YAMATO/TENZOU

First Manga Appearance: Chapter 284
First Anime Appearance: Shippuuden Episode 34
Name Meaning: Ancient name for Japan
Hidden Village: Leaf Village
Rank: - (ANBU, Probable Jounin)
Age: 26
Notable Features: Wears Nidaime Hokage-esque forehead protector
Notable Quotes: "While I do prefer to interact with people in a gentle manner... I'm also not at all opposed to establishing my dominance in a reign of terror."

HISTORY:

"Yamato" as he was dubbed by Tsunade, was an elite ANBU who led Team Kakashi when Kakashi was fatigued from battle. Yamato led the team of Sai, Naruto and Sakura to the Grass Country. They were to meet Sasori's spy who was spying on Orochimaru.Yamato, whose real name is Tenzou, was an elite ANBU recommended by Kakashi himself for the mission. Yamato would leave behind his ANBU mask and gear and wear his flak jacket. Yamato wears a forehead protector similar in style to Nidaime Hokage. A further connection to the brothers Shodai and Nidaime Hokage was seen when he used a Mokuton (Tree Release) technique to threaten his team to calm down and stop their infighting.

Yamato is connected to the legacy of Shodai because he carries his genes within him. When Orochimaru was still a respected ninja within Konoha, he carried out experimental gene therapy on 60 village children. Orochimaru sought to gain Shodai's Mokuton and Bijuu controlling powers for his own. To that end he obtained genetic material and spliced it into 60 children. Orochimaru soon left and never saw the fruit of his labors. All but one of the children died. Yamato managed to survive and grow into a powerful ninja.

Yamato would get his chance to meet his "maker" on the bridge in the Grass Country. When Kabuto appeared alongside Orochimaru in the hopes of killing Sasori, Yamato and his team were given the opportunity to take out Orochimaru for good. When Naruto began to rampage in his tailed Kyuubi form, Yamato used another Shodai ability in controlling the bijuu. He was able to calm Naruto's wild mind and return him to normal. His group then pursued Orochimaru thanks to a tracking seed placed in Sai. Though they successfully infiltrated Orochimaru's compound and found Sasuke, the meeting did not last long. Before Yamato had a chance to get serious, the Sound ninja fled.

Yamato and his team returned to Konoha. They were given a new mission by Tsunade and further built their team dynamics. After the mission, Yamato would assist Kakashi in Naruto's new training regimen. By managing Naruto's Kyuubi powers, Naruto was able to use Tajuu Kage Bunshin and greatly reduce his training time. And with Yamato's Earth, Water and Wood elemental styles, he was able to further teach Naruto how to develop his own unique elemental jutsu.