Kabuto Yakushi

Yakushi Kabuto is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.

Shady past

Kabuto was raised by a Jōnin member of the Konoha Medical Unit Squad, who found him at the battle of Kikyō Pass when he was still a little boy. He was the only survivor of the battle and was found weak lying with the bodies of enemy all around him. He was later recruited as Orochimaru's right hand man, but the manga has hinted at an ulterior motive, casting some doubt on his purported loyalty. He does seem to be hiding something from Orochimaru, as he tried killing Sasuke while he was recovering from the Chūnin Exam preliminaries. He was stopped by Hatake Kakashi before he could slit Sasuke's breathing tube.

His main role was to keep an eye on other talented ninja, specifically Uchiha Sasuke, in order to support the next phase in Orochimaru's plan. He resided for some time in Konohagakure with Akadō Yoroi and Tsurugi Misumi in order to collect information. By intentionally failing the Chūnin exam seven times (over a four year period) he masked his true skill and downplayed his presence in the village.

Chunin Exam Arc

File:Kabuto's red eyes.jpg

Kabuto's red eyes.

During the Chunin exams Kabuto showed another mysterious side. After being attacked by Oboro and having his glasses knocked off, his eyes became blood shot and red. Kabuto noted to himself after retiring from the third test's preliminaries that: "Bad blood may start boiling again."Kabuto acted very friendly to Team 7 at the end of the Chunin Exams.

Although technically a Genin level ninja, Kabuto is capable of matching even Hatake Kakashi in battle. During his fight with Tsunade, she commented that his sense of jutsu and sharpness surpassed [her own] even in [her] prime, then she commented there was definitely more [to Kabuto] than meets the eye.

Loyalty

Supposedly, Kabuto is a spy, working for the Akatsuki member Sasori, although it's currently unknown where Kabuto's true loyalty lies. At this point, Kabuto appears loyal to Orochimaru, who had freed him from Sasori's hypnosis. He serves as Orochimaru's top assistant, taking care of him in his weakened state. He also conducts experiments for Orochimaru, resulting in the extension in Kimimaro's life. His complex nature and tendency to do good things (such as healing Hinata at the Chūnin exam, though in disguise, and offer to heal Sakura after she was injured by Naruto as Four-tail Kyūbi, though he said Akatsuki is the main enemy to be dealt with) have made him possibly the most mysterious character in the series.

Recently, Kabuto seems to exhibit signs of jealousy (as evident from his comment: "Hmph...Trying to belittle me...A-types are more suited to being underlings, that's what Orochimaru is trying to say..."). In the one of the latest chapters of the manga, he was very forthcoming with information about Orochimaru's lair, and seemed almost sad when he informed Naruto that Sasuke was not the same as he used to be.

The sub title of the chapter 291 describes Kabuto as a waiting servant who always smile under his obedient-line mask (face) so that one doesn't know about his innermost darkness

Trivia

His family name, Yakushi, is the Japanese name of the Medicine Buddha Bhaisajyaguru.
Kabuto is the last part of the Japanese name for aconite (Torikabuto, 鳥兜), a plant which can either alleviate pain or kill, an apt description for his character.
A kabuto means a samurai's helmet or headplate.
Together with Akado Yoroi ("armor") and Tsurugi Misumi ("sword"), they form an armor-helmet-sword trio.
Kabuto's team is notable for being the only three-man team to all wear glasses or sunglasses.
Kabuto is one of the most morally ambiguous characters in Naruto. While he does carry out Orochimaru's desire, he does, from time to time, assist people from the good side; for example, he healed Hinata's hacking cough during the Chunnin exam, and as mentioned before, he also provided much information for Naruto during the second arc. His true nature is still shrouded in mystery.