The pig!
-Third POV-
It has been close to ten minutes, and the wolves have just retreated leaving the wounded, but still enraged, silver-boar guarding her nest. Her attention didn't get distracted by the wolves anymore, but luckily she was only focusing her attention on the outside surroundings.
'I'm sure that they'll manage somehow, but just in case...'
Chouji readied his Jutsu and prepared to leap forward at any moment's notice. Although he was sure of Shikamaru's cautious persona, it did not hurt to be prepared. After a while, in the corner of his sight, Chouji saw both Shikamaru and Ino sneaking outside. But, Chouji noticed that something was odd.
'Wait, Ino's little mounds are not that huge!' True to Chouji's thought, two piglets were currently snuggled in Ino's arms. And as if they were sensing their parent was nearby, the two piglets oinked enthusiastically. Ino was still showing an infatuated expression on her face while Shikamaru could only sigh in annoyance.
Sensing her offspring were approaching her, the silver-colored boar turned her body to face them. As for Shikamaru, he signaled for Chouji to distract, or possibly knock the beast unconscious, for them to slip out peacefully.
'I hope that girl will not become the end of us someday...' Chouji heavily sighed as he leaped forward, tucked himself into a ball shape, and rolled towards the boar.
Chouji uses the Multisize technique, [Baika] no Jutsu, to enlarge his own body then uses the Human bullet technique, [Nikudan Sensha], when he's about a dozen meters from the silver boar. Due to his increased weight and the force of their rotation, most obstacles are pulverized upon contact.
Due to it just turning its attention to her babies, the mother boar was not able to face Chouji on time and got hit on her side.
*Thump*
As the dull impact sounded and the mother boar was blasted onto the cliff wall, Chouji immediately canceled his human bullet technique and planted his feet to halt his forward momentum.
"Doton: [Doryu Taiga]!" As the body of the mother boar hit the ground, Chouji used the Earth Release: Earth Flow River technique, this technique used to change the surface underneath his opponent into a mud river that sweeps them off their feet and carries them downstream. Alternatively, Chouji uses mud to restrict the beast's movement as it slowly drowns in the mud.
Feeling that it was not enough, Chouji leaped forward once again and did a somersault before using another one of his clan techniques.
"[Bubun Baika] No Jutsu!"
Chouji enlarged his right foot as it descended downward in line with the mother boar's head. With a loud bump, the mother boar went unconscious after letting out a reluctant grunt.
---
"What the hell are you thinking Oni Ino?!" Chouji admonished Ino's reckless behavior, it's certain that taking a baby from its mother when they're supposed to just sneak into its nest was certainly a foolish act.
"What did you just call me, you dirty belly bag?!" Ino flared up, and she gritted her teeth, Although she knew she was in the wrong she was reluctant to admit it.
"Ino, Chouji is right you know. It is only because we need to step out of the cave as soon as possible that I let you take these two... piggies." Shikamaru added, trying his best to convince Ino so that she would not act so foolishly as this in the future. Unfortunately, both of their advice fell on deaf ears as she only harrumphed in return.
'At least listen carefully...' Chuoji feels like he could lose several kilos of his fat just from talking to this devil girl.
"So, Oni Ino, what are you going to do with these square piglets? grill them?" Chouji said as he mockingly eyed the piglets.
"They are NOT food!" Ino angrily stomped on Chouji's foot.
"Calm down, then what do you two think we should do to this pig? Kill it?" Shikamaru massaged his head as he continuously sighed tiredly. His question was answered by silence from Ino and a glare from Chouji to Ino.
"I say, we give these piglets back to their mother. We're here for the test, so that will be our main focus." Chouji said firmly as he faced Ino.
"NO! Why should I?" Ino said reluctantly which gained an annoyed sigh from both Chouji and Shikamaru.
"It's like this... if you're forcefully kidnapped by the enemies, presumably after they kill your family, what are your feelings be?" Shikamaru slowly says to Ino.
"Ino, we're ninjas now, we have to grow up and should discard our childish mindset. Or do you want it to kill us someday?" Chouji immediately followed not letting Ino rest.
Everyone had their own independent thought process. It was impossible to force people to view things from your own exact point of view, even if that person is a person close to you. Only reality had that kind of convincing power, even then, it was not absolute. Both Chouji and Shikamaru knew this, but still, they didn't want Ino to suffer because of her ego.
"Fine, I'll give them back to their parents..." With a sad look, Ino finally relented.
Looking at Ino's sad figure, Shikamaru sighed for the umpteenth time then gave Ino another piece of his mind.
"Actually, I have one more thing in mind. If you're able to contract their mother as your nin-partner, then slowly you can make a contract with them too. But, as you know she's not that strong..."
"I'm fine with that. It's not my style to engage in direct confrontation anyway, it's more like Chouji's part. Besides, her illusion ability is different from your usual typical genjutsu, I can make do with that." A happy smile blossomed on Ino's thin lips, she was genuinely happy with the turn of events.
While the Silver boar was unconscious, Ino took out a beast-contract scroll which was given by her parents as her graduation gift along with several other things. Coincidence? Nope, she was that pampered by her parents.
Ino unfurled the scroll and took out a Kunai before poking her own thumb slightly. She molded her Chakra and then placed her bloodied thumb on the scroll.
The symbols drawn on the scroll began to glow slightly, Ino then proceeded to slash the leg of the unconscious boar, took a bit of its blood, and placed it on the scroll. The runic seal symbols glowed even more brightly before they floated out of the scroll and went inside the silver boar's body. As it was still unconscious, it did not provide any fight whatsoever when the runic symbols embedded themselves in its mind.
As it was just an ordinary chakra beast, it was not capable of speech. Fortunately, the link between them allowed Ino to understand Boar's thoughts and vice versa.
"I'll call you Mama Gin!" [1] Ino grinned, then she turned to face Chouji. "By the way, belly bag. You're getting stronger again, don't you?"
Shikamaru and Ino were kind of feeling insecure, the strength gap between them and their teammate was once again widened. If this trend continues, it's not an exaggerated term to say their party was carried by Chouji.
'Welp, I guess a new thing or two needs to be learned. Either sharpen the old blade or add some new tricks in the sleeves... Maybe both.' Shikamaru sighed softly.
'Troublesome indeed...'
---
Meanwhile, Asuma was pleasantly surprised by their cooperation and their care for each other.
'They're gems alright...'
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[1] Gin means silver in Japanese