The Preserve, Sunday At Sunrise

[intraspective]

Ino was tired after yesterday, but had made herself get up at four, eat, and make it out to the preserve before sunrise.

At least it wasn't raining today? That would've made this whole thing even more... interesting.

Rather than just stand around and wait for her to show up, Ino set to stretching, being extra careful today to do it properly.

[For one, please! And SP until later this afternoon zomg.]

Comments

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"Have you done tree walking yet?"

[intraspective]

"I've been taught it," she said, stepping on her temper for the sulky flash of indignation that reared its head in her thoughts at being though of knowing that little.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari just smiled faintly. "That is what you'll be doing today and every day this week to get your control up to a level where I think you can be counted on for sparring."

[intraspective]

There were a million and one answers she wanted to give in response to that.

Most of them snarly, grumpy, and... childish.

"Yes, Temari-san," she said, pleased when it came out polite sounding. Not pleased, not exactly, but polite. Ino could work with that.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Rapping her knuckles against the tallest tree in the area, she nodded. "Starting with this one. Chakra only, no hands, to the top."

Oh yeah, she was going to be a greeeaaaat Jounin teacher.

[intraspective]

She pitied the poor Genin that got Temari as a teacher, no doubt about that. Ino already loathed this whole no arguing, no questions thing.

It didn't get a protest though, and she refrained from rolling her eyes as she approached the tree and started up it with nothing but a small pause to gather chakra. Chakra control, at least, she knew she'd improved in.

Everything else... well.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Chakra control could cover a great many of problems. If used correctly.

"Slow pace," Temari added. Like rubbing salt in a wound.

[intraspective]

Mean. Just mean, and doing it on purpose.

Ino frowned and set her pace slower. Which, admittedly, was more of a workout but still.

Silence, she decided, was going to be her best bet at surviving training with Temari-san.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Well, no one could say Temari was the nicest teacher, but this would work.

You get pushed to be better because of your family for most of your life and you had to be more than a bit cruel. It was a trademark of Suna. A sort of cruelty necessary to save lives out in the desert.

She took a seat at the base of a nearby tree, pulling out a small cookbook. She just had to figure this one recipe out.

[intraspective]

She didn't doubt that it would work. Just that she didn't like it much at all. Konoha had different teaching methods than Suna after all.

Upon reaching the top of the tree, Ino started her same oh so slow and careful way down. And trying not to make a face when she noticed that Temari-san wasn't even paying attention.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

She was.

"Count how many times you can do this without tiring," She said, turning a page.

[intraspective]

Ino eyed her, but nodded. Right. Jounin. Maybe she was paying attention or something, but still.

What was one count? Up the tree and then down, or did each way count as one? Should she keep track of both just in case or risk asking for clarification? Ino considered that, using it deliberately as something to focus on other than her grumpiness at Temari, as she made it down the tree, turned and started walking back up.

Maybe she'd just keep count of both, then?

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari was counting up and back down as one, but she wasn't letting Ino know that. The girl could take a little initiative to decide for herself what it was.

"You are allowed to talk, you know," Temari said dryly. "Or can you not do that without complaining and questioning?"

[intraspective]

"I have no idea what to talk to you about," Ino said, figuring honesty was the best bet as she continued her slow progress.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"Hn." She could accept that. Shrugging, Temari fell back into silence as she looked for a soup recipe.

[intraspective]

"The other me," Ino asked abruptly, after a few times up and down the tree. "Your me, what do think of her?"

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"She is older." In many ways. "I leave the disbursement of her skills up to Shikamaru when it comes to a fight."

[intraspective]

"And when it's not a fight?" Ino asked, pondering that answer.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari looked up at her, face expressionless. "Are you asking if we are friends?"

[intraspective]

"Not really," she said thoughtfully, one foot in front of the other and still moving up, "but friends or not you'd still have an impression of her, right? An opinion."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari just shrugged. "She is Shikamaru's teammate. None of my concern for the most part."

[intraspective]

"So you don't have an opinion on her?" That confused her, a bit.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"Other than her capabilities in a fight, why would I?"

[intraspective]

That got a blink. "How can you not?"

That was an honest question, with real confusion in it.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"I am a representative of my village. Friendships with members of another, no matter how friendly of terms we may be with, will not look good back home."

Shikamaru was... easily explained as a working relationship.

[intraspective]

Ino started down the tree again.

"But that's not the same as having an opinion on someone," Ino said, frowning a bit. "Just by being around people opinions are formed, village allegiances or not. I didn't say anything about friendship."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Slow. I am not around her."

[intraspective]

That just got a sigh.

And a change of topic.

"What do you do for fun?" Ino asked. She was trying here, but really, it was Temari-san.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"I practice." What? That was totally fun. "Or, I find Madrox for other things."

[intraspective]

Ino did not need to know about Temari and other things. No really, she didn't.

"No hobbies or anything?"

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"I read." There wasn't much else to do with the life she led. "What did you expect? A secret passion for sewing?"

[intraspective]

That got a shrug. "I garden," Ino offered. "For all I know you might've had a passion for sewing or something."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"I live in the desert," Temari said, dry as the sand there. "Hobbies need to be of use to survival to be kept."

Kankurou made puppets, even ones that weren't solely for weapons. Gaara... she wasn't exactly sure what he did in the hours when everyone slept.

Her hobby was to make sure neither of them did something stupid, really.

[intraspective]

Ino considered that.

"Do you cook?"

That could be a hobby, really.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"Well enough to survive." Read that as 'destroys tastebuds'.

[intraspective]

That, really, covered a lot of possibilities.

"Doesn't that get boring?" she wondered.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"I'm happy with my life," Temari said with a shrug.

[intraspective]

"Okay," Ino said, starting up the tree again. "Just wondering."