Karin (香燐, Karin) is a former subordinate of Orochimaru, presumably a former kunoichi of Kusagakure, and a member of the Uzumaki clan. She assisted Orochimaru in his experiments, and was left in charge of his Southern Hideout while he was away. She was later recruited into Sasuke Uchiha's group Taka, which was initially called "Hebi" at the time of its creation, as the sensor of the group.
As a child, Karin lived in a small village that was burnt to the ground during a war. She was the only survivor and was completely unharmed. Orochimaru found her afterwards and asked how she survived, to which she answered that she could tell that huge groups of people were coming. Orochimaru then brought her to Otogakure, where she served as a jailer at one of his bases. Karin eventually took part in the Chūnin Exams that were held in Konoha, with her forehead protector stating her affiliation with Kusagakure. During the second phase, taking place in the Forest of Death, she lost track of her team-mates and was attacked by a large bear. She was saved by Sasuke Uchiha who was disappointed to find she had the earth scroll as well, but she was able to catch a good glimpse of him before he left. She remembered the smile that Sasuke gave her and fell in love.
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| Naruto Manga Character - Karin |
Karin has a fluctuating personality; she will appear tough and in control at times, to the point of being violent and critical, and at other times will appear highly flirtatious. She annoys Suigetsu Hōzuki, whom she attacks whenever he voices his general opinion of her. In the anime, she stated that she was attracted to men based on their chakra quality, and claims that Suigetsu's chakra disgusts her. Sasuke Uchiha's chakra used to dazzle her, but it now scares her, due to it getting colder and darker from his hatred. Naruto Uzumaki's seems to calm and dazzle her as well, making her feel comfortable and relaxed due to it being warm and bright, though she also became scared after sensing an evil chakra within him.
Karin is infatuated with Sasuke since they first met; when he saved her during the Chūnin Exams. In the anime, she has a flashback of when Orochimaru sends her to assist Sasuke in capturing a horde of escaped prisoners. There, she is captivated by the level of Sasuke's chakra and develops an infatuation with him. Karin's infatuation bordered on obsession to the point of fanaticism. For example, when Hebi was recuperating after Sasuke's battle with Deidara, Karin was planning to drug both Suigetsu and Jūgo and then "ravish" Sasuke's unconscious body and it was later revealed that she had kept one of Sasuke's sweat-drenched shirts. Karin didn't make much of an attempt to hide her feelings, frequently suggesting to Sasuke that they should spend time alone. Karin was very angry when the Fifth Mizukage flirted with Sasuke, and called her an "old hag" for it. Despite Sasuke's chakra becoming increasingly "darker", she still found him attractive. However, after he stabbed her in order to kill Danzō and tried to kill her, then even order Sakura to kill her to test Sakura's intent to join him, Karin stated that she no longer cares about him. Karin has also used other's perception of her feelings towards Sasuke to her advantage, feigning mental instability while imprisoned at Konoha to make the guards pay less attention to her. Upon her escape, she furiously beat Suigetsu after following Sasuke's chakra, but with Sasuke's apology and Orochimaru's suggestion, she found herself unable to stay angry.