History Characters / DreamingOfSunshine

* [[Characters/DreamingOfSunshineHiddenLeaf Other Konoha Ninja]] [[labelnote: Click to expand]] Chiyako Aburame, Sakura Haruno, Hanabi Hyuuga, Tsume Inuzuka, Yakumo Kurama, Kisuke Maboroshi, Gai Maito, Anko Mitarashi, Ibiki Morino, Asuma Sarutobi, Konohamaru Sarutobi,Tsunade Senju, Danzo Shimura, Genma Shiranui, Iruka Umino, Inoichi Yamanaka, Aoba Yamashiro, Kurenai Yuuhi, Ami, Jiraiya, Sai, Shiho, Tenzou [[/labelnote]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder:Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Or at least, adaptational normalcy. He’s the BigBad of one of the Shippuuden movies (although he UsedToBeASweetKid), but doesn’t seem like a bad guy when he shows up here. Part of the reason Shikako is able to defeat him is that he’s genuinely trying not to hurt her, while she is far more willing to injure him.
* CripplingOverspecialization: His jutsu allows him to seal away an opponent's chakra. He does not use any other jutsu in his matches, and didn't seem to have a plan for how to deal with an opponent who kept fighting after being hit.
* OnlyOneName: Invoked. He was listed without his surname to conceal the fact he belongs to the clan mantaining the Blood Prison.
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** He assumes Shikako would be helpless without her chakra, and she won their fight.
** On the other hand, Shikako didn't bother researching him despite knowing he was considered a most likely person to win.

!Others

!Other Lands

!Others

!!The Leaf Village

!!Other Great Villages

!!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.

!!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.

[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Rain
[[folder: Aoi Rokusho]]
A missing nin from Hidden Leaf who joined Hidden Rain.

* BoisterousWeakling: He talked a big game but couldn't deliver in actual combat.
* LaserSword: He stole the Sword of the Thunder God, which is probably how he was let in Hidden Rain. [[spoiler:He loses it to Shikako.]]

[[folder: Team Oboro]]
A genin team consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari.

* CripplingOverspecialization: They're only really viable in ambushes. When they fail to surprise their enemies, or are forced into a frontal assault, they go down really quickly.
* CurbStompBattle: Their first fight with Team 7 ends up this way.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.
----

* [[Characters/DreamingOfSunshineHiddenMist Hidden Mist]] [[labelnote: Click to expand]] Zabuza Momochi, Haku, Chojuro, Yoro and Shiku, Mei Terumi [[/labelnote]]

!!Hidden Sand
[[folder: Gaara of the Desert]]
The youngest of the Sand Siblings and the jinchuriki of the One Tailed. He later becomes the Kazekage.

* CharacterDevelopment: Just compare his appearance in the Hidden Grass exams to the way he acted back in Konoha.
* AChildShallLeadThem: He is twelve years old when he becomes Kazekage, though Suna tries not to advertise it.
* OddFriendship: Even he has no idea how he actually ended up being friends with Shikako, but he ultimately doesn't care and just appreciates that they are such good friends.
* RankUp: He's promoted to chunin before being made Kazekage. While he probably could have skipped the intermediate rank, the Chunin Exams were an invaluable opportunity to show off both his strength and his CharacterDevelopment.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
* VictoryByEndurance: How he wins his match against [[spoiler: Shikako]] during the Chunin Exams in Hidden Grass. She’s able to pierce his defenses but never able to injure or incapacitate him, so in the end he wins simply because she’s exhausted and he isn’t.
* WorfEffect: Can't do much against [[spoiler:Isobu]] since there isn't much sand around for him to control.
* YouAreNotAlone: Naruto to Gaara (both jinchuriki). He also returns the favor to Shikako, although he may not realize how big a deal it is to her that she's no longer the only one [[spoiler:actively planning for a confrontation with Akatsuki]].

[[folder: Temari]]
The eldest child of the Sand Siblings.

* ActionGirl: Although she stands out a bit less than in canon, because the rest of the female cast has caught up to her.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Was willing to do ''anything'' to keep her brothers safe.
* BlowYouAway: She demonstrates in the Grass Chunin Exams that she has learned some impressive wind jutsu.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]

[[folder: Kankurou]]
The second child of the Sand Siblings.

* AdaptationExpansion: He's probably the Sand Sibling that Shikako spends the most time with, and he gets more characterization than in the manga.
* GracefulLoser: Losing a CurbStompBattle to [[spoiler:Hinata]] can't have been pleasant, but he goes out of his way to make sure that her injuries in the fight weren't serious, and that the medics have the antidote for the gas he used against her.
* HiddenDepths: He's a huge fan of puppet theater.
* TheNicknamer: Is probably the only one to call Shikako the nickname 'Sparky'.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:He's promoted to chunin, despite not making a very impressive showing in the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]

[[folder: Chiyo]]
An elder of Hidden Sand and a master of the puppet technique.

* TheMentor: She's tutoring Kankurou in advanced ninja puppetry.
* NeverMessWithGranny: Gaara notes that despite her advanced age, Chiyo "is to be feared still".
* UnexpectedSuccessor: She becomes the interim Kazekage despite having no plans to do so.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Averted. She hates Sakumo for killing her son and daughter-in-law but has nothing against Kakashi.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Inverted. She comes back to active duty only long enough for Gaara to cement his position as the next Kazekage.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Rain
[[folder: Aoi Rokusho]]
A missing nin from Hidden Leaf who joined Hidden Rain.
----
* BoisterousWeakling: He talked a big game but couldn't deliver in actual combat.
* LaserSword: He stole the Sword of the Thunder God, which is probably how he was let in Hidden Rain. [[spoiler:He loses it to Shikako.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Team Oboro]]
A genin team consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari.
----
* CripplingOverspecialization: They're only really viable in ambushes. When they fail to surprise their enemies, or are forced into a frontal assault, they go down really quickly.
* CurbStompBattle: Their first fight with Team 7 ends up this way.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.
----

!!Other Konoha Ninja
[[folder:Chiyako Aburame]]
Shino's little sister.

* BlackSheep: Defied. One would expect this, given that spiders like Chiyako's Mr. Cranberry are threats to the Aburame hives, but by all accounts she's actually the beloved baby of the clan.
* CoolBigBro: Chiyako sees Shino as this.
* CryCute: Shikako meets Chiyako when she's crying in the bushes.
* GiverOfLameNames: Averted. Mr. Cranberry is a perfectly respectable and creative name for a red-kneed tarantula.
* KidsAreCruel: Chiyako was invited to a slumber party, but then the other girls revoked the invitation, called her names, potentially assaulted her (it isn't mentioned how she got her twisted ankle), and smooshed her pet spider (he survived, though).

[[folder: Sakura Haruno]]
A friend of Shikako who didn't pass the final Genin test.

* AngerBornOfWorry: A rather selfish example. When somebody notices her practicing the SuperStrength technique and brings it up to Tsunade, who becomes interested. Sakura becomes terrified thinking the Hokage will be angry about jutsu theft until Shikako and Ino [[CooldownHug talk her down]] and remind her that training with Tsunade is a good thing.
* [[MuggleBestFriend Civilian Best Friend]]: She is this to Shikako and Ino even before she fails her team's test, having been raised by civilian parents and not getting certain aspects of ninja life.
* DemotedToExtra: Downplayed. She's still not as active as the Leaf 12 since she's spending most of her time studying and working at the hospital, but she is still a reoccurring appearance who has important interactions with Shikako and has joined the kunoichi study group and recently began taking supplemental lessons [[InSpiteOfANail from Tsunade herself]].
* {{Fangirl}}: For Sasuke. But she and Ino did not stop being friends because of it since Shikako [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome presumably talked some sense into them]]. She still sighs over him and daydreams, but studying to become a field medic has absorbed all of her time and treating people who have been maimed and may die has helped her mature and better prioritize.
* HealingHands: Joins Medical Corps.
* GeniusDitz: She is smart, and may even be smarter than Shikako, but has less common sense and is more easily distracted by daydreams, etc.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Sakura knocks out an escaped prisoner with a vase.
* TheMedic: Signs up for Medical Corps after failing genin exam, [[spoiler:eventually becoming Tsunade's apprentice]].
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:When Tayuya breaks out of prison and goes for revenge, Sakura is the one to knock her out with a couple of glass vases. The girl with no field experience dropped one of Orochimaru's (admittedly weakened) personal guards.]] We actually get to see her do this in one of the Sunshine Sidestories.
** [[spoiler:The events of Kiri Chunin Exam, since we only see her final fight]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Kiri Exams]].
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Defied. She is best friends with the daughters of Konoha's former Head of Intelligence and current Jonin Commander but she never asks for favors from them nor blames them for her failing the genin test. The only time this is brought up is when Shikako offers to have an aunt sponsor Sakura to the Medical Corps program, and even then it's Sakura who convinces Igaku to sponsor her.
* SuperStrength: Works on creating a version of this with Shikako, which gets her noticed by Tsunade.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hanabi Hyuuga]]
Hinata's little sister.
----
* BrattyHalfPint: Subverted. Hanabi is disconcerting to some people because she speaks with authority and has been raised to command, but she was also raised in a house with strict adherence to etiquette and does not speak improperly to people above in in society.
* [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove What Is This Thing You Call Friendship?]]: Her growing connection with Chiyako and Moegi has aspects of this, having never particularly had peers or teammates she was close to in the past.

[[folder: Tsume Inuzuka]]
Kiba's mother and head of the Tracking Team.

* ActionMom: Single mother of two children. Also an active duty ninja, a clan head, and leader of both the Tracking Team and the Sensory Squad. And the Inuzuka Clinic.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: She apparently spends way too much time talking up her children to potential spouses--even though Kiba is just thirteen.
* GiverOfLameNames: Kiba's older sister wants people to think that her name uses the "flower" kanji, but actually Tsume was on the good drugs at the time and used the "nose" kanji instead.
* MotherBear: To Kiba and Hana.
* ParentsAsPeople: Inverted? Defied? Whatever it is, Tsume manages to be a doting and well-loved single mother to two children despite all the responsibilities listed under her badass entry. Shikako can't imagine how she finds the time.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She makes Shikako explain herself about rushing into a fight without waiting for orders before deciding whether to keep yelling at her for it. Earlier she took the time to test Rock Lee's sensory perception at his request despite having [[BadassNormal no super-sensory skill]], and complemented him on having solid chunin-level perceptiveness.
* ShipperOnDeck: Hints to Shikako that she wouldn't mind seeing her and Kiba together, since their kids might actually inherit some brains. May also be her being a {{Troll}} who wanted to spark [[NoJustNoReaction Shikako's]] [[BrainBleach reaction]] for kicks. Or both.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Has this relationship with the head of research and Development, as seen when she drags Tsunade in to arbitrate which of their divisions can recruit Shikako.

[[folder: Yakumo Kurama]]
The last member of the Kurama clan.

* ArtInitiatesLife: Subverted. She paints things to activate her powers, but instead of summoning monsters she paints natural disasters that materialize, and they are only illusions.
* BirdsOfAFeather: She admires Rock Lee because, like her, he can only use one ninja art and is dedicated to becoming a great shinobi with a limited toolkit. In turn, Lee admires Yakumo’s dedication just as much.
* BlueScreenOfDeath: Enters this after her alter-ego breaks loose during a spar with Shikako and she remembers killing her own parents. Anko mercifully knocks her unconscious before she can break worse or hurt someone else.
* BrokenBird: Snapped under the stress of her clan's expectations, repressed the memories of murdering her parents and became paranoid that they were assassinated by the Hokage, had her powers sealed, and was placed under house-arrest with 24/7 guards and no peer contact for several years.
* ElementalPowers: Subverted. Yakumo mostly manifests attacks as [[PlayingWithFire fires]] or strikes of [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] but these are both just manifestations of her illusions.
* IllGirl: A bit, which is why she can't use taijutsu.
* MasterOfIllusion: Her skill specialty. Due to ill health, it is just about her only ninja skill. She's powerful enough to cast one over the village that can temporarily fool even the skilled join.
* MasterOfOneMagic: Of the three main ninja arts, she can only do genjutsu, but she's exceptional at it.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Due to her alter-ego setting a fire that killed her parents.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Her bloodline is prone to these due to their RealityWarping abilities
* WordOfGod: [[MasterOfIllusion Yakumo]] and [[BareFistedMonk Lee]] have agreed that they will form a team with a person who can only use ninjutsu if they ever meet one.

[[folder: Kisuke Maboroshi]]
A member of the ANBU.

* PostHumousCharacter: We meet him months or years after his death, as a ghost.
* SoulJar: The seal that his soul is tied to. In a twist, this seal is also what killed him first, as it yanked his soul out of his body against his will.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even though he is dead he still wants to serve the village instead of continuing to the afterlife.

[[folder: Gai Maito]]
The jonin instructor of Team Gai.

* BeastMaster: Has a Turtle summoning contract.
* BornWinner: Shikako notes that it was easy to label Gai as one of Konoha's rather ilustrious "dead-last" ninja who went on to excel, but the truth is that Gai is also a ChildProdigy. He made genin at 7, chunin at eleven, and has been Kakashi's rival as long as they've known each other.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his fashion sense and obsession with "Youth!" Gai is an insanely capable Taijutsu master who can overpower and defeat even Kakashi.
* GenerationXerox: Of his father, which he then passed onto Rock Lee.

[[folder: Anko Mitarashi]]
The former student of Orochimaru before he defected.

* AmazonBrigade: [[spoiler:Anko ends up as the jonin sensei of a team where all three students are kunoichi: Yakumo, Isaribi, and Sakura]].
* AxCrazy: Anko invokes this for psychological intimidation, but in actuality is relatively normal, if a bit extroverted.
* BerserkButton: Orochimaru. The fact that he is still breathing upsets Anko so much that she considers TakingYouWithMe to be a desirable alternative.
** Subverted in regards to questions about her loyalty. It puts her in a foul temper, and [[TooDumbToLive random idiots]] who bring it up may be in danger, but when professionals like Inoichi raise concerns she acknowledges that it is a legitimate danger and will grit her teeth as she does the necessary tests.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Two of the Sunshine Sidestories are from her perspective.
* HiddenDepths: A suprisingly good and caring teacher, [[spoiler:particularly to her genin team]].
* TheMentor: She's acting as a guard, supervisor, and teacher to Yakumo and Isaribi and she seems to enjoy it. Also, regularly takes part in Kunoichi Club meetings.
** [[spoiler:Ends up with her own genin team]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to full jonin sometime after Kiri Exams]].
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Downplayed, but after the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seal is a SoulJar she is shuffled out of the Intelligence Corps to limit her exposure to sensitive data. She considers her new posting to be a worthwhile commitment.

[[folder: Ibiki Morino]]
The head of Konoha's T&I.

* TheDreaded: The scarred and intimidating Head of Torture and Interrogation.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Well, he is a professional interrogator and he has a lot of things that he can do to or order done to people, [[spoiler:but he mostly makes a point of seeming scarier than he really is. For instance, despite talking about torture implements, etc., he recognizes that it is an unreliable and ineffective practice and prefers to extract information through psychological intimidation and rapport-building between prisoners and interrogators]].
* OddFriendship: With Shikako.
* PragmaticVillainy: [[spoiler:So pragmatic that he recognizes that doing bad things is not useful or helpful. Despite being ostensibly in charge of torturing prisoners for information, he uses longer-term rapport building methods that don't harm them, and actively discourages other ninja from using torture to gain information, as seen when he questions Shikako about how she got marked as an interrogation specialist in Iwa's bingo book.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Shikako gets an entry for interrogation in a Bingo book, he calmly asks and let her explain how that happened.
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Non-romantic example with Shikako. All the other Special Jonin and Intelligence Corps members are confused/horrified at how well [[TheHeart Shikako]] gets along with [[ColdBloodedTorture Ibiki]] when they see her willingly seek him out, share tea with him, banter, and laugh at his jokes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Asuma Sarutobi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 10
----
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: After [[spoiler:the Moon Kingdom mission]] he knocks his student out of his HeroicSafeMode with one.
--> "You're a genius, Shikamaru. I think you could do anything you set your mind to. And [[BrilliantButLazy that's the problem,]] isn't it?"
* GenerationXerox: Defied, as Asuma is nothing like his father other than also being skilled and loyal.
* OfficialCouple: With Kurenai.
* StealthMentor: After having unconditionally supported Shikamaru before, he withdraws that support over a difficult subject to shock and provoke Shikamaru into supporting himself, and then returns to offering support once Shikamaru won't be using it as a crutch.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hiruzen Sarutobi]]
The Third Hokage.
----
* KilledOffForReal InSpiteOfANail: Because as Shikako points out, people don't survive using a suicide technique.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: With Orochimaru.
* OldMaster: Well past his prime and still indisputably S-class.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Konohamaru Sarutobi]]
The grandson of the Third Hokage.
----
* BrattyHalfPint: Because he's still in the Academy.
* FearlessFool: Shikako observes that his reaction to something that intimidates him is to reach out and poke it, as shown by his spending time with Naruto's friend Gaara. He still doesn't like Kankuro, though.
* GirlsHaveCooties: Averted, he is close friends with Moegi and can transform himself into a female form.
* GreenEyedMonster: Is jealous that Ranmaru is friends and was on a mission with Naruto.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tsunade Senju]]
One of the Sannin and the Fifth Hokage.
----
* BerserkButton: A low-key one, but she doesn't like people interferring with her hospital.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Multiple chapters of ''Sunshine Sidestories'' are from her perspective.
* HealingHands: The best in the world. She has specifically saved Shikako's life at least twice, once reviving her despite Shikako's 100% depleted chakra, lack of pulse, lack of breathing, and uncertain neural activity.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Tsunade likely qualifies as a functioning or former alcoholic. This is also her reaction to Kakashi's [[NeverMyFault blaming Zabuza]] for Shikako's monologue, and Zabuza's counter-bantering. She describes the world as tilting 45 degrees to the side and actually checks her (zero-proof) drink to ensure that she is not, in fact, drunk.
* TheMentor: To Sakura.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: We see her thoughts when Naruto brings back Ibiki partway through the Sound Retrieval Mission. For the few minutes she spends believing they are the only survivors, she hates herself ''exactly as much'' as you would expect given her belief that she just ''sent 6 twelve-year-old children to their deaths,'' and knows that she couldn't have safely made a different decision, either.
* PolitenessJudo[=/=]StealthInsult: Perfectly capable of doing this as shown during various Chunin Exams.
* ProperlyParanoid:
** She knows that something is rotten in Konoha and doesn't know who it is that is subverting her orders and passing along information to their enemies. She needs a lot of safeguards and plans and safety-measures to figure it out.
** [[spoiler:She forbids Shikako and Sasuke from ever talking about what really happened in Land of Hot Springs, since people would either blame Konoha or try to repeat it]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She has extended a shockingly large amount of trust, leeway, and forgiveness to Shikako for her unconventional actions, partly due to her friendship with Naruto and partly due to Shikako's shocking success rate. For instance, she allows a supervised Shikako to access Orochimaru's old jutsu notes.
* SuperStrength: Yes. [[AvertedTrope Despite her]] [[{{Flanderization}} usual]] [[MegatonPunch portrayal]], in dreaming she yells a bit but has not been shown to vent her temper through violence. [[spoiler: [[InSpiteOfANail She is teaching this to Sakura in their spare time]].]]
** Finally shown in action when fighting [[spoiler:Isobu]] - despite standing on water, she manages to drag him back and throw him a considerable distance away.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Danzo Shimura]]
A friend of the Third Hokage and one of the village elders.
----
* TheCorrupter: Shikako has noted that Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Itachi all took turns for the worse in different ways after their entry into Root.
* TheDreaded: Among people who know much of anything about him. Shikako is secretly an example UpToEleven because she knows so much that she is all-but ''paralyzed by terror'' when confronted with his presence.
* GeometricMagic: Danzo may or may not have designed it himself, but when Shikako looks briefly at Sai's silencing seal she identifies it as being very complicated and possibly using multiple concepts expressed and overlapping at once.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** By assigning Sai to spy on Naruto and Shikako, he gives her an opportunity to the boy into a ReverseMole.
** By forcing Shikako, Shikamaru, and Naruto to immediately report and arranging for Tsunade to not be present despite her prior orders and the usual code of conduct for returning ninja with injuries, when Shikako [[spoiler:collapses and almost dies from her wounds]] during the debrief Tsunade has the right to charge the elder council with negligence in their duties and sharply curtail their influence.
** [[spoiler:When he reports to Tsunade that Shikako disappeared from hospital and blames Kumo for this. Since Shikako just finished her own report, Tsunade knows it's not true and goes to investigate everything personally.]]
* StrawMisogynist: Downplayed, but in Sunshine Sidestories he tells Sai that kunoichi always have soft hearts and rarely make good ninja. He also refers to Tsunade as "that woman".
* ThrowTheDogABone: Subverted. Danzo praises Sai for making bonds with Naruto and Shikako, which is a rare and fleeting event. However, Sai mentally adds that praise is often the only reward offered for a mission completed beyond expectations, and wishes he hadn't been praised at all.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Even once Jiraiya has shown Tsunade evidence that Root is active despite being disbanded and may be committing further treason, her reaction is to think it unlikely that Danzo was responsible. Justified, because Danzo is a respected war hero and trusted comrade of the Third Hokage.
--> '''Tsunade:''' I never liked him, but ... treason? That's not Danzo. Always, his focus has been on making Konoha stronger. ''[mentally]'' 'It might not be Danzo though, just the continuation of his secret Black Ops group.'
** If this seems like an IdiotBall from Tsunade, there's FridgeHorror in the thought that Danzo might have already used his [[NightmareFuel undetectable mind-control genjutsu]] on her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Genma Shiranui]]
* BornUnlucky: Wonders if he's this because of how often he has to patrol with [[WeirdnessMagnet Sasuke]] and all the stuff that happens then. The truth is that at least one of his special jonin friends has been rigging the straw drawing that decides who watches Sasuke.
* StatingTheObvious: Points out that everyone knows who Hayate is dating and that she's an Anbu captain.
* WeirdnessMagnet: Hates working with Sasuke because he is this. In Sunshine Sidestories he claims some of their patrols' happenings have given him nightmares.
[[//folder]]

[[folder: Iruka Umino]]
An instructor in the Academy and a big brother figure to Naruto.
----
* FriendToAllChildren: Why he is a great teacher.
* JackOfAllTrades: Iruka is competent at most ninja skills, as befits someone in charge of teaching them all, but specializes in nothing particular and is competent but no better.
* [[SheIsAllGrownUp He Is All Grown Up]]: Non-romantic example with Naruto, when he and Tsubaki are tracking Mizuki, Fujin, and Raijin, only to find that Team 7 (Naruto is a recent chunin) have already apprehended them.
* KickedUpstairs: Averted. Tsunade assures him that he will still continue teaching in the Academy, [[spoiler:despite his promotion]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to special jonin for his contributions to Shikako and Sasuke's jonin project]].

[[folder: Inoichi Yamanaka]]
The father of Ino.
----
* AdultFear: His daughter has a very dangerous job [[spoiler:and once comes back from a mission permamently psychically maimed]].
* HiddenDepths: This slightly goofy pretty-boy is not only a doting father, but a trained psychologist, deadly jonin Clan Head, and semi-retired Head of Intelligence, meaning he used to be in charge or the Torture and Interrogation division. Even being his daughter's closest friend, Shikako still feels uncomfortable if she thinks he's paying her too much attention.
* HonorBeforeReason: A rare positive example. With the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seals can be a SoulJar [[spoiler: and his own daughter's mental maiming by one,]] he has every legal and personal reason to MindRape Anko and find out everything he can as quickly as possible, even at risk to hurt her. Instead he tells her the situation, makes clear that she is his trusted comrade, and states that he wants to mind walk her to protect her as well, and would prefer her to agree instead of him having to get a warrant, and asks her to trust him. She does.
* MindRape: With his family ninjutsu.
* OffScreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's one of the poeple who capture Hidan]].
* TenMinuteRetirement: Double-subverted. Inoichi is supposed to have permanently retired as the Head of Intelligence at some point in the past and, according to Anko in Sunshine Sidestories, says as much to people when they occasionally ask him to work a shift or look at a case. But then he will be talked into doing it all the same, because he is a patriot and the work is important.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Aoba Yamashiro]]
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: He did none of Shikako's paperwork while she was gone in revenge for siccing Gai on them, but she didn't care.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Is ritually sacrificed to Jashin in an effort to summon the kami]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:He was the penultimate sacrifice of the Cult of Jashin]].
* {{Troll}}: Tries to do this and just leaves himself open to Shikako's more devious trolling.
* UnfazedEveryman: Thought he could be this, but Team Seven's luck was just too much. Now he's beginning to become jaded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kurenai Yuuhi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 8.
----
* EasilyForgiven: It is uncertain how Yakumo feels about what Kurenai did, though they have both been present at the kunoichi study group without any fights breaking out.
* MasterOfIllusion: One of Konoha's greatest.
* MyGreatestFailure: Yakumo is hers, as she helped make the call to seal Yakumo's memories and abilities.
* OfficialCouple: With Asuma.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ami]]
A classmate of Shikako and the others in the academy.
----
* AlphaBitch: In so far as a pre-teen can be one.
* TheBusCameBack: Briefly in Chapter 81. Ami is in the Genin Corps running a small messenger bird post and reports to Shikako, Naruto, and Sai about the rumors near Kubisaki Pass.
* GreenEyedMonster: She hides it well, but Shikako notices that it is not pleasant for Ami to have failed the second genin test and then find out that Naruto has passed.
* JerkWithAheartOfGold: Sort of... Ami is a jerk and we don't see her being nice, but she is responsible and dutiful, polite to people she doesn't like when they show up in her mother's shop, and won't let being mean get in the way of doing what she is supposed to do.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Subverted. Shikako realizes that despite how it looks, Ami's post is actually rather prestigious for a twelve-year-old Genin Corps member with only a few months of service under her belt. Being distant also means she is trusted alone and unsupervised, meaning the village acknowledges her as appropriately skilled and responsible.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Averted. After the graduation exam we never hear of her. In canon we kept never hearing her, while in Dreaming of Sunshine Shikako runs across her at a Genin Corps posting.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Jiraiya]]
One of the Sannin and the Toad Sage.
----
* AdultFear: All of his students died in variously unfortunate circumstances.
* BeastMaster: Toad summons, per canon.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Has an introductory poem and dance to proclaim himself a Super Pervert. Has been an S-class ninja longer than most serving ninja have been alive. Yeah.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Purposefully played up. Shikako notes that he is too loud and leering to be entirely serious in his perversions, despite there having to also be some truth to the rumors.
* TheDragon: When he's in the village he is this for Tsunade. Jiraiya is the one is charge of finding who let the surviving Sound 4 out of prison, etc.
* TheDreaded: UpToEleven. His mere arrival scared off [[BloodKnight Kisame]] and [[BrokenAce Itachi]]. He leaks a little not-quite-murderous intent at Shikako when she annoys him as a reminder that his body count is higher than the number of days she's lived through.
* FlashStep: In a [[WordOfGod Silver Queen approved]] [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9405615/2/Sunshine-and-Stormclouds one-shot]], after Shikako is hit by Tsukiyomi, Jiraiya hears her screams and is immediately on the scene. Then he grabs the kids and dumps one-third of his chakra into a body flicker that gets them all back to Konoha, which was several days' walk away.
* GeometricMagic: Potentially the greatest at it in the world. Jiraiya is the pre-eminent seal master, bar none, and Shikako has realized that he doesn't favor using Konoha's standard sealing style, but that it became Konoha's standard because he used it.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: A non-romantic example. Jiraiya swore to never take on any more students, and is only teaching Naruto due to his responsibilities, but Shikako's sealing notes and projects show so much raw potential that he begins feeding her tidbits of lore and advice despite his past losses.
* MyGreatestFailure: Thus far he believes himself to have outlived every one of his many students and swore to not take on anymore.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Sees teaching Naruto as this. [[spoiler: He may act as TheMentor to Shikako because of this as well.]]
* SummonMagic: With toads, as the Toad Sage. In Dreaming of Sunshine we see several toads that weren't used in canon, such as for prisoner transport or body-guarding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Moegi]]
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Played with. Moegi is loud, aggressive when offended, and close friends with two rowdy boys her age. She also boasts about growing up to be Konoha's sexiest kunoichi and is concerned with things like pretty clothes and nails. She also ardently looks up to [[LadyOfWar Temari]].
* ValuesDissonance: Two-fold regarding Moegi's background as the daughter of merchants. First, as a child of civilian parents, there are things about ninja life that she doesn't automatically know. Second, while her parents' status as prosperous merchants would be a social boost in civilian schools, in the Academy it gets her mocked with taunts of having bought her way through her classes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sai]]
A member of Root who occasionally spies on Shikako on Danzo's orders.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Smuggles Shikako out of hospital and to the Hokage before Danzo can kidnap her following the Hot Springs Arc.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Originally Sai is exactly as serious, emotionally repressed, and mentally inflexible as one would expect. After a few missions of exposure to [[MessianicArchetype Naruto]] and [[TheHeart Shikako]] he informs them of his secondary set of orders and shows them his seal. [[spoiler:In the Land of Moon]] he subverts Shikako's direct orders out of concern for her well-being and then implicitly promises to keep her secrets out of his report to Danzo.
* DoWellButNotPerfect: Averted and Lampshaded. Shikako notices his shinobi ID looks brand new despite supposedly being several years old, hinting it's a fake.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Originally a Shippuden character, Naruto and Shikako go on several missions with him prior to Naruto's training journey.
* LiteralGenie: Becomes this when Naruto and Shikako have gotten through to him a bit. He follows Danzo’s orders--and the mission leader’s--to the letter. For example, Danzo told him to report everything he saw with his own eyes, and Shikako (while in command) told him to remain behind while she attacked an enemy. So, therefore, he sends an [[MesACrowd Ink Clone]] to watch Shikako during her one-ninja assault (just in case), and later neglects to report it to Danzo (he didn't personally see it).
* TheMole: Danzo has him assigned to Naruto's team for several missions to spy on Naruto.
** ReverseMole: Shikako is in the process of turning his loyalties more toward herself and her friends.
* RealMenWearPink: Besides his canon love of painting, he has tentatively begun transcribing Shikako's retelling of Manga/SailorMoon into manga format. Shikako finds the idea of forcing Danzo to read about school-girl soldiers of Love and Justice when he reviews Sai's records hilarious.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shiho]]
* ActionGirl: Defied. Despite being a kunoichi, Shiho considers herself very much a desk-worker, does not ever expect to enter the field, does not want to, and wishes she could skip her 4 hours of Operational Readiness each week.
* {{Adorkable}}: A gentle girl obsessed with codes and cyphers? Totally this.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Treats her required four hours of physical work-out time each week as this, although [[IJustWantToHaveFriends not training alone makes it more enjoyable]].
* DitzyGenius: Very high IQ and coding/deciphering skills, but rather empty-headed about many other things.
* FriendlessBackground: Recruited directly out of the Academy according to canon, and she doesn't know much of anyone other then her co-workers, especially not of her age group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tenzou]]
A member of the ANBU and a friend of Kakashi.
----
* EarlyBirdCameo: Shikako meets Tenzou about two years early when Kakashi recruits him to help with her sensory training.
* EasilyForgiven: Double Subverted. Kakashi was furious at the perceived betrayal of Tenzou getting him kicked out of the Black Ops, but Kakashi's life has since turned around enough to have almost entirely forgiven Tenzou.
* [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim Get Him Fired To Save Him]]: Tenzou got Kakashi invalidated out of ANBU for his own good, and Kakashi was bitterly angry.
* GreenThumb: Per canon, with his mokuton.
* OutsideContextProblem: Kakashi has Tenzou unknowingly invoke this on Shikako. She's training her senses and reflexes by trying to sense Kakashi sneaking up on her, and after he's almost finished with the lesson Kakashi predicts that she's gotten into the bad habit of only scanning for his chakra and has Tenzou sneak up on her instead.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In his introductory chapter in Dreaming, Shikako's dialogue and narration spells his name Tenzo, but in his point-of-view chapter in Sunshine Sidestories he spells his name Tenzou.
* StealthHiBye: Shikako meets Tenzou when he sneaks up on her unnoticed in broad daylight in the middle of a room full of other ninja.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Apparently is rather skilled chakra sensor, [[spoiler:even being able to sense natural energy]].
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a low-key one to Kakashi [[spoiler:for not telling him that his Sharingan chakra exhaution was cured]].
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Mist
[[folder: Zabuza Momochi]]
A member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. [[spoiler:He later becomes the husband of the Fifth Mizukage.]]
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: He’s part of Mei Terumi’s rebellion, due to sharing her dislike of Yagura’s laws.
* BodyguardingABadass: He briefly shows up as Mei’s bodyguard in the Grass Chunin Exams arc. Since she’s a kage, it’s a given that she doesn’t really need a bodyguard--Zabuza is actually there for the same reason Kakashi is, to show off his village’s strength.
* HiddenDepths: Apparently is a very good, if unconventional, teacher since he redesigned Kiri Academy's curriculum.
* MasterSwordsman: As expected of a member of Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Mei at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He and Haku survive the Wave arc, and appear as part of the new Hidden Mist.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Haku]]
Zabuza's subordinate and student.
----
* TheAce: He's one of the best ninja of his generation.
* AlmightyJanitor: Technically a genin as of the Grass Chunin Exams, since he held no official rank before that. Mei could probably have brought him into the village at a higher rank, but she wanted to make a good impression at the Exams, so she took advantage of the loophole.
* ApologeticAttacker: He apologizes to Hinata before their fight, which seems a bit odd [[spoiler:until you realize that he’s actually apologizing for the insult of assuming he’ll win both their match and the next and using them to prepare to fight Gaara]].
** It's also a psychological ploy, taking the wind out of Hinata's sails with the whole "kindred spirit" schtick before they even start fighting.
* CombatPragmatist: During the Grass Chunin Exams, he demonstrates strategic thinking by creating extra ice during his battles and maintaining it until his final match.
* MakingASplash: Implied, since he's from Kiri [[spoiler:and a host to a water-aligned bijuu]].
* MundaneUtility: Generating ice is pretty useful when your friend has a fever.
* NiceGuy: He’s consistently kind and polite. The one time he’s discourteous to an opponent, he apologizes in advance.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: His match against Gaara is the final one of the Grass Chunin Exams, and according to Shikako it’s epic. Unfortunately, she’s sick, disillusioned, and not in the mood to give a recap--so we don’t get one.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams, then to jonin sometime before Kiri Exams]].
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: [[spoiler:Becomes host of Isobu the Three-Tails following the Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He survives the Wave Country arc, appearing later on as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Grass Chunin Exams.
* TechnicalPacifist: He’s a talented shinobi who genuinely does not want to hurt anyone.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Chojuro]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: He appears immediately after Naruto leaves the village, as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Chunin Exams of Hidden Grass.
* ShrinkingViolet: He has no actual lines during the Grass Chunin Exams arc, because he’s apparently too shy to speak to the friendly Konoha group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Yoro and Shiku]]
* CheerfulChild: While they have few lines, they come across as friendly and happy, and Shikako estimates them to be eight to nine years old.
* IdenticalTwinIDTag: They’re identical except for having different numbers on their kimono--46 for Yoro and 49 for Shiku.
* MoralityPet: Their older teammates look out for them due to their extreme youth and relative vulnerability; while Haku and Chojuro don’t especially need Morality Pets, they’re trying to shake their village’s ugly reputation. Even the Konoha shinobi present at the exams get in on the act, letting them inside their defensive formation after [[spoiler: the kidnapping attempt on Shikako]].
* PunnyName: Their names combined form the formal greeting ''yoroshiku''. This carries over to their attacks, which are all taijutsu combinations named after Japanese number puns.
* RealityEnsues: They're eight or nine year old gennin taking the Chunin Exams. They’re talented for their age but not at all ready to become chunin, [[spoiler: and they're no match for Neji and Rock Lee in their matches.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Appear again during Kiri Exams. Apparently this time they made much better showing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Mei Terumi]]
The leader of the Mist Rebellion, and after its success, the Fifth Mizukage.
----
* EasilyForgiven: Enforced. Her policy is to offer amnesty to anyone showing regret for their actions when under Yagura's orders.
* ExactWords: She promised amnesty to ''anyone'', [[spoiler:which can include a bijuu]].
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Zabuza at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* PolitenessJudo: Perfectly capable of using this when necessary.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Definitely the face she presents, and how the Mist gennin view her. She wants her village to leave the era of the "Bloody Mist" behind and seems interested in allying with Konoha.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Perfectly capable of adjusting her plans on the fly to take into account unexpected development, [[spoiler:such as inviting a bijuu to her wedding when one suddenly appears near Kiri]].
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Sand
[[folder: Gaara of the Desert]]
The youngest of the Sand Siblings and the jinchuriki of the One Tailed. He later becomes the Kazekage.
----
* CharacterDevelopment: Just compare his appearance in the Hidden Grass exams to the way he acted back in Konoha.
* AChildShallLeadThem: He is twelve years old when he becomes Kazekage, though Suna tries not to advertise it.
* OddFriendship: Even he has no idea how he actually ended up being friends with Shikako, but he ultimately doesn't care and just appreciates that they are such good friends.
* RankUp: He's promoted to chunin before being made Kazekage. While he probably could have skipped the intermediate rank, the Chunin Exams were an invaluable opportunity to show off both his strength and his CharacterDevelopment.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
* VictoryByEndurance: How he wins his match against [[spoiler: Shikako]] during the Chunin Exams in Hidden Grass. She’s able to pierce his defenses but never able to injure or incapacitate him, so in the end he wins simply because she’s exhausted and he isn’t.
* WorfEffect: Can't do much against [[spoiler:Isobu]] since there isn't much sand around for him to control.
* YouAreNotAlone: Naruto to Gaara (both jinchuriki). He also returns the favor to Shikako, although he may not realize how big a deal it is to her that she's no longer the only one [[spoiler:actively planning for a confrontation with Akatsuki]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Temari]]
The eldest child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* ActionGirl: Although she stands out a bit less than in canon, because the rest of the female cast has caught up to her.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Was willing to do ''anything'' to keep her brothers safe.
* BlowYouAway: She demonstrates in the Grass Chunin Exams that she has learned some impressive wind jutsu.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kankurou]]
The second child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* AdaptationExpansion: He's probably the Sand Sibling that Shikako spends the most time with, and he gets more characterization than in the manga.
* GracefulLoser: Losing a CurbStompBattle to [[spoiler:Hinata]] can't have been pleasant, but he goes out of his way to make sure that her injuries in the fight weren't serious, and that the medics have the antidote for the gas he used against her.
* HiddenDepths: He's a huge fan of puppet theater.
* TheNicknamer: Is probably the only one to call Shikako the nickname 'Sparky'.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:He's promoted to chunin, despite not making a very impressive showing in the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Chiyo]]
An elder of Hidden Sand and a master of the puppet technique.
----
* TheMentor: She's tutoring Kankurou in advanced ninja puppetry.
* NeverMessWithGranny: Gaara notes that despite her advanced age, Chiyo "is to be feared still".
* UnexpectedSuccessor: She becomes the interim Kazekage despite having no plans to do so.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Averted. She hates Sakumo for killing her son and daughter-in-law but has nothing against Kakashi.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Inverted. She comes back to active duty only long enough for Gaara to cement his position as the next Kazekage.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Rain
[[folder: Aoi Rokusho]]
A missing nin from Hidden Leaf who joined Hidden Rain.
----
* BoisterousWeakling: He talked a big game but couldn't deliver in actual combat.
* LaserSword: He stole the Sword of the Thunder God, which is probably how he was let in Hidden Rain. [[spoiler:He loses it to Shikako.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Team Oboro]]
A genin team consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari.
----
* CripplingOverspecialization: They're only really viable in ambushes. When they fail to surprise their enemies, or are forced into a frontal assault, they go down really quickly.
* CurbStompBattle: Their first fight with Team 7 ends up this way.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.
----

!!The Leaf 12
[[folder:Ino Yamanaka]]
A member of Team Ten and a good friend of Shikako.

* ActionGirl: Even at a young age she had some skills in fighting and throwing weapons; unlike in canon, Shikako kept them from atrophying when she started crushing on Sasuke.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Although they are friends, there are hints that she feels this way regarding Shikako. GreenEyedMonster is 100% averted, though.
* AnimalMotifs: Boar due to her name, but a colorful Social Butterfly, and recently her [[spoiler:SummonMagic Chameleon Contract]] has added another theme.
* TheBeastMaster: [[spoiler:Acquires the Chameleon summoning contract.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Used to be tied for Sasuke's #1 fangirl. At New Year's after graduation, when dating is discussed, Sakura still wants to date Sasuke but Ino doesn't know anymore - she just wants someone who wants and appreciates her.
* CreepyBlueEyes: Ino's eyes have no pupils, which is normal to Shikako but can be odd to non-Leaf ninja. [[spoiler:UpToEleven after her eyes develop pupils, because they are Orochimaru's slit-shaped pupils.]]
* CursedWithAwesome: Ino survives [[spoiler:entering Orochimaru's SoulJar by the skin of her teeth, but suffers a LossOfIdentity]], and is emotionally traumatized, psychologically wrecked, and may forever have trouble trusting or being trusted by people. But once she begins to work through it with her loved ones' full support, we see her incorporating the experience into her combat and life-style with exemplary results.
* FauxActionGirl: Justified. Ino's been hit by this during [[spoiler:the Retrieval Arc]], but mostly because she's facing an opponent miles out of her league, against whom her SignatureMove is ''useless'' [[spoiler:because of Orochimaru's seal having affected his psyche and chakra]].
* FlowerMotifs: Flowers and flower language in general are motifs for Ino. She uses them to ground herself, [[spoiler:since while Orochimaru shares many of Ino’s interests, all he knows about flowers is whether or not they’re poisonous]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She had her AlphaBitch moments in school, but by the first Chunin Exams she's repeatedly demonstrated an unrelenting desire to help fix people who are hurt.
* HealingHands: Inspired by Shikako and Sakura, she can use basic medical ninjutsu.
* HiddenDepths: Ino looks like a DumbBlonde, but Shikako repeatedly comments that Ino is far cannier than she appears, noticing and deducing things that escape many of their peers. Also, despite being kind and cheerful, Ino is the daughter of an Intelligence ninja and is implied to have a good idea about the workings of Torture & Interrogation from a young age.
* LikeBrotherAndSister[=/=]TrueCompanions: She is sister in all but blood to Shikako, Shikamaru, and Choji.
* MasterOfIllusion: Once she TookALevelInBadass this became her go-to skill for most of her fights.
* MindRape: She has the potential to do this, but so far we've only seen her gentler uses. [[spoiler:She also suffers the full version of this when her spirit encounters a Curse Seal.]]
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Grass Exams.]]
* SharedUnusualTrait: [[spoiler:After her close encounter with Orochimaru, she develops snakelike pupils, a constant reminder that she now bears his influence in her mind.]]
* SummonMagic: [[spoiler:Ino picks up the Chameleon Contract, though initially as a probationary summoner]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Apparently has mild sensory abilities, possibly due to her clan's speciality.
* {{Tsundere}}: A non-romantic example, type B. Ino is generally cheerful, empathetic, and kind, but she can be very assertive and aggressive when annoyed.
* YouAreNotAlone: Shikako's giving her this speech and having Sakura help set up other support is what [[spoiler:stops Ino from quitting the shinobi forces]] and gives her the chance to become who she is today.

[[folder: Chouji Akimichi]]
A member of Team Ten and Shikamaru's best friend.

* BashBrothers: With Shikamaru. They team up to fight Jirobo in a BrainsAndBrawn combo, along with generally serving on a team together.
* BerserkButton: If you want to pick a fight you call him fat. If you want to kick-start a fight to the death, hurt his friends.
* GentleGiant: When he's actually a giant, it's because he's fighting, but otherwise he is very kind and gentle.
* MartialPacifist: He fights to protect people, but he doesn't enjoy it, and often is fine with losing if fighting a friend.
* OneWingedAngel: In a change from canon, this is Defied. Choji does not take the [[HeroicRROD Red Chili Pill]] that would give him power but probably kill him, because support from Shikamaru means he doesn't need to.
* OutOfFocus: Being Shikamaru's best friend, Shikako's friend, and one-third of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, one would expect him to get more time in the limelight. We still see him a lot, but the focus is on himself with other people, never just himself.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Grass Exams.]]

[[folder: Kiba Inuzuka]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Among many other feelings toward Shikako, he may regard her and her team as this, which is a slight blow to his alpha personality.
* CharacterDevelopment: In canon and early in the story he was solely a melee fighter, but as of the mission to the Land of Moon he's displaying long range ninjutsu, remains calm during an ambush, and has good reasoning and rhetorical skills.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: He tries to give off a bad boy image sometimes, but he is also a total mama's boy. Then again, given how awesome [[ActionMom his mom]] is this is very justified.
* HiddenDepths: Works in the kennels with the animals at his family's veterinary practice and knows more about medicine and caring for small animals[=/=]children than he would usually admit.
* NoodleIncident: PetTheDog UpToEleven. The details are uncertain, but WordOfGod on the forum is that Kiba once put a A-rank mission on hold to help a stray dog give birth, and then carried the puppies in his jacket for a week.
* OnlySaneMan: Usually rowdy, but Kiba ended up like this on the Land of Moon mission. He was ignored and because it worked he thinks he shouldn't have objected, but Shikako later tells him he was technically correct and she was glad that he called her out.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Tries to dissuade and call no confidence on Shikako [[spoiler:in Moon, when she goes to return to the castle alone]], but is ignored. Shikako says that in hindsight he was right.

[[folder: Hinata Hyuuga]]
* BadassAdorable: Hinata is more often describe as cute than pretty, but she is also capable of killing people with light taps of her fingers.
* BigDamnHeroes: Shows up and holds off [[spoiler:''Kimimaro'' when he corners Shikako]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Being brought along on the mission to stop Gaara and succeeding did wonders for her confidence, [[spoiler:and she briefly held her own against [[TheJuggernaut Kimimaro]] when she showed up without orders to support her friends]]. Hinata still keeps her kind, gentle, and quiet nature, but her soul is SilkHidingSteel now, and she will work out some grudges of her own, seen when she fights a Cloud ninja.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: She has always seen Neji this way, and after Naruto's [[DefeatMeansFriendship Therapy Jutsu]] he is beginning to reciprocate.
* NiceGirl: The most so in their generation, even more than Shikako.
* ProudWarriorRaceGirl: Subverted. Hinata's entire family is strict, militaristic, and tradition-bound, but she doesn't fit the mold and (aside from her [[WellDoneSonGuy Good Job, Daughter]] traits) doesn't want to. After some real-life experience and support from and for her friends, she blossoms and has the skills (and not the cocky attitude).
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]

[[folder: Shino Aburame]]
* BigBrotherInstinct: Toward his little sister Chiyako, expressed in his usual way as TheStoic.
* TheComicallySerious: Has moments of this, especially as Kiba's teammate.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: After mentally and physically grueling battle with Shikamaru he is boxed in by explosive notes and surrenders rather than risk the blast. [[spoiler:As a result of his good judgement and prior performance in the match he is promoted to chunin]].
* OutOfFocus: He is aware of this and he resents it. Shino was literally the only member of the Leaf 12 not to participate in the Sound Retrieval Mission due to being out of village at the time.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Konoha Exams.]]

[[folder: Neji Hyuuga]]
* TheAce: Despite his misanthropy Neji is a genius with a year of experience over the Rookie Nine and it shows. He only goes down on-screen to [[TheHero Naruto]] and fellow Aces Haku and Shikako.
* CurbStompBattle: Thanks to Shikako's tutoring, Neji suffers this at Naruto's hands.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: Suffers this from Naruto, though non-lethally and with more fists.
* HeelFaceTurn: After Naruto trounces him and Hinata begins growing into her skills he becomes a better person.
* HeelRealization: His on-screen one is when he learns of [[SealedEvilInACan Naruto's status]] and realizes how inaccurate his words were about wearing "a seal that can never be removed" and apologizes.
* OhCrap: A minor one during his spar with Team 7, [[spoiler:since Shikako just turned into a shadow and started choking him]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: Following his HeelRealization he becomes noticeably kinder to people.

[[folder: Tenten]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Shikako, again, is much better at using sealing, is a more combat-capable kunoichi with more diverse skills despite being a year younger, and while Tenten has a great collection of mundane or rarer weapons, Shikako has the legendary [[LaserBlade Sword of the Thunder God]].
* AmicableExes: [[spoiler:With Shikamaru]].
* [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Armor Piercing Comment]]: Tenten's 100% accuracy is not limited to physical weapons. Shikako notes that she has a way, however unintentionally, of hitting emotional weak spots with her words.
* AscendedExtra: In canon Tenten was very OutOfFocus. Here she's fleshed out with a desire to be a ninja despite never wanting to kill and the drive to do this, her interest in seals, [[spoiler:and her relationship with Shikamaru]].
* AscendedFangirl: Was a huge fan of Tsunade as a girl, and is overjoyed when her sealwork gets her a personal congratulations from Tsunade.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Not very visible, but she is capable of analysing unfamiliar seals and [[spoiler:deduces that Neji will probably need a ranged support fighting a Sound Four member]].
* CripplingOverspecialization: As Sasuke once rather bluntly pointed out, by chunin-rank most enemies would have a skill to dodge or block Tenten's StormOfBlades. Tenten ruefully agrees.
* CurbStompCushion: Tenten still gets beat by Temari like in canon, because Temari is one of the worst possible match-ups, but because Shikako whispered a warning about Temari's BlowYouAway skills it is not an easy win for Temari.
* DebtDetester: Shikako offers her a position as a second author in developing a new storage seal for the village to use: it's a job using her interest in sealing and her specialty within that, it will pay well, it will help the village, and they would be looking at good royalties once it's being sold. Tenten hesitates too accept because she's a no-name orphan and has already received so much from Shikako that Tenten has no idea how to begin repaying her.
--> '''Shikako:''' ''*is trying to get Tenten out of the way of a political ploy*'' I... was thinking of just fobbing all the paperwork on you.\\
'''Tenten:''' ''[[[LaughingMad starts laughing uncontrollably]]]''
* GeometricMagic: Tenten is interested in seals but lacks Shikako's understanding and flair for them. Her most common use is storing all of her weapons.
* {{Glomp}}: Does this to Shikako and Shikamaru after her seal work gets her personally commended by Tsunade.
* {{Hammerspace}}: Done regularly in cannon by Tenten. However in story Shikako gives her the idea to make a single seal that stores various small items she calls her creation “Infinite Pocket”.
* {{Irony}}: She wants to never have to kill someone in her career, and happens to excel at an extremely lethal skill-set.
** [[spoiler: Starts a relationship with Shikamaru, who in canon was with Temari (and had some ShipTease here), who had beaten Tenten in the exams.]]
* LaughingMad: A brief moment of this when Shikako claims to be making such a great offer to DebtDetester Tenten for the sake of fobbing off all the paperwork.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* TechnicalPacifist: Why does Tenten never hurt anyone with those barrages of sharp pointy objects? Because a) she has perfect aim and b) ''she doesn’t want to kill anyone''. She actually wanted to be a medic originally, but couldn’t because of poor chakra control--so instead she's a frontline combatant who refuses to kill.
* TookALevelInBadass: Makes a lot of progress on seals and decides to learn about poisons and paralytics to augment her skills.

[[folder: Rock Lee]]
* CurbStompCushion: He actually harms Gaara, who had never before been physically injured.
* FriendToAllChildren: He is completely cheerful and encouraging to the pre-adolescent Mist kunoichi he fights [[spoiler:in the Grass Exams]].
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Averted. He doesn't shine as much as he could, but the only person who's ever taken Lee down was [[TheDreaded Gaara]] and he hurt Gaara worse than anyone before him. Everyone in the story acknowledges him as tremendously skilled and capable.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Discussed. Shikako and Sand Siblings wonder how much of his attitude is an act [[spoiler:during Grass Exams' 2nd task]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Other Konoha Ninja
[[folder:Chiyako Aburame]]
Shino's little sister.

* BlackSheep: Defied. One would expect this, given that spiders like Chiyako's Mr. Cranberry are threats to the Aburame hives, but by all accounts she's actually the beloved baby of the clan.
* CoolBigBro: Chiyako sees Shino as this.
* CryCute: Shikako meets Chiyako when she's crying in the bushes.
* GiverOfLameNames: Averted. Mr. Cranberry is a perfectly respectable and creative name for a red-kneed tarantula.
* KidsAreCruel: Chiyako was invited to a slumber party, but then the other girls revoked the invitation, called her names, potentially assaulted her (it isn't mentioned how she got her twisted ankle), and smooshed her pet spider (he survived, though).

[[folder: Sakura Haruno]]
A friend of Shikako who didn't pass the final Genin test.

* AngerBornOfWorry: A rather selfish example. When somebody notices her practicing the SuperStrength technique and brings it up to Tsunade, who becomes interested. Sakura becomes terrified thinking the Hokage will be angry about jutsu theft until Shikako and Ino [[CooldownHug talk her down]] and remind her that training with Tsunade is a good thing.
* [[MuggleBestFriend Civilian Best Friend]]: She is this to Shikako and Ino even before she fails her team's test, having been raised by civilian parents and not getting certain aspects of ninja life.
* DemotedToExtra: Downplayed. She's still not as active as the Leaf 12 since she's spending most of her time studying and working at the hospital, but she is still a reoccurring appearance who has important interactions with Shikako and has joined the kunoichi study group and recently began taking supplemental lessons [[InSpiteOfANail from Tsunade herself]].
* {{Fangirl}}: For Sasuke. But she and Ino did not stop being friends because of it since Shikako [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome presumably talked some sense into them]]. She still sighs over him and daydreams, but studying to become a field medic has absorbed all of her time and treating people who have been maimed and may die has helped her mature and better prioritize.
* HealingHands: Joins Medical Corps.
* GeniusDitz: She is smart, and may even be smarter than Shikako, but has less common sense and is more easily distracted by daydreams, etc.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Sakura knocks out an escaped prisoner with a vase.
* TheMedic: Signs up for Medical Corps after failing genin exam, [[spoiler:eventually becoming Tsunade's apprentice]].
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:When Tayuya breaks out of prison and goes for revenge, Sakura is the one to knock her out with a couple of glass vases. The girl with no field experience dropped one of Orochimaru's (admittedly weakened) personal guards.]] We actually get to see her do this in one of the Sunshine Sidestories.
** [[spoiler:The events of Kiri Chunin Exam, since we only see her final fight]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Kiri Exams]].
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Defied. She is best friends with the daughters of Konoha's former Head of Intelligence and current Jonin Commander but she never asks for favors from them nor blames them for her failing the genin test. The only time this is brought up is when Shikako offers to have an aunt sponsor Sakura to the Medical Corps program, and even then it's Sakura who convinces Igaku to sponsor her.
* SuperStrength: Works on creating a version of this with Shikako, which gets her noticed by Tsunade.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hanabi Hyuuga]]
Hinata's little sister.
----
* BrattyHalfPint: Subverted. Hanabi is disconcerting to some people because she speaks with authority and has been raised to command, but she was also raised in a house with strict adherence to etiquette and does not speak improperly to people above in in society.
* [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove What Is This Thing You Call Friendship?]]: Her growing connection with Chiyako and Moegi has aspects of this, having never particularly had peers or teammates she was close to in the past.

[[folder: Tsume Inuzuka]]
Kiba's mother and head of the Tracking Team.

* ActionMom: Single mother of two children. Also an active duty ninja, a clan head, and leader of both the Tracking Team and the Sensory Squad. And the Inuzuka Clinic.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: She apparently spends way too much time talking up her children to potential spouses--even though Kiba is just thirteen.
* GiverOfLameNames: Kiba's older sister wants people to think that her name uses the "flower" kanji, but actually Tsume was on the good drugs at the time and used the "nose" kanji instead.
* MotherBear: To Kiba and Hana.
* ParentsAsPeople: Inverted? Defied? Whatever it is, Tsume manages to be a doting and well-loved single mother to two children despite all the responsibilities listed under her badass entry. Shikako can't imagine how she finds the time.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She makes Shikako explain herself about rushing into a fight without waiting for orders before deciding whether to keep yelling at her for it. Earlier she took the time to test Rock Lee's sensory perception at his request despite having [[BadassNormal no super-sensory skill]], and complemented him on having solid chunin-level perceptiveness.
* ShipperOnDeck: Hints to Shikako that she wouldn't mind seeing her and Kiba together, since their kids might actually inherit some brains. May also be her being a {{Troll}} who wanted to spark [[NoJustNoReaction Shikako's]] [[BrainBleach reaction]] for kicks. Or both.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Has this relationship with the head of research and Development, as seen when she drags Tsunade in to arbitrate which of their divisions can recruit Shikako.

[[folder: Yakumo Kurama]]
The last member of the Kurama clan.

* ArtInitiatesLife: Subverted. She paints things to activate her powers, but instead of summoning monsters she paints natural disasters that materialize, and they are only illusions.
* BirdsOfAFeather: She admires Rock Lee because, like her, he can only use one ninja art and is dedicated to becoming a great shinobi with a limited toolkit. In turn, Lee admires Yakumo’s dedication just as much.
* BlueScreenOfDeath: Enters this after her alter-ego breaks loose during a spar with Shikako and she remembers killing her own parents. Anko mercifully knocks her unconscious before she can break worse or hurt someone else.
* BrokenBird: Snapped under the stress of her clan's expectations, repressed the memories of murdering her parents and became paranoid that they were assassinated by the Hokage, had her powers sealed, and was placed under house-arrest with 24/7 guards and no peer contact for several years.
* ElementalPowers: Subverted. Yakumo mostly manifests attacks as [[PlayingWithFire fires]] or strikes of [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] but these are both just manifestations of her illusions.
* IllGirl: A bit, which is why she can't use taijutsu.
* MasterOfIllusion: Her skill specialty. Due to ill health, it is just about her only ninja skill. She's powerful enough to cast one over the village that can temporarily fool even the skilled join.
* MasterOfOneMagic: Of the three main ninja arts, she can only do genjutsu, but she's exceptional at it.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Due to her alter-ego setting a fire that killed her parents.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Her bloodline is prone to these due to their RealityWarping abilities
* WordOfGod: [[MasterOfIllusion Yakumo]] and [[BareFistedMonk Lee]] have agreed that they will form a team with a person who can only use ninjutsu if they ever meet one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kisuke Maboroshi]]
A member of the ANBU.

* PostHumousCharacter: We meet him months or years after his death, as a ghost.
* SoulJar: The seal that his soul is tied to. In a twist, this seal is also what killed him first, as it yanked his soul out of his body against his will.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even though he is dead he still wants to serve the village instead of continuing to the afterlife.

[[folder: Gai Maito]]
The jonin instructor of Team Gai.

* BeastMaster: Has a Turtle summoning contract.
* BornWinner: Shikako notes that it was easy to label Gai as one of Konoha's rather ilustrious "dead-last" ninja who went on to excel, but the truth is that Gai is also a ChildProdigy. He made genin at 7, chunin at eleven, and has been Kakashi's rival as long as they've known each other.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his fashion sense and obsession with "Youth!" Gai is an insanely capable Taijutsu master who can overpower and defeat even Kakashi.
* GenerationXerox: Of his father, which he then passed onto Rock Lee.

[[folder: Anko Mitarashi]]
The former student of Orochimaru before he defected.

* AmazonBrigade: [[spoiler:Anko ends up as the jonin sensei of a team where all three students are kunoichi: Yakumo, Isaribi, and Sakura]].
* AxCrazy: Anko invokes this for psychological intimidation, but in actuality is relatively normal, if a bit extroverted.
* BerserkButton: Orochimaru. The fact that he is still breathing upsets Anko so much that she considers TakingYouWithMe to be a desirable alternative.
** Subverted in regards to questions about her loyalty. It puts her in a foul temper, and [[TooDumbToLive random idiots]] who bring it up may be in danger, but when professionals like Inoichi raise concerns she acknowledges that it is a legitimate danger and will grit her teeth as she does the necessary tests.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Two of the Sunshine Sidestories are from her perspective.
* HiddenDepths: A suprisingly good and caring teacher, [[spoiler:particularly to her genin team]].
* TheMentor: She's acting as a guard, supervisor, and teacher to Yakumo and Isaribi and she seems to enjoy it. Also, regularly takes part in Kunoichi Club meetings.
** [[spoiler:Ends up with her own genin team]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to full jonin sometime after Kiri Exams]].
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Downplayed, but after the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seal is a SoulJar she is shuffled out of the Intelligence Corps to limit her exposure to sensitive data. She considers her new posting to be a worthwhile commitment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ibiki Morino]]
The head of Konoha's T&I.

* TheDreaded: The scarred and intimidating Head of Torture and Interrogation.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Well, he is a professional interrogator and he has a lot of things that he can do to or order done to people, [[spoiler:but he mostly makes a point of seeming scarier than he really is. For instance, despite talking about torture implements, etc., he recognizes that it is an unreliable and ineffective practice and prefers to extract information through psychological intimidation and rapport-building between prisoners and interrogators]].
* OddFriendship: With Shikako.
* PragmaticVillainy: [[spoiler:So pragmatic that he recognizes that doing bad things is not useful or helpful. Despite being ostensibly in charge of torturing prisoners for information, he uses longer-term rapport building methods that don't harm them, and actively discourages other ninja from using torture to gain information, as seen when he questions Shikako about how she got marked as an interrogation specialist in Iwa's bingo book.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Shikako gets an entry for interrogation in a Bingo book, he calmly asks and let her explain how that happened.
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Non-romantic example with Shikako. All the other Special Jonin and Intelligence Corps members are confused/horrified at how well [[TheHeart Shikako]] gets along with [[ColdBloodedTorture Ibiki]] when they see her willingly seek him out, share tea with him, banter, and laugh at his jokes.

[[folder: Asuma Sarutobi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 10

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: After [[spoiler:the Moon Kingdom mission]] he knocks his student out of his HeroicSafeMode with one.
--> "You're a genius, Shikamaru. I think you could do anything you set your mind to. And [[BrilliantButLazy that's the problem,]] isn't it?"
* GenerationXerox: Defied, as Asuma is nothing like his father other than also being skilled and loyal.
* OfficialCouple: With Kurenai.
* StealthMentor: After having unconditionally supported Shikamaru before, he withdraws that support over a difficult subject to shock and provoke Shikamaru into supporting himself, and then returns to offering support once Shikamaru won't be using it as a crutch.

[[folder: Hiruzen Sarutobi]]
The Third Hokage.

* KilledOffForReal InSpiteOfANail: Because as Shikako points out, people don't survive using a suicide technique.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: With Orochimaru.
* OldMaster: Well past his prime and still indisputably S-class.

[[folder: Konohamaru Sarutobi]]
The grandson of the Third Hokage.

* BrattyHalfPint: Because he's still in the Academy.
* FearlessFool: Shikako observes that his reaction to something that intimidates him is to reach out and poke it, as shown by his spending time with Naruto's friend Gaara. He still doesn't like Kankuro, though.
* GirlsHaveCooties: Averted, he is close friends with Moegi and can transform himself into a female form.
* GreenEyedMonster: Is jealous that Ranmaru is friends and was on a mission with Naruto.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tsunade Senju]]
One of the Sannin and the Fifth Hokage.

* BerserkButton: A low-key one, but she doesn't like people interferring with her hospital.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Multiple chapters of ''Sunshine Sidestories'' are from her perspective.
* HealingHands: The best in the world. She has specifically saved Shikako's life at least twice, once reviving her despite Shikako's 100% depleted chakra, lack of pulse, lack of breathing, and uncertain neural activity.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Tsunade likely qualifies as a functioning or former alcoholic. This is also her reaction to Kakashi's [[NeverMyFault blaming Zabuza]] for Shikako's monologue, and Zabuza's counter-bantering. She describes the world as tilting 45 degrees to the side and actually checks her (zero-proof) drink to ensure that she is not, in fact, drunk.
* TheMentor: To Sakura.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: We see her thoughts when Naruto brings back Ibiki partway through the Sound Retrieval Mission. For the few minutes she spends believing they are the only survivors, she hates herself ''exactly as much'' as you would expect given her belief that she just ''sent 6 twelve-year-old children to their deaths,'' and knows that she couldn't have safely made a different decision, either.
* PolitenessJudo[=/=]StealthInsult: Perfectly capable of doing this as shown during various Chunin Exams.
* ProperlyParanoid:
** She knows that something is rotten in Konoha and doesn't know who it is that is subverting her orders and passing along information to their enemies. She needs a lot of safeguards and plans and safety-measures to figure it out.
** [[spoiler:She forbids Shikako and Sasuke from ever talking about what really happened in Land of Hot Springs, since people would either blame Konoha or try to repeat it]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She has extended a shockingly large amount of trust, leeway, and forgiveness to Shikako for her unconventional actions, partly due to her friendship with Naruto and partly due to Shikako's shocking success rate. For instance, she allows a supervised Shikako to access Orochimaru's old jutsu notes.
* SuperStrength: Yes. [[AvertedTrope Despite her]] [[{{Flanderization}} usual]] [[MegatonPunch portrayal]], in dreaming she yells a bit but has not been shown to vent her temper through violence. [[spoiler: [[InSpiteOfANail She is teaching this to Sakura in their spare time]].]]
** Finally shown in action when fighting [[spoiler:Isobu]] - despite standing on water, she manages to drag him back and throw him a considerable distance away.

[[folder: Danzo Shimura]]
A friend of the Third Hokage and one of the village elders.

* TheCorrupter: Shikako has noted that Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Itachi all took turns for the worse in different ways after their entry into Root.
* TheDreaded: Among people who know much of anything about him. Shikako is secretly an example UpToEleven because she knows so much that she is all-but ''paralyzed by terror'' when confronted with his presence.
* GeometricMagic: Danzo may or may not have designed it himself, but when Shikako looks briefly at Sai's silencing seal she identifies it as being very complicated and possibly using multiple concepts expressed and overlapping at once.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** By assigning Sai to spy on Naruto and Shikako, he gives her an opportunity to the boy into a ReverseMole.
** By forcing Shikako, Shikamaru, and Naruto to immediately report and arranging for Tsunade to not be present despite her prior orders and the usual code of conduct for returning ninja with injuries, when Shikako [[spoiler:collapses and almost dies from her wounds]] during the debrief Tsunade has the right to charge the elder council with negligence in their duties and sharply curtail their influence.
** [[spoiler:When he reports to Tsunade that Shikako disappeared from hospital and blames Kumo for this. Since Shikako just finished her own report, Tsunade knows it's not true and goes to investigate everything personally.]]
* StrawMisogynist: Downplayed, but in Sunshine Sidestories he tells Sai that kunoichi always have soft hearts and rarely make good ninja. He also refers to Tsunade as "that woman".
* ThrowTheDogABone: Subverted. Danzo praises Sai for making bonds with Naruto and Shikako, which is a rare and fleeting event. However, Sai mentally adds that praise is often the only reward offered for a mission completed beyond expectations, and wishes he hadn't been praised at all.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Even once Jiraiya has shown Tsunade evidence that Root is active despite being disbanded and may be committing further treason, her reaction is to think it unlikely that Danzo was responsible. Justified, because Danzo is a respected war hero and trusted comrade of the Third Hokage.
--> '''Tsunade:''' I never liked him, but ... treason? That's not Danzo. Always, his focus has been on making Konoha stronger. ''[mentally]'' 'It might not be Danzo though, just the continuation of his secret Black Ops group.'
** If this seems like an IdiotBall from Tsunade, there's FridgeHorror in the thought that Danzo might have already used his [[NightmareFuel undetectable mind-control genjutsu]] on her.

[[folder: Genma Shiranui]]
* BornUnlucky: Wonders if he's this because of how often he has to patrol with [[WeirdnessMagnet Sasuke]] and all the stuff that happens then. The truth is that at least one of his special jonin friends has been rigging the straw drawing that decides who watches Sasuke.
* StatingTheObvious: Points out that everyone knows who Hayate is dating and that she's an Anbu captain.
* WeirdnessMagnet: Hates working with Sasuke because he is this. In Sunshine Sidestories he claims some of their patrols' happenings have given him nightmares.
[[//folder]]

[[folder: Iruka Umino]]
An instructor in the Academy and a big brother figure to Naruto.

* FriendToAllChildren: Why he is a great teacher.
* JackOfAllTrades: Iruka is competent at most ninja skills, as befits someone in charge of teaching them all, but specializes in nothing particular and is competent but no better.
* [[SheIsAllGrownUp He Is All Grown Up]]: Non-romantic example with Naruto, when he and Tsubaki are tracking Mizuki, Fujin, and Raijin, only to find that Team 7 (Naruto is a recent chunin) have already apprehended them.
* KickedUpstairs: Averted. Tsunade assures him that he will still continue teaching in the Academy, [[spoiler:despite his promotion]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to special jonin for his contributions to Shikako and Sasuke's jonin project]].

[[folder: Inoichi Yamanaka]]
The father of Ino.

* AdultFear: His daughter has a very dangerous job [[spoiler:and once comes back from a mission permamently psychically maimed]].
* HiddenDepths: This slightly goofy pretty-boy is not only a doting father, but a trained psychologist, deadly jonin Clan Head, and semi-retired Head of Intelligence, meaning he used to be in charge or the Torture and Interrogation division. Even being his daughter's closest friend, Shikako still feels uncomfortable if she thinks he's paying her too much attention.
* HonorBeforeReason: A rare positive example. With the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seals can be a SoulJar [[spoiler: and his own daughter's mental maiming by one,]] he has every legal and personal reason to MindRape Anko and find out everything he can as quickly as possible, even at risk to hurt her. Instead he tells her the situation, makes clear that she is his trusted comrade, and states that he wants to mind walk her to protect her as well, and would prefer her to agree instead of him having to get a warrant, and asks her to trust him. She does.
* MindRape: With his family ninjutsu.
* OffScreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's one of the poeple who capture Hidan]].
* TenMinuteRetirement: Double-subverted. Inoichi is supposed to have permanently retired as the Head of Intelligence at some point in the past and, according to Anko in Sunshine Sidestories, says as much to people when they occasionally ask him to work a shift or look at a case. But then he will be talked into doing it all the same, because he is a patriot and the work is important.

[[folder: Aoba Yamashiro]]
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: He did none of Shikako's paperwork while she was gone in revenge for siccing Gai on them, but she didn't care.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Is ritually sacrificed to Jashin in an effort to summon the kami]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:He was the penultimate sacrifice of the Cult of Jashin]].
* {{Troll}}: Tries to do this and just leaves himself open to Shikako's more devious trolling.
* UnfazedEveryman: Thought he could be this, but Team Seven's luck was just too much. Now he's beginning to become jaded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kurenai Yuuhi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 8.
----
* EasilyForgiven: It is uncertain how Yakumo feels about what Kurenai did, though they have both been present at the kunoichi study group without any fights breaking out.
* MasterOfIllusion: One of Konoha's greatest.
* MyGreatestFailure: Yakumo is hers, as she helped make the call to seal Yakumo's memories and abilities.
* OfficialCouple: With Asuma.

[[folder: Ami]]
A classmate of Shikako and the others in the academy.
----
* AlphaBitch: In so far as a pre-teen can be one.
* TheBusCameBack: Briefly in Chapter 81. Ami is in the Genin Corps running a small messenger bird post and reports to Shikako, Naruto, and Sai about the rumors near Kubisaki Pass.
* GreenEyedMonster: She hides it well, but Shikako notices that it is not pleasant for Ami to have failed the second genin test and then find out that Naruto has passed.
* JerkWithAheartOfGold: Sort of... Ami is a jerk and we don't see her being nice, but she is responsible and dutiful, polite to people she doesn't like when they show up in her mother's shop, and won't let being mean get in the way of doing what she is supposed to do.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Subverted. Shikako realizes that despite how it looks, Ami's post is actually rather prestigious for a twelve-year-old Genin Corps member with only a few months of service under her belt. Being distant also means she is trusted alone and unsupervised, meaning the village acknowledges her as appropriately skilled and responsible.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Averted. After the graduation exam we never hear of her. In canon we kept never hearing her, while in Dreaming of Sunshine Shikako runs across her at a Genin Corps posting.

[[folder: Jiraiya]]
One of the Sannin and the Toad Sage.

* AdultFear: All of his students died in variously unfortunate circumstances.
* BeastMaster: Toad summons, per canon.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Has an introductory poem and dance to proclaim himself a Super Pervert. Has been an S-class ninja longer than most serving ninja have been alive. Yeah.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Purposefully played up. Shikako notes that he is too loud and leering to be entirely serious in his perversions, despite there having to also be some truth to the rumors.
* TheDragon: When he's in the village he is this for Tsunade. Jiraiya is the one is charge of finding who let the surviving Sound 4 out of prison, etc.
* TheDreaded: UpToEleven. His mere arrival scared off [[BloodKnight Kisame]] and [[BrokenAce Itachi]]. He leaks a little not-quite-murderous intent at Shikako when she annoys him as a reminder that his body count is higher than the number of days she's lived through.
* FlashStep: In a [[WordOfGod Silver Queen approved]] [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9405615/2/Sunshine-and-Stormclouds one-shot]], after Shikako is hit by Tsukiyomi, Jiraiya hears her screams and is immediately on the scene. Then he grabs the kids and dumps one-third of his chakra into a body flicker that gets them all back to Konoha, which was several days' walk away.
* GeometricMagic: Potentially the greatest at it in the world. Jiraiya is the pre-eminent seal master, bar none, and Shikako has realized that he doesn't favor using Konoha's standard sealing style, but that it became Konoha's standard because he used it.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: A non-romantic example. Jiraiya swore to never take on any more students, and is only teaching Naruto due to his responsibilities, but Shikako's sealing notes and projects show so much raw potential that he begins feeding her tidbits of lore and advice despite his past losses.
* MyGreatestFailure: Thus far he believes himself to have outlived every one of his many students and swore to not take on anymore.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Sees teaching Naruto as this. [[spoiler: He may act as TheMentor to Shikako because of this as well.]]
* SummonMagic: With toads, as the Toad Sage. In Dreaming of Sunshine we see several toads that weren't used in canon, such as for prisoner transport or body-guarding.

[[folder: Moegi]]
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Played with. Moegi is loud, aggressive when offended, and close friends with two rowdy boys her age. She also boasts about growing up to be Konoha's sexiest kunoichi and is concerned with things like pretty clothes and nails. She also ardently looks up to [[LadyOfWar Temari]].
* ValuesDissonance: Two-fold regarding Moegi's background as the daughter of merchants. First, as a child of civilian parents, there are things about ninja life that she doesn't automatically know. Second, while her parents' status as prosperous merchants would be a social boost in civilian schools, in the Academy it gets her mocked with taunts of having bought her way through her classes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sai]]
A member of Root who occasionally spies on Shikako on Danzo's orders.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Smuggles Shikako out of hospital and to the Hokage before Danzo can kidnap her following the Hot Springs Arc.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Originally Sai is exactly as serious, emotionally repressed, and mentally inflexible as one would expect. After a few missions of exposure to [[MessianicArchetype Naruto]] and [[TheHeart Shikako]] he informs them of his secondary set of orders and shows them his seal. [[spoiler:In the Land of Moon]] he subverts Shikako's direct orders out of concern for her well-being and then implicitly promises to keep her secrets out of his report to Danzo.
* DoWellButNotPerfect: Averted and Lampshaded. Shikako notices his shinobi ID looks brand new despite supposedly being several years old, hinting it's a fake.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Originally a Shippuden character, Naruto and Shikako go on several missions with him prior to Naruto's training journey.
* LiteralGenie: Becomes this when Naruto and Shikako have gotten through to him a bit. He follows Danzo’s orders--and the mission leader’s--to the letter. For example, Danzo told him to report everything he saw with his own eyes, and Shikako (while in command) told him to remain behind while she attacked an enemy. So, therefore, he sends an [[MesACrowd Ink Clone]] to watch Shikako during her one-ninja assault (just in case), and later neglects to report it to Danzo (he didn't personally see it).
* TheMole: Danzo has him assigned to Naruto's team for several missions to spy on Naruto.
** ReverseMole: Shikako is in the process of turning his loyalties more toward herself and her friends.
* RealMenWearPink: Besides his canon love of painting, he has tentatively begun transcribing Shikako's retelling of Manga/SailorMoon into manga format. Shikako finds the idea of forcing Danzo to read about school-girl soldiers of Love and Justice when he reviews Sai's records hilarious.

[[folder: Shiho]]
* ActionGirl: Defied. Despite being a kunoichi, Shiho considers herself very much a desk-worker, does not ever expect to enter the field, does not want to, and wishes she could skip her 4 hours of Operational Readiness each week.
* {{Adorkable}}: A gentle girl obsessed with codes and cyphers? Totally this.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Treats her required four hours of physical work-out time each week as this, although [[IJustWantToHaveFriends not training alone makes it more enjoyable]].
* DitzyGenius: Very high IQ and coding/deciphering skills, but rather empty-headed about many other things.
* FriendlessBackground: Recruited directly out of the Academy according to canon, and she doesn't know much of anyone other then her co-workers, especially not of her age group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tenzou]]
A member of the ANBU and a friend of Kakashi.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Shikako meets Tenzou about two years early when Kakashi recruits him to help with her sensory training.
* EasilyForgiven: Double Subverted. Kakashi was furious at the perceived betrayal of Tenzou getting him kicked out of the Black Ops, but Kakashi's life has since turned around enough to have almost entirely forgiven Tenzou.
* [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim Get Him Fired To Save Him]]: Tenzou got Kakashi invalidated out of ANBU for his own good, and Kakashi was bitterly angry.
* GreenThumb: Per canon, with his mokuton.
* OutsideContextProblem: Kakashi has Tenzou unknowingly invoke this on Shikako. She's training her senses and reflexes by trying to sense Kakashi sneaking up on her, and after he's almost finished with the lesson Kakashi predicts that she's gotten into the bad habit of only scanning for his chakra and has Tenzou sneak up on her instead.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In his introductory chapter in Dreaming, Shikako's dialogue and narration spells his name Tenzo, but in his point-of-view chapter in Sunshine Sidestories he spells his name Tenzou.
* StealthHiBye: Shikako meets Tenzou when he sneaks up on her unnoticed in broad daylight in the middle of a room full of other ninja.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Apparently is rather skilled chakra sensor, [[spoiler:even being able to sense natural energy]].
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a low-key one to Kakashi [[spoiler:for not telling him that his Sharingan chakra exhaution was cured]].

!!Hidden Mist
[[folder: Zabuza Momochi]]
A member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. [[spoiler:He later becomes the husband of the Fifth Mizukage.]]

* AdaptationalHeroism: He’s part of Mei Terumi’s rebellion, due to sharing her dislike of Yagura’s laws.
* BodyguardingABadass: He briefly shows up as Mei’s bodyguard in the Grass Chunin Exams arc. Since she’s a kage, it’s a given that she doesn’t really need a bodyguard--Zabuza is actually there for the same reason Kakashi is, to show off his village’s strength.
* HiddenDepths: Apparently is a very good, if unconventional, teacher since he redesigned Kiri Academy's curriculum.
* MasterSwordsman: As expected of a member of Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Mei at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He and Haku survive the Wave arc, and appear as part of the new Hidden Mist.

[[folder: Haku]]
Zabuza's subordinate and student.

* TheAce: He's one of the best ninja of his generation.
* AlmightyJanitor: Technically a genin as of the Grass Chunin Exams, since he held no official rank before that. Mei could probably have brought him into the village at a higher rank, but she wanted to make a good impression at the Exams, so she took advantage of the loophole.
* ApologeticAttacker: He apologizes to Hinata before their fight, which seems a bit odd [[spoiler:until you realize that he’s actually apologizing for the insult of assuming he’ll win both their match and the next and using them to prepare to fight Gaara]].
** It's also a psychological ploy, taking the wind out of Hinata's sails with the whole "kindred spirit" schtick before they even start fighting.
* CombatPragmatist: During the Grass Chunin Exams, he demonstrates strategic thinking by creating extra ice during his battles and maintaining it until his final match.
* MakingASplash: Implied, since he's from Kiri [[spoiler:and a host to a water-aligned bijuu]].
* MundaneUtility: Generating ice is pretty useful when your friend has a fever.
* NiceGuy: He’s consistently kind and polite. The one time he’s discourteous to an opponent, he apologizes in advance.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: His match against Gaara is the final one of the Grass Chunin Exams, and according to Shikako it’s epic. Unfortunately, she’s sick, disillusioned, and not in the mood to give a recap--so we don’t get one.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams, then to jonin sometime before Kiri Exams]].
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: [[spoiler:Becomes host of Isobu the Three-Tails following the Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He survives the Wave Country arc, appearing later on as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Grass Chunin Exams.
* TechnicalPacifist: He’s a talented shinobi who genuinely does not want to hurt anyone.

[[folder: Chojuro]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: He appears immediately after Naruto leaves the village, as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Chunin Exams of Hidden Grass.
* ShrinkingViolet: He has no actual lines during the Grass Chunin Exams arc, because he’s apparently too shy to speak to the friendly Konoha group.

[[folder: Yoro and Shiku]]
* CheerfulChild: While they have few lines, they come across as friendly and happy, and Shikako estimates them to be eight to nine years old.
* IdenticalTwinIDTag: They’re identical except for having different numbers on their kimono--46 for Yoro and 49 for Shiku.
* MoralityPet: Their older teammates look out for them due to their extreme youth and relative vulnerability; while Haku and Chojuro don’t especially need Morality Pets, they’re trying to shake their village’s ugly reputation. Even the Konoha shinobi present at the exams get in on the act, letting them inside their defensive formation after [[spoiler: the kidnapping attempt on Shikako]].
* PunnyName: Their names combined form the formal greeting ''yoroshiku''. This carries over to their attacks, which are all taijutsu combinations named after Japanese number puns.
* RealityEnsues: They're eight or nine year old gennin taking the Chunin Exams. They’re talented for their age but not at all ready to become chunin, [[spoiler: and they're no match for Neji and Rock Lee in their matches.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Appear again during Kiri Exams. Apparently this time they made much better showing.

[[folder: Mei Terumi]]
The leader of the Mist Rebellion, and after its success, the Fifth Mizukage.
----
* EasilyForgiven: Enforced. Her policy is to offer amnesty to anyone showing regret for their actions when under Yagura's orders.
* ExactWords: She promised amnesty to ''anyone'', [[spoiler:which can include a bijuu]].
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Zabuza at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* PolitenessJudo: Perfectly capable of using this when necessary.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Definitely the face she presents, and how the Mist gennin view her. She wants her village to leave the era of the "Bloody Mist" behind and seems interested in allying with Konoha.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Perfectly capable of adjusting her plans on the fly to take into account unexpected development, [[spoiler:such as inviting a bijuu to her wedding when one suddenly appears near Kiri]].
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Sand
[[folder: Gaara of the Desert]]
The youngest of the Sand Siblings and the jinchuriki of the One Tailed. He later becomes the Kazekage.

* CharacterDevelopment: Just compare his appearance in the Hidden Grass exams to the way he acted back in Konoha.
* AChildShallLeadThem: He is twelve years old when he becomes Kazekage, though Suna tries not to advertise it.
* OddFriendship: Even he has no idea how he actually ended up being friends with Shikako, but he ultimately doesn't care and just appreciates that they are such good friends.
* RankUp: He's promoted to chunin before being made Kazekage. While he probably could have skipped the intermediate rank, the Chunin Exams were an invaluable opportunity to show off both his strength and his CharacterDevelopment.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
* VictoryByEndurance: How he wins his match against [[spoiler: Shikako]] during the Chunin Exams in Hidden Grass. She’s able to pierce his defenses but never able to injure or incapacitate him, so in the end he wins simply because she’s exhausted and he isn’t.
* WorfEffect: Can't do much against [[spoiler:Isobu]] since there isn't much sand around for him to control.
* YouAreNotAlone: Naruto to Gaara (both jinchuriki). He also returns the favor to Shikako, although he may not realize how big a deal it is to her that she's no longer the only one [[spoiler:actively planning for a confrontation with Akatsuki]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Temari]]
The eldest child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* ActionGirl: Although she stands out a bit less than in canon, because the rest of the female cast has caught up to her.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Was willing to do ''anything'' to keep her brothers safe.
* BlowYouAway: She demonstrates in the Grass Chunin Exams that she has learned some impressive wind jutsu.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kankurou]]
The second child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* AdaptationExpansion: He's probably the Sand Sibling that Shikako spends the most time with, and he gets more characterization than in the manga.
* GracefulLoser: Losing a CurbStompBattle to [[spoiler:Hinata]] can't have been pleasant, but he goes out of his way to make sure that her injuries in the fight weren't serious, and that the medics have the antidote for the gas he used against her.
* HiddenDepths: He's a huge fan of puppet theater.
* TheNicknamer: Is probably the only one to call Shikako the nickname 'Sparky'.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:He's promoted to chunin, despite not making a very impressive showing in the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Chiyo]]
An elder of Hidden Sand and a master of the puppet technique.
----
* TheMentor: She's tutoring Kankurou in advanced ninja puppetry.
* NeverMessWithGranny: Gaara notes that despite her advanced age, Chiyo "is to be feared still".
* UnexpectedSuccessor: She becomes the interim Kazekage despite having no plans to do so.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Averted. She hates Sakumo for killing her son and daughter-in-law but has nothing against Kakashi.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Inverted. She comes back to active duty only long enough for Gaara to cement his position as the next Kazekage.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Rain
[[folder: Aoi Rokusho]]
A missing nin from Hidden Leaf who joined Hidden Rain.
----
* BoisterousWeakling: He talked a big game but couldn't deliver in actual combat.
* LaserSword: He stole the Sword of the Thunder God, which is probably how he was let in Hidden Rain. [[spoiler:He loses it to Shikako.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Team Oboro]]
A genin team consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari.
----
* CripplingOverspecialization: They're only really viable in ambushes. When they fail to surprise their enemies, or are forced into a frontal assault, they go down really quickly.
* CurbStompBattle: Their first fight with Team 7 ends up this way.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.
----

* [[Characters/DreamingOfSunshineNaraClan Nara Clan]]

!!Nara Clan
[[folder:In General]]
* BrilliantButLazy: Supposedly the Nara Clan's thing, but very few people show the lazy part. Then again, a large number of them are in intellectual non-combat positions (medic, researcher, bureaucrat) so maybe it's just subtle.
* CastingAShadow: Clan specialty.
* FamilyThemeNaming: Clan Heads and heirs (and Shikako) traditionally have names starting with "Shika" sound. If somebody is born with a different name they will change it.
** GiverOfLameNames: Some of the names translate to "deer boy", "deer girl" and "life or death".
* PeoplePuppets: Via peoples shadow, implied to be the work of current clan head Shikaku.
* ShadowPin: Clan specialty (Shadow Bind Jutsu) until it became Shadow Possession Jutsu.

[[folder: Shikamaru Nara]]
* AmicableExes: [[spoiler:With Tenten.]]
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:His arm is turned into stone and crushed by Ishidate.]]
* BashBrothers: With Choji, shown in their BrainsAndBrawn team-up against Tayuya.
* BerserkButton: Harming Shikako is the worst. Ironically he hasn't gotten much chance to follow through on it though, as the people who do so are either not in their right minds or too dangerous for him to succeed yet.
* BewareTheQuietOnes: After Shikako's ribs are broken, Shikamaru successfully threatens and frightens [[spoiler:[[TheAce Sasuke]] [[TheStoic Uchiha]]]] into submission.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Shikamaru frequently displays his love and devotion to Shikako. [[spoiler:Sadly, they often argue due to Shikamaru's desire that Shikako leave combat forces for a supporting position and her 'talent' at getting into dangerous situations.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: Subverted in the Forest of Death. Despite his best efforts they don't arrive until after the fighting ends. It's still much sooner than they arrived in cannon.
* BrilliantButLazy: As in canon, but it becomes clear that he is more quick to get motivated due to Shikako's influence, such as when Team 10 showed up in the Forest of Death or when he took initiative in getting Shikako accepted into Research and Development.
* CastingAShadow: He's technically better at it than Shikako is, in that he's hinted to be able to overpower her shadows and he uses the more advanced techniques (Shadow Stitching, Shadow Strangle) more often than Shikako.
* HeManWomanHater: Growing up with a beloved twin sister completely averts this, unlike his canon personality.
* ItsAllMyFault: As Shikako's elder brother he sees himself as supposed to protect her, despite Shikako [[MoreDeadlyThanTheMale generally being a better fighter]] and them having dangerous jobs. He feels this way when she gets seriously hurt in the Forest of Death, in Tanzaku Gai, in the Dead Wastes, etc.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Shikamaru gets several, since his sister isn't always around to witness them.
** Subversion in the Sound Four Arc, where even with Choji fighting the Doki, Shikamaru at point-blank range with every advantage he could stack up still wasn't able to overpower Tayuya. It became Choji's moment when he took the Yellow Curry Pill to succeed.
* OnlySaneMan: Shikamaru may think he's this due to freaking out when his loved ones get injured and they (Shikako especially) brush it off, but he arguably takes it too far in the other direction at times.
* OppositesAttract: Zig-zagged. While he does have some suggestive interactions with Temari, [[spoiler:he starts dating Tenten around Chapter 100 and the relationship lasts around a year (and 30 chapters)]].
* RankUp: Was promoted to chunin during Konoha Exams.
* SheIsAllGrownUp: Defied. Shikamaru doesn't (or doesn't want to) see how much [[TookALevelInBadass Shikako has changed]], still seeing her as his sickly, shy little sister.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Subverted when he starts seeing [[spoiler:Tenten]]. While he doesn't announce it from the rooftops (his twin only finds out when Ino sees him on a date) he never denies it when teased and does go out of his way to spend time with her.
* ShockAndAwe: Per canon, has lightning as his element.
* StrongGirlSmartGuy: In a SiblingYinYang way. Shikako admits that Shikamaru is ridiculously [[TeenGenius smarter]] than her while it's obvious that she is [[JustForPun explosively]] better than him in direct combat, but she is not dumb and he is not weak either.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Wakes up when [[spoiler:Shikako is fighting Jashin]] even if he doesn't realise what is wrong.
* TookALevelInBadass: Shikamaru actually puts in the effort to win his Chunin Exams fight with Shino. It's prompted by the fact that his sister surrendered to him in the preliminaries and he can't disrespect that.
* YouAreNotAlone: Is one of the first people to reassure Naruto this after Naruto tells them his secret.
* YouMonster: Shikamaru is planning to kill [[spoiler:Orochimaru and Itachi]] for what they did to Shikako.

[[folder:Shikaku Nara]]
* TheAce: Is highly intelligent and very skilled at shadow techniques, with implications he invented most of them.
* AdultFear: His daughter was a sickly child, gets into ridiculously dangerous circumstances as a ninja, appears to suffer from some uncertain form of depression and [[spoiler:might be involved in the incident that started a war]].
** [[spoiler:Later, his son is permamently maimed during a mission.]]
* TheComicallySerious: Part of his {{Corpsing}} trait. Shikaku subtly jokes and smiles, but rarely laughs. He notes that if he hasn't been called in about his daughter's mission then it probably isn't an emergency, and when he tells her he has a list of clansmen interested in getting lessons in sealing, he hands her the Clan Register.
* {{Corpsing}}: Shikaku desperately resists the impulse to laugh on several occasions, such as when his daughter taps Kakashi on the nose.
* HiddenDepths: Sunshine Sidestories reveals that he worked as an ANBU agent during the war and he was temporarily disowned for breaking an arranged marriage to be with Yoshino instead.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Appears to realize something like this has happened involving Shikako's necklace and the events at Gelel.
** [[spoiler:He doesn't know about the exact events of Hot Spring Arc, though he suspects Shikako was involved somehow.]]
* NonIdleRich: Subtle, but as a clan head in close alliance with at least two fellow heads he would be one of the most influential people in Konoha even if he weren't also the Jonin Commander. While they don't have a mansion, Shikako does pick up on little hints that her family is very well off and powerful.
* ObliviousToLove: Discussed but Averted. He realizes his affection and initiates his and Yoshino's RelationshipUpgrade, but Inoichi suggests this or CelibateHero may have been the case when he was younger.
--> '''Inoichi:''' Of course it would take a woman actually hitting you over the head to catch your attention. Nothing less could have done it.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Captures Hidan with help from Inoichi and Chouza.]]
* PapaWolf: He's normally rather hands-off when it comes to Shikako's affairs but if he feels that the situation is dire enough to warrant his direct intervention, there are no lengths he won't go through to keep his daughter safe. [[spoiler:He and his friends [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome hunt down and capture Hidan]] when he threatens his daughter.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: He (correctly) suspects Shikako knows more than she lets on and feels like he's let her down, as she carries the burden alone.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Averted. He fell in love with a woman other than the one arranged for him and was temporarily disowned when he married Yoshino.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Very laid back in general and willing to usually let the younger generations spread their wings as long as they don't mess up too badly.
* RetiredBadass: Subverted. He's technically retired from field (and ANBU) work, but still active as the Jonin Commander and he gets sent into the field when Cloud starts testing defenses to be on hand for strategy.
* ShockAndAwe: Per canon, his element is lightning and his son inherited it.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: He clearly senses that ''something'' is wrong [[spoiler:when Shikako is confronting Jashin]].

[[folder: Yoshino Nara]]
* AdultFear: On top of the usual ninja-parent worries, Shikako as a baby was sick and in pain for no reason anyone could discover and believed permanently disabled. The doctors can't help at all.
--> ''They tell her there is nothing they can do. For her daughter, there never seems to be anything they can do.''
* AngerBornOfWorry: One of Yoshino's main character traits, but justified because ninja life is dangerous.
** Most clearly seen after Shikako briefly falls into the Dark, and she starts shouting at Shikaku for treating this like it was normal. He defuses her with reassurance that he was being careful and Shikako only has a spiritual fever.
** She subverts this in the aftermath of the [[spoiler: Tsukiyomi incident]] because her anger has burnt out after a month of near-hopeless waiting.
* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: Played With. Many of the Nara other than Shikaku don't warm up to Yoshino until the birth of the next heir, and given that Shikako was so sickly some didn't even then.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Shikako spends the first few weeks of her life crying permanently and Yoshino sometimes wishes her daughter would just shut up. When the Kyuubi attacks and Shikako does finally shut up, Yoshino is terrified that her daughter is dead of chakra poisoning.
* BettyAndVeronica: The [[ActionGirl ninja]] equivalent of Betty. Yoshino isn't from a ninja family, has no secret techniques, is only of moderate skills and power, and doesn't consider herself very attractive. Shikaku still chooses her and breaks the arranged marriage to a woman favored by his clan to be their next lady.
* ConvenientMiscarriage: Discussed in ''Sunshine Sidestories''. There's a high likelihood of ninja twins being born with disabilities or at least one dying in the womb, but Yoshino refuses to induce miscarriage and try again.
* DishingOutDirt: Her element, which Shikako inherited from her.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: It's happened to her at least sometimes due to either security clearances or her family not wanting to invoke her anger at them.
* MuggleBornOfMages: Yoshino would have sent her sickly daughter to civilian school, invoking this, had Shikako not insisted on trying to be a ninja.
* NeverMyFault: Played for laughs. Years after the fact she still insists that it's Shikaku's fault for getting in her line of fire when her earth jutsu hits him while he was trying to save her life.
* ObliviousToLove: Yoshino's relationship with Shikaku didn't feel like romance at all until he kissed her on the mouth, and the revelation knocked her off-balance.
* OpenMindedParent: Though not as much as Shikaku, Yoshino realises that there's little she can do to stop her children from going head first into danger.
* RescueRomance: She and Shikaku met when he saved her from enemies that had her outnumbered.
* SecretSecretKeeper: Only in ''Sunshine Sidestories'' do we discover that Yoshino knew Kushina in passing and has always known exactly whose son Naruto is.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: For a while it looked like Yoshino didn't contribute as much to her children, but after Shikako changes her outfit and hair Shikaku confirms that she looks the spitting image of Yoshino at that age.
* SurprisePregnancy: Around Chapter 100, [[spoiler:she is expecting a third child]].

[[folder: Igaku Nara]]
A member of the Clan.
----
* AngerBornOfWorry: Gets upset when people risk hurting themselves by doing unsafe things.
* TheMedic: Chief Surgeon at Konoha Hospital.

[[folder: Kasuga Nara]]
An elder of the clan.
----
* BrutalHonesty[=/=]ExactWords: How can Shikako make the side-effects go away? "Stop being a ninja." She refuses? "Then that wasn't what you meant by 'fixed'."
* NothingIsScarier: An information version; Kasuga is disturbed by Shikako's development with the clan jutsu and admits so to Shikaku.
--> '''Kasuga:''' Train with her. You'll see. It's not normal. I don't know what she's doing, Shikaku. It's nothing I've ever seen before, and I can't get a word out of her.
* OldMaster: A Nara elder and Shikaku's replacement in teaching the twins new shadow jutsu [[spoiler:and was called in to consult on Shikako's state after Jashin's ritual]].

[[folder: Kofuku Nara]]
A member of the Clan.
----
* AngerBornOfWorry: Deconstructed. She is angry when new recruit Shikako gets a reprimand for performing sealing experiments on human subjects. Unfortunately, Shikako starts off getting yelled at for something she was never told was a problem (and the reprimand's language is inaccurate) and ends up holding a grudge.
* GoodIsNotNice: Technically helps Shikako, but does so in a brusque and abrasive manner that really drives a wedge between the two of them.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Shikako is right in pointing out that Kofuku should have made sure Shikako got the R & D "rules and restrictions" introduction before getting her listed as a member and giving her access to their material.
* ShootTheMessenger: When you filter out Shikako's UnreliableNarrator status it appears that Kofuku had nothing to do with the reprimand the hospital filed other than receiving it and organizing to help Shikako not get hurt by it. But Shikako bears a major grudge against Kofuku for the event and the two have clashed several times since.

[[folder: Sembei Nara]]
An elderly member of the Nara clan.
----
* TheBeastMaster: She holds the Deer contract, although she no longer has the chakra reserves to actually perform the summoning jutsu.
* PassingTheTorch: She passes the Deer contract on to Shikako. It's implied that she had been waiting for quite a while for an appropriate successor to show up--the Deer contract belongs to the clan and has to stay within it, but most Nara aren't interested in summons that are best used in frontline combat.

!!The Leaf 12
[[folder:Ino Yamanaka]]
A member of Team Ten and a good friend of Shikako.

* ActionGirl: Even at a young age she had some skills in fighting and throwing weapons; unlike in canon, Shikako kept them from atrophying when she started crushing on Sasuke.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Although they are friends, there are hints that she feels this way regarding Shikako. GreenEyedMonster is 100% averted, though.
* AnimalMotifs: Boar due to her name, but a colorful Social Butterfly, and recently her [[spoiler:SummonMagic Chameleon Contract]] has added another theme.
* TheBeastMaster: [[spoiler:Acquires the Chameleon summoning contract.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Used to be tied for Sasuke's #1 fangirl. At New Year's after graduation, when dating is discussed, Sakura still wants to date Sasuke but Ino doesn't know anymore - she just wants someone who wants and appreciates her.
* CreepyBlueEyes: Ino's eyes have no pupils, which is normal to Shikako but can be odd to non-Leaf ninja. [[spoiler:UpToEleven after her eyes develop pupils, because they are Orochimaru's slit-shaped pupils.]]
* CursedWithAwesome: Ino survives [[spoiler:entering Orochimaru's SoulJar by the skin of her teeth, but suffers a LossOfIdentity]], and is emotionally traumatized, psychologically wrecked, and may forever have trouble trusting or being trusted by people. But once she begins to work through it with her loved ones' full support, we see her incorporating the experience into her combat and life-style with exemplary results.
* FauxActionGirl: Justified. Ino's been hit by this during [[spoiler:the Retrieval Arc]], but mostly because she's facing an opponent miles out of her league, against whom her SignatureMove is ''useless'' [[spoiler:because of Orochimaru's seal having affected his psyche and chakra]].
* FlowerMotifs: Flowers and flower language in general are motifs for Ino. She uses them to ground herself, [[spoiler:since while Orochimaru shares many of Ino’s interests, all he knows about flowers is whether or not they’re poisonous]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She had her AlphaBitch moments in school, but by the first Chunin Exams she's repeatedly demonstrated an unrelenting desire to help fix people who are hurt.
* HealingHands: Inspired by Shikako and Sakura, she can use basic medical ninjutsu.
* HiddenDepths: Ino looks like a DumbBlonde, but Shikako repeatedly comments that Ino is far cannier than she appears, noticing and deducing things that escape many of their peers. Also, despite being kind and cheerful, Ino is the daughter of an Intelligence ninja and is implied to have a good idea about the workings of Torture & Interrogation from a young age.
* LikeBrotherAndSister[=/=]TrueCompanions: She is sister in all but blood to Shikako, Shikamaru, and Choji.
* MasterOfIllusion: Once she TookALevelInBadass this became her go-to skill for most of her fights.
* MindRape: She has the potential to do this, but so far we've only seen her gentler uses. [[spoiler:She also suffers the full version of this when her spirit encounters a Curse Seal.]]
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Grass Exams.]]
* SharedUnusualTrait: [[spoiler:After her close encounter with Orochimaru, she develops snakelike pupils, a constant reminder that she now bears his influence in her mind.]]
* SummonMagic: [[spoiler:Ino picks up the Chameleon Contract, though initially as a probationary summoner]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Apparently has mild sensory abilities, possibly due to her clan's speciality.
* {{Tsundere}}: A non-romantic example, type B. Ino is generally cheerful, empathetic, and kind, but she can be very assertive and aggressive when annoyed.
* YouAreNotAlone: Shikako's giving her this speech and having Sakura help set up other support is what [[spoiler:stops Ino from quitting the shinobi forces]] and gives her the chance to become who she is today.

[[folder: Chouji Akimichi]]
A member of Team Ten and Shikamaru's best friend.

* BashBrothers: With Shikamaru. They team up to fight Jirobo in a BrainsAndBrawn combo, along with generally serving on a team together.
* BerserkButton: If you want to pick a fight you call him fat. If you want to kick-start a fight to the death, hurt his friends.
* GentleGiant: When he's actually a giant, it's because he's fighting, but otherwise he is very kind and gentle.
* MartialPacifist: He fights to protect people, but he doesn't enjoy it, and often is fine with losing if fighting a friend.
* OneWingedAngel: In a change from canon, this is Defied. Choji does not take the [[HeroicRROD Red Chili Pill]] that would give him power but probably kill him, because support from Shikamaru means he doesn't need to.
* OutOfFocus: Being Shikamaru's best friend, Shikako's friend, and one-third of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, one would expect him to get more time in the limelight. We still see him a lot, but the focus is on himself with other people, never just himself.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Grass Exams.]]

[[folder: Kiba Inuzuka]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Among many other feelings toward Shikako, he may regard her and her team as this, which is a slight blow to his alpha personality.
* CharacterDevelopment: In canon and early in the story he was solely a melee fighter, but as of the mission to the Land of Moon he's displaying long range ninjutsu, remains calm during an ambush, and has good reasoning and rhetorical skills.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: He tries to give off a bad boy image sometimes, but he is also a total mama's boy. Then again, given how awesome [[ActionMom his mom]] is this is very justified.
* HiddenDepths: Works in the kennels with the animals at his family's veterinary practice and knows more about medicine and caring for small animals[=/=]children than he would usually admit.
* NoodleIncident: PetTheDog UpToEleven. The details are uncertain, but WordOfGod on the forum is that Kiba once put a A-rank mission on hold to help a stray dog give birth, and then carried the puppies in his jacket for a week.
* OnlySaneMan: Usually rowdy, but Kiba ended up like this on the Land of Moon mission. He was ignored and because it worked he thinks he shouldn't have objected, but Shikako later tells him he was technically correct and she was glad that he called her out.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Tries to dissuade and call no confidence on Shikako [[spoiler:in Moon, when she goes to return to the castle alone]], but is ignored. Shikako says that in hindsight he was right.

[[folder: Hinata Hyuuga]]
* BadassAdorable: Hinata is more often describe as cute than pretty, but she is also capable of killing people with light taps of her fingers.
* BigDamnHeroes: Shows up and holds off [[spoiler:''Kimimaro'' when he corners Shikako]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Being brought along on the mission to stop Gaara and succeeding did wonders for her confidence, [[spoiler:and she briefly held her own against [[TheJuggernaut Kimimaro]] when she showed up without orders to support her friends]]. Hinata still keeps her kind, gentle, and quiet nature, but her soul is SilkHidingSteel now, and she will work out some grudges of her own, seen when she fights a Cloud ninja.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: She has always seen Neji this way, and after Naruto's [[DefeatMeansFriendship Therapy Jutsu]] he is beginning to reciprocate.
* NiceGirl: The most so in their generation, even more than Shikako.
* ProudWarriorRaceGirl: Subverted. Hinata's entire family is strict, militaristic, and tradition-bound, but she doesn't fit the mold and (aside from her [[WellDoneSonGuy Good Job, Daughter]] traits) doesn't want to. After some real-life experience and support from and for her friends, she blossoms and has the skills (and not the cocky attitude).
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]

[[folder: Shino Aburame]]
* BigBrotherInstinct: Toward his little sister Chiyako, expressed in his usual way as TheStoic.
* TheComicallySerious: Has moments of this, especially as Kiba's teammate.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: After mentally and physically grueling battle with Shikamaru he is boxed in by explosive notes and surrenders rather than risk the blast. [[spoiler:As a result of his good judgement and prior performance in the match he is promoted to chunin]].
* OutOfFocus: He is aware of this and he resents it. Shino was literally the only member of the Leaf 12 not to participate in the Sound Retrieval Mission due to being out of village at the time.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Konoha Exams.]]

[[folder: Neji Hyuuga]]
* TheAce: Despite his misanthropy Neji is a genius with a year of experience over the Rookie Nine and it shows. He only goes down on-screen to [[TheHero Naruto]] and fellow Aces Haku and Shikako.
* CurbStompBattle: Thanks to Shikako's tutoring, Neji suffers this at Naruto's hands.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: Suffers this from Naruto, though non-lethally and with more fists.
* HeelFaceTurn: After Naruto trounces him and Hinata begins growing into her skills he becomes a better person.
* HeelRealization: His on-screen one is when he learns of [[SealedEvilInACan Naruto's status]] and realizes how inaccurate his words were about wearing "a seal that can never be removed" and apologizes.
* OhCrap: A minor one during his spar with Team 7, [[spoiler:since Shikako just turned into a shadow and started choking him]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: Following his HeelRealization he becomes noticeably kinder to people.

[[folder: Tenten]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Shikako, again, is much better at using sealing, is a more combat-capable kunoichi with more diverse skills despite being a year younger, and while Tenten has a great collection of mundane or rarer weapons, Shikako has the legendary [[LaserBlade Sword of the Thunder God]].
* AmicableExes: [[spoiler:With Shikamaru]].
* [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Armor Piercing Comment]]: Tenten's 100% accuracy is not limited to physical weapons. Shikako notes that she has a way, however unintentionally, of hitting emotional weak spots with her words.
* AscendedExtra: In canon Tenten was very OutOfFocus. Here she's fleshed out with a desire to be a ninja despite never wanting to kill and the drive to do this, her interest in seals, [[spoiler:and her relationship with Shikamaru]].
* AscendedFangirl: Was a huge fan of Tsunade as a girl, and is overjoyed when her sealwork gets her a personal congratulations from Tsunade.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Not very visible, but she is capable of analysing unfamiliar seals and [[spoiler:deduces that Neji will probably need a ranged support fighting a Sound Four member]].
* CripplingOverspecialization: As Sasuke once rather bluntly pointed out, by chunin-rank most enemies would have a skill to dodge or block Tenten's StormOfBlades. Tenten ruefully agrees.
* CurbStompCushion: Tenten still gets beat by Temari like in canon, because Temari is one of the worst possible match-ups, but because Shikako whispered a warning about Temari's BlowYouAway skills it is not an easy win for Temari.
* DebtDetester: Shikako offers her a position as a second author in developing a new storage seal for the village to use: it's a job using her interest in sealing and her specialty within that, it will pay well, it will help the village, and they would be looking at good royalties once it's being sold. Tenten hesitates too accept because she's a no-name orphan and has already received so much from Shikako that Tenten has no idea how to begin repaying her.
--> '''Shikako:''' ''*is trying to get Tenten out of the way of a political ploy*'' I... was thinking of just fobbing all the paperwork on you.\\
'''Tenten:''' ''[[[LaughingMad starts laughing uncontrollably]]]''
* GeometricMagic: Tenten is interested in seals but lacks Shikako's understanding and flair for them. Her most common use is storing all of her weapons.
* {{Glomp}}: Does this to Shikako and Shikamaru after her seal work gets her personally commended by Tsunade.
* {{Hammerspace}}: Done regularly in cannon by Tenten. However in story Shikako gives her the idea to make a single seal that stores various small items she calls her creation “Infinite Pocket”.
* {{Irony}}: She wants to never have to kill someone in her career, and happens to excel at an extremely lethal skill-set.
** [[spoiler: Starts a relationship with Shikamaru, who in canon was with Temari (and had some ShipTease here), who had beaten Tenten in the exams.]]
* LaughingMad: A brief moment of this when Shikako claims to be making such a great offer to DebtDetester Tenten for the sake of fobbing off all the paperwork.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
* TechnicalPacifist: Why does Tenten never hurt anyone with those barrages of sharp pointy objects? Because a) she has perfect aim and b) ''she doesn’t want to kill anyone''. She actually wanted to be a medic originally, but couldn’t because of poor chakra control--so instead she's a frontline combatant who refuses to kill.
* TookALevelInBadass: Makes a lot of progress on seals and decides to learn about poisons and paralytics to augment her skills.

[[folder: Rock Lee]]
* CurbStompCushion: He actually harms Gaara, who had never before been physically injured.
* FriendToAllChildren: He is completely cheerful and encouraging to the pre-adolescent Mist kunoichi he fights [[spoiler:in the Grass Exams]].
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Averted. He doesn't shine as much as he could, but the only person who's ever taken Lee down was [[TheDreaded Gaara]] and he hurt Gaara worse than anyone before him. Everyone in the story acknowledges him as tremendously skilled and capable.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Discussed. Shikako and Sand Siblings wonder how much of his attitude is an act [[spoiler:during Grass Exams' 2nd task]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Other Konoha Ninja
[[folder:Chiyako Aburame]]
Shino's little sister.

* BlackSheep: Defied. One would expect this, given that spiders like Chiyako's Mr. Cranberry are threats to the Aburame hives, but by all accounts she's actually the beloved baby of the clan.
* CoolBigBro: Chiyako sees Shino as this.
* CryCute: Shikako meets Chiyako when she's crying in the bushes.
* GiverOfLameNames: Averted. Mr. Cranberry is a perfectly respectable and creative name for a red-kneed tarantula.
* KidsAreCruel: Chiyako was invited to a slumber party, but then the other girls revoked the invitation, called her names, potentially assaulted her (it isn't mentioned how she got her twisted ankle), and smooshed her pet spider (he survived, though).

[[folder: Sakura Haruno]]
A friend of Shikako who didn't pass the final Genin test.

* AngerBornOfWorry: A rather selfish example. When somebody notices her practicing the SuperStrength technique and brings it up to Tsunade, who becomes interested. Sakura becomes terrified thinking the Hokage will be angry about jutsu theft until Shikako and Ino [[CooldownHug talk her down]] and remind her that training with Tsunade is a good thing.
* [[MuggleBestFriend Civilian Best Friend]]: She is this to Shikako and Ino even before she fails her team's test, having been raised by civilian parents and not getting certain aspects of ninja life.
* DemotedToExtra: Downplayed. She's still not as active as the Leaf 12 since she's spending most of her time studying and working at the hospital, but she is still a reoccurring appearance who has important interactions with Shikako and has joined the kunoichi study group and recently began taking supplemental lessons [[InSpiteOfANail from Tsunade herself]].
* {{Fangirl}}: For Sasuke. But she and Ino did not stop being friends because of it since Shikako [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome presumably talked some sense into them]]. She still sighs over him and daydreams, but studying to become a field medic has absorbed all of her time and treating people who have been maimed and may die has helped her mature and better prioritize.
* HealingHands: Joins Medical Corps.
* GeniusDitz: She is smart, and may even be smarter than Shikako, but has less common sense and is more easily distracted by daydreams, etc.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Sakura knocks out an escaped prisoner with a vase.
* TheMedic: Signs up for Medical Corps after failing genin exam, [[spoiler:eventually becoming Tsunade's apprentice]].
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:When Tayuya breaks out of prison and goes for revenge, Sakura is the one to knock her out with a couple of glass vases. The girl with no field experience dropped one of Orochimaru's (admittedly weakened) personal guards.]] We actually get to see her do this in one of the Sunshine Sidestories.
** [[spoiler:The events of Kiri Chunin Exam, since we only see her final fight]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after Kiri Exams]].
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Defied. She is best friends with the daughters of Konoha's former Head of Intelligence and current Jonin Commander but she never asks for favors from them nor blames them for her failing the genin test. The only time this is brought up is when Shikako offers to have an aunt sponsor Sakura to the Medical Corps program, and even then it's Sakura who convinces Igaku to sponsor her.
* SuperStrength: Works on creating a version of this with Shikako, which gets her noticed by Tsunade.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hanabi Hyuuga]]
Hinata's little sister.
----
* BrattyHalfPint: Subverted. Hanabi is disconcerting to some people because she speaks with authority and has been raised to command, but she was also raised in a house with strict adherence to etiquette and does not speak improperly to people above in in society.
* [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove What Is This Thing You Call Friendship?]]: Her growing connection with Chiyako and Moegi has aspects of this, having never particularly had peers or teammates she was close to in the past.

[[folder: Tsume Inuzuka]]
Kiba's mother and head of the Tracking Team.

* ActionMom: Single mother of two children. Also an active duty ninja, a clan head, and leader of both the Tracking Team and the Sensory Squad. And the Inuzuka Clinic.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: She apparently spends way too much time talking up her children to potential spouses--even though Kiba is just thirteen.
* GiverOfLameNames: Kiba's older sister wants people to think that her name uses the "flower" kanji, but actually Tsume was on the good drugs at the time and used the "nose" kanji instead.
* MotherBear: To Kiba and Hana.
* ParentsAsPeople: Inverted? Defied? Whatever it is, Tsume manages to be a doting and well-loved single mother to two children despite all the responsibilities listed under her badass entry. Shikako can't imagine how she finds the time.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She makes Shikako explain herself about rushing into a fight without waiting for orders before deciding whether to keep yelling at her for it. Earlier she took the time to test Rock Lee's sensory perception at his request despite having [[BadassNormal no super-sensory skill]], and complemented him on having solid chunin-level perceptiveness.
* ShipperOnDeck: Hints to Shikako that she wouldn't mind seeing her and Kiba together, since their kids might actually inherit some brains. May also be her being a {{Troll}} who wanted to spark [[NoJustNoReaction Shikako's]] [[BrainBleach reaction]] for kicks. Or both.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Has this relationship with the head of research and Development, as seen when she drags Tsunade in to arbitrate which of their divisions can recruit Shikako.

[[folder: Yakumo Kurama]]
The last member of the Kurama clan.

* ArtInitiatesLife: Subverted. She paints things to activate her powers, but instead of summoning monsters she paints natural disasters that materialize, and they are only illusions.
* BirdsOfAFeather: She admires Rock Lee because, like her, he can only use one ninja art and is dedicated to becoming a great shinobi with a limited toolkit. In turn, Lee admires Yakumo’s dedication just as much.
* BlueScreenOfDeath: Enters this after her alter-ego breaks loose during a spar with Shikako and she remembers killing her own parents. Anko mercifully knocks her unconscious before she can break worse or hurt someone else.
* BrokenBird: Snapped under the stress of her clan's expectations, repressed the memories of murdering her parents and became paranoid that they were assassinated by the Hokage, had her powers sealed, and was placed under house-arrest with 24/7 guards and no peer contact for several years.
* ElementalPowers: Subverted. Yakumo mostly manifests attacks as [[PlayingWithFire fires]] or strikes of [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] but these are both just manifestations of her illusions.
* IllGirl: A bit, which is why she can't use taijutsu.
* MasterOfIllusion: Her skill specialty. Due to ill health, it is just about her only ninja skill. She's powerful enough to cast one over the village that can temporarily fool even the skilled join.
* MasterOfOneMagic: Of the three main ninja arts, she can only do genjutsu, but she's exceptional at it.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Due to her alter-ego setting a fire that killed her parents.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Her bloodline is prone to these due to their RealityWarping abilities
* WordOfGod: [[MasterOfIllusion Yakumo]] and [[BareFistedMonk Lee]] have agreed that they will form a team with a person who can only use ninjutsu if they ever meet one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kisuke Maboroshi]]
A member of the ANBU.

* PostHumousCharacter: We meet him months or years after his death, as a ghost.
* SoulJar: The seal that his soul is tied to. In a twist, this seal is also what killed him first, as it yanked his soul out of his body against his will.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even though he is dead he still wants to serve the village instead of continuing to the afterlife.

[[folder: Gai Maito]]
The jonin instructor of Team Gai.

* BeastMaster: Has a Turtle summoning contract.
* BornWinner: Shikako notes that it was easy to label Gai as one of Konoha's rather ilustrious "dead-last" ninja who went on to excel, but the truth is that Gai is also a ChildProdigy. He made genin at 7, chunin at eleven, and has been Kakashi's rival as long as they've known each other.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his fashion sense and obsession with "Youth!" Gai is an insanely capable Taijutsu master who can overpower and defeat even Kakashi.
* GenerationXerox: Of his father, which he then passed onto Rock Lee.

[[folder: Anko Mitarashi]]
The former student of Orochimaru before he defected.

* AmazonBrigade: [[spoiler:Anko ends up as the jonin sensei of a team where all three students are kunoichi: Yakumo, Isaribi, and Sakura]].
* AxCrazy: Anko invokes this for psychological intimidation, but in actuality is relatively normal, if a bit extroverted.
* BerserkButton: Orochimaru. The fact that he is still breathing upsets Anko so much that she considers TakingYouWithMe to be a desirable alternative.
** Subverted in regards to questions about her loyalty. It puts her in a foul temper, and [[TooDumbToLive random idiots]] who bring it up may be in danger, but when professionals like Inoichi raise concerns she acknowledges that it is a legitimate danger and will grit her teeth as she does the necessary tests.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Two of the Sunshine Sidestories are from her perspective.
* HiddenDepths: A suprisingly good and caring teacher, [[spoiler:particularly to her genin team]].
* TheMentor: She's acting as a guard, supervisor, and teacher to Yakumo and Isaribi and she seems to enjoy it. Also, regularly takes part in Kunoichi Club meetings.
** [[spoiler:Ends up with her own genin team]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to full jonin sometime after Kiri Exams]].
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Downplayed, but after the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seal is a SoulJar she is shuffled out of the Intelligence Corps to limit her exposure to sensitive data. She considers her new posting to be a worthwhile commitment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ibiki Morino]]
The head of Konoha's T&I.

* TheDreaded: The scarred and intimidating Head of Torture and Interrogation.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Well, he is a professional interrogator and he has a lot of things that he can do to or order done to people, [[spoiler:but he mostly makes a point of seeming scarier than he really is. For instance, despite talking about torture implements, etc., he recognizes that it is an unreliable and ineffective practice and prefers to extract information through psychological intimidation and rapport-building between prisoners and interrogators]].
* OddFriendship: With Shikako.
* PragmaticVillainy: [[spoiler:So pragmatic that he recognizes that doing bad things is not useful or helpful. Despite being ostensibly in charge of torturing prisoners for information, he uses longer-term rapport building methods that don't harm them, and actively discourages other ninja from using torture to gain information, as seen when he questions Shikako about how she got marked as an interrogation specialist in Iwa's bingo book.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Shikako gets an entry for interrogation in a Bingo book, he calmly asks and let her explain how that happened.
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Non-romantic example with Shikako. All the other Special Jonin and Intelligence Corps members are confused/horrified at how well [[TheHeart Shikako]] gets along with [[ColdBloodedTorture Ibiki]] when they see her willingly seek him out, share tea with him, banter, and laugh at his jokes.

[[folder: Asuma Sarutobi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 10

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: After [[spoiler:the Moon Kingdom mission]] he knocks his student out of his HeroicSafeMode with one.
--> "You're a genius, Shikamaru. I think you could do anything you set your mind to. And [[BrilliantButLazy that's the problem,]] isn't it?"
* GenerationXerox: Defied, as Asuma is nothing like his father other than also being skilled and loyal.
* OfficialCouple: With Kurenai.
* StealthMentor: After having unconditionally supported Shikamaru before, he withdraws that support over a difficult subject to shock and provoke Shikamaru into supporting himself, and then returns to offering support once Shikamaru won't be using it as a crutch.

[[folder: Hiruzen Sarutobi]]
The Third Hokage.

* KilledOffForReal InSpiteOfANail: Because as Shikako points out, people don't survive using a suicide technique.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: With Orochimaru.
* OldMaster: Well past his prime and still indisputably S-class.

[[folder: Konohamaru Sarutobi]]
The grandson of the Third Hokage.

* BrattyHalfPint: Because he's still in the Academy.
* FearlessFool: Shikako observes that his reaction to something that intimidates him is to reach out and poke it, as shown by his spending time with Naruto's friend Gaara. He still doesn't like Kankuro, though.
* GirlsHaveCooties: Averted, he is close friends with Moegi and can transform himself into a female form.
* GreenEyedMonster: Is jealous that Ranmaru is friends and was on a mission with Naruto.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tsunade Senju]]
One of the Sannin and the Fifth Hokage.

* BerserkButton: A low-key one, but she doesn't like people interferring with her hospital.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Multiple chapters of ''Sunshine Sidestories'' are from her perspective.
* HealingHands: The best in the world. She has specifically saved Shikako's life at least twice, once reviving her despite Shikako's 100% depleted chakra, lack of pulse, lack of breathing, and uncertain neural activity.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Tsunade likely qualifies as a functioning or former alcoholic. This is also her reaction to Kakashi's [[NeverMyFault blaming Zabuza]] for Shikako's monologue, and Zabuza's counter-bantering. She describes the world as tilting 45 degrees to the side and actually checks her (zero-proof) drink to ensure that she is not, in fact, drunk.
* TheMentor: To Sakura.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: We see her thoughts when Naruto brings back Ibiki partway through the Sound Retrieval Mission. For the few minutes she spends believing they are the only survivors, she hates herself ''exactly as much'' as you would expect given her belief that she just ''sent 6 twelve-year-old children to their deaths,'' and knows that she couldn't have safely made a different decision, either.
* PolitenessJudo[=/=]StealthInsult: Perfectly capable of doing this as shown during various Chunin Exams.
* ProperlyParanoid:
** She knows that something is rotten in Konoha and doesn't know who it is that is subverting her orders and passing along information to their enemies. She needs a lot of safeguards and plans and safety-measures to figure it out.
** [[spoiler:She forbids Shikako and Sasuke from ever talking about what really happened in Land of Hot Springs, since people would either blame Konoha or try to repeat it]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She has extended a shockingly large amount of trust, leeway, and forgiveness to Shikako for her unconventional actions, partly due to her friendship with Naruto and partly due to Shikako's shocking success rate. For instance, she allows a supervised Shikako to access Orochimaru's old jutsu notes.
* SuperStrength: Yes. [[AvertedTrope Despite her]] [[{{Flanderization}} usual]] [[MegatonPunch portrayal]], in dreaming she yells a bit but has not been shown to vent her temper through violence. [[spoiler: [[InSpiteOfANail She is teaching this to Sakura in their spare time]].]]
** Finally shown in action when fighting [[spoiler:Isobu]] - despite standing on water, she manages to drag him back and throw him a considerable distance away.

[[folder: Danzo Shimura]]
A friend of the Third Hokage and one of the village elders.

* TheCorrupter: Shikako has noted that Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Itachi all took turns for the worse in different ways after their entry into Root.
* TheDreaded: Among people who know much of anything about him. Shikako is secretly an example UpToEleven because she knows so much that she is all-but ''paralyzed by terror'' when confronted with his presence.
* GeometricMagic: Danzo may or may not have designed it himself, but when Shikako looks briefly at Sai's silencing seal she identifies it as being very complicated and possibly using multiple concepts expressed and overlapping at once.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** By assigning Sai to spy on Naruto and Shikako, he gives her an opportunity to the boy into a ReverseMole.
** By forcing Shikako, Shikamaru, and Naruto to immediately report and arranging for Tsunade to not be present despite her prior orders and the usual code of conduct for returning ninja with injuries, when Shikako [[spoiler:collapses and almost dies from her wounds]] during the debrief Tsunade has the right to charge the elder council with negligence in their duties and sharply curtail their influence.
** [[spoiler:When he reports to Tsunade that Shikako disappeared from hospital and blames Kumo for this. Since Shikako just finished her own report, Tsunade knows it's not true and goes to investigate everything personally.]]
* StrawMisogynist: Downplayed, but in Sunshine Sidestories he tells Sai that kunoichi always have soft hearts and rarely make good ninja. He also refers to Tsunade as "that woman".
* ThrowTheDogABone: Subverted. Danzo praises Sai for making bonds with Naruto and Shikako, which is a rare and fleeting event. However, Sai mentally adds that praise is often the only reward offered for a mission completed beyond expectations, and wishes he hadn't been praised at all.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Even once Jiraiya has shown Tsunade evidence that Root is active despite being disbanded and may be committing further treason, her reaction is to think it unlikely that Danzo was responsible. Justified, because Danzo is a respected war hero and trusted comrade of the Third Hokage.
--> '''Tsunade:''' I never liked him, but ... treason? That's not Danzo. Always, his focus has been on making Konoha stronger. ''[mentally]'' 'It might not be Danzo though, just the continuation of his secret Black Ops group.'
** If this seems like an IdiotBall from Tsunade, there's FridgeHorror in the thought that Danzo might have already used his [[NightmareFuel undetectable mind-control genjutsu]] on her.

[[folder: Genma Shiranui]]
* BornUnlucky: Wonders if he's this because of how often he has to patrol with [[WeirdnessMagnet Sasuke]] and all the stuff that happens then. The truth is that at least one of his special jonin friends has been rigging the straw drawing that decides who watches Sasuke.
* StatingTheObvious: Points out that everyone knows who Hayate is dating and that she's an Anbu captain.
* WeirdnessMagnet: Hates working with Sasuke because he is this. In Sunshine Sidestories he claims some of their patrols' happenings have given him nightmares.
[[//folder]]

[[folder: Iruka Umino]]
An instructor in the Academy and a big brother figure to Naruto.

* FriendToAllChildren: Why he is a great teacher.
* JackOfAllTrades: Iruka is competent at most ninja skills, as befits someone in charge of teaching them all, but specializes in nothing particular and is competent but no better.
* [[SheIsAllGrownUp He Is All Grown Up]]: Non-romantic example with Naruto, when he and Tsubaki are tracking Mizuki, Fujin, and Raijin, only to find that Team 7 (Naruto is a recent chunin) have already apprehended them.
* KickedUpstairs: Averted. Tsunade assures him that he will still continue teaching in the Academy, [[spoiler:despite his promotion]].
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to special jonin for his contributions to Shikako and Sasuke's jonin project]].

[[folder: Inoichi Yamanaka]]
The father of Ino.

* AdultFear: His daughter has a very dangerous job [[spoiler:and once comes back from a mission permamently psychically maimed]].
* HiddenDepths: This slightly goofy pretty-boy is not only a doting father, but a trained psychologist, deadly jonin Clan Head, and semi-retired Head of Intelligence, meaning he used to be in charge or the Torture and Interrogation division. Even being his daughter's closest friend, Shikako still feels uncomfortable if she thinks he's paying her too much attention.
* HonorBeforeReason: A rare positive example. With the discovery that Orochimaru's Curse Seals can be a SoulJar [[spoiler: and his own daughter's mental maiming by one,]] he has every legal and personal reason to MindRape Anko and find out everything he can as quickly as possible, even at risk to hurt her. Instead he tells her the situation, makes clear that she is his trusted comrade, and states that he wants to mind walk her to protect her as well, and would prefer her to agree instead of him having to get a warrant, and asks her to trust him. She does.
* MindRape: With his family ninjutsu.
* OffScreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's one of the poeple who capture Hidan]].
* TenMinuteRetirement: Double-subverted. Inoichi is supposed to have permanently retired as the Head of Intelligence at some point in the past and, according to Anko in Sunshine Sidestories, says as much to people when they occasionally ask him to work a shift or look at a case. But then he will be talked into doing it all the same, because he is a patriot and the work is important.

[[folder: Aoba Yamashiro]]
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: He did none of Shikako's paperwork while she was gone in revenge for siccing Gai on them, but she didn't care.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Is ritually sacrificed to Jashin in an effort to summon the kami]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:He was the penultimate sacrifice of the Cult of Jashin]].
* {{Troll}}: Tries to do this and just leaves himself open to Shikako's more devious trolling.
* UnfazedEveryman: Thought he could be this, but Team Seven's luck was just too much. Now he's beginning to become jaded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kurenai Yuuhi]]
The jonin instructor of Team 8.
----
* EasilyForgiven: It is uncertain how Yakumo feels about what Kurenai did, though they have both been present at the kunoichi study group without any fights breaking out.
* MasterOfIllusion: One of Konoha's greatest.
* MyGreatestFailure: Yakumo is hers, as she helped make the call to seal Yakumo's memories and abilities.
* OfficialCouple: With Asuma.

[[folder: Ami]]
A classmate of Shikako and the others in the academy.
----
* AlphaBitch: In so far as a pre-teen can be one.
* TheBusCameBack: Briefly in Chapter 81. Ami is in the Genin Corps running a small messenger bird post and reports to Shikako, Naruto, and Sai about the rumors near Kubisaki Pass.
* GreenEyedMonster: She hides it well, but Shikako notices that it is not pleasant for Ami to have failed the second genin test and then find out that Naruto has passed.
* JerkWithAheartOfGold: Sort of... Ami is a jerk and we don't see her being nice, but she is responsible and dutiful, polite to people she doesn't like when they show up in her mother's shop, and won't let being mean get in the way of doing what she is supposed to do.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Subverted. Shikako realizes that despite how it looks, Ami's post is actually rather prestigious for a twelve-year-old Genin Corps member with only a few months of service under her belt. Being distant also means she is trusted alone and unsupervised, meaning the village acknowledges her as appropriately skilled and responsible.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Averted. After the graduation exam we never hear of her. In canon we kept never hearing her, while in Dreaming of Sunshine Shikako runs across her at a Genin Corps posting.

[[folder: Jiraiya]]
One of the Sannin and the Toad Sage.

* AdultFear: All of his students died in variously unfortunate circumstances.
* BeastMaster: Toad summons, per canon.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Has an introductory poem and dance to proclaim himself a Super Pervert. Has been an S-class ninja longer than most serving ninja have been alive. Yeah.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Purposefully played up. Shikako notes that he is too loud and leering to be entirely serious in his perversions, despite there having to also be some truth to the rumors.
* TheDragon: When he's in the village he is this for Tsunade. Jiraiya is the one is charge of finding who let the surviving Sound 4 out of prison, etc.
* TheDreaded: UpToEleven. His mere arrival scared off [[BloodKnight Kisame]] and [[BrokenAce Itachi]]. He leaks a little not-quite-murderous intent at Shikako when she annoys him as a reminder that his body count is higher than the number of days she's lived through.
* FlashStep: In a [[WordOfGod Silver Queen approved]] [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9405615/2/Sunshine-and-Stormclouds one-shot]], after Shikako is hit by Tsukiyomi, Jiraiya hears her screams and is immediately on the scene. Then he grabs the kids and dumps one-third of his chakra into a body flicker that gets them all back to Konoha, which was several days' walk away.
* GeometricMagic: Potentially the greatest at it in the world. Jiraiya is the pre-eminent seal master, bar none, and Shikako has realized that he doesn't favor using Konoha's standard sealing style, but that it became Konoha's standard because he used it.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: A non-romantic example. Jiraiya swore to never take on any more students, and is only teaching Naruto due to his responsibilities, but Shikako's sealing notes and projects show so much raw potential that he begins feeding her tidbits of lore and advice despite his past losses.
* MyGreatestFailure: Thus far he believes himself to have outlived every one of his many students and swore to not take on anymore.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Sees teaching Naruto as this. [[spoiler: He may act as TheMentor to Shikako because of this as well.]]
* SummonMagic: With toads, as the Toad Sage. In Dreaming of Sunshine we see several toads that weren't used in canon, such as for prisoner transport or body-guarding.

[[folder: Moegi]]
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Played with. Moegi is loud, aggressive when offended, and close friends with two rowdy boys her age. She also boasts about growing up to be Konoha's sexiest kunoichi and is concerned with things like pretty clothes and nails. She also ardently looks up to [[LadyOfWar Temari]].
* ValuesDissonance: Two-fold regarding Moegi's background as the daughter of merchants. First, as a child of civilian parents, there are things about ninja life that she doesn't automatically know. Second, while her parents' status as prosperous merchants would be a social boost in civilian schools, in the Academy it gets her mocked with taunts of having bought her way through her classes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sai]]
A member of Root who occasionally spies on Shikako on Danzo's orders.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Smuggles Shikako out of hospital and to the Hokage before Danzo can kidnap her following the Hot Springs Arc.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Originally Sai is exactly as serious, emotionally repressed, and mentally inflexible as one would expect. After a few missions of exposure to [[MessianicArchetype Naruto]] and [[TheHeart Shikako]] he informs them of his secondary set of orders and shows them his seal. [[spoiler:In the Land of Moon]] he subverts Shikako's direct orders out of concern for her well-being and then implicitly promises to keep her secrets out of his report to Danzo.
* DoWellButNotPerfect: Averted and Lampshaded. Shikako notices his shinobi ID looks brand new despite supposedly being several years old, hinting it's a fake.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Originally a Shippuden character, Naruto and Shikako go on several missions with him prior to Naruto's training journey.
* LiteralGenie: Becomes this when Naruto and Shikako have gotten through to him a bit. He follows Danzo’s orders--and the mission leader’s--to the letter. For example, Danzo told him to report everything he saw with his own eyes, and Shikako (while in command) told him to remain behind while she attacked an enemy. So, therefore, he sends an [[MesACrowd Ink Clone]] to watch Shikako during her one-ninja assault (just in case), and later neglects to report it to Danzo (he didn't personally see it).
* TheMole: Danzo has him assigned to Naruto's team for several missions to spy on Naruto.
** ReverseMole: Shikako is in the process of turning his loyalties more toward herself and her friends.
* RealMenWearPink: Besides his canon love of painting, he has tentatively begun transcribing Shikako's retelling of Manga/SailorMoon into manga format. Shikako finds the idea of forcing Danzo to read about school-girl soldiers of Love and Justice when he reviews Sai's records hilarious.

[[folder: Shiho]]
* ActionGirl: Defied. Despite being a kunoichi, Shiho considers herself very much a desk-worker, does not ever expect to enter the field, does not want to, and wishes she could skip her 4 hours of Operational Readiness each week.
* {{Adorkable}}: A gentle girl obsessed with codes and cyphers? Totally this.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Treats her required four hours of physical work-out time each week as this, although [[IJustWantToHaveFriends not training alone makes it more enjoyable]].
* DitzyGenius: Very high IQ and coding/deciphering skills, but rather empty-headed about many other things.
* FriendlessBackground: Recruited directly out of the Academy according to canon, and she doesn't know much of anyone other then her co-workers, especially not of her age group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tenzou]]
A member of the ANBU and a friend of Kakashi.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Shikako meets Tenzou about two years early when Kakashi recruits him to help with her sensory training.
* EasilyForgiven: Double Subverted. Kakashi was furious at the perceived betrayal of Tenzou getting him kicked out of the Black Ops, but Kakashi's life has since turned around enough to have almost entirely forgiven Tenzou.
* [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim Get Him Fired To Save Him]]: Tenzou got Kakashi invalidated out of ANBU for his own good, and Kakashi was bitterly angry.
* GreenThumb: Per canon, with his mokuton.
* OutsideContextProblem: Kakashi has Tenzou unknowingly invoke this on Shikako. She's training her senses and reflexes by trying to sense Kakashi sneaking up on her, and after he's almost finished with the lesson Kakashi predicts that she's gotten into the bad habit of only scanning for his chakra and has Tenzou sneak up on her instead.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In his introductory chapter in Dreaming, Shikako's dialogue and narration spells his name Tenzo, but in his point-of-view chapter in Sunshine Sidestories he spells his name Tenzou.
* StealthHiBye: Shikako meets Tenzou when he sneaks up on her unnoticed in broad daylight in the middle of a room full of other ninja.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: Apparently is rather skilled chakra sensor, [[spoiler:even being able to sense natural energy]].
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a low-key one to Kakashi [[spoiler:for not telling him that his Sharingan chakra exhaution was cured]].

!!Hidden Mist
[[folder: Zabuza Momochi]]
A member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. [[spoiler:He later becomes the husband of the Fifth Mizukage.]]

* AdaptationalHeroism: He’s part of Mei Terumi’s rebellion, due to sharing her dislike of Yagura’s laws.
* BodyguardingABadass: He briefly shows up as Mei’s bodyguard in the Grass Chunin Exams arc. Since she’s a kage, it’s a given that she doesn’t really need a bodyguard--Zabuza is actually there for the same reason Kakashi is, to show off his village’s strength.
* HiddenDepths: Apparently is a very good, if unconventional, teacher since he redesigned Kiri Academy's curriculum.
* MasterSwordsman: As expected of a member of Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Mei at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He and Haku survive the Wave arc, and appear as part of the new Hidden Mist.

[[folder: Haku]]
Zabuza's subordinate and student.

* TheAce: He's one of the best ninja of his generation.
* AlmightyJanitor: Technically a genin as of the Grass Chunin Exams, since he held no official rank before that. Mei could probably have brought him into the village at a higher rank, but she wanted to make a good impression at the Exams, so she took advantage of the loophole.
* ApologeticAttacker: He apologizes to Hinata before their fight, which seems a bit odd [[spoiler:until you realize that he’s actually apologizing for the insult of assuming he’ll win both their match and the next and using them to prepare to fight Gaara]].
** It's also a psychological ploy, taking the wind out of Hinata's sails with the whole "kindred spirit" schtick before they even start fighting.
* CombatPragmatist: During the Grass Chunin Exams, he demonstrates strategic thinking by creating extra ice during his battles and maintaining it until his final match.
* MakingASplash: Implied, since he's from Kiri [[spoiler:and a host to a water-aligned bijuu]].
* MundaneUtility: Generating ice is pretty useful when your friend has a fever.
* NiceGuy: He’s consistently kind and polite. The one time he’s discourteous to an opponent, he apologizes in advance.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: His match against Gaara is the final one of the Grass Chunin Exams, and according to Shikako it’s epic. Unfortunately, she’s sick, disillusioned, and not in the mood to give a recap--so we don’t get one.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams, then to jonin sometime before Kiri Exams]].
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: [[spoiler:Becomes host of Isobu the Three-Tails following the Kiri Exams]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: He survives the Wave Country arc, appearing later on as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Grass Chunin Exams.
* TechnicalPacifist: He’s a talented shinobi who genuinely does not want to hurt anyone.

[[folder: Chojuro]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: He appears immediately after Naruto leaves the village, as a member of the team Hidden Mist sends to the Chunin Exams of Hidden Grass.
* ShrinkingViolet: He has no actual lines during the Grass Chunin Exams arc, because he’s apparently too shy to speak to the friendly Konoha group.

[[folder: Yoro and Shiku]]
* CheerfulChild: While they have few lines, they come across as friendly and happy, and Shikako estimates them to be eight to nine years old.
* IdenticalTwinIDTag: They’re identical except for having different numbers on their kimono--46 for Yoro and 49 for Shiku.
* MoralityPet: Their older teammates look out for them due to their extreme youth and relative vulnerability; while Haku and Chojuro don’t especially need Morality Pets, they’re trying to shake their village’s ugly reputation. Even the Konoha shinobi present at the exams get in on the act, letting them inside their defensive formation after [[spoiler: the kidnapping attempt on Shikako]].
* PunnyName: Their names combined form the formal greeting ''yoroshiku''. This carries over to their attacks, which are all taijutsu combinations named after Japanese number puns.
* RealityEnsues: They're eight or nine year old gennin taking the Chunin Exams. They’re talented for their age but not at all ready to become chunin, [[spoiler: and they're no match for Neji and Rock Lee in their matches.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Appear again during Kiri Exams. Apparently this time they made much better showing.

[[folder: Mei Terumi]]
The leader of the Mist Rebellion, and after its success, the Fifth Mizukage.
----
* EasilyForgiven: Enforced. Her policy is to offer amnesty to anyone showing regret for their actions when under Yagura's orders.
* ExactWords: She promised amnesty to ''anyone'', [[spoiler:which can include a bijuu]].
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Marries Zabuza at the end of Kiri Exams]].
* PolitenessJudo: Perfectly capable of using this when necessary.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Definitely the face she presents, and how the Mist gennin view her. She wants her village to leave the era of the "Bloody Mist" behind and seems interested in allying with Konoha.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Perfectly capable of adjusting her plans on the fly to take into account unexpected development, [[spoiler:such as inviting a bijuu to her wedding when one suddenly appears near Kiri]].
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Sand
[[folder: Gaara of the Desert]]
The youngest of the Sand Siblings and the jinchuriki of the One Tailed. He later becomes the Kazekage.

* CharacterDevelopment: Just compare his appearance in the Hidden Grass exams to the way he acted back in Konoha.
* AChildShallLeadThem: He is twelve years old when he becomes Kazekage, though Suna tries not to advertise it.
* OddFriendship: Even he has no idea how he actually ended up being friends with Shikako, but he ultimately doesn't care and just appreciates that they are such good friends.
* RankUp: He's promoted to chunin before being made Kazekage. While he probably could have skipped the intermediate rank, the Chunin Exams were an invaluable opportunity to show off both his strength and his CharacterDevelopment.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
* VictoryByEndurance: How he wins his match against [[spoiler: Shikako]] during the Chunin Exams in Hidden Grass. She’s able to pierce his defenses but never able to injure or incapacitate him, so in the end he wins simply because she’s exhausted and he isn’t.
* WorfEffect: Can't do much against [[spoiler:Isobu]] since there isn't much sand around for him to control.
* YouAreNotAlone: Naruto to Gaara (both jinchuriki). He also returns the favor to Shikako, although he may not realize how big a deal it is to her that she's no longer the only one [[spoiler:actively planning for a confrontation with Akatsuki]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Temari]]
The eldest child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* ActionGirl: Although she stands out a bit less than in canon, because the rest of the female cast has caught up to her.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Was willing to do ''anything'' to keep her brothers safe.
* BlowYouAway: She demonstrates in the Grass Chunin Exams that she has learned some impressive wind jutsu.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin after the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kankurou]]
The second child of the Sand Siblings.
----
* AdaptationExpansion: He's probably the Sand Sibling that Shikako spends the most time with, and he gets more characterization than in the manga.
* GracefulLoser: Losing a CurbStompBattle to [[spoiler:Hinata]] can't have been pleasant, but he goes out of his way to make sure that her injuries in the fight weren't serious, and that the medics have the antidote for the gas he used against her.
* HiddenDepths: He's a huge fan of puppet theater.
* TheNicknamer: Is probably the only one to call Shikako the nickname 'Sparky'.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:He's promoted to chunin, despite not making a very impressive showing in the Grass Exams]].
* SupernaturalSensitivity: [[spoiler:Knows that ''something'' is wrong when Shikako is fighting Jashin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Chiyo]]
An elder of Hidden Sand and a master of the puppet technique.
----
* TheMentor: She's tutoring Kankurou in advanced ninja puppetry.
* NeverMessWithGranny: Gaara notes that despite her advanced age, Chiyo "is to be feared still".
* UnexpectedSuccessor: She becomes the interim Kazekage despite having no plans to do so.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Averted. She hates Sakumo for killing her son and daughter-in-law but has nothing against Kakashi.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Inverted. She comes back to active duty only long enough for Gaara to cement his position as the next Kazekage.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Rain
[[folder: Aoi Rokusho]]
A missing nin from Hidden Leaf who joined Hidden Rain.
----
* BoisterousWeakling: He talked a big game but couldn't deliver in actual combat.
* LaserSword: He stole the Sword of the Thunder God, which is probably how he was let in Hidden Rain. [[spoiler:He loses it to Shikako.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Team Oboro]]
A genin team consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari.
----
* CripplingOverspecialization: They're only really viable in ambushes. When they fail to surprise their enemies, or are forced into a frontal assault, they go down really quickly.
* CurbStompBattle: Their first fight with Team 7 ends up this way.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Cloud
[[folder: Netsui Sato]]
A genin that fights Shikako in the Grass Chunin Exam.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Female example. She’s overly confidant in her own abilities and contemptuous of her opponent.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Based the first two stages of the Exams, she accuses Shikako of hiding behind the men. This is spectacularly off base, which is lampshaded when Shikako repeats the accusation to Hinata (confused) and Neji (openly contemptuous).
* PublicDomainCharacter: Not Netsui herself, but her family history is based on the story of the UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
* RankUp: Defied. She was practically guaranteed a promotion in Exams... and then Shikako happened.
* SoreLoser: She storms off the field after surrendering to Shikako.
* WhatAnIdiot: She completely fails to do any research on Shikako’s abilities before their match. As a result, she underestimates Shikako and gets curbstomped.
[[/folder]]

!!Hidden Grass
[[folder: Muku Kantokusha]]
One of the strongest genin of Hidden Grass during the Grass Chunin Exams.
----

!!Team Seven

* TheBeastMaster: All 4 of them have a summoning contract: Kakashi has dogs, Naruto toads, Sasuke hawks and Shikako deer.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: Team 7 has been involved with arguably 6 separate regime changes at this point: [[spoiler:Prevented leadership overthrow in the Lands of Birds and Moon, helped it in Water and Snow, and as for Leaf and Sand, helping to find Tsunade, and helped Gaara put on a show for an international crowd and [[HeelFaceTurn reform him as canon]].]]
* TheDreaded: To [[AscendedFanon the Mission Desk Ninja]].
** Gets to the point where any member of Team 7 who touches ''anything'' in their office has "cursed" that particular mission... if not all of them.
* IronicNickname: Team 7 as Lucky Sevens, as coined by Tsunade.
--> '''Tsunade:''' ''[groan]'' You three are like Lucky Sevens. When you turn up, I just know things are about to go to hell.
* MakingASplash: The whole team knows Hiding in the Mist jutsu from Haku.
* ShockAndAwe: The whole team learned Radiating Shockwave and Striking Bolt from Kakashi in the Wave Arc.
* TrueCompanions: Moreso than in canon, as Shikako wants to bring the whole team closer together, and already knows how to do so.
* WeirdnessMagnet: C-rank level missions routinely end up A-rank or worse, S-Rank. This is what forms the backbone of Shikako's "ridiculous mission scores."

[[folder: Shikako Nara]]
The main character and an SI.

* TheAce: Played with, she is easily one of the most dangerous people in her generation, rivaling Gaara, Naruto and Sasuke, but she's perceived as being much more dangerous then she is by some groups because everyone remembers the last seal master Konoha produced. At the same time she also [[HeroicSelfDeprecation vastly underestimates herself]].
** BrokenAce: It becomes increasingly clear later chapters that the constant stress, conflict, and her decisions are affecting her heavily, with clear signs of PTSD.
* AlmightyJanitor: To a certain extent. For a Genin, Shikako is rather well-regarded by the upper echelons of Konoha's ranks for her intelligence and deductive ability, such that she almost received a promotion to chunin after [[spoiler:Tsunade's instatement]] thanks to her war efforts in the Sand-Sound Invasion and also her observations during the Finals.
** Justified because she has a previous lifetime of knowledge about the world in which she now lives coupled with the naturally-gifted mind of a Nara, which makes her more mature, grounded and experienced. It's even later lampshaded [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7898335/15/Sunshine-Sidestories by the Raikage]] in the Grass Chunin Exams.
* BadassBookworm: Shikako likes to read books, especially books that can help her get stronger.
* BlessedWithSuck: She's so sensitive to chakra she can sense seals, natural energy, [[spoiler:life energy and track people through days-old jutsu remains]]. It also caused her significant breathing problems in childhood, prevented her from subconciously using chakra enhancement [[spoiler:and might be causing her constant pain that she can no longer even notice]].
* BodyguardingABadass: [[spoiler:Is Tsunade's bodyguard during Kiri Chunin Exams. Subverted, because everyone knows that it is Tsunade protecting her.]]
* BraidsOfAction: She wears her hair in a single long braid to keep it out of the way, and she is among the most physically oriented of the Konoha kunoichi. [[spoiler:Her braid also doubled as an ImprovisedWeapon once, when she uses it to choke an opponent into unconsciousness.]]
* BrandishmentBluff: She will occasionally call out an attack that does not exist or use an extremely misleading name. For example, “Nara Art: The Shadow Devours” isn’t a shadow jutsu but merely a genjutsu. “Lightning Style: Super Beam Cannon” is used while holding [[spoiler:the Sword of the Thunder God]], but doesn’t exist at all.
* BroughtDownToBadass: When [[spoiler:Muku seals her chakra during their match]], she manages to defeat him without using her chakra at all.
* CastFromHitPoints: Shikako does this on three different occasions to date. In one case, the "hit point" part is only fully explained in [[AllThereInTheManual sidestories]].
** Chapter 72 has this medical discussion (related to the Gelel arc):
---> '''A random medic:''' I was on shift then and she just walked right in. They didn't think she was seriously hurt until they went to take a reading and the chakra sensor started spitting out single digit readings.
** Chapter 16 of sidestories, related to Chapter 98:
---> '''Kakashi:''' I don't think she knows how bad it was, but she had nothing left. She [[spoiler:rescued herself]], and then she had nothing left...
** And now in Chapter 134, [[spoiler:after using a seal powerful enough to blow half of the country]]:
---> '''Tsunade:''' Using [[spoiler:life energy]] shortens your life.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Shikako's the moral compass on her Team and ''will'' try to help people if she can. She's the reason Naruto has more friends from a younger age, and she's helped Sasuke open up to others as well. It frequently gets her in trouble, since she occasionally acts without thinking.
* CombatPragmatist: Shikako. She prefers to ambush her opponents or take them out with traps whenever possible. Also see the entry for MurderIsTheBestSolution.
* CurbStompBattle: Both on the giving (Netsui, [[spoiler:unknown ANBU]]) and receiving end (Itachi, Orochimaru).
* DeadpanSnarker: Mostly in her narration. Occasionally out loud.
* DemolitionsExpert: First learned how to seal by starting with explosive tags. By the finals of Konoha Chunin Exams, she's got the explosive seals down to a touch. She's of the opinion that if explosives can't solve your problems, you're not using enough of them.
** She eventually becomes a sabotage specialist [[spoiler:in ANBU]].
* DisproportionateRetribution: Shikako basically masterminds a revolutionary upgrade of the Logistics department via her seals (with help of Tenten) that leaves the department in chaos. Why? [[spoiler:Somebody in Logistics called Shikamaru an idiot.]]
* ElementalShapeshifter: Shikako can now [[spoiler:change into shadow, via her Gelel stone]].
* EmbarrassingNickname: "Shikabane-hime" which starts out as a bad joke and becomes her actual designation in Bingo books. It translates to [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Corpse Princess]].
** Also "Sparky" from Kankurō.
* EmotionlessGirl: She has an accident while practicing the Nara clan techniques that leaves her completely detached from everything, to the point where she can't even bring herself to care that it isn't her normal state of mind. She recovers after a few days though.
* FishOutOfWater: As noted in Chapter 63, Shikako still feels like an outsider due to having previously grown up in a society indoctrinated by different values, particularly regarding the value of life.
* GenreSavvy: In Chapter 114, Shikako makes sure her team is ready to spring into action, not because of her future knowledge (it's a filler) but because "if something's going to happen, this is the last chance".
* {{Hammerspace}}: One of the first applications for seals that Shikako makes use of. Interestingly, she uses them on her own body frequently; sealing important, useful, or valuable items directly to her person.
* TheHeart: Shikako is the emotional center of Team Seven, and the one in the beginning to call for peace when Sasuke and Naruto sniped at each other.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Shikako has a case of this. For example, when Jiraiya asks her if she had compiled her notes on fuinjutsu in the few months since becoming a genin, she assumed he was criticizing her, when it's fairly clear he was impressed.
* IllGirl: Used to be this in her childhood, to the point her parents wanted to send her to civilian school.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: During the Gelel arc, and her first "death".
* ItGetsEasier: Her first kills disturbed her. After working through the filler arc villains, she is disturbing other ''ninja''.
* JackOfAllTrades[=/=]JackOfAllStats: Unlike most ninja, Shikako has a wide range of abilities instead of specializing in a single area, which gives her considerable tactical flexibility.
** AwesomenessByAnalysis: Not to the same degree as Shikamaru, but she's pretty good at figuring out her enemies weaknesses and coming up with plans to exploit them.
** TheBeastMaster: Acquires the Deer summoning contract.
** CastingAShadow: Her Nara clan techniques.
** DishingOutDirt: Her element is earth, which she mostly uses to create defensive walls or tunnel underground.
** ElementalShapeshifter: [[spoiler:She gains the ability to turn into shadows via her Gelel stone.]]
** GeometricMagic: Shikako makes frequent use of fuinjutsu.
*** HavingABlast: So far the most common use for her fuinjutsu skills has been to create [[ThrowDownTheBomblet explosive seals]]. Though she has developed multiple kinds- [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 'Flashbang']], [[HavingABlast 'Touch Blast']], and [[StuffBlowingUp 'Explode!']] (aka:'Art Is An Explosion!' lite).
*** InstantRunes: She learns how to apply seals through touch alone.
** HealingHands: She also knows how to use basic medical ninjutsu and Tsunade tells her to get further training.
** MasterOfIllusion: She's decent at genjutsu, too.
** ScarilyCompetentTracker: Her chakra sensitivity allows her to track people over large distances, [[spoiler:including following jutsu leftovers]].
** ShockAndAwe: Knows a number of lightning techniques that she often augments with [[spoiler:The Sword of the Thunder God]].
** SuperReflexes: Not emphasized much, but clearly present. During the Land of Moon Arc she senses something, turns around while drawing a kunai, realises a kid fired a toy arrow at her, puts away the kunai ''and'' snatches the arrow out of air. All in span of about two seconds.
** SupernaturalSensitivity[=/=]TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Shikako can sense chakra, which helps detect ambushes, spot imposters, and gauge how strong her opponents are. [[spoiler:There is also some hints that this sensitivity causes her great pain, and that she is so used to it that she doesn't even realize she is in pain anymore.]]
* KleptomaniacHero: Shikako has a worrying habit of looting anything and everything that might be of use to her down the line. [[GenreSavvy This stems from knowing just how far she might need to go to survive to the end of the story.]]
** Her trophies include [[spoiler:the Sword of the Thunder God, the Book of Gelel and a Hiraishin Kunai]].
* LiteralSplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Following an accident with jutsu on a mission, she can split part of her conciousness, put it into her shadow, and have it act independently. Problem is she cannot access the memories and abilities in that part of herself, and it may have unknown long-term effects on her psyche.]]
* MeaningfulName: Combined with PunnyName, sort of: Shikako could be written as 死歌稿, giving symbolic references to both Death and Writing (UndeadAuthor), while also referencing her most lethal techniques, which are written symbols that kill people.
* MundaneUtility: Uses [[{{Hammerspace}} the Infinite Pocket Seal]] Tenten invents for fiction books, her research notes and disposable coffee cups, and inks seals in her mouth to hold water and protein shakes.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: [[spoiler:Shikako kills the genin team from Sound because it was the least risky option available to her. This is a source of some guilt afterwards.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Her reaction following [[spoiler:the Hot Springs Arc, since her actions destroyed a country and kickstarted an open war]]. This is despite knowing she had no other options.
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: Shikako has clinically died for various reasons ''at least'' three times.
* OdangoHair: Styles her hair in this manner [[spoiler:in her ANBU mask]].
* OriginalCharacter[=/=]SelfInsert: While she started as an [=SI of SilverQueen=], WordOfGod is that Shikako changed so much she can be considered her own person.
* PastLifeMemories: She remembers her past life, including the fiction she read and watched--which conveniently includes knowledge of her current life's potential future.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Some of her seals are capable of remaking battlefields, faking earthquakes, leveling mountains, [[spoiler:and completely destroying small nations]]. Even Gaara can't keep up with her in terms of pure scale.
* PowerOfTrust: With Gaara. In his own narration of their fight he mentions that even after his turn-around almost everyone still completely freaks if he grabs them with his sand. Shikako trusts him enough to be completely engulfed in it and not be frightened at all. That level of faith means a ''lot'' to Gaara. She uses this with a Bijuu successfully as well.
* RankUp: [[spoiler:Promoted to chunin during Grass Exams, to tokujo less than a week later, and then to full jonin a few months after Kiri Exams (which were a year after Grass)]].
* RedBaron: Shikabane-hime[[note]]Translates to "Corpse Princess"[[/note]]. It starts out as a bit of BlackHumor on Shikako's part, referring to her repeated experience of nearly dying due to chakra exhaustion. Then Ino uses it during the Grass Chunin Exams, and from there it finds its way into other countries' Bingo books.
* TeamMom: She's the "mature one" and source of emotional support for her entire group of friends, not just her team. It ends up taking a toll on her, as she feels like she has to be there for the others even though she's under a lot of stress herself.
* UnreliableNarrator: Both due to not witnessing some events in the background and her HeroicSelfDeprecation.
* WillfullyWeak: [[spoiler:In her ANBU mask, since she needs to hold back on seals and shadow manipulation]].
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Non-romantic example with [[ColdBloodedTorture Ibiki]]. All the other Special Jonin and Intelligence Corps members are confused/horrified at how well [[TheHeart Shikako]] gets along with [[ColdBloodedTorture Ibiki]] when they see her willingly seek him out, share tea with him, banter, and laugh at his jokes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Naruto Uzumaki]]
The jinchuriki of the Nine Tails.