"Let's not torture her too much too fast, alright?" In the end, Ren decided to refuse Ino and gently patted her hair, causing her to let out a whine. But as somebody who had spent a lot of time with the girl, Ren heard the barely noticeable hint of content acceptance in that whine as her embrace affectionately tightened a little bit.
"Alright. Maybe later." Ino whimsically said, and Ren felt her kiss his neck as she turned her body and seated herself in his lap. "What do you have planned for her?" She curiously asked, her hot, tingling breath hitting his bare skin, before her lips once again nibbled on his neck.
"Remember the Blazing Winds technique you have created?" Ren asked, and Ino answered in an incredulous tone.
"Really? That?"
Ren chuckled. He could hear how nonplussed she was about it, but he only carefully shrugged the one shoulder she was not using to rest her cheek. "For now, Temari is just like you. But she can be so much better." He wistfully said, and even though he didn't see it with her face burrowed in the crook of his neck, he was absolutely certain that Ino had rolled her eyes at him.
He had to resist the urge to pinch her.
"Good for her." Ino breezily said, but from how her answer sounded, she didn't really care too much. There was even a hint of sarcasm hiding in her voice. Suddenly softening into a more innocent tune, Ino continued, "Does that mean you will stop pestering me about practicing more control with my Wind Release?"
Ren snorted. She was like a kid trying to get out of a punishment. His 'pestering' was for her own good!
The girl was the best Wind user in the entire world by now. She knew more about Wind Release than all the Suna Jonin put together. Sarutobi Hiruzen had nothing on her when it came to her element. Her mind technique gave her a unique advantage when it came to training, inventing new jutsu, or discovering new things about her element.
Yet, the girl chose to be a blunt instrument.
It was always about making bigger, cooler, more impressive spectacles with wind when it came to her techniques. She wouldn't recognize subtlety with wind jutsu if it kicked her in the rear.
Part of it was Ren's fault. And he felt very bad about it. He pitted Ino against Hinata too often during their training. Unfortunately, subtlety had never worked against the Hyuga girl. Her Byakugan could see through most deception or tricks.
So, Ino had to default to creating massive Wind Dragons, Vacuum Bombs, Wind Blasts, and other more direct ways of using Wind Release for mass-scale destruction. Because that worked at least somewhat against Hinata. The con, however, was that Ino came to prefer these methods. Her problems were nails, and she wanted to be a big, fuck-off hammer.
What did it matter if a mission could be solved with a simple mirage illusion if she could also just Vacuum Bomb the heck out of it? Vacuum Bombs were simple! Just a protective layer of wind around an area from which she needed to suck out all gases. Then, rupture the wind barrier in a specific way that would shape how the ensuing explosion would look, and there it was. A big boom, unga bunga.
There was nothing complicated about it. Just hard to create and control. She didn't need to fully understand what she was doing. She didn't need to study for it. No. It was a 'do this, get that result' kind of thing. It was exactly what Ino liked in her Wind techniques.
Another part of it was that Yamanakas were not exactly powerhouses, and Ino wanted to be special. among her clan. And Ren had understood a desire like that. It was why he didn't push her much in the direction he wanted for her. The girl focused way more on her Yamanaka mind techniques than on her Wind Release anyway. As much as he found it a pity, he decided to let her find her own way.
But all her discoveries? Those were valuable even if she usually decided to leave them half-finished and ignored them in favor of smashing everything to pieces.
Realizing from his silence that no, he was not going to stop pestering her, Ino huffed and decided to get back to the earlier topic. She knew better than to push. That had never worked out for her with Ren.
"So, you want her to learn how to change the temperature of her winds." Ino nodded with a hum. That could be useful. Flash-freezing or boiling enemies with a massive wind blast from her war fan sounded cool.
She could already see it. These fierce cutting winds she had used in the arena during the Chunin Exams... if they also scalded everything in their path, that would be a little bit frightening.
Of course, Ino had already created the method for it long ago, but it did not work very well. Otherwise, she would have been throwing such attacks around herself. Changing the temperature of winds simply took way too much focus to be used on the fly in combat. It also required several times more chakra than normal techniques because the wind chakra was resistant to changes like these. It loved to cut or bludgeon. It was not really made to burn or freeze.
It was simply not viable in a real-life application.
"Did you find a way to get around the issues with it?" Ino hopefully asked with excitement dancing in her tone. If Ren had figured something out, she wouldn't mind doing some more practice with her Blazing Wind or Ice Wind techniques. Maybe even develop something new!
She remembered that this all started when Ren gave her the idea of developing Boiling Winds. But when she realized how hard even just bringing winds to an uncomfortable temperature was, she gave up on this path with the Wind Release before she could actually make Boiling Winds.
"Maybe. I was thinking of translating all these complicated chakra manipulations necessary for it into a seal." Ren distractedly shared as his mind started working on the schematics for it.
Ino blinked and pulled away from Ren so she could properly look at him. "But... such a seal would be required to be big."
"And putting it directly on the body is impossible, too." Ren added with a nod. "Well, unless you want to experience having your skin scalded or boiled every time you use it."
Ino playfully shivered. Yeah, that did not sound like a good time to her. There wasn't much a kunoichi would not suffer through for a powerful technique, but some prices were just not worth it.
"Then where..." Ino trailed off, before her eyes fell on the war fan to the side, and she suddenly got a realization. "Her fan. That's what you want to use for the seal."
"Yup. It's perfect. Big enough to hold it, and sturdy enough that repeated use would not destroy it." Ren grinned at Ino, who looked a bit baffled at this approach.
Honestly, ninjas had a bit of a flawed mindset when it came to weapons. For many truly powerful ninjas, weapons were not something strictly necessary, so they tended to be overlooked. But humans gained their advantages from the use of their tools. It's what humans were best at.
Temari will still need to learn the basics of temperature manipulation through the Wind Release, but with a seal weapon that did most of the process for her, she would become way more dangerous than she is right now with minimal training.
Not to mention, it would give her time to develop a less weapon-dependent fighting style, just in case she ever found herself without her war fan.
"Can you really do that?" Ino put her hands on Ren's chest and batted her eyelashes, "More importantly, will you make a weapon for me, too? Pretty please?"
Amused, Ren leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, making her yelp. "I have no idea." He chuckled at her pout. "Finding out will take me some time. As for a weapon for you..." He helplessly shrugged, "You already have the best sharpening and durability seals I can manage on your sword, Ino." He gave her a look.
Creating something like that would take serious effort. Temari needed it to become stronger, quicker. Ino... didn't. She was already strong enough that Ren wasn't worried about her getting in trouble.
"Alright, fine! I get it. No new toy for me." Ino huffily pouted some more and pushed herself away from Ren's lap to subtly show her displeasure.
It did not work out as she wished.
Ino stiffened as she suddenly noticed that Hinata appeared out of nowhere, and was now making herself comfortable in her previous spot on Ren's lap.
Her jaw dropped in utter astonishment, and her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to come up with something to say.
Ren chuckled, and Hinata giggled, her eyes twinkling in amusement. He had given her a small wave behind Ino's back when she had arrived, and he still had the blonde girl in his hand. Unlike Ino, who was too focused on her own world, he had noticed her.
"A new lipstick?" Ren asked, gazing at his Hyuga girl's face, paying extra attention to her slightly dark grey to slightly black-ish lips. It was the first time he had seen her with something like this, but it weirdly fit her demeanor.
"Yes." Hinata preened. "I spent a day shopping with Samui. She had recommended it. Do you like it?" She asked with a small blush as her hands found their way around Ren's neck.
"I love it, sweetheart." Ren softly told her and kissed her, finding out the lipstick was blueberry flavored. They pulled away, "I like it a lot."
"Mhm. That makes me happy." Hinata happily smiled, and with her pink cheeks, it contrasted with the reserved and calm expression she tried to portray.
Ren pulled her into a hug and gently put his chin on the top of her head as her body slacked against him. "And how are things for you in Konoha? Is your clan obedient?" He whispered in a concerned tone.
"Hey! You never asked me how I am!" Ino, next to them, whinily protested in a hushed tone.
"Ren chortled, "You act as if you wouldn't instantly shout at me if something was wrong or you had something to complain about."
"I-, okay. That's fair. But still!" Ino protested.
But her protests were ignored as Ren's attention returned to Hinata because she started speaking.
"It's okay. I don't really enjoy my new station in the clan, but somebody had to shepherd the sheep, I guess." Hinata sighed. "Speaking of that, I'd like to ask for a Secrebo capable of making exploding tags. Could I get one?"
"Hm? Sure. No problem. Just give me a day to have my clones put it together." Ren's hands affectionately caressed Hinata's back, "But why? Shouldn't there be one in the shop?" He confusedly asked, and immediately regretted it as he felt the mood of his girls sour.
"The village confiscated it alongside the whole shop." Ino said with an angry deadpan, and Ren opened his mouth... only to close it when he realized he could pretty much do nothing about it in his current position.
Silently cursing under his nose, he felt like scowling. He had left the shop to his girls. But apparently, Hiruzen had different ideas. Oh, Ren was sure it was not wholly legal, but the old man had his ways. Protesting against it would be useless.
"And of course, the village started to sell more exploding tags to the ninjas for affordable prizes right after that." Hinata clicked her tongue, and her voice became tinged with distaste, "Your part in helping Konoha's coffers to recover will be remembered, is what Hiruzen told me when I delivered my displeasure about it."
"That bad?" Ren helplessly asked, making Hinata hum.
"The rampage of the Hachibi Jinchuuriki in the Land of Rivers has everybody spooked." She mumbled and shook her head, rubbing it on Ren's shirt. "The borders are strengthened, forces consolidated, and any advantage the village can get away with taking is taken. At least, your apartment is safe because even if they did want to confiscate it, the seal defenses would make it impossible."
For a moment, the trio stayed silent, all contemplating their own issues. Then, Ren decided that brooding over it wouldn't do anything.
"Yeah, well, fuck him. I guess he got the message and realized he would not be getting any Secrebo or seal designs from me." Ren said, "At least, I won't have to feel guilty for sharing these marvel boxes with Suna later on." He moved his head a bit back and looked at Hinata, who was still clinging onto him. "I guess you want the Secrebo to not have your clan depend on the village, then?"
"And Yamanakas. We made a deal." Ino casually butted in. "Oh, look. The Princess is done with her run." She motioned toward Temari, who had finally finished running.
She took a few moments to calm her breathing before she turned toward them and started approaching them.
Ren had his lips involuntarily twist into a mischievous smile. "Hey, Ino. Up for giving her some training?"
"I thought you didn't want to give her into my clutches just yet?" Ino raised an eyebrow at him in surprise.
Ren head tilt "No? I said 'not just yet'. It has been ten minutes since then. I think she is quite ready for you now." He laughed, and Ino joined him.
"You are bad." Ino said in between her laughter, but she dutifully stood up and disappeared from vision in a small shimmer of wind as she was about to make Temari's day into an unpleasant experience.
"That was not very nice. You know that Ino is going to have her own brand of fun with her junior." Hinata giggled once Ino left.
"Yeah, well-" Ren started, watching how Temari's face lit up in alarm, and she suddenly jumped to the side as Ino appeared in front of her and almost kicked her in the stomach while sporting a massive grin.
Ino threw some taunt at Temari that made her scowl in anger, and her hands joined, quickly forming several hand seals before a wind bullet was hurled at Ino from Temari's mouth.
The wind bullet went right through Ino's body, only managing to make her body shimmer a bit. Shocked, Temari stared at her opponent for a second. Ino chuckled, and suddenly, three more Inos appeared around Temari, who threw Ren a desperate glance.
But he only gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.
"- It is for her own good." He finished and kissed Hinata again, leaving Temari with Ino for the moment.
---
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