The unique sound of a Guzheng, like the murmuring of flowing water, poured through the flower fields; with every pluck of a string, a beautiful note was born.
In corners unseen by the human eye, inconspicuous specks of dust were moved by an inexplicable force. They were pulled, sometimes repelled, sometimes attracted, and sometimes oscillating wildly. In a highly rhythmic cycle of expansion and contraction, they performed an erratic Brownian motion, clashing with one another yet unable to break free from their constraints... The "shasha" sound of shoes brushing against the grass reached her ears, and through the feedback sensed by her meridians, Shikamaru's figure entered Ino's mental perception.
"Ino... I ran into some Ninjas from other Villages on my way here... Something big is definitely going to happen in the Village..."
Shikamaru spoke with absolute certainty—
Shikamaru's laziness and reticence were actually a facade; when he was with Ino, he was quite talkative.
Even if Ino didn't speak, he could talk for a long time to the accompaniment of the music.
"Do you think... it might be war..."
Shikamaru looked at Ino with a face full of expectation.
Ino's hands didn't stop. While playing the Guzheng, she said, "War... that's not a Ninja game. Shikamaru, it won't be war—you have to consider the sufficient conditions. A war is often triggered by specific events that serve as markers; we usually call such an event a 'fuse'..."
"As far as we know, there hasn't been such a landmark event, so these people aren't here for war."
"..."
"Ah..."
Shikamaru's face was full of admiration. "Ino's analysis is as brilliant as ever. I really didn't consider those things!"
Shikamaru asked humbly, "Then, what do you mean by'sufficient conditions'..."
Ino said, "War is the ultimate means of resolving conflicts between ethnic groups and nations. When the accumulation of contradictions between countries cannot be resolved through cultural, economic, or political means, they resort to war. So, what causes the contradictions between countries? Naturally, that cause is the reason for war."
"I see..."
Soon, one piece ended, and she switched to another. Shikamaru lay down on the sun-warmed ground and asked Ino lazily, "Don't you get tired of playing like this without stopping?"
Ino said, "Of course not!"
Not only was she not tired, but the more she played, the more comfortable she felt. She gained a great sense of pleasure, both physically and mentally.
Especially when she played some of the more traditional pieces she had recreated, like 'High Mountains and Flowing Water,' she felt as if her whole body were bathed in mountain fields brimming with spiritual energy. Delighting in the mountains and waters, her entire soul felt purified.
This Guzheng was in harmony with her meridians. The instrument emitted the sounds of her pulses, and the rhythm was in sync. The notes from Ino's hands were also the vibrations of her meridians.
Shikamaru stared blankly at the azure sky... The sound of the Guzheng seemed to grow quieter in his ears, turning into the blue of the sky and white clouds, allowing his soul to soar high and far.
He absolutely loved such leisurely days. Unfortunately, such days were all too brief. Just as he was feeling satisfied, a chill began to enter the air. The sun had shifted to a sharp angle, and it looked like the sunset clouds were about to spread as it sank in the west. Ino also stopped playing and waited until the sunset clouds filled the sky before asking a rather nonsensical question:
"Tell me, why does the sun rise in the east and set in the west in this world? And why is there a moon?"
Some fanfics said the moon was a product of the Six Paths Sage and his brother sealing Kaguya, and the Rabbit Goddess was up there.
But... did the Six Paths Sage and his brother seal Kaguya onto the moon in history, or did they seal her and form the moon? Was the moon itself a seal?
The sunset clouds dispersed, and Shikamaru scrambled up to leave. Ino had Nana and Kana tidy up before heading home... The Ninjas of the Yamanaka Clan were busy again, taking over from the regular Barrier Team and Sensing Squad to prevent any public security incidents, espionage, or conflicts that might arise from the arrival of foreign Ninjas... Inoichi Yamanaka was also visibly busy. Although he still left for work and came home at the usual times, he was clearly showing signs of fatigue.
About a week passed. Once the Ninja representatives from the major and minor Villages had all arrived, the meeting regarding this year's Joint Chunin Exams officially began.
The meeting was held in the large conference room of the Hokage Building, with the Hokage himself presiding. After a round of intense verbal sparring, the quotas for each Village were first determined: 63 for Konoha, 38 for the Hidden Sand Village, 9 for Takigakure, 6 for Amegakure... and 3 for Crab Ninja Village... Just fighting over these quotas took several days.
Next was the selection of the exam supervisors. This was Konoha's internal matter, so the other Villages just listened.
The Chief Supervisor was the Hokage himself.
For the first exam, the Chief Examiner was Inoichi Yamanaka, with 30 Assistant Examiners. For the second exam, the Chief Examiner was Inuzuka Tsume. For the third exam, the Chief Examiner was Uchiha Fugaku.
As soon as the meeting concluded, Ino learned from Inoichi Yamanaka that her father had become the Chief Examiner for the first exam... She also found out about the other two Examiners. She didn't know who Inuzuka Tsume was, and she was a bit surprised that Uchiha Fugaku was entrusted with such a heavy responsibility—but this was undoubtedly a good signal. Konoha could target the Uchiha appropriately, but they could never drive them to the brink of death; occasional gestures of goodwill still had to be made.
"Dad, congratulations on becoming a Chunin Exam proctor! Please be sure to give the Genin a deep and unforgettable lesson..."
Ino happily wrapped her arms around Inoichi Yamanaka's neck, congratulating him on taking the role of Chief Examiner.
Inoichi laughed heartily and said, "Why are you so mischievous? People worked hard to come for the exam, it's not like they have a grudge against you... You just want to watch the world burn." Inoichi tickled Ino, and she giggled, but she didn't try to dodge at all—she even shouted, "Dad, this trick of yours doesn't work anymore!"
"Is that so?"
Inoichi tried harder, but it really seemed useless. Ino wasn't as ticklish as she used to be.
Ino was proud... "Hmph... my Vital point has been trained away. It won't work no matter how much you tickle me; I'm not afraid!" She hung onto Inoichi's neck and wouldn't let go. Inoichi lowered his arm to support Ino's legs, letting her sit on his arm, and said, "Just as well, I need to consider the content of the first exam. Why don't you help me think of something, sweetie..."
He spoke casually, not realizing how much pain and suffering his words would bring to the examinees' memories...
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