Inojin Yamanaka

Inojin Yamanaka (山中いのじん, Yamanaka Inojin) is a genin and a member of Konohagakure's Yamanaka clan. Together with his teammates Chōchō Akimichi and Shikadai Nara, he forms the seventeenth generation of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.

Background

Inojin is the only child of Sai and Ino Yamanaka. As his parents continued to stay close to their childhood friends over the years, Inojin ultimately came to know the various parents' respective kids well. On the day of the Seventh Hokage's inauguration, he watched the ceremony with his parents and Shikadai.

Personality

Inojin seems rather obedient and the most reasonable of the new generation of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, as he, unlike his teammates, insisted on going to training to learn the Ino–Shika–Chō techniques. At the same time, he can be very blunt and indifferent to people, situations and the feelings of those involved even to the point of being condescending. He also seems to have inherited the role of being the most motivated of the trio from his mother, Ino, and his late grandfather Inoichi. Because of his nature, Inojin is a very alert individual with outstanding powers of observation.

Appearance

Inojin bears a strong resemblance to his mother: he has light blue eyes and flaxen blond shoulder-length hair which he keeps in a small ponytail allowing the rest to fall about his face — both traits featured heavily in his clan. He inherited his father's pale white skin colour and his attire is also similar to that of his father's: a black collarless suit with mesh armour underneath. In his backpack, he carries two items, the handles of which can be seen at each side. As customary of his clan, both of his ears are pierced by grey stud earrings.

His outfit as an academy student consisted of a violet sweater and white overalls, with a brown strap to hold his tantō and regular shinobi sandals.

Abilities

Ninjutsu

Inojin using Super Beast Imitating Drawing.

Inojin has also been taught the art-oriented techniques of his father, and as such he is able to effectively animate his drawings for various purposes, though his drawing style differs greatly from that of his father's, and even more noticeably, he uses colour in his drawings, most likely to make them more realistic. Like his mother, Inojin is also a practitioner of Medical Ninjutsu. As a member of the Yamanaka clan and his generation's Ino—Shika—Chō, Inojin has begun learning the various mind-oriented techniques of his clan, including the Mind Body Switch Technique, and collaboration techniques for his team respectively.

New Era (Plot)

Academy Arc

Two weeks into his Academy career, Inojin voiced his views on how Boruto was taking advantage of his father's status as Hokage. While Boruto brushed if off and offered to be friends, Inojin noted he doesn't trust Boruto with his nature. Later, he joined the rest of the class to watch the fight between Boruto and Iwabee Yuino, which he later intervened as Iwabee decided to break his word. Ultimately, Boruto and Inojin's respective words resonated with Iwabee, ending the fight. The following day, Inojin defended Boruto, saying that he was actually trying to make a name for himself away from his father and did what he did for his friends.

After Boruto's failed attempt at shurikenjutsu caused property damage, Inojin and his friends were punished with repairing the damages to the Hokage Rock. The day after Shikadai had insulted Lee for his problems with anxiety, Inojin, Boruto and Shikadai found Lee, who was acting unusually aggressive. A fight broke out between them, during which Inojin managed to trick his opponent and get him off his guard with the help of his drawings, which he used to simulate Shikadai's shadows.

During a lesson about summoning techniques, Inojin and other boys began bickering with the girls, which Konohamaru broke up. Later during their lunch break, Boruto began to fight with Sarada over who would get the last yakisoba bun. Shino appeared, insisting that they boys and girls settle things with a race challenge for a flag. The challenge quickly got heated, with many of the boys being taken out of the contest until only Boruto, Shikidai, and Inojin were left on their team. Getting desperate, Boruto found a summoning scroll and miraculously summoned a snake-like creature. The creature went on a rampage, attacking the students and launched Chōchō Akimichi off the roof, to which Inojin helped Boruto to save her. After the creature was subdued by the timely arrival of Konohamaru, the contest ended with the girls getting the flag. Despite their victory, the girls made peace with the boys.

After their sensei ends classes early due to the impending Five Kage Summit, Inojin tried to convince his teammates Chōchō and Shikadai to go training with them. However, they both casually shirk their training opting to eat instead and claiming it was too troublesome respectively. Ultimately, he went to the training field alone, but was afraid to confront his upset mother and hid behind a tree instead contemplating how best to approach the situation. Later, the class gained a new transfer student from Otogakure named Mitsuki. Wanting the students to warm up to Mitsuki, Shino organised a welcoming party for the new student. When Shino's efforts for the party backfired with his insects, the class began to freak out, with Denki begging someone to make the insects go away, which Mitsuki did with his Wind Release: Breakthrough, causing even more damage to the Academy.

Later, the class was assigned by Shino to split into groups of three and each tail a different workplace for a few days to better understand non-shinobi life. Inojin joined Lee in gong to the Fire Department. While tailing their work, Inojin watched in embarrassment as Lee's social anxiety caused him to spray a fire-hose about the place randomly.[8] Later, Inojin checked on some of his friends after learning that they were hospitalised from a recent attack. After completing his assignment with the fire department, Inojin and Lee were approached by Shikadai, who recruited them to stop the attacker. Inojin and his friends the met up at the post office to discuss their plan. After splitting up to patrol the village, the culprit of the attacks unleashed his Shadow Spectre on the post chief Komame. Inojin's group however quickly appeared, having anticipated this move as all their recent efforts were clearly being spied on. While half the team stayed to save the possessed Komame, Inojin's half pursued the masked culprit. While the post chief was saved, the spectre and the culprit ultimately got away. When another attack came, the area was closed off. Inojin, along with Denki and Shikadai, wondered where Boruto was, along with the missing Sumire. The following morning, they found Boruto, along with Sumire and Mitsuki in the field. They were soon joined by Sai and his unit, who took Sumire in for question. As Denki asked what happened, Boruto happily brushed it off, saying everything was fine.

Several weeks later, Shino decided to change up the three-man teams for their next challenge to determine the optimum pairings for graduation. Inojin teamed up Chōchō and Shikadai. When Iwabee noted that they were essentially forming the Ino-Shika-Chō trio like their respective parents, the team admitted that their techniques were naturally compatible. Later, Inojin told his friends that his father has gathered files on Academies in other villages, making Shikadai wonder if Sumire was going to leave the Academy. During the team challenge to capture the flag, Inojin distracted Mitsuki long enough to let Shikadai pin Mitsuki down, but escaped with a launched needle. Mitsuki created a distraction long enough for Boruto win the challenge. Shino was then called aside concerning Sumire. As the class began discussing rumours that Sumire was being transferred to a different school, they were relieved to see her return to their class.

Sarada Uchiha Arc

Upon hearing that he and the rest of the class will be going through graduation exams in a week, Inojin was surprised how little some of his classmates cared about it. Later, Inojin continued his training under his father in artistic ninjutsu, noting that his father's style of drawing is so old-fashioned.

Versus Momoshiki Arc

Inojin meets with Boruto Uzumaki and Shikadai to play video games together after they finish their missions for the day. When Boruto offers to give them his data to make the game easier, Inojin reacts with disappointment, along with Shikadai to find that Boruto had been cheating while they were playing.

Inojin enters in the Chūnin Exams with Shikadai and Chōchō. The first round was a true or false quiz, administered by Sai, which turned out to be a sham as both answers were incorrect and every team was dropped into a pit of ink. They were able to pass the first round thanks to Shikadai using his shadow to keep Inojin and Chōchō against the wall and from falling into the ink pit. Inojin exasperatedly states that only his father could come up with such an idea.

Ino-Shika-Chō progressed to the second round of the Chūnin Exams, which involved teams competing against each other to for flags. Inojin was able to stop and restrain another genin before he could steal their flag, while Chōchō managed to retrieve another team's flag, allowing them to advance to the third round. During the third round, Inojin loses against Araya.

Mujina Bandits Arc

Inojin appears in this arc.

Post-Mujina Bandits Arc