Sasuke Uchiha (うちはサスケ, Uchiha Sasuke) is a main character in the anime and manga series Naruto.
Sasuke's given name comes from the legendary ninja Sarutobi Sasuke. His surname, Uchiha, is another way of pronouncing "uchiwa", or a paper fan, which is actually the Uchiha clan symbol. Uchiwa cannot be folded. In contrast, Ōgi, which Temari uses as her weapon, can be folded. Although both uchiwa and ōgi produce wind by fanning, the former is used in more practical/everyday situation such as cooking or commoners cooling themselves down during a hot summer day. The latter is considered to be more formal. Uchiwa can be used to fan flames, making the flame hotter — referring to the fact that the Uchiha is a clan of fire-jutsu users.
In Shonen Jump's June 2006 edition, Masashi Kishimoto (in Kakashi's voice) remarks that while Sasuke is a genius, he is a little dull to teach because he learns everything easily compared to the less predictable Naruto.
In Shonen Jump's character popularity polls, Sasuke usually ranked the 3rd or 4th spot for the majority of the series. More recently, however, he has been ranked at 1st.
Team 7
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are forced to cooperate against their will when they become the members of the newly founded Team 7 of academy graduates. Naruto initially has a one-sided rivalry with Sasuke, because Naruto spent his whole life shunned, scorned, and desperately seeking to attain the very same recognition and popularity Sasuke has been getting; this is only made worse by the fact that Naruto has a crush on Sakura who, in turn, has a crush on Sasuke. Sasuke initially looks upon Naruto and Sakura as annoyances that would only hold him back. This attitude is one of the negative factors responsible for Team 7's initial state of borderline non-existent teamwork, which Kakashi Hatake, the team's teacher notes and berates him for. However, Naruto and Sasuke's relationship slowly shifts from an incompatible mix of frustration and dislike into a mutually positive rivalry - while Sasuke appears to always be one step ahead of Naruto, Sasuke sees Naruto as constantly gaining ground each moment, which results in a state where they push and motivate each other to improve. Similarly, Sasuke's relationship with Sakura slowly changes for the better as a friend and teammate, while she slowly comes to understand the troubled person behind the "popular, brooding, pretty boy" image she initially crushed on.
Though Naruto is usually the instigator, Sasuke makes a point out of taunting Naruto on occasion, goading and egging him on. He also disappoints Sakura by ignoring her flirtations and attempts to go out with him. However, a bond between the three forms and Sasuke gradually learns the value of teamwork. As he does, he eventually begins to learn to trust and pushes his thoughts of revenge into the recesses of his mind.
They check out an Akatsuki base that Jugo discovered. Sasuke goes into the base by himself and encounters Itachi. After a short fight, Itachi reveals himself to be a Clone, and tells Sasuke to meet him at an Uchiha Hideout. Sasuke takes "Snake" with him to the meeting place, though he leaves them behind with Kisame Hoshigaki once he reaches his destination.
Sasuke and Itachi meet again, and Sasuke prepares to kill Itachi. Their fight begins using Sharingan Genjutsu. Sasuke appears to have stabbed Itachi, but it was a Genjutsu, with the real Itachi on the throne. Sasuke reflects it and appears to have stabbed Itachi through the chest, and questions Itachi. Itachi reflects it on Sasuke, who dispels it and returns things to reality. Itachi reveals that he had a fellow conspirator, and reveals him to be Madara Uchiha. Itachi then speaks of Madara's history, and tells him the secret of the Mangekyo Sharingan. He told Sasuke that he was his spare, and that he must take his eyes to gain the power Madara once had. Sasuke prepares to finish Itachi
A fight ensues. Sasuke summons scores of shuriken from seals sewn on his wristbands and throws them at Itachi, who knocks them back at Sasuke using Taijutsu. Itachi then creates a Shadow Clone to attack Sasuke, but it is easily destroyed by one of Sasuke's shuriken, energized with the Chidori Current. Itachi then captures Sasuke in Tsukuyomi and appears to have taken his eyes. Sasuke activates his Cursed Seal and dispels the technique. Itachi then falls to the ground, with his eyes being in pain due to the use of Tsukuyomi.
He continues the fight with his brother by throwing shuriken with wires attached to them at Itachi. They are too fast for Itachi to avoid, and he is wrapped in wires and thrown on the ground. Sasuke then uses Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, so Itachi breaks the wires and substitutes himself with a Shadow Clone as a shield. It stops the attack and another Shadow Clone of Itachi jumps towards the roof, so Sasuke leaps up and hits it with a Chidori Current punch, destroying it. The real Itachi performs Great Fireball on Sasuke from on the roof, but Sasuke shields himself with his Cursed Seal wing. Itachi and Sasuke then shoot Great Fireballs at each other, and then he uses Amaterasu, and his eyes begin to bleed. Sasuke shields himself by shedding his skin with Orochimaru's Oral Rebirth Technique, and repairs the damage to his body.
Sasuke then prepares to end the battle with his technique Kirin. With Kirin, Sasuke controls the thunderclouds and almost kills Itachi, but Itachi survives with his technique, Susanoo. Orochimaru then appears to emerge from Sasuke and attacks, but he is easily sealed away by Susanoo's Totsuka Sword, removing Sasuke's Cursed Seal.
Itachi then goes to get Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke is helpless after having his Cursed Seal removed, and is unable to get away. Itachi then attempts to take Sasuke's eyes but stops instead, suddenly falling and dying, and he taps Sasuke on the forehead, which he used to do to him before he wiped out the Uchiha Clan. Sasuke is frozen with surprise as he watches Itachi collapse, for reasons completely unknown to him. Zetsu, who was watching the fight, comments that something was wrong with Itachi because he noticed it was difficult for Itachi to maintain his full power since he started experiencing pain, and then started bleeding whenever he used his Mangekyo Sharingan Eye Techniques. Seeing this as his victory, Sasuke smiled before he too loses consciousness.
Battle with Itachi
He is later rescued by Madara Uchiha and takes him to an unknown location. There, Madara gives Sasuke some first-aid. Madara then claims to know the truth about Itachi as he removes his mask revealing a glimpse of his Sharingan. Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan appears in Sasuke's left eye when this happens. There it is revealed that Itachi tapped Sasuke's forehead in order to transfer his Mangekyo Sharingan techniques to Sasuke, of which Amaterasu was set to activate when it saw Madara's Sharingan. However, the Amaterasu dissapears due to Sasuke being unable to control it. Madara tells Sasuke that Itachi did all of this to protect Sasuke. Madara also reveals that it was he who helped Itachi slaughter the Uchiha Clan. He also urges Sasuke to ask him questions and continue to explain that Itachi's true intentions have always been to protect the Shinobi World, Konoha, and Sasuke.
