"Buy early, enjoy early; buy late, enjoy discounts."
After much deliberation, Ino finally decided to play it safe.
She would wait until her "Stamina" naturally increased to 7 before using Pot Points to boost it further.
The jump from 6 to 7 was essentially the difference between Kakashi and Asuma in terms of Chakra levels, which wasn't a huge gap. However, going from 7 to 8 was akin to the leap from Asuma to Tsunade, a much more significant difference.
Ino estimated that each attribute would see a massive improvement from 7 to 8, and the subsequent jumps from 8 to 9 and 9 to 10 would also be substantial. Levels 1-7 were like compulsory education, while 8, 9, and 10 were equivalent to undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, with each level representing a considerable leap.
She aimed to master the Shadow Clone Technique with her current 6 points in "Stamina."
Her life became incredibly busy with school, part-time work, training, and various activities.
With about a month left before Ino and her classmates graduated, the parents of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, seeing Ino's progress, decided to ensure their children didn't fall behind. With the idea of mutual learning and encouragement, the parents of the three families hired an old veteran, the infamous Genin of Konoha, Maruboshi Kosuke, to guide their training.
This old man had a long history, yet his official rank remained Genin because he refused to accept the title of Jonin, even though he could have been one fifty years ago.
He had once served under the Second Hokage and fought alongside the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo, and Choji's grandfather, Akimichi Torifu.
The Third Hokage would occasionally visit this old comrade to reminisce about their past glory days.
Even the Fourth Hokage had held this old man in high regard during his lifetime.
Kosuke was skilled in Water Release Ninja Techniques, Body Techniques, and Genjutsu, and he possessed extensive experience in wilderness survival.
It was only because the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho families intervened and Kosuke owed them a favor from the past that he agreed to train the younger generation. Ordinary people wouldn't have been able to persuade him.
Early in the morning, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji took a leave from school and, as agreed, arrived at the village gate to wait for the legendary "Konoha Genin" to take them on a wilderness training session.
They waited and waited, but after half an hour, there was still no sign of Kosuke.
Kamizuki Izumo and Kotetsu Hagane stood inside the gate, watching them from a distance without coming over to greet them.
Ino thought about it. Although she wasn't sure if Kotetsu had any connection to Danzo, it was better to be safe than sorry. Building a good relationship was always beneficial. Even if Danzo wasn't involved, these two had been guarding the gate of the disaster-prone Konoha Village, surviving unscathed and living peacefully into the Boruto era. Kotetsu even used what appeared to be the Three-Tails' eye as a hammer. That was skill, and it deserved respect.
She politely approached them and greeted, "Good morning, teachers. I'm Yamanaka Ino. Please guide me well."
The age gap between them was significant, so calling them "seniors" felt a bit off. She thought "teachers" would be more appropriate.
The two clearly knew who she was and didn't dare to be rude. They introduced themselves politely.
"Don't call us teachers, Yamanaka-san. I'm Kamizuki Izumo."
"You're too kind, Yamanaka-san. We're not big shots. I'm Kotetsu Hagane."
Ino's sales experience wasn't for nothing; she was very good at building relationships.
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane held great respect for Sarutobi Asuma, though Ino had yet to meet Asuma at this time.
She started by getting to know Yamashiro Aoba and Tobitake Tonbo, two ninjas from the intelligence department who were the same age as the gatekeepers. Having mutual acquaintances, their relationship quickly warmed up. In no time, Izumo and Kotetsu became "Brother Izumo" and "Brother Kotetsu" in her mouth! She estimated that soon enough, they would be called "Old Iron"!
The two of them, who spent their days guarding the gate, found it quite boring. Naturally, they didn't refuse when a girl was willing to chat with them.
As their conversation heated up, Ino pulled her two companions over and introduced them to each other.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Formation was undoubtedly a top-tier force in the village, so Izumo and Kotetsu naturally didn't put on any airs.
Old Man Koushi was late, and Shikamaru, waiting nearby, was getting bored. Seeing the two gatekeepers' enthusiasm, he quickly joined the conversation. Izumo even brought out some snacks he had for his night shift and gave them to the chubby Choji. The five of them quickly became familiar with each other.
Training outside the village was different from attending school. Ino and her two companions wore their respective combat outfits.
Ino donned a purple sleeveless jacket, with a bandage and a shuriken holster on her right leg. On her left back waist, she carried a pouch containing items like exploding tags, smoke bombs, military ration pills, and kunai. On her feet were standard open-toed sandals.
Her current attire, except for the lack of the "sleeves" that Sasuke had, was quite similar to what Ino wore during her Genin phase.
Shikamaru and Choji also didn't wear their school uniforms. Shikamaru wore a short-sleeved shirt with the Nara family crest, fully equipped with various gear. Choji, unusually, also wore leg wraps and a waist pouch, common ninja equipment.
The three of them chatted at the gate while waiting.
Upon learning they were waiting for Koushi, Izumo and Kotetsu urged them to cherish this learning opportunity, reminding them not to slack off just because he was a Genin and to maintain their respect.
The sun rose higher, and it was already 9 a.m., but the legendary Genin of Konoha still hadn't appeared.
"Did he forget?" Shikamaru looked miserable. He had just completed a special training session with his elders and was extremely tired, not wanting to participate in any group training.
Choji had already run off to a shady spot to eat snacks.
Ino was also confused. Chatting with "Old Iron" had made her thirsty, and she gulped down a large glass of water. Looking up at the sun, the Genin of Konoha still hadn't shown up?
"Sensing!" She suspected that he might be using ninja techniques to hide in the shadows, observing their reactions. But after searching around, she didn't see a single ghostly shadow.
Shikamaru tilted his head to look at her.
She searched again: "...Seems like he really didn't come, or maybe this old senior's hiding skills are just that advanced."
Chubby Choji happily munched on snacks nearby. Ino and Shikamaru suspected that the old senior was secretly watching, so they put down their backpacks and sat in the shade to check their equipment.
This thing somewhat resembled a backpack, containing a tent and some blank scrolls. Ino, who wasn't known for her physical strength, had also brought two Fuma Shuriken that unfolded to look like large fans. Unlike the ninja tools she usually carried, these were truly "big items."
Apart from not having a ninja forehead protector, their current equipment was essentially the standard gear for a Genin.
"What did you bring? Let me check and compare," Shikamaru said, craning his neck to look at the contents of Ino's backpack.
As he looked, he compared it with his own backpack to see if he was missing anything.