Naruto/Characters/The Konoha 12

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


The Konoha 12 consists of Team 7 plus three other squads of genin. The group forms the central cast of Naruto and is noted for being the most gifted class to come along in several years. The three other teams in the Konoha 12 are Team 8, Team 10, and Team Guy (sometimes called Team 9). Teams 7, 8, and 10 were together referred to as "The Rookie 9" during the Chunin Exams Arc.

In General

All provide examples of:

Team 8

Kiba Inuzuka

Heh, I don't know what's going on, but I'm always up for getting wild.

Voiced by: Kosuke Toriumi (JP), Kyle Hebert (EN), Juan D'Ors (Spain), Enzo Fortuny (Latin America)

Member of Team 8. Kiba is a wild, untamed ninja from the Inuzuka clan, a family of dog breeders. As such, he's never seen without his loyal pooch, Akamaru. Kiba utilizes him as both a partner and a weapon, and later as a transport.

He treats Hinata like a younger sister, fights with his ultra-serious partner Shino and, after initially mocking him, considers Naruto one of his closest friends.

Kiba fights Naruto in the preliminary rounds of the Chunin exams, which is one of the latter's first big solo fights in the series. Kiba tries a number of attacks and strategies to beat Naruto, but the kid just won't stay down. Later, Kiba is recruited by Shikamaru for the Sasuke Retrieval team, fights and is nearly killed by Sakon, and is saved by Kankuro.

Among Kiba's abilities are a heightened sense of smell, which makes him especially effective at tracking. He is also one of the fastest seen ninja. In battle, Kiba can transform Akamaru into a clone of himself, allowing them to use combination attacks such as the tornado-like Fang Over Fang. He can also make himself more bestial in nature, increasing his speed and strength, and can combine with Akamaru to become a two-headed wolf. In Shippuden, he has developed his sense of smell to the point that it is superior to that of a dog's. When the Fourth Great Ninja War starts, he is placed in the Fifth Division along with Shino, his sister Hana, and Ino.

Sai: "It appears that even your dog is smarter than you."

  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Kiba's main fighting strategy. Even when other characters warn him about charging ahead he still can't help himself.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Very strong and very fast. His only problem is his Naruto-like behavior.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Much less than Kakashi or Sasuke, but he still has a dedicated female fandom.
  • The Nose Knows: His most useful ability.
  • Primal Stance / Running on All Fours: His Four Legs jutsu which gives him beast like agility and the ability to move his hands and feet like a dog.
  • Shout-Out: To Princess Mononoke. He borrows many elements from San: his facial marking, his feral attitude, strong bond with canines, complete with wolf/dog riding. Adult!Akamaru even looks like Mononoke Hime's twin young wolves.
  • This Is a Drill: Fang over Fang (Gatsuga) and Double Wolf Fang (Garouga).
  • Unknown Rival: To Naruto. He still can't believe he Can't Catch Up to the dead last in his graduating class. Naruto, of course, has no clue about this.
  • Urine Trouble: Akamaru can mark an enemy with his urine making them easy to pinpoint.
  • Weaponized Animal: Akamaru has a skill which creates a copy of him that is actually a grenade.
  • Wolverine Claws: Kiba's taijutsu style revolves around the use of his claws which are extended with ninjutsu.

Hinata Hyuga

You make mistakes... but... because of those mistakes... you get the strength to stand up to them... that's why I think you are truly strong.

Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (JP), Stephanie Sheh (EN), Ana Esther Alborg (Spain), Alondra Hidalgos (Latin America)

At first, she played the Shrinking Violet role of the main cast, being completely weak and nonconfrontational. Perhaps her most notable trait is her huge crush on Naruto, who is completely oblivious about it. However, it's this admiration that spurs her on to become stronger.

As Hinata was born into the head family of the Hyuga clan, she will one day take it over. Since she started out extremely weak, this did not sit well with many others (namely Neji and her own father, Hiashi, though other extremely complicated reasons made it even worse for her). With the involvement of Kurenai and the aforementioned admiration of Naruto, she gradually develops as a warrior, becoming more confident (though she's still painfully shy around Naruto until chapter 437).

Hinata, like all members of the Hyuga clan, has the kekkai genkai known as the Byakugan, characterized by the Prophet Eyes of its owners. It grants the user nearly-360-degree vision, as well as the ability to sense the flow of chakra in the human body. Hinata uses the Gentle Fist style of martial arts, a special combat style designed to take advantage of the Byakugan's unique abilities.

In Shippuden, she goes out with Team 7 to search for Sasuke or Itachi, but that ends in failure when Itachi dies and Tobi takes Sasuke away. In Pain's invasion, she intervenes to save Naruto from Pain, and finally tells him that she loves him. Pain defeats her and nearly kills her, triggering Naruto going into six-tailed mode, but she survives with Sakura's help. When the Shinobi Alliance marches against Madara, she is placed in the Second Division alongside her cousin Neji, Karui, and Kurotsuchi.

Naruto: "Shame on me if you ended up saving me twice. It's all in your eyes. Don't get so down on yourself; you're strong!"

Shino Aburame

Even if it's been a while, you should remember your comrades' faces. Why? Because otherwise you will hurt their feelings when they call out to you.

Voiced by: Shinji Kawada (JP), Sam Riegel (EN, original), Derek Stephen Prince (EN, current), Alejandro Martínez (Spain), Sergio Gutierrez Coto (Latin America)

Member of Team 8. Shino's body is host to a large colony of chakra-eating insects, as is traditional in his clan. He commands these bugs in combat, in ways ranging from cool to creepy, and everything in between. He shows almost no emotion and hardly ever smiles; this, coupled with his insects, makes him an enigma among other shinobi, and some are visibly creeped out by him. He is a member of the Fifth Division of the Shinobi Alliance with his fellow Team 8 member Kiba.

Kurenai Yuhi

Fool. Anko asked me to buy her some dango.

Voiced by: Rumi Ochiai (JP), Saffron Henderson (EN, original), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (EN, current), Olga Velasco (Spain), Ilia Gil (Latin America, original), Anabel Mendez (Latin America, current)

Leader of Team 8.

Kurenai is... well, a kunoichi, who has only recently become a jonin by the start of the series. We don't really learn that much about her in the first series, save that she's a rather cool lady who took Hinata under her wing, skilled in genjutsu and that she's perhaps involved with Asuma. The vast majority of her team's missions seem to not involve her. Her only plot-involved action was to get knocked around by Itachi Uchiha in a short battle, unless you count some of the Filler episodes.

In Shippuden, she appears after the death of Asuma, where we learn that she's carrying his child.


Team 10

Shikamaru Nara

This is gonna be a real drag.

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (JP), Tom Gibis (EN), Jorge Saudinós (Spain)l, Javier Olguín (Latin-America)

Member of Team 10. Naruto's resident snarky Teen Genius and the poster boy for Brilliant but Lazy. The first the viewers see of Shikamaru is a person who complains about receiving any work at all. This, combined with the fact that his test scores were almost as low as Naruto's, cause others to initially think that he's a failure and a loser... a perception that Shikamaru doesn't mind in the least. It's only later that Asuma reveals that yes, Shikamaru is perhaps the smartest person in world, having scored over 200 on an I.Q. test disguised as a game so it wouldn't bore him.

Though, like the rest of his clan, his primary jutsu is the ability to control or attack his enemies by extending his shadow, it's his intelligence that makes Shikamaru the first of the Konoha 11 to be promoted from Genin to Chunin. His fight with Temari impresses the Third Hokage even though he forfeited. His first task isn't an easy one, natch: it's to lead a team consisting of him, Naruto, Choji, Kiba, and Neji to go retrieve Sasuke.

While there, he engages Tayuya, a member of the Sound Four. He almost dies at her hands, but is saved by Temari. Later, after the mission is a failure, he considers quitting, but after some encouragement by his father, decides to stay the course. Through the filler arcs and his early actions in Shippuden, it's shown that he has decided to, if not step it up, then to at least shoulder some responsibility.

Shikamaru's best friend is his teammate Choji, although he also becomes extremely close to Naruto as the series progresses. Through this friendship, he helps Naruto to recover from a minor Heroic BSOD following Jiraya's death, announcing that he's going to take on Kurenai's kid as his apprentice.

In Shippuden, he shows up in the first episode (with Temari, no less). He later becomes an Ascended Extra and stars in his own arc. He first joins the newly-formed Niju Shotai (Akatsuki Hunters) with Asuma. There, he's forced to watch as Hidan, a member of Akatsuki, kills his sensei. This provokes him to chase down and engage Hidan - which he does, culminating in his Crowning Moment of Awesome after he defeats Hidan with surprising little effort. After he returns, he decides that he's going to become a harder worker to honor Asuma's memory. He also was recruited by Tsunade to decode Jiraiya's final communication to the village. Later he becomes acting general in Gaara's place of the Fourth Division with his friend Choji and (possible) love interest Temari serving under him.

  • Animal Motifs: Deer
  • Ascended Extra: He's basically became a semi-main character and the most developed of the Konoha 12 outside of Team 7.
  • Badass Bookworm: A particular type (see Book Dumb and Brilliant but Lazy).
  • Big Brother Mentor: Starting with the "Sasuke Retrieval Arc" at the end of Part 1, Shikamaru has taken the role as acting as the foil and giving advise to Naruto. This came to it's peak when Shikamaru managed to shake Naruto out of his depression over Jiraiya's death.He also does the same with Choji.
  • Book Dumb: Has never shown any interest in cerebral pursuits, preferring to take a nap, despite his high intelligence.
  • Brains and Brawn: With Choji. He's the Brains.
  • Breakout Character: He became unexpectedly popular and thus his role became more and more prominent as the series went on. This is taken Up to Eleven in the latest chapters where in the Joint Shinobi Forces, he's placed as commander of the fourth division as Gaara's proxy.
  • Brilliant but Lazy: An excellent example, to the point that he's the former Trope Namer
    • Subverted after Asuma's death.
  • Catch Phrase: "How troublesome." ("What a drag." in the English dub.)
  • Character Development: Has a multi-point character arc that unfolds over the course of years. None of it due to interacting with the protagonist, apparently... though in a recent chapter, he admits being with Naruto makes him want to follow whatever path he does.
  • The Chessmaster: Both literally and allegorically.
  • Crazy Prepared: He planned the entire fight with Kakuzu and Hidan before it happened and setup a hole to bury Hidan days in advance.
  • Dark Is Not Evil
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Four-Star Badass: He's the co-general (the other is Gaara) of Division 4.
  • He's Back: After Asuma's death.
  • Generation Xerox: Like the other members of his team, he shares many similarities to his father Shikaku in looks, dress and ability, in addition to the fact that both he and his father are/were part of an Ino-Shika-Cho trio, a dynamic that goes back 16 generations.
  • He-Man Woman Hater: Until the Tayuya-Temari incident during the Sasuke Retrieval arc.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: With Chouji.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: Not so much wanting to be a non-ninja, but rather just a normal ninja.
  • Improbably High IQ: It's over 200.
  • Knife Nut: Takes Asuma's Chakra Blade's after his death which he uses for his Shadow Pin move. He also has a tanto he attempted to behead Hidan with.
  • The Leader
  • Mr. Fanservice: Like Kiba, Neji, Naruto, and Sasuke, he has a dedicated female fanbase.
  • Like Parent, Like Spouse: Shikamaru is seemingly destined for this. He has defined the three most important women in his life as being aggressive, demanding, and even scary. In fact, they shape his view of women as being bossy and "troublesome". Yet, as his father lampshades about Shikamaru's mother, they all have their sweet sides. The other two are Temari and Ino.
  • Meaningful Name: All three members of Team 10 are named after the hanafuda card trick ino-shika-chou (boar-deer-butterfly). Shikamaru means "deer child," Nara is a city known for its deer park, and Shikamaru's family raises deer for their antlers.
  • Nerves of Steel: Has shown them a number of times. Just recently during the war when Kinkaku launches an attack against him, he doesn't move and lets the attack come within inches of killing him without even blinking. He apparently was waiting for Ino to use her mind transfer jutsu.
  • Oblivious to Love: Clueless that Shiho has a huge crush on him or that Temari may like him.
  • Odd Friendship: With Naruto. Ironically, it might be Naruto's most normal friendship in the manga.
  • Plot-Driven Breakdown: His Shadow Possession jutsu seems to get weaker each time he uses it in a fight, regardless of how much chakra he has at the moment.
  • Putting on My Thinking Cap: Squatting down, closing his eyes, and holding his outstretched fingers and thumbs in a circle at about stomach level.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: the blue to Chouji's red.
  • Shadow Pin: The Nara clan signature technique.
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: Regarding Temari.
  • The Smart Guy
  • The Strategist
  • Sugar and Ice Personality
  • Teen Genius: His I.Q. is over 200. Note that in the real world, only one person has ever been verified to have an IQ over 200.
  • Weak but Skilled: Shikamaru has little direct attacking ability but his cleverness and very productive use of standard ninja tools prove to be more then a match for incredibly powerful ninja.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years: See the speech he gives to Naruto after Jiraiya's death. Also a by-product of his over 200 I.Q.
  • Worthy Opponent: He is called this by none other than Tobi.
  • Wouldn't Hit a Girl: He claims that its against his moral code to strike a lady. Unfortunately, he has also had the misfortune of having female opponents for all of his major battles during the first series. However, his style of fighting at that time didn't involve directly hitting to begin with. He exploits a loophole within his own moral code when Tayuya goes One-Winged Angel, allowing himself to attack her directly because she's no longer a human girl.
  • Xanatos Gambit: Loves using these in his strategies. For example using Hidan's power against him. If this opponent didn't use it then his entire fighting style would fall apart, but if he did it would make his ally vulnerable.

Choji Akimichi

Fat!? I'm big boned!

Voiced by: Kentaro Ito (JP), Robbie Rist (EN), Alfonso Manjavacas (Spain), Manuel Campusano (Latin America)

Member of Team 10. Choji is Shikamaru's best friend, and the two hang out together frequently. He's also fat, but this is likely due to the fact that his clan's specialty is a jutsu that converts calories to chakra. He's constantly seen eating to shore up his chakra reserves. But he hates being called "fat" (he prefers "chubby" or "big boned"), so don't call him that.

As a child, we learn Choji was frequently left out of childhood activities and sometimes even bullied because of his large size. Shikamaru stood up for him one day, beginning their long friendship.

In battle, Choji relies on the Body Expansion Technique, which causes his body to both balloon in size and roll into a boulder shape. He then rolls around and tries to crush his enemies. He's later shown using variants on this move, such as the Partial Body Expansion, where he'll just expand his arms.

In the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, he is part of the team sent to retrieve Sasuke. He tangles with Jirobo, who has the upper hand for most of the battle. It's only after Choji uses the three Food Pills of the Akimichi Clan -- a move which nearly costs him his life -- that he can gather enough strength to beat him. In Shippuden, he helped his team defeat Hidan and Kakuzu after they killed Asuma. When the war starts, he is shown as a member of the Fourth Division with his best friend Shikamaru, Temari, and Gaara.

  • Acrofatic: He might be on the heavy side, but he's still a ninja.
  • All of the Other Reindeer: Nowhere as much as Naruto, but he still was picked on for his size until Shikamaru stood up for him and he became a member of Team 10.
  • Animal Motifs: Butterflies. See below.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: One variant of the Akimichi clan's Body Expansion Technique.
  • Badass Long Hair: After the timeskip.
  • Balloon Belly: Worked into his fighting style.
  • Berserk Button: he has a lot:
    • do not call him fat;
    • do not steal the last piece of meat or the last chip under his nose;
    • do not insult his sensei;
    • last but not least, DO NOT INSULT SHIKAMARU.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: as Jirobo found out the hard way. Moreover, he was the first rookie to be shown killing anyone on screen.
  • Big Eater: Of course. Justified trope, though, for his fighting style.
  • The Big Guy: Uses physical attacks more than the other Konoha Eleven.
  • Bishonen Line: The chilli pill has him lose thirty pounds and gain some pretty wings. His calorie control jutsu does the same thing for him after the timeskip.
  • Brains and Brawn: With Shikamaru. He's the Brawn.
  • Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: after Choji defeats Jirobo, allowing Naruto, Kiba and the rest of the retrieval team to continue on, he staggers to a tree and sags against it in a very moving death scene. Right after he collapses, a blue butterfly passes Shikamaru, who looks dismayed. Doubly significant in that Choji's name means 'butterfly', and that is the form that his supposedly fatal final attack takes: glowing butterfly wings of chakra.
    • In Shippuuden, Choji achieves this form without pills, and it enables him to defeat his undead sensei. It also symbolises Choji's growth as a person; indeed, the Akimichi clan's oath, which clan members take as a coming-of-age ceremony, uses the symbol of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis and taking flight.
  • Deadly Upgrade: The soldier pills.
  • Determinator
  • Facial Markings: A spiral on each cheek.
  • Food Pills: With some overlap with Bottled Heroic Resolve, near the end of part 1 in order to defeat Jirobou Choji has to use the dangerous three colored Food Pills to give him enough power to win his battle.
  • Generation Xerox: Like the other members of his team, he shares a similar appearance to his father Chouza in both looks and ability.
  • Gentle Giant: Kinda dim and always bottomless, but a really loyal and kind friend. Unfortunately, his kindness gets him into trouble in the battle with Asuma.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: With Shikamaru.
  • I Am Big Boned: Or just chubby (which heavily implies being overweight, but never tell him that). This is his argument against being called fat, though it's justified in Part II especially after using his calorie control which shows he's got a Heroic Build under his fat.
  • Kevlard
  • Lightning Bruiser: After taking the third pill against Jirobo, he is able to outpace him in his Level Two State and defeat him in three moves.
  • Manly Tears: is one of the weepier male shinobi and has a tendency to let his emotions run away with him.
  • Meaningful Name: "Choji" means "butterfly", and his Crowning Moment of Awesome sees him gain butterfly wings made of chakra.
  • Mighty Glacier: Excellent strength and stamina for his age group, but somewhat lackluster speed. Until he takes the final pill against Jirobo, that is.
  • Nice Guy: Often regarded as the nicest and most sensitive of the Konoha 12. Unfortunately he might be a little too nice for his line of work.
  • Power Gives You Wings: Butterfly wings to be precise, a mark of the Akimichi Clan. The first time he needs a Deadly Upgrade. Second time he is able to do this without the use of pills, a symbol of coming of age.
  • Power Palms: Has taijutsu technique like this fittingly themed after a sumo wrestlers open palm slap.
  • Power Perversion Potential: His main power is to expand his body parts... Need I say more?
  • Prehensile Hair: He can make it long and sharp to enhance his Rolling Attack.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: the red to Shikamaru's blue.
  • Rolling Attack: His signature move to which he transforms into a ball, upgraded into a razor ball during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.
  • Scarf of Asskicking: part 1.
  • Serious Business: The last piece of beef or chip.
  • Sizeshifter
  • Stout Strength
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Chouji was seldom seen without a bag of chips in Part I. Completely vanishes in Part II.
  • What Were You Thinking?: refuses to hit the zombiefied Asuma after Shikamaru provides an opening, despite the fact that not only his team mates but Asuma himself are telling him to attack. Asuma immediately counterattacks.

Ino Yamanaka

There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms.

Voiced by: Ryoka Yuzuki (JP), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (EN), Alicia Sainz de la Maza (Spain), Carla Falcón (Latin America)

Member of Team 10 and the "Ino" in the Ino-Shika-Cho. Her family runs a florist shop, although her father is also a ninja; she is often seen working there between missions. Personality-wise, she's something of the temperamental type. She and Sakura used to be best friends, but after they learned they both had crushes on Sasuke and Sakura had developed quite an inferiority complex in regards to this and Ino herself, they decided to become bitter rivals. This rivalry lasted until they met in battle in the Chunin Exams, when, after some clever plotting on Ino's part and some grit and determination on Sakura's part, they tied, and their friendship was restored.

Much like her teammates, Ino specializes in one technique: specifically, the Mind-Body Transfer Technique. This jutsu allows the user to switch consciousness with another human, but causes their own body to pass out for the duration. It also has a fairly short range.

At the end of the first series, Ino sees Sakura's growth and decides to become Tsunade's apprentice as well. When Shippuden begins, she has already become a medic, but her medical knowledge isn't quite enough to save Asuma from dying later on, which causes her quite a bit angst. She then goes with Shikamaru and Choji to defeat Kakuzu and Hidan and avenge Asuma. Later she is shown as a member of the Fifth Division as the Shinobi Alliance faces off against Madara.

  • Animal Motifs: Boar
  • Badass: Perhaps the most fiery and strong-willed girl in the series!
  • Bare Your Midriff: In Shippuden.
  • Berserk Button: Don't call her "Ino-Pig/Ino-Buta"[1].
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Though she stops after Part 1.
  • Combat Medic
  • Cool Big Sis: She can be seen as a sister to Shikamaru and Choji. Team 10 is that close. And although she is the same age as them, she comes off more as a big sister who provides motivation for Shikamaru and common sense to Choji. Shipping Goggles though will see her as the perfect love interest for either of them because of this closeness. Even her father, as shown in a filler episode, assumes she will be dating Shikamaru or Choji.
  • Dangerously-Short Skirt
  • Deadpan Snarker: Has her moments, particularly at Sakura's expense.
  • Detached Sleeves
  • Exotic Eye Designs: No pupils.
  • Fan Service Pack: Post-Timeskip, she is probably the hottest girl out of the four teams. And contrary to Hinata, she doesn't try to hide her buxom.
  • Faux Action Girl -> Action Girl: The girl was touted as one of the most talented kunoichi, but only now the plot has allowed us to see how mentally and physically badass she can be.
  • Forgotten Childhood Friend: Sakura, but they got better.
  • Freudian Trio: A part of one with Shikamaru and Chouji in which she is the Ego while Shikamaru is the Superego and Chouji is the id.
  • Grand Theft Me: Mind Transfer Jutsu.
  • Hair Decoration: Ino had a hair slide when she was a child, and wears one again after the Time Skip.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Important Haircut: With a twist. She apparently cuts it in the middle of a hissy fit after Sakura taunts her in their fight, but she actually was faking said tantrum and used the discarded locks to trap Sakura and use her Mind Transfer Jutsu on her.
    • The haircut turns out to be temporary when she, unlike Sakura, grows her hair back to its normal length after the Time Skip.
  • Innocent Flower Girl: Subverted. She works part-time in her family's shop, yet she's anything but naive.
  • The Load: Feels like this in the Shiitenshounin Arc and in the Three-Tails arc. In the former, because she feels useless and cannot help Temari and Shikamaru. In the latter, because she has the weakest chakra control of all the sealing team. She seems to have grown out of it, though.
  • Long Hair Is Feminine
  • Lovable Alpha Bitch: Her backstory shows that she was the first one to befriend Sakura and not bully her for her Forehead of Doom, and later protected her from Ami, a more standard Alpha Bitch.
  • The Medic: Played up in the anime.
  • Peek-a-Bangs
  • People Puppets: The Mind Body Disturbance skill.
  • Power Perversion Potential: The Mind-Body Transfer Technique. Come now, if you had the ability to take over somebody else's body, what would you do with it?
  • Psychic Powers: Mind Control, Mind Probe, Possession and Telepathy are all part of her families special abilities.
  • Rapunzel Hair
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Sakura's red.
  • Sarashi: Pre-Timeskip.
  • Shipper on Deck: She's the local Asuma/Kurenai "fangirl". In one scene, Ino knows the flowers Asuma wants are for Kurenai before he even tells her.
  • Stripperiffic: Much less post Time Skip, despite actually showing more skin.
  • Support Party Member: Ino admits her abilities are not suited for simple fights and works best in team situations.
  • Team Mom: Asuma asks her to take care of Shikamaru and Choji before he dies.
  • The Tease: Very confident in her seductive abilities.
  • Telepathy: Both Ino and her father seem to have some telepathic abilities.
  • Tsundere: Lovestruck with Sasuke, tomboyish with everyone else. Although after Part 1 ends, she forgets about Sasuke and develops deeper bonds with Shikamaru and Choji as they become her "boys".
    • She does start crying when Teams 8, 10 and Guy discuss the order to kill Sasuke. Though this might be expected since it was a tough decision for everyone and he was their classmate.

Asuma Sarutobi

The "kings" are the unborn children who will grow up to take care of the leaf.

Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi (JP), Doug Erholtz (EN), Iván Jara (Spain), Humberto Solorzano (Latin America)

Leader of Team 10, Asuma Sarutobi is the son of the Third Hokage. In his teen years, he had something of a falling-out with the old man and decided to travel abroad. He ended up in the guard of the Daimyo of the Fire Country, where he evidently accumulated a large bounty. Later, he returned to the town and became a Jonin.

In combat, Asuma relies on his Wind Chakra, which he channels through his trench knives. This allows him to hit targets from a distance. He can also use his omnipresent cigarettes to generate flames, which can cause third-degree burns.

In the first series, he really doesn't do much besides play Mr. Exposition, take care of his team, get knocked around by Kisame, and get accused of dating Kurenai.

In Shippuden, he plays something of a more expanded role. While Naruto is trying to learn the Wind Rasengan, Asuma gives him the advice needed to complete the first stage of his training. In an anime-only Filler arc, more of his backstory with the Twelve Ninja Guardians (only alluded to in the manga) is elaborated upon. Later, he and Shikamaru mobilize as part of the Niju Shotai (Akatsuki Hunters), where he engages Hidan in battle. Though he successfully decapitates his opponent, it's to no avail: Hidan is immortal. Hidan then completes the ritual that allows him to kill Asuma. It succeeds. After Shikamaru kicks some serious ass in his memory, we learn that Kurenai is carrying his child. 

Kabuto later resurrects him with Edo Tensei. He manages to resist the Mind Control as he fights Team 10, and once defeated he compliments them as he's sealed away.


Team Guy

Rock Lee

I want to show I can be a splendid ninja as well even if I do not have ninjutsu or genjutsu... I want to prove it to the whole world!

Voiced by: Yoichi Masukawa (JP), Brian Donovan (EN), Fernando Cabrera (Spain), Carlos Castillo (Latin America)

In his early childhood, Rock Lee was frequently picked on by his peers because of his inability to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. He believed himself to be worthless and to have no chance at becoming a ninja at all. Then, he met Might Guy, who convinced him to train exclusively in Taijutsu (physical combat), at which he became a master.

Rock Lee's first appearance in the series is one where he challenges Sasuke. After flawlessly brushing aside Naruto's counter-challenge, he proceeded to just-as-easily beat down Sasuke, before Might Guy stops him just short of a dangerous technique. Later, he tries to save Sakura from the attacking Sound Ninja in the Forest of Death, but was defeated and this helped trigger Sakura's inner change.

His has the most heartbreaking battle in the Chunin Exams. He is matched up against the psychotic Gaara of the Desert, who has never once bled or even successfully been hit with an attack. Though he puts up an extremely good fight, the strain from his overuse of the Eight Chakra Gates allows Gaara to crush Lee's arm and leg; Gaara probably would have killed Lee too, if not for Guy's interference during the exam, and Naruto's and Shikamaru's later in the hospital. This injury keeps him out of action for a long time, and is initially thought to be career-ending - it is not until much later that we see him undergoing surgery performed by Tsunade, and even later that he returns to action.

His first fight after his surgery is against Kimimaro of the Sound Five (during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc), who he begins fighting to give Naruto time to catch up to Sasuke. Though he again puts up a good fight, his injuries still have not recovered enough to allow him his full strength. Fortunately, Gaara shows up and saves him.

Rock Lee is as fast as the human body can tolerate, and is a master of the Strong Fist school of martial arts. He also possesses the forbidden ability to open the Chakra Gates, which removes the body's limits and makes him even more overwhelming, but with high risks and physical costs.

Rock Lee has a very low tolerance for alcohol, becoming a savage master of Drunken Boxing after just one sip.

In Shippuden, he appears in the first major arc, backing Squad 7 up as they try to rescue Gaara from the hands of the Akatsuki. He does not do much, but he does beat a clone of himself. At present, when the Shinobi Alliance forms divisions to fight against Madara, he is placed in the Third Division under Kakashi and alongside his teacher Guy and Sakura.


Neji Hyuga

The heavens will not allow a pawn who can only seek victory at the cost of himself to advance...

Child voice: Keiko Nemoto (JP), Wendee Lee (EN), Jorge Saudinós (Spain)
Older voice: Koichi Tochika (JP), Steve Staley (EN), Jorge Saudinós (Spain), Jose Gilberto Vilchis (Latin America)

Neji is hailed as one of the foremost prodigies of his time -- indeed, he is perhaps the greatest practitioner of the Hyuga's fighting style that there is. If he weren't a member of the branch family, he'd probably be heading up the clan someday. However, his pedigree combined with his knowledge of past events fills him with a seething hatred of the main family.

In the Hyuga clan, there is a branch family and a main family. The branch family exists to serve the main family and tend to their needs. When a branch member is young, a seal is placed on their forehead to keep them from trying to kill the main family (also, it will prevent any foreign ninja from operating on their body and learning the Byakugan's secrets).

When Neji was young, his uncle Hiashi -- Hinata's father -- killed an intruder who aimed to capture Hinata. Since said intruder had some prestige in his home country, said country began calling for the head of his killer. The uncle was certain that they would attempt to steal the Byakugan's secret, but Neji's father Hizashi went in his place - first, since he had the seal, and second, to defy his clan's tradition and fight against his fate. Neji didn't know about the last part for a long time, though, and for years he resented everyone in the Hyuga clan.

Neji's life experience, at first, makes him something of a Nietzsche Wannabe, as he constantly mentions that fighting fate is useless. Interestingly enough, this doesn't stop him from fighting his fate. He clobbers his cousin Hinata in the Chunin Exams, and is matched against Naruto in the first round of the finals. While he expects an easy win, Naruto quickly proves more resilient than he thought, ultimately defeating him. After Naruto's victory, he convinces Neji that fate can successfully be fought, marking a positive change in his character.

He later shows up in the Sasuke Retrieval arc, as part of the team led by Shikamaru. He engages Kidomaru of the Sound Four, who fights him using ranged attacks. He takes some serious, life-threatening damage in the process, but he manages to win.

Neji is a close-range specialist. He uses the Byakugan, which gives the user nearly-360-degree vision and the ability to see the flow of chakra in the human body, to hit pressure points, blocking off his opponent's access to their chakra. He can also create an impenetrable shield of chakra by rotating quickly; this is normally a technique reserved for the main house, but Neji reverse-engineered it.

In Shippuden, he is the only member of the Konoha 11 to become a Jonin. He later tags along with his team to back up Squad 7 in the Rescue Gaara Arc. He is now part of the Second Division, considered to be the Shinobi Alliance's up-close fighting division, along with Hinata, Karui, and Kurotsuchi.

Tenten

Amazing... The brilliance of the blade... the design. They're all beautiful! I want to take them all home!

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura (JP), Danielle Judovits (EN), Olga Velasco (Spain), Gaby Ugarte (Latin America)

Weapon specialist. Like her teammates, she is vaguely Chinese-themed. That's pretty much it.

The anime Filler attempts to develop Tenten more. She seems to have an attraction to pretty boys and falls for a few. Even one that later turned out to be a girl! She also forms a comedy team with Rock Lee during a number of filler appearances, always playing the Straight Man.

In Shippuden, she goes with her team to help rescue Gaara. With the Fourth Great Ninja War starting, she has been placed in the First Division under Darui and with Choza Akimichi.

Might Guy

Look deep into my eyes and accept my sincere apology! Also notice my handsome manly features!

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (JP), Skip Stellrecht (EN), Manuel Bellido (Spain), Gerardo Reyero (Latin America)

Leader of Team Guy, Might Guy is the epitome of hard work. Through blood, sweat and tears, he became one of the strongest ninja there was in Konoha, becoming a rival of Kakashi in the process. He serves as both Kakashi's opposite and his Unknown Rival. Like his student, he's a pastiche of Bruce Lee.

His number one student is Lee. While their interactions are often very... odd, to say the least, it's very clear that Guy cares deeply for his student, and views him as the son he never had. He taught him how to open the Eight Chakra Gates (which isn't exactly a cakewalk).

In the first series, Guy shows up sparingly, usually protecting Lee or stopping him from beating someone up. He does however save Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai from Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, the former of the Akatsuki duo identifying him as one of the most dangerous ninja in Konoha.

In Shippuden, his team backs up Kakashi's team as they try to rescue Gaara. He fights a clone of Kisame -- for some reason, he doesn't remember the Akatsuki member. He opens the Sixth Gate and kicks his ass. Later, while accompaning Naruto on a hidden island in Lightning Country, he goes up against the real Kisame (again), and defeats the missing-nin in one hit by opening the 7th Gate. Even though he hasn't completely recovered from the Kisame fight, he is assigned to the Third Division for the war, under his rival Kakashi, and with his student Rock Lee and Sakura.

Naruto: He's got even bigger brows than Lee's! As if they had life of their own!

  1. ↑ "Ino" means "boar" and calling her pig is fighting words. Sakura calls her this to force her to fight her at full strength in their fight.
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