Ino secretly wondered, isn't Mind Body Switch Technique just a C-Ranked Ninjutsu? Is it really that difficult? Will it take three to five years to master?
She hesitated. If she really spent three to five years practicing the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique, it would indeed be a waste of time. The Konoha 12, excluding the three from the previous generation, were all twelve years old this year. If Naruto defeated Ōtsutsuki Kaguya at seventeen and married at nineteen, she would only have five years of training time. If she spent five years on a family Secret Technique with little future, by the time of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, she would just have to lie down and win.
She carefully replayed Inoichi's words in her mind twice and suddenly realized she had misunderstood. Her cheap dad, Inoichi, was a man of few words and wasn't clear. He spoke of 'family Secret Technique,' referring to a whole set of Secret Techniques, not just Mind Body Switch Technique.
"I want to learn."
She quickly made up her mind. Her stats were already several points higher than the original Ino, so there was no reason she couldn't learn it.
Inoichi Yamanaka looked at her seriously. She nodded emphatically, showing her determination.
To complete the act, she even quietly muttered a few words like, "I must defeat Hinata."
Yamanaka Rino quickly pushed the door open and left. The father and daughter in the room sat cross-legged on the floor.
"The family Secret Technique is called Mind Body Switch Technique. Its training difficulty is rated C-Ranked in the Village, making it a true Chunin-level Ninjutsu, but..." Inoichi paused.
"...But they don't know that this rating isn't accurate. Mind Body Switch Technique is the beginning of all the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques, and its difficulty isn't covered by a C-Ranked Ninjutsu."
Ino nodded. A family Secret Technique was the foundation of a clan. No matter how strong their sense of belonging to the Village, they wouldn't hand it over.
She even suspected that the Ino–Shika–Chō families might have just reported the names of their Secret Techniques, declared them C-Ranked during the census, and considered it done.
Inoichi continued, "There are some derivative Ninjutsu from the family Secret Technique, but we won't discuss those today. I'll only talk about the main part. Our clan's Secret Technique, starting from Mind Body Switch Technique, has a total of four stages. My talent and capacity are insufficient, my aptitude is dull, and my will is weak. Currently, I've only cultivated to the second stage, which means I've completed the training for Mind Body Disturbance Technique."
Upon hearing the word "capacity," which was portrayed so distortedly in Hokage, Ino's liver trembled.
No way?
Does our family's Secret Technique also require a "capacity" test? Do I still have a chance to be a great filial daughter?
Inoichi Yamanaka didn't intend to test her "capacity" on the spot, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
She asked her question, "Four stages? What are the two stages after Mind Body Switch Technique and Mind Body Disturbance Technique?"
Having spoken more, Inoichi no longer felt the initial nervousness he had when talking to his daughter. To increase Ino's enthusiasm for learning the Secret Technique, he instinctively mastered the art of making promises.
"Currently, the Ninja World's standard for evaluating Ninjutsu isn't entirely accurate, but generally speaking, based on ease of learning, our family's Secret Technique, from Mind Body Switch Technique all the way to the fourth stage, can correspond to the current C-Ranked, B-Ranked, A-Ranked, and S-Rank Ninjutsu."
The Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique could reach S-Rank? Ino felt that tonight's father-daughter conversation had touched upon her blind spots of knowledge.
"So, what are the names of the last two stages of the Secret Technique?" she asked.
Inoichi smiled elegantly, keeping her in suspense: "I'll tell you when you complete Mind Body Switch Technique."
Ino: "..."
Inoichi cleared his throat: "Mind Body Switch Technique is the foundation of everything. C-Ranked Ninjutsu generally corresponds to Chunin difficulty, making it very hard to learn. Our family's Secret Technique is at least half a rank higher in difficulty. Ino, you need to be mentally prepared."
"Mhm, mhm."
Inoichi pointed to himself: "Use your sensory ability to sense me. Let me see the strength of your mental energy."
Sensory ability isn't a Secret Technique; it's widely spread and one of the few abilities that can slightly enhance mental energy. Ino had been training her sensory ability for these three months since her transmigration. Now, she closed her eyes, forming a 'Un' hand seal with her left hand over her right, concentrating all her attention on Inoichi.
"Sense!"
The fusion of two souls caused her mental energy to surge dramatically. Coupled with her deliberate training, Inoichi immediately felt a vast mental energy impacting his brain.
Ino's mental energy was scattered, superficial, and lacked means of convergence. Even though its quantity was much greater than an average person's, it couldn't break through the defenses of a master of mind control like Inoichi.
"Not enough, increase the power."
"Try harder, your mental energy still can't hurt me. Push!"
"Is this all you've got? You won't be able to defeat the Hyuga Clan's heiress like this. Push harder!"
Ino was speechless. She was just using Hinata as a pretext to learn the family Secret Technique. Now, to stir up her competitive spirit, poor Hinata was being brought up again.
She understood Inoichi's objective. At this moment, she gritted her teeth, imagined Hinata as Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, and desperately extracted mental energy from the depths of her soul, attacking Inoichi's mental defenses like a tidal wave.
This was Inoichi's first time resisting his daughter's mental energy, and he had to admit, he was a bit stunned.
He never expected his daughter's mental energy to be so strong! While there was still a significant gap in quality, her quantity already surpassed his.
It's important to know that mental energy is very difficult to improve through acquired means. Currently, there are no very effective methods to enhance mental energy in the Ninja World; it's entirely innate.
Inoichi clenched his fists. He was happy!
Ino–Shika–Chō were allies. The camaraderie between the three families was indeed sincere, but there was also internal competition among them, to determine who was superior, average, or inferior.
The Yamanaka Clan, not to mention, was the team leader over a hundred years ago. Now, due to various reasons, its position in the alliance could be said to have declined repeatedly.
The Akimichi Clan, full of large-built individuals, seemed unassuming, honest, and simple, but they also had their own ambitions.
The Fourteenth Generation 'Chō,' Akimichi Torifu, was a disciple of Second Hokage Senju Tobirama. His battle achievements were illustrious, and his reputation was widespread. If Akimichi Torifu had lived to this day, he certainly would have been on par with Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Utatane Koharu, serving as a senior Advisor in the Village.
The 'Shika' was even stronger.
The current head, the Fifteenth Generation 'Shika,' Nara Shikaku, was the leader of Konoha Village's Jonin squad. His reputation as a strategist echoed throughout the nations. When the Fourth Hokage was appointed, and when the Third Hokage returned, Nara Shikaku had the same authority as the three Village Advisors, holding the right to recommend and vote for new Hokage.
The Yamanaka Clan, as the 'Ino,' had been in decline for too long. Today, Inoichi finally saw a glimmer of hope for its resurgence in Ino.