It's undeniable that friendship and the importance of creating and maintaining bonds with others is at the very heart and soul of what makes Naruto so special. After all, it's the bond that Naruto forms with Iruka that helps push him forward and aspire towards reaching a brighter future. It's his bond with Sasuke that drives him to become stronger, at first to compete with his rival and later to attempt to bring him back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
It isn't just the bonds that Naruto forms with others that the show puts importance on, either. Though their friendship originally breaks due to a mutual crush on Sasuke, Ino and Sakura's friendship is an incredibly vital aspect of the series, as well as to both of the girls' personal development. And while there are certainly rocky moments between them, they do end up reconciling and having one of the best friendships out of the entire series.
10 Ino Helps Sakura Get Over Her Childhood Insecurities
When Sakura is a young girl, she has a complex involving her large forehead compared to other children. She originally tries to use her hair to hide it, but as Ino later points out, this only alerts potential bullies to the fact that she's ashamed of this part of herself, and so they pick on her anyway.
Ino gives Sakura a ribbon that she uses to keep her hair out of her face, telling her that she should show off her forehead and let others know that her physical differences aren't anything she's ashamed of. This in turn helps to boost Sakura's self-confidence to a level that likely wouldn't have been possible without Ino's help.
9 Sakura's Intense Training Under Tsunade Inspires Ino To Do The Same
After Sasuke leaves the village and Naruto sets off on his own course to become stronger, this leaves Sakura in an interesting spot. She doesn't have a group to train with or Kakashi to guide her, so she ends up training under Lady Tsunade to become a medical ninja.
Over the course of her training, Sakura puts her all into developing her skills, going as far as to decline offers to spend time with others due to being swamped with her training. Her dedication inspires Ino and she ends up joining Sakura in learning medical ninjutsu.
8 Ino Decides She Can't Let Sakura Wither Away Without Blooming, Despite Not Knowing Her At The Time
When Ino originally steps in and helps Sakura out, the two are practically strangers to one another. Despite this, Ino still decides that she's going to tell off Sakura's bullies and help her gain some much-needed confidence in herself.
Later while the two are picking flowers together, Sakura asks Ino why she decided to step in and help her out despite not knowing anything about her. Ino then compares Sakura to a flower, saying that she's just a flower that hasn't bloomed yet, and that she'll be incredibly pretty and strong when she does.
7 Ino Makes The Decision To Save Sakura's Life In The Forest Of Death
During the Forest of Death arc of the Chunin Exams, Ino's team runs into a cornered Sakura, desperately trying to protect an unconscious Sasuke and Naruto. It's clear that she won't be able to fend off her attackers alone, and knowing that Ino and Sakura's relationship at this point is still quite rocky, Shikamaru leaves the decision of whether to help up to Ino.
There's a moment of hesitation, but Ino ultimately decides that they should step in and help save Sakura and the others. And while Sasuke, Ino's crush, is certainly a factor, it's still heartwarming that she's able to put her differences with Sakura aside at this time and fight to help protect her.
6 Ino Helps Sakura Style Her Hair After She Cuts It With A Kunai
Sakura originally decides to let her hair grow out after hearing a rumor that Sasuke prefers girls with long hair. Her decision to cut her hair with a kunai to escape being grabbed in the Forest of Death is a hugely personal one for her, and signifies an incredibly important moment of growth for the genin.
After the fight, Ino actually takes the time to help Sakura style her hair and make it look more presentable. This is right after Sakura hugs Sasuke to stop him from transforming as well, which Ino witnesses, and aside from a single off-hand comment, she's able to look past their rivalry over Sasuke and simply help her out.
5 They Recognize Each Other As Equals After Their Tournament Double Knockout
While the tournament fight between Ino and Sakura isn't as flashy as most of the others, its significance is impossible to overlook. Ino cuts her hair during this fight, signifying that both girls are finally beginning to put their own personal growth over their infatuation with Sasuke.
It's also during this fight that they finally view each other as equals for the first time since they ended their friendship over their rivalry for Sasuke. Instead of deciding that they weren't satisfied with a draw and wanting to prove themselves superior, they instead acknowledge the other's strength, and it's a huge step towards getting their friendship back on track.
4 They Help Keep Each Other's Spirits High During The Fourth Shinobi World War
Both Sakura and Ino serve vital and highly stressful roles during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Sakura's main goal as a medical-nin is to make sure her comrades stay alive (and she's essential in keeping Naruto alive), and Ino's ability to communicate at once with a mass amount of her fellow shinobi saved countless lives.
Their friendship is vital during this time for keeping both of their spirits high, and this is the point of the series where all of their past animosity is completely behind them. They help make sure that the other is doing all right and support them when needed, which is great to see.
3 Sakura Develops A Fondness For Flowers Due To Picking Them As A Child With Ino
When Sakura and Ino are still young, they spend a fair amount of time together picking flowers. Ino also has a habit of making flower-related analogies in her speech, having been raised learning about them.
What's especially sweet is that even after Ino and Sakura's rivalry gets in the way of their friendship, Sakura retains some of the information Ino shares with her. When she goes to buy flowers for the hospitalized Sasuke and Lee, she chooses two daffodils, which symbolize hope, positivity and rebirth.
2 Sakura Helps Set Ino Up With Sai After Realizing She Likes Him
It's incredibly sweet to see that even though Ino doesn't end up with Sasuke like she'd imagined since childhood, she still has an incredibly fulfilling relationship with Sai. And what's even more heartwarming is that Sakura is actually the one who helps push Ino to spend time with him.
It doesn't take much for Sakura to realize that Ino is developing a crush on him, as she'd known her since childhood. After the two successfully complete a mission, Sakura tells Ino that she should have lunch with Sai, and helps her take the first step forward in declaring her feelings for him.
1 Ino Joins Sakura And Helps Her With Her Mental Health Clinic
After the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura decides to open a clinic to help children whose mental health has been affected by the war. Ino opens it alongside her and helps out, showing that the two's relationship truly has improved given everything that they went through together during the war. Ino even goes as far as to invite Sakura out for tea after work, and while Sakura is busy and must decline, it's still a great sign that they're actually back to being close friends and not simply battlefield or workplace acquaintances.