Ino / Naruto's POV (Corridors of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Ino sighed as she watched Naruto walking away. She knew better than to attempt to free her grabbed a wrist. Hundreds of stories of Tsunade bringing down entire buildings with her strength convinced her of the folly of such. Ino felt utterly miserable; her attempt to speak with Naruto had been to make up, but more than that, it had been to apologize even further. She had failed after so boldly declaring her intent to win for Naruto.
It had been so simple when she had decided to take on the mantle of shinobi. Ino had heard tales of Kunoichi's powerful, beautiful, beloved woman. Dainty, precise, and attractive, it had formed the Kunoichi she had become. Ino had been proud of her social status, and superficial beauty had even equated it with power. She had been convinced she was the definition of a kunoichi.
The formation of Team Seven had shattered such a thought. Ino had realized she was no kunoichi, merely some damsel to be saved by her teammates. This had not worked for Ino either, so she had been mentored by Anko. Undoubtedly, it worked wonders, but it opened her eyes to the less glamorous part of being a kunoichi. Anko had told stories of seduction, assassination, and betrayal. Most of which featured all three; she had suggested this was merely a part of being a kunoichi. The conversation had left Ino shaken and cold. Ino had been determined to prove Anko wrong. To prove Kakashi, Naruto, and Neji right, who all seemed to believe in her for whatever reason. Ino was confident that she would finally say she was a true kunoichi if she defeated Samui. But Ino had failed.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Tsunade asked as she pulled a scroll from her bosom and unsealed a bottle of sake. "We're supposed to be all beautiful and graceful and deadly, all while not being too much. If we try to be more, they mock us once we fail."
"What are you-?" Ino asked. She was utterly perplexed. What in the world was Tsunade of the Sannin doing here speaking to Ino. What the hell was she speaking of?
"Come on, kid, I imagine I know your pain better than most." Tsunade chuckled humorlessly. "They tell you all your life to be well-behaved, controlled, and beautiful. Likes that all you are worth, you finally prove them wrong, and all they remember is the failure. Look at you stressed out, exhausted, and now emotionally distraught." Tsunade laughed humorously at her silence.
"Don't look down, kid; it gets better!" Tsunade said with mock excitement. "Or at least it can be. Mostly depends if you can make the right choice."
"The… right choice?" Ino asked. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know how I became the first S-ranked female shinobi? The only female member of the Sanin? Was it my genius healing? Perhaps my famed strength? Impressive wit? Bust size?" Tsunade ranted. Her voice was very slightly slurred. Ino noted she was somewhat drunk, though she wisely refrained from saying so.
"Um, Lady Tsunade, do you nee-" Ino was interrupted as Tsunade chuckled again, a dry, cold one that slightly unnerved Ino.
"Well, I suppose it was a little of all those things," Tsunade spoke to herself, seemingly only speaking to Ino due to an impulse. "But truthfully, it took a certain level of cold and logical thinking. I didn't master it until too late, but you could learn from it."
"Learn from what? What are you talking about?" Ino asked incredulously. "I'm tired and embarrassed, and now I must hunt down Naruto."
"You shouldn't." Tsunade sounded somewhat sober suddenly. "You need to listen; I'm trying to help you." Ino frowned further at this but decided to stay put. Besides, she didn't like forcing her way past a Sannin. "See, for women in the shinobi world, there is only one solution to the woes we always face. For instance, Jiraiya of the Sannin, my teammate and one of my closest friends, has loved me for years. I tell him no, claiming I can't do much after my previous lover's sudden death. But truthfully, I'm almost certain he would provide some happiness in his life. I don't engage, though I keep my distance."
"But if you feel the same, why not pursue it?" Ino asked, confused.
"A Kunoichi will never truly find love, Ino," Tsunade replied evenly. "We are destined to serve tirelessly until we give up, be slain, or much worse. I've seen it happen countless times. We are trained to do insidious jobs due to our perceived "nature" and treated as though we are not equals. And should we be foolish enough to be hopeful or to fall in love? The world will remind us of how it works by removing them coldly. That is why a kunoichi like yourself must grow distant and cold. Not emotionless, never emotionless, but never showing her full emotions. You must shield yourself from the trauma to come; only then can you achieve your goal of becoming a true Kunoichi." Ino did not know when a tear started to fall down her cheek, but she felt utterly overwhelmed. Was there indeed no point in becoming a Kunoichi if that would be the future?
"SOUNDS LIKE A TOTAL BUNCH OF BULLSHIT!" A familiar voice roared. Naruto suddenly appeared again in the hall, looking furious and determined as he stomped over. "That is not what being a Kunoichi is about! No one can tell someone else what it means to be a ninja!" Naruto challenged.
"You may not be a kunoichi Naruto," Tsunade said with a smile. "But you know better than even her that my words are true. Did she not blame you for a problem you didn't cause, dedicate her match to you, then lose further shaming your already paltry reputation?"
"No one's perfect! No one can be! All that matters is you follow your own heart and ideals. Closing yourself off only hurts more." Naruto stubbornly answered. "Being distant is something a coward would do. You can only find happiness by grabbing it for yourself."
Tsunade laughed with some actual joy at this. She then crushed the glass bottle of sake in her hand. Notably, no sake dripped from the shattered glass, merely blood. Tsunade whipped her hand back and forth, removing glass and blood and revealing seemingly unharmed hands. "You," She pointed at Ino. "Are already seeing the future for a hopeful kunoichi. It's dark, crushing, and unrelenting. You," she said, now pointing at Naruto. "Will find out soon enough. But hey, convince her, Uzumaki, that I'm wrong."
Silence filled the room after her sudden encouragement.
Naruto and Ino eyed each other. Neither had faced each other since Ino's regretted words. Ino had never met someone who made her feel so much. She felt shame for disappointing him, excitement to finally see him, and anger she had been rescued by him from the conversation. Ino would not lie; Naruto's stubborn refusal had made her feel better. Yet she had disturbingly heard some truth in it.
'So much on my mind, and now you are here. What the hell do I say?' Ino thought.
X-X
Naruto's POV
'Great. I got involved impulsively when I heard Tsunade talking to you like that. Now you're here; what the hell should I say?' Naruto thought as he locked eyes with Ino.
"Listen," Naruto started but was stopped by Ino.
"I'm sorry, more than you know," Ino said sadly. "We have a lot to talk about; I have much to answer to. And I really do want to talk about it, but… I just… need time."
Naruto felt a slight pain but nodded his head. "I know what you mean; I kinda feel the same, you know? We are going to talk, though?" Ino nodded silently, hugging Naruto gently before walking away without a word. Naruto waited until she was out of earshot before he continued.
"The hell did you do that for!" Naruto declared angrily. "She already had a lot on her plate, and you went and tried to shake her worldview!"
"Watch your tone, brat. You're lucky you're related to Kushina and the student of Jiraiya, or I'd show you what happens to those who mouth off at me." Tsunade snapped back.
"Who gives a damn who I know?!" Naruto said, grabbing Tsunade's collar with a growl. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll talk however I want to assholes fucking with my friends!"
Tsunade smiled sweetly at him. "First, good point. There is no need to judge you off of others. Secondly." With that, she flicked him in the ribs. Naruto spat out blood as he flew back and into the wall hard. 'She nearly broke my ribs!' Before he could race up to attack her in kind, she was standing over him with a hand on his ribs. Naruto froze as he prepared for another painful blow. Instead, the pain faded as he suddenly felt better. He looked over to see the hand touching his ribs glowing. "Alrighty, now that we have established a pecking order, let me speak. Listen, I'm just offering the girl the reality others won't tell her. I know from experience she needed to hear that I was doing you one. Love is something to cherish, but it will always be lost. Better to not love at all, wish I hadn't."
Naruto shoved her off and growled as he stood. "Hell no, I'm gonna live life embracing my loved ones, and before I let them go, I'll exhaust every single option." He countered fiercely.
"You really are like them…" Tsunade spoke quietly. As Tsunade continued, Naruto raised a brow but had no time to comment. "How about this brat? Prove me wrong by being promoted to Chunin. If you manage such a situation, I'll offer you much better training than Jiraiya gave you; you'll have the aid of two Sannins. You want that accredited Kage position, don't you? Then, as a Kage-level shinobi, it'd be invaluable. If you don't, however, you must quit your Hokage dream."
Naruto was still determining if he even wanted training from the opposing woman. But he would prove her wrong all the same. Besides, surely a Sannin like her would not have some good jutsu.
"Deal."