## Personality The eponymous character of the first series is Naruto Uzumaki, an energetic ninja who wishes to become Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure and holds a demon fox called the Nine-Tails sealed in his body. During the early part of the series, Naruto is assigned to Team 7, in which he meets his long-time rival Sasuke Uchiha, a taciturn and highly skilled "genius" of the Uchiha clan; and Sakura Haruno, who is infatuated with Sasuke and has Naruto's attention and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. Over the course of the series, seeking out Sasuke when he ran away from the village, Naruto interacts with and befriends several fellow ninja in Konohagakure and other villages. He also encounters the series' antagonists, including Orochimaru, a former ninja of Konohagakure scheming to destroy his former home, as well as the elite rouge ninja of the criminal organization Akatsuki who seek out jinchuriki like Naruto and Garra for the tailed beasts.Hinata Hyuga Main article: 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. Though born of the Hyuga clan's main house and raised to become future head of the clan, Hinata's shyness and inability to stand up for herself resulted in the strong disapproval of her father Hiashi after being defeated by her younger sister Hanabi, who became their father's successor. Hinata was then disowned by Hiashi and placed in the care of Kurenai Yuhi.[ch. 78] Under Kurenai's guidance, Hinata began training her strength in both skill and will in order to prove her worth to her father.[ch. 238] Hinata's growing self-confidence mainly comes from her long-standing admiration for Naruto Uzumaki, as she is inspired by his enthusiasm and unyielding determination to never give up. As the series progresses, Hinata's admiration towards Naruto eventually grows into true love. During Part II, Hinata confesses her romantic feelings to Naruto while protecting him from Pain and later assists him during the Allied Ninjas' battle with the Ten-Tails.[ch. 437, 615] Following the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, and the events of The Last: Naruto the Movie where she carries out the will of her ancestor Hamura Ōtsutsuki by helping Naruto stop Toneri, Hinata marries Naruto and they have two children by the series epilogue. Her voice actress in the Japanese anime is Nana Mizuki, and her English voice actress is Stephanie Sheh.[31][32] Kiba Inuzuka Kiba Inuzuka (犬塚 キバ, Inuzuka Kiba) is a member of Team 8 from the Inuzuka Clan, a group of ninja with canine characteristics who train alongside their ninja dog (忍犬, ninken) partners. In stark contrast to his teammates, Kiba is brash, impulsive, and loud-mouthed, and considers Naruto a rival after Naruto defeats him in the Chunin Exams. Despite this, he is very protective of his teammates, and displays the same loyalty to Akamaru, unwilling to abandon him and putting himself in harm's way for Akamaru's sake.[ch. 204] In exchange for Kiba's devotion, Akamaru fights with him in battle; he uses his heightened senses to Kiba's advantage, and helps double-team opponents with volleys of physical attacks. Since Akamaru is naturally better equipped for combat, Kiba usually modifies his own abilities at the start of a battle, growing claws and running on four limbs to increase his speed.[ch. 75] 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.[ch. 364] In the series epilogue, Kiba ends up living with Tamaki, the granddaughter of the Uchiha Clan's supporter Granny Cat, and the two house various dogs and cats. Kiba's voice actor in the Japanese anime is Kōsuke Toriumi, and his English voice actor is Kyle Hebert.[16][33] Akamaru Akamaru (赤丸) is Kiba Inuzuka's ninja dog, 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, though Kiba comically fails to notice this drastic difference.[ch. 282] With his heightened sense of smell, hearing, and ability to detect others' chakra levels, Akamaru acts as a valuable tool for Kiba in hostile situations. To help Kiba beat track of opponents, Akamaru uses scent marking, though in battle he relies on Kiba to provide the chakra for the combination attacks they execute, which require Akamaru to transform into a clone of Kiba.[ch. 203] In the series epilogue, an aged Akamaru fathers a litter of puppies, among the assortment of animals living with Kiba and Tamaki. In the Japanese version of the anime, Akamaru is voiced by Junko Takeuchi, also the voice actor for Naruto Uzumaki, and Kōsuke Toriumi, who voices Kiba, when Akamaru transforms into a clone of Kiba.[16] In the English adaptation of the anime, Akamaru's vocal effects as a puppy are provided by Jamie Simone though Kyle Hebert provided the voice of Akamaru when he took Kiba's form.[34] Shino Aburame Shino Aburame (油女 シノ, Aburame Shino) is a member of Team 8 from the Aburame Clan, a group of ninja who formed a symbiosis with a special breed of insects known as "destruction bugs" (寄壊蟲, kikaichū) by allowing the insects to use their bodies as hives. During a battle, Shino directs his bugs towards an opponent, boxing them in and absorbing their chakra once they have been surrounded. Shino's merciless tendencies towards opponents, as well as his attachment to and collection of insects,[ch. 172] have caused other characters to label him as "creepy".[ch. 70] Nevertheless, Shino cares deeply for his teammates, being acutely aware of their inner workings and always regretting when he is unable to help them;[ch. 238] he is also capable of childish emotions, as shown in the anime when he sulks after Naruto (returning after two and a half years) fails to remember his name or recognize him. In the series epilogue, Shino becomes a Ninja Academy teacher. In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Shinji Kawada.[16] His first voice actor in the English anime was Sam Riegel, who voiced Shino in episodes 23 and 24, but in all following appearances, he has been voiced by Derek Stephen Prince.[35][36] Kurenai Yuhi Kurenai Yuhi (夕日 紅, Yūhi Kurenai) is the leader of Team 8, a skilled user of genjutsu, particularly skilled with illusions involving plants.[ch. 141] 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.[ch. 78] Whenever Kurenai appears in the series, she is usually accompanied by her childhood friend Asuma Sarutobi, and during Part II of the series, Kurenai is revealed to be pregnant with Asuma's child.[ch. 342] Several months after Asuma's death, Kurenai gave birth to their daughter Mirai Sarutobi, who later becomes a kunoichi by the events of the series epilogue.[ch. 533, 700] In the Japanese anime, her voice actress is Rumi Ochiai.[37] In the English adaptation of the anime, she was voiced by Saffron Henderson in episode three, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in all subsequent appearances.[38][14] Team 10 Team 10 (第10班, Daijippan) is a group of Konohagakure ninja led by Asuma Sarutobi. The fathers of the three team members Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka were also on a team together, and both generations refer to their team using the moniker "Ino-Shika-Cho".[ch. 137] During Part II, Asuma is slain in an encounter with members of Akatsuki, and Kakashi Hatake briefly assumes leadership of the team to hunt down those responsible for Asuma's death.[ch. 331] In the series epilogue, the three living members of Team Asuma are training their children to become the next "Ino-Shika-Cho" group. Shikamaru Nara Main article: Shikamaru Nara Shikamaru Nara (奈良 シカマル, Nara Shikamaru) is a member 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.[7] Shikamaru's intelligence is such that Asuma Sarutobi, Team 10's leader, is never able to defeat Shikamaru at games such as shogi or go, and he can devise complex strategies even in the heat of battle. However, his laziness frequently prevents him from effectively utilizing his intelligence.[ch. 107] Shikamaru is a longtime friend of Choji Akimichi, choosing to look upon Choji as a person without considering his large girth. Despite thinking of Naruto a bit poorly and often getting annoyed by him, he is one of the few people to have acknowledged him as a person rather than the tailed beast in childhood, remaining one of Naruto's close friends since then.[ch. 190] In battle, Shikamaru can manipulate his shadow, and, by extending it into another person's shadow, can force the target to mimic his movements.[ch. 107] In the series epilogue, Shikamaru works as Naruto's advisor and is revealed to have married Temari, who had moved to the Hidden Leaf, and with whom he has a son, Shikadai. In the Japanese anime, Shikamaru's voice actor is Showtaro Morikubo, although Nobutoshi Canna acted as a stand-in for Morikubo in episode 141.[39][40] His English voice actor is Tom Gibis.[38] Choji Akimichi Choji Akimichi (秋道 チョウジ, Akimichi Chōji) is a member of Team 10, typified by his affinity for food. Though his habit of always eating gives him a relatively portly 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 increases his resolve to battle,[ch. 55] even killing one of the Sound Four during one occurrence. 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.[ch. 190] In battle, Choji can increase the size of his body to improve the amount of damage his strikes deal upon impact.[ch. 189] He can also use his clan's signature Calorie Control (カロリーコントロール, Karorī Kontorōru) which converts his body fat to chakra.[ch. 190] In the series epilogue, Choji has married Karui of the Hidden Cloud Village and they have a daughter Chocho Akimichi. His voice actor in the Japanese anime is Kentarō Itō and his English voice actor is Robbie Rist.[14][16] Ino Yamanaka Ino Yamanaka (山中 いの, Yamanaka Ino) is a member of Team 10 and Yamanaka Clan, and the only daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka, typified by her affinity of being fashionable and good looks, making her a popular girl in the academy. She is a childhood friend of Sakura Haruno, helping her to develop her own identity and defending her from bullies. When they discovered that they both liked Sasuke Uchiha, their friendship was ended.[ch. 71] The two eventually make amends and rekindle their friendship, but still maintain a competitive attitude toward each other.[ch. 73] In the anime, when Sakura begins to excel in healing techniques, Ino becomes motivated to learn Medical Ninjutsu, hoping to be even more useful to her friends and teammates as an able medical ninja.[41] Ino and Naruto are good friends for most of the time, despite they are close comrades. At beginning of the story, she's not happy with his ninja misbehavior, but later she finally understands about his good deeds, really accepting him as one of his friends. As they grew older, Naruto and Ino get along well and she respects who Naruto became, and during the anime she is shown to have more sympathy and loyalty towards him. After Pain's defeat, Ino would also secretly remark that she could almost fall in love with Naruto who is a true hero. In terms of combat abilities, Ino specializes in mind-altering techniques. Ino can transfer her consciousness to her target's mind, gaining control over their body and actions which she can then use to attack others, to spy or to immobilize/distract.[ch. 55] She can also communicate telepathically by connecting minds of people around her, and in addition, she is a sensory ninja, able to detect chakra around her. During the death of her father, it was revealed that Ino was raised to embody the title of the 'Purple Buschlover' represented in the Yamanaka Clan's crest, which is a blunt and candid love that treasures bonds. In the series' epilogue, Ino has married Sai and they have a son, Inojin, and become the head of her clan and the Leader of the Village's Sensory Unit as well as the owner of her family's flowershop. In the Japanese anime, her voice actress is Ryōka Yuzuki, and her voice actress in the English adaptation is Colleen O'Shaughnessey.[14][42] Asuma Sarutobi Asuma Sarutobi (猿飛 アスマ, Sarutobi Asuma) was the leader of Team 10 and son of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and uncle of Konohamaru Sarutobi. In battle, Asuma wielded trench knives that he could infuse with his wind nature chakra to extend the blades' length and sharpness.[ch. 317] When he was younger, Asuma had a dispute with his father and briefly left Konohagakure in protest, gaining fame as a member of the Land of Fire's Twelve Guardian Shinobi. Though Asuma eventually returned, gaining the resolve to protect Konoha's next generation from his experiences outside his home, he never completely reconciled with his father by the time of Hiruzen's death.[ch. 314] Asuma was usually seen smoking a cigarette, but would temporarily drop the habit when something was bothering him, such as when his father died.[ch. 321] Among all his students, Asuma shared a particularly close relationship with Shikamaru Nara, often playing go or shogi together.[ch. 107] Asuma frequently appears alongside his childhood friend Kurenai Yuhi, denying having a relation before it is revealed that Kurenai is bearing his child.[ch. 140, 342] After Asuma is killed by Hidan of the criminal organization Akatsuki, Shikamaru inherited his mentor's ideals as he uses his knuckles to defeat Hidan. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Asuma is brought back with the Reanimation Jutsu to fight for Kabuto before being defeated by his students and sealed until his soul is allowed to return to the afterlife. Asuma's voice actor in the Japanese anime is Jūrōta Kosugi, and he is voiced by Doug Erholtz in the English adaptation.[14][16] Team Guy Team Guy (ガイ班, Gai-Han) is a group of Konohagakure ninja led by Might Guy. The members of Team Guy primarily concentrate on physical attacks and weapons. They are a year older than the other members of Konohagakure's teams, as Guy wanted to wait a year before they could take the test to advance in ninja rank and become Chunin. In Part II, Team Guy joins Team 7 in an attempt to save Gaara from the criminal organization, Akatsuki.[ch. 253] Rock Lee Main article: Rock Lee Rock Lee (ロック・リー, Rokku Rī) is a member of Team Guy and the favorite student of team leader Might Guy. In the ninja academy, Rock Lee was unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu techniques, but his persistence impressed 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 because of this, such as his wardrobe and his perseverance.[ch. 84] 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. During the Chunin Exams, Lee loses use of both his left arm and leg, but his injuries are healed following Tsunade's return to Konoha[ch. 52]. In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Yoichi Masukawa, and his voice actor is Brian Donovan in English.[43][16] Neji Hyuga Neji Hyuga (日向 ネジ, Hyūga Neji) was a member of Team Guy and a child prodigy of the Hyuga clan, as well as Hinata's cousin.[ch. 101] As he was the only ninja of his generation to be promoted to the rank of Jonin during Part II, he frequently acted as leader of his assigned teams and the secondary leader of Team Guy when Might Guy is absent. Though a member of the branch house, Neji displayed his title as a prodigy of the Hyuga throughout the series as a master of his clan's Gentle Fist style of combat that he taught to himself.[ch. 101] Originally, Neji believed in a fatalistic philosophy: that one's destiny is inescapable and that a weak person will always be weak.[ch. 38] After being defeated in the Chunin Exams Final Round by Naruto Uzumaki, who defied his own "fate" and used Nine-Tailed-Fox's chakra, Neji had a change of heart once Uncle Hiashi reveals the full story of his father's death, Hizashi Hyuga, as an act of self-sacrifice in place of his twin brother. Neji then abandons his belief in determinism and resolves to get strong enough to never lose a battle and change the fates of his loved ones.[ch. 197] As the series progressed, Neji refined his Gentle Fist and devised original variations that either increased their potency or fixed flaws such as the blind spot in his Byakugan.[ch. 197] Neji also remedied the estranged relations between himself and the members of the main house, resulting in his training with Hiashi and Hinata at the end of Part I.[ch. 238] Neji is killed during the Fourth Great Ninja War as he sacrificed himself to protect Naruto and Hinata from Obito Uchiha's attack, telling Naruto that he made the choice to die protecting those dear to him as his father had. Following the war's conclusion, a memorial was held in Neji's honor. Years after the war, Naruto paid tribute to Neji by naming his son Boruto Uzumaki whose name means "bolt" while Neji's name means "screw". In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Kōichi Tōchika, and when he is featured as a child, he is voiced by Keiko Nemoto.[37][44] His voice in the English anime is provided by Steve Staley, and Wendee Lee provides his child voice.[45][46] Tenten Tenten (テンテン) is a member of Team Guy. Of all the Naruto protagonists, Tenten (is an only one girl character whose) receives the least screen time in the series.[ch. 73]. In battle, Tenten specializes in weaponry, ranging from projectiles to close-combat weapons and even explosives by the second part of the series. 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.[ch. 98] In the series epilogue, Tenten runs her own weapons shop. Her Japanese voice actress is Yukari Tamura, and her English voice actress is Danielle Judovits.[37][45] Might Guy "Might Guy" redirects here. For the Japanese actor nicknamed "Maito gai", see Akira Kobayashi. Might Guy (マイト・ガイ, Maito Gai) is the leader of Team Guy who dedicates most of his time to his pupil Rock Lee, who emulates himself in his sensei's image and ideals, including his "My Rules" philosophy, which involves setting tough self-imposed penalties for failure in the belief that the punishment will make him stronger.[ch. 180] Like Lee, Guy relies on his mastery of taijutsu, but unlike his pupil he is fully capable of using ninjutsu and genjutsu. He taught Lee many of the techniques he learned from his father Might Duy, such as the ability to unlock the Eight Gates which safely restrict the flow of chakra through the body.[47] When not teaching Lee, Guy is usually found competing with his self-proclaimed childhood rival, Kakashi Hatake. Throughout the series, Kakashi never displays a particular interest in their rivalry, which only further motivates Guy to defeat him.[ch. 65] Guy is an extremely capable ninja as seen in his fight against Itachi Uchiha and his recurring confrontations with Kisame Hoshigaki,[ch. 143] beating him single-handedly on two occasions.[ch. 258][ch. 506] During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Guy is forced to use the Eighth Gate in a failed attempt to defeat Madara. Though Naruto uses the power of the Sage of Six Paths to save his life, Guy's right leg is too damaged to be fully healed. Though he is not wavered from his shinobi career, he remains in a paraplegic state by the events of the epilogue. Series creator Masashi Kishimoto had likened Guy's passionate personality to that of a physical education teacher he had in junior high school, but notes that the teacher was not a model for Guy's character.[48] In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Masashi Ebara (who also voices Guy's father, Duy), with Mayuki Makiguchi voicing him as a child. In the English anime, Guy is voiced by Skip Stellrecht (except in Rock Lee and his Ninja Pals, where he is voiced by Matthew Mercer), with Todd Haberkorn voicing him as a child.[49][50] Sand Siblings The Sand Siblings (砂の三姉弟, Suna no Sankyōdai) are ninjas from the village of Sunagakure and the children of the Fourth Kazekage, the former leader of the village.[ch. 59] They come to Konohagakure to participate in the biannual Chunin exams, and serve as antagonists in the subsequent invasion of Konohagakure. Because of their interactions with Naruto Uzumaki, and learning their father was murdered by their supposed ally Orochimaru, the Sand Siblings return as allies of Konohagakure, aiding Naruto's group in their attempts to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha from Orochimaru's forces. Kishimoto changed their costumes for their return due to the difficulty in drawing their original attire, as well as to symbolize their new friendship with Konohagakure.[51] In Part II, Gaara becomes Kazekage with his older siblings serving under him as his bodyguards during the Kage Summit at the Land of Iron. Baki Baki is the Sand Siblings' instructor and a member of Sunagakure's advisory council. He killed Gekko Hayate during the Konoha Crush. Gaara Main article: Gaara Gaara (我愛羅) is the youngest of the three siblings, created as a foil to Naruto Uzumaki, with a similar background yet a highly divergent personality.[9] Before being born, Gaara was made into a weapon by his father by becoming the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beast Shukaku the One-Tail (一尾の守鶴, Ichibi no Shukaku). This act caused the death of his mother during labor and Gaara was placed in the care of his mother's younger brother. Like any other Jinchuriki and because his sand unconsciously attacked those around him when he was threatened, Gaara was tormented by his fellow villagers as well as his uncle.[ch. 131] Unlike Naruto, however, Gaara comes to see himself as omnipotent and that anyone who challenges him or his power must die. When he battles Naruto during the invasion of Konoha, learning that he is also a Jinchuriki like himself, Gaara's outlook changes as he resolves to help others and he succeeds his deceased father as Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage during Part II.[ch. 249] Gaara's Japanese voice actor is Akira Ishida and his English voice actor is Liam O'Brien.[52][53] Kankuro Kankuro (カンクロウ, Kankurō) is the middle of the three siblings. For the first half of the series, he is frequently at odds with Gaara, though he tends to hold his tongue for fear of being killed.[ch. 36] In Part II, once Gaara begins to reveal his dreams and motivations to Kankuro, Kankuro becomes very protective of Gaara; he lashes out at anyone who speaks poorly of Gaara and when Gaara is kidnapped, he readily risks his life to save him.[ch. 249] Kankuro is a talented puppeteer, normally using his bladed attack puppet Crow (烏, Karasu) and trapping puppet Black Ant (黒蟻, Kuroari) in combination attacks. He also possesses the large puppet Salamander (山椒魚, Sanshōuo) that provides him with combination defense and offense. After his puppets were destroyed by their creator, Kankuro gains a new puppet in Sasori's lifeless body Scorpion (蠍, Sasori) and modifies it for his use as a normal puppet.[54] During the Fourth Great Ninja War, after defeating the reanimated Sasori and breaking Kabuto's hold over him, Kankuro is entrusted with the Mother and Father puppets. In the series epilogue, Kankuro continues to serve as Gaara's bodyguard. In the Japanese anime, his voice actor is Yasuyuki Kase, and his English voice actor is Michael Lindsay, until he was replaced by Doug Erholtz in 2013 (after the former retired the previous year).[37][45][55] Temari Temari (テマリ) is the oldest of the three siblings. Unlike her more combat-loving brothers, Temari values peace, as she questions Sunagakure's justifications for going to war with Konohagakure.[ch. 95] This trait carries over to Part II, in which she begins acting as a liaison between Sunagakure and Konohagakure to help the two villages work together. In her time in Konohagakure, Temari is often seen walking with Shikamaru Nara, causing other characters to think they are dating, although both deny this.[ch. 247] In battle, Temari wields a giant iron fan that can create powerful gusts of wind capable of leveling the surrounding landscape. As she is skilled at deducing an opponent's strategies and weaknesses soon after a battle begins, she typically uses her winds to remove parts of the battlefield that might be advantageous to the enemy.[ch. 107] During Part I of the series, Temari is able to use the Summoning Jutsu, in which she can summon a powerful scythe-wielding weasel called Kamatari (カマタリ).[ch. 214] In the series epilogue, Temari is revealed to have moved to the Hidden Leaf and married Shikamaru, with whom she has a son, Shikadai.[ch. 700] Temari's voice actress in the Japanese anime is Romi Park and her English voice actress is Tara Platt.

the beginning of the Naruto series