A strange new life

It wasn’t even the morning of the next day when I disentangled myself from Karin. I needed to get a new bed for her. My sleep and sanity depended on it. Maybe it was because Karin was somewhere new, but she’d been even more grabby and kicky than usual. It was impossible to sleep.

Not that I was feeling sleepy, anyway.

I walked to the window and looked at the still-dark sky. The sun was late today. Rood.

Since no amount of wishing would make the sun rise faster, I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and bake pastries.

For this first training session, I was going with the standard finger sandwiches and tea. I’d use the pastries as a reward for the training. That was positive reinforcement 101, right? Also known as manipulation, the good kind. It didn’t matter in this instance, though. Ino wanted to get stronger; I would make her stronger even if I had to drag her kicking and screaming into the stronger.

I didn’t make stuff just for me and Ino. I made extra portions for Karin and Naruto. Since I was already cooking for two, why not do it for more people? The effort increase was negligible.

After the sandwiches were the cupcakes and muffins. I know, the order was strange, but it didn’t matter. I still had hours until the damn sun decided to grace us with its presence. Why was it taking so long today?

Hours idled away while I baked, made tea, and thought about training ideas.

The talk with Karin regarding the seals gave me a few ideas I wanted to try. I might have been… a bit too enthusiastic about explosions and dealing in lethal force. I didn’t regret the enemies I killed, even if I still thought somehow my reaction to that whole affair was strange. But again, I was a soldier and had been training to kill since I got here in this world, even if most of the lessons were coated with a layer of pink.

Was it that surprising that killing didn’t affect me that much?

No, what I regretted was not trying to help the chimera from Orochimaru’s lab. I had theorized and even created barrier seals that increased the weight of those inside. A non-lethal version to capture instead of the deadlier exploding barrier.

I didn’t even consider that one then, so enamored was I with the booms. It probably would not have been enough or feasible to help them, but I could have at least tried.

Outside, the sky started to brighten, and the lazy sun was finally on its way.

I organized the packs, sealed what needed to be sealed, left others on the table for Karin. I labeled everything and even left a written note to make things easier.

Back inside my room, I glanced at the redhead that was now torturing—grabbing my pillow. I wished the poor pillow luck in its next life. I looked over my outfits. The dress shirt, the skirt and tie. All in black.

I picked a blue shirt and shorts. It was civilian clothing, but that was fine. I had ideas about a new outfit. I’d start working on it after the training.

I left the apartment, made a quick detour to Naruto’s house. Left breakfast hanging on his door. The brat would see the stuff there, right?

Konoha’s shinobi highway was deserted at this time of the morning. Sun had just risen when I landed in front of the Yamanaka shop. I had agreed to meet Ino here at sunrise to start training. The street was deserted, apart from sleepy-eyed civilians walking to and fro.

I looked around, just to make sure I wasn’t missing a hidden Ino anywhere, but nope. Had she forgotten?

Should I knock? Had I mistaken the time?

A chakra bundle crossed the store and arrived at the entrance. I looked at the door in time to see it open and Yamanaka Mother looking at me from inside.

“Good morning, Hinata-chan,” she said.

I waved.

“Come in, Ino’s still sleeping.”

I scratched my cheeks. Man, this was embarrassing. I walked closer, and before I entered the store, I presented my offering.

“What’s this?” Yamanaka Mother asked.

I popped my board, wrote words. “Finger sandwiches and muffins.”

Yamanaka Mother moved away from the door and waved me in. I got past her, closed the door behind me, and followed her inside.

“Sandwiches? What’s that?”

I erased the words, wrote more. “Thin slices of white bread with chicken, cheese, mayo, and lettuce.”

“Hm,” the woman hummed, looking at the miniature seal.

We crossed the store and entered the residence. Inoichi was already up, drinking tea. He gave me a nod.

“Are you going to open a confectionery?” Yamanaka Mother asked.

I considered that question. I did want to open a bakery. I just never had the time to think about it in detail. But that was a good idea, wasn’t it? It could serve as a front for my ninja activities as the flower shop did for Ino’s family.

“Come speak with me when you’re ready.” The matriarch said. “I can give you tips on managing a business.”

I bowed in thanks.

“Now go wake up the princess, or you won’t train today.” She said, waved me off.

With one last bow to Inoichi, I changed paths and ran toward Ino’s bedroom. I knocked, but when no one answered, I slid the door open and stepped inside.

The blonde was fast asleep.

I approached, gently shook her shoulder. “Wake up, Ino-chan.”

Ino mumbled, blinked. “Hinata-chan?” Questing hands appeared from beneath the blanket, holding out to me. I held her hands, ready to help Ino out of the bed. It didn’t happen. Ino pulled me onto it instead. She turned around, pulling the sheets over us, then promptly fell asleep again.

I luxuriated in the warmth. This wasn’t bad. Perhaps I could indulge for five minutes? I wiggled in Ino’s embrace until I was comfortable. She smelled nice. But I couldn’t indulge for long. Five minutes, then training.

“Weren’t you going to train today?”

Inoichi’s voice woke me up from a pleasant dream. I opened a bleary eye. He was at the door, resting against the frame.

“It’s halfway into the morning already.” He said.

Oh… oh! Damn, the training!

I disentangled from Ino and got out of bed. The blonde turned around, pulled the covers over her head. Inoichi shook his head, smiled, left the room. I turned back to Ino. The nap was nice, but it was time to train!

“Wake up, Ino-chan.” I shook the blondie and whispered.

“Don’t wanna,” she whined.

It was time for my secret weapon. “If you don’t, I’ll give the cupcakes to Naruto-kun.”

Twenty minutes later, we were at the training field. Ino still looked sleepy, and her hair was a bit of a mess, but that was fine. She was pretty anyhow, anywhere, anytime. 

God, so sappy. I had to control this. What was I? A teen in love?

“…”

I ignored that thought, popped my comms board.

“I have something for you,” I wrote.

Ino yawned. Read the message.

“What is it?” she asked.

I pulled the small bag I had prepared and presented it to Ino. She took it, opened and found the bracelets and necklace.

“What is this? It’s pretty.” She said, running a finger over the purple stone in the necklace.

“The Ultimate Variable Weight Distribution System For The Discerning Shinobi.” I wrote.

Ino looked at the board. Blinked. “The what?”

My shoulders slumped. I erased the cool name and wrote the boring description: “Weight seals to help with training.”

Once she had read, I showed her mine.

Ino walked closer, looked at the bracelets, then the necklace.

“Are they the same?”

I nodded.

“Let me see it.” She said, pointing to my seals.

I tilted my head, shrugged. Removed the bracelets — ankle and arm — removed the necklace. Placed them in Ino's hand.

She picked it up, looked at them. Nodded.

“How do they work?” She asked, then clasped mine on her arms.

I blinked. I was still surprised when Ino also clasped the ankle ones, then handed me over the black necklace.

“Help me put it?”

I nodded, took it, walked behind Ino. She pulled up her hair, exposing the back of her neck. My fingers brushed against her skin while I was tying the necklace.

Ino giggled. “It tickles.”

Damn, it was a lost cause. I sighed.

“How do they work?” Ino asked again.

She didn’t let me answer. She took the purple bracelets and clasped them around my arm. Same with the ankle ones. She faced me, ordered. “Turn around.”

I did.

My hair wasn’t long enough to cause trouble for her, but I did the same as she did, exposing my neck. After she’d tied the necklace, I took the board. “Send chakra in on each. Adjust how much you want them to weigh.”

I stopped. Thought back on what Karin had asked. Wrote more words.

“They don’t make you heavier, just make your muscles think you’re heavier.”

I saw the moment Ino activated it. She groaned, but unlike Karin, she didn’t fall.

“Ow, ow. Forty is good, right?” She asked with eyes full of expectation.

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Looked away. Then nodded.

“Hinata-chan,” Ino said, voice almost like a growl. “How much is yours?”

I turned around, power walked deeper into the training field toward the wooden dummies.

“Let’s train Ino-chan!” I said instead of writing. I didn’t look back. “Taijutsu?” I asked, hoping to distract Ino.

“Hinata-chan! How much!”