The Naruto franchise devotes a lot of time to shinobi students, but not a lot of time to the teachers that shape them. Kurenai Yūhi is certainly a fascinating character, but she didn’t get a whole lot of stories in the manga. The anime tried to remedy that by filling in her backstory with a secret student and some added fight scenes, but there is still a lot that fans don’t know about Kurenai.
Best known for mentoring Hinata Hyūga and leading Team Eight, Kurenai was a tough but fair sensei who trusted her students to train together even if she wasn’t with them. Over time, it became clear that Kurenai had a deep affection for Asuma Sarutobi, and the two became one of the best couples in the series, though fans lamented Asuma’s loss for robbing them of a chance for more interactions. Some fans remember Kurenai now simply as Asuma’s love interest, but she was an accomplished shinobi who helped raise even more powerful shinobi in the next generation.
How Did Kurenai Meet Asuma?
The manga doesn’t show fans how Kurenai and Asuma first met, but the anime does, thanks to filler episodes that expand the backstory for a lot of the supporting characters.
Kurenai and Asuma met on their first day at the Shinobi Academy as they both prepared to become professional ninjas. When they were nine years old, the two graduated and were placed on a three-man squad together to go on to the Chūnin Exams. Their childhood friendship eventually became romance, but it’s never made clear when the shift occurred.
How Many Naruto Movies Does She Appear In?
The older generation isn’t a particular focus when it comes to the Naruto movies. As a result, they don’t typically feature unless they’re leading Naruto’s team. Kurenai never leads his team in the movies, though she does get a couple of cameo appearances.
In Naruto Shippuden: The Movie, though, she’s simply seen running through the streets with her team. During Naruto The Movie: Blood Prison, her cameo occurs in a flashback of the title character. She’s seen as Naruto remembers all of those who live in his village. Finally, in her third movie appearance, she’s seen with her young daughter Mirai in The Last: Naruto The Movie, seeking safety from meteors.
What Is Her Nature Type?
In the world of Naruto, shinobi have an affinity for specific types of skills. Those “nature types” are things like Earth, Fire, Lightning, Water, or Wind Release. Kurenai is unique in that her nature type isn’t one of those five cardinal elements. Instead, she has Yin Release.
Yin Release is associated with the spirit instead of a particular element. It’s associated with abilities that require unique uses of the mind. The Nara clan uses it to manipulate shadows, and Kurenai uses it to fuel her mastery of illusions in genjutsu.
Did Kurenai Defend Konoha Against The Nine-Tails Attack?
When Naruto Uzumaki was born, the seal his mother Kushina had on herself to keep the Nine-Tailed Fox in check was broken. The fox went on a rampage through Konohagakure. Kurenai was one of the young shinobi who wanted to help.
She wasn’t yet a Jonin-level shinobi as she achieved that level right before the events of the series began. Still a chūnin, she was ready to fight for the village. Kurenai’s father, however, turned her and her peers (Asuma Sarutobi and Might Guy, among others) away from the fight. He wanted them to live another day to help the next generation grow.
What Is Her Blood Type?
Japanese culture has an interesting way of exploring personality types. There is a belief that a person’s blood type has an influence on their personality. That’s why fans of manga, anime, and even J-pop will notice that fact files about characters and celebrities often feature their blood types.
Kurenai has AB Type blood according to the Naruto databooks. Based on Japanese blood type theories, Type AB would indicate creative but rational personalities. Someone with Type AB blood could also be indecisive and critical. All of that seems appropriate for Kurenai. Interestingly, she has the same type as Shikamaru Nara.
How Good Are Her Genjutsu Skills?
Genjutsu is a tricky shinobi skill to master. It involves making your enemy hallucinate. Shinobi who can’t break themselves out of a genjutsu can be trapped, immobile, indefinitely until death. Kurenai is a master at genjutsu. Not only is she able to identify when she’s trapped in a genjutsu in seconds, but she’s a great user of the skill as well.
The anime fleshed out Kurenai’s history by giving the audience a look at her past time as a sensei for a young girl unable to control her own genjutsu abilities. The girl’s power was so great that even Kurenai couldn’t control it and had to seal her powers, though her superiors in Konoha believed Kurenai’s skills rivaled that of Itachi Uchiha, who kept Kakashi trapped in a genjutsu for days. Konoha Shinden: Stream Ninja Scrolls even names her as the best genjutsu user in Konohagakure.
What Abilities Does Kurenai Have That Are Unique To The Anime?
Because Kurenai isn’t a major player in the manga, a lot of what fans know about her is based on her appearances in the anime. With more screen time as Asuma’s love interest and Hinata’s mentor, more of Kurenai’s skills are on display, including a few that only appear in the anime.
Many of them are based around the fact that she can sense chakra. Her abilities all surround that “sensory” aspect. Kurenai can enter a person’s subconscious mind to see what their personality is really like, and she can even bind a person’s power that is specific to their bloodline. We also see her able to disappear into the surface of objects, like trees or walls, in the anime.
What Is Her Star Sign?
Naruto’s world doesn’t typically concern itself with Western astrology, but some fans still like to speculate about how a character’s star sign might influence their personality. Kurenai, born on June 11, is a Gemini.
Gemini is the astrological symbol known as “the twins.” People born under this sign are thought to be more social, easily making friends. They’re creative and intelligent, but also indecisive. Throughout the series, Kurenai is shown to have an appreciation for art and skill, and is friendly with all of her fellow sensei, but is also someone who hangs back to see how things play out before making a decision. Sounds like a Gemini.
What Does Her Name Mean?
Like most of the Naruto characters, Kurenai’s name reveals details about her. In her case, her name has a relationship to her signature color.
While Kurenai translates to “crimson,” her surname Yūhi translates to “evening sun,” which evokes the images of reds and pinks in a sunset. Interestingly, the kanji used to write the name Kurenai can also be translated as another word, “beni,” which references the traditional red makeup used to paint lips in Japan, much like Kurenai’s own red lipstick in the series. When Kurenai uses her genjutsu abilities, she even favors red plants and flower petals.
What Role Did Kurenai Play In Kakashi Becoming Team 7’s Sensei?
Fans don’t see much of Kurenai’s friendship with Kakashi in the franchise. But with Asuma Sarutobi and Might Guy, she does come to Kakashi’s rescue once or twice. She also finds herself the subject of teasing from Kakashi when he catches her with Asuma on a date, though the two deny it. One flashback demonstrates that Kurenai always has Kakashi’s best interests in mind, though.
Prior to becoming the leader of Naruto’s Team Seven, Kakashi was a member of the Anbu, a secret intelligence organization in Konoha. As Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy watched Kakashi become colder towards others and more depressed, they united to convince the Third Hokage to remove him from the organization. The trio encouraged him to make Kakashi a sensei instead, so he could see what the younger generation had to offer, and thaw to having deeper relationships with those around him again.