"Should I use Water Dragon Bullet? Exploding Water Colliding Wave, or Water Severing Wave?" Ino thought dazedly, her brain's reaction speed significantly slower than usual. It took her a long time to think of a way to sober up.
That was the Partial Hydration Technique.
Her Ninjutsu talent was indeed high now. Out of a five-hand seal Ninjutsu, she got two seals wrong, but relying on her skilled Ninjutsu control, she still managed to hydrate her left hand.
She shook it wildly, and as some alcohol was separated, she felt her dizziness slightly alleviate.
Tsunade urged her from the side: "Hurry up, hurry up! Practice quickly! Don't disappoint... *hiccup*, don't disappoint my expectations, expectations..."
A miracle happened!
This time, Ino mobilized Chakra, stimulated cell growth, and successfully revived a nearly dead saury.
The Yang Release on her status panel was also lit up, and her current Yang Release level was Lv1.
Among the seven Ninja attributes, she now possessed Water, Earth, Wind, Yin Release, and Yang Release, five Chakra attributes, only lacking Fire and Lightning.
She laughed triumphantly: "It's done?! It's done! I told you I'm a genius, there's no reason for me to be stuck on such an entry-level technique for so many days! Hahahaha—this is great! Let's keep drinking!"
Tsunade shouted outside: "Hey! Boss, bring the drinks, you know me, right? Put all the tab on Jiraiya, *hiccup*, put it on Jiraiya's tab, that white-haired guy from last time."
Five days later, Jiraiya came to pay the bill.
Tsunade's group of three people and one pig were all drunk.
He had already anticipated that Tsunade's side would have an extra drunkard! It's hard to learn good things these days, but it's easy to go astray.
"Wake up, little Ino, hey, hey?! Hurry up and go back, the Third Hokage told me that the Chunin Exams are about to begin!" Jiraiya shouted into her ear.
Ino tilted her head to look at him, and it took her about five minutes to react.
She was greatly alarmed: "Chunin... Chunin? The Chunin Exams! Have they started already? What's the date today?!"
She looked around, and after seeing the calendar, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was scared to death; there was still half a month until the exam.
Jiraiya held his stomach and laughed, immensely amused.
It seemed there was still time, but returning to Konoha Village, registering, and reviewing the theoretical aspects all required time. There was no need for a perfect score in the exam, but she couldn't submit a blank paper like Naruto, could she? Her genius persona couldn't be lost. Calculating it this way, time really wasn't much.
She washed her face, combed her hair, and changed her clothes. When she came out, she saw Tsunade hitting Jiraiya.
Ino turned into a spectator, hiding in the corner with Shizune to watch the show.
Jiraiya and Tsunade, these friends who were just a thin sheet of paper away from being a couple, were used to this mode of interaction. After a childish scuffle, the two fifty-year-old elders returned to normal.
Jiraiya went to pay the bill, while Tsunade started drinking her porridge on her own.
Ino walked over, scratching her head: "Teacher, that..."
Tsunade handed her a book list and a Summoning Technique scroll.
She said with immense authority: "Your knowledge reserve is insufficient. Medical Ninjutsu and Ninjutsu are ultimately different; the foundations must be laid well. Learn more, read more, and it's best if you participate in more surgeries to treat patients. The more you do these things, the more naturally you'll learn them!
I remember you know the Summoning Technique, right? Sign your name, and from now on, you'll be one of my Shikkotsu Forest lineage!"
Ino signed her name on the Shikkotsu Forest's Summoning Technique scroll. From now on, she could use the Summoning Technique to summon a clone of the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest. This thing had an astonishing healing capacity; as long as one wasn't instantly dead, it could bring them back.
Shizune, learning that she was going to participate in the Chunin Exams, also taught her a technique, Ninja Art: Poison Mist.
Similar to Jiraiya's Oil Transformation, Shizune converted Chakra into special chemical substances. These substances, sprayed from her mouth, could instantly react with air to become poison mist.
Ino's speed in learning Medical Ninjutsu was average, neither fast nor slow, but her speed in learning such a sinister-sounding Ninjutsu was extraordinarily fast.
Shizune explained it once, demonstrated it once, and Ino was able to form the hand seals and release it.
Learning scroll? Not needed, I already know it! Her learning speed was comparable to Kakashi directly copying with his Sharingan.
Ino said goodbye to the three in turn, finally tugging at the foreleg of the pet pig, Tonton, before leaving the town and returning to the Village to participate in the Chunin Exams.
"What a polite and good child." Jiraiya really liked Ino's personality; he felt they were inexplicably compatible.
Tsunade actually thought Ino was good too, but she couldn't say it out loud: "What's the use of being polite? Can it be eaten? She's been mooching my alcohol for the past two days!"
Jiraiya gave a dry laugh. He really wanted to say that he paid for the drinks, but he was afraid of getting hit.
Only when Ino was out of sight did he whisper: "Train her well. With such strong Ninjutsu talent, she will definitely become an excellent Ninja in the future."
Tsunade 'hmph'ed. That was nonsense; did she need him to tell her that?
Shizune quietly said to Tsunade: "Actually, I think Ino's talent in Ninjutsu far exceeds that in Medical Ninjutsu. Her Yin Release level is also very high, and the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique also has... commonalities. Perhaps we can let her help try to complete the technique Uncle left behind? You only got a part of that technique back then, and we've tried to complete the missing parts over the years, but it's still not perfect."
At the mention of this topic, Tsunade's mood immediately soured. After serious consideration, she slowly shook her head: "Let me research Ninjutsu with my new disciple? What about my reputation? No! Neither of us has Yin Style Chakra, and it's uncertain if the completed technique would even work. I need to research it more. But it's getting late today, so let's drink first! —! Jiraiya, are you coming?"
Jiraiya's smile was quite playful: "I'm going to meet a female fan in a bit, heh heh heh heh—"
Leaving Tsunade and Shizune to go back and drink, he leisurely wandered off.
He knew who they were talking about, and the topic made him sad too.
It really was a case of childhood friends losing to newcomers, wasn't it? He wanted to compete in a manly way, but the other person was dead. Could he still compete with a dead person?
"Sigh—" He sighed heavily. He'd better find two pretty young ladies to chat with and relieve his boredom.
Without delay, Ino returned to Konoha Village and first reported to the Third Hokage.
The encounter with the Fourth Raikage had to be explained clearly.
She recounted where she met him and why she met him.
Then came Tsunade's matter.
Since she became Tsunade's disciple, she would naturally follow Tsunade to learn. Now that the Third Hokage was not dead, there was no realistic situation where the Village's burden had to be carried by Tsunade.
At this moment, even if Naruto used Kotoamatsukami, he wouldn't be able to persuade Tsunade to return to the Village, but the Village would still arrange various missions for Ino. As a tool, what should she do?
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