Inojin Yamanaka

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 Ino and Sai 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.

Despite regularly practicing his respective parents' ninjutsu skills, mainly his father's, Inojin is always looking for a newer and more stylish means to go about it. At the same time, he has very simple goals in life, hoping to make more practical use of his skills for better financial gain.

Appearance
Inojin bears a strong resemblance to his mother: he has blue-green eyes and 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
Being trained regularly by his parents even before joining the Academy, Inojin had very advanced shurikenjutsu prowess, able to easily hit the bulls-eye. Inojin also wields a tipless tantō. It is his initial tactic for close-range combat, indicating skills in kenjutsu. Inojin is noted to have great talent as a shinobi and is well-versed in a variety of skills.

Ninjutsu
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. In the anime, he is able to effectively perform Cooperation Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu, able to use both to restrict a person's movements and expand the might of this alongside fellow users.

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. 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 their 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.

School Trip Arc
To improve relationships with other villages and symbolically show the warring era was over, the Seventh Hokage set up an official class trip for the Academy to go to Kirigakure. Upon arriving, they were met with Kagura Karatachi, who was appointed to act as the class' tour guide. The class was later taken to meet Chōjūrō, the Sixth Mizukage, who welcomed the class to the village. The following night, while waiting for Denki to return from his shopping, Inojin, Boruto, and Shikadai received a message in blood that Denki was kidnapped and the culprits demanded Denki's friends come to the pier.

Once arriving, the culprits were revealed to be Tsurushi Hachiya, and old classmate of Kagura, and his delinquent gang. As they began mocking Kagura's relationship with the Konoha-nin, they attacked the visiting class. During the fight, Hachiya revealed Kagura's dark past as the grandson of the Fourth Mizukage and having his own personal bloodshed reputation from his Academy days. After defeating their enemies, to cheer up Kagura, they inviting him to play a card game with them.

Later, when Boruto and Sarada were acting strangely, Inojin and Shikadai decided to follow them. To their surprise, the instead found Mitsuki talking secretly with Suigetsu Hōzuki. He instructed Mitsuki to not get involved with Shizuma Hoshigaki and his team, but Mitsuki plainly rejected the order. While trying to make sense of this, Inojin and Shikadai were taken by surprise by Suigetsu. While not understanding what was happening, the two nervously agreed to help Mitsuki.

Graduation Arc
The morning before training, Sai discovers that Inojin has been photocopying his Super Beast Imitating Drawing instead of drawing by hand due to finding it exhausting much to Sai's shock. However, during training Inojin loses the ability to perform the technique even after drawing by hand. Following his fathers advice, Inojin enters a children's drawing contest but loses to Himawari Uzumaki. Sai continues to offer Inojin vague advice on why he is no longer able to perform the technique, believing it will benefit his son more by discovering the solution on his own. However, Inojins frustration builds which causes him to instead ask his mother to teach him the Mind Body Switch Technique but is unsuccessful when utilising it in a training battle.

After discovering an old drawing he made of his family, Inojin finds motivation to learn about art and seeks Himawari for help. He then learns from her the importance of putting heart and emotion into his art as he rescues her drawing by finally being able to perform the Super Beast Imitating Drawing again.

As graduation exams for the ninja classes were nearing, Inojin was interviewed about his goals for the future. He was later also interviewed by "Sukea", a freelance reporter for an article where he states his desire to be able to continue drawing art whilst making money.

During the exams, taking up Shino's subtle offer to try stealing the test answers for the written test, Inojin and his friends were able to easily pass the test. Later, during the practical and final test, the class was brought to the training field. There, the entire class was set up to face Shino, Anko Mitarashi and Konohamaru for 24 hours. While the teachers would still evaluate the students' respective improvements, the students' true test was against Kakashi Hatake. The Sixth Hokage quickly explained that he would only pass the first student who is able to take the single bell attached to his hip. As the test began, Inojin chose to work with Chōchō and Shikadai against Anko. While Anko questioned their decision to work together as there can only be one winner, Inojin said that it is more practical to join forces for the time being. As Anko soon began overwhelming the trio, more of their friends came to help fight Anko.

Ultimately, the trio, along with several other students were defeated and captured by Anko. Later that night, Boruto led his fellow classmates saving Inojin and the others. Afterwards, following Boruto's next plan, Inojin and everyone attacked the Sixth Hokage together. Despite their team-up, Kakashi easily saw through their patterns and exploited their scattered assault to repel them. This however was a cover for their true goal of a group String Light Formation to subdue Kakashi. Despite their effort, Kakashi was still able to hold them off, allowing time to run out. While no one got the bell, Kakashi chose to pass everyone as they succeeded in the test's true goal; team-work and loyalty. Ultimately, Inojin was placed on the same team as Chōchō and Shikadai, once again forming a new generation for the Ino-Shika-Chō. For their first mission, they're assigned to chauffeuring around the client, carrying her various purchases. Inojin was especially annoyed that Chōchō had to carry nothing as she was getting so chummy with the client.

Byakuya Gang Arc
With the continued thefts performed by the Byakuya Gang throughout Konohagakure, Team 10 was assigned alongside the other genin teams to help stop the self-proclaimed noble thieves. However, the genin were not permitted to engage the Byakuya Gang without aid from a chūnin or higher-ranked shinobi.

With the continued thefts performed by the Byakuya Gang throughout Konohagakure, Team 7 was assigned alongside the other genin teams to help stop the self-proclaimed noble thieves. However, the genin were not permitted to engage the Byakuya Gang without aid from a chūnin or higher-ranked shinobi. Later, the gang's act of distributing their stolen wealth to the poor began gaining much support from many of the villagers. Even more, swarms of protesters began emerging in the village against various legitimate companies, fuelled by the Byakuya Gang's claims of the said companies being corrupt, one of which included the Kaminarimon Company.

As the protesting against the Kaminarimon Company continued to grow more volatile, the Konoha-nin were deployed to help pacify the situation at set locations. As they looked at the situation, Shikadai realised that the layout was near-identical to a shōgi strategy that Ryōgi used on him repeatedly. Deducing that the attack on the Kaminarimon Company was a diversion, Shikadai rushed to the ignored Ninjutsu Research Centre, which Chōchō and Inojin followed. They were soon joined by Boruto, who noticed that they left their post. Shikadai's assumption proved correct as the thieves stole the Centre's entire data on world ninjutsu. Katasuke Tōno, who managed to place a homing beacon on the leader of the gang, gave Shikadai and his friends the locator to track them down. Upon catching up to the Byakuya Gang, Inojin and Chōchō stayed behind to deal with the underlings while Shikadai and Boruto chased Ryōgi. While Chōchō and Inojin's tag-team defeated the weaker opponents, Oko proved to tough. Ultimately, they were saved by the timely arrival of Shikamaru, who quickly subdued the thief.

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.

Ao Arc
At the Training Hall, Inojin watched Boruto fight the Seventh Hokage alongside other genin.

Trivia

 * According to the movie's light novel adaption, Inojin's role-playing character, when he plays with Shikadai and Boruto, is a white mage.
 * According to character trivia from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations:
 * Inojin's hobbies are painting/drawing and playing first-person shooter games.
 * His favourite foods are cheese and takoyaki.
 * His least favourite foods are fatty meats.
 * His attributes are: 100 in intelligence, 120 in negotiations, 126 in dexterity, 80 in strength, 160 in perception, and 140 in chakra.
 * He was also given a skill rating in these particular areas:
 * Espionage: ★★★☆☆
 * Art of Conversation: ★★★☆☆
 * Medical Ninjutsu: ★★☆☆☆