Baki

is a jōnin of Sunagakure and a member of its advisory council.
== Personality ==
Although Baki is described to be loyal, kind and respected, like many Sand ninja, he is ruthless and stern in battle, as they are all trained to put accomplishing missions before comradeship. With his experience in battle, he holds a lot of confidence in his power. He also knows his priorities, as he went to Chiyo and Ebizō for dealing against Sasori, as opposed to having another meeting with the council.
During the Chūnin Exams, he had confidence in the ability of all of his team members, although he commented on Kankurō not taking the battles seriously enough. He also worried frequently about Gaara's mental stability and his control over Shukaku. After Gaara became more mentally stable and the Kazekage, Baki showed absolute respect for Gaara even bowing and referring to him with an honourific even though he was Gaara's former teacher.
== Appearance ==
Baki is a very tall man. He has two distinctive, red markings on the right side of his face (left side as well in the anime),Naruto: Shippūden episode 9 the only visible part of his head, with the rest being covered by his turban-like head gear and by a sheet hanging from it on the left side of his face. He dons the standard attire of a Suna-nin, complete with a forehead protector and flak jacket.
== Abilities ==
Baki is a powerful jōnin of his village, as well as one of its council's highest-ranking members; he's often shown taking charge of military operations, as seen during Deidara's raid on the village at the start of Part II. In Part I, engaging high-ranking Konohagakure shinobi was of no concern for him. He also appears knowledgeable of other village's techniques, as he was also able to recognise one of Konoha's high-level techniques at first sight, as well as how to counter it. In the anime, as a testament to Baki's strength, Kabuto expressed wanting to reincarnate Baki if he had lost his battle against Hayate Gekkō.Naruto: Shippūden episode 307
=== Physical Prowess ===
Baki is shown to be very strong and resilient in battle, being able to easily take a sword strike to his shoulder after the blade went through part of his flak jacket unfazed and stop Hayate from removing his sword with a single hand.Naruto chapter 92, pages 8-9 Also, having used taijutsu as his first strike on Hayate suggests that he has some skill in the art. In the anime, his skill in taijutsu was further elaborated on, being able to fend off Hayate's close-range attacks for a considerable period of time, ultimately forcing Hayate to rely on shadow clones to create an opening, two of which Baki defeated. He could spit out powder to distract his opponent.
=== Ninjutsu ===
==== Nature Transformation ====
Baki can use Wind Release, and seems to be very adept at it, creating an intangible Blade of Wind with a wave of his hand to slash through his opponents with ease; an attack which he claims to be "unblockable". In the anime, Baki was shown able to use this technique in rapid succession.
=== Stats ===
== Part I ==
=== Chūnin Exams ===
Baki was first seen watching the preliminary rounds of the third part of the Chūnin Exam. He didn't talk much except for giving advice to his students and to warn Gaara to be careful whilst killing. He also commented on Rock Lee's power and was worried that Gaara might not win his fight. Baki was seen again after Dosu died trying to kill Gaara before the third part of the Chūnin Exam began so that he could get a better chance of fighting Sasuke. Baki then met Kabuto Yakushi and they discussed the upcoming Suna and Oto's invasion of Konoha.
When they discovered an uninvited Konoha ninja, Hayate Gekkō, listening in the shadows, Baki offered to kill Hayate as a sign of trust between the Suna and Oto. Hayate tried to escape, but Baki caught up with him. Hayate began to fight but, when his Dance of the Crescent Moon was unable to faze Baki, he was struck down by Baki's Blade of Wind. Baki praised Hayate's skill before he died. He later delivered the scroll, which contains Otogakure's plan for the invasion of Konoha, that he received from Kabuto to the Fourth Kazekage. Shortly after this, he informed the Three Sand Siblings of Suna's plan where he stated that it will depend a lot on Gaara's abilities.
=== Konoha Crush ===
He was shown next during the final rounds, which led to the Konoha invasion of the Sand and Sound shinobi. When Gaara lost control, he told his team to take Gaara to safety, noting that his earlier transformation had slightly changed their plans. However, before he could follow them, he was challenged by Genma Shiranui, a battle that was interrupted when the invasion was abandoned.
He was later seen discovering the decomposed bodies of the Fourth Kazekage and his bodyguards, before realising that they had all been tricked by Orochimaru.
=== Sunagakure Support Mission ===
In the anime, Baki recommended requesting assistance from Konoha before giving the mission of pursuing Matsuri's kidnappers to Kankurō, Temari, and Gaara. Temari and Kankurō protested that the kidnappers' goal was Gaara and if the mission was going to be assigned to them, Baki should at least come with them. Baki recalled his conversation with an adviser about the possibility of letting Gaara go, but was denied permission to accompany them; he did not join the siblings and said he was assigned to a different mission.
== Part II ==
=== Kazekage Rescue Mission ===
Baki was seen serving on Suna's advisory council. During the fight between Gaara and Deidara he was quick to order the evacuation of the village, and ordered the remaining shinobi to prepare offensive measures to help their new Kazekage. Later, when Kankurō was injured by Sasori, Baki seemed to be concerned about Kankurō's condition.
When Kankurō managed to say the name of his attacker and one of the people who had kidnapped Gaara ("Sasori of the Red Sand"), Baki immediately tried to inform the squad that had been sent to pursue Akatsuki to retreat, only to find out that they had lost contact after retrieving Kankurō, and were most likely dead. He then decided to persuade the retired elders, Chiyo and Ebizō, who were also Sasori's grandmother and granduncle, respectively, to help, revealing Sasori's membership to do so.
Later, during Team Kakashi's attack against Akatsuki, Baki was shown in a meeting with other council members, some of whom were determined to choose Gaara's successor, rather than try to retrieve him. When Kankurō tried to attack the one who had suggested that, Baki told him to stop, as they were in front of the Kazekage's monuments.
=== Five Kage Summit ===
Baki was seen, along with the rest of the villagers, sending off Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari to the Kage Summit. After Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari have returned to the village after the Five Kage Summit Conference was over, he is seen in a meeting with the Three Sand Siblings along with the other Sand Councillors about what happened at the Summit.
== Blank Period ==
=== Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage ===
During Gaara's first meeting with Hakuto, his wife-to-be, Kankurō is originally assigned to provide security. But Kankurō is abruptly called away at the last minute and replaced by Baki. Both Gaara and Baki find this suspicious and increase the security for the event in case somebody is planning something. The meeting is attacked by several missing-nin, but Gaara and the other Suna-nin are able to fend them off safely.
In the attack's aftermath, Baki recommends that the proceedings continue as scheduled so that other criminals will not be encouraged to try similar attacks in the future. He also shares his belief that the attack was part of some plot to eliminate Gaara, who plays politics behind closed doors, and replace him with Kankurō, who leads from the frontlines and as such is much-loved by the standard infantry. Gaara instructs Baki to look into everything.
Shortly after the meeting ends and Hakuto departs, Baki informs Gaara that she has been kidnapped. Gaara decides to rescue her by himself, but before he leaves he instructs Baki to look into Tōjūrō, one of the Suna Councilors who Gaara believes is behind everything that's happened. This turns out to be true: Baki locates and kills the missing-nin that Tōjūrō hired to assassinate Gaara while Kankurō arrests Tōjūrō.
== In Other Media ==
=== Video Games ===
== Trivia ==
* Despite Baki now officially being an ally to Konohagakure, Hayate's lover, Yūgao Uzuki, swore to avenge Hayate. It is unclear how the two have resolved or will resolve their differences.
* Baki's face as a mask made a cameo appearance in the ending omake of Naruto: Shippūden episode 129 along with Tobi's mask and Haku's mask.
* Baki's name may be contraction of the Japanese way to say .
* According to the databook(s):
** His hobby is taking sand baths.
** His favourite food is freeze-dried tofu, and his least favourite food is horse sashimi.
** He has completed 694 missions: 116 D-rank, 210 C-rank, 251 B-rank, 106 A-rank, 11 S-rank.
** His favourite phrase is .
== References ==
de:Baki
ru:Баки
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he:באקי