Sunlight hit Ino Yamanaka's eyelids, waking her abruptly. There was no sluggishness, no creaking joints, none of the usual morning heaviness.
She only felt power.
She stretched her legs, and her heels hit the wooden edge of the bed with a sharp, too-loud thud. They hung in the air.
Ino opened one eye and looked at her exposed feet hanging off the mattress. A smile curled on her lips.
So it wasn't a dream.
She sat up, throwing the sheets aside. She remembered last night at the park: the cold on her back, the floating numbers Naruto saw, and the envy on Sakura's face.
"I grew," she said, lowering her feet to the floor. The wood creaked under her weight. "And Naruto wasn't joking about the strength."
She walked to the full-length mirror. It hadn't been a trick of the darkness. The girl in the reflection glowed. Her hair, usually a battle against frizz, fell straight and perfect to her waist. Her skin was radiant, without a single flaw. And she was definitely taller.
"Incredible," she said, placing a hand on her hip to check her profile. "If I was a ten before, I just broke the scale. Sasuke is going to die of regret when he sees me."
She went to the nightstand to grab her brush, humming, planning what to wear to maximize visual impact. She grabbed the wooden handle with a quick gesture.
CRACK.
The humming stopped.
Ino stared at her hand. She held the handle, but the brush head had shot off against the opposite wall. The wood had snapped in her grip like paper.
She blinked, looking at her palm. She hadn't felt any resistance.
"Right," she said slowly, placing the broken handle down with extreme care. "Mental note: Control grip strength. Naruto said 'G-force', not 'Gorilla-force'."
She checked the clock. Late. She opened the closet and looked for her purple skirt.
Or tried to.
The sound of straining fabric stopped her. The skirt got stuck at her hips.
"Oh, come on..."
She looked in the mirror. Her hips were a bit wider, her legs longer. Her old clothes were no longer an option.
"Great. Now I have superpowers and nothing to wear," she huffed, though she smiled at her reflection. "Mom is going to kill me, but I'm going to have to raid her closet. A goddess can't go to training in clothes that cut off her circulation."
She ripped off the stuck skirt—which finished tearing—and started rummaging through her mother's drawers.
"Get ready, Konoha," she said, picking a blouse that highlighted her eyes. "The new Ino has just awakened."
In the kitchen, Inoichi was reading the newspaper with a cup in his hand.
Ino entered trying to walk normally, though every step felt light, as if she had springs. She wore the stolen blouse and training pants adjusted with tape.
"Good morning, Dad."
Inoichi turned the page without looking up.
"Good morning, princess. You're late for breakf..."
He stopped. The cup froze halfway. He lowered the paper. Blinked. Took off his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on.
"Ino?"
"Yes, Dad?" Ino grabbed a piece of toast with surgical care not to pulverize it.
"You look... different." Inoichi scanned her, his interrogator instinct activating. "Did you do something with your hair? Is it a transformation jutsu?"
"It's a new moisturizer. Imported." Ino bit the toast.
"A cream made you grow two inches and changed your muscle structure?"
"It's a really good cream. Late puberty hits hard, you know."
Inoichi frowned and set the cup on the table.
"Ino, your chakra. It feels... much larger than it was yesterday. Were you training last night?"
Ino froze. Her father was an elite sensor.
"I went for a run. A lot. I felt inspired."
"Inspired?"
"Yes. The Chunin exams are coming soon. I don't want to fall behind." She swallowed the rest of the toast. "I have to go. Asuma-sensei is waiting. Love you!"
She ran out the back door before Inoichi could ask more. Upon closing, the door hit the frame with such force that the pictures on the wall shook.
Inoichi stared at the empty door.
"Late puberty...?"
Training Field 10 was silent. Asuma Sarutobi was leaning against a tree, smoking. Shikamaru was watching the clouds, and Choji was opening a bag of chips.
"She's late," Shikamaru said without opening his eyes. "What a drag. She probably broke a nail."
"Give her a break," Choji said with his mouth full. "Ino always arrives."
"She's a ninja, Choji. Punctuality is basic. If we're late to a mission because she was choosing which ribbon to wear..."
"I'm already here, crybabies."
The voice cut through the air.
Shikamaru opened one eye. Choji stopped chewing. Asuma straightened up.
Ino entered the field. The morning sun lit up her hair and her posture was different, firmer.
Choji opened his hands and the bag of chips fell to the ground.
"Ino?" asked Choji.
Shikamaru sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm still asleep. Asuma, hit me."
"You're not asleep," Asuma said, putting out his cigarette. "Ino... what happened to you?"
Ino stopped in front of them, put a hand on her hip, and flipped her hair back.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"You have... everything on your face," Shikamaru said, standing up and looking at her with suspicion. "You're taller. Your skin glows. It's annoying. What kind of genjutsu is this?"
"Does perfection annoy you, Shikamaru?" Ino smiled. "It's called taking care of yourself. You should try it."
"It's not makeup," Asuma said, walking around her. "Your physical presence has changed. And your chakra... feels overwhelming, Ino. Like you doubled your reserves overnight."
Ino felt cold sweat on her back, but kept the smile.
"Secret training, sensei. I've been working on my stamina."
"Secret training? You?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"People change, Shikamaru. They evolve."
Choji stepped closer, comparing their height.
"You're definitely taller. And your arms look strong. Are you eating that special Akimichi meat? You have to tell me where you bought it."
"No special meat, Choji. Just... determination."
Asuma scratched his beard.
"Good. Determination. Let's test it." Asuma drew his blades. "Light sparring. You against me. I want to see how you move with that new physique."
Ino swallowed.
"Now? Without warming up?"
"A ninja is always ready," Asuma said, getting into a stance. "Attack me. With everything you have."
Ino looked at her hands. She remembered the broken brush.
"Fine. You asked for it."
She took a kunai from her pouch.
Just a test throw, she murmured to herself. Soft. Don't break anything.
She aimed at the tree behind Asuma, wanting just to graze it. She flicked her wrist, trying to use minimum force.
The air whistled violently when the metal left her hand.
Asuma widened his eyes and ducked an instant before the kunai passed where his forehead had been.
The impact sounded like an explosion.
The kunai went through the trunk of a half-meter thick oak, exited the other side, and buried itself in the rock behind it, cracking it.
The oak groaned, tilted, and the top crashed to the ground with a roar, kicking up dust.
Absolute silence descended on Field 10.
Asuma stared at the fallen tree from the ground. Shikamaru's mouth was open. Choji had stopped breathing.
Ino stared at her own hand, trembling.
"Oops."
Asuma stood up slowly. He looked at the split tree. He looked at the rock. He looked at his student.
"Oops?" Asuma repeated. "Did you just fell an oak with a practice kunai and say 'oops'?"
"It... slipped," Ino said, hiding her hands behind her back.
Shikamaru walked to the tree. He touched the splintered wood.
"This isn't normal physical strength," he said, turning toward her. "That was pure speed and power. Ino... what the hell did you do last night?"
"Nothing! I told you! Training!"
"What kind of training turns you into a taijutsu monster in twelve hours?" Shikamaru asked.
"Stop interrogating me! Maybe I had an awakening! A sudden growth spurt! It happens in clans!"
"Not in yours," Asuma said, serious. "Ino, this is dangerous. If you don't control that strength, you're going to kill someone. Forget formation training. Today we're working on chakra control. From scratch."
"But..."
"No buts. Shikamaru, Choji, keep your distance."
Ino sighed, defeated, but her heart raced.
Naruto... she thought. You really turned me into a monster.
Evening fell over Konoha. Ino walked home feeling every muscle vibrate. Asuma had worked her to exhaustion, but her body asked for more. That was the scary part.
"I have to find Naruto," she muttered. "I need to know if this stops."
She turned into an alley to cut across.
A hand shot out of the shadows and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the darkness.
"Hey!"
Ino reacted on instinct. She spun and threw an elbow at her attacker.
Another hand intercepted her strike. The impact sounded dry, but the block didn't budge.
"Hold it. We're not here to fight."
Ino blinked, adjusting her sight.
Sakura held her arm. Behind her, Kurenai blocked the exit, arms crossed.
"Sakura? Kurenai-sensei?" Ino pulled free. "What's wrong with you? Is this how you say hello now?"
Sakura shook her hand, grimacing in pain.
"You hit hard. Naruto wasn't joking about your stats."
"What are you doing here?" Ino tensed.
"Lower your tone," Sakura said. Despite the rivalry, her look was different. "You have to learn to control that before Danzo puts a target on your back."
"Danzo? The old man from the council? What does he have to do with this?"
"He has everything to do with it," Kurenai said. "Naruto gave you power, Ino. Power the Village would covet and Root would try to steal. They already tried to kill Sakura in the hospital."
Ino froze. "Kill Sakura?"
"Yes," Sakura said with a hard voice. "They sent an assassin. Because they saw me use the power."
"Ino, listen to me," Kurenai said, stepping closer. "This isn't a beauty game. It's not to impress Sasuke. You've entered dangerous territory. From now on, you are part of the secret. If anyone asks: it's a hidden jutsu from your clan or a genetic awakening. Nothing about Naruto. Nothing about the ritual."
Ino looked Kurenai in the eye and saw the lethal seriousness.
"Is Naruto in danger?"
"We all are," Sakura replied. "But he is the center. If they discover what he can do, they'll lock him up. Forever."
Ino swallowed. The image of Naruto locked up turned her stomach. She straightened, smoothing her blouse.
"I understand. Protect the leader. Protect the secret. I'm a Yamanaka, Kurenai-sensei. My clan keeps the village's secrets. I know how to keep quiet better than this Billboard Brow."
Sakura smiled.
"I hope so, Ino-pig. Because if you get caught, I'm not saving you."
"I won't need you to save me. I'm stronger than you now."
"You wish," Sakura huffed. "Tsunade-sama is teaching me how to break bones with one finger."
"Good," Kurenai interrupted. "Ino, welcome to the team. We'll meet tonight."
"I'm not afraid of hard work," Ino said.
"That's what you say now," Sakura murmured.
Kurenai moved away from the exit.
"Go home, Ino. Act normal. And please, try not to destroy more public trees."
Ino nodded.
"Understood."
She left the alley, feeling the weight of her new allies' gazes. The world felt more dangerous, but also bigger.
She looked at her hands again.
"Naruto..." she whispered. "What a mess you've gotten us into. But... thanks."
She smiled and walked toward her house, ready to lie to her father and protect the orange idiot with her life.