Ino's POV (Forest Surrounding Hidden Leaf - Land of Fire)
Ino had always been a social creature. She enjoyed catching up with friends, discussing the newest gossip, and fawning over boys. She knew her father had never approved; even her mother had sometimes scorned her. But it worked well for her; being charismatic was a trait of a leader, her parents would begrudgingly say. She had found less time for her more social hobbies as she continued her career. Upon forming Team Seven, she was lucky to do so occasionally. Once she had befriended her teammates, it had become even more of an oddity. The group often hung out between missions and training, sometimes just her and Naruto whenever Neji was too busy, which may never happen again after she opened her big mouth.
Ino had come to see socializing and gossip as a way to destress. A way she could relax in her element, as it were. Now that she was much too busy and arguably hated, she missed it. It made her days longer, and she questioned her reliance on those aspects of life. She had heard from Kakashi that Naruto had been limited to the Forest of Death. Which killed her plans to talk to the blonde. Which annoyed her because she was constantly thinking about him. Ino felt terrible about how she reacted. She certainly had her own reasons, but she should've handled it more tactfully. Certainly, it does not suggest it was his fault…
Ino normally talked to her mother or father in times like these. Her father was a licensed psychologist, and her mother would talk her through the most difficult topics with ease. She knew the value of talking through one's grief. It was a healthy way to live.
Anko seemed to disagree.
Ino had almost looked forward to Anko's depraved training. At the very least, it would take her mind off Naruto. But the older woman had seemed to sense her inner turmoil, at least in her words. In truth, she had seen Ino cry a couple of times. Ino had expected compassion, maybe some kind words and encouragement. Instead, the woman had said in sadistic glee.
"Don't worry, princess! I'll work you right out of that funk!"
She hadn't lied.
Though as hard as the training was, Ino was more demanding on herself. She may have hurt Naruto purely because of her reliance on social status. It may be necessary to her, but was it more important than her loved ones? The fact she hesitated before saying no haunted her.
Luckily, Ino could do nothing more than collapse at the end of the day. If she did so before she reached home, Anko would bring her to her home. Allow her to rest on the couch, feed her. All the better to work her to the bone the next day. It was a rough schedule, one the old her would never attempt. All the better; she didn't want to be someone who would hesitate to be there for people because of the thoughts of others. Not anymore, not after the look of pain Naruto had given her.
After the first week, Team Seven focused on training while Naruto was limited. Ino figured the rest of the training would fly by. Soon enough, she would excel in the exams and work things out with Naruto. But between Anko's training and her turmoil, somehow still churning during training. The training seemed to drag on endlessly.
Anko started each day by running Ino through various stretches, insisting such was necessary for the training. She swore after seeing the poses they would attempt that she would never do so around others. They then continued with Anko throwing kunai at her from multiple angles at different speeds—Dodge Practice, as she had lovingly dubbed it. In reality, Ino desperately tries to survive as Anko slowly turns her into her practice dummy.
Next was her practice for her new close-range fighting style. Ino had thought she and the other Genin were masterful with kunai. But Anko had quickly shattered that little bubble she used to live in. They were helpful weapons with a lot of applications she never considered. Her unique kunai, a gift given to her recently from her father, became a deadly weapon. Its exceptional length lends itself well to her new style. With Anko's gift, Ino quickly turned herself into a mid-range fighter and a more well-rounded kunoichi. This was mildly less painful than dodge practice, but Anko was a perfectionist. Drilling her on each form, move, and counter precisely ensured she gained knowledge and mastery.
If not working on her close game, Anko would drill her on Ninjutsu. Upon hearing of Ino's success in using only a single hand for jutsu before insisting she must be able to do so with every jutsu in her arsenal. It was long, monotonous work, most spent with explosions and failed jutsu. Though Ino did not complain. Not after the technique Anko and her had made.
Finally, Anko would have Ino strategize against potential opponents or specific scenarios. Anko told her she may very well be one of the weaker participants, which Ino had known; truthfully, she doubted she could win it, certainly not defeat Naruto or Neji. But Anko had cheerfully replied that even the strongest could be killed once they lowered their guard. The smile on her face would've unnerved her before. Now, she merely nodded. She had her prepare game plans for each opponent, cheekily suggesting that Ino could try to seduce Naruto. Ino had attempted to punch the woman, but it seemed those extra weights on her chest didn't slow her down as much as she had hoped…
Ino had thought Anko must surely be right. With this level of training, she would surely be too occupied to dwell on Naruto and her new status as a pariah. But every day, through training, her mind did just that. Thinking over how she would recover socially, how could she even consider such a thing when Naruto needed her? Would Naruto be welcomed as a soldier in his home? Would Naruto understand why Ino said what she said? Should she tell him why it affected her? How should she deal with her feelings for Naruto?
While it had only been three weeks, it may as well have been months for Ino. But she could not deny she could tell her improvement. Her body was lovingly petite before, but she now had gained a small amount of weight. Now, she has limited muscle. She simply had no choice but to improve with Anko around. Oddly enough, she also managed to find some level of peace. She couldn't affect her new reputation in any meaningful way, nor could she afford to care for it. Ino had changed during this training. She would try to focus more; she wanted to become someone that even Naruto could count on. She would show her village and Naruto that she was different.
Ino would fix things now; she was done playing games.