Yaoki

Yaoki's black hair falls to about cheek length, framing dark eyes. He wears the usual gear of a Sand ninja, a forehead protector and flak jacket included.

Around Gaara he turns timid and jittery, unable to shake the memory of the boy's old, bloodthirsty reputation. That fear once drove him to leave Gaara behind when Sand assassins came for him, a choice he soon regretted; spurred on by Naruto, he swore to give Gaara the chance to prove he had changed. In time the two became genuine friends, forming one of the earliest bonds Gaara ever knew.

Yaoki hails from Sunagakure and, like his partner Korobi, fights with puppets, carrying specialized ones built to spray water. Wielding a long staff, he managed to overcome several Anbu-caliber opponents, a sign of real talent with the bo. Once relations between the Leaf and the Sand had warmed, he was placed on a squad with Gaara to wipe out bandits lurking between the two villages, the same job handed to Team 7. His nerves showed early, but when the Suna Assassin Captain sprang a trap and Gaara ordered his companions to flee, Naruto confronted Yaoki and Korobi over abandoning their comrade. After wrestling with whether Gaara truly counted as a friend, the pair charged back in, apologized, and helped Naruto pull off the rescue. With the mission done, Gaara asked them to say it again, and they gladly called him their friend.