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Iruka Umino
Iruka Umino (うみの イルカ, Umino Iruk)
is an instructor at the Ninja Academy. He is characterized by the
distinctive scar across his face that he has had since childhood. His
parents were killed by the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox when he was younger, though he holds no hostility towards its container, Naruto Uzumaki.
In fact, Iruka is one of the few people at the start of the series who
values Naruto as a person, being able to relate with Naruto's methods
of trying to gain attention. Because he, like Naruto, was forced to
grow up without parents, and was socially isolated as a result, he can
relate to Naruto in this regard as well and has assumed the role as
Naruto's father-figure. Once Naruto becomes a ninja Iruka starts to
underestimate Naruto, and as such become overprotective of him, though
he in time discovers that Naruto has all the makings to become a great
ninja.
When first designing Iruka, Masashi Kishimoto gave him "evil" looking eyes and sharper cheekbones. He ultimately decided to give Iruka a younger, more relaxed-looking face. Despite his lack of appearances in the series, Iruka always appears in the Top Ten of the Shonen Jump popularity polls. In the Japanese anime he is voiced by Toshihiko Seki as an adult and Taisuke Yamamoto during flashbacks to his childhood. His English voice actor is Quinton Flynn.
Iruka Umino (うみの イルカ, Umino Iruk)
is an instructor at the Ninja Academy. He is characterized by the
distinctive scar across his face that he has had since childhood. His
parents were killed by the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox when he was younger, though he holds no hostility towards its container, Naruto Uzumaki.
In fact, Iruka is one of the few people at the start of the series who
values Naruto as a person, being able to relate with Naruto's methods
of trying to gain attention. Because he, like Naruto, was forced to
grow up without parents, and was socially isolated as a result, he can
relate to Naruto in this regard as well and has assumed the role as
Naruto's father-figure. Once Naruto becomes a ninja Iruka starts to
underestimate Naruto, and as such become overprotective of him, though
he in time discovers that Naruto has all the makings to become a great
ninja.
When first designing Iruka, Masashi Kishimoto gave him "evil" looking eyes and sharper cheekbones. He ultimately decided to give Iruka a younger, more relaxed-looking face. Despite his lack of appearances in the series, Iruka always appears in the Top Ten of the Shonen Jump popularity polls. In the Japanese anime he is voiced by Toshihiko Seki as an adult and Taisuke Yamamoto during flashbacks to his childhood. His English voice actor is Quinton Flynn.
