Can you give us an exemple where the character's looks came first ?

Kishimoto : Zabuza ! I wanted a name to go with that look and that terrifying gigantic sword.

Then now give us the opposite, a character you got the name first.

Kishimoto : Jiraiya ! His name only sounds really Kabuki like. I imagined a wizard like hermit with a scroll in his mouth on a frog.
For Kimimaro too I got the name first. I put on him two marks on his head like aristocrats had during the Heian Period.
Thoses characters were created after the names.

When you start with the name, do you have any particular care for the name itself and the vibe it gives ?

Kishimoto : Of course. For Kimimaro, I heard the name on TV, in a historical series. It gave me a very "old japan" vibe.

So the characters' name do have an influence on their nature and personality ?

Kishimoto : Yes. Neji use Kaitens, Rotations. A Screw ( Which is what Neji means in japanese. ) rotates too like a spiral when it's used, so it's very close from Uzumaki/Whirlpool.
I had to actually try not to give names too close to some characters.
Haku means white, he have a very white skin and a very pure and genuine personality, so at the end, I included a scene where it snows which is reference on his name.
For Kiba I went to the looks first, a beast man. Since he's always with a dog I gave him the surname Inuzuka ( Inu means dog. )