| This article is about the team. For the animal species, see Hawks. |
| Taka | |||
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(鷹, literally meaning: Hawk)
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| Debut | |||
| Manga | Naruto Chapter #352 | ||
| Anime | Naruto Shippūden Episode #118 | ||
| Novel | Naruto Jinraiden: The Day the Wolf Howled | ||
| Game | Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 | ||
| OVA | Naruto Shippūden: UNSG anime cutscenes | ||
| Appears in | Anime, Manga, Novel, Game | ||
| Team Info | |||
| Leaders | |||
| Members | |||
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Taka (鷹), originally Hebi (蛇), was a team created by Sasuke Uchiha with the initial objective of locating Itachi Uchiha, and preventing anyone from interrupting Sasuke's battle with him.
Background
After betraying Orochimaru, Sasuke travelled to various Otogakure bases to recruit his three teammates, Suigetsu Hōzuki, Karin, and Jūgo. After witnessing Itachi's death, and learning Konoha's role in the Uchiha Clan Downfall from Tobi, Sasuke renamed the team "Taka" with the new goal to crush Konoha.
Taka searching for the Eight-Tails jinchūriki.
Although their team was originally one of necessity, they all came to respect each other as teammates and even risked their lives to protect one another as time went on, reminding Sasuke of Team 7. However, as Sasuke became more corrupt and focused in his revenge against Konoha, he abandoned Jūgo and Suigetsu in the Land of Iron to pursue Danzō Shimura, and, when Karin was taken hostage, he critically wounded her, and also tried to kill her to avoid any trouble with her. Karin was saved by Sasuke's former teammates of Team Kakashi and taken back to Konoha as a prisoner-of-war. While Karin states that she was finished with Sasuke and tries to escape from the Konoha prison, Jūgo and Suigetsu, not knowing what Sasuke did and tried to do to Karin, reunited with Sasuke and decided to assist him in determining if revenge or protecting Konoha was his true purpose. They were later met with Karin in Konoha, and she decided to rejoin them despite what had happened in the past.
Upon Sasuke's decision to protect Konoha, everyone, including a recently restored Orochimaru, participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War and sided with the Allied Shinobi Forces. When Sasuke was critically wounded, Suigetsu, Jūgo, Karin, and Orochimaru risked their lives to save him and found him being healed by Kabuto Yakushi. After the war, Taka permanently dissolved; Sasuke returned to Konoha and left for a journey of atonement, as well as having a family of his own, while the others returned to Orochimaru's hideout to work as his assistants.
Motives
Sasuke was initially driven by the desire to avenge his clan by killing his brother, and after learning the truth about his brother, avenging him by destroying Konohagakure. Suigetsu, Karin and Jūgo are not exactly fond of one another nor do they really enjoy each other's company. Each of them indicates having their own motive for joining the team upon its formation:[1]
- Suigetsu: Initially joined Taka in order to encounter Kisame Hoshigaki and take Samehada. His complete goal was revealed to be taking possession of all the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's swords and reforming the organisation.
- Karin: Originally claimed to just be going in the same direction, although she was actually motivated by her infatuation with Sasuke.
- Jūgo: Considers Sasuke to be the only successor to Kimimaro, who was the only other person capable of calming his murderous impulse.
Missions
- Status: Success
After Itachi slaughtered the Uchiha clan, Sasuke vowed to kill him and avenge his clan. This was the main goal of Hebi, which would later become Taka after Itachi's death. During Part I, when Itachi and Kisame came to an inn that Naruto and Jiraiya were staying at to capture Naruto, Sasuke battled Itachi furiously only to have all his attacks deflected. After leaving his village to become stronger and train with Orochimaru, he later formed Hebi and at last found Itachi and battled him, though Itachi would die from an illness rather than his brother's hand. After, Tobi told Sasuke the true story about Itachi and how he was forced to kill his own clan. Sasuke changed the name of Hebi to "Taka" and decided their main goal would be to avenge Itachi.
- Status: Abandoned
After learning that the Konoha elders had forced Itachi to slaughter the Uchiha clan, Sasuke vowed to destroy Konoha and avenge Itachi and his clan by "rebuilding" the Uchiha. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sasuke was reunited with Itachi and was confronted by the previous Hokage, prompting him to wonder if revenge was the right answer. After hearing the reincarnated Hashirama's story about the meaning of being a shinobi, Sasuke abandoned his goal of destroying the village.
- Status: Failure
Upon joining forces with Akatsuki, Taka was assigned to capture the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. After confronting and seemingly defeating Killer B, Taka took him and gave him to Tobi, but during the sealing it was revealed that Killer B faked his capture.
- Status: Success
When Tobi informs Sasuke of Danzō's involvement in the Five Kage Summit, one of the elders responsible for orchestrating the Uchiha Clan Downfall, Taka heads out to the Land of Iron, led by White Zetsu. Suigetsu and Jūgo become separated from Sasuke and Karin after clashing with the samurai, the Fourth Raikage, the Fifth Kazekage and their bodyguards and the remaining Taka members locate Danzō. Danzō flees and Sasuke is saved by Tobi from Ōnoki's attack. Tobi tracks down Danzō and strips him of his bodyguards so Sasuke can battle him alone. A healed Sasuke begins his battle with Danzō and successfully kills him, attempting to sacrifice Karin in the process.
- Status: Success
With his reincarnated brother's soul released, Sasuke revives Orochimaru to help him reincarnate the previous Hokage to see whether he should continue his goal in destroying his home village. After hearing Hashirama's story, Sasuke decides to assist the Allied Shinobi Forces in stopping Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan. Karin, who was formerly captive by the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, rejoins Taka after Sasuke apologises for his actions against her. Taka sets out, joined by Orochimaru and the reincarnated Hokage. Orochimaru, Suigetsu and Karin aid in healing Tsunade and make their way back to the main battlefield to join Sasuke and Jūgo. Aside from Sasuke, who has allied himself with Team 7, all members of Taka, as well as Orochimaru and Kabuto, became trapped by the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Ultimately, they and the rest of the world were freed from the genjutsu by Naruto and Sasuke after they ended the war.
Trivia
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- When resting atop Madara's statue in the Valley of the End, Tobi wondered whether Sasuke, the next time the young Uchiha "shedded his skin", would stay a "snake" (蛇, hebi) or turn into a "hawk" (鷹, taka).[2] Madara, who Tobi was impersonating at the time, was stated to have the hobby of falconry. The team's name is connected to Tobi also through a Japanese proverb: "a hawk born from a kite" (鳶が鷹を生む, tobi ga taka o umu), meaning that an extraordinarily gifted child can be born from ordinary parents.
- Three of the group members' eye colour matches with their hair colour: Sasuke Uchiha (black), Karin (red) and Jūgo (orange).
- And the fourth member, Suigetsu Hōzuki, while not having eyes that match his hair, has an eye colour that matches the shirt he commonly wears (purple).
- All of the members of Taka, when recruited by Sasuke, had an additional side story that only appeared in the anime. Through these, their abilities were shown earlier than in the manga.
- Suigetsu had to retrieve his sword from Tenzen Daikoku. His Hydrification Technique was shown.
- Karin had a flashback of her helping Sasuke retrieve a group of escaped prisoners. Her Mind's Eye of the Kagura technique was shown.
- Jūgo had a flashback of being recruited by Kimimaro to join Orochimaru. His Sage Transformation ability was briefly shown.