Sasuke Uchiha
' is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto''.
A
Genin level ninja, Sasuke is the natural genius offspring of the once powerful
Uchiha clan. One of the more outstanding clans in
Konohagakure, the Uchiha clan was known for its kekkei genkai, the
Sharingan, as well as their use of fire element jutsu after their country's namesake. The clan also formed much of the Konohagakure's village police force. Sasuke is one of two known remaining survivors.
The second son of a Konohagakure police captain, Sasuke grew up in the shadow of his older brother,
Itachi. Itachi was an acknowledged prodigy who graduated at the top of his Academy class at age 7, mastered the Sharingan by age 8, became a Chunin at age 10, and an ANBU squad leader at the age of 13. As a result, the Uchiha clan took great pride and interest in Itachi and viewed him as a genius whose work would further strengthen the bonds between the village and the clan. In particular, Sasuke's father took an active interest in Itachi. Itachi, on the other hand, was rather ambivalent and full of oddly conflicting undercurrents, acknowledging Sasuke by taking interest in his progress as a ninja when even their father did not, but spending little quality time with Sasuke. Even after Sasuke enrolled in the Ninja Academy, he still was unable to escape Itachi's shadow. Despite consistently scoring at the head of every class, Sasuke failed to receive any recognition from his father, who defined Sasuke's success only in terms of his older brother. Itachi acknowledged the rivalry Sasuke felt, telling him, "We are unique siblings. I am the barrier you must overcome, so you and I will continue to exist together."
After an incident between Itachi and a few other Uchiha clan members, relations between Itachi and Sasuke's father began to deteriorate. Itachi's behavior became increasingly bizarre, estranging him further from other members of the Uchiha clan. During this time, Sasuke's father, on a whim, decided to spend time with Sasuke, teaching him
Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique). Sasuke (age 8 at the time) eventually succeeded in performing the jutsu in front of his father, surprising him. At that moment, Sasuke finally received his father's recognition; the Uchiha clan considered the ability to perform fire jutsu as proof that one had become an adult. Sasuke's father told him that he could now proudly wear the clan's emblem on his back. Sasuke also received a stern warning not to follow in Itachi's footsteps. Shortly thereafter, Itachi killed every Uchiha member with the exception of Sasuke. Itachi said that Sasuke was not even worth killing. In addition, Itachi told him "You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live." Following the murders, Sasuke vowed to kill his brother and restore the Uchiha clan.
Team 7
Naruto, Sasuke and
Sakura are forced to cooperate against their will when they become the members of the newly founded Team 7 of academy graduates. Naruto initially has a one-sided rivalry with Sasuke, because Naruto spent his whole life shunned, scorned and desperately seeking to attain the very same recognition and popularity Sasuke has been getting; this is only made worse by the fact that Naruto has a crush on Sakura who, in turn, is head over heels for Sasuke. Sasuke initially looks upon Naruto and his admirer, Sakura, with an equal smug distaste, viewing them as annoyances who would only get in the way; his loner attitude is one of the negative factors responsible for Team 7's initial state of borderline non-existent teamwork, which
Kakashi Hatake, the team's sensei, notes and berates him for. However, Naruto and Sasuke's relationship slowly shifts from an incompatible mix of frustration and dislike into a mutually positive rivalry - while Sasuke appears to always be one step ahead of Naruto, Sasuke sees Naruto as constantly gaining ground each moment, which results in a state where they push and motivate each other to improve. Similarly, Sasuke's relationship with Sakura slowly changes for the better as a friend and teammate, while she slowly comes to understand the troubled person behind the "popular, brooding, pretty boy" image she initially crushed on.
His first major mission was escorting an architect and bridge expert, Tazuna, to his home in the poverty-stricken Wave Country. Sasuke showed exceptional skill when attacked by two Chunin-level ninja from Hidden Mist village. Later on in the same mission, during an exercise to improve chakra control, he managed to stay ahead of Naruto for a good length of time. He also stood toe to toe for a while with
Haku, an exceptionally dangerous ninja with extreme speed and dexterity. It was during this battle that Sasuke awakened the legacy of his clan, the Sharingan, and in which he first demonstrated a willingness to put others before himself, selflessly putting himself in the way of Haku's attack on Naruto in a move that would have resulted in his death if Haku had meant to kill him rather than just create the illusion of death. Although he claimed his body moved on its own, his actions show that, even at that early stage, he was willing to put himself in mortal danger for Naruto's sake.
Sasuke makes a point out of taunting Naruto on occasion, goading and egging him on with his air of superiority. He also continually disappoints Sakura by repeatedly informing her that he is not interested in going out with her. However, a bond between the three forms and Sasuke gradually learns the value of teamwork. As he does, he eventually begins to learn to trust and pushes his thoughts of revenge into the recesses of his mind.
Naruto's positive influence on Sasuke does not please
Orochimaru, who is interested in Sasuke as his next potential body, thanks to the Sharingan's technique copying ability, which would help greatly in Orochimaru's ambition to master all jutsu in the world. Orochimaru decides that it is imperative to somehow counter Naruto's positive influence on Sasuke and "dye him to his own color". To advance this cause he puts his
cursed seal on Sasuke's neck during the second stage of the Chunin exam (which, coincidentally, has the same design as a fully-developed Sharingan). As Sasuke lies unconscious, he is haunted with hallucinations of his parents dying and Orochimaru blaming him and his weakness for their death, exploiting his trauma to subvert the bond he has with his comrades with promises of power.
Sasuke turns out to be strong enough to survive the one in ten chance of withstanding the seal and regains consciousness, but its influence is far from over. The cursed seal will from then on activate and forcefully pull out his chakra whenever he molds it, while causing intense pain, corroding his body and his free will. Though Sasuke wakes up in a psychologically twisted state, colored by the seal in a sinister black flame-pattern and influenced by Orochimaru's suggestion, this is still far from enough to destroy his bond with his teammates - the first thing he sees is a very wounded Sakura, and he consequently almost kills the Sound ninja who did it to her. At the last minute, he is stopped by Sakura pleading for him to stop, knowing that the maniacally grinning Sasuke she sees before her "couldn't possibly be the Sasuke [she] know[s]."
Though the cursed seal slowly recedes at the sound of her pleas, Orochimaru, on a later encounter with Kakashi, leaves him with lingering, ominous words: "He will eventually seek me out... For power, that is. He carries that kind of disposition."
Naruto the Movie
Sasuke played a small role in the first movie. Sasuke was the one who had the tickets to a Princess Fuun movie and encountered Fubuki through out the movie and defeated her with Shishi Rendan. Sasuke used Chidori to damage Dotou's armor, which led to a painful sacrifice. He was seen looking out at the newly created Spring country with
Sakura and presented Naruto the autograph that he got him from Fuun in the bonus ending (credits).
Defection from Konoha
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Sasuke leaves a pleading Sakura behind. |
Sasuke's willpower is surprisingly strong enough to hold back the cursed seal, and after Kakashi performs his
Evil Sealing Method technique on him, the cursed seal enters a dormant state that remains as long as the Evil Sealing Method is fueled by Sasuke's will. However, a series of events unfolds that changes Sasuke's outlook on life, causing a regression back into his former absolute fixation on revenge. With Sasuke already pressured by a growing jealousy over witnessing Naruto's leaps of improvement - culminating on Naruto defeating Gaara and saving Sakura, while Sasuke failed to even when using the cursed seal - Itachi visits Konoha in search of Naruto and the Kyubi, and upon challenging him, Sasuke is again subjected to Mangekyo Sharingan by Itachi, and gets such a horrid beating that his already manifesting inferiority complex drives him over the edge, and he sets his mind on his original goal: gaining enough power to kill his brother.
When Naruto returns from Tanzaku City, Sasuke immediately challenges him to a fight, enraged that Itachi was more interested in Naruto's power than he was in Sasuke. Truthfully, Itachi was really only after Naruto for what was inside of him, not the real Naruto, but Sasuke doesn't realize this. The two go to the roof of the hospital, where Sasuke reiterates that he is the superior of the two. Naruto retorts that he never considered himself to be inferior to Sasuke, and that their forehead protectors indicated they were equals, but Sasuke refuses to wear his. With that, Sasuke and Naruto spar with such intensity that Kakashi has to stop them from using
Chidori and
Rasengan on each other. Kakashi deflects their attacks into adjacent water towers, and Sasuke momentarily revels in the sight of his tower being more damaged, taking this as proof his Chidori was stronger than Naruto's Rasengan. However, upon closer inspection, Sasuke is shocked to find that the back of Naruto's tower had completely been blown out by the power of the Rasengan. Frustrated by Naruto's increasing power, Sasuke is then lectured by Kakashi, who forcibly ties him to a tree so he'll listen. Kakashi tells Sasuke that his comrades are the most important thing about being a Konoha ninja, and that Chidori should never be used on a fellow team member. Sasuke seems slightly receptive of Kakashi's message, but he has no time to contemplate any of it. As soon as Kakashi leaves, Orochimaru's
Sound Four attack. Sasuke tries his best, but his every attempt is rendered useless. Even his Shishi Rendan does little to stop the enemy from giving Sasuke a thorough beating.
Sakon proceeds to goad Sasuke by telling him that if he can be beaten so easily by the Sound Four, he has no chance of ever exacting revenge on Itachi. The Sound Four then extend an invitation to Sasuke: Follow them to the village of Sound and align himself with Orochimaru, who in turn will grant him the power he so desperately wants.
For this cause, Sasuke decides to take Orochimaru up on his offers of power. He decides to advance his Cursed Seal into Stage Two instead of attempting to contain it, and he turns his back on Konoha to join Orochimaru's Hidden Sound Village, betraying Team Kakashi and all of Konoha in the process. As he sneaks out of the village,
Sakura finds him, and soon understands the magnitude of what he is about to do. Crying and desperate not to lose Sasuke, Sakura does anything she can think of, confessing her love for him and even offering to join his twisted journey so they at least can be together. Sasuke's cryptic last words before swiftly knocking her out and departing are "Sakura... Thank you". At the end, he leaves her with only a word of gratitude rather than words of parting.
A genin team consisting of Naruto,
Kiba Inuzuka,
Neji Hyuga and
Choji Akimichi and led by Chunin
Shikamaru Nara is sent to retrieve Sasuke, but encounters opposition from
Orochimaru's
Sound Four, a team of elite ninjas who, by activating their cursed seals, can overpower Jonin-level ninjas. They were dispatched especially by Orochimaru to make sure Sasuke arrives without interference. Naruto manages to reach Sasuke with tremendous aid from his teammates, several of whom are critically wounded and nearly die. It is then revealed that in his famous speech after slaughtering the Uchiha clan,
Itachi did not only tell Sasuke to "run, run and cling desperately to life", but also that he will only be able to match him in battle when he has the same eyes as him, the
Mangekyo Sharingan - which can only be attained by killing one's best friend. This was not revealed the first time Sasuke is forced to recall this scene, which suggests that he refused to remember until this moment in time.
Naruto refuses to accept Sasuke's decision, as by his own admission Sasuke is like a brother to him and he can't bear to lose him to the twisted path of self-destruction he has chosen. They therefore engage in battle, and Sasuke's Sharingan develops into the final stage prior to the Mangekyo Sharingan, with three of the
tomoe in each eye. The battle from this point onward tips drastically into Sasuke's favor with Naruto barely managing to keep up, as the two shoot very ambivalent statements back and forth attempting to persuade one another to stop the fight and accept the falsity of their world-view. Though Sasuke maintains a show of indifference to the obvious moral conflict at first, this pretense deteriorates gradually throughout the fight, as Sasuke slowly starts acknowledging that whether his avenger self wishes it or not, Naruto - while his greatest rival - is also his best friend: thus killing Naruto could bring him the power he desires. As Naruto is repeatedly injured by Sasuke, he draws upon more and more of Kyubi's chakra, reducing his personality to a semi-animalistic state and surrounding him in a fox-shaped shield of Kyubi's chakra. To counter the release of the Kyubi's chakra, Sasuke activates the second stage of his cursed seal, becoming a demonic figure with a pair of huge, hand-like wings sprouting from his back. Before Sasuke does this, he puts on his Hidden Leaf forehead protector, indicating that he was finally acknowledging Naruto as strong and as an equal, which Sasuke was not willing to do during their first fight on the hospital roof. He still, however, scoffs at the idea that Naruto would even be able to scratch his headband.
At this point, the two rivals clash in a final display of power, Naruto attacking with a one-tailed
Kyubi-powered transformation
Rasengan, and Sasuke with a level two
Ten no Juin -powered
Chidori. Upon impact, a massive black dome of energy forms around the two. As the scene unfolds, Naruto let his Rasengan power down to see if Sasuke would actually go through with it and kill him , while Sasuke hesitates, striking Naruto with the back of his hand instead of the Chidori, and sparing his life, as he realizes that killing Naruto to gain the
Mangekyo Sharingan would be exactly what Itachi wanted. Itachi saw his family as nothing more than measuring sticks to test and prove his power; Sasuke desires nothing more than to be a different person from his brother, as his father advised him. He chooses to leave Naruto unconscious but alive on the ground, thus giving up his chance to gain Mangekyo Sharingan and proving that he is indeed not like his brother and Naruto is, ultimately, the person most important to him and not a measuring stick. In the aftermath Kakashi finds Naruto - hanging on to Sasuke's old headband (which Naruto has managed to scratch as his final act before losing consciousness) and returns him to Konoha for medical treatment. Sasuke descends to the darkness, still headed for Orochimaru, and in his mind resolving (to Itachi): "I will not be your puppet! I will gain power in my own way! I will surpass you in my own way!"
Sasuke is also briefly seen in episode 170 of the anime with Orochimaru. He shows off his Sharingan on one of Orochimaru's acquaintances and says to Orochimaru that it is unnecessary to refer to him as Uchiha Itachi's little brother.
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Sasuke's new look after two and a half years with Orochimaru. |
New personality
For the most part, Sasuke has stayed true to his original personality. When first meeting
Sai, he did not care the slightest and was interested more in Orochimaru's presence. When Sai states that he might be able to get along better with Sasuke than he did with Naruto, Sasuke freezes him with a stare, exuding a large amount of killing intent. Sai is amazed that even an emotionless person such as himself was affected by Sasuke's gaze, showing the power of his Sharingan. When Sai comments on how Naruto and Sakura have been searching for him, Sasuke once again regarded him with indifference.
It would appear that during his time with Orochimaru, he learned that if he ever wished to stand a chance against Itachi, he would need to push away all of his past bonds with his friends. Because of this, he shows that he no longer cares about Konoha or anyone from the village, despite the fact that when Sasuke encounters Naruto for the first time after the time jump, he makes remarks about Team Kakashi and also scolds Naruto, saying that his quest to recover Sasuke could threaten his chances of becoming Hokage. He also states that unlike their last encounter at the waterfall, Sasuke has no more reservations about killing Naruto, and attempts to do so. He's also aware of the fact he is intended to be the container for Orochimaru's soul. Sasuke has shown that he doesn't care what happens to himself, including giving his body to Orochimaru, as long as it results in Itachi's death.
New abilities
Sasuke is shown to have greatly improved in his fighting abilities, as proven by his new jutsu,
Chidori Nagashi (One Thousand Birds Current), which allows Sasuke to project a Chidori-like effect from his body, that can be used both defensively and offensively. In addition to this, Sasuke now wields a sword that is a Kusanagi like Orochimaru's. Sasuke uses the Chidori Nagashi and his sword to great effect to get around Yamato's defenses and pin him to a rock with his sword in Yamato's shoulder, and flows the Chidori Nagashi down the sword, numbing Yamato's body in the process as the electric-like chakra flows through his body.
While Yamato and Sai are on the floor from being stunned by the Chidori Nagashi and unable to fight, Sasuke looks down to see Naruto crawling over to him in a sub- Kyubi state with the eyes of the Kyubi, deeper whisker-marks and claws and fangs. Sasuke is able to get into Naruto's mind and make contact with Kyubi, much to the surprise of Naruto. Unexpectedly, the Kyubi itself knew about the Uchiha clan. The Kyubi mentions a Madara Uchiha, saying that Sasuke possesses that same "cursed" chakra, which is possibly more evil than the Kyubi's own. It also mentions that the eye-power of Sasuke's Sharingan is just like Madara's. Furthermore, it appears that Sasuke can suppress the Kyubi's chakra.
* Sasuke is named after the legendary ninja
Sarutobi Sasuke.
* "Uchiha" is another way of pronouncing "uchiwa", or a
paper fan, which is actually the Uchiha clan symbol. In ancient
Japan, uchiwa were used in court ceremonies, as souvenirs, and to protect soldiers from arrows. Most importantly, it can be used to fan flame, to make it hotter"which refers to the fact that they are a clan of katon-jutsu users.
* Sasuke often ends his statements to Naruto with
usuratonkachi or
kono usuratonkachi, which is a unique way of saying "you idiot" or "you moron". In the dub it is usually translated to "you total loser" or simply "loser".
* Sasuke has completed the following number of missions: 7 D-rank, 1 C-rank, 0 B-rank, 2 A-rank 0 S-rank. However, his only C-ranked mission (Land of Waves) actually became a classified A-rank as pronounced by Kakashi during the mission.
* In chapter 300, when Sasuke greets Orochimaru, his eyes are Sharingan, but in 306, upon seeing his former teammates, his eyes are black. Looking at past chapters it seems that the Sharingan is automatically used when the wielder is on guard or angry. Black eyes may be an indication that Sasuke does not view Sakura or Naruto in too negative a manner, although apathy or the belief that his old friends pose little threat to him seems possible.
* Often, Team 7 is drawn with a toad, snake and slug. In Sasuke's case, he is drawn with a snake. An example can be found in volume one of the manga, on the cover of chapter four, where Naruto was drawn standing on Gamabunta, along with Sasuke and Sakura on Manda and Katsuyu, respectively. This is especially notable as the Densetsu no Sannin （伝説の三忍） had not been introduced yet. It was probably some foreshadowing about Team 7's current link and similarities to the Sannin.
* Unlike Kabuto or any of Orochimaru's subordinates, who address him as "Orochimaru-sama" (which shows that they highly respect him), he simply refers to him as Orochimaru. Sasuke also never called Kakashi "Kakashi-sensei" (teacher) like the others did, something the Japanese would consider as very insulting or rude.
* Despite his association with the Sound Village, Sasuke does not wear a Sound headband, like some subordinates of Orochimaru (Sakon, Tayuya, Jirobo and even Kimimaro).
* While his original Konoha headband was symbolically scratched (by Naruto, in an ironic echo of Sasuke's previous boast that Naruto would never be able to lay a finger on his forehead) in the manner of a missing-nin when he broke ties with Konoha, Sasuke discarded it after his battle with Naruto. It is currently in Naruto's possession.
* Like most Uchiha, Sasuke's chakra seems to have an affinity for fire-based jutsu. His chakra also has an affinity for lightning as well, shown in his progress with the Chidori.
* The scene in episode 3 where Sasuke is seen accidentally kissing Naruto was edited out in the televised English version. It later appeared in the collage background behind Sasuke in episode 16.
* In Part One, it is very often stated that Sasuke was like Kakashi when he was young, being exceptionally talented.
* In Shonen Jump's June 2006 edition, Masashi Kishimoto (in Kakashi's voice) remarks that while Sasuke is a genius, he is a little dull to teach because he learns everything easily compared to the less predictable Naruto.
* In Shonen Jump's character popularity polls, Sasuke usually ranked the 3rd or 4th spot for the majority of the series. More recently, however, he has been ranked at 1st.
