Konohagakure no Sato, Thursday Evening (Fandom Time) / Jan. 4th (Konoha Time)

[intraspective]

Ino laughed.

Perched up on a wooden fence, elbows on her knees and her chin propped up in her hands, she watched with bright, rested, eyes as Zack was walked again through the basic steps to walk up a tree.

It was a skill, truly, that wasn't usually taught to those who hadn't gone through the Academy, but her father had decreed that he was going to learn a few things, or so help him, and while she was supportive in the sense that she'd give him theory…

Well, when it came to watching his practical attempts, Ino tended to dissolve into giggles. (Truly, he wasn't doing so badly for someone who, a week and a half ago hadn't known chakra from dirt, but…)

"You've got to keep your eyes open while moving," she called helpfully, before cracking up again.

[NFB, for ze puppy, mmm gratuitous timewarpiness.]

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[intraspective]

Ino clapped, grinning at him brightly.

Inoichi nodded. "Better," he said, "we'll practice more later."

Then he was gone in a swirl of smoke and leaves and Ino wriggled her fingers at Zack, beckoning him. He could come over! Give her a kiss!

[puppy_fair]

Mission Accomplished!

... Oh, over there! Zack could do that, sore behind at all!

He grinned as he made his way over to join her at the fence.

"I will never, ever look at ninjas the same way again," he announced, before leaning over to claim a kiss. It was his victory smooch, for making it up and down the tree without falling, even if he'd only managed it just once.

[intraspective]

Mmmmm kisses.

She grinned at him, placing one hand on his chest for balance (not that she needed it) and wrinkled her nose. “Dare I ask how you’ll view them now?”

[puppy_fair]

"Way, waaaay more coordinated than me, for one," Zack laughed. "I don't think I did too bad though, did I? Do you think?"

... Maybe it would be best not to answer that honestly, Ino.

[intraspective]

She leaned forward for another kiss.

“You’re learning,” was Ino’s response. She felt that was a nice and safe one. “I think Dad’s warming to you.”

[puppy_fair]

"Yeah?" Zack laughed a little, happy to claim kiss number two. "I was starting to wonder, with all the throwing his arms into the air that he was doing. I was half expecting him to start pulling hair out if I fell again."

[intraspective]

“He didn’t yell,” she pointed out lightly. “And he kept explaining. Totally an indication that he doesn’t hate you.”

Or that he was willing to put up with a damn great deal for her. Either of which made Ino feel warm and gooey inside.

[puppy_fair]

Zack tilted his head thoughtfully for a few seconds, musing on that one. Inoichi was starting to seem more and more like Angeal when Ino explained things like that to him. He wasn't entirely certain what he thought of that.

"Does he train people often?"

[intraspective]

“I don’t know how much actual trainin’ he does,” she admitted, wriggling closer so she could snake her arms around him.

Shut up. She was still a bit clingy.

“But he heads up the Intel. specialists and so I figure he’s got to do a good bit of it…?"

[puppy_fair]

"Intel? Like the Turks?"

Which went to show just how much Zack knew about the Turks. And about Konoha. Unless he was being willfully dense again. It was always so difficult to tell, with Zack.

"I bet he doesn't have to teach many of them how to walk up tree trunks."

[intraspective]

“A bit like the Turks,” she said, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. However he was thinking about it, that was a good enough description for her to work with. “And no, walking up trees is a lot more… basic… than what he normally teaches.”

[puppy_fair]

"I kind of felt like a little kid messing up on my alphabet, every time I fell," Zack admitted. "How old did you say you were when you learned that?"

[intraspective]

"Me?" she blinked at him. "Probably 'bout ten or eleven--all shinobi learn it by thirteen 'cause it's a skill generally taught by our sensei, but those from shinobi families tend to learn it sooner."

It was, after all, a very basic skill.

[puppy_fair]

Zack nodded a little, sighing, though he was still wearing a small smile. The smile, of course, was a fixture. But the fact that it was there... hey, that was nice.

"So, I was a little kid messing up my alphabet," he laughed. In all fairness, he wasn't a little kid anymore, and he still messed that up, though. "It figures, I guess."

[intraspective]

Ino gave him an almost apologetic shrug. “You’re still doin’ pretty good for someone who ain’t been trainin’ in this stuff since they were five.”

She offered him a grin. “Walk with me?”

[puppy_fair]

Zack laughed and shrugged too, before holding out his hand to help her down from her fencepost.

"Sure," he replied. "To anywhere in particular?"

[intraspective]

She didn’t take that hand—though she tried to soften that with a quick kiss to his cheek—and hopped off the fence.

“I was thinking over by the Hokage Monument,” Ino admitted.

[puppy_fair]

"The big heads in the rock?" Zack blinked, glanced up toward the mountainside (it was difficult to miss), and then grinned. Hey, he was easy. "Well, you're the one who knows how to get around this place, so lead on!"

Zack was kidding nobody. He picked up on the ways that the streets and walkways wove about as if he'd been given a map or something. What he lacked in walking-up-trees ability, he at least partially managed to make up in half-decent directional sense.

[intraspective]

“You know they’re more than heads on a rock,” she said, but she was laughing as she started that way. “Besides, if the little birdie that gave me a tip today is right, we might see something iiinteresting that way.”

And that little birdie would have accurate information in this case…

[puppy_fair]

Zack kept easy pace with Ino, stretching his arms out and then clasping his hands behind his head.

"I didn't know you could talk to birds, too," he chuckled. "Do I get any hints about interesting things, at all?"

[intraspective]

“Figurative birds,” she said, with a laugh. “And nooope. No hints at all!”

[puppy_fair]

"Oh, so they're interesting and surprises, then?" Zack couldn't help but grin even more. It was good to hear her laughing again. "Did your figurative birds say that too, or were you the one who wanted to do the surprising?"

[intraspective]

“…Maybe me,” she admitted, ducking her head sheepishly. “Do you mind?”

[puppy_fair]

"When do I ever mind surprises?" Zack laughed softly, and then leaned over to kiss her cheek. So there! "Bring it on!"

Those words were so multi-purpose.

[intraspective]

She hummed at the kiss and led them on a quick path through the village.

Well, truly, it might have been called a city. But you didn’t hide cities. Villages were what you hid.

“You sure?” she teased.