Ino Yamanaka

is a kunoichi of Konohagakure's Yamanaka clan. She and her fellow members of Team Asuma are their generation's Ino–Shika–Chō trio.

Background
Ino is the only child of Inoichi Yamanaka and was a popular student during her time in the Academy. There, she met Sakura Haruno, who was teased by other kids for her large forehead. Ino defended Sakura from the bullies and encouraged her to embrace her forehead rather than hide it, becoming good friends with her. Over the following years, Ino's guidance and friendship helped Sakura become more confident and develop into her own person. However, when Sakura found out that they had a crush on the same boy, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura approached Ino, telling her of her liking towards Sasuke. Sakura than took it to end their friendship, starting their dislike towards each other in the beginning of the series.

Personality
From a young age, Ino has been confident, friendly, bold, and outspoken, occasionally lashing out at others if their personal habits bother her. She is generally more motivated than her teammates Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi and tends to take charge of them, a characteristic she would later pass on to her son, Inojin. Shikamaru, despite finding most girls "troublesome", typically offers no resistance to Ino's forceful behavior, being unwilling to deal with her reaction if things don't happen her way. She is also prideful in her appearance and often tries to lose weight by dieting in the hopes that it will make her more attractive to boys; she even jokingly suggests that Chōji should do the same to attract girls. Ino is quite knowledgeable about different types and meanings of flowers, sometimes making analogies to them when talking.

Despite her assertiveness and uppity demeanour, Ino is a compassionate and kind person at heart, having been raised to embody the meaning of the bush clover: a blunt, candid love who treasures the bonds with her friends. It is these qualities that earned Sakura Haruno's friendship, defending Sakura from bullies who teased her and helping her become confident. Their warm friendship developed into a bitter rivalry over the following years, fueled by competition for Sasuke's affections, ninjutsu and even trading insults, with Ino as and Sakura as. After the Chūnin Exams, Ino becomes impressed by Sakura's growth and they rekindle their friendship, while maintaining their rivalry on more amiable terms. She cares greatly for her teammates as well, being relieved that they survived after the failed Sasuke Recovery Mission, promising her sensei Asuma Sarutobi to look after them after he dies, and during the Fourth Shinobi World War, encouraging them to stay strong in the face of danger. By the time of his death, Inoichi believed that Ino had truly blossomed into the bush clover of the Yamanaka Clan, and is proud of her bonds with her friends.

Ino had the same infatuation on Sasuke that most other girls in their Academy class had, due to his good looks and cool personality. Even after Sasuke's defection from Konoha, Ino largely retained her feelings for him in Part II: she cried when he was declared an international criminal, and pictured him as the "love" the bush clover symbolises during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Ino meets Sai in Part II, who not only replaces Sasuke on Team 7, but also strongly resembles him in appearance. For this reason, Ino becomes immediately smitten with him, flirting with him when first introduced and blushing when Sai called her beautiful. Although her Infinite Tsukuyomi dream reveals she likes the idea of Sasuke and Sai fighting over her, Ino's affections ultimately shift toward Sai, showing a deeper desire to know more about him as she risks her life to save him in Shikamaru Hiden. Sai reciprocates Ino's feelings and the two marry years later, having a son, Inojin. Even after many years together Ino's love for Sai is as strong as ever, occasionally acting how she did when they first met. As a mother, Ino's personality is relatively the same, but she has greater respect for her clan and its traditions, insisting they be passed down to the next generation to form a new Ino–Shika–Chō.

Appearance
Ino has fair skin, blue eyes (sometimes seen as green in the manga), and long platinum blonde hair worn in a ponytail, with bangs framing the right side of her face. Her hair is seen in different lengths: in Part I, her ponytail extends to her waist, but it is later cut and grows to shoulder-length; in Part II, the bangs grow to cover half of her face, her ponytail becomes waist-length, and she sports a red clip on the left; in the The Last: Naruto the Movie, her hair is hung loosely and extends to her calves; as an adult, her hairstyle returns to its shape in Part II, but her ponytail reaches her upper-back and sports a black clip. In Part II, Sai mentions that Ino is very beautiful.

Ino regularly wears a purple outfit consisting of a high-collared blouse and matching apron skirt. In Part I, she sports this attire with bandages on her abdomen and legs, small hoop-earrings, her forehead protector worn as a belt, and for a time, white arm warmers. In Part II, Ino's outfit is slightly more revealing as she discards her forehead protector and bandages while exposing her midriff and wears mesh armour on her thighs, elbows and knees. She also replaces her hoop earrings with studs, a gift from Asuma Sarutobi. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Ino dons the standard Konoha infantry flak jacket and assorted clothing. In The Last: Naruto the Movie, she wears a longer skirt that reaches her ankles, high-heeled sandals and pink lipstick. As an adult, Ino wears her purple outfit again exposing her midriff with one mesh warmer on her left arm and open-toed sandals. She also dons the standard Konoha uniform while on missions.

Abilities
Ino was noted to be an exceptional kunoichi by Asuma in Part I. Her father stated that she has the potential to become the greatest member of the Yamanaka clan. In Part II, Ino became a medical-nin and a chūnin, further showing her growth. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, she gained praise from her father for her improved skills. By the war's climax, Ino was able to allow the entire Allied Shinobi Forces to communicate and work together more effectively on the battlefield using her abilities.

Chakra and Physical Prowess
Although not at Sakura's level, Ino is skilled in controlling her chakra, enough to flow it through a medium in order to bind targets. By Part II of the anime, her chakra control improved enough to help perform the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier, as well as transfer her chakra to others.

Although Ino rarely uses taijutsu, she has proven to be skilled enough in her battle against Sakura during the Chūnin Exams, and against a reincarnated Asuma in the Fourth Shinobi World War, a proficient taijutsu user himself. Ino has also shown impressive strength and speed, able to tackle Chōji, with an enlarged arm, away from Asuma's extremely fast Wind Release: Dust Cloud Technique.

Ninjutsu
Ino has great sensory perception, able to detect changes in another person's chakra. She can lock onto an enemy's chakra signature and transfer the information to her allies for their benefit. She has also learned medical ninjutsu over the time-skip and was noted to have mastered it by Part II; the anime shows she trained alongside Sakura under Tsunade's supervision. She is skilled enough to diagnose the severity of an attack with just a glance or during healing. Ino's nature transformations include Earth, Water, Yin, Yang, and in the anime, Fire Release.

Yamanaka Clan Techniques
As a Yamanaka, Ino specialises in mind-affecting techniques, such as the Mind Body Switch Technique, which allows her to briefly possess a target and take control of their actions. She can also use this technique on animals for reconnaissance and espionage, as it was originally intended. Ino's body, however, is left vulnerable to attack while the technique is active, and therefore it is not suited for battle. She can also be forced out of the body if the opponent's will is strong enough. In the anime, she learns the Mind Body Disturbance Technique, which allows her to force her enemies to attack each other.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Ino's speed with the Mind Body Switch Technique has improved greatly; able to quickly to save her allies from incoming danger on multiple occasions. Ino has also learned the Mind Clone Switch Technique, which allows her to control multiple targets at once. With the Mind Body Transmission Technique, she can communicate telepathically with multiple people at once, convey memories and feelings to others or transmit what she senses into a target's mind. By making physical contact with a person, the targets can also communicate with one another while the technique is active. In The Last: Naruto the Movie, Ino's telepathic range has expanded enough to receive and broadcast messages across the Five Great Shinobi Countries in a short period of time.

Intelligence
Ino is quite intelligent, graduating at the top of her class in the Academy, alongside Sasuke Uchiha and Shino Aburame. She can be quite deceptive in battle, feigning emotion to deceive her opponents into lowering their guard so that she can capture them, at the same time overcoming her Mind Body Switch Technique's inherit weakness. The anime shows that Ino is very attentive, able to determine a person's occupation by glancing at the condition of their hands. During Pain's Assault, she concluded that Pain's real body must be around the village for his technique to work.

Prologue — Land of Waves
Upon graduating In the anime, Ino races Sakura Haruno toward the Academy, where they will be added to new teams along with other graduates of her class. Despite hoping to be on the same team as Sasuke Uchiha, she is devastated that not only Sakura becomes Sasuke's teammate along with Naruto Uzumaki, but she herself is added to Asuma Sarutobi's Team 10 with Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi. Ino immediately lays ground rules for her new teammates to follow.

Chūnin Exams
Despite how recently they graduated from the Academy, Asuma enters Team 10 in the Chūnin Exams being held in Konoha. Shortly before the exams begin, Ino greets Sasuke by cheerfully hugging him, much to his, and of course, Sakura's chagrin. For the first stage of the exams, they are given a written test with ten questions too difficult for the standard genin to be able to answer, and for which reason participants are expected to cheat without getting caught. Ino uses her Mind Body Switch Technique to copy answers from Sakura's exam sheet and transfer the information to Shikamaru and Chōji.

For the second stage of the exams, Team 10 enters the Forest of Death to take part in a five-day survival exercise. Team 10 initially spends their time avoiding conflict, hiding whenever they come across another team. When they are soon noticed by Neji Hyūga, Ino tries using her charm to convince Neji into giving her team the scroll, though she fails miserably and her team immediately retreats from Neji's intimidation. When they discover Sakura defending her teammates from a team of Oto-nin by herself, Ino recalls her childhood memories of their friendship and finally decides to help her. Team 10 initiates Formation Ino–Shika–Chō: Chōji attacks Zaku Abumi with Human Bullet Tank, Shikamaru immobilises Dosu Kinuta with his Shadow Imitation Technique, and Ino uses her Mind Body Switch on Kin Tsuchi. Ino tries to use Kin as a hostage, but Zaku opts to attack Kin himself rather than let her be used against him. Too tired to offer much more of a fight, Team 10 wonders what to do. When Sasuke regains consciousness and activates his new cursed seal, Ino becomes frightened by the dark change in Sasuke's chakra and released herself from Kin's body. After the Oto-nin retreat, the Konoha genin take their leave, but not before Ino fixes Sakura's hair.

After passing the second stage, the remaining genin take part in one-on-one preliminary matches. For her match, Ino is paired against Sakura. They start by trading insults and then punches, surprising Ino because Sakura proves her equal in both categories. Frustrated, Ino follows Sakura's earlier example by cutting her hair, a ruse that allows her to immobilise Sakura while she uses her Mind Body Switch Technique. In control of Sakura's body, Ino tries to make her forfeit the match, but she is stopped and exorcised by Inner Sakura. They are both exhausted by this, but exchange one final blow, knocking both out. When they later wake up, Ino informs her that their match was ruled a tie, and that therefore neither of them will continue to the finals. Despite this, they decide to rekindle their friendship, though can't help but continue to bicker over Sasuke.

A few days later, Ino accompanies Sakura to visit Sasuke at the hospital with flowers, but discover he is gone. Instead, they see Lee training despite his injuries, causing him to fall unconscious as a consequence. On the day of the finals, Ino sat with Sakura in the audience and tried to cheer her up when Sasuke hadn't arrived yet. She becomes impressed by Naruto's victory over Neji and cheers for Shikamaru in his match with Temari, though is left shocked when he voluntarily gives up. Sasuke finally arrives for his match with Gaara, and Ino watches the fight with interest, noting to Sakura that her teammates are amazing.

Konoha Crush
Ino and the rest of the audience are put to sleep by genjutsu as the Konoha Crush begins. Several days after the invasion is successfully repelled, she attends the Third Hokage's funeral.

Sasuke Recovery Mission
Team 10 goes to Yakiniku Q to celebrate Shikamaru's promotion to chūnin, though Ino becomes angered by Chōji's gluttony and nearly insults him before Shikamaru silences her. She reveal she has been dieting to lose weight and make her more attractive, and jokingly suggests for Chōji to do the same before walking off. After the failed attempt to stop Sasuke Uchiha from defecting from Konoha, Ino and Sakura visited the injured at the hospital, showing great relief at Chōji's survival due to the Fifth Hokage's efforts.

Mizuki Tracking Mission
In the anime, Team 10 helps Naruto round up escaped prisoners from the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility. They use their Formation Ino–Shika–Chō to restrain the Legendary Stupid Brothers until Tsunade can arrive to defeat them.

Academy Student Lead Mission
In the anime, Ino is put in charge of a team of Academy students to teach them survival skills.

Kaima Capture Mission
In the anime, Ino joins Naruto, Shino Aburame and Anko Mitarashi in escorting a delivery ship in the Land of the Sea, as well as investigating a possible sea monster. The Kaima Capture Team also encounters Misumi Tsurugi and Yoroi from the Chūnin Exams and defeats them.

Matchmaking Proxy Mission
In the anime, Ino, escorted by Naruto, is hired to replace the recently overweight Princess Fuku in wooing her suitor Chikara. The mission's predicaments and Naruto's interference angers Ino to a point where she reveals an, similar to Sakura's "Inner Sakura". The mission ends with success, but Ino is baffled as to why some men like chubby women.

Konoha Plans Recapture Mission
In the anime, Ino and Sakura are sent to examine a corpse that was believed to be that of Gennō. They conclude that it is not actually him. Ino later tries to use her Mind Body Switch Technique on the real Gennō, but the tremendous pain his body is under forces her to cancel the technique.

Sunagakure Support Mission
In the anime, Ino and the rest of the Konoha 11 are sent to help the Three Sand Siblings defeat the Four Celestial Symbols Men; she and Shikamaru aid Temari in her fight with Kujaku. While Kujaku is eventually defeated, Ino feels she contributed little in the fight and, back in Konoha, asks to train with Sakura to be a medical-nin. Sakura agrees, but Ino is dismayed when Sakura reminds her that she will be her junior during the course of their training.

In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths
In the anime, about two years after Naruto leaves Konoha to train, another Chūnin Exams is held. Because participants must enter as part of three-man teams, Ino invites Sakura to be Shikamaru's replacement on Team 10 since Shikamaru is already a chūnin. During the first exam, Ino, Sakura, and Chōji are seated in different rooms and are tasked with getting a combined score of exactly 100 points on their written test despite their separation. Ino telepathically contacts Sakura and Chōji in order to assign which questions to answer. After the initial testing period is over, they are given a bonus question: each team must unanimously select one of their members to disqualify from the rest of the exams. Team 10 selects nobody, which is the correct answer and which qualifies them for the next phase.

Those who pass the first exam must reach the Demon Desert within three days in order to participate in the second exam. Team 10 successfully does so and they are given the same objective as they had in the exam several years ago: obtain a scroll from another team. They wander through the desert for three days, losing their provisions to an Ame-team. While recuperating at an oasis, they are confronted by Team Ameno, and Ino is knocked out on her first attempt to attack them. Awakening and remembering her training, she uses her sensing abilities to locate their attackers and telepathically links with Sakura and Chōji once more, allowing them to coordinate their attacks and defeat Team Ameno. Once Sakura and Ino heal their injuries, Team Ameno offers them their scroll. However, theirs is the same scroll that Team 10 already has, so they are allowed to keep it. They go their separate ways, agreeing to meet again in the third exam.

Team 10 is later attacked by Team Saya. Saya possesses Ino's mind and forces her to attack Sakura. When Chōji, meanwhile, begins overwhelming Saya's teammates, Saya possesses his mind instead, and she forces him to attack Sakura using his Super Multi-Size Technique. Ino is able to release Chōji using her Mind Body Switch Technique, forcing Team Saya to retreat. Team 10 is afterwards trapped in a sandstorm, during which Ino and Chōji are poisoned by a cloaked Mamushi. Sakura escapes the sandstorm, defeats Team Saya, and then returns to heal Ino and Chōji.

Team 10 is eventually found by one of the exam's proctors, who brings them to where all of the other genin are being assembled. They are informed that the Chūnin Exams have been cancelled; reports on the participants' performances will be sent back to their villages, leaving their promotion up to their superiors. When they get back to Konoha, Tsunade promotes Ino, Sakura, and Chōji to chūnin.

Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission
Ino comes to retrieve Chōji for their mission with Asuma and, along the way, happily greets Naruto after having not seen him in years. When Team 7 later returns from their failed mission to retrieve Sasuke, Team 10 visits them in the hospital where Kakashi is resting. Ino immediately expresses interest in Sai, who looks very similar to Sasuke, but Sakura tells her that his personality is much different. While their teachers discuss private matters, both teams have lunch at Yakiniku Q; Ino sits next to Sai and flirts with him. Sai, in an attempt to make friends by giving them nick-names, calls Ino "beautiful", causing her to blush and Sakura to become enraged, as Sai previously called her "ugly".

Twelve Guardian Ninja
In the anime, when Furido's 4-Man team invades the village, Ino joins other Konoha-nin in fighting off Fudō's zombie ninja army. She recognises the enemies as members of the Kohaku Clan and serves as medical support for her allies. When the zombies are defeated, Ino and some of the Konoha 11 set out to assist Team 7 in dealing with Sora's jinchūriki transformation. She tries using her Mind Body Switch Technique to possess Sora in his Nine-Tails' Version 1 state, but fails as she notes that his consciousness has vanished.

Akatsuki Suppression Mission
Ino and Chōji are assigned to one of the Twenty Platoons, a taskforce assigned to hunt down Akatsuki members within the Land of Fire. Led by Raidō Namiashi and Aoba Yamashiro, the team is called in for back-up when Asuma's team engages Hidan and Kakuzu of Akatsuki. When they arrive, however, the Akatsuki members flee and Asuma's injuries are too severe for Ino to heal. Sensing his death, Asuma gives parting words to his students: he praises Ino's confident personality and tells her to look after Shikamaru and Chōji, as well as to not lose to Sakura in any pursuit. Ino tearfully mourns Asuma's death and later attends his funeral in Konoha with Choji, asking him why Shikamaru hasn't arrived.

Once Shikamaru gets everything ready, he sets out with Ino and Chōji to hunt down Hidan and Kakuzu. Tsunade tries to persuade them not to go, but they are all confident in what they plan to do. She tries to hold them back on the grounds that they need a fourth member, at which point Kakashi Hatake appears and volunteers to be their fourth, causing Tsuande to relent. After the team review their battle strategy, Ino uses her Mind Body Switch Technique on a hawk to locate Hidan and Kakuzu. The team engages the Akatsuki duo in battle, though Ino cannot contribute much to the fight as her Mind Body Switch alone is too risky to use in battle. Since Hidan and Kakuzu are formidable working together, Team 10 realises the duo need to be separated if they're to be defeated. Ino volunteers to lead Hidan away, but Shikamaru insists her not to and goes in her place.

Even with each side one member short, Kakuzu still manages to easily overwhelm and capture Kakashi and Team 10. His attempt to kill them is blocked by the combined efforts of Naruto and Yamato, who arrive with Sakura and Sai to lend assistance. While Sakura and Sai set out to help Shikamaru, Naruto fights Kakuzu and eventually defeats him with his newly-created Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. Afterwards, Ino heals Naruto's injuries and praises him for his improved skills before the teams return to Konoha. In the anime, Ino visits Neji and Hinata Hyūga and tells them about the mission's events and Naruto's new technique.

Three-Tails' Appearance
In the anime, Ino participates in a surgical operation at Konoha Hospital and receives praise from another surgeon for her efforts. She is later assigned to a team tasked with sealing the Three-Tails, but experiences more difficulty in maintaining the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier than her teammates. They are interrupted by Team Guren before they can complete the sealing, prompting Konoha to recall them and send Anbu to seal the Three-Tails in their place.

Pain's Assault
When Pain's Assault on Konoha begins, Ino rushed to the village's Intelligence Division to inform her father of the attack. Shizune soon arrives and they exchange information about Pain's identity and the method of his Six Paths Technique. They are soon attacked by the Animal Path's Rhinoceros, but are shielded by segments of Katsuyu; in the manga, Ino is shocked by Katsuya's presence, but calmly recognises her in the anime. They relocate with the Konoha Cryptanalysis Team to further deduce Pain's location, though the Human Path ambushes them and captures Shizune, reading her mind before killing her. Ino mourns Shizune's death.

Pain later destroys the village, but Ino and the villagers saved from harm by Katsuyu. While Naruto fights Pain alone, she and her father meet up with Shikamaru and Shikaku Nara to pool their knowledge about Pain. With their combined information, they hypothesise that Pain is actually being controlled remotely by someone, likely from the highest point near Konoha. Ino and Shikamaru stay behind while their fathers search for Pain, who is eventually defeated by Naruto and revives everyone he killed in Konoha. Upon Naruto's return to Konoha, Ino joins in the celebration of his victory; in the anime, she says she could almost fall for Naruto, surprising Chōji and Shikamaru.

Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha
In the anime, Ino and Team 10 round up some hogs for the villagers to eat.

Five Kage Summit
News reaches Konoha of Sasuke's recent activity with Akatsuki, namely his attack against Kumogakure-ninja. Most of the Konoha 11 decide that Sasuke can no longer be allowed to implicate Konoha in his criminal deeds and they resolve to personally kill him. Crestfallen by this decision, Ino cries uncontrollably over Sasuke and has to be comforted by Chōji and Tenten. When Naruto returns to Konoha after learning of this and having his own confrontation with Sasuke, he requests that they leave dealing with Sasuke to him.

Power
In the anime, Ino arrived as back up for Team Kakashi, and took care of an injured Sakura. With assistance from her teammates, she later battled a snake clone of Hidan made by Kabuto Yakushi.

Paradise Life on a Boat
In the anime, Tsunade sends Ino, Sakura, and Chōji to Benisu Island to pick medicinal herbs. Although the locals initially try interfering, Naruto is able to convince them to help instead.

Road to Sakura
While on her day off, Ino sees Sakura falling to the ground and takes her to Tsunade for medical attention. Seeing that Sakura has amnesia, Ino and the rest of Konoha 11 tries to jog her memory by acting differently from their usual selves, but this fails. After encountering Sakura's parents, it is eventually revealed that this Sakura is from an alternate reality. The alternate Sakura disappears, leaving Ino to ponder where the real Sakura is.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Ino is placed in the Allied Shinobi Forces' Fifth Division. She and part of her division are later sent to provide support for the First Division, meeting Chōji and Shikamaru along the way. As they near the First Division's location, Shikaku contacts Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino and tells them about the first threat they'll need to deal with: Kinkaku, who possesses some of the Nine-Tails' chakra. When they arrive, they use Formation Ino–Shika–Chō on Kinkaku, allowing his capture in the Kohaku no Jōhei. After Kinkaku's defeat, Team 10 is immediately confronted by a reincarnated Kakuzu, who is interested in fighting them. Shikaku contacts them and instructs them to deal with another threat instead: a reincarnated Asuma.

Although none of them want to fight Asuma, they, as his former students, are experts on his fighting style and thus the best-qualified to defeat him. When he notices their presence, Asuma congratulates them for their clear growth since he last saw them. They attack him and he's forced to counter, but he gives pointers about how to avoid his attacks and ultimately defeat him. Although Ino and Chōji are committed to the fight, Chōji has difficulty bringing himself to strike Asuma, to everyone's frustrations, Asuma's included. Ino saves Chōji's life twice from Asuma's attacks and, using the Mind Body Switch Technique on Chōji, tells him he needs to pull himself together so they can defeat Asuma. Once Chōji is able to do so, Ino leaves Chōji's body and takes control of two White Zetsu soldiers to attack Asuma, moving him toward Shikamaru and Chōji so they can restrain him. Defeated, Asuma gives them new parting words: that he has nothing more to teach them since their teamwork is now perfect.

By nightfall, the First Division's battle appears won: all the reincarnated forces have been captured and all present elements of the White Zetsu Army have been defeated. The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path suddenly appears on the battlefield and starts devastating the First Division, causing Ino and her team to take cover. The statue later vanishes after Tobi escapes with the Benihisago and the Kohaku no Jōhei, which contain the reincarnated Gold and Silver Brothers. The following day, a new threat emerges in the form of White Zetsu that have infiltrated the Allied Shinobi Forces. In the anime, the reincarnated Sound Four also attack the members of the former Sasuke Recovery Team. While Shikamaru and Chōji defeat their opponents, the Sound Four's defeat activates Space–Time Technique Formula: Underworld Turnover, separating the Recovery Team's souls from their bodies and trapping them within a barrier in a remote location. Ino risks her life to keep her unconscious teammates alive by transferring her chakra to them simultaneously, despite warnings from her other allies. Inoichi telepathically contacts Ino and informs her of the technique's mechanisms, but he is unable to detect the barrier's location and thus have it destroyed so the victims can be freed. Naruto does so eventually, however, and Shikamaru and Chōji's souls are restored to their bodies, causing a relieved Ino to tearfully hug them.

Team 10 later encounter their reincarnated childhood friend Yota, whose emotionally-fueled weather manipulation push the team back. As the trio contemplate having to fight Yota, Inoichi contacts them and links them to others also fighting Yota, including Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura and Naruto. Realising the Yota in front of them is a White Zetsu clone, Ino and her teammates defeat it.

Due to White Zetsu clones disguising themselves as allies, and the only way to tell is through Negative Emotions Sensing, her group was forced to create individual circles to wait in until Naruto comes to expose the enemies. Ino suggests asking each other personal questions, but Shikamaru insists not to as it is possible that the enemy could guess correctly. After she greets Naruto, Ino helps kill the remaining White Zetsu clones.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
After being informed by her father at HQ that Naruto and Killer B were fighting the "masked Madara", Ino and the rest of the Konoha 11 rush to his aid. As she runs, she thanks her father for relaying Naruto's strong feelings to everyone and promises that his foretelling of their victory will be realised. Ino and the rest of the Allied Shinobi Forces arrive just in time as she, with Hinata Hyūga's aid, uses her Mind Body Switch Technique on Tobi (real name Obito Uchiha) to shift the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball away from Naruto’s group. Shikaku Nara, through Inoichi's telepathic link, relays a plan of restraining the Ten-Tails to the assembled Allied Forces, but the plan is unsuccessful. Obito and Madara Uchiha are nevertheless concerned by Shikaku's strategies and have the Ten-Tails fire a Tailed Beast Ball at the distant Allied HQ, where Inoichi and Shikaku are stationed. Before the HQ is destroyed, Inoichi tells a crying Ino that he is proud of his daughter for blossoming into the bush clover of the Yamanaka Clan and making strong bonds with her friends.

With no time to grieve, the remaining Allied Forces enact Shikaku's last plan after being empowered by Naruto's version 1-like cloaks: a large-scale Formation Ino–Shika–Chō. Obito is unable to break free of Ino's improved Mind Body Switch Technique, which enables her to save Chōji from being skewered by the Ten-Tails' wooden spikes. She releases her technique and returns to her body once Shikamaru and other Nara members restrain the Ten-Tails. The attack succeeds in removing the Ten-Tails from Obito and Madara's control, but this makes its attacks more devastating and indiscriminate. When the Ten-Tails prepares to destroy the Allies with a Tailed Beast Ball, Ino uses the Mind Body Transmission Technique to connect Shikamaru with Kitsuchi and teach him a simple protective wall. Obliging to Shikamaru's request regardless of her capability, Ino manages through some strain to connect Shikamaru to the rest of the Allies so that he can teach them this same jutsu and use it to try and deflect the Tailed Beast Ball. It breaks through all their defences, but is slowed enough for the reincarnated Fourth Hokage to arrive in time to save them.

Sasuke Uchiha arrives shortly after the Fourth, claiming to now want to help protect Konoha by defeating the Ten-Tails. A surprised Ino immediately rushes toward Sasuke's location before her teammates warn her to stay away from him. With their whole graduating class together again, which Ino finds nostalgic, the members of Teams 7, 8, and 10 attack the Ten-Tails' minions. For Team 10's contribution, they use the Human Bullet Yo-Yo, where Ino uses her Sensing Technique to detect the number of enemies present and transmits the information into Shikamaru's mind so he can have Chōji attack them. Their formation is quite successful, but does not compare to the amount of damage inflicted by Team 7's members. Ino later noticed that something was troubling Shikamaru, but he dismissed her.

Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki
Obito eventually becomes the Ten-Tails jinchūriki, against whom only Naruto, Sasuke, and the four reincarnated Hokage can fight. Morale starts to sink because of this, so Ino telepathically links Shikamaru to the Alliance in order to boost their morale. When Obito prepares to destroy the Alliance with four Tailed Beast Balls, Naruto and the Fourth Hokage are able to teleport Ino and everyone to safety through their reactivated version 1-like cloaks. Obito employs a different tactic: recreating the God Tree to feed off the chakra of whatever Allies it comes into contact with. Ino is able to avoid having her chakra drained, but Shikamaru is not as fortunate and she and Chōji rush to their failing teammate. When Hashirama Senju appears, Ino connects him to the Alliance (and the approaching Five Kage) so that he can explain the details of Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan, but this further demotivates them.

Ino's active telepathy soon conveys Naruto's feelings and memories, as well as those of Hashirama, to the entire Alliance, giving them the morale they need to keep fighting. While Naruto and Sasuke engage Obito in battle, a version 1 cloak begins forming around Shikamaru as Sakura heals him; Ino senses from her technique that it is due to Naruto's subconscious desire to protect his comrades. After thanking Naruto and Sakura for Shikamaru's recovery, Ino relays Tsunade's message, when she arrives on the battlefield, of Katsuyu's healing abilities to the Alliance. She then helps Naruto defeat Obito, first by joining the rest of the Konoha 11 in hitting Obito with one of Naruto's Rasengan, and then by assisting the Allies in pulling the tailed beasts' chakra from Obito's body.

Even with Obito defeated, other threats still remain: a final Zetsu begins overwhelming most of the Alliance, which they're all too weak to put up much fight against. During this time, a shocked Ino senses Naruto's weakened physical state, caused by the Nine-Tails' extraction from his body. When the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast upon the world, Ino alongside most people are immobilised by the genjutsu and restrained.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes
In her dream, Ino is fought over by Sasuke and Sai as she joyfully asks them not to, while her still-alive father watches her with pride. Naruto and Sasuke eventually release the Infinite Tsukuyomi, freeing Ino and the rest of the world and thus ending the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky
After Lee informs Tsunade that both Kakashi and Guy are on the Tobishachimaru, Ino is ordered to attempt to make contact with them while Tsunade assembles Konoha's available personnel. Following the killing of another hostage, Kakashi is contacted by Ino and she reports all exploding tags have been found and delivered to Guy, who will set up a distraction so that Kakashi can gather the remaining passengers and get them to safety. Before breaking off communication, Kakashi requests that Sai be sent to provide assistance.

Kakashi sends a message to Ino that the Tobishachimaru is heading to Blood Prison. Tsunade decides that the ship must be destroyed before another village is forced to intervene. She has Ino tell Kakashi to do what he can but also warn him of her decision. She sends all available Konoha ninja — except for Naruto — to the Blood Prison with the standing order to destroy the ship if it is about to cross the border into Iwagakure. As prisoners start to escape, Armament Alliance forces storm in looking for Garyō, Ino performs her Mind Body Transfer Technique on Garyō to take control of his body so he cannot escape and returns back to the Blood Prison. Ino then delivers a message from Tsunade that Kakashi is to personally see to it that the ship is destroyed before the Tsuchikage has a chance.

Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness
Before Shikamaru heads out on the mission to investigate Gengo, he sees his childhood friends and teammates, Ino and Chōji. As they reminisce about their childhood with Asuma, he doesn't have the heart to tell them about the assassination mission, desiring not to get them involved in such a task. However, later when Temari notices Shikamaru's strange behavior during the meeting of union reprasentatives and goes to negotiate with Konogakure, Ino, Chōji and Sakura also go with her to save Shikamaru and the other shinobi of Konogakure.

Aside from worrying about her friend Shikamaru, Ino is more eager to save Sai, the one who is under Gengo's genjutsu and whom she has a crush on, she is triggered into action after reading his distressed letter and is overwhelmed with a desire to rescue Sai from his inner conflict. Despite the danger for herself, Ino performs the Mind Body Switch Technique and sinks deeply into Sai's heart to salvage his consciousness as she feels she is the only one who can rescue him. She feels that she wants to learn more about him and his loneliness as she dives deeper down into him. Ino finds him trapped deep in his consciousness, crying and wrapping himself with the memories of his friends and she calls out to him before putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder which he returns with a heartfelt smile.

When Sai is successfully saved by her, the two wake from Ino's jutsu and instinctively reach for each others hands and Sai expresses his gratefulness to Ino as her eyes begin to tear up by affectionately calling her "Miss Beautiful". After Gengo is defeated, Shikamaru assures Sai that everything that he's done is no fault of his own and Gengo's genjutsu is solely responsible. Shikamaru then asks Ino to look after Sai as they depart.

The Last: Naruto the Movie
Two years after the war, Team 10 walk by the Academy where Naruto is teaching a class, Ino noting he has become very popular with many people, mostly women, since saving the world. Team 10 later has dinner with Naruto and Sakura at Ichiraku Ramen, and Ino invites Hinata to come sit with them when she appears. Using her telepathy, she alerts the Sixth Hokage of meteors falling towards Earth and receives a message from Kumogakure about a telecommuted Five Kage Summit. After Toneri Ōtsutsuki is defeated, Ino announces to the Earth and its people that they were safe due to the Hanabi Rescue Team. Sometime later, Ino is seen enjoying Sai's company.

Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze
Ino appears as one of the main characters, as Sakura's close friend and assistant. She and Sakura opened a clinic within the Konoha Hospital that would assess and treat children's mental health. Later, she invites Sakura out to tea with her, but Sakura declines because she has paperwork she wants to do.

One week later, Ino and Sakura go to Sunagakure in order to open a clinic for children. On the way there, the two begin gossiping about the various relationships developing amongst their friends. Ino tells Sakura about Shikamaru and Temari's relationship and also how Chôji often goes to Kumogakure, where his girlfriend Karui lives. Sakura then asks Ino about her own love life and she shyly reveals her crush on Sai. Ino tells Sakura she plans to confess her love but is unsure which type of flower to give to Sai to express her feelings, lavender or a flowering dogwood.

The two kunoichi meet a Suna shinobi who escorts them to their conference with the village's doctors. Afterwards, however, they are summoned before Gaara, the Kazekage, who informs them that Sasuke has been to Suna. Gaara repeats to them the conversation that Sasuke had with the terrorist group two days earlier, which he (who was surveying the group anyway) witnessed with his Third Eye. Although he, Ino and Sakura want to believe it was someone disguised as Sasuke, they can come up with no practical explanations for the man having Sasuke's chakra signature.

When Ino and Sakura return to Konoha, they inform Kakashi about the situation. Kakashi is also convinced that the man conspiring against Konoha was a lookalike of Sasuke, but he has no reliable way of contacting Sasuke in order to confirm this. He shares Gaara's recommendation to do nothing at the moment so that unsubstantiated assumptions can't be spread against Sasuke.

As Sai is investigating Kido, Kakashi informs Sakura and Ino of the rumours about Sasuke's activity that have been reported by him. Ino is more concerned by the risks Sai may be facing and anxiously questions Kaskashi on Sai's safety but Sakura steers things back to what the rumours mean for Sasuke. Since Sasuke was so instrumental to the victory during the Fourth Shinobi World War, the five Kage are still willing to believe it is not Sasuke planning against Konoha. However, if news of his actions gets out and public opinion turns against him, the Kage will be forced to do what they can to stop him.

Later, as Sakura with Sai's information think that Kido and Magire are behind the Sasuke impostor, Kakashi orders Ino, Sakura and Sai to team up, since they are investigating the same thing. Ino dubs themselves Ino–Saku–Sai and they promise to keep each other informed of their findings.

Later, Lee tells Ino and Sakura that he saw Anbu near the Naka Shrine two years ago. However, on their way to meet up with Sai, Sakura sees two Anbu trying to take Sasuke into custody for terrorist activity. She goes to them to lend assistance, either to free the real Sasuke or apprehend the impostor, but discovers that it is all a genjutsu. She dispels it, but is immediately injected with a drug that renders her unconscious.

Ino runs to Sai's home in order to inform him about Sakura's capture by Kido. However, when Ino arrives she becomes flustered at the sight of him in only his underwear, since Sai was taking a shower before her arrival. While he gets dressed, Ino contacts Kakashi and informs him of what's happened. He advises not getting anyone else involved in the rescue as that might only provoke Kido to kill Sakura. He also informs them that the Fourth Raikage is contemplating a Kage Summit to discuss reports of Sasuke's activity.

Sai and Ino go to one of Kido's hideouts and Ino senses the interior for Sakura's chakra. She isn't there, but Sai decides they should see what intel they can get anyway. Ino uses the Mind Body Switch Technique on the hideout's sentry while Sai captures them, her first time using such a tactic without Shikamaru and Chōji. When the sentry, an acquaintance of Sai's, is unwilling to answer their questions, Sai forces Sakura's whereabouts from him by tickling him with a paintbrush. They go to the hideout where Sakura is being kept on Sai's imitating bird and Ino initially struggles to maintain her balance but Sai comforts her causing her to feel a sweet warm sensation well up within her heart. When they arrive they find that Sakura has already escaped and is on the offensive.

Sakura breaks out of the basement, through the floors above, and finally the roof with a single Cherry Blossom Impact. When she sees Sai and Ino, she tells them what she's learned about Kido and the drugs he's making. They are surrounded by many Anbu, Magire, and Kido himself, who tells them that he plans to sell his drugs not only as tools of war but as ways in which to cause those wars, thus giving him a never-ending source of revenue. Ino doubts that such drugs would ever have a market because the powers they grant are unearned, which Kido declares as naive, just like their clinic for children's mental health. He instructs his Anbu to use their synthetic tailed beast cloaks to either capture or kill Sakura and the others, no longer having a preference for their fate.

Sakura, Sai, and Ino work well together despite being outnumbered. Sakura is drawn into a fight with the Sasuke impostor, who chokes her using his synthetic tailed beast cloak. Sakura breaks free and, as she beats him unconscious, warns him to never impersonate Sasuske again. This has the added benefit of revealing that the synthetic cloaks disappear when their user loses consciousness; Sai and Ino also discover that the cloaks have time limits. Sai recommends they use this information to end the fight quickly. Ino, who was usually positioned near the back lines during close ranged combat situations was now instead supporting Sai with her taijutsu.

Sakura, Sai, and Ino defeat all their opponents but Kido and Magire. Since Magire is a medic-nin, they decide to separate Kido from him so that Magire can't heal his injuries. Sai and Ino exchange attacks with Magire, but neither side is able to hit the other. Magire activates a synthetic tailed beast cloak and, with its tails, is able to create glowing orbs that detonate on contact. While Sai tries and fails to overpower Magire with his Super Beast Imitating Drawings, Ino takes control of an eagle which she uses to stab Magire from behind with a poisoned kunai. Magire's movements slowed, allowing Sai to deliver a finishing blow. Kakashi arrives to help soon after Magire is defeated, with Naruto and Hinata accompanying him. Together, they head into the forest to help Sakura. However, she defeat Kido with her Cherry Blossom Impact.

Ino along with Sai, Naruto, Hinata and Kakashi joined Sakura and congratulate her on her victory. However, they are interrupted by news that several of Kido's Anbu have fled the village. Ino and the others immediately give chase, but on reaching the Anbu they find them all defeated with a combination of fire and genjutsu. They guess that it was Sasuke's doing and that he chose not to stick around when he confirmed Kido was defeated. Although they're disappointed that Sasuke didn't at least say hello, they are glad that the entire ordeal is over. After Ino–Saku–Sai is dismissed by Kakashi, Sakura is called to a meeting with Suna-medics. Ino offers to go with her, but Sakura tells her to instead have lunch with Sai.

Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding
Ino goes into a shop so as to buy a present for Naruto and Hinata's wedding. She reaches for a picture frame only her hand to be met by Sakura's hand doing the same. Sakura uses her superhuman strength to pull the picture frame from Ino's hand, to which Ino responds by claiming the picture frame is ugly and a terrible gift. The two get into an argument so heated that they are thrown out of the store, neither of them able to purchase the picture frame.

Ino blames Sakura for what's happened, insisting Sakura's unnatural strength and large forehead make her uncouth and, more particularly, unlikely to ever be married. Sakura is deeply insulted by the latter accusation and challenges Ino to a cooking competition to prove that she would make a good wife. Ino puts Military Rations Pills in Sakura's favourite dessert, anmitsu, and Sakura does the same in Ino's favourite dessert, pudding. The next day, Ino wants to use Chōji as an impartial judge. Chōji samples each of their soldier pills and finds them so delicious that he starts putting them into his mouth by the handful. He soon collapses to the ground with blood running from his nose.

Sakura suspects Ino put poison in her soldier pills, intending for Sakura to try one and fall deathly ill. Ino suspects the same of Sakura. In order to save Chōji they must identify the poison as soon as they can: each samples the other's soldier pills so that they can identify what type of poison it is. Neither can taste poison, but they do taste their favourite desserts, Ino loving the pudding in Sakura's and Sakura loving the anmitsu in Ino's. Chōji gets up soon afterwards, having finally recovered from his blood sugar overload, and he praises both of their soldier pills. Sakura and Ino reflect on their like-mindedness and how their competitions always push each other to be better. They therefore decide to go shopping together, helping each other find a gift even better than a picture frame.

Ino attends Naruto and Hinata's wedding as she enters the venue holding Sai's hand showing they were in a relationship at the time. They were described as looking blissfully happy as their friends teased them on the progress of their relationship. After the wedding she takes a photo of herself along with Hinata, Sakura, and Tenten.

Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise
Ino along with the others arrive at the Konoha entrance following an invasion by intruders. Ino recognizes one of the intruders as a regular patron of her families flower shop known as Tadaichi. Ino is in disbelief after the kind, old man explodes in front of her followed by a number of other intruders. Following their efforts, they are able to stop the invasion but Ino and Aoba pass out from exhaustion after they use their techniques and are both transported to the hospital on Sai's Super Beast Imitating Drawing along with Sakura who provides them with medical aid.

Shikamaru and Chōji decide to visit Ino at the hospital and find that Sai is watching over her whilst she sleeps as he sketches a flower that Ino's mother brought her. They discuss the attack from a few days earlier and the heightened security measures that have since been put into place. They begin discussing possible motives, but then realize they shouldn't be doing this while Ino is recovering. Shikamaru and Chōji get up to leave, but Sai remains, claiming that he will leave as soon as he has completed his drawing, however Shikamaru notices several of Sai's already near-completed sketches in the trash as he exits. Shikamaru and Chōji realize that Sai did not want to leave Ino's side and begin discussing how much he has changed from the emotionless man they first met.

New Era
Ino and Sai eventually get married and her husband takes on the Yamanaka name. They have a son together named Inojin, whom they help train to become part of the new generation Ino–Shika–Chō.

Academy Arc
In the anime, Ino takes Sakura on a surprise trip to a seaside cliff where Sasuke and Sakura went on their first date. She leaves Sakura alone in order to let her enjoy reminiscing about her first date.

Sarada Uchiha Arc
On the day of the Five Kage Summit in Konoha, Ino becomes irritated that her son Inojin didn't turn up to his training since he normally is so motivated for it as Sai attempts to calm her. Ino tells Karui of the importance of their children practising the Ino–Shika–Chō formation even in such peaceful times.

A few days later, at the village gate along with Chōji, Ino spots Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Chōchō Akimichi and Sarada Uchiha returning to the village. She muses about Chōchō's shock towards her father's changed figure. While Ino happily greets Sasuke since he has not been seen in the village for a number of years, Sarada interrupts her due to having just dealt with the situation involving Karin which amuses Sakura and confuses Ino.

Graduation Arc
As ninja classes began preparing for the graduation exams, Ino joined her son to discuss his progress and future goals with the Academy teachers.

Versus Momoshiki Arc
Ino hangs out with Sakura and Temari one day and they see Naruto's shadow clones running around to help out villagers. The three women later sat together to watch the Chūnin Exams' final round, where Ino becomes exasperated when Shikadai Nara mirrors his father's actions in his youth by giving up against Boruto Uzumaki. When Momoshiki and Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki attack the arena, Ino leaves the audience along with Hinata and Himawari Uzumaki and observes the ensuing battle.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie
Ino made a small cameo before Team 7 was being called up, she, Shikamaru, and Chōji were seen running through the streets.

Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Will of Fire
Ino was first seen when they celebrated for Naruto and Sai's recovery and ate barbecue. Ino was seen again when Hiruko appeared on the sky and said he was starting the Fourth Shinobi World War. Later, Ino was sent with the rest of Konoha 11 to retrieve back Naruto and Sakura. Ino's team caught up with Naruto and Sakura, but Sai came and took the two with him to catch up with Kakashi. They were left behind to take down Hiruko's henchmen, San. They used Ino–Shika–Chō combination and easily took down the enemy. Shikamaru had Ino tell San that they aren't here to fight but to bring back Naruto and the others, after Ino used Mind Body Switch Technique and told San, he refused and said that he understands but he can't just pass the information on, forcing Team 10 to fight him. He then summoned his two teammates, Ichi and Ni, and used Chimera Technique, which made them turn into a beast, Team 10 was defeated quickly. The rest of Konoha 11 comes to back up Team 10 and while Tenten summoned out chains everyone grabs onto one and as Shikamaru was about to use a technique to bind the beast Ino urges Shikamaru to go on and that the rest of them can handle it. Ino is later seen at Hiruko's temple saving Sakura from a collapsing building while the other members of the Konoha 11 defeated the beast.

Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
Ino appears along with the other members of the Konoha 11 to help save Naruto from prison and help defeat Satori.

Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
Ino first appears with her friends battling several Zetsu clones disguised as deceased Akatsuki members. Later, in the alternate world, a different Ino is seen. Compared to the Ino that Naruto and Sakura know, she is more timid, calm, conservative in her appearance, and shy with boys. She also isn't bossy with her team, trying to end things peacefully with them rather than lashing out at them like she usually does.

Video Games
Due to Ino's Mind Transfer Technique being more support orientated rather than for combat, Ino's movesets instead typically include the use of flower-based attacks and acrobatic physical attacks similar to the Musoh-Battoh-Ryu style of fighting despite not doing such things in canon.

Live Spectacle Naruto
Anju Inami plays as Ino in this stage play adaption.

Trivia

 * The name "Ino" can be short for "Inoshishi" which means, hence Sakura calling her . Her family name "Yamanaka" means . Wild boar are heavily associated with mountains in Japan, and are even called the , because of the amount of meat they produce.
 * The name "Ino" (偉野, 偉埜) is sometimes used as a given name meaning "Great Field".
 * "Ino" (いの町 Ino-chō) is also a name of a town in the Agawa District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.
 * Her family owns a flower shop called Yamanaka Flowers, where she works part-time.
 * In the manga, it was never revealed how or why Ino became a medical-nin. Her choice to study under Tsunade was anime-exclusive.
 * Ino was ranked as the 29th most popular character in the seventh Naruto character popularity poll. She placed 14th in the fifth poll, 17th in the sixth poll and 23rd in the fourth poll. She finished 30th in the first poll.
 * According to the first Naruto fanbook, Ino had the best overall grades in the Academy. She had the highest grade in assertiveness and the second-highest grade in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, cooperation, and class attitude, being beat by Sasuke in ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. However, in chapter 3, Iruka states that Sasuke's grades were first among all 27 graduates.
 * According to the databook(s):
 * Ino's hobby is shopping.
 * Ino wishes for a rematch with Sakura.
 * Ino's favourite foods are cherry tomatoes and pudding, while her least favourite is sashimi.
 * Ino has completed 40 official missions in total: 23 D-rank, 9 C-rank, 6 B-rank, 2 A-rank, 0 S-rank.
 * Ino's favourite phrase is.
 * Ino's favourite thing is the flower she gave Sakura when they were children.

Quotes

 * (To Sakura, when she asks her why she gave her a ribbon) "Because… I thought it would be a waste for you to wither away as a bud. There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms. It might turn out to be… a flower more beautiful than a Cosmos."
 * (To Sakura) "Who're you calling "pig", you billboard brow?!"
 * (To Sakura) "You've bloomed into a beautiful flower."
 * (To Chōji about Asuma) "Listen, I know how you feel… the three of us, Team Ten… We went on a lot of missions with Asuma-sensei. Shikamaru and I don't want to fight him either. But it's because we know him so well that we can stop him with the least risk to the army. Don't you remember what those earrings are supposed to represent Chōji?"
 * (To Shikamaru) "It's not a matter of can or can't, I'm doing it!"