Naruto: Why did Ino Yamanaka cut her hair during the Chunin exams? Explained

Chunin exams in Naruto hold the utmost importance for any genin. It is a stepping stone for the genin shinobi to experience what a true ninja feels like, and most of the major characters in the series have gone through this exam.

Unfortunately, the two main protagonists of the series, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, still haven't passed this exam because, during their exam, Orochimaru attacked the Hidden Leaf Village. This caused the whole exam program to be abandoned, and later in the series, these two didn't get another chance to get promoted from genin.

Out of all the phases of this exam, the most exciting one for fans is the battle between students. One versus battle, in particular, will be the topic of today's discussion: Ino vs Sakura. During this battle, Ino suddenly cut her hair, confusing fans over why she did such a thing.

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Explaining the reason behind Ino cutting her hair during the Chunin exam in Naruto

Ino cut her hair in front of Sakura to distract her into thinking that she had run out of options. Ino later faked her 'Mind Transfer Jutsu' in front of Sakura, only to let her close in and capture her through her hair strands that were chakra-infused.

She later used her 'Mind Transfer Jutsu' to take over Sakura's consciousness and tried to make her forfeit the match. But Sakura's inner consciousness didn't let that happen, and Ino was kicked out of Sakura's mind.

The Chunin Exams arena (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Chunin exams are comprised of three phases. The first is a written test, the second is a survival test, and the last is the versus battle between the students that made it this far. A preliminary round could also take place before the final round in case many students make it to the final round.

During Naruto's time, the preliminary rounds took place, and some of the most hyped battles of this series occurred during this. One of these battles was Sakura Haruno going against Ino Yamanaka. These two were previously friends, but after realizing they had the same crush, they decided to become rivals.

The fight between them started with Ino realizing how strong Sakura had become since their last fight. This urged her to use different strategies to lure Sakura into her trap, as in brute strength, Sakura was superior.

She suddenly cut her hair, telling Sakura she doesn't care about her beauty and just wants to beat her. She later made a hand-sign for her 'Mind Transfer Jutsu' to make Sakura think she has run out of options. She then faked the performance of this jutsu and failed, which caused Sakura to close in on her.

Sakura (right) and Ino (left) as seen in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

When Sakura stepped on Ino's hair, it grabbed her leg through the chakra in it. Ino later explained her plans of faking everything, and this time, performed her 'Mind-Transfer Jutsu' and took over Sakura's body. Ino tried making Sakura forfeit the match, but Naruto cheered for her to not give up.

Sakura's inner consciousness also awakened and kicked out Ino. Now Sakura was fully conscious. These two exchanged their last blows and got knocked out. The match ended in a draw with no immediate winner.