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Sakura Haruno (Sakura Uchiha) is considered the third and often overlooked original member of Team Kakashi (Team 7). However, this isn’t by any fault of her own. When the two other team members who are supposed to be her equals turn into demigods, there isn’t much she or anyone else can do to catch up.
In this sense, Sakura doesn’t deserve the reputation she’s gotten as useless. Compared to Naruto and Sasuke, just about everyone is futile. The only reason she gets singled out is that she’s the third member of their three-person team.
So, how does she get along with her teammates?
As for Naruto Uzumaki, she initially saw him as someone she needed to babysit due to all of his crazy antics. However, as the series progresses and Naruto becomes more reliable, Sakura recognizes that not only does she support him, but he’s someone she can rely on to support her.
Sakura’s relationship with Sasuke Uchiha is a bit more complicated. Still, it boils down to the fact that she’s entirely in love with him to the point of unhealthy obsession. Despite being one of the most critical thinkers in the series, her logic completely breaks down once Sasuke is involved.
However, early in the series, she slowly transitions into a more independent character. She previously had long hair because it was rumored that Sasuke preferred girls with longer hair. But, after finding out the hard way that long hair is a detriment in combat, she cuts it to around shoulder length.
While her relationships with her teammates are complex, her relationships with her teachers are not. Regarding both Kakashi Hatake and Tsunade Senju, Sakura simply shows herself as a good student who can quickly pick up on the concepts she’s taught.
Notable Skills
Sakura is an interesting character when it comes to her role in combat. Not only is she a close-combat monster, but she’s also the medic, two roles that don’t typically go together. That said, both roles have something in common: chakra control.
Her superhuman strength comes from her ability to focus large amounts of chakra into her fists. And, since high-level chakra control is also needed for medical jutsu, this, in turn, means that Sakura is one of the best medics around.
Along with using her chakra control as a weapon and support tool, Sakura is also able to use four different chakra transformations: Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang. But she’s never said to have a particular affinity for any one chakra transformation.
As for skills that are more unique to her, she excels at canceling genjutsu (again due to her chakra control), she has a summoning pact with the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest, and she can use the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
Her pact with Shikkotsu Forest means she can summon Katsuyu and use the giant slug to increase her healing potential (for others). On the other side of the healing spectrum is the Strength of a Hundred Technique, which drastically increases her healing rate so she can fight on the front lines and use her super-strength longer.
Match-Ups
As a close-combat support ninja, Sakura doesn’t have many favorable match-ups. Because she’s a medic, she mainly relies on teammates for offensive power while she can focus on healing the wounded. That said, she still packs a punch.
If she can get close enough to her opponent to land one of her devastating punches, she has the ability to end fights in one shot. But since she’s not the fastest ninja around, this is easier said than done.
If it’s a one-on-one fight, Sakura will usually be disadvantaged. This is showcased in her battle against Sasori of the Akatsuki. Alone, she can’t get close enough to Sasori to land a hit, but once she teams up with Granny Chiyo and allows Chiyo to control her movements, she can get within range.
But not only can Sakura not effectively take a fight to ranged opponents, but she also can’t compete with other close-combat specialists who are faster than she is. Speed is pretty important in the world of Naruto, and if someone can outspeed Sakura, they can generally avoid her attacks.
However, if Sakura has time to plan for a fight, she can be much more effective. Once she has sufficient information on her opponent, she can analyze it and come up with the best course of attack, something her teammate, Naruto, would never even consider.
So, Sakura doesn’t seem all that well-equipped for combat because she mostly has bad match-ups and can only win one-on-one fights against opponents slower than her, who also use close combat. But, as I mentioned, her primary role is to support her team, not a solo fighter.
Team Composition
Some notable teams Sakura has been a part of are Team Kakashi, the Kazekage Rescue Team, the Eight Man Squad, and the Third Division. In all of these cases, her role is generally the same: to be the team medic and a more standard fighter when needed.
With that said, what team compositions could Sakura be most effective on?
A Sakura-Gaara combo would be pretty good defensively. Gaara specializes in defense, so his defensive capabilities, combined with Sakura’s regenerative abilities, would make for a highly sturdy combo.
But what if someone like Rock Lee complimented their “invincible” combo? Lee would focus on attacking, Gaara would concentrate on defending, and Sakura would focus on healing the team so they could continue to wreak havoc on the battlefield.
The only team composition I would say Sakura isn’t useful for is a tracking team, like Team 8. She doesn’t add anything to the tracking aspect, and since those teams aren’t meant to fight head-on, her healing isn’t needed.
But, the worst teammate for Sakura would have to be Hidan of the Akatsuki. Since he’s already immortal, he does not need Sakura’s healing. And, even if Sakura came up with a strategy for the two of them to use, it’s unlikely Hidan would follow it.
Sakura Haruno DIY Cosplay Ideas
We’ve gathered a list of Sakura Haruno DIY cosplay ideas that cosplay fans can use for piecing together their own cosplay.
- Classic Sakura:
- Outfit: Sakura’s original light pink dress with a red belt, black gloves, and ninja sandals.
- Accessories: A red forehead protector with a leaf village symbol, a kunai pouch, and a scroll.
- Sakura in Chunin Exams:
- Outfit: Sakura’s attire from the Chunin Exams arc, featuring a short-sleeved red top, black shorts, and sandals.
- Accessories: Forehead protector, wristbands, and perhaps a medical kit.
- Sakura in Shippuden:
- Outfit: Sakura’s Shippuden appearance with a red top, black shorts, and her medical ninja headband.
- Accessories: Forehead protector, medical pouches, gloves, and a determined expression.
- Medical-Nin Sakura:
- Outfit: Sakura wearing her medical-nin uniform, a white coat over a black outfit, along with ninja sandals.
- Accessories: Medical pouches, gloves, and a headband with a medical insignia.
- Sakura’s Time Skip Outfit:
- Outfit: Sakura’s time skip attire, including a pink top with a white apron, black shorts, and black sandals.
- Accessories: Forehead protector, medical pouches, and gloves.
- Sakura in Boruto:
- Outfit: Sakura’s appearance in the Boruto series, featuring a white top, blue pants, and a red scarf.
- Accessories: Forehead protector, medical pouches, gloves, and her iconic diamond-shaped forehead protector.
- Sakura in Casual Wear:
- Outfit: Sakura’s casual outfit, which may include a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
- Accessories: A medical headband worn as a necklace, perhaps carrying a book or a medical tool.
- Hokage’s Wife Sakura:
- Outfit: Sakura’s outfit as the wife of the Seventh Hokage, Naruto, featuring a pink dress and black sandals.
- Accessories: A headband, wedding ring, and a cheerful expression.
- Sakura in Battle Mode:
- Outfit: Sakura’s standard attire, but with a determined expression and a pose that showcases her combat skills.
- Accessories: Forehead protector, medical pouches, gloves, and kunai.
- Alternate Universe Sakura:
- Let your creativity flow! Imagine how Sakura might appear in different scenarios, timelines, or settings.
When cosplaying as Sakura, capturing her strong-willed and compassionate nature is important. Whether she’s delivering a powerful punch or healing her teammates, Sakura’s personality shines through. Enjoy embodying the skilled kunoichi from the Naruto series!