Ino Yamanaka
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| Ino Yamanaka | |
|---|---|
| (山中いの) | |
 Ino Yamanaka by Masashi Kishimoto |
|
| Debut | Manga Chapter 34 Anime Episode 1 |
| Seiyū | Ryōka Yuzuki |
| Voice actor(s) | Colleen O'Shaughnessey |
| Profile | |
| Age | 12-13 in Part I 15 in Part II |
| Date of birth | September 23 |
| Blood type | B |
| Height | 151.2 cm |
| Weight | 38.5 kg |
| Notable relatives | Inoichi Yamanaka (father) |
| Information | |
| Current rank | Chunin |
| Current affiliation | Yamanaka clan, Konohagakure |
| Current team | Team 10 (Kakashi Hatake, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi) |
| Previous team | Team 10 (Asuma Sarutobi, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka) Niju Shotai (Aoba Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka) |
| Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai | |
Ino Yamanaka (山中いの Yamanaka Ino?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.
The name "Yamanaka" means "deep in the mountain" and "Ino" means "a wild boar" (this is why Sakura calls Ino a pig or "porker" to insult her). Her name is something of an ironic contrast to her teammate Choji, whose name means 'butterfly', as he is the larger of the two. The names "Ino", "Shika" and "Cho" are also a pun on the "Ino-Shika-Cho" winning combination in Hanafuda.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Ino Yamanaka was a Genin assigned to Asuma Sarutobi's Team 10. With her teammates, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, they make up the 2nd-generation Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. At first, it seemed as though Ino disliked both Shikamaru and Choji (Shikamaru for being dull and unpopular, and Choji for being fat), but she actually holds a strong bond with both of them. Ino is the daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka and part of the Yamanaka family, who owns a small flower shop in Konoha. Part of her bond with her teammates might come from her father, as he was teammates and good friends with the fathers of Shikamaru and Choji. She, Shikamaru, and Choji wear the same type of earring: a small silver hoop. At her graduation, she graduated as one of the best kunoichi in her class. She is talented in the way of the flower (Ikebana) as well as mind-altering jutsu. She is the rival of Sakura Haruno.
Her favorite food is small tomatoes and pudding. Her hobby is shopping and her favorite phrase is 花言葉の数々 (Hanakotoba no kazukazu, "The many words/meanings of flowers"). Her personality is outgoing.
[edit] Ino and Sakura
Ino was Sakura's first friend and helped Sakura develop her own identity and self-worth. As a child, she gave Sakura a ribbon so she didn't have to hide her forehead, the source of much teasing and subsequent anguish. From that point on, Sakura and Ino were best friends. As Sakura became more outgoing, she developed a crush on Sasuke Uchiha, the most popular boy in the Academy and Ino's secret crush. When Sakura found out, she ended their friendship and she and Ino developed into bitter, yet still unsuccessful, rivals over Sasuke's attention.
[edit] Part I
[edit] Chunin Exam arc
As part of the Rookie Nine, Ino was chosen to participate in the Chunin Exam. During the written test portion of the exam, Ino used her Mind Body Switch Technique to get the answers (specifically Sakura's) and complete Shikamaru and Choji's tests for them.
As one of the weakest teams in the exam, they had trouble locating the scroll to complete the second portion of the exam. While trying to find a weak enough team to ambush, they ran into Sakura fighting Dosu, Kin, and Zaku. As Sakura's fight with Zaku deteriorates, Ino recalls the good times she had with Sakura as a child; ultimately she decides to assist Sakura in defending the still unconscious Naruto and Sasuke. Just before Ino comes to help, the female sound ninja Kin then grabs Sakura's hair and admonishes her for being more focused on keeping it pretty and stylish rather than giving all her time and effort to her ninja training. Sakura then cuts her hair with a kunai knife, releasing Kin's grip on her and leaving Ino amazed as she kept her hair long to impress Sasuke and cutting her hair was an equivalent to her giving up her love for Sasuke. Sakura is able to bite Zaku in the arm, but he brutally fights her off and prepares to use his Decapitating Air Wave on her.
It is at this moment that Ino's team decides to jump in. Shikamaru uses his Shadow Imitation Technique to bind Dosu. Ino then tells Shikamaru to take care of her body as she uses Mind Body Switch Technique to transfer to Kin. She then holds a kunai to her throat and threatens to kill herself as Kin. This is a bluff, as Zaku finds out a few minutes later by attacking Ino-possessed Kin; anything that happens to whoever she possesses happens to her body also. After Sasuke chases the Sound-nin away, Team 7 and Team 10 part ways. Ino and her team supposedly take a scroll off-screen because they are seen as three of the participants of the Third Exam Preliminaries.
In the preliminary matches of the Chunin Exam, Ino and Sakura are paired up to fight. Ino cleverly performs her Mind Body Switch Technique successfully, but is unable to make Sakura (and, to Ino's surprise and horror, "Inner Sakura" for that matter) give up. The two knock each other out and neither continues on to the final matches. After the matches, Ino and Sakura rekindle their friendship as Ino fully recognizes that Sakura has "bloomed into a beautiful flower" and tells her such.
It is also during this fight that Sakura gives Ino a reprimand similar to the one Kin gave to her in regards to Ino's beautiful and well-kept hair. Not to be outdone or insulted by Sakura's newfound determination, Ino cuts her hair as well, shocking everyone (Shikamaru actually thinks Ino has "completely snapped.") except for Sakura, who simply states, "You are so simple-minded." It isn't until later that Ino reveals that she really severed her locks so that they could serve as a lasso to subdue Sakura and hold her in place long enough for Ino to perform her Mind Body Switch Technique later in the match.
[edit] Anime filler arcs
In the Mizuki Arc, Ino and her team are assigned to back up Naruto in defeating Mizuki and his subordinates, Fujin and Raijin. As the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio begin fighting Fujin and Raijin, it's revealed that Ino has learned the Mind Body Disturbance Technique. Although not in the manga, it is assumed Ino has learned this technique by the start of Part II.
She also helps out in the Sea Country Arc with Anko, Shino, and Naruto. At the beginning of the mission, Ino acts somewhat coldly towards her mix-and-match group of teammates. However, later on, she seems to gain a lot of respect for them.
Later, Ino is sent on a mission to take the place of the (recently) overweight Princess Fuku during her meeting at an arranged marriage. During this mission, we see that Ino also has an inner self, similar to that of her rival Sakura's. In that episode, Naruto uses his Sexy Jutsu to replace Ino when he thought she was placing the mission in jeopardy. Once Ino finds out, she retaliates by using New Approaching Technique, causing Naruto to quickly return to her through a trap door in the floor.
She briefly appears in episode 193, during which her team, trying to transport cargo, are attacked by a group of monkeys intent on stealing Choji's snacks.
She also plays a role in the Konoha 11 storyline, backing up Sakura in her investigation of a body. However, unlike Sakura, she cannot bring herself to watch the gruesome medical jutsu used to reconstruct the dismembered corpse. Once the corpse is reconstructed and they examine the body, she realizes that the body before them was not Gennou's by the state of his hands. The body's hands were too smooth to be a carpenter's, since she learned how to tell one's job by looking at the state of their hands from working at her family's flower shop. Hinata later confirmed her suspicions when she examined the body with her Byakugan.
[edit] Part II
Ino makes her Part II debut in Chapter 284 showing up just after Choji and Shikamaru fought Sai, yelling because Choji was late for a mission they were both leaving on with Asuma. She is seen wearing a short button-up top and skirt. She has apparently done away with the full-body bandages she wore and has also grown her hair once again. Like the other rookies during the 2.5-year time jump, she has also become a Chunin. She doesn't wear her ninja headband around her waist anymore as she previously did. In fact, it doesn't seem visible at all. It is either hidden or she has decided to stop wearing it.
Ino first meets Sai when her team, including Asuma Sarutobi, pays a visit to Kakashi in the hospital. Immediately, Ino recognizes the resemblance between Sai and Sasuke and develops an infatuation for the new face. Her sudden feelings are only strengthened further after Sai gives her the nickname "gorgeous" or "pretty lady," which is seemingly a compliment on her appearance. In actuality, Sai was simply complimenting her out of fear of a similar violent reprieve to his calling Sakura "ugly".
Later, she and Choji come to help Shikamaru and his team against Hidan and Kakuzu. It is mentioned, that she is able to use Medical ninjutsu, though it is not known if she is a qualified medic-nin like Sakura or possibly acting as a combat lifesaver. Ino was told to use some medical ninjutsu to improve Asuma's condition. However, Asuma knew his time was up, and instead gave Team 10 some parting words — To Ino, Asuma says that her spirit is strong and is a helpful child, so she should take care of Choji and Shikamaru, who are awkward. He also tells her not to lose to Sakura in ninjutsu or in love, to which she said yes. Then, after taking his last cigarette, Asuma passes away in front of her.
She and Choji attend Asuma's funeral. After the funeral, she, Shikamaru, and Choji pack up and go after Akatsuki. When Tsunade attempted to stop them, Kakashi offered to accompany them as team leader and the four have left to continue their mission.
After Shikamaru explained his strategy to everyone, she locates Hidan and Kakuzu by controlling a hawk with her Mind Body Switch Technique. During the battle, Ino plays the role of observer. After rejoining her teammates, Ino suggests using her Mind Transfer Jutsu to take over Hidan, but Shikamaru declines the idea, since the chance of her missing would be too much of a risk to take.
