Kabuto Yakushi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kabuto Yakushi | |
|---|---|
| (薬師カブト) | |
 Kabuto Yakushi by Masashi Kishimoto |
|
| Debut | Manga Chapter 39 Anime Episode 23 |
| Seiyū | Nobutoshi Canna |
| Voice actor(s) | Henry Dittman |
| Profile | |
| Age | 19-20 in Part I 22 in Part II |
| Date of birth | February 29 |
| Blood type | AB |
| Height | 176.2 cm |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Information | |
| Current rank | Missing-nin (Medic-nin) |
| Current affiliation | Orochimaru, Otogakure |
| Previous affiliation | Konohagakure |
| Previous team | Kabuto Yakushi, Yoroi Akado, Misumi Tsurugi |
| Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai | |
Kabuto Yakushi (薬師カブト Yakushi Kabuto?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.
Kabuto is the last part of the Japanese name for aconite (鳥兜 Torikabuto?), a plant which can either alleviate pain or kill, an apt description for his character. Additionally, a kabuto is also the name for a samurai's helmet or headplate. With his teammates, Yoroi ("armor") and Tsurugi ("sword"), they form an armor-helmet-sword trio. Kabuto can also refer to a rhinoceros beetle. His family name, Yakushi, is the Japanese name of the Medicine Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Kabuto's origins remain largely unknown, but his background in Konoha was explained by Anko Mitarashi during the preliminary of the Chunin Exam. He was raised by the chief medical officer of the Konoha Medical Unit Squad, who found him at the battle of Kikyo ("Bellflower") Pass when he was still a little boy. He was the only survivor of the battle, found lying with the bodies of the enemy all around him. At some point, he was recruited by the Akatsuki member Sasori and sent to spy on Orochimaru. Orochimaru freed him from Sasori's hypnosis, and brought him around to his "glorious point of view," or "magnificent way of thinking," as Kabuto put it. Kabuto has since risen to become Orochimaru's personal medic, assistant, and general right-hand man. This is mainly because of Kabuto's unique ability to reactivate dead cells and grow new ones, and also likely for his detailed knowledge of human physiology; Kabuto's talent for keeping test subjects alive is helpful as well.
Orochimaru had Kabuto play the role of an untalented ninja within Konohagakure to gain information on both Konoha's Genin and those of the other Hidden Villages. To do so, Kabuto continuously failed the Chunin exams a total of seven times, collecting what he learned on a set of chakra-encoded cards. Sasuke Uchiha was of particular interest as Orochimaru's potential host body. Kabuto was partnered with Yoroi Akado and Misumi Tsurugi, who also served as spies for Orochimaru.
Although officially ranked as a Genin (though now a missing-nin), several ninja (including Jiraiya and Orochimaru) rate Kabuto as being capable of matching even Kakashi Hatake in battle. His skills usually involve turning medical techniques into offensive capabilities, allowing him to kill an opponent with a single strike if necessary. This was first shown when he killed the entire ANBU squad that Kakashi had guarding Sasuke with ease. He mockingly comments that Kakashi should have assigned at least ten ANBU. During his fight with Tsunade, she commented that Kabuto's sense of jutsu and sharpness surpassed her own in her prime.
His personality is perhaps as mysterious as his origins. He can go from a lighthearted and polite teenager into a twisted and sadistic maniac in a matter of seconds. He also enjoys playing mind games with his enemies often unnerving them by pointing out their weaknesses and turning personal horrors against them, such as splashing blood over Tsunade to exploit her hemophobia.
[edit] Loyalty
Despite his past as an Akatsuki spy, Kabuto has so far been loyal to Orochimaru, declaring himself a convert to Orochimaru's "glorious way of seeing things." Kabuto supervises many of Orochimaru's most important projects, as well as acting as his all-around medic and right-hand man. Despite this loyalty, he often tends to act against Orochimaru's purposes, such as when he freely gave information about Orochimaru's lair or when he attempted to kill Sasuke instead of kidnapping him.
Because of his complex nature and tendency to do good things, Kabuto is arguably the most mysterious character in the series. For example, he healed Hinata after her injuries played up during the main matches of the Chunin exam. He also healed Sakura after she was injured by Naruto in his four-tailed fox state. It has been hinted that he has an ulterior motive, which an amused Orochimaru appears to recognize but doesn't seem to mind. In fact, Orochimaru never seems to even consider the possibility of Kabuto betraying him. Tsunade nearly killed him when it seemed that she was willing to heal his injured arms, but Kabuto cut off the attempt without saying a word. Orochimaru never questioned the action, instead turning to Tsunade for an answer. He also openly tells Kabuto that killing Sasuke is the only way to stop him. In this instance, Orochimaru thinks Kabuto might actually do it, yet still seems amused by the thought.
For the time being, Kabuto seems quite happy to serve Orochimaru in return for a steady supply of victims on which to conduct his inhumane medical research. Orochimaru has noted that Kabuto has kept the total number of deaths from Orochimaru's research much lower than it was before he joined, and Kabuto himself actually requests a body of a certain gender and blood type from Orochimaru at one point, citing an empty spot on his body-storing scroll as the reason. Orochimaru once pointed out that Kabuto was even more cruel than he was after Kabuto had convinced Kimimaro Kaguya to go on a suicidal mission to collect Sasuke and bring him back to Orochimaru.
[edit] Part I
[edit] Chunin Exam arc
Kabuto participated in and failed the Chunin exams seven times to collect detailed information on all the participants. During his last one as a Konoha-nin, he befriended Team 7 to collect information on Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
After having his glasses knocked off in a battle with a group of Rain Genin, Kabuto's eyes became blood shot and red, hinting at a mysterious ability; bloodlust was evident in his expression. Naruto's attack on the Rain Genin stopped Kabuto from revealing the purpose of his altered eyes. After purposefully forfeiting in the Chunin exams preliminaries, Kabuto implies that his red-eyed state could be dangerous, and would have compromised his position as a spy.
Sasuke was hospitalized after the preliminaries, and Orochimaru ordered Kabuto to kidnap him. Before Kabuto left, Orochimaru reminded him that the only way to stop his ultimate plan was to kill Sasuke, since Kabuto has no chance of killing Orochimaru. Kabuto almost takes this advice, as he is seen holding a scalpel to Sasuke's throat, but was interrupted by Kakashi Hatake before he could do anything.
Later on he murdered another ANBU to disguise himself and sneak into the Chunin exam stadium where he watched over several battles. During this he unexpectedly applied medical aid to Hinata when injuries she had suffered during her battle with Neji began playing up. Shortly after he knocked Kiba unconscious to preserve his cover since Akamaru recognized his scent. In the middle of the battle between Sasuke and Gaara he activated Temple of Nirvana Technique, rendering almost everyone in the stadium unconscious. He remained in the arena for the remainder of the battle. After a confrontation with Kakashi, he and Baki retreated, claiming that if he stayed Kakashi would just copy his moves.
[edit] Search for Tsunade arc
Kabuto appears again in the Search for Tsunade arc with Orochimaru, who had hoped to have Tsunade heal his sealed arms by offering to bring her dead brother and lover back to life. Though it seems that Tsunade will do so, Kabuto knows better. Being a medical ninja, he recognizes killing intent in the chakra that is supposed to heal Orochimaru, and cuts her off before she can administer it.
Later on, he battles her for Orochimaru, and realizes her enormous strength and medical ninjutsu will wear him down if he can't do something to balance things out. Kabuto takes a soldier pill to boost his strength and chakra temporarily then uses medical ninjutsu to sever various muscles in her legs and arms and even costal muscles to hamper her breathing. Even this is insufficient though to stop her from overpowering Kabuto so to remove her from the fight altogether he cuts himself and splashes Tsunade with his blood, eliciting her hemophobia and throwing her into a state of shock. Kabuto then follows with taking a blood pill to replace his blood-loss so far to better continue to fight.
He also battles Shizune and Naruto, commenting on the skill of Shizune before using his chakra scalpel to make short work of her. Naruto doesn't do much better, overall, but is able to disable Kabuto by first stopping his kunai in mid-attack to hold Kabuto in position and then using his Spiraling Sphere for the first time. Kabuto gathers regenerative chakra in his abdomen to counteract the incoming damage, but Kabuto uses up all of his chakra and is left unable to stand. As Naruto hits him, however, Kabuto severs the chakra circulatory system around Naruto's heart, simultaneously leaving him near-death and preventing the demon fox's chakra from healing the injury. Luckily for Naruto, Tsunade recovers enough to heal the supposedly fatal wound. After the battle between the three Sannin and their summons, Kabuto and Orochimaru retreat.
[edit] Sasuke Retrieval arc
Kabuto plays a small role in the Sasuke Retrieval arc. As he and Orochimaru await in their lair for Sasuke to arrive, he tries to convince Orochimaru to transfer to a new body before he dies. Kabuto even offers himself as a host. Orochimaru is unwilling to switch bodies, but Kabuto prepares anyway by having the prisoners in their hideout fight until only one is left standing. He also indirectly convinces Kimimaro Kaguya to assist the Sound Four, despite his terminal illness.
[edit] Part II
Kabuto's Naruto: Hurricane Chronicles debut takes place during the Sasuke and Sai arc. It had been discovered that he was one of Sasori's sleeper agents, so Team Kakashi, with Yamato as its leader, went to meet with him. Meeting with Yamato (disguised as Sasori) on a bridge in the Grass country.
However, it was revealed that Orochimaru had undone the hypnosis that was placed on Kabuto, and thus, he seems to currently be loyal to Orochimaru. While pretending to be meeting his former master he and Orochimaru had intended to assassinate the Akatsuki member, he also reveals he had never seen Sasori face to face. While Orochimaru battles a four-tailed demon fox Naruto, Kabuto, Sakura and Yamato watch from afar. After Orochimaru forces Naruto down, Kabuto comments on Naruto's desperation, that he would allow himself to become so twisted by the Demon fox just to save his friend. This provokes Sakura to try and calm Naruto down but in his demonic driven bloodlust he doesn't recognize her and strikes her down. After Yamato restrains Naruto with his Wood techniques, Kabuto heals Sakura's injured arm and then retreats to meet up with Orochimaru.
After interrupting the meeting between Orochimaru and Sai, Kabuto joins them journeying to their lair. While on route he leaves a hanged corpse disguised as Sai to throw off their pursuers. He later requests another body from Orochimaru, because he cannot stand things being out of sequence in his body storing scroll. This callous statement even seems to leave Orochimaru a little nervous. Throughout the trip he remains suspicious of Sai.
Part of Sai's mission was to provide a list of ninja on Konoha's ANBU squad list. Orochimaru instructs Kabuto to create a bingo book of this data, but he leaves it behind in Sai's room. On returning he finds Sai missing, Sai having been captured by Team Kakashi who had infiltrated the base. He then shows up while they are interrogating him, only to be captured by the reformed Sai and restrained by Yamato and left under a wood clone's guard. During this he willingly gives up information about Orochimaru's lair, bringing his loyalty further into question. He later escapes and confronts Naruto and his group again, and helps calm down Sasuke. After that, he, Orochimaru, and Sasuke depart.
