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Naruto has a vast world with the many ninja villages that author Masashi Kishimoto came up with over the years, so it is not surprising that there are also a lot of traitors in said cities. The world of Naruto is one with heavy manipulation, influence, and power struggles, so loyalty is not the most abundant currency.
So, who are the most noticeable betrayers of their respective villages? Who committed the most heinous crimes to the place they once swore to defend? There are a lot of candidates, but the ten on this list are the most notorious.
Disclaimer: This article has major spoilers for the Naruto series.
Kisame and 9 other Naruto characters who betrayed their villages
1) Orochimaru
War crimes, leaking information, working with terrorists, experiments with humans, human trafficking - Orochimaru has done all that and then some. Once hailed as one of Konohan’s three legendary Sanin, he went rogue once the third Hokage and his master, Hiruzen, discovered the underground experiments he was doing with people to attain immortality.
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He was expelled from Konoha, became an international criminal, joined Akatsuki for a while, formed his village, and terrorized the people he once protected for most of early Naruto. The fact he was forgiven for all of his crimes by the end of the story was perhaps one of Kishimoto’s greatest mistakes as an author.
2) Itachi Uchiha
Itachi is one of the most popular characters in Naruto, and part of that is due to his backstory. Due to the possibility of the Uchiha clan causing an uprising within Konoha, he was tasked with murdering them all, which he did, only agreeing to do so if his little brother, Sasuke, was spared. However, Itachi had to leave the village, was branded a criminal, and joined Akatsuki to keep tabs on Obito and Madara.
It can be argued that Itachi was never a proper traitor to the village, but he did work with Akatsuki and had to do some of their biddings, so there were no doubts in their ranks. And considering the extent and ramifications of the Uchiha clan massacre, he has to be here.
3) Nagato Uzumaki/Pain
Nagato perhaps had one of the most logical reasons for betraying his village: the perspective that you couldn’t achieve peace just through good intentions. Despite being trained by Jiraiya as a kid and having the best will to help others, war, loss, and sadness sent him to the dark side.
This is why Nagato created the moniker of Pain and formed Akatsuki, a terrorist organization with the most powerful traitors in the shinobi world. The ramifications of these actions cannot be understated, and they paved the way for a lot of bad stuff in Naruto. It is also worth pointing out how Obito Uchiha influenced much of this, pushing Nagato further down the abyss.
4) Obito Uchiha
Madara Uchiha was the one who orchestrated a lot of different events in the series, but it was Obito who executed most of it. A young man distraught about the death of Rin, his friend and loved one, Obito decided to punish the world and side with Madara in his quest for power.
This is a character that not only betrayed the Leaf Village but also caused most of the evil that befell Naruto. This is worth pointing out as this is one of the biggest betrayals in the entire series, with Obito causing many different events that led to the death of the fourth Hokage, Naruto holding Kurama inside him, the formation of Akatsuki, and a lot of other things.
5) Sasori
Sasori had one of the most complicated relationships with his village, and it was at full display during his battle with Sakura and his grandmother, Chiyo, after the time skip. A talented ninja puppet master, Sasori grew up alone as Kakashi’s father killed his parents. He focused all of his energy on his marionettes, even going as far as using human bodies for them.
He was kicked from the Sand Village and treated like a criminal, which is why he ended up killing the Third Kazekage in retribution. Sasori joined Akatsuki and formed a partnership with Orochimaru first and later with Deidara. He would eventually meet his end against Sakura and Chiyo in an exhilarating and poignant battle.
6) Deidara
Deidara’s betrayal of Iwagakure might be one of the most disturbing on this list, and Naruto as a whole, because he simply didn’t have a strong reason. He just wanted to create chaos with his explosive clay and was aware that betraying the village and joining Akatsuki would make things a lot easier for him.
That is also part of the character’s charm: he lives for chaos and destruction, and the only time he has shown interest in other things is by wanting to kill the Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke, after Itachi bested him in a fight. However, it would be Sasuke who would put an end to him.
7) Zabuza Momochi
Zabuza was the first of many things in Naruto as an antagonist, and one of them was being the first major villain that had betrayed his village. A member of Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist Village, Zabuza decided to stage a coup during the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, attempting to create a society where the shinobi were the superior class.
However, the coup failed when Zabuza was betrayed by one of his men and had to flee the village to survive. Thriving on his reputation as a violent warrior, he built a career as a mercenary and eventually met Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura at the story's beginning.
8) Kisame Hoshigaki
Like Zabuza, Kisame was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist Village, although he showed greater willingness and loyalty towards his people. However, as time went on, he became disillusioned with the world he was in, filled with lies and manipulation. He was enticed by Obito Uchiha, going by the name of Madara, and his proposal of creating a new world.
He would eventually flee the village after a failed coup and join the ranks of Akatsuki, forming a partnership with Itachi as they wanted him to keep an eye on the latter.
9) Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke’s betrayal of Konoha is very well-documented: spurred on by his desire to catch up to Itachi and kill him as revenge for the massacre of his clan, he left the village to join Orochimaru and gain a lot more power. Even though Naruto and his friends tried to stop him, his resolve was greater, and his decision was made.
After the time skip, Sasuke spent most of the series being either neutral or an antagonist to Naruto, mostly focusing on getting revenge on Itachi and other people. However, after a memorable battle with Naruto, he would eventually join Konoha again.
10) Madara Uchiha
Madara Uchiha was the biggest traitor in the history of the Hidden Village, and that is shown throughout most of the series after the time skip. After being one of the founding members of the village, he went on to manipulate multiple events throughout history to achieve his goals and become as powerful as he could be.
The fact that Madara not only betrayed the Hidden Village but also caused so many different tragedies across the shinobi world cements him as one of the most notorious traitors in the history of Naruto.
Naruto has a lot of traitors, but it is part of the elements that have made it such a successful story: it adds to the dramatic and compelling feel that the series has. It is also one of its most realistic traits, adding a gritty feel to the whole thing.
