Who is Haruno Sakura?
Haruno Sakura is a Konohagakure kunoichi. When Sakura is assigned to Team 7, she quickly realizes she is unprepared for the responsibilities of a shinobi. She overcomes this, however, after training under the Sannin Tsunade, and is recognized as one of the world’s greatest medical-nin.
Voice Actor of Haruno Sakura
The Japanese voice actor, Chie Nakamura contributed her voice to Haruno Sakura whereas Kate Higgins has voiced for the English version of this character.
Background
Sakura is Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno’s only child. Unlike her teammates, she had a normal childhood, raised by her parents without any major tragedies or complications. When she first arrived at Konoha’s Academy, a few of the girls in her class began to tease her about her broad forehead.
Sakura tried to hide her face behind her bangs to avoid being teased, but this only served to irritate the other girls, who bullied her even more. One of Sakura’s classmates, Ino Yamanaka, noticed this and defended her from the bullies, encouraging her to embrace rather than hide her forehead.
Sakura’s comfort with herself and development into her own person was aided by Ino’s guidance and friendship over the years. Despite her gratitude for Ino’s assistance, Sakura began to feel as if she was living in Ino’s shadow when she really wanted to be on par with him. Sakura met Sasuke Uchiha shortly after entering the Academy and developed feelings for him.
She was surprised to learn how popular Sasuke was with the girls when she told her friends. Sakura heard that Sasuke was attracted to girls with long hair, so she started growing her hair out to attract his attention. When Sakura found out Ino had a crush on Sasuke a few years later, she ended their friendship so they could compete for Sasuke’s love, igniting a bitter rivalry between them.
Sakura approached Ino after they were assigned to their teams, telling her about her feelings for Sasuke. Ino admitted that she had feelings for him as well. Sakura used it to end their friendship, which began with their dislike for each other at the start of the series.
Personality
Sakura used to be insecure and self-conscious about her large forehead, which she covered with her bangs as a child. She didn’t gain confidence until she met Ino, who stood up for her against bullies and became her friend. Sakura typically gives the impression of being polite to her superiors, considerate of her peers, and confident in herself at the start of Part I. She has a few moments of shyness around Sasuke and competitiveness around Ino, but she appears to be quite composed otherwise.
This reserve, while never deceptive, frequently conceals Sakura’s true feelings: she has strong feelings of delinquency, jealousy, and anger in certain situations. Rather than showing these emotions to others, Sakura projects them inward, allowing a manifestation of who she truly is — dubbed “Inner Sakura” — to have the opinions Sakura wishes to keep to herself. Inner Sakura, whose appearances are signaled by a “Shannaro!” exclamation, is in some ways a separate personality from Sakura herself, which allows her to overcome the Mind Body Switch Technique. Sakura and Inner Sakura are sometimes indistinguishable from one another, especially when it comes to Naruto. Sakura retaliates with violence when Naruto says or does something that annoys or upsets her, a reaction that would otherwise be delegated to Inner Sakura.
Sakura becomes increasingly exposed to the realities of the world as Part I progresses, difficulties that she cannot rely on Inner Sakura to solve on her own. Sakura excelled as an Academy student by studying alone to the point of pride, avoiding physical trials and thus allowing her to concentrate on her physical appearance in order to appeal to Sasuke. However, as a shinobi, this has proven insufficient, as her long hair can be exploited by opponents. Missions cannot be completed solely on the basis of intellect, and the ability to fight is required so that other shinobi do not kill her or her teammates.
Sakura is particularly dissatisfied with herself as a result of the latter, as she is unable to contribute much in battle and must rely on Naruto and Sasuke to save her. She sets out to change this about herself, dedicating nearly three years of training to becoming as capable as Naruto and Sasuke; in the meantime, she learns to value them both highly and is willing to sacrifice herself to protect them.
Naruto serves as a role model for her in this endeavor, as he inspires her with his rapid growth and determination to be there for her and all those he cares about. When Sakura realizes that she is as rude to Naruto as Sasuke is to her at his urging, she begins to treat him better, congratulating him on his achievements, and confiding in him her hopes and fears.
Inner Sakura makes a brief appearance at the start of Part II before disappearing from the series. Sakura has finally gotten in touch with her emotions and is willing to express what she’s thinking, a confidence she gained during her training with Tsunade.
However, she has become more emotional and impulsive as a result of this. Her desire to catch up to Naruto and Sasuke in strength, as well as her overprotectiveness of them and her need to prove her worth as a ninja, brings out this dark side of her more easily, leading her to attack her opponents and being rescued by her comrades.
As in Part I, her violent and/or loud outbursts are uncontrollable and frequently directed at Naruto, usually in response to his variations of the Sexy Technique, whenever he asks her out on a date, or anything she considers to be out of line, as well as when anyone offends her. When Minato saw Sakura’s outburst on Naruto after he asked if she was his girlfriend, he remarked that she reminded him of his own wife.
Despite thinking Naruto is an idiot and having a stern disparaging opinion of him that flares at times, Sakura no longer thinks badly of him. She now holds his abilities in high regard, reprimanding and threatening Sai angrily when he deemed Naruto weak, ostensibly to test Sakura’s faith in Naruto.
Despite this, she is constantly concerned about his safety and well-being, to the point where she can easily feel overwhelmed with guilt, and she regards him as one of her closest friends. Sakura, despite criticizing Naruto for his perverted nature, has a perverted side of her own, enjoying something that even Naruto finds disgusting.
Sai eventually states that he believes Naruto knows Sakura far too well for his own good, and that he is constantly putting himself in danger because of his feelings for her in order for Sakura to be happy. This brings Sakura to tears, and she feels unbearably guilty for what she believes she has caused Naruto to go through. Despite her attempts to take responsibility for herself by dealing with Sasuke on her own during the Summit, she still finds herself relying on him due to her shaky resolve, nearly costing Sakura her life.
She eventually settles for doing whatever she can for him, attempting to do more to support him and his Sasuke decisions, as well as assisting him in coping with the challenges of being a jinchuriki and fighting alongside him whenever possible. Tsunade’s influence aids her in this goal by instilling in her a dislike for losing and an unyielding will; she will put herself in danger so that others do not have to, and to ensure her allies’ victory.
Sakura has been in love with Sasuke since she was a child, and her first priority is to get his attention. Her initial attraction to him stemmed from his good looks and calm, collected demeanor, and his rejections had no effect on her. Despite his gratitude for her love after she confesses to prevent him from defecting from Konoha, Sasuke rejects her but thanks her before leaving.
Sakura is deeply hurt by this rejection, prompting her to beg Naruto to return Sasuke and, when Naruto fails, to become stronger so that she can return Sasuke herself. When Sasuke becomes an international criminal, she tries to distance herself from his feelings by attempting to kill him in order to prevent a war, but her love for him is too strong for her to harm him. Sakura holds out hope that she might mean something to him even at the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Despite Sasuke’s crimes, Sakura was able to forgive him after he expressed sincere regret for the harm he had caused her. She was also taken aback when he took a softer approach with her and began poking her on the forehead, a loving gesture he learned from his brother.
Sakura became extremely devoted to Sasuke after marrying him, refusing to leave his side even when she was pregnant with their daughter, Sarada. Due to Sasuke’s long absence on his mission, Sakura raises Sarada on her own, and she frequently assures Sarada that Sasuke loves them both and will return home once his mission is completed.
Sarada was barely a toddler when Sasuke left, and Sarada’s love and patience for him never faded. Sakura is a loving and protective mother who has a close relationship with her daughter, praising her accomplishments as quickly as she chastises her for wrongdoing. Sakura is enthusiastic about Sasuke’s responsibilities, but she is disappointed when he teases her by refusing to show her affection.
Appearance
Sakura is a young woman with fair skin, green eyes, and pink hair. She used to wear her hair in bangs as a kid to hide her large forehead and avoid being called “Forehead Girl” by her classmates. Ino advised her to refrain from doing so and instead wear her hair back so that others could see her face.
She let her hair grow longer later in her Academy career due to rumors that Sasuke was attracted to girls with long hair. She cuts her hair and keeps it under shoulder-length from that point on, which she sometimes pins up in a ponytail while working, as she realizes that long hair is a vulnerability in combat situations during Part I. Sakura is becoming increasingly attractive as she grows older, with Jiraiya comparing her appearance to Tsunade’s.
Sakura wears a red qipao dress with slits along the sides, a zipper, and white circular designs in Part I, with or without short sleeves at various times. She’s also wearing dark green bike shorts with a shuriken holster around her right thigh, blue sandals, and a Konoha forehead protector worn as a hairband. In Part I, color illustrations from the manga show her wearing nail polish and eyeshadow, both of which are absent from the anime.
Sakura’s typical outfit in Part II is a red top with the same design as her Part I outfit’s upper half. Black gloves, low-heeled knee-high boots, black shorts under a short grey apron skirt, and grey elbow protectors complete the ensemble (her skirt and elbow protectors are pink in the anime).
Her forehead protector’s cloth is changed to red, and she begins to carry a medical pouch. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura wears a Konoha infantry flak jacket and other clothing. She also gets the Strength of a Hundred Seal tattooed on her forehead in the shape of a violet rhombus, which she can see for the rest of her life.
Sakura wears a sleeveless red qipao dress that reaches her upper thighs, with white trimmings and a white circular design on the back similar to her Part I attire; it is tied with a black obi two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Underneath the dress, she wears black shorts, black gloves, and pink elbow and knee protectors. Her previous boots have been replaced with regular black, high-heeled ninja sandals.
Sakura’s adult attire consists of a red sleeveless qipao top that exposes her navel and falls to her knees, with the Uchiha clan crest on the back. She also sports a red headband and light-colored pants with high heels. Sakura battles in a red top with the Uchiha clan crest on the back, elbow protectors, and flatter sandals, similar to the one she wore in Part II. She wears a long white apron at home and keeps her fingernails long and manicured. Her wrists are also adorned with white bracelets.
Abilities
Sakura lacked any combat skill as a genin, aside from the basic skills she learned in the Academy, due to her focus on her studies. This severely limited her ability to participate in missions, to the point where she frequently expressed her gratitude to her teammates, Sasuke and Naruto.
Shikamaru refers to her as “a kunoichi with no particular talent” on one occasion. She undergoes two-and-a-half years of intensive training with Tsunade, determined to change herself. Others predicted Sakura would inevitably surpass Tsunade, which became even clearer when she formed the Strength of a Hundred Seal during the Fourth Shinobi World War, following in her master’s footsteps.
She rises to the rank of jonin two years later, and despite the Anbu being empowered by a Tailed Beast Drug, she was able to defeat Kido Tsumiki single-handedly. Boruto later stated as an adult that she would be a good Hokage replacement for Naruto.
Physical Powers and Chakra Control
In Part I, Sakura was rarely seen using taijutsu, but she was able to hold her own against Ino, one of her class’s top students. Sakura’s taijutsu improved after Tsunade’s training, and she was able to easily destroy several of Sasori’s hundred puppets. She could stand up to a Mangekyo Sharingan wielding opponent like Shin Uchiha as an adult.
Sakura’s most defining skill, as seen in Part I, was her ability to control chakras. Her chakra is used so precisely that she can perform a jutsu with maximum efficiency while wasting very little chakra. Kakashi Hatake noted that she is well-suited for genjutsu as a result of this.
While she has never been seen using genjutsu, she has been shown to be able to quickly recognize when it is being used and release herself or others. Genjutsu had little to no effect on her by adulthood due to her skill and intelligence, and she was able to break out of even the strongest ones with ease.
Her chakra control improved dramatically as a result of her two-year training with Tsunade, and it became a crucial part of many of her abilities. It grants her “monstrous strength” by storing chakra in her fists (and, on rare occasions, her feet) and releasing it when she makes contact with a target. Sakura’s power is so great that she can destroy buildings or even turn the world on its head. She can also send chakra throughout her entire body to lift more mass and improve her resistance to crushing blows.
Tsunade’s training also included increasing Sakura’s available chakra supply in order to complete the Strength of a Hundred Seal, which took three years to complete. When the seal is broken, Sakura gains access to all of the chakra she has accumulated, allowing her to perform techniques on a much larger scale than she can normally. Her physical attacks have also been improved to the point where she can damage Kaguya with a single blow, breaking one of her horns. She has the ability to pass this chakra on to others.
Ninjutsu
Sakura was able to use the Summoning Technique by the Fourth Shinobi World War, and, like Tsunade, summon the giant slug Katsuyu. Sakura could have Katsuyu split apart and attach itself to others, Sakura could remotely monitor many allies at once, healing and replenishing their chakra as needed, according to Hashirama and Shizune. Sakura could also use the Releases of Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang.
Medical Ninjutsu
Tsunade’s primary goal was to teach Sakura medical ninjutsu, which necessitated Sakura’s refined chakra control. As a result, Sakura has the ability to heal even the most life-threatening injuries. Tsunade points out that her ability to heal is extremely rare. She could combine her chakra-enhanced fists with her medical ninjutsu to heal the resulting damage, eventually killing the affected cells from over-replication when dealing with an enemy with an extremely resistant body. Sakura can use the Strength of a Hundred Seal to put her body in a self-healing state, meaning she won’t have to stop to treat herself or even be fazed by injury. She could perform a difficult operation to regenerate a missing section of a person’s body on her own in the anime.
She can also cure poisoned people by extracting the poison from their bodies while also repairing the damage — something that even poison experts like Chiyo can’t do. Sakura can create an effective antidote after analyzing the poison’s contents to ensure a complete recovery, even for poisons that Sasori did not believe anyone but himself could make antidotes for.
Sakura was able to prevent Naruto’s death after Kurama was removed from him during the war, until they were able to reach Minato and save him. She saved Naruto from chakra deprivation for the second time two years after the war, this time by pouring her own chakra into him and Kurama over the course of three days.
Her medical knowledge extends to more traditional medicine, allowing her to perform autopsies and examine cells using genetics.
Tsunade taught her how to make fast-acting sleeping gas, and Shizune taught her how to make poisons that, when coated on weapons, could incapacitate or paralyze a person with a single scratch. Sakura even created her own version of Military Rations Pills in the anime, which were intended to be more medicinal and easier to consume.
Haruno Sakura had also learned the Healing Power Alteration Technique by the time of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, though it is unclear what this entails. Sakura’s medical ninjutsu skills had improved to the point where Naruto made her the head of the medical department after he became Hokage.
Intelligence
Haruno Sakura received consistently high test scores during her time at the Academy. Sakura struggled in combat at first due to her dedication to her studies; as a result, she was added to Team 7 so that she could benefit from the more battle-oriented Naruto and Sasuke, while they, in turn, could benefit from her knowledge.
Haruno Sakura was able to complete the written portion of the Chunin Exams without the use of cheating, which genin were not expected to be able to do. Sakura’s intelligence is consistent in its utility, allowing her to deduce an opponent’s tactics from a quick scan of the battlefield and pick up on otherwise minor inconsistencies in conversation. Sasuke thought her analytical abilities were better than his Sharingan’s.
Haruno Sakura has an excellent memory and can quickly piece together multiple pieces of information to form a hypothesis based on what she’s already learned. Sakura frequently uses deception to fool her opponents, either by making them believe they’ve outsmarted her and lowering their guard or by making them believe they’ve defeated her and approaching her, allowing her to defeat them with a single punch.
Sakura and Sasuke
Haruno Sakura and Sasuke had their first date overlooking the ocean when they first started dating, though it only lasted two and a half minutes. Sakura, now pregnant, accompanied her husband, Sasuke, on his travels four years after the war because she refused to leave his side.
Sasuke took her to one of Orochimaru’s hideouts when she went into labor and had Karin assist with the delivery. Sakura returned to Konoha with her family after giving birth to their daughter, Sarada. Haruno Sakura and Sasuke raised their daughter together for a while after that, but he went on a mission to investigate Kaguya, leaving their daughter with few memories of him. Sarada inquired about Sasuke, and Sakura assured her that he adored her. Sakura poked her in the brow, promising that he’d return after completing his mission.
Read more Elise Goldsberry Jurley Corona
Quotes
- (To Chiyo) “I may not have amazing weapons like a puppet in me, but what I do have is my master’s contempt for losing!”
- (About Naruto and Sasuke) “Naruto’s here because he’s made up his mind… my resolve is nothing compared to his now! I’m supposed to be a ninja, but all I’ve ever done is lean on him and cry… I was supposed to change that… I came here and I thought I was ready. But I can’t do anything… I can’t say anything. The only thing that remains for me… is to believe in them!“
- (To the Allied Forces after being inspired by Naruto) “He’s making us realise that he considers all of us his comrades!!! I’m going to make sure Naruto has a full recovery! Every one of us must do what’s in their power! If we’re going to die any way… …then it’s better to die fighting than to do nothing!!“
- (To Naruto while giving CPR to him) “I’m not going to just allow someone to die so easily on my watch! (Later) That ridiculous dream of yours… just look now. I won’t let you die… you’re not dying on me, you hear me! No matter the cost, there’s no way that I will let you die!! Just look now… that dream is right in front of your eyes!!!
- (To herself about Naruto) “Always acting like a fool who only knows one thing… Hokage, Hokage. I’m sorry Naruto… that impossible dream of yours… I don’t want to see it crushed!“
- (To herself) “I’ve always considered myself to be a true ninja… but those were just empty words, because Sasuke and Naruto were always in the lead! But now it’s my turn to take the lead, and all of you can watch me from the background!“
- (To Sasuke) “I… I love you with all my heart!… If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets… because every day we’d do something fun, we’d be happy I swear!… I would do anything for you! So… Please just stay with me!“
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