Kakuzu

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kakuzu (角都)
Alias(es)	“Ghost of Ninjutsu” 2
Gender	Male
Species/Race	Human originally; his body is later reconstructed through fusion with Earth Grudge Fear 113
Origin	Land of Waterfalls 2
Affiliation	Takigakure; Akatsuki 136 219 231
Occupation/Role	Retired Second Takikage; Akatsuki leader and operative; envoy, researcher, and financial administrator 106 136 231 271 429
Jinchūriki	Documented as Takigakure’s Seven-Tails jinchūriki 359 431
Akatsuki Identifier	“North” ring 612
Status	Alive; continues coordinating Akatsuki operations during the conflict with Dusk 611 612
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Elite jōnin	2	System assessment lists Earth and Water attributes, no special ability, and Quasi-Kage talent. His principal strengths are ninjutsu proficiency and creativity.
Seal-less Rasengan and elemental techniques	13 14	Demonstrates the basic and Wind Style Spiral Sphere techniques against Hashirama. He can perform techniques from all five elements, but lacks innate Fire, Wind, and Lightning attributes at this point.
Infinitely close to Kage-level	113	Before reconstruction, Ruri identifies him as Takigakure’s second-ranking ninja with strength approaching Kage-level. Tobirama’s mutilation leaves him unable to continue fighting.
Kage-level: Earth Grudge Fear fusion	113 114	Fusion restores his limbs and replaces most internal structures with black tendrils. The reconstructed body alone raises him to Kage-level, before he acquires additional hearts.
All five chakra attributes	114	The system confirms Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Lightning. Ruri attributes the additional three natures to Earth Grudge Fear activating a transplanted fragment of Doma Chie’s heart.
Heart rejuvenation	187	An experimental masked puppet receives Turritopsis dohrnii cells and Hashirama cells. Its aging lightning-nature heart regains vitality and becomes approximately ten years younger.
Natural Chakra manipulation	196	Quickly learns the Mysterious Peacock Method and participates in Ruri’s Natural Chakra experiments, shaping chakra through a masked puppet.
Five hearts and Seven-Tails chakra	219	Both are confirmed as part of his combat resources. He suppresses his full strength to conceal Akatsuki’s connection to Takigakure.
Mangekyō Sharingan → Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan	232	Already possesses Uchiha Akikaze’s transplanted Mangekyō. Ruri merges its ocular power with Kagami Uchiha’s eyes, retaining Amaterasu and sealing enhancement without the blindness associated with ordinary Mangekyō use.
Five Releases—Five-Colored Rasengan	235	Develops Rasengan for all five attributes. Five masked puppets attack simultaneously, allowing the elements to complement one another.
Reserve-heart replenishment	353	Demonstrates a jointly developed method of storing rejuvenated hearts in sealing scrolls and replacing destroyed hearts during battle.
Fourth-stage Susanoo	443	Uses a Susanoo complete with bones, muscles, and armor. Its punches carry sealing power through his ocular ability.
Majestic Attire: Susanoo—Five Elements Seal	445	Combines five hearts, Susanoo, enhanced sealing, and multiple chakra sources to temporarily suppress Aiura and the Hamura Statue. The technique is described as surpassing an ordinary Chibaku Tensei.

Background / History

Rogue Ninja and Ruri’s Chosen Successor

Kakuzu and Amamiya Ruri had known each other for years before Takigakure’s founding. Both were rogue ninjas from the Land of Waterfalls, and Ruri helped develop many of Kakuzu’s techniques. Kakuzu also contributed significantly to the Waterfalls daimyo’s rise to power. Although his reputation exceeded Ruri’s, he accepted Ruri’s position as the country’s strongest ninja without resentment 2.

After Ruri became the First Takikage, Kakuzu gathered intelligence on the Five Kage Summit and accompanied him to the Land of Iron. He understood his appointment as Ruri’s guard as recognition that he was the intended Second Takikage 2 3 6.

Challenging Hashirama and Madara

Kakuzu volunteered to fight Hashirama before Ruri, both to fulfill his desire to challenge the God of Shinobi and to wear him down for his brother. He demonstrated seal-less and elemental ninjutsu, but Hashirama’s Deep Forest Emergence overwhelmed him. Ruri destroyed the forest with Amaterasu and extracted him unharmed 13 14.

During a later confrontation with Madara, Kakuzu took responsibility for stalling. Ruri’s presence gave him confidence to challenge an opponent far above his usual level, which he regarded as an opportunity to improve 61 66.

Tobirama’s Attack and Reconstruction

Kakuzu served repeatedly as Takigakure’s envoy to Konoha. For secret alliance negotiations, Ruri sent him with retired Fuma clan head Fuma Kazama and several younger ninjas. Tobirama attacked after the delegations met, killed the others, and pursued Kakuzu into a forest 106 111 114.

Tobirama severed all four of Kakuzu’s limbs and left them beside him. Kakuzu stopped his bleeding but could not reattach them; he survived on grass, insects, and morning dew until Takigakure Anbu found him. With medical treatment unable to restore his body, Ruri offered fusion with Earth Grudge Fear 113.

Kakuzu accepted the transformation to recover his strength and continue supporting Ruri’s ideals. The fusion stitched his limbs back into place, then destroyed and replaced most of his internal body with black tendrils. After awakening, he tested the reconstruction by cutting off and reattaching his own hand 113 114.

Second Takikage and Akatsuki Leadership

After the Great Ninja War, Ruri abdicated and Kakuzu succeeded him as Second Takikage. His later record was distinguished more by his ability to earn money than by village-development policy 136 301.

Kakuzu eventually preferred Akatsuki leadership to the Takikage office: it offered more freedom, less official paperwork, and direct control of the organization’s finances 231. During the Uzumaki crisis, he operated under a changed face, defended the clan’s right to remain neutral, and helped secure its relocation to Takigakure. He also chose not to eliminate the withdrawing Root force, avoiding an unnecessary confrontation with Konoha 219 220.

After ten years apart, Kakuzu briefly reunited with Ruri’s soul during the Uzumaki operation. He later assisted Ruri’s resurrection by having a masked puppet wear the Shinigami Mask 220 231 232.

Lunar Expedition and Development Missions

Kakuzu accompanied Ruri through the lunar passage, collected unusual water and bubbles for research and possible profit, and defeated a giant crab before forming a summoning contract with it. Their exploration led to the Otsutsuki ancestral grounds and battles against the clan’s elders and regenerating Hamura Statue 234 235 244.

He subsequently helped Ruri organize production and construction assistance in Sunagakure. Kakuzu acted as liaison to village officials, handled payment, and accepted a missing-nin capture mission that brought them to the Rōran survivors 269 270 271 272.

During their journey into the past, Kakuzu confronted the younger Tobirama. Using the future Tobirama’s heart and techniques, he repeatedly countered his opponent’s Water Style and survived attacks that destroyed individual hearts 282 283 284 285.

Defense of Takigakure and the Moon

When Nue attacked Takigakure, Kakuzu replenished lost hearts and fought as a shield for the other defenders. After his sealing attempt failed, he broadcast his battle and invoked the Will of Taki, encouraging frightened ninjas to resume fighting 353 354.

Against Otsutsuki Aiura, Kakuzu fought alongside Akatsuki’s assembled forces. His sealing-enhanced Susanoo slowed the Hamura Statue’s regeneration, protected his allies, and ultimately supplied the Five Elements Seal that temporarily suppressed the enemy 435 443 444 445.

Later Service

Despite retirement, Kakuzu remained involved in village emergencies, civilian evacuation, and Akatsuki intelligence. After Ruri disappeared for more than five years, he put aside his ongoing work and transferred responsibility for the United Nations Library to Dodai 429 530 547.

During the later earthquake, he led Takigakure ninjas in filling ground fissures. As the conflict with Dusk escalated, he reported the crisis in Iwagakure and represented Akatsuki’s commitment to supply transport and logistics for the allied response 583 611 612.

Appearance

• Reconstructed body: Earth Grudge Fear’s black threads support his body internally and emerge to reconnect severed limbs or extend his reach 113 114 235.
• Eyes: Possesses transplanted Sharingan, later upgraded to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan 232.
• Akatsuki clothing: Wears black robes patterned with red clouds while operating under a disguised identity 269.
• Altered face: Regularly uses the Face-Shifting Technique to prevent recognition as the Second Takikage 219 530 612.

Personality

Kakuzu’s love of money predates his return to Takigakure. Ruri initially secures his cooperation with a large payment, and Kakuzu later appreciates Akatsuki partly because its leader controls the organization’s finances. Even during dangerous exploration, he notices the commercial value of unusual materials and antiques 2 231 234 235.

His loyalty to Ruri outweighs concern for appearances or personal comfort. He accepts becoming a monster if it will make him useful to his brother, and his confidence rises markedly when Ruri is nearby. Their familiarity also allows for teasing, though Ruri’s Sexy Jutsu provokes his anger 66 113 280.

Kakuzu actively seeks difficult battles and enjoys researching unfamiliar techniques. He challenges Hashirama despite recognizing the enormous difference between them, studies his reconstructed body through self-dissection, and uses experimental masked puppets in biological research 3 13 114 187.

His treatment of civilians contrasts with his ruthlessness toward enemies. During earthquake relief, he orders gentle removal of rubble around a trapped family. Against Tobirama, whose mutilation he considers his most humiliating defeat, he takes satisfaction in retaliating with the enemy’s own heart and ninjutsu 114 130 285.

Abilities & Skills

Ninjutsu Mastery

• Breadth: Learns the techniques Takigakure receives as First War reparations, along with Tobirama’s techniques preserved in the village’s Scroll of Seals. His repertoire is described as no less extensive than Hiruzen’s 283.
• Elemental specialization: Initially possesses Earth and Water chakra, preferring Water Style. Techniques outside his innate attributes are less effective before reconstruction 13.
• Seal-less techniques: Uses Rasengan and elemental ninjutsu without hand seals, particularly suited to attacks by masked puppets 13 14 235.
• Five-Colored Rasengan: Coordinates five elemental spheres through five puppets to produce a mutually reinforcing attack 235.
• Chidori: Ruri teaches him the technique during the Warring States sequence; Kakuzu remembers it as one of the first techniques that astonished him 280.

Earth Grudge Fear

• Reattachment: Black tendrils reconnect severed body parts and allow limbs to detach, extend, and return 114 235.
• Multiple hearts: Additional hearts let him survive otherwise fatal injuries; Hard Vortex Water Blade destroys one heart without killing him 285.
• Masked puppets: Separates heart-bearing puppets for combat and experimentation 187 196 235.
• Tentacle Heavy Punch: Extends an Earth-hardened arm with tendrils to strike at range. Its force is described as not much weaker than Tsunade’s monstrous strength 235.
• Body stitching: Ruri assigns him the recovery and reconstruction of sealed immortal cultists because of his ability to stitch bodies together 316.
• Limit: His survival is not absolute. Nue destroys a heart in one exchange and tears through tendrils intended to carry sealing power 353 354.

Heart Preservation and Longevity

• Rejuvenation: Immortal-jellyfish cells combined with Hashirama cells restore life force to aging hearts 187.
• Combat reserves: Specially sealed scrolls preserve spare hearts, allowing him to replace destroyed ones when he finds an opening 353.
• Critical vulnerability: The replenishment method depends on avoiding the simultaneous destruction of all five hearts 353.
• Earlier limitation: Frequent replacement of aging hearts prevented him from fully adapting to their abilities 187.

Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan

• Amaterasu: His left eye produces black flames. Nue’s snake tail can absorb those flames and convert them into chakra 232 354.
• Sealing enhancement: His right eye grants ninjutsu sealing power and further strengthens existing sealing techniques 443 445.
• Genjutsu: The transplanted Mangekyō contributes substantially to Akatsuki’s growth and influence in Sunagakure 232.
• Technique copying: Reproduces Water Dragon Biting Blast, Heaven Weeping, and Hard Vortex Water Blade, supported by extensive prior knowledge and elemental mastery 283 284.
• Limit: Copying reacts after the opponent. Tobirama briefly disrupts his vision with Bringer-of-Darkness and forces him onto the defensive 284.

Susanoo and Five Elements Seal

• Partial manifestation: Uses a Susanoo arm to seize and carry Tobirama 285.
• Armored manifestation: Fourth-stage Susanoo delivers sealing-infused punches and can envelop his allies for protection 443 444.
• Majestic Attire: Susanoo—Five Elements Seal: Forms five solid chakra chains using his five attributes and hearts, ocular enhancement, Susanoo, and allied chakra resources 445.
• Cost: Fully commits his heart chakra, Seven-Tails chakra, and life force while enduring attacks during the chains’ formation 445.

Natural Chakra and Research

• Shape manipulation: Participates in experiments producing physical chakra forms, including tools, wings, and a horse 196.
• Experimental subjects: Uses separated masked puppets for cell transplantation and chakra testing 187 196.
• Scientific curiosity: Collects unfamiliar substances during the lunar expedition rather than dismissing them as incidental discoveries 234.

Leadership, Finance, and Disguise

• Financial administration: Handles Akatsuki finances and payments for Sunagakure’s development work 231 271.
• Civilian relief: Directs food distribution, careful rescue work, evacuation, and earthquake repairs 130 530 583.
• Battlefield morale: Broadcasts his struggle against Nue to rally Takigakure’s defenders 354.
• Shadow-clone productivity: Trains with shadow clones partly to work multiple jobs and earn multiple incomes 284.
• Face-Shifting Technique: Conceals his identity while conducting Akatsuki operations and negotiations 219 269 612.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• “North” ring — Identifies him as an Akatsuki representative 612.
• Reserve-heart sealing scrolls — Store rejuvenated replacement hearts for use during battle 353.
• Shinigami Mask — Places it on a separated puppet during the operation to resurrect Ruri 231.
• Giant crab summoning contract — Obtained after defeating the guardian of the lunar passage 235.
• Chakra Armor — Worn during the Nue battle; cracks under the impact of the beast’s attack 353.
• Black robes with red clouds — Akatsuki field clothing used alongside facial disguise 269.

Relationships

• Amamiya Ruri — Brother figure, leader, mentor, and long-term research partner. Kakuzu calls him “Big Brother” and accepts bodily reconstruction to continue supporting his ideals 2 3 113.
• Senju Hashirama — A legendary opponent Kakuzu longs to challenge. Their encounter demonstrates both his ambition and the limits of his early strength 3 13 14.
• Senju Tobirama — Enemy responsible for his mutilation. Kakuzu later confronts Tobirama’s younger self using the future Tobirama’s heart and techniques 114 282 285.
• Hanzo — Fellow Takikage and crisis-response colleague. Supports Kakuzu during the Nue battle and coordinates evacuations with him 353 429 530.
• Uchiha Akikaze and Kagami Uchiha — Sources of the two Mangekyō pairs combined to create Kakuzu’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan 232 374.
• Crimson Lotus — His disciple, whose presence he counts among the reasons he is happy 530.
• Kaede — Prospective disciple favored by the Seven-Tails 530.
• Rasa — Covert Akatsuki member who works with Kakuzu and Ruri during Sunagakure’s development program 269 270.

Notable Quotes

“Since it can allow me to regain my combat power and become even stronger, I will not hesitate, even if it means becoming a monster.” 113

“Big Brother, as long as you believe I am worthy of being your arm, let us begin.” 113

“The Akatsuki pays salaries? Why have I worked for so many years and never received a single coin?” 583