Inner Sakura (内なるサクラ, Uchi Naru Sakura) broadly refers to a range of techniques performed by Sakura Haruno with her inner self in the Naruto video games.
Overview[]
Inner Sakura is a manifestation of Sakura Haruno's inner emotions, representing Sakura's actual opinion on things when she outwardly displays something completely different. Inner Sakura has the habit of saying "Shānnarō!" (しゃーんなろー). The phrase has no literal meaning, but is usually translated as "Hell yeah!", "Hell no!", or "Damn it!", depending on the situation. The English anime translates it as a forceful "Cha!" Inner Sakura is unique as it is in a way a second will within Sakura's mind.
Although she appeared quite frequently at the start of the series, Inner Sakura all but disappeared midway through Part I, and rarely appears in Part II. The reason behind this is that she no longer needs to hide her true feelings or reactions behind a fake smile, finally allowing herself to truly say what is on her mind. However, because Inner Sakura usually possessed somewhat violent reactions to things, Sakura is now prone to violent outbursts, which is not helped by her chakra-enhanced strength, making her very scary if one upsets her, similar to her teacher Tsunade.
Usage[]
During the Chūnin Exams, Inner Sakura was strong enough to repel Ino from Sakura's body when she used the Mind Body Switch Technique on her. In many video games, Inner Sakura was made into a technique for Sakura due to her lack of techniques of her own early self in the series. In most appearances, Inner Sakura is a taijutsu where Sakura's inner feelings burst out and she unleashes all her strength on the target with one or more punches. However, Inner Sakura may also interact with Sakura or the opponent(s) as a clone or genjutsu, as shown with the Clone Combo, The Great Sakura, and the Twinkling Maiden's Heart.
Trivia[]
- In the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, Kakashi and Sasuke can copy some of Sakura's moves with their Sharingan, showing their inner versions when using attacks like Fairy Tale Get and Clone Combo. Kakashi can also copy Sakura's Cha Barrage in the Clash of Ninja video games, allowing him to unleash his "Inner Kakashi" (内なるカカシ, Uchi Naru Kakashi).
- In the anime, Ino is shown having her own inner version called Inner Ino (内なるいの, Uchi Naru Ino).
