Naruto Series: Yamato (ISTJ)

Si:

“The devil’s in the details.”

“You might think I’m being unnecessarily cautious, but that’s the way I am. Anyone have a problem with that?”

“All I can really do for now is live by the rules, but that’s okay, because now I know that I’m capable of protecting someone.”

“No, of course not! You ordered me to take him back to the village. I wouldn’t disobey you!”

Yamato from the Naruto series is a classic example of an ISTJ. He is a clear Si dominant, being both cautious, detail oriented, and submissive to the rules.  Yamato’s cautious nature is demonstrated time and time again, especially when leading Team 7. He always comes up with detailed plan, which he then clearly explains to all those working with him. He also demonstrates a desire to gather as many details as possible when forming his plans. When working with Sakura to recreate Sasori, he specifically emphasizes that she should give him every detail she can think of.  During that particular mission, he also came up with multiple plans to account for alternate ways the mission might play out. He had a tendency to frustrate Team 7 due to his overly cautious nature, like when he required them to run a battle simulation prior to the real meeting with Kabuto.  He berates unnecessarily risky and excess behavior, which is typical for a conservative Si dominant. His literal, detail oriented nature actually extends to small things, like when Kakashi tries to say that dipping noodles and ramen are basically the same thing. Yamato instantly contradicts him, and begins explaining how they are completely different. Lastly, young Yamato struggles breaking the rules on multiple occasions. At one point, he’s even shown specifically thinking about how all he can really do is live by the rules. Older Yamato is quick to berate Kakashi for ignoring the rules, like calling him by the name of Tenzo.

Te:

“You’re no longer ninja-in-training who need to be shielded from danger. You’re shinobi that must surpass Kakashi, and bear the Leaf on your shoulders. We can’t afford compassion… If we stop now, we fail.”

“If you cause any delay, we’ll have to leave you behind.”

Yamato is quiet, calm, structured, disciplined, and level-headed. He displays a general desire to maintain control of himself and his surrounding. As a result, he gets easily frustrated when members of Team 7 don’t listen to him. Of course,  as any Te user, Yamato isn’t afraid to take disciplinary action. Yamato’s first instinct is to use intimidation tactics to scare his subordinates into submission. When that fails, he is willing take things a step farther. At one point, he tells Team 7 that while he prefers a kinder and gentler approach, he isn’t afraid to use Draconian methods. He threatens to do things like throw Naruto and Sai into a cage to fight it out. When pursuing Orochimaru and Kabuto, Yamato threatens to leave one of the members of Team 7 behind if they cause any delays, saying that they can’t afford compassion. He also doesn’t bother to spare people’s feeling, not struggling in the least to inform Naruto of what he had just done to Sakura. Yamato also keeps people focused on the task at hand. When Kakashi tries to start explaining the yin and yang of chakra, Yamato cuts in and tells him that the information is unnecessary for Naruto’s training. Yamato’s hard working nature is displayed over and over again, especially when he’s helping Kakashi train Naruto.

Fi:

“All that I wanted was to keep her protected.”

Yamato keeps a tight lid on his emotions. He’s not typically shown empathizing with others, or allowing his own personal feelings to affect the mission. The one exception to this would be as a child when he met the girl who kept calling him Tenzo. While waiting for Orochimaru, he essentially forms a bond with her and then realizes that he needs to save her. His desire to protect others, especially in that instance, can easily be seen as a manifestation of his Fi. On a later mission, Kakashi saves him, which not only surprises Yamato but prompts him to say that he deserved to die, which is an example of his Fi condemning his own behavior. His Fi is also what prevents him from killing Kakashi and taking his eye. Shortly there after, Yamato also draws strength from his Fi when standing up to Danzo and openly proclaiming that he is a shinobi for the Leaf and not just the Foundation.

Ne:

Yamato’s inferior Ne primarily manifests is his overly cautious nature. He is shown thinking up multiple different scenarios and accounting for each one, like in the case of the Kabuto meeting that was mentioned in the dominant Si section. His suspicious nature also prompts him to plant a seed in Sai’s clothing and food in order to track him. In addition, Yamato clearly struggles with sudden, impulsive or unplanned actions, which is a common struggle for those with an inferior extraverted perceiving function. He gets flustered when Kakashi quickly latches onto the idea of accompanying Naruto to see the Raikage. He also struggles to come up with a cover story for Naruto’s trip to cloud island, in spite having an excessive amount of time to think about it, suggesting a general lack of Ne creativity.