Hebiichigo

was a kunoichi from Kirigakure.

Background
Hebiichigo was an orphan with no memories of her family. She grew up on a trash heap outside of Kirigakure. She would scrounge the area for anything of remote value. During this time, she learned to sew, finding a real pleasure in it even when others found it a waste of time and resources. One day, a missing-nin chanced on the area and attacked her. Desperate to live, she used a pole to kill them. Being praised for her efforts by a Kiri-nin, Hebiichigo made the decision to become a shinobi herself.

Personality
Stemming from her harsh childhood, Hebiichigo was easily confrontational and self-serving. Her reason for becoming a shinobi was to feel of worth, believing her only talent was killing people. Like her team, Hebiichigo came to hate the peaceful era for Kirigakure brought by the Sixth Mizukage, seeing it as an insult to their heritage. She sought to restore the violent era of the "Bloody Mist". Hebiichigo was shown to very sadistic, revelling in the suffering of her targets. Despite her cruel and savage nature, she was also shown to have a strong sense of self-preservation, desperately working to avoid any harm. However, she also had an interest in sewing, enjoying it as much as she enjoys killing.

Following her time in prison, Hebiichigo seemed to have regretted her past actions. Likewise, while trying to act personally indifferent about it, she was very loyal to her team-mates, openly defending them against accusations she didn't believe in. She was still a very insecure person. Not wanting to return to prison at all, she even suggested betraying Kirigakure by killing Kagura so they could escape the cursed seals placed on them, even if it meant a life of being fugitives. Likewise, while still having a strong sense of self-preservation, not wanting to die, her newfound loyalty made her able to overcome such fears. Even more, Kagura's death resonated with her, truly ashamed of her mistakes and wanting to honour his kindness. She also was not beyond showing empathy, able to relate to others in their time of hardship and wanting to help, though feigning indifference while doing so.

Appearance
Hebiichigo was a short young woman with long grey hair that is kept back with a forehead protector. She wore a red, pinstriped jumper that reached to her ankles in length, and was too big for her arms to fit, leggings of the same colour and flat heel shoes. After Shizuma's declaration of war, she donned a sleeveless black jinbaori war coat with tan lining and grey hemming, worn in the style of an open vest.

Abilities
Hebiichigo had quite proficient with long-range combat, shown by her ability to effectively use Nuibari to restrain her foes in its strings. However, due to her preference to such distance in combat, she was vulnerable to close-range combat. Outside combat, she was also a skilled seamstress, able to quickly mend tears in clothing.

School Trip Arc
When Shizuma approached Kagura Karatachi, Hebiichigo and her comrades accompanied him, where she stood guard, prepared to protect Shizuma if needed. Ultimately, Kagura gave into Shizuma's words and agreed to join his team. After which, Kagura lead his new team to the shinobi swords' vault. After acquiring the blades, with Hebiicihgo taking the Nuibari, Shizuma voiced more of his plans, noting that he had allies within the ranks of the Water Daimyō who agree with Shizuma's goal of restoring the "Blood Mist" era. He also intended to place Kagura as the new Mizukage, continuing the vicious reign of the Fourth Mizukage.

Their first act of revolution was to destroy the Kirigakure Memorial Stone. Before they could destroy it, they were confronted by Boruto and Sarada, along with Chōjūrō. Shizuma was glad at this development and cut off the area with his Crimson Mist Barrier Technique to begin the battle. Hebiichigo manages to restrain the Sixth Mizukage with her blade's strings. From this, she and her allies voiced their utter distain for Chōjūrō for "robbing" them of their pride as ninja. She and two allies then strike at their subdued foe.

Chōjūrō anticipated their attack patterns and used it to broke free. While the revolutionaries scoffed at Chōjūrō facing them with only a standard katana, Chōjūrō retorted that a weapon is only as powerful as its wielder. Proving his point, he continues to exploit the revolutionaries' key weakness and defeated them. Seeing through Hebiichigo's fear of bodily harm, he willingly takes the Nuibari's blade through his shoulder, taking away Hebiichigo's only weapon and closing the distance to swiftly knock her out. She was then detained by the Mizukage. After the group was defeated and rounded up, the event was covered up by the Mizukage while Hebiichigo and her team, minus Kagura, were sent to prison for rehabilitation.

Great Sea Battle of Kirigakure Arc
Sometime later, Hebiichigo, along with Kyohō Fuefuki and Buntan Kurosuki, were moved to a new state-of-the-art prison. They did not take part in Shizuma's escape, leaving their 10 years sentence unchanged. After the Funato Clan broke out their leader from prison and took control of all the neighbouring islands, Kagura recruited them three to deal with the situation, even allowing them access to the blades they wielded, though they were branded with cursed seals. Hebiichigo was amused they'd have to work with Team 7, laughing at their discomfort. Upon arriving at Dotō Island to help the Konoha Team 5, Kagura decided that only Sarada Uchiha and Mitsuki would go ahead to spy on the situation. The rest were later approached by a massive structure. Realising it was a fortress ship, Kagura instructed Boruto, Buntan, and Kawaki to investigate the rest remained behind to rendezvous with Mitsuki and Sarada.

After receiving updates from Sarada and Boruto, Kagura took Hebiichigo and Kyohō to the fortress, to aid in destroying its Chakra Cannon. They joined up with Boruto's group, Hebiichigo sewing the door behind shut against Funato reinforcements, but were attacked by Tenma Funato before deciding how to destroy the cannon. Hebiichigo was injured, and the sight of her blood sent Kyohō in a rage, attacking Tenma. When Kagura had to knock Kyohō out, she looked after him. After Boruto used the cannon to destroy the fortress, they escaped on a lifeboat, and were rescued by Sarada's group. The swordsmen celebrated a reduced sentence over their mission's success, their presence surprising Team 5. They all headed back to Kirigakure.

The following morning, Taiki was discovered to have been murdered. Suspicion fell on Kyohō, who was discovered trying to clean blood off Kabutowari, and who had recently gone through a rage he had no memory of. She believed him when he claimed innocence, pointing his heavy sleep because of the rage, and separated Iwabee from him with Nuibari, having to be talked by Buntan. She partnered with Metal to search the ship for the true culprit. Metal asked her about Kyohō, and she was sure he'd never kill innocent bystanders for no reason. She was puzzled by Metal's sudden conviction in proving Kyohō's innocence. A witness came forward with damning testimony, but Kawaki noticed inconsistencies in it, and already suspicious by how fast word of the murder had spread, he set up a trap by faking Kyohō's death. The real culprit, Kobasoza, was exposed, and was chased to the engine room. Hebiichigo immobilised him for a moment, but he forced his way to the engine, killing himself to damage it. Kyohō protected Hebiichigo from the explosion with his body, for which she was grateful.

As the ship was stuck in the middle of the sea, they were found by master shipbuilder Kajiki. Unable to repair the ship at sea, he towed the ship to his port. There, Ninja Swordsmen joined Kagura to report to Kirigakure. On phone, they learned that Chōjūrō had left the village to join the frontlines against the Funato Clan. Later, Hebiichigo spied on Kagura as he received a report from Kirigakure. Much to her dismay, she learned that despite the swordsmen's earnest work on the mission, their sentences would only be reduced by 3 years. Furious, she reported to her team-mates the news and suggested they kill Kagura, taking advantage of his trust in them, and escape. Buntan and Kyohō however rejected the idea, as they'd become fugitives for life. Deciding to go alone, she snuck into Kagura's room and struck at the bed, only for it to be a diversion, as Kagura already set up the room to protect him from such attacks. Hebiichigo declared her fury at Kagura's empty promises before fleeing. Outside, she noticed a large ship approaching the island.

That night, the Funato Clan attacked the island. Hebiichigo watched as Kagura fought Funamushi, and considered using the opportunity to kill Kagura. She was attacked by one of the men controlled by Funamushi's leeches, but Metal Lee protected her, happy she was okay. By morning, the Funato attack had been repelled. Buntan asked Hebiichigo if she tried killing Kagura after seeing his wounds. Before she could answer, Kagura approached them asked for their help investigating the attack, choosing to look past her attack on him, to her surprise. After discovering the Funato's plan to use a sea battle as a distraction to launch a sneak attack at Kirigakure, Kagura asked the swordsmen help. They agreed to help in exchange for a full pardon, which Kagura agreed to negotiate in person with Chōjūrō. They planned to intercept the Funato force in Kagura's childhood village, which was on the route the Funato were taking. Hebiichigo joined Team 5 in destroying two bridges to force the Funato into a disadvantageous position. Metal's suit ripped during it, so Hebiichigo offered to mend it. When fortifications were done, she was surprised that Kagura still trusted her, and he reaffirmed his belief that she could change.

The next day, as preparations were completed, Buntan confronted her about her attempt to kill Kagura. Hebiichigo was still furious at how small their sentence reductions were, and pessimistic about getting the acquittal even if they survive the fight with the Funato, she considered looking for Shizuma. Buntan revealed how Shizuma betrayed all of the swordsmen during his escape, and pointed how Kagura never abandoned them instead. She warned her not to trust the wrong person like she had, and promised not to hold back if she attacked Kagura again. Later, Kagura removed their cursed seals, not wishing for them to die if he were to be killed in battle. Buntan teased her about her attempt at Kagura. When the village was being evacuated and the shinobi hidden from the Funato scouts, Hebiichigo deserted the group, still feeling grim about their odds. Metal Lee tried to convince her to stay, but she knocked him out, even if she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

As she left the area, Hebiichigo was conflicted about defecting. She overheard Funato scouts discussing their counterattack, and changed her mind, informing Buntan and Kyohō. She arrived at the ravine in time to protect Kagura from an attack, but Funamushi's Water Release: Furious Roaring Tornado took advantage of the enclosed terrain, ravaging the area. The attack was blocked by the timely arrival of Team 5, who caused a landslide. Metal Lee was elated by her return, embarrassing her. Everyone retreated to the village, where the non-combatants were evacuated, and water sources were blocked to deter Funamushi's jutsu. When the Funato arrived, Hebiichigo partnered with Metal, providing wire footing for him to attack the Funato from above. Determined to avenge Seiren, Funamushi drained the blood of his own men to use his jutsu, requiring Kagura to channel most of his chakra into Hiramekarei to cut through it. Left weakened, Kagura was taken hostage by Funamushi, forcing everyone to drop their weapons. They watched in shock as he stabbed Kagura through his chest.

Furious with Funamushi, everyone retaliated. He initially repelled them with his Water Release, but Boruto overpowered him by activating his Kāma and landing a Rasengan, prompting a Funato retreat. His wound too severe, Kagura asked his allies to protect the village, and handed Hebiichigo his petition for the swordsmen's release. She believed herself to be unworthy of the release over her previous attempt on him and her defection, but he countered that she didn't kill him and returned before perishing. After his funeral, everyone agreed to take Sarada's orders, who decided to stay in the village, as Funamushi was sure to return, still wishing for vengeance.

While recovering from the attack, the village learned its food storage had been destroyed, forcing everyone to ration food. The swordsmen agreed with Boruto and Kawaki's wish to pursue the Funato for a counterattack while they were still weakened, but Sarada argued against it, pointing out the vulnerable position this would leave the village in. While the villagers were foregoing eating so the shinobi could be better prepared to defend them, Hebiichigo was the first to refuse it, letting children have her food. She later confided in Metal Lee and told him of her past and how she came to be a shinobi. While she believed killing was her only talent, Metal reminded her of her skill in sewing.

After the group discovers that Denki and Iwabee were captured by the Funato while gathering food, Metal was steadfast in believing his team-mates were still alive, but became more nervous about the upcoming battle. Hebiichigo confided in him that the reason she has survived so many battles while shinobi stronger than her haven't is that while in battle, she fought only for herself. The next morning, the battle began, and despite diminished numbers, the remaining Funato fought ever harder than before, even sacrificing each other. Their advantage increased when it began to rain, allowing Funamushi to use his Water Release: Raging Jellyfish. When Boruto assured them he could defeat him with a close hit, owing to Funamushi still being injured from the previous battle, Hebiichigo used Nuibari to hold him and his jutsu in place, struggling with the chakra cost while Metal covered for her. Funamushi was able to break free and managed to land a hit on her before being defeated by Boruto and killed by Buntan. Before passing, she thanked Metal for showing her kindness.

Legacy
Hebiichigo was buried beside Kagura, at the foot of the tree he trained under as a child. Her death was considered the steep price for avenging Kagura and protecting the village as he wished, but it also inspired the villagers to rebuild stronger than before.

Later, Buntan visited their graves. She thanked Kagura for pardoning them, and joked that Hebiichigo's pardoning being approved after her death was quite ironic, but hoped she was enjoying it in the afterlife.

Trivia

 * "Hebiichigo", literally meaning "snake strawberry", is a type of strawberry-like plant. Although the foliage and fruit are similar, it is not a true strawberry and can be distinguished perfectly by its yellow flowers, compared to the true strawberry that has them white or pink. It is cultivated in some areas as an ornamental plant and several regions consider it as invasive species.