The One Tailed Shukaku

Bio
First Gaara Appearance: Ch. 35 / Ep. 20

First Ichibi Appearance: Ch. 134 / Ep. 78

Hidden Village: Sand

Rank: Kazekage

Bijuu: Shukaku the One-Tailed Demon

Represented Animal: Tanuki (raccoon)

Drawbacks: If Gaara sleeps Shukaku takes control

Status: Captured and extracted by Akatsuki

Info: Chiyo imbued the demon Shukaku into the Kazekage's son Gaara. Gaara lead a lonely life until he met Uzumaki Naruto. He pledged himself to prove his worth and protect his village. His drive led him to become Kazekage. He was defeated in battle by Deidara and Akatsuki removed the Shukaku demon from within Gaara, killing him. He was later revived by Chiyo, but he was no longer a jinchūriki. He retained some sand control powers however.

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defense: Gaara's utilization of the one-tailed Shukaku demon takes several forms. The sand demon provides Gaara with an automatic shield defense, protecting him from strikes. The automated defense is limited in speed though, a fast enough attack can reach Gaara's body before the sand can catch up to defend, if this happens he might use sand armor which is a layer of sand that looks like his skin that protects him from attacks. He can also use Shukaku no Tate, said to be Gaara's supreme absolute defense.

Power: Using his own chakra to encase his foes in sand, Gaara would constrict and crush his opponents. In turn their blood would strengthen Shukaku. When the sand returned to Gaara's gourd, the blood of the victim would be mixed in. The exact reason why the blood strengthened Shukaku is unknown.

History and Myth

The tanuki is species of dog found in Japan. The species has been called "raccoon dog" because of their similar appearance. The tanuki has been renowned for its mischievous nature and ability to shape shift and bring good fortune. The Naruto Shukaku has ties to several tanuki archetypes. One is the Bunbuku Chagama tale, where a tanuki transformed into a tea kettle. In the series Shukaku was reported to have been sealed within one. Some tales state of shrine priests being tanuki in disguise, which ties into how early in the series Shukaku was reportedly a corrupted Sand priest.