage!"

Ino signed her name on the Shikkotsu Forest summoning scroll. From then on, she could use the summoning jutsu to call upon a clone of the Slug Sage, Katsuyu. Its healing abilities were astonishing as long as someone wasn't dead on the spot, they could be saved.

When Shizune found out Ino was going to participate in the Chunin Exams, she taught her a new technique: Ninja Art: Poison Mist.

Similar to Jiraiya's Oil Transformation, Shizune's technique converted chakra into a special chemical substance. When expelled from the mouth, it would instantly react with the air to form a poisonous mist.

Ino's learning speed for medical ninjutsu was average not too fast, but not too slow either. However, when it came to techniques that sounded particularly sinister, she learned at an extraordinary pace.

After Shizune explained and demonstrated the technique once, Ino was able to perform the hand seals and release it.

Study scrolls? Unnecessary she had already mastered it! Her learning speed was comparable to Kakashi's ability to copy techniques with his Sharingan.

Ino bid farewell to the three of them, even giving Tonton's front leg a little tug before leaving the town to return to the village for the Chunin Exams.

"She's such a polite and good kid," Jiraiya said, quite fond of Ino's personality. He felt they had an inexplicable rapport.

Tsunade also thought highly of Ino, but she wouldn't admit it out loud: "What's the use of being polite? Can it fill your stomach? She's been mooching off my drinks these past few days!"

Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly. He wanted to point out that he was the one paying for the drinks, but he was afraid of getting hit.

By the time Ino's figure had disappeared into the distance, he finally muttered: "Train her well. With such strong ninjutsu talent, she'll definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future."

Tsunade snorted. That was obvious did he really need to say it?

Shizune whispered to Tsunade: "Actually, I think Ino's talent for ninjutsu far surpasses her talent for medical ninjutsu. Her Yin Release level is also quite high, and it has some... similarities with the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. Maybe we could have her help us try to complete the technique Uncle left behind? You only managed to obtain part of it back then, and though we've tried to fill in the gaps over the years, it's still not perfect..."

At the mention of this topic, Tsunade's mood immediately soured. After some serious thought, she slowly shook her head: "Have me and my new disciple research ninjutsu together? Do I not care about my pride anymore? No! Neither of us has Yin Release chakra, and the completed technique might not even work. I need to study it further. But it's getting late today let's have a drink first! Jiraiya, are you joining?"

Jiraiya's smile turned mischievous: "I'm meeting a female fan later, hehehe—"

Leaving Tsunade and Shizune to their drinks, he sauntered off.

He knew exactly who they were talking about, and it pained him to bring it up.

Was it really a case of "childhood friends losing to a new arrival"? He wanted to compete in a manly way, but how could he compete with someone who was already dead?

"Ah..." He sighed heavily. Better to find a couple of pretty ladies to chat with and lift his spirits.

Without any delays, Ino returned to the village and first reported to the Third Hokage.

She had to explain her encounter with the Fourth Raikage.

She recounted where she had met him and under what circumstances.

Then there was the matter of Tsunade.

Since she had become Tsunade's disciple, it was natural for her to follow Tsunade's teachings. With the Third Hokage still alive, there was no urgent need for Tsunade to take on the village's burdens.

At this point, even Naruto's "Talk no Jutsu" wouldn't be enough to convince Tsunade to return to the village. However, the village would still assign Ino various missions. As a tool of the village, what could she do?

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