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Spiky brown haired shinobi with a grey scarf stands with arms crossed on a rocky sea cliff at dusk
The provided image is an artist's interpretation made for this entry. Details may differ from official depictions. The character and franchise remain © their respective rights holders.

Motoi is a Kumogakure ninja posted on the great turtle Genbu, where he watches over the island's protective barrier. A childhood friend of Killer B, he spends decades haunted by a failed attempt to kill B before the two finally reconcile.

Status: Alive
Summon: owls
Station: Genbu (Island Turtle)
Village: Kumogakure
Specialty: tracking
Nature Type: Lightning Release
Name Meaning: base
Classification: shinobi
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Appearance

Motoi is the image of his late father, sharing the same dark-brown spiky hair and dark eyes. The feature that stands out most is a dark green stripe running down the ridge of his nose. He wears the standard Kumogakure uniform with hand and shin guards and a flak jacket, plus a light grey scarf wound around his neck.

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Personality

Motoi holds deep respect for B, a bond that reaches back to their boyhood. When his father died fighting the Eight-Tails, that grief curdled into hatred for the beast, and the hatred spread to B once B became its host, pushing Motoi to try to kill the friend he loved so as to destroy the creature inside him and avenge his father. After the attempt failed and B greeted him without a trace of resentment, shame and guilt kept Motoi at arm's length from B for the next thirty years.

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History

Motoi and B were close at five years old, but the death of Motoi's father Furui, killed while trying to contain the Eight-Tails after it slipped free of its former host, turned the boy against the beast and against B when B was chosen to carry it. His lone assassination attempt was disarmed with ease, and though his face was covered he believed B recognised him, since B returned the fist bump they had always shared. Watching from a distance in the years that followed, Motoi saw how cruelly the village treated B and came to understand that B's pain outweighed his own, until his resentment gave way to the same admiration the rest of Kumo eventually felt.

As a supervisor of the Island Turtle he is linked to its barrier, able to read how many people cross it and where, though only at the instant of passage. He also tracks skillfully, wields Lightning Release such as the Spider Web technique, and summons owls like Fukuemon to carry messages over long distances. During the war he welcomes Naruto and his Konoha escorts to the island and later guides Naruto to the Falls of Truth, recounting his own history with B so Naruto can grasp B's misgivings. When the island's giant squid attacks him, B saves his life, and the two old friends at last make peace with a fist bump. Motoi afterward reports back to Kumogakure, helps pursue the fleeing Kisame Hoshigaki, and keeps the Shinobi Alliance updated as the crisis unfolds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Motoi in Naruto?

Motoi is a Kumogakure ninja posted on the great turtle Genbu, where he watches over the island's protective barrier, and a childhood friend of Killer B.

Why did Motoi try to kill Killer B?

After his father Furui died trying to contain the Eight Tails, Motoi's grief curdled into hatred for the beast and for B once B became its host, driving him to make a lone assassination attempt on his own friend.

How do Motoi and Killer B reconcile?

Motoi and Killer B make peace decades later on the Island Turtle, sharing the same fist bump they used as children after B saves Motoi's life from the island's giant squid.

What are Motoi's abilities?

Motoi is skilled at tracking, wields Lightning Release techniques such as the Spider Web technique, and summons owls like Fukuemon to carry messages over long distances.

What role does Motoi play during the Fourth Shinobi World War?

During the war, Motoi welcomes Naruto and his Konoha escorts to the Island Turtle, guides Naruto to the Falls of Truth to explain B's history, and later helps pursue the fleeing Kisame Hoshigaki.

Sources & Information

Looking for more on Motoi? The Naruto Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.

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This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.

Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:

  • Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Studio Pierrot and Toho.
  • Game pages: official box art for the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, credited to Bandai Namco.
  • Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

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