Kurenai Yuhi is a female ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village and the leader of Team 8, which consists of Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga. She is a skilled genjutsu user who can create realistic illusions to deceive and manipulate her opponents. She is also the wife of Asuma Sarutobi, a fellow ninja and the son of the Third Hokage, and the mother of Mirai Sarutobi, who inherits her father’s will of fire.
Contents
All about Kurenai Yuhi
[schemas]- Birthdate: June 11
- Sex: Female
- Age: Part I: 27–28/Part II: 31–32
- Height: Part I: 169.1 cm
- Weight: Part I: 54.4 kg
- Blood type: AB
- Classification: Sensor Type
- Affiliation: Konohagakure
- Team: Team 8
- Clan: Sarutobi Clan
Kurenai Yuhi’s Background
As a child, Kurenai met Asuma Sarutobi during the Academy entrance ceremony where the two quickly became friends. She graduated at age 9. In the anime, during the Chunin Exams, Kurenai was placed in a team with Asuma and Raidō Namiashi.
She later was cheering for her classmates during the third round of the Chūnin Exams. Eventually becoming a chūnin at age 13, Kurenai became a jōnin shortly before Team 8 was formed.
During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox’s Attack, Kurenai, Kakashi, Asuma and Guy were amongst the young ninja that wanted to help in repelling the beast, but the group was barred from participating by the older shinobi, one of whom was her own father.
Though she protested greatly about this, her father told her that this wasn’t war but an internal village issue and as they were shinobi, their lives were brief and that she should live long enough to ensure that the next generation would come about that would inherit the Will of Fire.
In the anime, because of Kurenai’s natural talent for genjutsu, the Third Hokage tasked Kurenai with helping to train Yakumo Kurama, another talented genjutsu user who longed to be a ninja.
However, because Yakumo couldn’t control her illusions and thus endangered those around her, Kurenai had to seal away her ninja abilities, preventing her from ever becoming a shinobi.
About twelve years after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox’s Attack, seeing her classmate fall into deeper self-pity from losing Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara, Kurenai, along with Might Guy and Asuma decided to speak with the Third Hokage, voicing their disapproval of Kakashi being in Anbu with such bitterness burdening him, and suggested instead that he be re-assigned as a jōnin sensei in the hopes of restoring Kakashi’s kindness.
At some point in time, Kurenai visited the Hyuga estate and took on Hinata on as her charge. She asked Hiashi whether he was certain about his decision to have his daughter join the regular forces, he promptly dismissed her stating that the Hyūga clan had no place for the weak.
Kurenai Yuhi’s Personality
Kurenai is a caring and brave woman. She shows great concern towards her students and takes a vested interest in their growth, especially in regards to Hinata Hyūga due to knowing full well how Hinata was viewed by her father.
When Hinata tried to offer Naruto some medicine after his fight with Kiba, Kurenai convinced Naruto Uzumaki to take it because she knew of her student’s infatuation with him. Her personality is unyielding, honest, and simple. She is also portrayed as the “big sister type”.
Throughout the series, it has been heavily hinted that Kurenai was romantically involved with fellow jōnin Asuma. The two appeared together in most of their scenes, and the other characters made it a point to note this fact on several occasions.
When Kakashi Hatake found the two together at a dumpling shop, he asked if they were on a date, which made Kurenai blush and make up an excuse that she was running an errand only.
During Asuma’s battle with Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu, Kurenai was often shown wondering about his progress, appearing anxious. When she learned of his death, she fell to her knees in tears and disbelief, and later laid flowers on his grave during his funeral.
The truth of their relationship was made clear in Part II when Kurenai revealed that she is pregnant with Asuma’s daughter, Mirai Sarutobi.
Since becoming a single mother, Kurenai proved very capable, raising Mirai to be very cheerful and responsible. At the same time, Kurenai could act very strict and severe whenever Mirai acted recklessly or misbehaved, as after getting separated from her team during a cat rescuing mission, Mirai became afraid of her mother’s reaction of discovering that she went ahead of her team and gotten herself lost, recoiling at the mere thought of getting scolded by Kurenai.
Kurenai Yuhi’s Appearance
Kurenai is a fair-skinned woman of slender build. She has long black untamed hair reaching her upper back, and very unique eyes that are red in colour, with an additional ring in them.
She wears make-up consisting of red lipstick and purple eye shadow. Her regular outfit consists of a red mesh armour blouse with only the right sleeve visible.
Overall, this is very broad material which resembles bandages with a pattern on it similar to those of rose thorns. Her hands and upper thighs are also wrapped in bandages and she wears the Konoha forehead protector and regular shinobi sandals.
In a flashback, it was shown that Kurenai used to wear the standard Konoha shinobi outfit with a flak jacket and a simple sleeveless red outfit underneath it.
During her pregnancy, she wore a long, loose fitting maternal dress with a simple blouse underneath and after giving birth she was seen in a simple kimono.
As a genin, she wore a similar outfit to the one she wears currently with the signature thorn pattern on it with a simple sash around her waist. These thorns were pink in colour when she was a child, and red when she got older.
Two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, she returned to her previous slender frame before the pregnancy. She also wears a black-coloured long-sleeved shirt under a burgundy sleeveless shirt with three red-orange stripes on it.
She wears a light shade of grey pants with tan brown sandals. Her hair is also shoulder-length. Thirteen years later, Kurenai develops minor wrinkles at the corner of her mouth, and wears a red kimono with a white belt.
Kurenai’s Role in Naruto Shippuden
Kurenai played a supporting role in Naruto Shippuden, mainly appearing in the background or in flashbacks. She was involved in some of the major events that occurred in the series, such as:
[schemas]- The Akatsuki’s invasion of Konoha: Kurenai fought alongside her team and other ninjas to defend the village from the attack of Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki. She used her genjutsu to distract one of Pain’s bodies and helped Hinata escape from another. She also witnessed Naruto’s arrival and his defeat of Pain with his Sage Mode.
- The Fourth Shinobi World War: Kurenai was one of the ninjas who stayed behind in Konoha to protect it from possible threats while most of the shinobi forces were sent to fight against Madara Uchiha and his army of Zetsu clones and reanimated ninjas. She was also pregnant with Asuma’s child at this time and gave birth to their daughter, Mirai, shortly after the war ended.
- The Last: Naruto the Movie: Kurenai made a brief appearance in this movie, which took place two years after the end of the war. She attended Naruto and Hinata’s wedding with her daughter and congratulated them on their marriage.
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Kurenai appeared in this sequel series as an older woman who raised her daughter as a single mother. She supported Mirai’s decision to become a ninja and entrusted her to Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy for a special mission. She also attended Naruto’s inauguration as the Seventh Hokage and cheered for him.
Kurenai’s Personality and Relationships
Kurenai is a calm, kind, and caring person who values her friends and comrades. She is loyal to her village and its ideals and is willing to risk her life for its sake.
She is also a strict but supportive teacher who guides her students with patience and encouragement. She has a close bond with all of her team members, especially Hinata, whom she sees as a younger sister.
Kurenai’s most important relationship is with Asuma Sarutobi, whom she loved deeply. They had a romantic but discreet affair that resulted in Kurenai becoming pregnant with their child.
They were happy together until Asuma was killed by Hidan, a member of the Akatsuki, during a mission. Kurenai was devastated by his death and vowed to raise their child with his memory. She named their daughter Mirai, which means “future”, as a symbol of their hope.
Kurenai also has a friendly relationship with other ninjas from Konoha, such as Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Anko Mitarashi, Shizune, Kurenai Yuhi Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno, and Tsunade Senju. She respects them as fellow comrades and often interacts with them on various occasions.
Kurenai Yuhi’s Abilities
Kurenai is a proficient ninja who has mastered various skills and techniques. Her main specialty is genjutsu, which allows her to create illusions that affect the senses and mind of her targets. She can use genjutsu for various purposes, such as deception, manipulation, interrogation, or defense. Some of her genjutsu techniques include:
Genjutsu: Kurenai is a genjutsu prodigy, who is considered Konoha’s number one genjutsu user. Her skills are said to rival those of even Itachi’s, the fellow genjutsu master himself even praised her skills.
Capable of discerning the truth in an instant to see through an illusion and likewise able to lure enemies to a place far beyond genjutsu, she is able to simultaneously affect multiple opponents with her genjutsu, and, in the anime, revert the effects of genjutsu onto the caster.
Most of her illusion techniques focus around flora; primarily using large trees to bind opponents, as well as flower petals for various purposes.
Other Skills: Kurenai has shown quick reaction speed, able to defend against Itachi’s attack after just recently breaking out of her own reflected genjutsu. In the anime, she can travel through surfaces and sense others by their chakra. She can also seal away a person’s kekkei genkai, and enter the subconsciousness of a person to see their “true nature”.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death: This technique creates an illusion of a forest that traps the target in a tree and makes them feel intense pain as they are pierced by branches.
Genjutsu: Flower Petal Escape: This technique allows Kurenai to dissolve her body into flower petals and escape from danger or attacks.
String Bean Binding Illusion: This technique creates an illusion of strings that bind the target and prevent them from moving or using chakra.
Hair Camouflage: This technique allows Kurenai to change the color and texture of her hair to blend in with her surroundings.
Kurenai is also skilled in other aspects of ninjutsu, such as:
Yin Release: This is a type of chakra nature that deals with the creation and manipulation of form and spirit. Kurenai uses this nature to enhance her genjutsu and create illusions that are more realistic and effective.
Sensing Technique: This is a technique that allows Kurenai to sense the presence and location of other people or objects by detecting their chakra. Kurenai uses this technique to track down her enemies or allies and to avoid being detected herself.
Hiding in Surface Technique: This is a technique that allows Kurenai to merge with any surface and hide from sight. Kurenai uses this technique to ambush her opponents or to spy on them.
Kurenai is also proficient in taijutsu, or hand-to-hand combat, and can hold her own against skilled fighters. She is agile and flexible and can dodge or counterattack with ease. She also carries a kunai, a small knife, as her main weapon.
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