Matsuri

is a Genin from Sunagakure. She is a close friend of Sari and a lover of everything elite. Because of this, she adores the Kazekage and can't see any man but him.

Part I
Matsuri debuted in the final arc of the anime. She was a student of Sunagakure's new Ninja Academy. At the beginning of the weapon-handling lesson, Matsuri asked if weapons are just dangerous. While the class and the teachers wondered the question, Gaara said suddenly "A weapon..." and made Matsuri thought if Gaara was trying to tell her something. Therefore, she was the only person out of the entire class to choose Gaara to be her teacher. Gaara trained her how to use a jouhyou, but she was fearful of it and other weapons because she had witnessed her parents' murder in the past. Gaara tried to tell her that weapons can be used to protect comrades, but Matsuri didn't understand his sayings at first.

Later, the Shitenshounin kidnapped Matsuri to try to lure Gaara out, capture him, and steal the Shukaku's chakra stored within him. Gaara, his siblings, and the Konoha 11 came to her aid and fought her captors. After being freed, she saved Naruto from a fatal attack from Seimei using her jouhyou after realizing that weapons can be used to protect comrades. After Seimei's defeat, she returned to Sunagakure with Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. But before she left, she asked Shikamaru to tell Naruto that he had made her understand what Gaara had been trying to tell her and that she would continue to train as Gaara's student.

Rescue Gaara
Matsuri made her first post-timeskip appearance in the Naruto Shippūden anime as part of the Suna ninja team Temari had assembled to aid in rescuing Gaara. Temari's team had been first sent out to patrol a border crossing. Matsuri seems to have undergone a personality change since her becoming Gaara's student; she is no longer the shy girl afraid of weapons, and has become somewhat outspoken. She complained to Temari about how they had should be trying to rescue Gaara rather than defending the border against countries that might seek to take advantage of the Kazekage's absence. After his revival, she became one of many of Gaara's admirers, pledging her devotion to him, and beginning a competition with Sari to protect him.

Trivia

 * In the manga, Matsuri's only appearance is after Gaara is revived.
 * Matsuri makes an appearance in the Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 4 game as the Sand Chunin walking around the Save point outside of the Sand Village.
 * "Matsuri" means "festival".