Tazuna

Age shows on Tazuna in his greying hair, full beard, and glasses set over dark eyes. His first outfit pairs a sleeveless V-neck shirt and an obi with plain trousers and sandals, finished by a towel slung around his neck and the peaked hat typical of the Land of Waves. Years later he keeps the same look, towel and all, a habit his grandson Inari has taken to copying.

Gruff and plainspoken, Tazuna carries a reputation as a hardworking man, and he is fond of drink. To secure protection he could not otherwise afford, he downplayed the danger of his job to Konoha, then leaned on guilt to keep the ninja from walking away. Standing up to Gato terrified most of his neighbors, but Tazuna pressed ahead with a bridge meant to break the tycoon's grip on the region, and he was deeply moved when his grandson found the same courage.

Determined to reconnect his island nation to the mainland and revive its failing economy, Tazuna set out on a bridge that directly threatened Gato's interests. Certain he would be targeted yet unable to buy real security, he brought on Team 7 by passing the assignment off as a low-risk guard job against ordinary bandits. During their stay he shared the story of Kaiza, a man close to him and to Inari whom Gato had executed, the loss that stole the boy's smile. When his workers turned up beaten and Zabuza and Haku appeared, Tazuna could only watch, and he was overjoyed when Inari arrived at the head of an armed crowd. In tribute to Naruto's bravery, he christened the finished span the Great Naruto Bridge.

Later he and Inari, now a carpenter, answered Konoha's call and traveled there to help rebuild after Pain's attack, catching up briefly with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. He also engineered the Tobishachimaru, an airship poised to transform travel, and rode along on its maiden flight while Kakashi's squad handled security, chatting about the vessel and nudging Kakashi toward finding a partner and pursuing the role of Hokage.