SHUKAKU

Shukaku (守鶴, Shukaku), more commonly known as the One-Tail (一尾, Ichibi), is a tailed beast that was last sealed within Gaara of Sunagakure. It has been captured by 

Deidara, then extracted and sealed by Akatsuki.

Contents  

Background

The young tailed beasts with the Sage of the Six Paths.

Shukaku first came into being in the waning days of the Sage of the Six Paths, who used his Creation of All Things ability to separate the Ten-Tails' chakra from its 

body and divide it into nine separate constructs in order to ensure that it would never resurface after his death. Some time after being created, the Sage sat down 

with all the young tailed beasts and told them that they would always be together even when separated, and that one day they would become one entity again with 

different names as well as forms than they did then when the time came for them to understand what true power is.

Citizens of Sunagakure came to believe that Shukaku was a living ghost (生霊, ikiryō) of a corrupted Suna priest, and was originally sealed inside a tea kettle.

Shukaku had two jinchūriki in the past, one of which inspired the Third Kazekage to create the Iron Sand technique. Shukaku was eventually removed from their bodies, 

resulting in their deaths.

Shukaku goes on a rampage after Gaara loses control.

When Karura became pregnant with Gaara, her husband, the Fourth Kazekage, had Chiyo to seal Shukaku into Gaara while he was still in the womb, because of his three 

children, Gaara was the only compatible one with the beast. Before Karura died from a premature childbirth, she passionately told her son that she would protect him 

and according to her husband, her love seeped into the sand. However, Gaara couldn't properly control Shukaku's powers, killing or injuring several of Suna's shinobi 

and citizens. Deemed a failure, the Fourth Kazekage chose to test his son, ordering Yashamaru to assassinate him and also tell him that his mother never loved him, and 

that she was used as a human sacrifice for the sealing process. Gaara failed the test, fully releasing the rampaging Shukaku, to which the Fourth eventually used his 

Gold Dust to subdue the tanuki.

Personality Edit

Shukaku is cunning, but also incoherent, giving it the demeanour of a madman. According to Gaara, because of its innate rage and blood-lust, Shukaku relishes the 

opportunity to kill anyone in sight, even more so during a full moon. Like all tailed beasts, Shukaku has a strong desire to preserve its own life, and as such, will 

grant its jinchūriki the power to control sand as well as allow them to transform into it in a state of need and blood-lust. Gyūki mentioned that Shukaku hates Kurama 

for its beliefs that the tailed beasts' strength is measured by the number of tails and, as such, views Shukaku as the weakest.

Appearance Edit

Shukaku is a sandy-brown coloured tanuki, with black (dark blue in the anime) markings all over its face, body, and tail. It has a jagged, concave mouth and the 

sclerae of its eyes are black, with yellow irides and pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it. During the last 

days of the Sage of the Six Paths, Shukaku in its youth looked the same as it does presently, only much smaller.

Abilities Edit

Shukaku using Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet.

Like all tailed beasts, Shukaku foremost has an enormous supply of chakra. The tanuki is also able to use Wind Release nature transformation, which it uses to perform 

powerful attacks such as the Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet which can create giant craters upon impact. Most notable of the the beast's power is its ability to 

manipulate sand, using it as an effective weapon; and can perform the Tailed Beast Ball. At fully-released form, Shukaku's body is completely made of sand; as such he 

can ignore most damage that would otherwise be detrimental, as shown when he had one of his arms chopped off by Gamabunta and was still able to keep on fighting. 

Whenever Shukaku is sealed into its jinchūriki, it has the ability to eat away its host's personality, and influence him or her with its bloodlust behaviour whenever 

he or she sleeps, which leads its host to develop insomnia.

Activity inside Gaara Edit

Main article: Gaara's Jinchūriki Forms

As Shukaku's jinchūriki, Gaara has the ability to move and levitate sand at will. Shukaku was at first believed to be the source of the automatic Shield of Sand, 

however the Fourth Kazekage told Gaara that this was due to his mother's love and will being in the sand, thus using Shukaku's sand manipulation for her own purpose; 

protecting Gaara from all harm. When angry or in a state of blood-lust, Gaara can use the sand in his gourd to take on the form of a miniature Shukaku, or even create 

a giant copy of Shukaku's body.

Part I Edit

Invasion of Konoha Arc 

During the Invasion of Konoha, Gaara transformed into his full Shukaku form during his fight with Naruto Uzumaki, who later summoned Gamabunta. When Gaara exposed 

himself on top of Shukaku's head and used the Feigning Sleep Technique, Shukaku took full control of its body and battled them. Shukaku's power was too much for 

Gamabunta to handle, resulting in both him and Naruto using the Combination Transformation to take the form of a giant fox (Kurama in the anime). Gamabunta used the 

form's claws and teeth to grab and restrain Shukaku, in order for Naruto to wake Gaara up with a punch, which suppressed Shukaku's power.

Ultimate Weapon Arc Edit

In the anime, the goal of Four Celestial Symbols Men was to steal Shukaku's chakra. Gaara was put under agony while Hōki from the Takumi Village absorbed a large 

portion of his chakra as well as Shukaku's to revive Seimei, which forced him to partially transform into Shukaku. However, when he thought about how Naruto would 

fight for his friends, Gaara himself managed to suppress Shukaku.

Part II Edit

Kazekage Rescue Arc 

Shukaku being extracted from Gaara.

During Gaara's time as the Fifth Kazekage, Deidara and Sasori from the Akatsuki were assigned to capture Shukaku. After Deidara defeated Gaara in combat and took him 

to Akatsuki's lair in the Land of Rivers, Shukaku was forcefully extracted from Gaara and placed within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Though the extraction 

killed him, Gaara was resurrected through Chiyo's One's Own Life Reincarnation technique and has still retained the ability to control sand.

Video Games Edit

Shukaku appears as a boss in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm and a false replication of it is a boss in Naruto Shippūden: Kizuna Drive.

Trivia Edit

'Shukaku' (守鶴) literally means 'protector crane'.

A tanuki (狸, raccoon dog) is a popular figure in Japanese folklore and is famous for its mischievous nature and abilities to shape-shift. Tanuki are also said be 

rivals to the kitsune, which created an old Japanese proverb: "A fox and a tanuki matching their cleverness" (狐と狸の化かし合い, kitsune to tanuki no bakashi ai), meaning as 

much as two sly characters trying to outsmart one another. Shukaku being sealed inside a tea kettle is a reference to one Japanese tale called Bunbuku Chagama. In 

addition, Shukaku being claimed to be a corrupted Suna priest earlier in the series, has ties to a legend in the Kenchō-ji temple of a tanuki disguised as the shrine's 

priest.

Shukaku is the first tailed beast to have its name revealed in the series, and the only one that has not been resealed into its former host during the Fourth Shinobi 

World War, or have the characteristic red-chakra-shrouded Version 1 or Version 2 forms.

Despite Son Gokū claiming that jinchūriki did not care to learn their tailed beasts' name, Shukaku was known by its name.

Quotes Edit

(To Naruto and Gamabunta while laughing) "I'm finally out!! And here's someone that I want to kill right now!!"