Sumire Kakei

, born, is an Academy student from Konohagakure, and a representative of her Academy class. Later, she is revealed to be the culprit behind the Ghost incidents.

Background
After Danzō Shimura died and the existance of Root and its actions were made public knowledge, Sumire and her family became ostracised from the village. This contributed to Sumire's mother growing ill and later dying. This affected Sumire deeply, as one of the few joys she experienced was spending time with her mother brushing her hair and over time Sumire couldn't even remember her mother's voice. Sumire's father, Tanuki Shigaraki trained her from a young age, in order to avenge Root. Eventually, he bestowed her with Gozu Tennō. After the death of her parents, Sumire became an orphan and created the identity of "Sumire Kakei", deciding that it was best to wait and create a cover story before exacting her father's plan. Sumire eventually became the representative of her Academy class, during which, she began nurturing the Nue's development.

Personality
While under the guise of "Sumire Kakei", she was a rather meek and quiet girl who, like many children her age, adored the Seventh Hokage. While not very outspoken, Sumire showed genuine concern for her classmates. Sumire was also very respectful and dutiful, and wished to avoid conflict if necessary. Her reason for wanting to become a shinobi was to live up to her father's memory.

Once dropping the guise of a meek girl, Sumire is shown to be a very driven person, and, due to her arduous training as a child, dedicated towards completing her father's final request, showing no remorse for her former friends and other villagers. When confronted by Boruto, Sumire exclaimed that the Sumire he knew never existed. Despite this, she had still come to value the friendship she made with her fellow classmates who in reality did not want to hurt anyone. Thanks to Boruto's unwavering loyalty to her, Sumire was able to let go of her past and answer for her mistakes. She also developed a strong bond to Nue, seeing it as her family.

Appearance
Sumire is a young girl with purple-coloured eyes and hair, the back of which is tied into two long braided ponytails. Her hair frames her face and her bangs hang just above her eyes. She dons a black polo neck shirt, with a violet dress over it that has a white collar on it, knotted by a purple ribbon, almost resembling a seifuku overall with long black stockings.

At some point, her father placed the formula for the Gozu Tennō on her back. While undercover, Sumire wears a cracked pale-white mask with two horn-like disfigurements and a white cloak. Underneath her cloak, she wears a purple sleeveless halterneck shirt with a light pink sash around her waist and pants with long fingerless gloves. She also has bandages wrapped around her wrists and footwear and she lets her hair down. After letting go of her anger, the Gozu Tennō was removed. Soon after, it was replaced with a small red dot on her left palm, serving as an eye for Nue.

Abilities
Having gone through arduous training since a young age, Sumire is a very capable kunoichi. She was shown able to hold her own against a squadron of adult and elite ninja, who only acknowledged Sumire's skill. Her most powerful asset, however, is her deceptive and manipulative nature that has allowed her to forge herself a new identity, that of a meek and ordinary young girl.

Ninjutsu
Sumire excels in Water Release, able to perform various techniques, like creating clones, protective walls, and projectiles. She has considerable skill in shurikenjutsu, able to counter an attack with her kunai while simultaneously throwing it accurately.

Through the Gozu Tennō placed on her back, she is able to summon Nue to assist her. Even without full manifesting its form, and has shown the ability to create a snake-like mass of dark chakra to attack with. While the summoning contract was later destroyed, thanks to having a strong bond with the creature, she retained a portion of its essence sealed in her left palm.

Physical Prowess
Sumire is very fast and nimble, able to effectively evade attacks and evade a group of pursers. She also has noticeable taijutsu prowess, able to fight on par with Mitsuki. She is very stealthy in general, able to effectively hide her presence, making it very hard to locate her.

Academy Arc
On the day of the entrance ceremony, as everyone began looking for an absent Boruto, he suddenly appeared, crashing a train into the Hokage Monument, which left Sumire amazed at his antics. Shikamaru then had everyone clear out to begin clean-up. Two weeks later, after Boruto's suspension ended and he finally joined the class, he quickly began making another spectacle of himself, amazing Sumire by his consistent nature to stand out. Chōchō Akimichi however noted that it was only because he keeps getting into trouble. Sumire tried to settle things down when Inojin Yamanaka began speaking out. Later, Boruto got into a confrontation with the class' top student Iwabee Yuino. As two students began arguing about what it means to be shinobi, they decided to skip class to settle things in fight. Despite her concern about class, Sumire joined the rest of the class to watch the fight in a training arena. During the fight, Sumire noted that Boruto really seems to be striving to make a name for himself outside his relationship to the Seventh Hokage. Ultimately, Boruto and Inojin's respective words resonated with Iwabee, ending the fight. Despite the pleasant ending, Sumire and the rest of the class were fiercely scolded later by sensei Anko Mitarashi for skipping class. The following day, Sumire is relieved to see Boruto getting along better with everyone. Chōchō teases Sumire about her concern for Boruto, to which an embarrassed Sumire insists it is purely from her status as class rep.

Weeks later, as class started learning shurikenjutsu, Sumire was upset that her own performance wasn't showing much progress. Eventually, Boruto Uzumaki's reckless fun with a fūma shuriken caused some property damage. Their teacher Shino Aburame decided to have Boruto, along with a bunch of other students help with repairs to the Hokage Rock, although he insisted that Sumire's part would mainly be supervision. Later, as the group neared completing their work, an anxious Metal Lee got too worked up and caused more damage. Afterwards, realising that Lee suffered from social anxiety, Shikadai commented on it, insisting that he get over it. As Lee walked away shamed, Sumire felt bad for him, noting that he easily works harder than anyone else in their class.

During a class introducing students to summoning techniques, Boruto got into an argument with Sarada, which caused all the boys to argue with the girls, to which Konohamaru broke up the squabble. Later during their lunch break, Boruto began to fight with Sarada over who would get the last yakisoba bun. Shino appeared, insisting that they boys and girls settle things with a race challenge for a flag. The challenge quickly got heated up, causing much property damage, leading Sumire on getting the flag and winning for the girls. Despite their victory, the girls made peace with the boys.

After the class gained a new transfer student from Otogakure named Mitsuki — wanting the students to warm up to Mitsuki, Shino organised a welcoming party for the new student. Sumire was amazed at the effort of the stoic Shino, who explained to the class rep that he struggled making friends growing up due to his loner nature and wanted to make sure his students don't have the same problem. Ultimately, Shino's efforts for the party backfired with his insects, the class began to freak out, with Denki begging someone to make the insects go away, which Mitsuki did with his Wind Release: Breakthrough, causing even more damage to the Academy.

Later, Sumire realises that she is being stalked. Eventually, she and her friends discover that it is Magire, a shy student from a different class. When Magire meekly asks her out, Sumire turned him down, leaving him distraught and running away in shame. The following day, to Sumire's horror, various creepy messages are left for her. Eventually, she is confronted by the perpetrator, revealed to be a possessed Magire, who kidnaps her. When her friends found them, Magire quickly attacked them with his concealment skills. Eventually, Chōchō was able to reach Magire, noting that such an indecisive nature will never win anyone over. Accepting his poor methods of trying to make Sumire like him, the spectre was rejected from Magire. As Magire began to apologise for his actions he fainted, resulting from severe chakra drain caused from his possession. While the others quickly took him to the hospital, Sumire checks on Boruto, who was acting strange as he was the only one who was able to see the truth behind Magire's strange actions.

The class was later assigned by Shino to split into groups of three and each tail a different workplace for a few days to better understand non-shinobi life. Sumire suggested her group go to the Water Purification Plant. On the second day, the Sumire unleashed the Nue on the feigning being a victim. She was ultimately "saved" by the Hokage, who took Sumire and her fellow injured classmates to the hospital. Her friends and teacher soon afterwards went to check on her. Later, Sumire watched solemnly as her injured classmates were relieved from care early and left with their respective parents.

Soon after realising that her identity was found out, Sumire left the hospital, having feigned injuries, and decided to complete her mission. She was ultimately ambushed by Sai Yamanaka and his team. While initially subdue, she summoned the Nue to rampage the village. As she slipped away, she was confronted by Mitsuki, who noted his mission to kill her. As the two began fighting, Boruto arrived, demanding answers. Sumire bluntly stated that her entire existence has always been for revenge. As Boruto intervened in another clash between his two friends, his eye began to act wildly. Nue then teleported above the children. Sumire calmly offered herself as the necessary chakra to complete its development, which the creature consumed her whole.

Boruto and Mitsuki followed her into Nue's pocket dimension. Together, they were able to subdue the beast. Before Mitsuki could destroy it, Sumire appeared to defend it. Boruto stepped in, insisting her identity as Class Rep was the real her. Torn between all she knew, Sumire ordered the Nue to take her chakra and finish her father's plan, only for Nue to instead affectionately snuggle against her. Boruto noted that as Sumire basically raised Nue, it has come to view her as a parent. As Boruto continued insisting that she can forge her own path void of anger, Sumire was finally able to let go of her own anger, breaking the Gozu Tennō. This caused the dimension to begin crumbling around them. As Sumire resigned to accept demise as penance, she finally remembered her mother's voice and sincere desire for her happiness.

This, along with Boruto coming to her aid, convinced her to come back. Nue then helped the three students escape the dimension, being left behind from falling debris. Back in the normal dimension, Sai and his unit arrived. Sympathising with Sumire's past, he offered to help her rebuild her life, which Sumire accepted as she turned herself in. Before leaving, Boruto noticed that piece of Nue's essence remained with Sumire on her left palm, much to her delight.

Trivia

 * means violet.