Ino was engrossed in her book.
Inoichi sat just a meter away, watching her intently.
Yamanaka Rino reappeared, pouring a glass of water for both her husband and daughter.
She tugged at her husband, seemingly wanting to give Ino a quiet environment to read. Inoichi gently shook his head—no, resisting distractions was also part of the training.
Not only did he not leave, but he also pulled his wife aside to join him in observing.
He would stay with his daughter for as long as she read. If she could muster the willpower to read through the night, he would be overjoyed.
Uchiha Madara had a peculiar habit of being unable to urinate when someone stood behind him. Ino was now feeling similarly tense, with two living people sitting behind her. The sensation of being watched was unmistakable.
Resisting mental distractions, overcoming physical fatigue, and then focusing on reading—the effects of the medicinal aid had completely worn off.
Ino knew she had to overcome the difficulties before her. She channeled all her attention into the text, ignoring the discomfort signals from her body and mind, gradually entering a state of relative self-forgetfulness.
Inoichi and Rino sat quietly, the only sound in the room being the soft rustling of Ino turning the pages.
The next day.
Even after staying up all night, Inoichi was still full of energy as he attended the Jonin meeting.
The Yamanaka clan wasn't like those families in fantasy novels that meticulously recorded every detail, such as "The 59th head of the family mastered the Mind Body Switch Technique in 7 days and 12 hours, ranking 322nd," or "The 88th head mastered it in 5 days and 11 hours, ranking 145th."
No matter how quickly Ino learned, they wouldn't compile a historical ranking for her on the spot.
Inoichi knew his daughter was progressing faster than he had and that her willpower was exceptional among her peers. Her future achievements would undoubtedly surpass his own, and that was enough.
He had initially thought his daughter was lazy and lacked perseverance, worrying about her future. Never had he imagined she would turn out to be a genius. His joy was completely unrestrained. While the Third Hokage spoke from the podium, Inoichi appeared to sit upright, but his mind had already wandered back home.
Jonin were the pillars of the village. At the weekly Jonin meeting, the Third Hokage would routinely summarize the past week's affairs, inevitably mixing in some personal agendas.
"I know everyone is busy, so I'll keep it brief today. I hope the Jonin will strengthen the management of outsiders in the village, fulfill their duties, and ensure vigilance is taken seriously. Use your professional skills to enhance supervision and scrutiny of key individuals, prevent crime, improve the village's spiritual outlook, achieve tangible results, and highlight our importance and status within the Land of Fire."
The Third Hokage, dressed in his Hokage Robe and wearing a hat inscribed with the character "Fire," was hailed as the "Strongest Hokage." Whether he truly was the strongest was debatable, but there was no dispute that he was the oldest Hokage. At 69 years old, his body was visibly declining, his face marked with age spots.
The older one gets, the more one talks.
He knew the Jonin didn't want to hear these repetitive words, but as the Hokage, he had to tirelessly reiterate them.
While delivering the same old rhetoric, he observed the reactions of those present. Might Guy sat bolt upright, but his eyes were vacant—clearly lost in thought.
Kakashi sat behind Might Guy, flipping through a novel.
Sarutobi Asuma, the Third Hokage's biological son, was secretly holding hands with the newly promoted Jonin, Yuhi Kurenai.
The remaining Jonin and Special Jonin had varied expressions—some were listening attentively, while others were clearly distracted.
Hmm? The Third Hokage paused mid-speech when he noticed Inoichi Yamanaka's beaming face. He couldn't help but wonder.
What's he so happy about? Why is the usually composed and gentle intelligence chief so cheerful today? Did he glean some profound life truth from my speech? This young man has quite the insight! Good!
The Third Hokage, in high spirits today, extended his usual thirty-minute speech to forty-five minutes. By then, Kakashi had already pulled out a second novel from his ninja tool pouch to read.
Nara Shikaku, the head of the Nara clan and the Jonin Commander, also noticed the unusually happy Inoichi. He was a bit puzzled, wondering what his old friend was so amused about.
Surely he didn't find some profound wisdom in the Third Hokage's long-winded and tedious speech, did he? Or was there some crucial information hidden in the mundane chatter that he himself had missed? Shikaku, with his 200 IQ, scrutinized his old friend several times. No way, right? I didn't catch anything noteworthy.
After the meeting, he straightforwardly asked, "Why are you so happy today?"
Inoichi didn't plan to hide it. There was nothing to conceal, and keeping it bottled up was unbearable.
He and Shikaku were indeed life-and-death friends, but competition between them had always existed. They competed when they were promoted to Chunin as kids, on the battlefield, in marriage, and even in having children. Shikamaru's birthday was September 22, while Ino's was September 23—something they often joked about over drinks. Having been overshadowed for so long, Inoichi had long wanted to show off a little.
He sighed, "I started teaching Ino the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques yesterday. That child, sigh, she's so impatient and lacks determination. You know our clan's Mind Body Switch Technique, right?"
"Of course, I remember it's quite difficult to master," Shikaku nodded with a strange expression.
"Our Mind Body Switch Technique requires passing three stages to fully master it. Ino's talent is a bit lacking—it took her an entire night just to get through the first two stages. Sigh, I'm afraid when I die and meet our ancestors, I won't know how to explain myself. What will I say when they ask? With such favorable conditions now, Ino still doesn't put in the effort. It's really worrying me."
Shikaku was speechless. So, you're here to rub it in my face first thing in the morning, huh? This is the Inoichi I know.
Passing two stages in one night—is that really considered low talent? How long did it take you to learn the Mind Body Switch Technique? Two months? Three? I remember your father was so furious he hung you from the rafters and whipped you.
The three clans knew each other well. Although they didn't know the specific medicines, steps, or incantations used in each other's secret techniques, they had a clear understanding of the difficulty level of each clan's practices.
The secret techniques of the Akimichi clan are the easiest to learn, with the lowest barrier to entry. As long as you're willing to spend money, have a mouth and hands, and indulge in eating and drinking, you can simply multiply the stored fat and chakra during combat to unleash their power.
The secret techniques of the Nara clan have a certain learning threshold, requiring intelligence, comprehension, and perseverance—none of which can be lacking.
The secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan are the most difficult to master, and the initial stages are particularly dangerous. When performing the Mind Body Switch Technique, the slightest mistake could result in becoming a vegetable—the best possible outcome.