A tribute to Naruto and the weapons that defined his battles
Today, October 10, is the birthday of Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, and to commemorate it we have prepared this article, where we will tell you a brief biography of his story and mention, in his honor, the ninja weapons he has used and all those he has faced on his journey toward his dream of becoming Hokage, while learning and forging strong friendships.
The story of Naruto Uzumaki: The beginnings of an unforgettable ninja
If we look back at his birth, it took place in Konoha during the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on the village, at which time his parents, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, former jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, gave their lives to protect their son and keep Konoha safe.
That was how Minato sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox inside little Naruto and trusted that one day he would find his own path as a ninja.
The boy grew up in the village, under the gaze of its inhabitants, who judged and feared him; he began his training at the Ninja Academy with a dream that would define his entire life: to become Hokage and gain recognition from everyone.
During his time at the Academy, Iruka Umino occupied an essential place in his learning and growth as a ninja, being his first father figure, although perhaps representing something closer to an older brother relationship for Naruto, for whom their bond became one of the first displays of trust and recognition the young shinobi received.
Later, after becoming a genin, the first ninja rank, when he went from being a student to a true ninja, Naruto joined Team 7 along with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, with Kakashi Hatake as sensei (teacher).
Kakashi brought to the group his experience as an elite shinobi and his past in the ranks of Konoha's ANBU, in addition to his knowledge of ninjutsu, strategy, and combat.
Team 7's first missions took Naruto to different corners of the ninja world and marked the beginning of a decisive stage in his evolution.
However, it was not limited to the academy and his formally assigned teachers; Naruto's training was also tied to great masters like Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha under whose tutelage he perfected his skills, developed new techniques, and strengthened his control over chakra.
Each master left a different lesson on his path, from Iruka's first bits of advice to Kakashi's demanding lessons and Jiraiya's training; with every mission and every battle, Naruto advanced toward his dream of becoming Hokage and taking his own place among the great ninjas of Konoha.
All of Naruto's weapons
Throughout his adventures, Naruto Uzumaki has used diverse ninja weapons and tools to face his enemies, complementing his skills and combat techniques; though his style is based primarily on chakra and jutsus, he also resorts to other tools. So, as we promised, we will list all those weapons he has used on his path as a ninja throughout each season, to commemorate his day.
Shuriken
The shuriken is a metallic throwing weapon, which Naruto uses during different battles and training sessions to attack from a distance or distract his adversaries.
In reality, shuriken did exist in Japan, although their designs and uses were more varied than what is usually shown in fiction.
Furthermore, there are several types of Shuriken, which he has made use of, beyond what we usually imagine when mentioning this weapon.
Standard four-pointed shuriken
It has a star shape with four sharp points and, usually, a hole in the center; it is light and designed to be thrown by hand.
In the anime, it is one of the most recognizable models among ninja tools and also the most used, while in Japan they also existed, though they were not exclusive to shinobi and were used as auxiliary weapons, with a great variety of models, just like in the anime—though the versions we will mention below do not belong to those models, but are exclusively from the Naruto ninja universe.
Giant Shuriken
The giant shuriken is a large-scale version, with several straight points and a more voluminous metallic structure than the standard model; Naruto uses this weapon a few times throughout the anime, such as briefly in his confrontation against Zabuza, or during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Kunai
It is a pointed metallic tool, with a blade and a handle that usually ends in a ring, which can be used both as a knife, for close-quarters attacking, and as a throwing weapon, which Naruto employs in different combat situations.
Furthermore, the kunai is another weapon that has a Japanese historical equivalent, as a multi-purpose tool that ninjas also took advantage of, using its durability and metallic tip to pierce walls, open holes that would allow them to access buildings, and fit the tool between the stones of walls to help themselves climb. Likewise, they could stick it into the ground and attach a rope to the ring of its handle to keep it anchored, although it could also be used as a weapon in certain circumstances; however, its use as a throwing knife, so frequent in the anime, did not represent its primary function.
Explosive tags or paper bombs
Explosive tags are paper labels with inscriptions that can cause explosions when attached to surfaces or combined with other tools to prepare traps and attacks or simply, distractions, and whose operation is mostly associated with chakra. And although these specific tags did not exist among real ninjas, various explosives and incendiary resources did exist.
Smoke bombs
They are devices that, when activated, generate a cloud of smoke that reduces visibility and serves to hide movements, confuse adversaries, and facilitate a retreat or an ambush; and although they are not strictly a weapon, it is worth mentioning them due to the relevance of their use throughout the series.
Furthermore, these are other tools that were used among real ninjas in their own infiltration missions, or at least, we can say they arise inspired by tools that were effectively used by them.
Ninja scrolls
Ninja scrolls are rolls that can contain information, instructions, or techniques, and some are even used to store and retrieve objects through sealing techniques, while others intervene in summoning techniques; and although they are not weapons per se, they function as tools worthy of being mentioned given the great relevance they have when Naruto uses them to perform summonings, such as the technique that allows him to call toads from Mount Myōboku to help him during combat.
The main weapons Naruto faced
Since we have decided to review all of Naruto's weapons to celebrate his birthday, this did not seem enough to us, so we also chose to add this list with some of the most recognizable weapons that our celebrated protagonist had to face throughout his battles with great and prominent opponents. From the most common to the most peculiar in the shinobi world, many of which have played an important role in the battles that marked the history of Naruto.
Kunais and Shurikens
It is evident that the most common weapons of the ninja world, such as kunai, used both in close attacks and for throwing, and shuriken, employed to carry out quick attacks from a distance, appear in numerous confrontations, and to them are added the explosive tags, known as Kibaku Fuda, which allow for preparing traps, reinforcing throwing weapons, and causing explosions from a distance. All of them already mentioned, as both Naruto and his enemies resorted to these tools during their missions.
But throughout the series, much more peculiar weapons also appear that became protagonists of some of his most remembered battles and on which we will focus a little more in this section.
Senbon
During the Land of Waves arc, Naruto faces Haku, who uses, in addition to several special techniques, Senbon, small-sized needles with which he performs quick and highly precise attacks.
Haku can use them to attack from a distance and also to immobilize his adversaries, as they are precision weapons that, in skillful hands like his, can strike precise points on both the body and the opponent's chakra network, making them one of the most characteristic weapons of this confrontation.
Kubikiribōchō
Both Zabuza and later Suigetsu used the Kubikiribōchō to fight against Naruto, a huge sword associated with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, whose most striking feature is its ability to recover part of its structure using the iron present in the blood of its victims.
Zabuza wields it during the Land of Waves mission, while Suigetsu manages to get hold of the same sword later and uses it during his confrontations after the Five Kage Summit.
This weapon in particular is one of the Seven Swords of the Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, along with Samehada, Hiramekarei, Kiba, Nuibari, Kabutowari, and Shibuki.
Kusanagi
During his confrontations with Naruto, Sasuke also uses the Kusanagi sword, one of the most recognizable weapons in his arsenal, for although it does not seem to possess great particularities, Sasuke combines the handling of the sword with his speed, precision, and lightning techniques, taking advantage of his skills to make it an especially dangerous weapon during his battles.
Needle umbrellas
Another of the weapons that appears in Naruto's early confrontations is the needle umbrella, used by the Rain ninjas during the Chūnin Exams.
These umbrellas allow for launching numerous needles against the adversary and serve as a long-distance attack tool, forming part of the arsenal used during the battles of that stage, although it could be said that the real weapons in them are the senbon, implemented in a different way.
Scalpels
Kabuto also resorts to physical weapons during his confrontations with Naruto and the other ninjas, although among them, those that stand out the most are not exactly ninja weapons, but scalpels, used to carry out quick and precise attacks in hand-to-hand combat.
These tools, normally associated with his medical knowledge, can also become dangerous weapons when Kabuto enters combat.
Chakra blades
During the Twelve Guardian Ninja arc, Naruto faces Sora, who uses chakra metal blades incorporated into his clawed gauntlets.
These weapons are part of his combat equipment and allow him to attack with quick and direct blows, adding a physical element to his confrontations.
Samehada
In Shippuden, one of the most prominent encounters is related to Kisame Hoshigaki and Samehada, one of the famous swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist already mentioned (Hiramekarei, Kiba, Nuibari, Kabutowari, Shibuki, and Kubikiribōchō). It is a huge sword that has the peculiarity of absorbing chakra and feeding on the energy of its adversary.
Kisame uses Samehada during his confrontations, making it one of the most recognizable weapons that Naruto encounters throughout the series.
Chains, Gunbai Fan, and Scythe
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito Uchiha also uses physical weapons in his confrontations against Naruto and the Allied Shinobi Forces, among which the chains stand out, which he employs during the war battles, and also the Gunbai, a huge war fan used as a defensive and offensive weapon.
Madara Uchiha also uses this latter one at that moment and, additionally, a scythe, a weapon that, without being the same one, another character already used previously, Hidan, a member of the Akatsuki who is usually associated with the image of a scythe more than anyone else.
