Ino Yamanaka

Also see the original: Ino Yamanaka Ino Yamanaka is a Shinobi, a Genin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She is a member of Team Asuma, teamed with Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi under Asuma Sarutobi.

Background
Ino participated in the Chunin Selection Exams at an undisclosed point prior to the start of the series.

Appearance
Ino is a slender girl with fair skin who has blond hair that is pulled back into a bun. She wears a purple, sleeveless shirt and matching skirt. She has white arm warmers lined with purple, and she has bandages wrapped around her abdomen and thighs. Her Hidden Leaf Headband is tied around her waist.

Personality
Ino finds the trials of survival, such as in the Forest of Death in the Chunin Selection Exams, to be wearisome, however she will typically urge her teammates forward, if for nothing more than to get the difficulties over with. She has shown tremendous loyalty to her teammates, and was stunned when she had to fight Shikamaru. Before the battle, the two embraced each other and assured one another that the fight would not get in the way of them being a team. When Shikamaru apologized to her, she assured him that it was okay before he knocked her unconscious.

Abilities
While proving a capable combatant, Ino's specific abilities have not been disclosed. It has been stated that she possesses one Jutsu that is not necessarily suited for combat. Beyond this, the bulk of her skills resolve around Taijutsu and basic Shinobi techniques.

Season One
Ino and the members of Team Asuma participate in the Season One Chunin Selection Exams. She can be seen with her team during the First Exam, and due to Shikamaru Nara's intelligence, they are the first team to pass, doing so within minutes. They are seen during the Second Exam in the Forest of Death, taking a break to rest. All members complain about having to survive in the forest, however Ino coaxes her teammates forward in an effort to get the Exam over with. Their team passes the Exam, and they must now participate in a Preliminary Exam comprising of one-on-one battles to determine who will proceed to the Third Exam. In the third match, Ino is paired with fellow teammate Shikamaru. The two are initially stunned by this, but upon entering the arena, they embrace each other tightly. They assure each other that the fight will not get in the way of them being a team.

The fight begins, and their knowledge of each other's tactics brings them to a stalemate until Shikamaru ensnares Ino with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Shikamaru apologizes to her, and she assures him it is okay before he knocks her unconscious, thus winning the fight.

Trivia
Ino was mentioned in Chapter Fifteen Scavenge, but she was not formally introduced until Chapter Seventeen, and thus her debut is labeled as such.