| |
| Kanji | エー |
| Rōmaji | Ē |
| Debut | |
| Novel | Naruto: A Shinobi Story |
| Appears in | Novel |
| Character Status | |
| Status | Deceased |
| Birthdate |  August 1
|
| Gender |  Male
|
| Height | Part II: 2.05 m |
| Weight | Part II: 105.1 kg. |
| Blood Type | O |
| Home Country |  Land of Lightning
|
| Family | A (Father) A (Son) Killer B (Adoptive Son) |
| Affiliation(s) |  Kumogakure
|
| Occupation(s) | Raikage |
| Rank | Part II: Kage |
| Team | Eight-Tails Subduing Team |
| Kekkei Genkai |  Storm Release
|
| Nature Type | |
Storm Release Lightning Release Water Release
| |
| Jutsu | |
| Shinobi Technique: Body Flicker Technique Kekkei Genkai Technique: Storm Release: Black Lightning, Storm Release: Black Panther Lightning Techniques: Lightning Technique: Lightning Dragon, Hell Stab, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Lightning Straight Water Techniques: Water Release: Water Formation Wall, Water Release: Wild Water Wave, Water Release: Water Bullet, Water Release: Water Bullet Technique | |
| Weaponry | |
| Kohaku no Jōhei | |
|
|
A (エー, Ē, English TV: Ay) was the Third Raikage (三代目雷影, Sandaime Raikage, Literally meaning: Third Lightning Shadow) of Kumogakure, renowned to be the greatest Raikage the village has ever had.[1]
Background[]
A collapses from exhaustion and wounds himself.
A faces off against ten thousand shinobi alone.
Personality[]
Appearance[]
A’s full appearance.
A was a very tall, dark-skinned man with a largely muscular and well-defined build. He had a full head of white hair which flowed into his back along with a long beard. During his earlier battle against the Eight-Tails, A’s beard was much trimmer. He had unusual eyes, which had green irides, dark sclerae, and no pupils. His face has pronounced cheekbones and tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead with a mole above his right eyebrow. His top lip also had a darker pigmentation than the bottom one. His canine teeth were also slightly elongated. He has the kanji for “lightning” (雷, kaminari) tattooed on his right shoulder. Following a battle with the Eight-Tails, A also gained a lightning bolt-shaped scar that runs across the right side of his chest.
His typical attire consisted of Kumogakure’s distinctive, single-strap flak jacket with no other clothing underneath, a black forehead protector that he wore like a bandanna, and a thick rope tied around his waist; with this, he also wore dark blue sweatpants. It was also shown that at some point in the past, he wore bandages on his forearms.
Abilities[]
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A clad in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
A was undoubtedly an immensely powerful shinobi and is recognized as Kumo’s greatest ever Raikage.[4] He was able to combat an army of ten thousand ninjas alone,[5] and even directly combat a tailed beast to a standstill;[6] the Eight-Tails itself lauded A as a strong and resilient man.[7]
Chakra and Physical Prowess[]
A dodging the Rasenshuriken.
Like his son, A possessed high taijutsu prowess, being able to defeat several shinobi in one move.[8] He also had enormous speed and strength, being able to dodge Naruto’s extremely fast Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and punch a rubber ball several meters away.[9][10] A’s most impressive and renowned trait was his extremely durable body, earning the name, the “strongest shield” (最強の盾, saikyō no tate). With it, A could withstand nearly any type of technique,[11] and easily brush off attacks that actually damaged him, as even Wind Release techniques could only cause very light damage.[12][13] He could even survive being transported by the life-risking Heavenly Transfer Technique, a feat replicated by few individuals.[14] Ultimately, the only attack strong enough to seriously injure him was his own, resulting in the scar on his chest.
A had enormous chakra reserves, enough to seal the Eight-Tails inside the Kohaku no Jōhei after its numerous rampages. His high stamina allowed him to fight non-stop for three consecutive days and nights before finally collapsing — something normal shinobi could only achieve with drug enhancers.[15]
Ninjutsu[]
Nature Transformation[]
A’s Hell Stab: Four–Finger Nukite technique.
Part II[]
Fourth Shinobi World War (Arc)[]
Main articles: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Fourth Shinobi World War (Arc) and Fourth Shinobi World War (RW109)
A and the other Kage summoned to the battlefield.
A and Gengetsu face off against the Fourth Division.
A penetrates the reinforced defenses to confront the Fourth Division shinobi.
A impales himself.
Later, with the release of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, a light of sorts encased A’s sealed body as the technique was dispelled and his soul was returned to the afterlife.
Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki
The deceased Kage summoning Team 7 and the tailed beasts.
Subsequent to Madara Uchiha being defeated by Team 7, he and the other deceased Kage were summoned from the Pure Land by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki to aid him and the Hokage in summoning Team Kakashi, the tailed beasts, and the dying Madara Uchiha from his dimension. Later, his and the other Kage’s souls were returned to the Pure Land.
Trivia[]
- The concept behind A’s possession of both the “strongest spear” (最強の矛, saikyō no hoko) and the “strongest shield” (最強の盾, saikyō no tate) was adapted from an anecdote found within the book Han Feizi, written by Han Fei, illustrating a contradiction relating to the Irresistible Force Paradox. The story goes as follows:
"There was a man in Chu who sold shields and halberds. Praising them he said: “My shields are so strong that nothing can pierce them.” And praising the halberds he said: “My halberds are so strong that there is nothing that they cannot pierce.” A person asked: “What if someone pierces your shields with your halberds?” He could not respond."
- In chapter 554 when A is referred to as the “greatest Raikage”, the word used for his description (最豪) can mean anything from ‘greatest’ to ‘strongest’ to ‘manliest’.
- When A tells the allied troops about his abilities, he says, “I’m a Lightning Release user! Place your Earth Release users on the front row and attack me incessantly!!” (「ワシ雷遁を使う!土遁の忍を前列に置きワシを攻めたてろ!!」, “Washi Raiton o tsukau! Doton no shinobi o zenretsu ni oki washi o seme tatero!!”).[16] In the tankōbon version, this is changed into, “I’m a Lightning Release user! Place your Earth Release users in the front row to create shields, while your Wind Release users attack me incessantly!!” (「ワシ雷遁を使う!土遁の忍を前列に置き盾を作りつつ風遁の忍で攻めたてろ!!」, “Washi Raiton o tsukau! Doton no shinobi o zenretsu ni oki tatsu o tsukuri tsutsu Fūton no shinobi de seme tatero!!”).[17]
- In Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, his personality was not erased.
- In Naruto: Shippūden episode 323, A’s eyes are portrayed with normal white sclerae.
Quotes[]
- (To the other Kage) “It’s not as tragic as you make it out to be. I have faith that the kids of all our villages have grown up to surpass us.”[18]
References[]
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 1
- ↑ Naruto chapter 553, page 12
- ↑ Naruto chapter 547, page 3
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 1
- ↑ Naruto chapter 553, page 13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 555, page 9
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 3
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 2-5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 555, pages 4-5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 553, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 554, pages 6-8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 562, pages 6-7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 553, page 12
- ↑ Naruto chapter 548, page 18
- ↑ Volume 58, page 79
- ↑ Naruto chapter 546, pages 8-9