Perhaps you have already heard this name, Sarutobi Sasuke [猿飛佐助]. Many believe that he really existed, and many of his deeds recounted in books were real. Others claim that he is nothing more than a fiction based on another ninja from the Meiji Era, named Kozuki Sasuke.
Even with this dilemma, Sarutobi Sasuke is an important character in Japanese folklore. So much so that in many manga, novels, anime, books, games his name is mentioned or his character is portrayed in some way. So, in this article, we will tell you about the feats of this ninja and unravel a little more of his fascinating history.
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The Origin and End of Sasuke
The name "Sarutobi" means "flying monkey", and as most people know, many Japanese names actually describe the qualities or virtues that someone has. Thus, Sarutobi Sasuke was famous for his agility, speed, and acrobatic skills, compared to those of a monkey. He could dodge the fastest warrior, evading and jumping, even escaping sword strikes. Many s depict him as an orphaned boy who was raised by a group of monkeys.
According to legend, Sasuke was born and raised at the foot of a mountain in Shinano [信濃], where the Nagano prefecture is currently located. Since childhood, Sasuke played in the mountains and forests with the monkeys. One day he met a mysterious man named Koga [甲賀]. Koga taught the young boy the secrets of ninjutsu, as well as how to fight with swords.
After years of training, Sasuke ed a clan led by a brave military commander named Sanada Yukimura [真田幸村]. This commander organized the "Sanada-Juyushi [真田十勇士], a group made up of 10 legendary ninjas, and Sasuke was part of it. One of the most famous battles of this group was the summer battle at Osaka castle during the final stage of the Sengoku period in 1615. Even though the final result was not favorable, Sasuke along with his group were an essential element for Sanada Yukimura’s strategy, as they spied and brought valuable information to their master.
This story even tells that, on one of these spying missions in the castle, Sasuke made an exceptional entry and managed to hear the plans his enemies were making. But when he left, the guards caught him. But due to his skills and evasion tactics, he got rid of the guards and easily jumped over the high castle wall.
Some say that after this escape, Sasuke fell into a bear trap. Seeing himself trapped there and afraid of being caught by the castle guards, the ninja cut his legs to get out of the trap. But, that limited him to use his abilities that made him so famous. In this condition, Sasuke committed suicide and did not let himself be caught. Others say that after the final battle at the castle, Sasuke and his companions fled and their fate became unknown.
Real or fiction?
Many claim that Sasuke is indeed a fictional character, created for children's stories published by Tastsukawa-Bunko [立川文庫] between 1911-1923. These stories were very popular among Japanese teenage boys. Such enthusiasm and fame in those days ended up making the name Sasuke synonymous with ninjas.
Even if he is indeed a fictional character, there were people similar to him in history, as we have already mentioned at the beginning of the article. So let's separate a bit of truth and fiction. There was indeed a military commander named Sanada, and it is true that he had his own special group of ninjas. And these made huge achievements in the summer battle at Osaka Castle. But the commander's real name was Sanada Nobushige [真田信繁].
Several ninjas in history resemble the tales of Sarutobi Sasuke. In some documents about ninjas and ninjutsu from the Edo period, a ninja named Shimotsuge Kizaru is listed. In Japanese, "Ki" [木] can be translated as tree and "Saru" [猿] means monkey. It is quite likely that the reason he was named "Kizaru" is that he was quite agile like a monkey. According to reports, Shimotsuge Kizaru could jump from one tree to another without shaking the leaves of the branches. Kizaru's real name was Kozuki Sasuke [上月佐助].
So it can't be known with 100% for sure if Sarutobi Sasuke really existed, or if he was just a character created for children's stories, based on a real person. Regardless of that, the name Sasuke gained great value and importance, both for the ninjas and for Japanese culture.
References to sarutobi sasuke
- As already mentioned, the character appeared in Bunko Tachikawa, a famous children's literature between 1911 and 1925;
- A manga called Sasuke Sarutobi, created by Shigeru Sugiura was published in the 1950s;
- in anime Naruto, we have a character named Sasuke Sarutobi, who is the father of the third Hokage;
- Still in Naruto, we can see several references in the characters Asuma Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi(this one had a unique invocation called Enma the Monkey King, coincidence?) Konohamaru Sarutobi and the most famous Madara;
- In the manga and anime Ninja Nonsense: The Legend of Shinobu – 2×2 = Shinobuden, all male ninja are known as Sasuke;
- One of the bosses in the Nioh game is a ninja called Sasuke Sarutobi;
- Other references are found in the films Sanada 10 Braves (2016), Goemon (2009), The Shogun Assassins (1979) among many others;
- We see our character in mangas and the animes like The Little Ninja and Bravo 10;
