Jūzō Biwa (枇杷十蔵, Biwa Jūzō) was a jōnin of Kirigakure, a member of the Seven Mist Ninja Swordsmen and former owner of the sword Kubikiribōchō. In the anime, he was a member of Akatsuki, being the partner of Itachi Uchiha. Jūzō died in episode 456 “The Darkness of the Akatsuki” (暁の闇, Akatsuki no Yami) of the Naruto: Shippūden anime, killed during the fight against the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
History
At some point in the past, Jūzō became a member of the Seven Mist Ninja Swordsmen and was the wielder of the sword Kubikiribōchō. Some time later, Jūzō and his companions encountered Guy, Ebisu and Genma in the course of a mission, he was impressed to learn that young ninja from the other villages knew them, claiming that they have become famous.
The swordsmen were ready to kill the genin, but, then, Guy’s father, Might Duy, arrived and after giving a few words to his son, he sacrifices his life and stands up to the seven after liberating the Eighth Inner Gate until his son and companions were safe.
In the anime, it was shown that Jūzō managed to survive this incident along with Fuguki Suikazan and Raiga Kurosuki, deciding to enter Akatsuki, having Itachi as his partner. Over time, Jūzō and Itachi completed different missions and informed his partner about some of the organization’s principles and goals, as well as devising formations. Eventually, the two were assigned an assassination mission in the Water Country, despite Jūzō’s dissent to go.
After completing the mission, Jūzō and Itachi were surrounded by a group of Hunter Ninjas led by the Fourth Mizukage Yagura. The Hunter Ninjas were eventually defeated and in the face of an attack by Itachi, the Mizukage was forced to go into his Version Two, firing a Tailed Beast Ball that Jūzō tried to parry with his Kubikiribōchō, but ended up breaking the sword, leaving one half of it stuck in its wielder, leaving him with a mortal wound. Itachi managed to defeat the Mizukage to the surprise of Jūzō, who told his partner to run, and proceeded to try to reach his sword to whom he considered his true ally, however, he ended up passing away. In respect, Itachi placed the remains of the Kubikiribōchō in Jūzō’s hand. His sword would be retrieved by Kirigakure.
Appearance
Jūzō was a slender man and had a height similar to the length of his sword. He wore a dark sleeveless shirt with two thin stripes, had a sort of cloth belt along with opaque pants and two long gloves that did not cover his fingers and extended to his biceps. He wore bandages covering his neck and face, and like the rest of the swordsmen, he had pointed teeth. Jūzō had no eyebrows, possessed a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek and a mark covering his jaw.
In the anime, during his time in Akatsuki, Jūzō wore the organization’s typical cape and footwear and his Ninja Sash was torn.
Personality
Jūzō was internationally known for his inhuman brutality.
In the anime, he showed himself to be a laid-back person and very loyal to Akatsuki, obeying Pain’s orders without question. When it came to missions, Jūzō opted to create formations in order to have a better synchronization with his partner. On the other hand, he proved to hate his former village to such an extent that he did not want to take any missions in the Water Country. Moreover, he was a lonely person with no one else in his life, so he preferred not to give any last words to Itachi before his death, the only thing he cared about was his precious sword. However, he did show some sort of concern for Itachi, as he told him to run away and save himself before reinforcements arrived.
Abilities
Belonging to the Seven Mist Ninja Swordsmen, Jūzō must have been one of the strongest shinobi in Kirigakure. In the anime, he was able to survive the Eight Gates of Duy Liberation Training, and his skills were good enough to enter Akatsuki.
Ninjutsu
In the anime, Jūzō had a great command of the Water Element, being able to create water clones or fill the field he is in with mist.
Kenjutsu
Like the rest of his companions, Jūzō possessed great skill in the area of Kenjutsu, wielding the Kubikiribōchō with great dexterity to such an extent, that his sword did not even have a notch due to the regeneration granted by the blood of the swordsman’s victims. In addition, Jūzō could lift the sword with only one arm, demonstrating great physical strength.