#inohina pairing discussion

[minakotricksterworld]

Thoughts on Inohina? And best Inohina fic if you want to share as well. :)

InoHina is one of the femslash pairings I rather adore from Naruto.

I think I will break down the girls a bit before getting into the pairing and my thoughts on it.

Ino is a strong-willed, bossy woman who does not take crap from anyone. Can she be rash and stubborn? Hell yes. She is loyal to those she takes in as hers, even when some have proven to not be worthy of that loyalty. She is a bitch, but a bitch with heart who can be very critical, harsh, given her temper and her strong sense of right and wrong.  Ino is supportive, however her supportive might be more in one’s face than they might like. She is proud and she wants the best for people, even though how she states this might sound cruel and shallow.

Hinata is thoughtful, and though she is quiet, she has an inner strength that many do not appear to see at first.  While Hinata might not be considered forward or bold, she has a strong sense of conviction and unwavering sense of justice.  Her timid side might be off-putting to some, for the longest time I thought she was the weird stalker girl in the earlier facets of the show. Yet, she is supportive and does not allow the negative opinions of others affect her to see an individual.  It is Hinata’s timid nature and lack of self-esteem, fostered by her home life that has allowed her to let others step on her.

That being said – Hinata’s attraction to Naruto is because of several of the similar characteristics Ino shares.

Ino, out of all the girls, has a closer representation to Naruto and shares many of his admirable traits. Just as she shares some of Naruto’s more negative traits.  There are, of course, key differences.

While Naruto can be quite oblivious and clueless, Ino is very observant. Our mind reader has shown this sense of keen observation in regards to others, allowing her to understand a few core concepts of a person’s character.

Naruto overshadows Hinata and I’m chaffing at that, but then I pretty much held a bit of dislike for Naruto’s actions regarding characters, their growth and, especially for the females, overshadowed roles compared to their male counterparts.

I hate to make further comparisons, between Naruto and Ino. I could do the same between Sakura and Hinata, but I rather not. For one, Sakura and Hinata have only minor similarities when they were younger, both shy, timid and bullied. Both saved by a loud, unapologetic blond/e who inspired them (though in different ways) with their strength.

They also play the opposite roles in their scenarios, the bullied and the savior.

Hinata is a being who has needed nurturing from a young age and while I understand she had Kurenai, I think Ino would have been perfect to further foster a ‘blooming’ in Hinata. Ino has shown, as early from a young age when she saved Sakura from bullies, that she is a nurturer by nature and this goes further when you learn she is a florist. She can have a delicate hand, but can be quite the taskmaster when you see her training with Shikamaru and Chouji.

In fact, several of Ino’s conversations with Sakura has supported that she wanted Sakura to see her own inner ‘beauty’. This isn’t just about the physical sense, as it can be argued that Sakura was as shy and full of self-doubt as Hinata before Ino entered her life. Hinata is a grounding inducer on many rambunctious characters, such as Kiba and Naruto.  She does not stifle or knock them down, but she will redirect their view to see more than what is right in front of them.  For Ino, who can be similar to Naruto and Kiba in this case, she could be that while providing a supporting system that does not have to be tarnished by the idea of girls having to be ‘rivals’.

Some might think that Hinata would let Ino steamroll her, I think that Ino and Hinata could have the type of friendship/relationship where they grow comfortable enough for Hinata to point out Ino’s harshness and lack of tact.  Hinata would have the emotional intelligence to understand that Ino is just as capable of being hurt as the next, no matter what strong façade she might put on to hide her pain.  Ino, likewise, would tell Hinata that she should not be soft on everyone and push her to fight back – but she will fight alongside Hinata, or support her, in all of her endeavors. Just as Hinata will support Ino.

They will disagree on a number of things, I have no doubt, but at their core values these girls have a lot in common. Way more than when you first think about it. Both come from clans, expected to be ninja from a young age – both raised by their fathers. Inoichi and Hiashi were complete opposites on how they raised their daughters (Note: In the anime Ino had a mother, but in the manga she only had her father). Both clan heiresses, looking at having a lot of responsibility and a heritage that they would inherit, Ino-Shika-Cho for Ino and… I do not think I need to explain what Hinata was inheriting here, but for those reading, the Hyuuga is a proud clan who hold a highly sought after bloodline limit, rivals of the Uchiha. There is an inner clan branch system that sees the main family at the top and the rest as servants. Hinata’s sister or Hinata herself, would have been branded a servant due to this weird class system that was going on as there could ONLY be one clan leader.

It was a lot of messed up shit when you thought so much about it.

In the end, this would be a relationship built on mutual sense of support and a partnership that shares the understanding that neither are lesser than the other, just different and those differences are as beneficial as their similarities.  No one is anyone’s shadow; they are two strong, powerful women in their own right.  Hinata has Ino’s back whenever anyone tries to comment on Ino’s clothing, her looks or just plain wants to talk shit. Ino would have Hinata’s back when facing the Hyuuga clan, those who doubt that Hinata has the ability to be a competent ninja. I just already love and miss the friendship these two could have had if Ino had saved Hinata from her bullies, instead of the other way. But that is what fanfiction is for no? I don’t know if I did your question justice, but I hope I did, I enjoyed it immensely even if I was not sure I was coming out as eloquent as I could have hoped.

As for the posting of a fic, there are several good ones I can recommend in dedication for this pairing (I need to get back to doing that sort of stuff).

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11496123/1/Tipsy-Confessions

by Shinan7

Ino has a secret, and one drink makes her spill it. Her world is completely over... or is it? Yuri, Ino/Hinata