‘Naruto’: Do You Remember Itachi’s First Akatsuki Partner?

Naruto has no shortage of bad guys, but that means some of the series' bloodiest villains can get forgotten. Guys like Itachi Uchiha have gone down in history while others are barely thought about. So, if you didn't realize that Itachi had an Akatsuki partner before Kisame, don't feel too bad.

After all, there's a lot of people who do not know Juzo Biwa.

Before Kisame Hoshigaki signed up with the Akatsuki, Pain had a very different Hidden Mist ninja working with Itachi. The Uchiha was tasked to do missions with Juzo Biwa, a rogue jonin from Kirigakure and member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. The manga first introduced Juzo when it delved into Might Guy's past, and the anime expanded on the killer more so later on.

In many ways, Juzo was just a temporary filler for Kisame. In the anime, fans watched as the killer bloodied battlefields during the Third Great Ninja War, and Might Duy wound up sacrificing his own life to ensuring his team and son escaped Juzo's crew alive.

Of course, the swordsmen managed to survive Might Duy's attack, but Juzo did not return to his village. The fighter signed up with the Akatsuki where he met Itachi. The partners did not have even temperaments, and Juzo came to his end during a mission in the Land of Waves. The Hidden Mist sent a team of hunter-nin to take out Juzo, but the two Akatsuki members were able to take out much of the team. However, Yagura was also part of the squad and used his immense Jinchurriki powers to take out Juzo. The swordsmen died with Itachi, and the Uchiha chose to leave Kubikiribōchō with its owner even in death. Zabuza became the sword's next owner before Suigetsu inherited it, so fans know Itachi got to see the executioner's blade later on in life.