Chapter 12: The Competition Heats Up
Yamanaka Inoichi's Versailles act increased Shikaku's sense of urgency.
He didn't bother with the trick of saying one thing and doing another, and after thinking for a while, he said, "I originally wanted to let Shikamaru play for a few more days... Since Ino is working so hard, it seems that I have to urge my boy to train hard too. You're busy, I'll go to the academy to see!"
He left as soon as he said it, this genius strategist leaving the Hokage Tower and heading for the Ninja Academy.
Inoichi only felt a sense of comfort from the inside out, wonderful!
Shikaku was sent away by him. There was still one more of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and that was Chōji's father, the fifteenth generation "Cho", Akimichi Choza.
Since the fourteenth generation "Cho", Akimichi Torifu, died in battle, the Akimichi family had lost their upward path. The current family's thinking was basically to lie flat.
Inoichi didn't care whether they were really lying flat or pretending to lie flat. He just waited in front of the Hokage Tower. Soon, the 1.8-meter tall, 120-kilogram fat man, Akimichi Choza, came out. Inoichi made some small talk, and then repeated his words about his daughter "having low aptitude and weak willpower".
Choza was too fat, his face was full of fat, and his eyes were only slits.
He was not as smart as Shikaku. After Inoichi showed off twice, he roughly understood the meaning.
Congratulating him a couple of times, the fat man smiled honestly, then left the Hokage Tower. Looking at his direction, he was also going to the Ninja Academy.
Inoichi continued to wait in front of the Hokage Tower, watching the Jōnin stroll out one by one.
Kakashi? A lonely man, he didn't understand the deep affection between parents and children at all. There was nothing to talk about with him, let him pass.
Might Guy? A muscle-brained, this guy didn't even understand what a woman was, right? Let him pass.
Asuma and Kurenai? Hmm, Inoichi hesitated. These two were in love and probably couldn't understand the anxiety of being a parent. Let them pass too.
Waiting and waiting, the head of the Hyuga family, Hinata's father, Hyuga Hiashi, came out.
Inoichi immediately went up to him, it was you.
In less than half a day, the story of Ino and Hinata competing in taijutsu at the academy, and then striving to become stronger after knowing shame, spread in the Jōnin circle.
The time, place, people, cause, process, and result of the matter were all there, and there were many witnesses. No one could find fault with it.
Most of the Jōnin were supportive of Ino's efforts. Hard work was a good quality in any profession, and ninjas were no exception.
The Jōnin had generally started families for many years. It was common for them to compare their children. Using Ino as a topic, they recalled how hard they worked back then, talked about how the children nowadays didn't know how lucky they were, and the discussion was very heated. In the end, it even alarmed the Third Hokage.
After hearing about the incident, the Third Hokage personally wrote "Guard against arrogance and impetuosity" and had his Anbu ninja send it to Hinata, hoping that she would not be arrogant and continue to work hard.
On the other side, Shimura Danzō, for some reason, also wrote "Strive to catch up" on the spot and had his Root ninja send it to Ino.
It was ironic to say that the Yamanaka family was actually on Shimura Danzō's line. Yamanaka Fu, a Jōnin of the family, was Danzō's right-hand man. Inoichi's intelligence department and Root had many secret connections. The original Ino had Sai marry into the family after the Fourth War, and the Yamanaka family took the opportunity to annex most of the Root ninja, which also had this reason. They were originally on the same line, so Root, after Danzō's death, had no ideological burden in turning to the Yamanaka family.
While the Jōnin were chatting, Shikaku was the first to arrive at the Ninja Academy.
Upon asking, he learned that Ino didn't come to school today. Yamanaka Rino had asked for leave for her, and the reason for the leave was to prepare for the graduation exam and conduct special training at home.
Shikaku found his son on the roof of the academy, along with his inseparable fat friend, Chōji.
The chubby Chōji was still eating snacks, while Shikamaru was lying on his back with his hands behind his head, daydreaming.
Shikaku coughed. Strictly speaking, he also had some problems communicating with his son. Both father and son were too smart, and often didn't know what to say.
After thinking for a while, he simply said directly: "Since you're skipping class at school anyway, come home with me and practice the family secret technique."
There was very little room for negotiation in his words, almost in a commanding tone.
Shikamaru was a little surprised and glanced at his father: "I remember we agreed to learn the secret technique after graduating from the academy."
"That was originally the case, but now that girl from the Yamanaka family has already started practicing the secret technique. Inoichi said that her learning progress is very fast. You are a smart child, you should be able to guess what I'm thinking, right?"
Shikamaru was silent for a few seconds. He stared at the white clouds in the sky: "Women are really troublesome... I just want to live through this last half year peacefully, why is it so difficult, sigh..."
He was a top-notch smart person and knew very well that Ino-Shika-Cho were comrades who could fight side by side, but there was also competition within this alliance. Once he dropped the ball, it would trigger a series of unpredictable consequences.
The alliance supported each other, and also promoted each other.
Inoichi's Versailles act today also had this meaning. He was reminding the Nara family.
"Let's go, old man, let's go home." Shikamaru stood up rather lazily, hands in his pockets, and said softly to the chubby Chōji: "If nothing unexpected happens, I won't be able to come tomorrow. Your good days, hehe, are also over... Let's see each other in a few days. Women are really troublesome!"
"Oh... goodbye." The chubby Chōji held the snack bag and responded dully.
Shikaku nodded slightly to him, then took Shikamaru to find Iruka to ask for leave.
Only the chubby Chōji was left on the roof.
Chōji looked fat and usually acted silly, but he wasn't actually stupid. With Ino and Shikamaru leaving one after another, he roughly understood the reason. It seemed that he couldn't stay out of this matter either?
He finished the snacks in his hand, his mind muddled, and walked home alone.
Just after walking out of the school gate, he ran into Akimichi Choza.
Choji is still confused. He didn't have Shikamaru's intelligence, and he was young. He only had a vague concept of many things and didn't understand them very well. At this time, he asked his father.
"Is the village going to war again? Why does even someone as lazy as Shikamaru have to force himself to do things he doesn't like to do?"
The fat man Choza touched his son's head and said gently: "No... It's not your turn to go to the battlefield yet, child. Remember my words, you are ninjas, so you must make some sacrifices. Ino and Shikamaru have both made their choices, and you must keep up. This is your innate mission."
Choza took his son back to the academy, made up an excuse for leave, and then went home to practice the family secret technique.
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