Taka

This article is about the team. For the animal species, see Hawks.

Taka
(鷹, literally meaning: Hawk) Hebi (蛇, literally meaning: Snake)
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	Sasuke Uchiha
Members	Suigetsu Hōzuki Jūgo Karin
Affiliations	Akatsuki
Team Jutsu

Taka, originally Hebi, is a team created by Sasuke Uchiha with the initial objective of locating Itachi Uchiha, and prevent anyone from interrupting his battle.

Background

After betraying Orochimaru, Sasuke travelled to various Otogakure bases to recruit his three team-mates, 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 heading towards Konoha.

Although their team was originally one of necessity, they all came to respect each other as team-mates 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, and, when Karin became a burden to him, he critically wounded her, and also tried to kill her to avoid any trouble with her. Karin was saved by Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Kakashi Hatake, and taken back to Konoha as a prisoner-of-war. Currently, 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 have since continued to assist him. They were later met with Karin in Konoha, and she decided to rejoin them regardless of everything that happened in the past.

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:

• 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

Kill Itachi

• Status: Success

Ever since 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 in serious anger only to have all his attacks deflected and his chakra wasted. After leaving his village to become stronger and train with Orochimaru, he later formed Hebi and at last found Itachi and battled him, but Itachi fell to his illness. After Tobi took Sasuke into his hands, he told Sasuke the true story about Itachi and how he was forced into killing his own clan, he renamed Hebi "Taka" and their main goal would be to avenge Itachi.

Destroy Konoha

• Status: Abandoned

After being told the truth about Itachi and how the Konoha elders forced Itachi into slaughtering the Uchiha clan, Sasuke's vows to destroy Konoha and avenge Itachi and his clan by "rebuilding" the Uchiha. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sasuke is reunited with Itachi again and is confronted by the previous Hokage and starts to wonder if revenge is the right answer. After hearing the reincarnated Hashirama's story on the meaning of being a shinobi, Sasuke abandons his goal of destroying the village.

Capture the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki

• 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 to Tobi, but during the sealing, it was revealed that Killer B faked his capture.

Kill Danzō

• 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.

Aiding the Allied Shinobi forces during the Fourth Shinobi World War

• 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

• 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). 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.