Hiruko (missing-nin)

is the main antagonist of Naruto Shippūden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire. He is a missing-nin of Konohagakure who wishes to plunge the world into a Fourth Great Shinobi World War, and then conquer it.

Appearance
Hiruko is a white-haired boy with red eyes dressed in an over-sized, high-collared coat wrapped with three leather straps. Most of his body is covered in bandages, including his mouth and arms, revealing only the upper half of his face and hair. By taking some of his bandages off he can use them to attack. Despite his youthful appearance, he is actually closer in age to the Sannin. As of the Third Great Shinobi World War, he was seen wearing a beige robe with red undergarments. Without his coat on, his hair extends past his shoulders and down to his hips.

Abilities
Though he was born with no natural special abilities, Hiruko compensates by using the Chimera Technique, a kinjutsu which he developed, allowing him to obtain physical abilities, such as Kekkei Genkai, by integrating the bodies of other ninja with his own. Having already stolen four Kekkei Genkai from the other Great Nations, Hiruko possesses other abilities and physical traits from his victims, such as enhanced strength, and seeks to obtain more.

In addition to these abilities, Hiruko and his followers are able to use the Chimera Technique to produce creatures that are literal chimeras, including a large, bird-like monster that molts explosive feathers and wolf-like beasts that attack using appendages resembling tentacles.

Through his Chimera Technique, Hiruko has acquired four Kekkei Genkai: Steel Release, Swift Release, Dark Release, and Storm Release. Hiruko has a section on the palm of his hand where he can literally "absorb" the technique being thrown at him, this being a Dark Release attribute. With Dark Release, he is immune to ninjutsu (in a way similar to the Preta Path). With the Steel and Swift natures, he is also immune to kenjutsu and taijutsu, respectively.

In terms of offense, Hiruko can use his Storm element to create thunderclouds that can electrocute his opponents or drain them of chakra. With the Swift element, he can move at superhuman speed and strike at various angles quickly, rendering all power-users useless against him. He can also use the bandages wrapped around him as tendrils, strong enough to slice or smash through rocks.

Background
A contemporary and former friend of the Sannin, Hiruko wished to become a strong shinobi, yet was born with no natural special abilities. To overcome this disadvantage he developed the Chimera Technique, a kinjutsu which would allow him to obtain the Kekkei Genkai of other ninja by fusing their bodies with his own. Some time after the Third Great Shinobi World War, Hiruko's research and findings on the technique were discovered. As he was (he claimed) ordered to be assassinated by the Third Hokage by the Sannin themselves, he was forced to leave the village as a missing-nin.

Plot overview
Dozens of years later, ninja possessing Kekkei Genkai begin disappearing from Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure, leaving Konohagakure as the suspect and prompting rumors that they are preparing to rebel against the Land of Fire. While on a mission flying over Mount Shami, Sai falls under attack from a mysterious, bird-like monster. Team Kakashi soon arrives to rescue him, but encounter wolf-like monsters, and Naruto is injured in the struggle to escape.

thumb|left|Hiruko absorbs the souls and chakras of [[Konohagakure ANBU.]] When Konoha ANBU are dispatched to investigate, they encounter Hiruko and his followers, Ichi, Ni, and San. Hiruko reassures his followers that there's nothing to worry about, then quickly dispatches the ANBU squad with his chakra inhaling technique, absorbing their Earth-nature chakra and using it manipulate the mountain itself, crushing them.

With the other nations amassing troops on the borders of the Land of Fire and threatening to invade, Hiruko uses a genjutsu to project his image in the skies over Konoha and deliver a message, announcing that he intends to obtain the Kekkei Genkai of the Land of Fire, becoming immortal, and virtually invincible. With the combined power of Kekkei Genkai from all Five Great Nations, he plans to instigate a Fourth Great Shinobi World War and rule the world. With the plan in getting all of the Kekkei Genkai Hiruko eventually becomes interested in Kakashi's Sharingan. To get what he wants, Hiruko goes as far as controlling him. In order to carry out the rest of his goals, Hiruko has been biding time so that he can draw power from the Sun's corona during a solar eclipse, which is now rapidly approaching.

While in the process of assimilating Kakashi, the technique used on him by Tsunade activates, and would have destroyed Hiruko if not for Naruto's determination to save Kakashi. Hiruko proceeds to fight Naruto and Kakashi, absorbing their techniques and using it against them. Only when Naruto uses Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, which Hiruko is unable to replicate, due to its highly complex combination of shape and nature manipulation, Hiruko is defeated. He exchanges a few words on becoming perfect alone and connecting with his comrades with Kakashi, before dying.

Trivia

 * translates roughly to, "a call to halt vulgarity".
 * Hiruko is also the deformed child, in Japanese Shinto mythology, of Izanami and Izanagi.
 * Hiruko (蛭子) can be translated to "leech child", a possible connection to his Chakra Absorption Technique as well as the Chimera Jutsu's ability to "leech" the bloodline from his enemies, as well as his youthful appearance despite his age.
 * Hiruko shares his name with Sasori's puppet also called Hiruko.
 * Hiruko has the highest number of Kekkei Genkai in the entire series currently (although not his originally).
 * Storm Release, Swift Release, Steel Release and Dark Release each originates from the other four Great Ninja Countries, except the Land of Fire.
 * Therefore, because it is confirmed that Storm Release originates from the Land of Lightning, the other three natures, Dark Release, Steel Release, and Swift Release, must originate from the Lands of Water, Earth, and Wind.
 * At Shumisen where Hiruko attempted to assimilate Kakashi, there were four other ninja;
 * A shinobi with dark hair, wearing a standard Iwagakure flakjacket. His skin color was white and he wore a scarf around his neck. He was under a purple wasteland-pictured window.
 * A shinobi from Sunagakure, wearing a robe and pearls. He had tattoos on his cheeks and his forehead-protector was a bandana. He was under a green wind-pictured window.
 * A shinobi with spiked hair. He seems to wear a standard Kumogakure flakjacket. His forehead-protector was in his right arm. He was under the yellow lightning-pictured window.
 * A kunoichi with hair tied to a ball on top of her head with a knitting-needle. She would logically be from Kirigakure. She was under the blue wave-pictured window.
 * Hiruko wanted to be a powerful and skilled ninja like his friends the Legendary Sannin.
 * Hiruko had many similarities to his friend Orochimaru:
 * Both came from Konohagakure.
 * Both defected from their village for their inhuman experiments.
 * Both have been mutated from performing experiments on themselves.
 * Both have gained new abilities through their research.
 * Both wished to claim the Sharingan, although for different reasons.
 * Both failed to claim the Sharingan.