Chapter 22:
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The Land of Fire.
The Hidden Leaf Village.
It was a Sunday morning as I made my way through the bustling streets of Konoha, heading towards the Yamanaka compound in the village's southern part. The air was alive with the lively chatter of villagers going about their weekend routines.
Scanning my surroundings, it didn't take long to locate the Yamanaka residence, situated behind their family-owned flower shop. While the Yamanaka clan held an important position among Konoha's clans, they weren't affluent enough to have a dedicated district for themselves, which was quite normal.
As I stepped into the flower shop, a girl, likely an employee, greeted me with a warm smile. Returning her gesture with a polite nod, I couldn't help but appreciate the inviting ambiance. The simple decor and fragrant floral scents created a comfortable atmosphere.
"Welcome, sir! Is there something you would like to buy today?" the girl asked brightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the sight of such a handsome customer.
"Actually, I'm not here to make a purchase. I was wondering if you could tell me where I might find Ino?" I inquired.
"Ah, Ino-sama is currently training with Suu-sama in the backyard," she replied. "If you'd like, I can inform them of your arrival."
"No need to disturb their training. If you could just point me in the right direction, I'll find my own way," I said with a smile.
The girl nodded and directed me towards the backyard. As I turned to leave, a thought struck me, and I walked back to the shop. "On second thought, I think I will buy some flowers while I'm here," I said, much to the employee's delight.
After making my selection and thanking the helpful girl, I made my way to the backyard. There, I found Ino and her mother, Suu, engaged in a taijutsu sparring session.
It quickly became apparent that Suu was merely toying with her daughter, effortlessly countering Ino's attacks while playfully tripping and pushing her, not taking the match seriously.
"Hey! Mom, can you stop playing around and take this seriously?" Ino said, annoyed after falling to the ground face-first for the fifth time.
"I'll take it seriously when you stop being so weak," Suu retorted and then added. "We'll stop here for today. Your friend has arrived, go greet him."
Only then did Ino notice my presence, quickly standing up from her compromising position. "Oh, hello Tatsuya.… I didn't realise you had arrived," she said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting," I offered.
Suu shook her head dismissively. "We were merely engaged in a light spar after her defeat in the Academy," she explained, her words carrying a subtle edge.
Ino's face flushed with shame at her mother's candid remark. I couldn't help but perceive, 'Is that disdain I'm hearing? It seems she's a bit different from her outward demeanor.'
"Let's leave those matters aside and head inside. The sun is scorching hot today," Suu said, walking back towards the house. Only then did I notice the sweat glistening on her skin, the damp fabric of her dress clinging to her curves in a rather distracting manner.
"Ahem!" Ino coughed, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Finished admiring my mom?" she asked with a knowing smirk.
"I wasn't admiring your mom; I was just lost in thought," I said, denying her claim despite its validity.
"I believe you," Ino replied, her expression indicating otherwise as we followed Suu inside.
"I know my mom is Hot, but try not to ogle her right in front of me," Ino whispered.
I raised an eyebrow at her remark. "Are you implying it's ok if I do so discreetly without your knowing?"
Ino shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, it's not like I can stop you or even know if you did. You're a Hyuga, after all. At least you didn't secretly use your Byakugan for it."
"...You're…weird, Ino," I said, shaking my head.
"Hey, don't call me weird when you started the behavior first!" she retorted.
By this time, we had reached the living room, where Ino's mother turned to us and said, "You two can settle in here while I prepare something."
"Oh, Suu-san, wait. I brought some homemade cakes. You needn't trouble yourself," I said, presenting her with the bag.
"Homemade? How thoughtful!" She exclaimed, taking the bag. "Did you make these yourself? I don't recall Hitomi being skilled in cooking. In Fact she is quite awful at it."
"I made them myself," I confirmed.
"Really? You know how to cook?" Ino asked, surprised.
I nodded, prompting Suu's remark, before leaving. "Let's see how talented little Tatsuya is in the kitchen."
'Really? Little?' I mused, glancing at her before turning to Ino, who stared me with her emerald eyes.
"What?" I inquired, sensing her scrutiny.
"I'm just surprised you even know how to cook. You're quite talented," she remarked.
"Well, cooking came naturally to me, so I suppose you could call it a talent. But for other skills, I had to work myself to the bone," I explained,while I knew that talent played a significant role especially in this world, it amounted to nothing without the tireless training of my previous self.
"So how was your training? Aunt Suu seemed quite harsh from what I witnessed," I asked.
Ino sighed, frustration evident. "It's nothing much, she's just disappointed at my draw with Sakura."
"I see. It's understandable," I remarked. "The responsibility on your shoulders as the future head of the Yamanaka clan is greater than Sakura's. So the expectations placed upon you will always be higher."
"You're right," Ino conceded.
"But let's leave those matters for now. We can discuss them at the academy. You wanted to hang out, right? Tell me what you had in mind." I said.
"Oh, right!. I.. thought maybe we could practice …um some taijutsu. You know, considering how Mom's teaching isn't exactly up to par, as you saw today," she suggested enthusiastically.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It was evident she was making up an excuse, and even if her mother's teaching prowess was as lacking as she claimed, she could still easily instruct an academy student.
However, I didn't feel the need to call out her lie. If she wanted to use taijutsu sparring as a pretence to hang out, I was happy to go along with it. Besides, it would give me a good opportunity to further analyze the Yamanaka clan's mind-body transfer techniques up close.
"Sure, we can do that," I agreed and she gave me a smile.
However, without warning, she suddenly moved closer, taking my hand in hers. Her soft, delicate fingers felt cool against my skin, and I noticed a faint blush spreading across her cheeks but my attention was on something else, as I noticed a small trickle of chakra entering my body.
It was very easy to overpower and expel the foreign chakra, but sensing no malicious intent behind it, I allowed the connection. An instant later, Ino's voice echoed within my mind.
"What's the matter?" I asked, perplexed by her sudden action.
"I didn't want to discuss this out loud where my mother could overhear, she has good ears" her mental voice explained, laced with a hint of embarrassment.
I arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "And what is it that you don't want your mother to know?"
"Well..." Ino hesitated, her tone wavering. "I've been practicing a technique, and I wanted to ask if you could help me with it."
"I think you're asking the wrong person," I replied skeptically. "Your mother is the expert when it comes to your clan's techniques. I'm not sure I can be of much help."
"No, no, I can't ask mom for help with this," Ino insisted. "I need you."
Her words gave me pause. What kind of technique required her to deliberately exclude her own mother's? "Is this some jutsu you shouldn't be practicing?" I asked carefully.
A hesitant silence hung between us before Ino finally responded. "Well... it's not exactly forbidden. But it is... intimate. And personal. That's why I didn't want mom to know."
I frowned, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension stirring within me. What was Ino up to?
"Okay, I'm listening," I said cautiously. "But I'll only decide if it's not too dangerous."
"Don't worry, it's not... that dangerous!" Ino rushed to assure me. "It's just... a bit higher-level application of our mental abilities that's not really taught until much later. I've been studying it myself."
Despite my reservations, her words piqued my interest. "Alright, you have my attention. What did you need me for, exactly?"
Another pause ensued, and when her mindvoice responded,. "Well, it's called the Mind-Melding Technique, and for it, and I need... a willing mind to link with. A mind I can trust."
'Trust. Huh?' I thought. "And what does this technique entail?" I asked, my intrigue steadily growing.
"It allows me to control my subconscious and li-" Ino began to explain, but her words were abruptly cut short as Suu entered the room, carrying a tray with cake and juice.
"Oh! I leave for five minutes, and you two are already holding hands!" Suu chuckled, shaking her head in amusement at the sight before her.
Flustered, Ino quickly withdrew her hand, breaking the telepathic connection between our minds.
I didn't comment on it and changed the topic. "Why don't you try my cooking, Suu-san? I'd like to hear your honest opinion."
Suu nodded, taking a seat across from us. "I'm saying this upfront, if it's bad, I won't sugarcoat it. I'll tell you the truth," she stated firmly.
"You don't have to worry. I'm confident in my culinary skills," I replied, unfazed.
"Good confidence," she remarked before picking up a spoonful of the cake and consuming it. Rather than commenting immediately, Suu closed her eyes, chewing slowly as if savoring every flavor.
"How is it, Mom?" Ino asked impatiently, but Suu ignored her, continuing to eat in what seemed like a blissful daze. Annoyed by the lack of response, Ino took a piece for herself and soon mirrored her mother's expression of euphoria.
I tried to call them but they also ignored me . A tense five minutes passed before they finally emerged from their trancelike state, and immediately both fixed me with an intense, almost hungry stare that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Tatsuya-chan..." Suu purred, her voice low and alluring in a way I'd never heard from the usually composed woman.
"Y-Yes?" I stammered, feeling suddenly nervous under her heated gaze.
"I think you should stay here for today. I'll inform Hitomi," she declared with an eerie smile.
"W-what? Why?" I sputtered, taken aback by her abrupt suggestion.
"Yes, Tatsuya, I think you should listen to Mom," Ino chimed in, her tone eerily mirroring her mother's in a way that set off alarm bells.
I swallowed hard, a knot of trepidation forming in my gut. What had I gotten myself into? Was this the bizarre effect of my home-baked treats?
In hindsight, it was undoubtedly a mistake to infuse my chakra into the ingredients before baking. I had naively thought it would simply enhance the flavor, as it did when I tasted the results myself, oblivious to any potential side effects. But now, witnessing these two, it seemed to be much more different than I thought , I could only berate my own stupidity.
But now that I think about it more, Of course, the effects would manifest differently for them when consuming chakra emanating from a user of Kama's Body.
I gave them a nervous smile, trying to maintain my composure.
"W-What do you mean by th--?!"
Before I could finish my question, the two Yamanaka women were suddenly upon me, hands roaming as they pinned me against the couch...
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