Kabuto Yakushi is the former main antagonist of the Naruto franchise. 🍥 He was the secondary villain of the first part of the Naruto series and a major enemy of the second part, Naruto Shippuden. He is a ninja who first worked with Orochimaru before serving his own interests and becoming a greater threat to the shinobi world, until he found his true identity and became a valuable ally, at the same time title as Obito Uchiha against Madara and Black Zetsu.
During the series, Kabuto initially played the supporting role in the first half of the Chunin Exam arc and later played the supporting role in the second half of the Attack arc. from Konoha Village. He also played the role of secondary antagonist in the search for Tsunade arc and the Tenchi Bridge reconnaissance mission arc, the role of main antagonist in the appearance arc of Sanbi, the demon at 3 Tails 👹, the role of secondary antagonist in the Fourth Shinobi World War : Countdown Arc and in the Fourth Shinobi World War: Showdown, the main antagonist in the Power Arc, the secondary antagonist in the Fourth Ninja World War: Climax arc and the secondary protagonist in the Juubi Birth arc.
Who is Kabuto Yakushi?
Kabuto is sadistic with a very blunt sense of humor, enjoying playing torture the minds of his enemies, but can also be polite and helpful. When Kabuto revived people to create his army, those he chose were also often intended to attack his enemies in an attempt to weaken them emotionally and saw those he brought back to life as mere pawns.♟ Kabuto doesn't like not rudeness and although he is Orochimaru's right-hand man, his master has difficulty understanding what he was thinking. However, Kabuto has proven to be very loyal to Orochimaru , saving his master's life on several occasions. He sometimes helps Orochimaru's enemies, but this seems to serve his own purposes. Kabuto takes an interest in Naruto , being polite to him most of the time, even though they never had the same goals. He also respects powerful ninja and considers shinobi without reputation to be inferior and useless. Kabuto states that he does not like forcing people to do things, preferring to manipulate them through sympathy and the promise of a better world.
After collecting Orochimaru's cells, Kabuto displayed very arrogant ambition, wanting to become more powerful than his master. Like Orochimaru, he wants to increase his knowledge of techniques, leading Kabuto to become obsessed with capturing and studying Sasuke. He also became interested in the study of Yamato and Zetsu, as well as the secrets of the Sage of Six Paths. Although Kabuto maintains a calm and controlled personality most of the time, he experiences many insecurities and questions regarding his identity and his mastery of Orochimaru's cells. After Orochimaru's defeat, Kabuto vowed to do whatever he wants , having no loyalty to anyone. He says he didn't know who he was or what he wanted to do, until he saw Naruto's unwavering determination. Kabuto often compares himself to Itachi, due to the similar events that happened in their lives. But after being trapped in his mind with his plans falling through, he tries to justify what he did by saying he wanted someone to affirm his existence. Kabuto feels alone, he doesn't really know who he is. 😔
Kabuto Yakushi's Medical Jutsu and Ability
As a former Root Agent, combined with his medical skills🩺, Kabuto is an extremely skilled and powerful ninja who can quickly analyze a situation and defeat stronger opponents by exploiting their weaknesses. Kabuto primarily uses chakra-infused scalpels coupled with his style of taijutsu, which allows him to attack key points on his opponent's body. Kabuto also has a unique technique that allows him to regenerate dead cells.
His medical skills have led him to develop a number of different drugs that he uses, such as a drug that removes the mokuton 's powers and a truth serum. He is also skilled at creating genetically modified clones 🧬 that are more powerful than the original versions.
Kabuto and Orochimaru's Cells
After mastering Orochimaru's powers and Sage Mode, as well as the powers of the Oto Quartet members and their leader, and modifying his body with cells from each individual, Kabuto's combat prowess increased by exponentially. He grew strong, to the point that he was able to completely wipe out the combined efforts of Itachi Uchiha and his brother, Sasuke Uchiha. Despite their considerable combat prowess, as well as the former's mastery of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the latter's possession of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, eventually forced Itachi to sacrifice his left eye to use the forbidden technique, Izanami, to ultimately neutralize Kabuto and force him to put an end to the Reanimation of the Dead technique: Edo Tensei.💀
Kabuto also takes an interest in corpses, including using them as decoys to fight for him. However, one of Kabuto's most notable abilities is his Summoning: Reincarnation of Souls technique, claiming to be the most skilled practitioner with this jutsu. 🐱👤 Thanks to this technique, he can reincarnate the dead , using the DNA of the one he wishes to revive and a living sacrifice so that their soul takes over. Kabuto used this to summon an army of famous and powerful ninja and can monitor them, as well as take away their free will. He also applies a seal to those he revives that does not take away their free will, but makes him capable of controlling the movements of their bodies. Kabuto can even enhance the abilities of those he reincarnates.
He is able to manipulate the earth to move and, after imbuing himself with the DNA of the Four Sound Ninjas, he can use the giant rampart technique where he summons a wall to defend himself.⛩ Kabuto can also manipulate earth. water to unleash huge water waves and even use the Suiton: Water Dragon technique, where he unleashes a large water dragon, even without a seal or water source . Kabuto has also combined with other people's DNA, most notably Orochimaru. He possesses the DNA of Taka's limbs, giving him near-instant regeneration, the ability to liquefy, and the passive power to absorb natural energy. Kabuto is also fused with the Oto Quartet's DNA, allowing him to manifest a second body that uses one of their techniques, as well as a version of Orochimaru's true form, in which he can hide and from which he can get out.
With Orochimaru's cells, Kabuto can use his snake techniques, modify his body, and manifest a large amount of chakra. He can communicate with snakes, summon snakes from his wrists or sleeves, use snakes to inject his drugs through their fangs, and change the size of those he summons. Kabuto can also molt to transform into a snake , like in Orochimaru's true form, where he can move faster and even swallow people whole. Kabuto can even use genjutsu techniques that require eye contact using his snakes' ability to sense their surroundings with their tongues.👅
Kabuto Hermit mode
Through his training in Ryuchi Cave, Kabuto learned senjutsu , which allowed him to enter Hermit Mode, which he can maintain through the energy absorption ability instilled in him by his DNA. This increases his physical abilities, brought his body closer to a snake. There is also a snake coming out of his stomach, and can make his scalpels even sharper.🔪 Kabuto is so gifted that he can even bring inanimate objects to life and control them. He is also skilled in genjutsu and barrier ninjutsu and somewhat skilled with swords.
Nonô Yakushi: Kabuto's childhood
When Kabuto was a child, he was found outside a destroyed village with a head injury and no memories. He was brought to an orphanage where a nun named Nonō Yakushi looked after him and, due to his shyness, said nothing to anyone, not even thanking Nonō for her kindness.
So one of the other orphans, Urushi, asked if Kabuto had a name, before putting a helmet on his head to protect his head injury. Urushi said his lack of a name was annoying and Nonō, taking inspiration from the helmet, decided to call him "Kabuto". That night, Kabuto, feeling guilty for not thanking Nonō, got out of bed to look for her. But the others caught him and he got in trouble for being past curfew.
They brought Kabuto to a clock⏲ However, Nonō saw that he was squinting and gave the boy his glasses, allowing him to determine the curfew time. Since the orphanage couldn't afford to buy glasses for Kabuto, Nonō allowed him to keep his own. The boy began to cry in gratitude, thanking her over and over again as she comforted him.
The Destiny of a Medical Ninja
As he grew up, Kabuto gained medical skills from Nonō, helping him heal shinobi and raise money for the orphanage . This led to his first meeting with Orochimaru, who suggested he become a shinobi, but Kabuto was not interested. But later, the boy overheard Nonō speaking with Danzō Shimura, who wanted an orphan in exchange for his funding the orphanage.
Kabuto accepted the offer and was assigned to undercover missions 🕵🏻♂️ in hidden villages. During one of these missions to Iwagakure, Kabuto's cover was compromised and he had to retreat, accidentally attacking Nonō while he did so. She was unable to recognize him, even as he tended to his wounds, and Kabuto began to think and question his purpose in life.
Kabuto was once again approached by Orochimaru, who told him that his fight with Nonō was orchestrated by Danzō because Kabuto has developed too much knowledge and has too many skills. 📖 Additionally, after seeing photos of what he was led to believe was Kabuto, Nonō was tricked into killing him by promising him that the root would free him from his position. Orochimaru then revealed his stance to kill the survivor and angered Kabuto by pointing out that the Root's missions have made him devoid of an identity of his own.
Kabuto and his meeting with Orochimaru
Orochimaru offers him a new identity and a position as his right-hand man in the hidden village of sound. Orochimaru indeed gave Kabuto his new identity, that he had been found at the Battle of Kikyo Pass and that he had been raised by a captain in Konoha's medical corps.🍃
Kabuto was then sent to spy on Sasori for Orochimaru, but the Akatsuki member used a technique to make him his own sleeper agent. But Orochimaru succeeds in breaking Sasori's control over Kabuto, who will continue to pose as the Akatsuki member's servant ☁ in order to discover the latter's plans.
During Kabuto's time in Konoha, he rose to the rank of genin and participated in the Chunin Exams, in order to gain information about the other participants for Orochimaru. 🐍 Kabuto also aided Orochimaru in his human experiments, allowing him to gain more knowledge about the human body over the following years and further hone his knowledge of medicine.
Invasion of Konoha
Before the Chunin Exams, Kabuto befriended the ninja of Team 7,8,10 and Guy by giving them information about the other competitors. In the second phase, Kabuto joined forces with Team 7, so that he could get out with as little effort as possible.
They eventually faced Team Oboro and Kabuto saved Naruto from an attack that caused his glasses to fall off. He briefly lost his composure and his killing intent emerged, paralyzing Team Oboro, as well as Sasuke and Sakura. 😲
However, Kabuto allowed Naruto to defeat Team Oboro and subsequently reunited with his team, Yoroi Akado and Misumi Tsurugi, before giving his report on Sasuke to Orochimaru.📕 After his master went to observe Sasuke himself- even, Kabuto was withdrawn from the Chunin exams. He gave Naruto the excuse that he was tired, weak and afraid of risking his life, but in reality he was afraid of showing his true abilities and exposing himself.
Kabuto ANBU
Eventually, Orochimaru learned everything he wanted about Sasuke and ordered Kabuto to capture him. The genin managed to defeat the eight ANBU guarding Sasuke, but was forced to retreat after the arrival of Kakshi Hatake.
After that, Kabuto spoke with Baki about Suna and Oto's impending invasion of Konoha. However, they realized that Hayate Gekko was eavesdropping at the doors 👂🏻 and Kabuto offered to take care of him, but Baki did so instead.
During the Chunin Exam Finals, Kabuto killed an ANBU member and disguised himself with his costume, hiding in the audience. After Sasuke injured Gaara, Kabuto used a technique to make the audience fall asleep to trigger the invasion of Konoha.
He sent an Oto ninja after Naruto, while he pursued Sasuke, thinking that he might be a nuisance if he was not incapacitated quickly. However, Kabuto seemed to expect the Oto ninja to fail, since he only wanted to test Naruto's abilities.🍥 Once the invasion was stopped, Kabuto withdrew from the village.
In search of Tsunade
With Orochimaru seriously injured during the invasion, he and Kabuto searched for Tsunade, hoping that she could heal him.🩺 They managed to find her and apparently convinced her to help them, but while she was healing Orochimaru , Kabuto realized that her healing techniques had murderous intent and stopped her. After Tsunade revealed her intentions, Kabuto decided to beat her into submission. Although he was outmatched, even after taking a military rations pill to strengthen himself, Kabuto used Tsunade's hemophobia against her before Shizune arrived, easily defeating her.
Facing Naruto, surprised that he was working for Orochimaru, Kabuto overwhelmed the youth and insulted his dream by managing to deal a fatal blow to his heart. However, Naruto hit Kabuto with a Rasengan 🌀, severely injuring him and leaving him unable to fully use these healing skills as he helped Orochimaru summon Manda before retreating from the fight. Later, as Orochimaru waited for Sasuke to arrive at their base, Kabuto advised him to take Geny'maru as his new host while convincing Kimimaro to risk his life to bring Sasuke to them.
Kabuto and Orochimaru
Nearly three years later, Kabuto met the reformed Team Kakashi under Yamato when he arrived at a meeting with Sasori's spy and discovered that agent was Kabuto. However, having been ordered to kill Sasori, Kabuto destroyed the puppet Hiruko before Orochimaru revealed to him that their opponent was not Sasori.
While Orochimaru fought Naruto, forced to the sidelines, Kabuto healed Sakura after she was accidentally attacked by Naruto in his 4-tailed Kyubi form. 🦊 He told her that they had a common enemy in Akatsuki. After the fight, Kabuto, Orochimaru and Sai, the newest member of Team Kakashi, returned to their base. 🏠 He was also ordered to leave a corpse resembling Sai's so no one would follow them.
After Sai was captured, Kabuto came to help him, but found himself captured by Sai instead. With no way to escape, Kabuto was willing to divulge information , but he told Naruto not to try to get Sasuke back. ❌ While Team 7 searched Orochimaru's base, Kabuto was left to his own devices and managed to escape, joining his master and Sasuke.
Soon after, Orochimaru realized that he would have to switch bodies soon and sent Kabuto to find Guren. He found her, but she attacked her, to test if he was worthy of taking care of Orochimaru, and he managed to prove himself. 🏆 Kabuto then took Guren to Orochimaru's base, where he tasked her with testing the prisoners in order to form a team.
Kabuto and the capture of Isobu
After Guren and his team failed to kill a group of Konoha ninja, Kabuto asked them to help him summon Isobu the Three-Tailed Beast . He had Guren try to restrain her with his crystal release technique, but it failed and Kabuto decided he needed to think of another method, retreating for the moment. After that, while working on his final attempt to capture Isobu, he had a secret meeting with Rinji, a spy working under him. 🕵🏻♂️
Kabuto discovered that Konoha had tried to capture Isobu 🐢 and went to find Guren and Yūkimaru to stop their attempts. He succeeded, but the Konoha ninjas managed to recover Yūkimaru and Kabuto became very distressed. He made Kigiri, Kihō, and Nurari believe that they were dying from the injuries they received during their fight with the Konoha ninjas. Kabuto was therefore able to have them undergo an operation, during which they had Orochimaru's cursed seals placed to grant them additional power.
Kabuto then disguised himself as Rinji and tricked Yūkimaru into using his powers to unleash Isobu's full powers, despite his weakening at the time. Kabuto tried to get Yūkimaru to send the Three-Tailed Beast on a rampage, but when that didn't work, he revealed to Yūkimaru that Guren had killed his mother. Much to Kabuto's surprise, he forgives him and Kabuto attacks the two with chakra scalpels, but Naruto intervenes. He managed to expose the defector's deception and fought Kabuto.
Naruto, having improved his skills💪🏻, was able to gain the upper hand over his opponent at first and when Guren tried to escape with Yūkimaru, Kabuto summoned Rinji to stop him. However, Guren sacrificed herself to kill Rinji, causing Yūkimaru to let Isobu go on a rampage and Kabuto to retreat , satisfied.
Kabuto's evolution in Naruto Shippuden
After Orochimaru was defeated by Sasuke, Kabuto used his genjutsu to find out what happened. Kabuto took his master's remains and infused them into his body , but found that the foreign cells were trying to take over his body, he was trying as best he could to assert his dominance over them. Kabuto finally met Naruto and explained to him why he did such a dangerous thing to himself. He explained to him that if he did that, it was to become strong enough to no longer be anyone's lackey.
Kabuto thanked Naruto for inspiring him and gave him a book that contained all of Orochimaru's information on Akatsuki. He also told Naruto 🍥 that he would make things right with him after killing Sasuke to avenge his former master.
While still in the midst of his metamorphosis, Kabuto attempted to use the Reincarnation Jutsu he had mastered at the time to use Deidara and other deceased ninjas to conquer Tonika's village. He was thus able to use his unique waters to enhance his cell snakes' ability to reconstruct the body of a living ninja to suit his needs. However, although he managed to take control of a recreated Hidan, Kabuto had more difficulty controlling a clone of Naruto in his Four-Tails state. Some time later and later, Kabuto discovered Ryuchi Cave where he tried his hand at snake hermit mode. 🐍 Eventually, Kabuto obtains true Sage Mode and surpasses his master by perfecting the Reanimation Jutsu in a revolutionary way.
Later, after harnessing his full power and killing the Takigakure ninja, Kabuto set out for the mountain graveyard🏔, killing people along the way for Anko and her infiltration and reconnaissance party to follow. When Kabuto arrived at the cemetery, he found Tobi, who was pretending to be Madara Uchiha. Tobi, remembering that Kabuto had once been an Akatsuki spy, tried to kill him because he was a traitor.
Who is in the coffin that Kabuto shows Madara?
However, Kabuto used the Edo Tensei to revive five of the deceased Akatsuki members with the promise of a powerful army of reanimated ninjas for the upcoming Fourth Great Ninja War with Sasuke as payment. Although Tobi refused, Kabuto convinced him to accept the proposal when he summoned a sixth coffin, containing the real Madara Uchiha . Agreeing on the grounds that he would hand over Sasuke at the end of the war, Tobi allowed Kabuto into his inner circle. Accompanied by Deidara, although more interested in the Yamato, Kabuto set out to capture the last two tailed beasts out of Tobi's reach, Gyuki and Kurama .
Although they used Deidara's clay clones to distract the Third Tsuchikage as they approached the Island Turtle Genbu🐢, they discover that Onoki tricked them with a stone clone while he and his allies confronted them. But Kabuto used Manda II to slow down the island turtle and made Deidara hit it with an explosive clay squid, finally stopping it. While Deidara took care of Onoki, Kabuto arrived with Kurotsuchi on his heels. Yamato showed up and tried to help Aoba Yamashiro get close enough to Kabuto so he could read his mind. However, he shed his body, taking the form of a snake, and captured Yamato, before he retreated into Manda II's nose and returned to Tobi, returning Deidara to his coffin. Tobi asked if he had failed, but Kabuto said that by studying Yamato, he could increase the power of their White Zetsu army. Tobi agreed and was dissuaded from using his ability to obtain information from Yamato, before allowing Kabuto to make the changes.
The 4th Great Ninja War
After preparing his army, Kabuto sent his reanimated ninjas into the battlefield, except for his surprise attack and diversion unit. He gave specific instructions to the unit, before engaging Anko and defeating her. Despite being ordered to kill her, Kabuto explained that he needed her alive to increase his power by absorbing the cursed mark's chakra. Realizing that Kabuto had arranged Anko's appearance and compromised their location, Tobi demanded that he show him the function of the Reanimation Jutsu.
Kabuto proceeded to demonstrate the jutsu with Fū sacrificed to revive Torune, and some ways to stop him. Kabuto then left Tobi seemingly satisfied, still having a few more tricks up his sleeve. 🃏. He only took part in battles when necessary, and eventually had Gari and Pakura summon the seven former Mist ninjas to help Akatsuki maintain the upper hand. But, much to Kabuto's surprise, Zabuza Momochi was defeated, even with his mist technique. Kabuto then asked the second Tsuchikage, Mu, to bring the fourth Kazekage, the second Mizukage, and the third Raikage, while other of his forces fought the first division.
After Tobi retrieved the items containing the sealed Gold and Silver Brothers , Kabuto suspected that he was trying to obtain Kurama's chakra, which was inside them.🦊 However, he realized that Tobi only had one of Gyuki's tails, so he couldn't know what he was really looking for. On the second day of the war, Kabuto was surprised when Naruto used his Nine Tails Chakra to instantly defeat Toroi. However, he was excited by the possibility of finding Naruto and Killer Bee before Tobi found them. Kabuto sent Itachi Uchiha and Nagato after them, hoping to use them as leverage against Tobi. But much to Kabuto's surprise, Itachi summoned the crow he planted in Naruto to break Kabuto's hold on him and attacked Nagato, who ended up being sealed. 
Deciding to intensify the fight, Kabuto reveals his secret asset and frees Madara Uchiha. Deciding to take the fight up a notch, Kabuto played his trump card and freed Madara Uchiha. Once he revived Madara, using Mu as his medium, Kabuto explained to Madara the situation, the events and how he knew he had survived his fight with Hashirama before sending him to fight the Fourth Division. . 🐱👤
However, as Madara engaged the Kage, Kabuto was found by Itachi and praised him for doing so, despite the barrier he had put up. He reminded the former ANBU captain that he couldn't die if Itachi wanted to stop the Edo Tensei. Kabuto then sensed Sasuke and started laughing madly, saying that his luck had changed. 🍀 He then tried to play on Sasuke's hatred to rally him to his cause, but Sasuke decided to fight Itachi.
Kabuto vs. Itachi and Sasuke
After the brothers' combined actions defeated one of Kabuto's horns , he admitted that the brothers worked well together. After trying to play on Sasuke's desire to destroy Konoha, using his history to show how similar they were, Kabuto used his chakra scalpel and the cave itself against Itachi and Sasuke.
He managed to neutralize Itachi and prepared to get rid of his personality, but Sasuke stopped him with Amaterasu. 🔥 Although Kabuto is delighted to be the closest to the power of the Sage of Six Paths, Itachi tells him that he will fail because he does not know who he really is. Reflecting on his past, Kabuto explained that all he did was create an identity and that assimilating Sasuke into him would make him the ultimate being. As the fight continued, Kabuto revealed that he had assimilated the DNA of Kimimaro and Oto's Quatret.
Confident that he would win, Kabuto then summoned a form of Orochimaru and captured Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke. However, he began to cry when the brothers fought the snake and finally, came out of Orochimaru's mouth to suddenly cut Itachi in two.💀 Kabuto said that a genius in everything would not understand his goal of finding who he is and no one would stop him. He quickly tried to erase Itachi's personality and was attacked by Sasuke. However, the regenerated Itachi attacked him, cutting off his horn, and Kabuto scolded him for using the same tactics as before. But he eventually realized that he was under the effect of Itachi's Izanami , trapping him in his mind in a time loop. His plan having collapsed, Kabuto cursed Itachi who used another genjutsu to make him reveal the seal necessary to deactivate the Edo Tensei.
The "death" of Kabuto Yakushi
As a result, the army that Kabuto had created died out in the afterlife, except for Madara, who severed his contact with the Reanimation technique. Sasuke then brought Orochimaru back using Anko's Cursed Sky Seal, which absorbed all of Kabuto's chakra, bringing him back to life. After a while, Kabuto was able to escape from Izanami by finally accepting who he is. He realized that deep down, he was actually a good person, and he was given a home at the Konoha Orphanage, where he was initially raised. 🏠
Later, Kabuto went to the battlefield where he treated the seriously injured Sasuke 🩺 Since then, Kabuto inherited Itachi's will to protect Sasuke and managed to heal him. After Sasuke returned to his fight against Madara and time passed, Kabuto, like everyone else (except Team 7 and the resurrected Hokage), was caught in Madara's infinite Tsukoyomi. After some time, Kabuto and everyone else were freed by genjutsu with the help of Naruto and Sasuke.
Kabuto in Boruto
Years after the war, Kabuto is shown to have followed in the footsteps of his adoptive mother Nonō and now runs the orphanage he grew up in. After Shin Uchiha is defeated by Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, he agrees to adopt Shin's clones as his own sons, intending to name them all.