Masashi Kishimoto
In September 1999, the serialized version of "Naruto" premiered in "Weekly Shōnen Jump 1999 No. 43" and quickly became a hit. "Naruto" ended on November 10, 2014 after more than 15 years of serialization, with a total of 700 chapters collected in 72 volumes. Sales have exceeded 113 million copies in Japan and over 95 million copies in the US, followed by over 93 million copies worldwide (outside Japan and United States) as of volume 36. Making total sales for the series approximately 301 million copies. Kishimoto was also the winner of "Rookie of the Year" for the series in the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was adapted into two successful anime series, "Naruto" and "Naruto Shippuden". Kishimoto requested that Tetsuya Nishio oversee the character designs of "Naruto" when the manga was adapted into an anime series. The "Naruto" manga series became one of Viz Media's top properties, accounting for nearly 10% of all manga sales in the US in 2006. The seventh volume of Viz's release became the first manga to ever win a Quill Award when it claimed the award for "Best Graphic Novel" in 2006. Responding to "Naruto"'s success, Kishimoto said in "Naruto Collector Winter 2007/2008" that he was "very glad that the American audience has accepted and understood ninja. It shows that the American audience has good taste... because it means they can accept something previously unfamiliar to them." While writing the manga, Kishimoto met Eiichiro Oda, author of "One Piece" who he considered his rival. When "Naruto" ended, Oda left a message in the series' final volume acknowledging him as a rival. According to Kishimoto "That felt so gratifying." Additionally, before the anime adaptation's premiere of "My Hero Academia", he praised Kōhei Horikoshi's work, believing it would be a success overseas. Additionally, Kishimoto referred to Yoshihiro Togashi as one of his favorite artists.
List of Naruto characters
, known as , and his twin brother Hamura are the half-human sons of Kaguya. Having unintentionality inherited fragments of the Shinju's chakra while in their mother's womb, Hagoromo and Hamura ended up fighting Kaguya upon learning the truth of the utopia they were born into. After the brothers defeated Kaguya following her transformation into the Ten-Tails, Hagoromo extracted her chakra and sealed the Gedo Statue in what became the moon where Hamura and his descendants reside. Using the chakra to establish a practice known as ninshu, which eventually evolved into ninjutsu to his dismay, Hagoromo started a family while considering an heir to his legacy between his sons, Asura and Indra. While Indra was naturally gifted and self-reliant, Hagoromo ultimately decided on Asura due to his ability to befriend others and peaceful ideologies. This would cause a rift between the brothers, Hagoromo unaware of Black Zetsu's role in turning Indra against his family. Hagoromo later uses the last of his strength to create the Tailed Beasts before passing away. Despite his death, Hagoromo's spirit observed Asura and Indra throughout their reincarnations, including Hashirama and Madara, before his sons' current incarnations as Naruto and Sasuke. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, realizing Madara's intentions, Hagoromo intervenes to give Naruto and Sasuke the power to defeat Kaguya and later bringing Team 7 back from Kaguya's dimension with the deceased Kage. Hagoromo eventually departs as Naruto and Sasuke proceed in their final duel. Hagoromo is voiced by Mitsutaka Tachikawa in Japanese and Michael McConnohie in the English dub.