List of minor Naruto characters
This is a list of minor characters in the anime and manga series Naruto.
Konohagakure villagers
Anko Mitarashi
- Age: 241
- Rank: Tokubetsu Jonin
- Seiyu: Takako Honda
- Voice actor: Julianne Buescher (anime), Kari Wahlgren (Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2)
Anko Mitarashi (みたらし アンコ, Mitarashi Anko) is the proctor for the second phase of the Chunin Exams. She is also a former student of Orochimaru and was one of the first people to be branded with one of his cursed seals. Since she lacked the lust for power and vengeance needed to fuel the seal, she was never able to effectively utilize it and the seal fell into inactivity. During her time with Orochimaru she learned how to call upon snakes to aid her in battle. In time Anko realized that Orochimaru did not truly care for her and that he saw her only as a tool. As such, she chose to leave him, though allowed him to wipe her mind of their time together before doing so.
Dan
- Age: 272 (deceased)
- Rank: Jonin
- Seiyu: Takuma Suzuki
- Voice Actor: Roger C. Smith
Dan (ダン) was Shizune's uncle. After Shizune fell into his custody due to the death of his sister (Shizune's mother), he began advocating for medical ninja to be assigned to every ninja squad. Tsunade shared a similar belief, and the two soon began dating because of it. During their time together Dan shared with Tsunade his dream of becoming Hokage, wanting the title so that he could better protect the villagers of Konoha. Dan was later fatally wounded as a casualty of a war going on at the time, and, despite Tsunade's attempts to save him, died of his injuries.
Danzo
- Seiyu: Hiroshi Ito
Danzo (ダンゾウ, Danzō) is more militant than most in Konoha, favoring aggression and war over passiveness and peace. In the past, he competed with Sarutobi for the position of Third Hokage. It is clear that Danzo believes that Konoha must go through a fundamental change in order to survive, as he states that the First Hokage's influence has meant that subsequent Hokages have proven to be indecisive and weak. Danzo appears to have lost an arm and an eye at some point, the causes of which remains unknown. He also created Root and acts as its leader. Both Jiraiya and the current Hokage, Tsunade, suspect Danzo of wanting to use Root to bring down Konoha and take over the village. Their suspicions are briefly confirmed during the Sasuke and Sai arc when he appears ready to form an allegiance with Orochimaru, but he is revealed to have meant to turn against Orochimaru in Konoha's favor. Despite his betrayal against Orochimaru, Tsunade is still wary of Danzo and his Root Division.
Ebisu
- Age: 281 in Part I, 31 in Part II
- Rank: Tokubetsu Jonin
- Seiyu: Nobuo Tobita
- Voice actor: Crispin Freeman
Ebisu (エビス) is a specialist in the private training of ninja, and uses this skill to tutor Konohamaru in general ninja abilities. He initially dislikes Naruto Uzumaki since he only sees him as the container of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, though after seeing the positive influence Naruto has on Konohamaru he begins to have a change of heart. Still, Ebisu doesn't approve of the perverted jutsu Naruto uses and then teaches to Konohamaru, though has himself fallen prey to Naruto's perverted jutsu, causing Naruto to often refer to him as the "closet pervert" because of this. In Part II, Ebisu is put in charge of a Genin team with Konohamaru and his two friends as its members.
Series creator Masashi Kishimoto has stated that he likes Ebisu's design because it reminds him of himself.[1]
First Hokage
- Age: ? (deceased)
- Rank: Hokage
- Seiyu: Takayuki Sugō
- Voice Actor: Jamieson Price, JB Blanc (Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2)
The First Hokage (初代火影, Shodai Hokage) was the founder of Konoha and used his unique Mokuton abilities to create the village. He was the older brother of the Second Hokage, and the grandfather of Tsunade. On separate occasions he fought Kakuzu and Madara Uchiha, the latter of which he is known to have defeated.
After the First's death, Orochimaru exhumed his body, extracted his DNA, and injected it into 60 test subjects in an attempt to replicate Mokuton. Yamato was the only test subject to survive, and as such was endowed with the First's abilities. In later years, Orochimaru resurrects the First and Second to battle their former student, the Third Hokage. With the Third unable to defeat them in his old age, he seals away their souls, sentencing them to an eternity of continuous battle.
Fourth Hokage
- Age: ? (deceased)
- Rank: Hokage
Minato Namikaze (波風 ミナト, Namikaze Minato) was the Fourth Hokage (四代目火影, Yondaime Hokage). He had a son, Naruto Uzumaki, with Kushina Uzumaki. Soon after Naruto's birth Minato sealed the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox into Naruto's body. Doing so cost him his life. Before he died, he asked that the villagers of Konoha not see Naruto for the monster within him but as a hero who saved the village, a request ignored by most. Naruto has yet to learn of his relation to Minato, though the two share a number of traits that are frequently pointed out throughout the series.
In his youth, Minato was a student of Jiraiya. Prior to becoming Hokage, he was also the sensei of Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin. Minato's talent as a ninja was a rarity in Konoha, such that he is referred to as the greatest shinobi the village has ever produced. During the Third Secret Ninja Wars flee-on-sight orders were given to enemy ninja by their superiors due to Minato's ability to kill hundreds in an instant. This is a result of his Flying Thunder God Technique (飛雷神の術, Hiraishin no Jutsu),[2] which allowed him to teleport anywhere without notice by use of a special seal. He also created the Rasengan, an incomplete technique he had intended to infuse with his own natural chakra. He was unable to do so prior to his death, yet Naruto is able to accomplish this feat in later years.
Fugaku Uchiha
- Age: 402 (deceased)
- Seiyu: Kenji Hamada
- Voice actor: Doug Stone
Fugaku Uchiha (うちは フガク, Uchiha Fugaku) was the father of Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha. He strongly believed that Itachi was the clan's future, and did all in his power to help achieve this goal. As a result he often neglected Sasuke. Itachi often forced Fugaku to spend time with his youngest son, though even then his mind was always focused on Itachi. His wife, however, stated that Fugaku often spoke of Sasuke when they were alone. Once Itachi began to distance himself from the clan, he and Fugaku had a falling out. As a result, Fugaku began to spend more time with Sasuke, coming to consider him the pride of the clan. After training Sasuke in the Uchiha clan's more basic jutsu, he instructed his youngest son not to follow in Itachi's footsteps. Fugaku was later killed by Itachi.
Hayate Gekko
- Age: 231 (deceased)
- Rank: Tokubetsu Jonin
- Seiyu: Nozomu Sasaki
- Voice actor: Lex Lang
Hayate Gekko (月光 ハヤテ, Gekkō Hayate) is the examiner of the preliminary matches during the Chunin Exams. At first sight, Hayate appears to not be in the best of health, as he has an unexplained chronic cough and bags under his eyes. This appearance is misleading; despite his sickly complexion he is very skilled for his age, being capable of using shadow clones and swordsmanship together in a battle with great ease. Hayate is the first to discover the secret invasion plan between the Sound and the Sand, though before he can tell Konoha of this he is killed by Baki.
Despite his short appearance and small role in the series, Hayate was very popular with fans, placing eighth in the second Naruto character popularity poll.[3]
Hiashi Hyuga
- Age: 411-422
- Seiyū: Eizou Tsuda
- Voice acting: John DeMita
Hiashi Hyuga (日向 ヒアシ, Hyūga Hiashi) is the twin brother of Hizashi Hyuga. Because he was born first, he became a member and eventual leader of the Hyuga clan's main house. He initially intended to pass this title onto his daughter, Hinata Hyuga, yet felt Hinata was of too inferior talent to give her such an honor. Since abandoning Hinata to train her younger sister instead, Hiashi has come to appreciate family more, and treats Hinata better than he once did. He also improves relationships with the clan's branch house by training Hizashi's son, Neji Hyuga, in violation of a Hyuga taboo of passing on clan secrets to branch house members.
Hizashi Hyuga
- Age: 321 (deceased)
- Rank: Jonin
- Seiyu: Kazuaki Itou
- Voice Actor: John DeMita
Hizashi Hyuga (日向 ヒザシ, Hyūga Hizashi) was the twin brother of Hiashi Hyuga. Because he was born second he became a member of the Hyuga clan's branch house, a fate his son, Neji Hyuga, would someday share. While Hizashi had always resented the main house due to its treatment of branch house members as servants, the birth of Neji brought his hate to new heights; as a branch house member, Neji was not allowed to learn the clan's most secret techniques, a deprivation of his natural talent. Angered by this, Hizashi began to outwardly display his hate for the main house and its members, earning him many reprimands.
When Hiashi killed a Kumogakure diplomat to save his daughter, Hinata Hyuga, Kumogakure demanded his corpse. Not wanting to sacrifice the main house's leader, the clan's elders nominated Hizashi as his replacement, knowing Kumogakure would be unable to tell the difference. Although Hiashi was reluctant to send his brother to such a fate, Hizashi insisted, wanting to have the opportunity to choose his own fate; rather than going to die to save a member of the main house, Hizashi was choosing to die to save the life of his brother. Before going to his death, he asked Hiashi to tell Neji the reason for his decision, hoping that Neji too would one day have a chance to change his destiny.
Ibiki Morino
- Age: 271 in Part I, 30 in Part II
- Rank: Tokubetsu Jonin
- Seiyu: Taiten Kusunoki
- Voice actor: Kim Strauss
Ibiki Morino (森乃 イビキ, Morino Ibiki) is the examiner for the first part of the Chunin Exams. Ibiki's head is covered to hide a number of old wounds he received during a past torture interrogation he was forced to endure. He is the commanding officer of the Konoha ANBU Torture and Interrogation Force (木ノ葉暗部拷問・尋問部隊, Konoha Anbu Gomon/Jinmon Butai), and is the designer of the Chunin Exam's first test. Described as a sadist by some, Ibiki has the ability to subject people to great suffering without ever using physical torture. His interrogational skills rely solely on his capability to torture the mind. He has complete knowledge of human psychology; by attacking a person's mind, he can gain control over their spirit. His abilities are called upon a number of times in Part II as Konoha gains a need to extract information on Akatsuki from others.
Iruka Umino
- Age: 232 in Part I, 25 in Part II
- Rank: Chunin
- Seiyu: Toshihiko Seki, Taisuke Yamamoto (as a child)
- Voice actor: Quinton Flynn
Iruka Umino (うみの イルカ, Umino Iruka) is an instructor at the Ninja Academy. He is characterized by the distinctive scar across his face that he has had since childhood. His parents were killed by the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox when he was younger, though he holds no hostility towards its container, Naruto Uzumaki. In fact, Iruka is one of the few people at the start of the series who values Naruto as a person, being able to relate with Naruto's methods of trying to gain attention. Because he, like Naruto, was forced to grow up without parents, and was socially isolated as a result, he can relate to Naruto in this regard as well and has assumed the role as Naruto's father-figure. Once Naruto becomes a ninja Iruka starts to underestimate Naruto, and as such become overprotective of him, though he in time discovers that Naruto has all the makings to become a great ninja.
When first designing Iruka, Masashi Kishimoto gave him "evil" looking eyes and sharper cheekbones. He ultimately decided to give Iruka a younger, more relaxed-looking face. [4]
Izumo and Kotetsu
- Age: 241 in Part I, 27 in Part II
- Rank: Chunin
- Seiyu: Tomohiro Tsuboi (Izumo), Tomoyuki Kouno (Kotetsu)
- Voice actor: Richard Cansino (Izumo), Liam O'Brien (Kotetsu)
Izumo Kamizuki (神月 イズモ, Kamizuki Izumo) and Kotetsu Hagane (はがね コテツ, Hagane Kotetsu) are two friends who are always seen working together. They make their debut trying to discourage Genin from participating in the Chunin Exams, and later act as proctors for the exam's first phase. After the Fifth Hokage takes office, the two act as her personal assistants, and also become the patrolmen of the entrance/exit gate of Konoha. Izumo and Kotetsu appear again in Part II as members of the Niju Shotai teamed with Asuma Sarutobi and Shikamaru Nara. During a battle with Akatsuki, both try to do battle with Kakuzu; Kotetsu summons a large weapon resembling a conch shell for attack, and Izumo coats the ground in a sticky syrup to try and immobilize Kakuzu. Neither is successful, and they are both left at Kakuzu's mercy until reinforcements arrive.
Konohamaru
- Age: 81-92 in Part I, 11 in Part II
- Rank: Genin
- Seiyu: Ikue Otani in Part I, Akiko Koike in Part II
- Voice actor: Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Konohamaru (木ノ葉丸), named after the village of Konoha, is the grandson of the Third Hokage and by extension the nephew of Asuma Sarutobi. At the start of the series, Konohamaru feels unacknowledged due to his status as the Hokage's grandson. As such, he frequently attempts to defeat his grandfather in battle so that he can become Hokage himself and earn the recognition he desires. Once meeting Naruto Uzumaki, Konohamaru realizes that he can't become Hokage by simply attacking his grandfather and that he will need to train hard to accomplish this goal. To help him in this regard Konohamaru begins to view Naruto as a role model, acquiring his determination, fiery attitude, and unique way of ending sentences, "kore" (コレ, a laughing signal or appreciation), much like Naruto's "Dattebayo!"
Konohamaru's most obvious acquisition from Naruto's influence is his perverted habits, specifically the perverted jutsu he uses. After their first meeting Konohamaru becomes Naruto's disciple in an attempt to learn the Sexy Technique and defeat his grandfather. After mastering the ability he begins to train to create his own perverted jutsu. After learning the Shadow Clone Technique in Part II, Konohamaru creates variants of the Sexy Technique; by transforming himself and a shadow clone into naked people of the same gender that hug in a suggestive embrace, he can win over anyone of the opposite gender. His tutor and eventual team leader, Ebisu, disapproves of these perverted tendencies.
Konohamaru's design caused great difficulties for Masashi Kishimoto; he intended for Konohamaru to look like a "punk" smaller than Naruto, yet all of his attempts resulted in a mere recreation of Naruto. He tried giving Konohamaru a variety of other faces, but all reminded Kishimoto of someone else. He eventually gave Konohamaru small, angry-looking eyes, and instantly knew he'd found what he wanted.[1]
Mikoto Uchiha
- age:35(deceased)
- rank:Jonin
- seiyu:Emi Sagara
- voice actress:Kari Wahlgren
Uchiha, Mikoto appears in Naruto chapter 145 and anime episode 84 for the first time. She is the mother of Uchiha Sasuke & Uchiha Itachi and was born on June 1st. She was a nice and calm character and it really seems like she cared much for both of her sons. We don't get to know much about her though since she (and the rest of her clan except Sasuke) got killed by Itachi. All we know is that she was really nice and pretty.
Nawaki
- Age: 122 (deceased)
- Rank: Genin
- Seiyu: Yumiko Kobayashi
- Voice actor: Brianne Siddall
Nawaki (縄樹) was the younger brother of Tsunade. His appearance and personality were very similar to Naruto Uzumaki, something Tsunade notes after meeting the latter years later. Also like Naruto, Nawaki had a strong desire to become Hokage like his grandfather, the First Hokage. Proud of her brother's determination, Tsunade gave him their grandfather's necklace in the hopes that it would help him achieve his goal. He died the next day as a casualty of the war going on at the time, and reportedly his body was left in a highly mutilated condition.
Obito Uchiha
Obito Uchiha (うちは オビト, Uchiha Obito) was the teammate of Kakashi Hatake and Rin under Minato Namikaze. He was frequently late for missions as a result of what he claimed were random good deeds he'd carry out along the way. Obito often spoke without thinking, a trait that Minato considered a flaw, but was very impassioned and persuasive in doing so. He also had a crush on Rin. During the Kakashi Gaiden arc, Rin is kidnapped by enemy ninja. When Kakashi is unwilling to go and help her, Obito states that those who do not save their teammates are trash. Obito goes to save Rin by himself, though Kakashi, touched by his words, soon joins him. During their attempt to save Rin, Obito is crushed in a rockslide when he pushes Kakashi out of the way. With their surroundings continuing to cave in on them and Obito unable to move, Obito gives Kakashi his remaining Sharingan eye as a gift. Kakashi and Rin are forced to leave him as the cave collapses, and Obito uses his last moments to wish he could have spent more time with Rin and the rest of his team.
Rin
- Age: ? (presumed deceased)
- Rank: Chunin
Rin (リン) was a medical ninja and the teammate of Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha under Minato Namikaze. She had intimate feelings for Kakashi, but he ignored her. In turn, Obito had a crush on her, but she ignored him. She is kidnapped by enemy ninja during the Kakashi Gaiden arc, yet is eventually saved by Obito and Kakashi. When Obito is crushed during their escape, he has Rin implant his remaining Sharingan eye into Kakashi's damaged eye socket. After performing the procedure and fleeing the collapsing cave with Kakashi, Kakashi vows to protect her for Obito's sake. Her status is currently unknown, but she is presumably dead, as Kakashi has said that everyone close to him has died.
Second Hokage
- Age: ? (deceased)
- Rank: Hokage
- Seiyu: Kenyu Horiuchi
- Voice Actor: Peter Lurie, Steven Blum (Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2)
The Second Hokage (二代目火影, Nidaime Hokage) was the younger brother of the First Hokage, making him the grand uncle of Tsunade. He was highly skilled in water jutsu, and could even perform them without a water source. The anime's filler arcs reveal that the Second possessed a valuable retractable energy sword called Raijin (雷神, lit. "Thunder God", English TV: "Sword of the Thunder Spirit"). Despite being composed of pure energy, the blade can be cracked and broken like a regular sword, as shown at the end of the arc.
After the Second's death, Orochimaru resurrects both him and the First to battle their former student, the Third Hokage. With the Third unable to defeat them in his old age, he seals away their souls, sentencing them to an eternity of continuous battle.
Shisui Uchiha
- Age: ? (deceased)
Shisui Uchiha (うちは シスイ, Uchiha Shisui) was the best friend of Itachi Uchiha; in fact, Itachi thought of him as an older brother. Despite this, after Shisui appears to have committed suicide by intentionally drowning in a river, Itachi becomes the primary suspect in his death. Itachi later confirms that he murdered Shisui to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Shizune
- Age: 282 in Part I, 30 in Part II
- Rank: Jonin
- Seiyu: Keiko Nemoto
- Voice actor: Megan Hollingshead
Shizune (シズネ) is the assistant of Tsunade and a talented medical ninja. She left Konoha with Tsunade after her uncle, Dan, died, and trained under Tsunade for many years afterwards. Shizune is quite close to Tsunade, being one of the few people Tsunade will trust with absolute certainty. Unlike Tsunade, she tends to stress over details like Tsunade's tendency to gamble and think with her heart. While she is deeply loyal to Tsunade, Shizune is more than willing to defy her wisdom if it is for the better good; in Part II she reports to Konoha's elders about some of Tsunade's decisions, causing interference with Tsunade's plans and creating a temporary strain between the two. Despite being a medical ninja, Shizune uses a number of poison-based jutsu in battle, such as spitting poisonous gas from her mouth or keeping concealed poisoned needles at the ready to use against others.
Sunagakure villagers
Baki
- Age: 301 in Part I, 33 in Part II
- Rank: Jonin
- Seiyu: Jouji Nakata
- Voice actor: Sam Riegel
Baki (バキ) acts the sensei of the Sand Siblings during the Chunin Exams, and helps coordinate with Otogakure on Sunagakure's behalf for the invasion of Konoha. In Part II he seems to begin serving on Sunagakure's advisory council, and has a more favorable view of Gaara than the other council members. In the only battle he is seen in, Baki is shown using an unblockable technique called the Blade of Wind (風の刃, Kaze no Yaiba, English TV "Wind Sword"), with which he kills Hayate Gekko.
Fourth Kazekage
- Age: 402 (deceased)
- Rank: Kazekage
- Seiyu: Masahiko Tanaka
- Voice Actor: Crispin Freeman
The Fourth Kazekage (四代目風影, Yondaime Kazekage) is the father of the Sand Siblings. By his order, the One-Tailed Shukaku was sealed within his youngest child, Gaara, so that he could become the village's ultimate weapon. As Gaara grew and his abilities began to manifest themselves, the Fourth realized that this had been a poor choice and started to view Gaara as a failed experiment who was a threat to the inhabitants of Sunagakure. As such, he began sending assassins to kill Gaara, though none of his attempts were successful. In later years he joins Orochimaru in a planned invasion of Konoha where he intends to use Gaara to attack the village from within. He is betrayed and killed by Orochimaru before the invasion takes place, who then assumes his identity so that he can better control Sunagakure.
Matsuri
- Seiyu: Maaya Sakamoto
Matsuri is one of the first students of the Sunagakure ninja school modeled after the one in Konoha. She chooses Gaara as her teacher, despite his lingering status as the village's weapon. When it comes time to begin training her with a weapon, Gaara suggests she uses a jouhyou, it being the safest of all the available options. She is initially fearful of weapons after the murders of her parents, yet becomes accustomed to them after realizing they can be used to help others. She is the first of the anime's filler characters to make an appearance in Naruto: Shippuden, where she joins a Sunagakure rescue team meant to rescue Gaara after his capture. She becomes somewhat outspoken over the timeskip, as she complains when her team spends its time protecting Sunagakure's borders rather than trying to save Gaara. She later appears during Gaara's revival, praising him and boasting about his powers.
Third Kazekage
- Age: ? (deceased)
- Rank: Kazekage
The Third Kazekage (三代目風影, Sandaime Kazekage) is considered to be the strongest Kazekage in the history of Sunagakure. He had a special genetic trait that allowed him to convert his chakra into magnetic forces. By modeling this ability after the abilities of a former host of Shukaku, the Third could create Iron Sand (砂鉄, Satetsu). His Iron Sand, iron powder held together and manipulated through his magnetic control, allowed him to perform a number of unique techniques for both offensive and defensive purposes. He was kidnapped and killed by Sasori, who converted his body into a puppet so that he could use the Third's Iron Sand abilities for himself.
Yashamaru
- Age: 272 (deceased)
- Rank: Chunin2
- Seiyu: Soichiro Hoshi
- Voice actor: Brian Beacock
Yashamaru (夜叉丸) was the brother of Gaara's mother, making him Gaara's uncle. After Gaara's mother is sacrificed to give Gaara power, Yashamaru serves as his caretaker, attending to him when necessary and doing his best to keep him happy. Yashamaru tries to assassinate Gaara in later years, though Gaara's natural abilities protect him from harm and badly injure Yashamaru. Once realizing that he has harmed Yashamaru, Gaara apologizes profusely. Yashamaru explains that Gaara's father, the Fourth Kazekage, asked him to assassinate Gaara, something which Gaara takes to mean he had no choice. Yashamaru corrects him, explaining that he could have turned the order down whenever he wanted. He decided to go through with it however, having never truly loved Gaara and wanting to avenge the death of his sister. With a final attempt to kill Gaara, Yashamaru blows himself up, yet Gaara is able to survive the blast.
Other
Kushina Uzumaki
- Age: ? (presumed deceased)
Kushina Uzumaki (うずまき クシナ, Uzumaki Kushina) is a ninja of the former Land of the Whirlpool. She had a son, Naruto Uzumaki, with the Hokage of the time, Minato Namikaze. She is noted to have had a brash, tomboyish demeanor, noticeably long red hair, and as time passed, blossomed into a very beautiful woman. Despite Naruto's close resemblance to his father, much of his personality and choice of ninjutsu are said to be similar to that of his mother's. She is presumed to be dead, as she is described in past tense.[5]
Land of Waves villagers
The villagers of the Land of Waves enjoyed a life of freedom, prosperity, and happiness for many years prior to the start of the series. A foreigner to the country, Kaiza (カイザ) was viewed as a hero by the citizens and inspired hope in all around him. After Gato came to the Land of Waves, the citizens were suppressed and the country fell into poverty. Kaiza spoke out against Gato and the affects he was having on the Land of Waves, yet was executed for it. Kaiza's death broke the villagers of the Land of Waves' spirit, and they fell into acceptance of the life they lived.
Tazuna (タズナ), angered by Gato's influence on the country, began building a bridge that would connect the Land of Waves to the mainland. Although few wished to join him in the project due to fear of Gato's retribution, progress was slowly made. Fearing the impact the bridge would have on his business, Gato hires Zabuza Momochi to assassinate Tazuna. Tazuna, likewise, hires Team 7 to protect him, and his bodyguards frequently clash with Zabuza.
As the bridge nears completion Gato, dissatisfied with Zabuza's progress, takes the matter into his own hands and hires a small army of thugs to kill Tazuna. Tazuna's grandson, Inari (イナリ), inspired by the dedication of his grandfather, the members of Team 7, and the things taught to him by Kaiza, rallies the people of the Land of Waves together to fight back. Gato is killed and his thugs are driven off, allowing the bridge to be completed and returning the Land of Waves and its people to their former life of happiness.
Nine-Tailed Demon Fox
- Seiyu: Tesshō Genda
- Voice Actor: Paul St. Peter
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (九尾の妖狐, Kyūbi no Yōkō, English TV "Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit") is one of, if not the, most powerful of the tailed beasts. Its power is such that it is regarded as an age-old natural disaster, as a single swipe of one of its nine tails is enough to raise tsunamis and flatten mountains. The demon fox's attacks were seemingly random, the only apparent reason for its appearances being its attraction to places of human malice. It attacked Konohagakure twelve years before the start of the series. None of the ninja of the village were able to defeat it until the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, arrived to deal with it. Minato sacrificed his life to seal the fox into the body of his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki, with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Rather than completely seal off the fox's great power, however, Minato only sealed away a portion of it, giving Naruto access to the rest for unknown reasons. Prior to performing the seal Minato gave a key to Jiraiya to either strengthen or weaken the seal should the need arise. The seal naturally becomes weaker as the years pass, and in the event that it is broken the demon fox will be released.
Jiraiya suspects that the fox's attack on the village was not a random occurrence and that it was instead summoned by Madara Uchiha. Although the idea that the fox could be summoned by a single person is regarded as impossible, the fox seems to know Madara; during its encounter with Sasuke Uchiha in Part II, it states that Sasuke's chakra, like Madara's, is more sinister than its own. It also seems to be familiar with the Uchiha clan, though its relationship with the family is unclear.
The only initial indication that Naruto is the fox's host are the whiskers present on his face and the seal on his stomach that appears when molding chakra. He is also able to heal from injuries and fatigue in very short periods of time, though he never finds this as odd. It is not until he learns of the fox within him that Naruto begins to make more use of it. On numerous occasions throughout the series Naruto calls upon the fox's immense chakra supplies to allow him to perform jutsu that would be impossible for ninja of his age and rank. Naruto can access its chakra in two ways: he can succumb to rage, allowing the fox's personality to influence his own and making him more bloodthirsty. Alternatively, he can enter his own subconscious and converse with the fox to ask for a donation of its strength. In these instances the fox is shown to have a loathing respect for both Naruto and Minato. While the fox initially complies to Naruto's requests out of curiosity, it later does so in an attempt to further its influence over Naruto. It also acts in order to preserve its own well-being, as Naruto's death would also result in its own.
As Naruto draws upon additional amounts of the fox's chakra, the fox begins to manifest itself in the form of tails. Naruto can only maintain control over his mind for the first three tails; at the fourth, he loses all sense of self and readily attacks anyone nearby. In these instances, the fox can only be stopped by suppressing its influence, either with Yamato's Mokuton abilities or with a special seal created by Jiraiya that is directly applied to Naruto's body.
Ninken
The Ninken (忍犬, literally "Ninja Dogs") are eight ninja dogs that Kakashi summons and has apparently raised from birth. All of the Ninken have a face-shaped design on their backs called a henohenomoheji (へのへのもへじ), which is the sound made when all the characters in the face are put together. The dogs themselves seem to resemble other characters in the series, with two closely resembling Naruto and Gaara. The Ninken are mostly used for tracking purposes. He can summon them individually or all at once.
Pakkun (パックン), a pug and the smallest of is the Ninken, is the most recurring of the group, being summoned numerous times to help in following and finding others. For the duration of Part I, Pakkun is the only dog shown capable of speaking. In Part II, the ability to speak is revealed to be common amongst almost all of the dogs. The dogs are also shown capable of walking on water.
The Ninken were added to the story because Masashi Kishimoto liked dogs and wanted them to be part of a number of different plot points. Pakkun's expanded role is due solely to the fact that Kishimoto thinks, "pug dogs are cute."[6]
One-Tailed Shukaku
- Seiyu: Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Voice Actor: Kirk Thornton
The One-Tailed Shukaku (一尾の守鶴, Ichibi no Shukaku, English TV "Shukaku the Sand Spirit") has been in the possession of Sunagakure for many years, being sealed into two previous citizens before being sealed in Gaara. Chiyo sealed it into Gaara under the Fourth Kazekage's orders, and Gaara's mother was used as a sacrifice for the sealing process. Shukaku is intelligent but also incoherent, giving him the demeanor of a drunkard; this fits well with the typical depictions of tanuki in Japanese folklore. Like other tailed beasts, its innate rage and bloodlust influence its behavior, and it relishes in the opportunity to kill anyone in sight.
As a host of Shukaku, Gaara has the ability to move and levitate sand at will. He is also given constant protection by his sand, as it surrounds him to block any and all damage regardless of his will. As a symbol of the beast sealed within him, Gaara has Shukaku's characteristic rings around his eyes. Although they are a part of his physical appearance, their presence is further amplified by his lifelong insomnia; should he fall asleep, Shukaku will supplant his personality and take control of his body. If need be, Gaara can bring out Shukaku in battle to deal with more powerful opponents; Gaara first creates a life-sized replica of Shukaku from sand that he is merged with at its forehead. He then forces himself to sleep to release the demon at its full power. Once released Shukaku takes control of the sand-body to do with as he please until Gaara awakens, suppressing its spirit once more.
In Part II, Deidara of Akatsuki is assigned to capture Shukaku. After defeating Gaara in combat and taking him to Akatsuki's lair, Shukaku is forcefully extracted from Gaara's body. Gaara is killed in the process, though he is later revived by Chiyo to make up for the fact that she sealed Shukaku into his body in the first place. Gaara's ability to manipulate sand still appears to be intact, though to what degree he can use it remains unclear.
Snakes
Snakes are the signature summons of Orochimaru and his two former students, Anko Mitarashi and Sasuke Uchiha. They vary greatly in size, from small enough to hide in one's sleeves to larger than most buildings. Orochimaru frequently summons them as allies in battle, either having them attack for him or instructing them to carry out other tasks. Despite this, he treats them as disposable pawns, typically sending them into battles during which they are likely to be killed. While most snakes are very obedient and do what is instructed of them, the largest snake, Manda (マンダ), will not help others without payment. He will only help Orochimaru if a hundred human sacrifices are offered to him, yet even then would readily turn against Orochimaru if he thought he could win. Sasuke summons Manda in Part II to act as a shield from a large blast, and after cursing Sasuke for using him as such he dies of the injuries he sustains.
Three Tails
The Three Tails (三尾, Sanbi) is a gigantic, turtle-like demon that Akatsuki assigns Tobi (with the help of Deidara) to capture. It abilities remain unclear, as it does little to attack its captors during its short appearance. It is clearly quite fast despite its size, as evidenced by its ability to keep up with Tobi. With the three-tails distracted, Deidara molds an explosive clay fish in an attempt to capture it. It's unclear if this marked the end of the battle, as this is the last part of the battle seen before it is shown being towed away a short time later. It is later sealed by Akatsuki.
Unlike the other tailed beasts seen thus far, the three-tails lacked a host. It is different from the Shukaku and the demon fox as it isn't intelligent, which makes it little more than a wild animal. According to Deidara, lacking a host made the beast weaker because it wasn't intelligent enough to control its own strength.
Toads
Toads are the first and most recurring summons to be seen in the series due to some of the main characters, Naruto Uzumaki, Jiraiya, and the Fourth Hokage, being able to summon them. Toads possess a wide range of abilities, being able to spit water or oil from their mouths and occasionally utilizing weapons in battle. They vary greatly in size; Gamabunta (ガマブン太), the largest toad seen so far, is as big as a building, while his two sons, Gamakichi (ガマ吉) and Gamatatsu (ガマ竜), are small enough in Part I to ride upon one's head. In promotional artwork for Part II, Naruto is depicted riding atop an older Gamakichi, suggesting that he and his brother have gotten much bigger since their last appearances.
Unlike most summons introduced in Naruto, each toad is shown to have a unique personality; Gamatatsu has a fixation for snacks and Gamakichi enjoys watching battles from a safe distance. Their father, Gamabunta, speaks like a yakuza gangster who won't work with anyone he doesn't respect. Despite this, he is fiercely protective of his children and Naruto, and will fight for their safety regardless of his respect for the summoner (or, more likely, whether or not Jiraiya is on his good side). Gamaken (ガマケン), a toad of comparable size to Gamabunta that is introduced in Part II, spends the bulk of his brief appearance commenting on how weak and stupid he is.
The toad elders seem to hold high positions in toad-society; the Great Toad Sage, an aging and senile toad, hands out wisdom and predictions to the younger generations. He is highly respected for his track record of always being right, and getting to meet with him is considered a great honor. A married toad couple, who simply refer to each other as Ma and Pa, assist the Great Sage in his work. They also seem to be particularly powerful, as Jiraiya summons them to help him during a battle with Pain. Jiraiya speaks to both of them very respectfully, whereas most other toads he treats as his equals. Although Ma and Pa constantly bicker over such things as dinner and Jiraiya's immaturity, their combined efforts are enough to defeat three of Pain's bodies.
Masashi Kishimoto has stated that there are a number of different types of toads; the toad that appears on the cover of volume 13 of the manga he states to be a Shaolin kung fu master. He hopes to be able to draw many of these toads for the duration of Naruto.[7]
Yahiko
- Age: ? (deceased)
Yahiko (弥彦), along with Nagato and Konan, was left orphaned by one of Amegakure's many wars when they were children, forcing them to fend for themselves. The three eventually encountered Jiraiya, who looked after them and taught them basic ninjutsu. Yahiko excelled in water jutsu, and in later years is shown capable of controlling rain. Yahiko had a strong "eye for an eye" philosophy, and hated Amegakure's status as a warring nation. He was defensive of the village, claiming that his dream was to stop the endless rain and protect the nation's citizens. Sometime after Jiraiya's departure from Amegakure, the three quickly gained a reputation but Yahiko later died under unknown circumstances. Yahiko is now one of the six Pains.
Yugito Nii
- Age: ? (deceased)
Yugito Nii (二位 ユギト, Nii Yugito) is a Kumogakure ninja who had the Two-Tailed Demon Cat (ニ尾の猫俣, Nibi no Nekomata) sealed within her. As the container of the demon cat her eyes are slanted and cat-like. Yugito can materialize the demon cat's form around her, giving her access to its fire-based abilities. Despite transforming into the demon cat to fight them, Yugito is captured by Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, though it is unknown which member was specifically assigned to capture her. The demon cat is later extracted from her body, resulting in her death.
References
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
- ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). Naruto, Volume 2. Viz Media. p. 26. ISBN 1-59116-178-9.
- ^ Naruto manga chapter 240; page 9
- ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). Naruto, Volume 12. Viz Media. pp. 146–147. ISBN 1-4215-0242-9.
- ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). Naruto, Volume 2. Viz Media. p. 126. ISBN 1-59116-178-9.
- ^ Naruto manga chapter 367, page 12
- ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media. p. 123. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9.
- ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media. p. 128. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9.