"Careful, Ino, she's a lot stronger than you are now," said Naruto, smiling.
"Ha, as if," said Ino. "Once a book worm, always a book worm."
"Ino, be nice," Chouji chided her. "We're all Konoha shinobi here, let's act like it. Now, are we all ready to get some training done today?"
"I suppose," said Shikamaru.
"Fine," said Ino, not meeting his eyes.
"I'm ready," said Sakura.
"Sure, and when we finish we can all go for a nice big meal," suggested Chouji.
"So, where have you guys been training at?" asked Naruto.
"Mostly field 12 and 13, field 11 just got to be way too easy," answered Shikamaru.
"So field 14 or 15 then?" asked Naruto. It would probably be too easy for Naruto at this point but with so many people it would not be a bad idea to try a lower level field first before trying something potentially more dangerous.
"Do we know what's in either field?" asked Sakura.
"No idea, but that's half the fun isn't it?" asked Naruto excitedly.
"Troublesome," complained Shikamaru.
"Isn't fourteen the old battlefield?" asked Ino, a slight quaver in her voice.
"Yeah, so?"
"Isn't that place haunted?"
"Right, then field fifteen it is," said Naruto, his old fear of ghosts kicking up instantly.
"Wimp," teased Sakura.
Naruto was tempted to retort and make them go to fourteen after her taunt but he resisted the urge if just barely. He leveled a withering glare at her instead to which she just smirked.
"Let's just go," said Shikamaru.
Naruto nodded then leaped up to the nearest roof top then moving east trailed by his teammate and friends. It didn't take long to reach the training field in question. It was a swampy terrain, made to simulate exactly that.
Training Field 15 – This swamp was designed to simulate possible combat scenarios that played out in the first shinobi world war. This area is still rife with snakes and alligators looking for their next meal. If they don't get you the quicksand just might so it's best to watch your step. Recommended Level: 14.
"This should be fun," said Shikamaru flatly.
"I am not going in there," stated Ino. "This is a designer kunoichi battle dress from Tsuki no Kuni. Do you have any idea how much this cost me. It will get destroyed in there. I won't do it."
"So, she's still extremely vain. I guess not all things change after academy," taunted Naruto. Her status did indeed still include vain and he'd be damned if he didn't make even a little effort to break her of it. Hell, he'd broken Sakura of her Fangirl ways, vain had to be a hundred times easier.
Ino's eyebrow twitched. "I am not vain!"
"Oh please," said Sakura. "You are so vain. How long did you spend on your hair and choosing your dress this morning?"
"A few . . . hours but that does not make me vain."
"Ino, you're a shinobi, if it takes you more than a minute to dress and prepare for combat then you're wrong," stated Sakura.
"Easy for you to say billboard brow. There's nothing for anyone to see on you," said Ino.
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't look like a slut."
Naruto, Shikamaru and Chouji all wisely stepped back from the two that were on the verge of coming to blows.
"Bitch!"
"Skank!"
"Whore!"
"Ugly!"
"Deformed!"
"Name calling?" Naruto whispered to Shikamaru questioningly.
"Troublesome," he whispered back.
"Fashion mistake!"
"You take that back," hissed Ino, ready to really attack now.
Sakura smirked in victory. "What's wrong? Can't face the truth that not only are you vain but you're also fashion impaired? Not even a serious kunoichi."
Ino's face turned nearly as purple as her clothing as the blood pooled and darkened in her anger. "Like you have room to talk, Fangirl."
Sakura laughed at this one. "I was a Fangirl. No doubt about it but I've had . . . I guess you could call it a harsh awakening. I've worked my ass off since I became a shinobi to change myself. Clearly you haven't."
Ino glared, anger could be felt radiating from the young woman. "I don't have to prove anything to you."
"No, you don't. You have to prove it to all of us. We all have to be able to trust you so that when our lives are on the line, you're going to be there to protect us just like we'd protect you. Regardless if it gets a bit messy in the process," interrupted Naruto, seeing the time to butt in before it really did come to blows.
Naruto seemed to have developed a knack for saying things harshly that also seemed to motivate others.
Ino was silent for a full minute before she responded. "Fine, let's just get this training field over with."
"And your precious dress?" asked Sakura.
"It's just a dress," she replied with a shrug, trying to put on a tough act.
Naruto groaned. He slipped off his jacket and held it out to her. It was long enough that it should protect her dress from most damage. "I want it back when we finish here."
"I'm not wearing that disgusting jacket."
"Put it on," ordered Naruto, brooking no room for argument.
Ino shied at being ordered so harshly but did as she was told, slipping the jacket on, it was about a size too large for her and rather heavy but it would indeed protect her precious dress. She quickly zipped it up and rolled the sleeve a few times to give her better access to her hands.
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