Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-12509038-20150207060319/@comment-945885-20150208061243

Forum just ate my post...

I think Kishimoto was going for two things: first, he wanted her to seem "otherworldly." So he made her aloof, mysterious, and disconnected.

Second, she's a princess from a thousand years ago, so she exhibits the Heian period aesthetic of miyabi (courtly refinement), which means she presents herself as being meek, subserviant, and sensitive. Which, while obviously a dated and sexist feminine ideal, is nevertheless period-appropriate. She wears the many-layed kimono, has long flowing hair, and the painted maro, so the Heian aesthetics are obviously a concious element of her design.

Looking beyond that, her following Zetsu's guidance was also just practical. She isn't a shinobi and doesn't really know how ninjas fights. Zetsu has spent a millenia observing the rise of the ninja, and without his advice she wouldn't have stood a chance.