Akamaru In Naruto Shippuden: The Loyal Nin-Dog

Akamaru is a nin-dog (ninken) from the Inuzuka clan of Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village. He is the partner, best friend, and constant companion of Kiba Inuzuka, a ninja who specializes in using dogs for combat and tracking. Akamaru is also a member of Team Kurenai, along with Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame. In this article, we will explore the role and development of Akamaru in the anime Naruto Shippuden, the sequel to the original Naruto series.

All about Akamaru

• Birthdate: July 7
• Sex: Male
• Species Ninken
• Age: Part I: 3–4/Part II: 7–8
• Height: Part I: 28 cm–29.1 cm/Part II: 127.2 cm
• Weight: Part I: 5.1 kg–5.3 kg/Part II: 80.5 kg
• Affiliation: Konohagakure/Allied Shinobi Forces
• Team: Team 8/Konoha 11/Sasuke Recovery Team/Bikōchū Search Team/Team Two/Eight Man Squad/Fifth Division

Akamaru’s Background

Akamaru was entrusted to Kiba by his mother, Tsume Inuzuka, when he was still a puppy. Kiba named him Akamaru, which means “red” in Japanese, because of his fur color.

Akamaru and Kiba soon became inseparable, and developed a strong bond of trust and friendship. They also learned to communicate with each other through barks, growls, and other sounds.

Akamaru and Kiba trained together to master the Inuzuka clan’s techniques, which involve using dogs as weapons and allies. They also learned to perform combination transformations, which allow them to fuse their bodies and chakra into one entity. Akamaru and Kiba often use these techniques to perform powerful attacks, such as the Fang Passing Fang and the Fang Wolf Fang.

Akamaru’s Personality

Akamaru is loyal, devoted, and protective of Kiba. He always follows his commands and supports him in battle. He also cares for his teammates and friends, and will risk his life to save them.

Akamaru is very intelligent and perceptive, and can sense the chakra levels and emotions of others. He can also sniff out enemies and traps, and warn Kiba of any danger.

Akamaru is playful, energetic, and curious. He likes to run, chase, and explore new places. He also enjoys eating, especially the military rations pills that enhance his abilities.

Akamaru is sometimes mischievous and naughty, and will urinate on people or things that he dislikes. He also likes to tease Kiba, and will sometimes bite or scratch him.

Akamaru is not very fond of cats, and will bark or growl at them. He also dislikes water, and will avoid bathing or swimming. Akamaru is afraid of ghosts, and will hide behind Kiba when he sees one. Akamaru is also very overprotective of Kiba, and will try to prevent him from getting too close to girls that he likes.

Akamaru’s Appearance

In Part I, Akamaru was a small puppy with white and some brown fur on his ears, and resembles a Great Pyrenees, regularly carried on Kiba’s head or inside his jacket.

Akamaru’s eyes are usually squinted, appearing closed, and he has a brown nose, as well as brown patches on his ears and a brown outline around his mouth. His fur on top of his head is styled to somewhat resemble a mohawk.

Whenever Akamaru ingests soldier pills his fur turns red and he becomes more feral, which is why he was named Akamaru (赤丸) “Aka” meaning “red”, and “maru” being a common ending for male names in Japan.

In Part II, Akamaru has grown into a full-sized adult large-breed dog. His size is such that Akamaru can now have Kiba ride on his back comfortably. Despite this, Kiba claimed he failed to notice due to the amount of time they spend together.

Apart from his size, his general appearance has remained the same. Years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Akamaru aged a bit, with a few wrinkles appearing on his snout, though was otherwise unchanged.

Akamaru’s Abilities

Akamaru is a skilled and powerful nin-dog, and has many abilities that make him a valuable asset to his team. Some of his abilities are:

• Enhanced Senses: Akamaru has a keen sense of smell, hearing, and sight, and can detect things that humans cannot. He can track down enemies and allies, and identify their chakra levels and intentions. He can also sense the presence of traps, illusions, and hidden enemies.
• Chakra Control: Akamaru can manipulate his chakra to perform various techniques, such as the Dynamic Marking, which allows him to mark his targets with his urine and make them easier to track and attack. He can also use his chakra to enhance his speed, strength, and durability.
• Combination Transformation: Akamaru can fuse his body and chakra with Kiba, and create a larger and more powerful entity. They can perform different forms of this technique, such as the Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf, which creates a giant two-headed wolf, or the Human Beast Mixture Transformation: Three-Headed Wolf, which creates a three-headed wolf with a human torso. These forms allow them to perform devastating attacks, such as the Fang Passing Fang and the Fang Wolf Fang, which involve spinning at high speeds and biting the enemy with their fangs.
• Intelligence and Communication: Akamaru is very smart and can understand human speech and emotions. He can also communicate with Kiba and other dogs through barks, growls, and other sounds. He can also use sign language to convey messages to his teammates.

Akamaru’s Role in Naruto Shippuden

Akamaru plays an important role in Naruto Shippuden, and participates in many missions and battles with his team. Some of his notable appearances are:

• The Search for Sasuke: Akamaru joins Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Neji in the mission to retrieve Sasuke from the Sound Four. He helps them track down the enemy and fight them. He also saves Kiba from Sakon and Ukon, and helps him defeat them with the Fang Wolf Fang.
• The Rescue of Gaara: Akamaru joins Team Kurenai and Team Guy in the mission to rescue Gaara from the Akatsuki. He helps them fight against Kisame and Itachi, and later against Deidara and Sasori. He also helps Kiba find Naruto and Kakashi, who are chasing Deidara.
• The Invasion of Pain: Akamaru joins Kiba, Hinata, and Shino in defending Konoha from Pain’s attack. He helps them fight against the Animal Path, and later against the Deva Path. He also helps Kiba find Naruto, who is fighting against Pain.
• The Fourth Shinobi World War: Akamaru joins Kiba, Hinata, and Shino in the Fifth Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces, led by Gaara. He helps them fight against the reincarnated shinobi of the Akatsuki and the White Zetsu Army. He also helps Kiba find Naruto, who is fighting against Madara and Obito.
• The Last: Naruto the Movie: Akamaru joins Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru in the mission to rescue Naruto and Hinata from Toneri Otsutsuki, who has kidnapped them and plans to destroy the world with the moon. He helps them infiltrate Toneri’s base and fight against his puppets. He also helps Kiba find Naruto and Hinata, who are fighting against Toneri.
• Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Akamaru is still alive and active in the sequel series, which focuses on the next generation of shinobi. He is much older and has gray fur, but still accompanies Kiba on his missions and activities. He also meets Kiba’s girlfriend, Tamaki, who is a cat lover and has many cats. Akamaru is not very fond of them, and often tries to keep Kiba away from them.

Akamaru’s Popularity and Reception

Akamaru is a popular and well-liked character among Naruto fans, and has received positive feedback and praise for his loyalty, cuteness, and strength. He has ranked high in several popularity polls, and has appeared in various merchandise, such as plushies, figurines, and keychains. He has also been featured in several video games, movies, and spin-offs of the Naruto franchise.

Akamaru’s voice actors are Junko Takeuchi in Japanese and Jamie Simone in English. They have both done a great job in portraying his personality and emotions, and have received acclaim and recognition for their work.

Akamaru is a nin-dog from the Inuzuka clan of Konohagakure, and the partner, best friend, and constant companion of Kiba Inuzuka. He is a loyal, devoted, and protective dog, who always supports and follows Kiba in his missions and battles.

He is also a skilled and powerful nin-dog, who can perform various techniques and abilities, such as the combination transformation and the dynamic marking. He plays an important role in Naruto Shippuden, and participates in many events and conflicts, such as the search for Sasuke, the rescue of Gaara, the invasion of Pain, the fourth shinobi world war, and the last movie.

He is a popular and well-liked character among Naruto fans, and has received positive feedback and praise for his loyalty, cuteness, and strength. He is also a playful, energetic, and curious dog, who likes to run, chase, and explore new places. He is sometimes mischievous and naughty, and will urinate on people or things that he dislikes.

He also likes to tease Kiba, and will sometimes bite or scratch him. He is not very fond of cats, and will bark or growl at them. He also dislikes water, and will avoid bathing or swimming. He is afraid of ghosts, and will hide behind Kiba when he sees one.

He is also very overprotective of Kiba, and will try to prevent him from getting too close to girls that he likes. Akamaru is a nin-dog that has captured the hearts of many Naruto fans, and has become one of the most memorable and beloved characters of the Naruto franchise.