On their way, there wasn't much conversation between Kaito and Yamanaka Ino. One led the way, while the other followed.
However, the guide often glanced around, looking this way and that, before reluctantly returning to her route.
"There's still plenty of time. I don't need to go back so soon," Kaito finally couldn't help but say, quietly speaking from behind.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ino turned around, blinking her eyes, a bit expectant.
"It means you can go play if you want to," Kaito said simply.
"Really? Great!" Ino cheered and finally gave in to her playful urges, running to the side.
Kaito followed behind her, watching Ino's small figure. Truth be told, he found the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of Konoha quite admirable.
Each of the three families alone didn't wield much power in Konoha, but they were always standing together, and that collective strength was formidable.
What made Kaito like them even more was that these families weren't dark or corrupted like some others, nor did they look down on others just because of their heritage. They even made sure their younger generation didn't grow up knowing the extent of their family's influence. Well, except for Shikamaru, who was intelligent enough to figure things out regardless.
You could say that such an Ino-Shika-Cho bond was very rare not just in Konoha, but in the entire ninja world. It was one of a kind.
In Kaito's opinion, the Ino-Shika-Cho combination worked because Shika (the deer) was wise, and Ino (the pig) and Cho (the butterfly) trusted him completely. Moreover, their abilities complemented each other perfectly.
First, the Akimichi clan's size-changing techniques created distraction. Then, Yamanaka clan's mind control and interference allowed Shikamaru's shadow jutsu to work with near perfect accuracy. Finally, Akimichi's immense strength delivered the finishing blow. It was a perfect system.
At first glance, it might seem like the Akimichi were replaceable—any ninja with a strong enough jutsu could do the job. But that wasn't really the case.
The key was the consistency of their abilities across generations. The Akimichi techniques were simple, effective, and powerful right from the early stages, due to their giant stature. One powerful punch could be devastating, even for an experienced Jonin. But without the Ino-Shika-Cho team, the Akimichi could easily become a giant target. On the other hand, other ninjas who might possess powerful abilities couldn't necessarily pass them down effectively or guarantee their children would also become capable. Introducing a new, grown ninja to the team would create compatibility issues.
In Kaito's view, Shika (the deer) was actually the most unstable of the trio because he was more than just a user of shadow techniques—he also needed the brains to lead the team. Intelligence, after all, was unpredictable, even in the Nara clan. Who knew if there'd be a bad egg in one generation? Even Shikamaru's family couldn't avoid that possibility entirely...
For now, though, it seemed like Ino-Shika-Cho was doing just fine. Shikamaru would definitely become the new generation's excellent "Shika."
Akimichi Choji would become the new "Cho," and Yamanaka Ino would take up the mantle of the new "Ino."
That's right, despite how it looked, with the Akimichi's large physique, you'd think they'd be the "Ino." But actually, "Ino" in this trio referred to Yamanaka—since in Japanese, 'Yamanaka' could mean 'wild,' and 'Ino' sounds like 'boar' (pig). Meanwhile, 'Cho' meant 'butterfly,' which actually fit Akimichi better.
No matter how you looked at it, Ino was quite cute when she was younger. Actually, Kaito thought all of the twelve Konoha rookies were cute when they were kids. It didn't matter how they'd turn out in the future. Children, as long as they didn't cause trouble, were always endearing. Kaito let his thoughts wander again.
"Had enough fun yet?" After some time, Kaito glanced at the sky and asked. Without him even noticing, quite a bit of time had passed. During that time, Ino had been running here and there, full of energy.
"I'm done now," Ino paused, suddenly realizing she had something to do. Though the route hadn't deviated, she had just been playing around, and she felt a bit embarrassed, scratching her head.
"It's getting late," Kaito pointed to the sky.
"The cake shop is just up ahead, not far now," Ino said, her face reddening. She kept walking straight ahead, and soon stopped in front of a shop—it really wasn't far.
Seeing the cake shop, Kaito let out a sigh of relief. Finally, they had arrived. He'd actually been here before, but he didn't realize that this shop sold cakes.
"Wait here a moment," Kaito said.
"Okay." Ino nodded as she watched Kaito head inside. Left alone, she started kicking at a small rock by the side of the road.
Once she stopped moving, she finally felt the fatigue of all that walking catching up to her, and decided to rest for a bit.
Why was he still inside? Ino looked at the shop with no sign of Kaito and felt impatient—he was taking so long. Exhausted, she sat down on the nearby steps to rest.
After a while, Kaito finally came out of the store holding a box.
He sighed. He'd forgotten that ordering a custom cake would take some time, so it was too late for that. He had to pick one from the ready-made ones.
Seeing Ino sitting there, Kaito paused. Remembering how she'd acted on the way here, he finally understood. She was feeling tired now, wasn't she?
He seemed to hear Ino muttering about him, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Why is he taking so long? So slow," Ino mumbled as she sat there, massaging her sore legs, grumbling.
"Tired?"
Suddenly, Ino heard a voice beside her. She turned her head to see Kaito, and in front of her was a piece of cake. Honestly, she wouldn't have wanted it under normal circumstances, but right now, she swallowed involuntarily.
Looking up at Kaito's smiling face, Ino hesitated. "Is this for me?"
"Yeah, thanks for leading me all the way here. It was hard work."
"Hmm…" Ino's face flushed red. She knew she'd taken so long because she got sidetracked, and now her stomach growled from the smell of cake. She took it and quietly ate.
While she ate, she asked, "Didn't you buy anything for yourself?"
"I'll eat with my mom when I get home," Kaito said, lifting the box in his hand. Actually, he had little money left after buying the cake—it was only his allowance, after all, which he had only recently started receiving. There wasn't much.
"I see." Ino nodded, not asking anything more.
When Ino finished, Kaito asked, "Got the energy to keep walking now?"
Ino stood up, twisting her legs to check. "I think so."
"Alright, you carry this," Kaito said, handing the box to Ino.
Ino took the box, looking confused. She was exhausted, and now she had to carry this too? Wasn't there something wrong here?
Before she could complain, she saw Kaito turn his back to her and squat down slightly—he wanted to carry her.
"It's getting late. Get on," Kaito said.
"Um, okay." Ino nodded, carefully holding the box and leaning against Kaito's back, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck so that the box hung securely downwards.
"Ready?" Kaito asked.
"Mm, all set."
Kaito then put his hands under Ino's knees, lifting her up.
"How is it? If it's too heavy, let me down. I can walk," Ino said.
"Hmm, you're lighter than I expected," Kaito replied, as he took even, steady strides back the way they had come.
Ino blinked, staring at Kaito from up close. For a moment, she seemed to see her father's figure. She shook her head. Why did she see her father in someone her own age? No, no way.
Still, a smile crept onto Ino's lips. It felt nice to rely on someone.