The Kazekage (風影, Literally meaning: Wind Shadow) are the leaders of Sunagakure. Feared and respected across the world, they are responsible for making Sunagakure a powerful and great village, despite its small size. However, being responsible for raising so many great shinobi seems to come at a heavy price, as all the Kazekage, including the current, so far have met untimely deaths at the hands of assassins. For this reason, the Kazekage lineage is sometimes considered cursed.[1] Even the previous Kazekage fell ill to a mysterious sickness. Full-bodied statues of all the former Kazekage are kept in the room where Sunagakure's council convenes.
List of Kazekage[]
First Kazekage[]
The First Kazekage.
Main article: First Kazekage The First Kazekage (初代風影, Shodai Kazekage; Literally meaning "First or Founding Wind Shadow") was the one who founded Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, and was said to have gathered all the desert-dwelling shinobi under his control with his overwhelming power.
Second Kazekage[]
The Second Kazekage.
Main article: Second Kazekage The Second Kazekage (二代目風影, Nidaime Kazekage; Literally meaning "Second Wind Shadow") was the former leader of Sunagakure. He was the first to research the jinchūriki, in an attempt to greatly enhance the power of the village.
Third Kazekage[]
The Third Kazekage.
Main article: Third Kazekage The Third Kazekage (三代目風影, Sandaime Kazekage; Literally meaning "Third Wind Shadow") was the leader of Sunagakure and was recognized as the village's strongest Kazekage.
Fourth Kazekage[]
The Fourth Kazekage.
Main article: Fourth Kazekage The Fourth Kazekage (四代目風影, Yondaime Kazekage; Literally meaning "Fourth Wind Shadow") was the previous leader of Sunagakure. Because the Land of Wind's daimyō cut down Sunagakure's budget and instead used Konohagakure's less expensive services, the Fourth Kazekage saw his own village in danger of extinction. In order to prevent that, he decided to focus on increasing the quality of the ninja in the village. As such, he ordered Chiyo to seal Shukaku within his youngest son, Gaara, so that he could become Suna's ultimate weapon. As a result, his wife, Karura died from childbirth while Gaara was born prematurely, despite the Fourth's desperation to save her life. He then taught Gaara ninjutsu, but assigned Yashamaru to be Gaara's caretaker ostracising him from his elder siblings Temari and Kankurō.
However, as Gaara grew and his abilities began to manifest, the Fourth realised that this had been a poor choice, and started to view Gaara as a failed experiment that threatened the inhabitants of Suna, due to Gaara's unstable nature of attacking citizens unintentionally. Being pressured by the village's dying resources and with the council declaring that Gaara was useless to them, the Fourth formulated a plan with Yashamaru to test out Gaara's control over Shukaku. Upon this Yashamaru died and Gaara lost control, allowing Shukaku to go wild. The Fourth used his Gold Dust to stop the beast. After this incident the Fourth saw Gaara was indeed a failure and began issuing orders for Gaara's assassination, but all six attempts ended unsuccessfully. However, later when Gaara began to have more control over his powers due to his new ideals of being alone, the Fourth Kazekage saw this as an opportunity to give his son one more chance, and to appreciate Gaara's usefulness, therefore stopped issuing attempts on his son's life, in hopes of him becoming a powerful tool.
When Orochimaru approached Sunagakure with the proposition of joining forces in invading Konohagakure, the Fourth Kazekage agreed due to the economical decline brought about by the Land of Wind's daimyō using the shinobi of Konoha. Hoping that the success of the invasion would prompt additional funding, the Kazekage planned to have Gaara unleash Shukaku from the centre of Konoha during the Chūnin Exams to put the Konoha shinobi at a disadvantage from the get-go. However, before he could see his plans unfold, the Kazekage was murdered by Orochimaru impaling him in the chest with the Sword of Kusanagi. After the failed invasion, Baki and some other Sunagakure ninja learn the truth of Fourth Kazekage's demise when they found the faceless corpses of him and his bodyguards decomposing out in the desert. Eventually, he was succeeded by his son Gaara.
Fifth Kazekage[]
Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage.
Main article: Gaara Gaara (我愛羅, Gaara) is a shinobi of Sunagakure. Shukaku was sealed into his body on the day he was born, a procedure that resulted in his mother's death. Regarded as a monster by the village and with nobody to love him, Gaara came to despise the world and began relying only on his own strength as Gaara of the Sand Waterfall (砂瀑の我愛羅, Sabaku no Gaara; English TV "Gaara of the Desert"). This power of self-love is later defeated by Naruto Uzumaki's unwavering dedication to his friends. From that point forward, Gaara begins emulating Naruto's method and changes Suna's opinions of him. He eventually becomes the village's Fifth Kazekage (五代目風影, Godaime Kazekage; Literally meaning "Fifth Wind Shadow"), a position he maintains even after Shukaku is removed from his body by Akatsuki.
Gaara is said to be the greatest Kazekage Sunagakure was blessed with. His unsurpassed skill allowed him to survive in a battle against a revived and edo tensei'd Madara Uchiha. He is a hero of the Shinobi world who fought alongside Naruto until his very in. Which after, Gaara helped his siblings increase Sunagakure's wealth and economy. As Jinchuuriki once more, he gained a better control of Shukaku. Almost matching Naruto's and Kurama's relationship. Unfortunately, Gaara fell in a monstrous civil war. Shinobi of Sunagakure thought his body absolutely destroyed, with Shukaku reviving somewhere else. But in truth, it was stolen
Sixth Kazekage[]
Samiya, the Sixth Kazekage.
Main article: Samiya Samiya (サミヤ, Samiya) is a Kunoichi of Sunagakure, and the newly inducted Sixth Kazekage (六代目風影, Rokudaime Kazekage; Literally Meaning, "Sixth Wind Shadow), following the heroic death of the Fifth, Gaara, after an epic battle with the distant western Shinobi forces that eventually caused them to accept peace. Having gone through several trials and tribulations, from her growth as a Ninja monk all the way to enlisting in the newly formed militia of Sunagakure underneath the temporary leadership of Kankurō and Temari, Samiya has taken every step to prove her worthiness and honor the ultimate sacrifice made by Gaara.
Eventually taking part in the several civil wars that plagued the country following the debacle over who should lead the village, she gained titles in relevance to her skills: her prowess within the Wind Release and Summoning Technique lead her to be known as Woman of the Weasel (鼬の女, Itachi no Onna); her Fūinjutsu prowess lead her to later be dubbed as Author of Seals (封印の読み人, Fūin no Yomibito), and by extension, her prowess with the Puppet Technique gave her the moniker of Queen of the Inanimate (無生物の王妃, Museibutsu no Ōhi), all of which are still relevant to her today. Recently, Samiya has fallen ill.
Provisional Sixth Kazekage[]
Akagi, the Sevent Kazekage.
Main article: Akagi
Akagi (Akagi, 赤木) is a former master of the Puppet Brigade and currently the Provisional Sixth Kazekage (仮設の六代目風影, Kasetsu no Rokudaime Kazekage) known for his outrageous mastery over puppets, he is one of Sunagakure's most notorious Puppeteers. Born and raised during Gaara's reign, Akagi lost both his parents during the previous war. Atop of that, he suffered from Multiple Personality Disorder brought on from watching his parents dead bodies fall. This took shape during his puppeteer training, when his puppets would become a personality. Mimicking speech and seeming alive. Kankurō even warned Gaara about letting Akagi continue his path. Akagi and Samiya... With his Puppetry levels, he is said to be unrivaled, and thus was given master of the puppet brigade
When Samiya fell ill to an unknown sickness, Akagi was appointed Seventh Kazekage by Sunagakure's Elder council. Because of his methods, which include hypnotizing those who see his face, Akagi is known more for his previous title as Puppet Brigade master. His recent appointment is the first time many have viewed his face. And they lie in utter shock that someone so powerful is also just as young. But Akagi holds dark secrets. His darker morals lead to Samiya holding some worry when she was visited in the hospital by a Village Council. Yes, She supported his raise in position. But she also fears that Akagi might employ darker methods for Sunagakure's benefits. And so, there is a secret spy...
Seventh Kazekage[]
Kazaru, the Seventh Kazekage.
Main article: Kazaru Kazaru (飾る, Kazaru) is the Seventh Kazekage (七代目風影, Shichi Kazekage; Literally meaning "Seventh Wind Shadow") of Sunagakure. He is the only child of the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, as well as the grandson of the Fourth Kazekage. He is famed like his predecessors in the regards of mastering magnetic manipulation, though in the form of Silver Dust, which serves multiple purposes throughout the village, unlike that of it's counterparts.
Facing an age of turmoil and disaster following the decline of the sixth Kazekage Samiya, and the death of the provisional Kazekage, Akagi, Sunagakure seemed as though it was ready to face it's climax, when suddenly, hope emerged. History has been, and will be known for repeating itself. When the Third Kazekage had gone missing, it was the Fourth Kazekage whom took his place, replacing his beloved Iron Sand technique with his own Gold Dust. When the Fourth Kazekage met an unexpected end at the hands of Orochimaru, it was his son, Gaara, who took over as the Fifth Kazekage, replacing his father's gold dust technique with his own, Sand technique. Now, with the disappearance of the Sixth Kazekage, the son of Gaara, and the grandson of the Fourth Kazekage,Kazaru has arrived, inheriting the throne from his ancestors, and proud to carry on the tradition, surpassing his predecessors manipulation techniques with his very own, Silver Dust.
Contentious Seventh Kazekage[]
Acacia, the Contentious Seventh Kazekage.
Acacia (アカシア, Akashia), feared around the globe as the Demon of the Desert (あくまくにつこうや, Akumakunitsukouya) is the Contentious Seventh Kazekage (七代目風影, Soushou Shichi Kazekage; Literally meaning "Contentious Seventh Wind Shadow") of Sunagakure. Originally, he was exiled from the village, and foreseen as a dangerous criminal after murdering a vast majority of the Puppet Brigade. However, he was forgiven and recalled by the Seventh Kazekage and offered the position as ANBU captain after the village faced an age of turmoil and was pitted into a corner. However, he took advantage of the opportunity and struck down Kazaru, crowning himself as the leader of Sunagakure.
Trivia[]
- The colour of the Kazekage's garbs was originally depicted as blue in the anime, but was changed to the manga's green colour in Naruto: Shippūden episode 199.
- In the third databook, the First and Second Kazekage are mistakenly switched.[1]