Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki by Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto Uzumaki (うずまき ナルト Uzumaki Naruto) is the primary protagonist of the Naruto series. He was the first character created by Kishimoto during the conception of the series, and was designed with many traits from other shōnen characters, including Son Goku of theDragon Ball series. In the series, Naruto has ambitions of becoming Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. Because he is the host of the nine-tailed demon fox, a malevolent creature that attacked Konohagakure, he is ostracized by the other villagers. He compensates for this with his cheerful and boisterous personality, and over the course of the series, manages to be-friend many foreign and Konohagakure ninja. He develops an especially close relationship with Sasuke Uchiha, one of his fellow ninja in Team 7, and treats him as his brother.
Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha by Masashi Kishimoto
Sasuke Uchiha (うちは サスケ Uchiha Sasuke) is one of the members of Team 7. He was created to be a rival to Naruto, as well as a “cool genius”, which Kishimoto believed was an integral part of an ideal rivalry. He is one of the few remaining members of the Uchiha clan along with his brother, Itachi Uchiha, who killed the rest of their family. Due to this, Sasuke’s sole desire is to kill his brother, and he develops a cold and withdrawn personality. His interactions with his fellow teammates, especially Naruto Uzumaki, make him focus less on revenge at the start of the series. During an encounter with his brother in Part I, Sasuke is easily beaten, which leads him to leave the village to seek more power from the criminal Orochimaru. His teammates’ attempts to recover him from Orochimaru form a major component of the Part II plot.
Sakura Haruno
Sakura Haruno by Masashi Kishimoto
Sakura Haruno (春野 サクラ Haruno Sakura) is the sole female member of Team 7. Kishimoto created her as the heroine of the series, although he has admitted that he has little perception of what an ideal heroine should be. As a child, Sakura was taunted by other children, particularly because of her large forehead, a feature Kishimoto has tried to emphasize in Sakura’s appearances. She was comforted by Ino Yamanaka. As the two continued to grow, however, they became increasingly distant due to their shared affection for Sasuke Uchiha. During most of Part I, Sakura is infatuated with Sasuke, and spurns the advances of Naruto Uzumaki. After Sasuke leaves the village, she resolves to become stronger by training with Tsunade. In Part II, she displays highly developed skills from her training, and a more open disposition towards Naruto.
Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi Hatake by Masashi Kishimoto
Kakashi Hatake (はたけ カカシ Hatake Kakashi) is the leader of Team 7 and the sensei of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Kishimoto had originally intended for Kakashi to be introduced earlier in the series than he actually was, and created him as an easygoing person that would be able to keep the members of Team 7 in check. Kakashi treats his leadership position with a detached manner, and is consistently late to meetings as a result. In a gaiden on Kakashi’s past, this is shown to be the result of an incident in which he witnessed the death of one of his teammates, Obito Uchiha, who gave Kakashi his Sharingan eye and imparted many of his habits, including his tardiness. With Obito’s Sharingan, Kakashi has amassed a reputation as a skilled and powerful ninja, earning the moniker “Copy Ninja Kakashi” (コピー忍者のカカシKopī Ninja no Kakashi). Although he mentors all three members of Team 7 early in the series, he particularly concentrates on training Sasuke as the series continues, teaching him his Chidori technique; however, he is unable to prevent Sasuke from leaving the village to seek Orochimaru for greater power.
Kiba Inuzuka
Kiba Inuzuka (犬塚 キバ Inuzuka Kiba) is a member of Team 8 characterized by a number of dog-like traits, including being very protective of his teammates and enjoying any food he can chew on. Most apparent of his connection to dogs is the constant presence of his ninja dog(忍犬 ninken), Akamaru. Kiba is fiercely loyal to Akamaru, unwilling to abandon him and putting himself in harm’s way for Akamaru’s sake. In exchange for Kiba’s devotion, Akamaru fights with him in battle; he uses his heightened senses to Kiba’s advantage, and helps to double-team opponents with volleys of physical attacks. Since Akamaru is naturally better equipped for combat, Kiba usually modifies his abilities at the start of a battle, growing claws and traveling on all four limbs to increase his speed. He can also drastically increase his sense of smell, and by the second half of the series he can use it to track things dogs cannot.
Akamaru
Akamaru (赤丸) is Kiba Inuzuka’s ninja dog (忍犬 ninken), best friend, and constant companion. At the start of the series, Kiba carries Akamaru around on his head or inside his jacket. By Part II of the Naruto storyline, Akamaru grows large enough for Kiba to ride atop his back, but since Kiba spends so much time with Akamaru, he fails to notice this drastic difference. With his heightened sense of smell, hearing, and the ability to detect others’ chakra levels, Akamaru acts as a valuable tool for Kiba in hostile situations. To help Kiba keep track of opponents, Akamaru can urinate on them, giving them a strong odor that can easily be tracked. In battle, however, he relies on Kiba to provide the chakra for the combination jutsu they execute, which requires Akamaru to transform into a clone of Kiba.
Shino Aburame
Shino Aburame (油女 シノ Aburame Shino) is one of the members of Team 8 and is fascinated with insects; he spends his free time capturing and studying insects and often uses them as analogies during conversation. A deep connection with insects runs in Shino’s family, as each person born in to the Aburame clan is infused with a special breed of insects known as “destruction bugs” during birth. In exchange for using Shino as a hive, the bugs do as he commands. During a battle, Shino directs his bugs towards an opponent, boxing them in without their knowledge, and absorbing their chakra once they have been surrounded. Shino’s merciless tendencies, in regards to opponents as well as his attachment to insects, have caused other characters to label him as “creepy”. Nevertheless, Shino cares deeply for his teammates, being acutely aware of their inner workings and always regretting when he is unable to help them.
Hinata Hyuga
Hinata Hyuga (日向 ヒナタ Hyūga Hinata) is a member of Team 8 who suffers from a lack of self-confidence throughout the series. She is always reluctant to speak her mind or to do something that might antagonize another character, causing her difficulties whenever she is on a mission. This results in her effective expulsion from her clan even though she is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan‘s leader and the heiress to the clan. Hinata’s inability to stand up for herself caused her father to disown her at a young age, leaving her in the care of her teacher, Kurenai Yuhi. Masashi Kishimoto had originally intended Hinata to be a regular member of the Hyuga clan, but instead made her a ninja. Soon after her introduction, Hinata begins training to become stronger, both to overcome her own weaknesses and to prove her worth to her father. Her efforts begin to prove successful towards the end of Part I, as her father takes a greater interest in her training.
Though Hinata’s training has in large part been to prove herself, she also trains to try and win the attention of series protagonist Naruto Uzumaki. Inspired by Naruto’s confidence and determination, Hinata becomes infatuated with Naruto, to the extent that she immediately blushes or faints upon seeing him. However, as the series progresses, she goes out of her way to help him. While Hinata has yet to openly admit her feelings for him, most characters (except for Naruto, who only considers her blushing “weird”) are aware of her feelings. In the anime, Hinata’s attempts to impress Naruto result in her creation of a new ability capable of instantly blocking or attacking anything in her extended field of vision.
Kurenai Yuhi
Kurenai Yuhi (夕日 紅 Yūhi Kurenai) is the leader of Team 8. Of all her students, Kurenai is closest with Hinata, acting as a surrogate parent in the absence of Hinata’s father, and helping Hinata overcome her weaknesses. Whenever Kurenai appears in the series, she is regularly accompanied by Asuma Sarutobi. Because of this, many other characters assume them to be a couple, though they both deny this. During Part II of the series, Kurenai is revealed to be pregnant with Asuma’s child, making their relationship clear. In battle she specializes in casting illusions, and is shown to be particularly skilled with illusions involving plants.
Choji Akimichi
Choji Akimichi (秋道 チョウジ Akimichi Chōji) is a member of Team 10 who is typified by his deep love for food to the extent that he continually has a snack with him during the series. Though his habit of always eating gives him a relatively large appearance, Choji insists he is not fat, instead using explanations like being “big-boned”. If someone refers to him as fat, Choji instantly becomes hostile and his resolve to battle grows stronger. Shikamaru Nara has never found an issue with Choji’s weight, instead choosing to look upon Choji’s inner strength. Because of this, Choji regards him as his best friend, stating he would willingly give his life to defend Shikamaru. In battle, Choji can increase the size of his body to improve the amount of damage his strikes deal upon impact.
Shikamaru Nara
Shikamaru Nara by Masashi Kishimoto
Shikamaru Nara (奈良 シカマル Nara Shikamaru) is one of the members of Team 10. Creator Kishimoto has noted that he “likes” Shikamaru due to his easygoing nature despite being a genius, and contrasted him against Sasuke Uchiha‘s intelligent but abrasive personality. Shikamaru’s intelligence is such that Asuma Sarutobi, Team 10′s leader, has never been able to defeat Shikamaru at games such as shogi orgo. He can devise complex strategies even in the heat of battle. However, his laziness frequently prevents him from applying his intelligence. Shikamaru is a longtime friend of Choji Akimichi, his fellow Team 10 member, as he chooses to look upon Choji as a person rather than only considering his large girth. In battle, Shikamaru can manipulate his shadow, and by extending it into another person’s shadow he can force the target to mimic his movements.
Ino Yamanaka
Ino Yamanaka (山中 いの Yamanaka Ino) is the only female member of Team 10. She has known Sakura Haruno since they were children, befriending and helping her to develop her own identity. When they discovered that they both liked Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura ended their friendship so they could properly compete for his affection. The two eventually make amends and rekindle their friendship, but still maintain a competitive attitude towards each other. In the anime, when Sakura begins to excel in healing techniques, Ino becomes her surrogate apprentice, hoping to be more useful to her friends and teammates as an able medical ninja. In terms of combat abilities, Ino specializes in mind-altering techniques. To use these techniques, Ino transfers her consciousness to her target’s mind, gaining control over her opponent’s body which she can then use to attack others.
Asuma Sarutobi
Asuma Sarutobi (猿飛 アスマ Sarutobi Asuma) is the leader of Team 10 and son of the Third Hokage. He had a falling out with his father when he was younger, and briefly left Konohagakure in protest. The two had not completely reconciled by the time of the Third’s death. Asuma is usually seen smoking a cigarette, but will temporarily drop the habit when something is bothering him, such as when his father died. Among all his students, Asuma shares a particularly close relationship with Shikamaru Nara, and the two frequently play shogi or the game “go” together. Asuma frequently appears alongside Kurenai Yuhi, leading many characters to assume the two are a couple. Both deny this and promptly try to change the subject whenever it is brought up. During Part II of the series, however, Kurenai is revealed to be pregnant with Asuma’s child, making their relationship clear. In battle, Asuma wields unique brass knuckles equipped with blades that can be infused with his chakra. When infused with his wind-based chakra, Asuma can extend the blades’ length and easily pierce through rock. After Asuma is killed by Hidan, a member of the criminal organization Akatsuki, these knuckles fall into Shikamaru’s possession, and he uses them to defeat Hidan and avenge Asuma.
Rock Lee
Rock Lee by Masashi Kishimoto
Rock Lee (ロック・リー Rokku Rī) is a member of Team Guy and the favorite student of team leader Might Guy. Guy spends much of his free time training with Lee to help him accomplish his dream of becoming a respected ninja by using only taijutsu. Lee has adopted several of Guy’s habits, including his perseverance. Guy has taught him a number of powerful, even forbidden, techniques. Because some of these techniques, such as the ability to open the eight chakra gates, can pose a severe risk to Lee’s body, he is only permitted to use them to protect something or someone dear to him. In the Japanese anime and manga, he always utilizes honorifics such as “san and “kun“. In the English adaptations, he never uses contractions.
Neji Hyuga
Neji Hyuga (日向 ネジ Hyūga Neji) is a member of Team Guy and a child prodigy of the Hyuga clan. Despite his natural talent, Neji’s membership in one of the clan’s lower houses leaves him ineligible to learn the clan’s most secret techniques. At the start of the series, Neji openly hates the main house because of this, readily attacking its members verbally or physically when given the chance. At this point in the series, Neji believes in a fatalistic philosophy: that one’s destiny is inescapable and that a weak person will always be weak. After being defeated in battle by Naruto Uzumaki, a character that has proven his “destiny” wrong by getting stronger, Neji has a change of heart. He abandons the idea of a predetermined fate, and resolves to get strong enough to never lose a battle. He also tries to remedy the estranged relations between himself and the members of the main house, resulting in his training with the leader of the main house at the end of Part I.
Neji displays his title as a prodigy of the Hyuga throughout the series; when first introduced he is highly proficient with the Gentle Fist style of combat, with which he can directly attack an opponent’s internal systems. Though never having been trained in the form, Neji has been able to replicate it and its most powerful attacks through simple observation. As the series progresses, Neji refines these abilities into more powerful counterparts, either to increase their potency or to fix an inherent flaw. One such example is his Byakugan, an eye technique that by default grants the owner a near-360-degree field of vision within a fifty meter radius. Neji constantly trains to overcome a small blindspot and to increase the Byakugan’s range of sight.
TenTen
Tenten (テンテン) is the only female member of Team Guy, and longs to prove that female ninja can be just as skilled as male ninja. Of all the Naruto protagonists, Tenten receives the least amount of screen time, such that her only fight in Part I is almost entirely skipped; the battle’s start and her eventual defeat are the only portions shown. Despite her lack of appearances, series creator Masashi Kishimoto favors her design more than those of any of the other female characters he has created, and plans to use her more. In battle, Tenten specializes in weaponry, ranging from projectiles to close-combat weapons and even explosives by the second part of the series. During a fight, she can overwhelm opponents by summoning hundreds of weapons and bombarding them with pinpoint accuracy. Tenten uses this expertise to help Neji Hyuga train his defensive techniques, and she holds him in high regard since he can always block her attacks.
Might Guy
Might Guy (マイト・ガイ Maito Gai) is the leader of Team Guy, and dedicates most of his time to only one of his students, Rock Lee. Because of Guy’s dedication to him, Lee has modeled himself in his master’s image, mimicking Guy’s distinctive green jumpsuit and shiny bowl haircut. Lee has also adopted many of Guy’s mannerisms and his philosophy, including his “My Rules” philosophy, which involves setting tough self-imposed penalties for failure in the belief that the punishment will make him stronger. Series creator Masashi Kishimotolikens Guy’s passionate personality to that of a gym teacher he had in junior high school, but notes that the teacher was not a model for Guy’s character.
In battle, Guy specializes in physical attacks, which he constantly tries to teach to Lee. While Lee is forced to concentrate on physical attacks due to his inability to use other types of techniques, Guy deliberately chooses not to use techniques other than physical attacks. When not teaching Lee a new ability, Guy is usually found in competition with his self-proclaimed rival, Kakashi Hatake. Throughout the series, Kakashi has never displayed a particular interest in their rivalry, which only further motivates Guy to defeat Kakashi and his “coolness”.
