Kakuzu

Overview

Kakuzu is a character from the Naruto manga and anime series. He is an S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure and a key member of the Akatsuki criminal organization, where he handles financial affairs as their treasurer. Having fought the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, in his youth, he is the oldest living active ninja in the series. Paired with Hidan, the duo is infamously referred to as the Immortal Duo or Zombie Combo.

Appearance

Kakuzu is a tall, muscular man who conceals most of his face beneath a cloth hood and a black mouth mask. His green eyes feature dark red sclera, and his long hair is black. Beneath his mask, the sides of his mouth are stitched together. On his left middle finger, he wears an Akatsuki ring engraved with the character for north, and his fingernails are painted dark. His body is covered in visible stitch-like lines where black threads fuse his flesh.

Personality

Calm and methodical on the surface, Kakuzu harbors a lethal, violent temper. He is extremely quick to anger and historically murdered his previous Akatsuki partners whenever annoyed, making the unkillable Hidan his only compatible teammate. Driven by absolute cynicism and extreme greed, Kakuzu believes that money is the only trustworthy thing in existence. Despite his harsh demeanor and constant bickering with Hidan, he shows a surprisingly patient side by accommodating his partner's tedious rituals and repairing his body.

Abilities

Through the forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu commands dense black threads generated within his body. These tendrils can reattach severed limbs, perform delicate medical sewing, and rip out the beating hearts of defeated enemies. Storing up to five hearts inside himself grants him near-immortality and the ability to master all five basic chakra natures (Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water). He can detach four mask-bearing creatures from his back to unleash elemental barrages, and he uses Earth Release: Earth Spear to harden his skin into a diamond-like defense.

Background

Originally an elite ninja of Takigakure, Kakuzu was assigned to assassinate Hashirama Senju. Upon failing the impossible mission, his village disgraced and severely punished him. Driven by bitter resentment, he broke out of prison, slaughtered the village elders, stole the forbidden Earth Grudge Fear technique, and abandoned his homeland. He joined Akatsuki after fighting Pain and served as their chief moneymaker. He was eventually defeated in combat against Leaf Village shinobi, but was later reanimated during the Fourth Shinobi World War via Kabuto Yakushi's Reanimation Jutsu to fight the Shinobi Alliance.

Relationships

He shares a turbulent yet functional partnership with Hidan; despite constant arguments over religion and money, Kakuzu values Hidan's inability to die because it prevents him from accidentally killing another teammate. In the past, he murdered his former Akatsuki partners in fits of rage. He holds tense, adversarial relationships with fellow Akatsuki members such as Pain, Uchiha Itachi, and Konan. He also remembers Hashirama Senju as his first opponent from the dawn of the hidden villages.

Trivia

The names of Kakuzu's signature techniques (Jiongu, Zukokku, Atsugai, Gian, Domu) are wordplay references to Principality of Zeon mobile suits from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series (Zeong, Z'Gok, Acguy, Gyan, and Dom). His name is derived from the kakugyo (bishop) piece in shogi. His favorite foods are liver sashimi and monkfish liver, while his least favorite is chestnut yokan.