Sarutobi Sasuke

Sarutobi Sasuke (猿飛佐助, Sarutobi Sasuke) is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted sometime between the Meiji to the Taishō periods. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as Kōzuki Sasuke (上月佐助, Kōzuki Sasuke) and Sarutobi Nisuke (猿飛仁助, Sarutobi Nisuke). His family name, meaning "monkey jump", is written with two kanji; saru (猿) is the character for "monkey", and tobi (飛) is the character for "jump". He was known for his monkey-like agility and quickness, especially in trees. Many depictions portray him as having been orphaned and raised by a band of monkeys, therefore giving rise to the monkey-like abilities. He has been described as a superhero ninja, and caused a boom of ninjas in popular culture during the 1910s-1920s in Japan.