Buntan Kurosuki

Buntan Kurosuki ( 黒鋤文淡 , Kurosuki Buntan ) is a kunoichi from Kirigakure .

## Background [ ]

As a child, Buntan was raised solely by her mother, who often told her that she was worthless just like her father, Raiga , who wasn't aware of Buntan's existence. At some point, she began a relationship with Shizuma Hoshigaki .

## Personality [ ]

Like her allies, Buntan has a great hatred for the peaceful era for Kirigakure brought by the Sixth Mizukage, viewing it as an insult to their heritage as they calmly allow tourists to visit the village. Joining Shizuma Hoshigaki , she seeks to restore the "Bloody Mist" era and usurp Chōjūrō . Despite never meeting him, she is very fond of her father, and appears to hold a grudge against Naruto for killing him. She was originally in love with Shizuma and the feelings were seemingly reciprocated, leading Buntan to have unwavering loyalty to him.

In battle, she has great confidence in her abilities, viewing academy students like Boruto Uzumaki and Sarada Uchiha as being beneath her. Beneath her sadistic and arrogant demeanour, however, is a great amount of insecurity. Never knowing her father and being raised by a mother who showed no love, Buntan became desperate to prove her worth. As such, she feels that power obtained through a lineage like kekkei genkai is a cheat. On missions, she is cold and detached, believing that eliminating the enemies is the most efficient way to move unnoticed. Likewise, she prides herself as a very efficient interrogator, able to get anyone to talk. Despite this merciless nature, her love for her village's history has also led her to become well-versed in its ancient teachings, including for healing.

Buntan developed a heated rivalry with Sarada, stemming from their battle during the latter's field trip at Kirigakure , which resulted in Buntan's defeat and subsequent imprisonment. After Buntan and her allies were granted the chance to reduce their sentences by aiding Kagura and Team 7 with the Funato Clan 's threat, Buntan resumed her rivalry with Sarada, both of them butting heads due to Buntan's reckless and bloodthirsty suggestions to eliminate their enemies, while Sarada urged them to remain cautious and out-of-sight.

Following her time in prison, between being betrayed by Shizuma and spending time thinking about her mistakes, she came to regret her actions. Likewise, she lost all feelings for Shizuma and became hellbent on killing him over his betrayal. She is also shown to be very loyal to her team-mates. After Kagura saved her from Tenma Funato 's attack, she developed a sense of appreciation and loyalty to him, as even though hearing that her prison sentence was reduced by a mere three years despite their efforts, she did not condone Hebiichigo 's suggestion of killing Kagura to escape. She can also be very compassionate, hugging her allies for emotional support.

Following Boruto's successful efforts to end the war peacefully, as well as witnessing the deaths of both Kagura and Hebiichigo as results of revenge from both sides, Buntan decided to let go of her hatred and desired revenge against Shizuma. Proudly wearing her Kiri forehead protector, she now wishes to live up to Kagura's expectations of her, and vowing to merely arrest Shizuma should they ever meet again to keep the faith that Kagura had in her intact.

## Appearance [ ]

Buntan is a young woman (described as appearing about five years older than Sarada Uchiha shortly before she became a genin) of average height and pale complexion with a slender built. She short and straight comb-backed blonde hair, a beauty-mark above the right of her upper-lip, and sharp teeth. She had blue-coloured eyes with a darker ripple around the pupil, a trait she inherited from Raiga. She wears a red, pinstriped and sleeveless dress with a short skirt and leggings of the same design. She also dons a forehead protector and long wrist wraps, in addition to a sword hilt. After Shizuma's declaration of war, she dons a long-sleeved black jinbaori war coat with tan lining and grey hemming, draped over her shoulders in the style of a cloak.

## Abilities [ ]

Buntan has demonstrated expertise in her movements, giving her characteristics of a trained shinobi or chūnin . She was skilled enough that Shizuma recruited her to be Kiba 's wielder in his New Seven Ninja Swordsmen .

### Ninjutsu [ ]

Buntan can use Lightning Release chakra to enhance the striking power of her attacks. When comparing her Lightning Release to Boruto's, she cited that hers was substantially stronger. Similar to her late father, Buntan is proficient in a variety of lighting-based techniques, including creating orbs , armour , and self-attacking creatures . She has also shown proficiency in Medical Ninjutsu , able to cure seasickness.

#### Kenjutsu [ ]

Buntan shows a particularly advanced skill in kenjutsu , able to calmly deflect a barrage of shuriken with her blade alone. In addition, her proficiency in it allows her to use it simultaneously alongside her Lightning Release. This allows her to quickly adjusted to using the Kiba, which also shows her to be an ambidextrous swordswoman. With the lightning-imbued properties of these twin blades, Buntan is able to greatly augment her attacks and likewise energise herself. She also excels in controlling the Kiba remotely , letting her attack from a distance and from multiple directions at once.

## New Era [ ]

### School Trip Arc [ ]

Main article: School Trip Arc

When Shizuma approached Kagura Karatachi , Buntan and her comrades accompanied him, where she protected Shizuma from Boruto's shuriken attacks . She later accompanied Shizuma and his group when Kagura took them to the shinobi swords' vault. Upon opening the container, Buntan took her father's swords Kiba, and used them on Puppets protecting the vault. Later, at their hideout, Buntan voiced to Shizuma on that now that they had their swords and Kagura, they could start their revolution. Upon arriving at Memorial Park during the night, the group drew their swords in preparation to destroy the village's Memorial Stone. Before being able to, they were confronted by Boruto and Sarada, who were accompanied by Chōjūrō. Taking the opportunity to kill the Mizukage , Shizuma erected a mist barrier around the surrounding area.

Ichirōta Oniyuzu used Shibuki on the ground, leading to Buntan and Sarada falling in a chasm. As Buntan began to attack and overwhelm Sarada, she made an effort to keep her distance so she wouldn't get caught in genjutsu , and attacked using her submerged fish . During the fight, Sarada managed to copy some of Buntan's techniques thus leading to a stalemate, until Buntan is placed in a genjutsu . Taking advantage of the hydrogen gas built up from the fish, Sarada used a Explosive Tag to ignite the cave, which caused an explosion that knocked out Buntan. She was soon after detained by Chōjūrō .

Following the group being defeated and rounded up, the event was covered up by the Mizukage while Buntan and her team, minus Kagura, were sent to prison for rehabilitation. Sometime later, the swordsmen were moved to a new state-of-the-art prison. Shizuma planned an escape with Buntan, in which Hebiichigo and Kyohō were to be left behind, and Ichirōta and Hassaku would be scapegoats for a diversion. During the escape, Buntan was poisoned as part of Shizuma's plan and he abandoned her, using her as another distraction. As she, Hebiichigo, and Kyohō did not take part on the escape, their ten years sentences remained unchanged.

### Great Sea Battle of Kirigakure Arc [ ]

Main article: Great Sea Battle of Kirigakure Arc

After the Funato Clan broke out their leader from prison and took over all the neighbouring islands, Kagura recruited Hebiichigo, Kyohō and Buntan to deal with the situation, even allowing them access to the blades they wielded, though they were branded with cursed seals. She was amused to see Team 7 . Upon arriving at Dotō Island to help the Konoha Team 5 , Kagura decided that only Sarada 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 Buntan to investigate it along Boruto and Kawaki. Discovering that Tenma Funato was in control of the fortress, Buntan explained who he was to Boruto and Kawaki. As they moved around, Buntan killed the Funato soldiers, drawing censure from Boruto. Concerned about Kawaki's seasickness messing up her opportunity to reduce her prison sentence, she cured it. Upon further investigation, they discovered a massive, long-range, scientific ninja tool Chakra Cannon.

After Boruto managed to radio Kagura and warned him about the Chakra Cannon, they learned that Sarada's group was on the fortress's path, requiring them to destroy the cannon themselves. They used Kagura's distraction to get close to the cannon, and were joined by Kagura's group. Before they could decide how to do it, they were attacked by Tenma. She warned the others about Kyohō's rage, and was protected by Kagura from one of Tenma's attacks, much to her surprise. Buntan held off Funato guards while Boruto used the maintenance cranes to aim the cannon at the fortress itself as it fired. They all escaped on a lifeboat and were rescued by Sarada's group. The swordsmen celebrated a reduced sentence with the mission's success, their presence surprising Team 5, before all heading back to Kirigakure.

The following morning, Taiki was discovered to have been murdered. Suspicion fell on Kyohō over his discovery cleaning blood off Kabutowari, and his recent rampage he had no memory of. Buntan believed him when he claimed innocence, and talked Hebiichigo down when tensions rose between her and Iwabee. She partnered up with Sarada searching the ship for the true culprit. A witness came forward with damning testimony, but Kawaki noticed inconsistencies in it, and suspicious of how fast word about the murder had spread, set up a trap by faking Kyohō's death. The real culprit, Kobanza , was exposed, and Buntan wished to interrogate him to gain intel about the Funato Clan. Kobanza chose to kill himself to destroy the ship's engine rather than betray the clan. 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 the phone, they learned that Chōjūrō had left the village to join the front-lines against the Funato Clan. Buntan was annoyed to hear they would be staying on the island longer.

Later, Buntan learned from Hebiichigo who spied on Kagura that their sentence was only reduced by 3 years. As Hebiichigo insisted they take advantage of their trust from Kagura to kill him and escape, Buntan remained opposed to the idea. While keeping quiet, Buntan was against it as she still felt indebted to Kagura for protecting her. Instead, she said such an act would only mean they'd be fugitives for the rest of their lives. Hebiichigo thought that Buntan got soft, Buntan told her to try escaping on her own if she was so determined. Later that night, as Buntan wondered if Hebiichigo would go through with killing Kagura, the Funato Clan attacked the island. Kyohō was slow in alerting her of a leech getting on her, and she briefly struggled with it. By morning, the Funato attack had been repelled, and Buntan joined the investigation on it. Noticing Kagura's injury, she questioned Hebiichigo about it, but before she could answer, Kagura asked for their help.

After deciphering the coded message recovered from the Funato, they discovered the sea battle was a distraction so they could launch a sneak attack on Kirigakure while most of their forces were away. Kagura asked from the swordsmen's help, but they only agreed in exchange for a full pardon, which he agreed to personally negotiate with Chōjūrō. He took them to his childhood village, which was on the route the Funato forces were taking, so they could intercept them. She and Sarada ended up contributing to the plan together, noting that taking down two bridges would funnel the Funato into a ravine, putting them at a disadvantage. While fortifying the village's defences, the two began getting along better. As preparations got along, she confronted Hebiichigo about her attempt to kill Kagura, and revealed Shizuma's betrayal at the prison to dissuade her from looking for him. Buntan explained her goal of tracking Shizuma down and killing him after being released, and pointed out that unlike Shizuma, Kagura didn't abandon them at any point. Kagura called for the swordsmen and removed their cursed seals in anticipation for battle, explaining that if he was killed, the seals would also kill them. Buntan teased Hebiichigo about how she almost got them killed. Word of Funato scouts reached the village, so they had to hide and pretend the village was normal. Butan was frustrated when learning Hebiichigo deserted the group, and volunteered to go retrieve her. Despite Sarada's apprehension, Kagura and Boruto trusted her and Kyohō to the task.

Buntan and Kyohō followed the path they believed she'd take, Buntan annoyed at the timing of her defection even after hearing her advice. Hebiichigo changed her mind after overhearing Funato scouts discussing a counterattack, and informed them. The three arrived in time to fight the Funato, 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. 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, Buntan partnered with Sarada, both of them attacking with Lightning Release. 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. While he initially repelled them with his Water Release, Boruto overpowered him by activating his Kāma and landing a Rasengan, prompting a Funato retreat. His wound too severe, Kagura used his last moments to ask everyone to protect the village. He was thankful for Buntan staying with him until the end, and gave Hebiichigo his petition to have them released. After Kagura's funeral, before taking any action, Buntan stressed they only made it so far by following Kagura's orders, and suggested Sarada take command of the mission. Everyone agreed to it, and Sarada decided they should 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 them to ration food. Buntan agreed with Boruto's suggestion to pursue the Funato to counterattack when they were still weak, but Sarada argued that too many of them leaving would make the village vulnerable in case of an attack, which would facilitate their ambush to Kirigakure. Everyone also agreed to let the villagers have their food portions.

When the group learned that the Funato had captured Denki and Iwabee, Buntan believed they were either dead or would be soon, recalling Kagura. While Sarada took note of the Funato positions around the village, Buntan advised her not to get so tense before battle, but she stressed that as captain, it was on her for no one to die. The next day, the battle began, the remaining Funato fighting even harder. When it began to rain, Funamushi used his Water Release: Raging Jellyfish to attack indiscriminately. Buntan attacked it with Lightning Release from a distance as a distraction so Hebiichigo could hold it in place with Nuibari. Funamushi was able to break free and landed a fatal blow on Hebiichigo, but received a Rasengan from Boruto. On the ground, he managed to catch Boruto off guard, but Buntan was faster, stabbing him with Kiba just as he stabbed Kagura, killing him. Buntan mourned Hebiichigo as she died.

Two days later, the village received relief aid from Kirigakure, who also accepted Kagura's petition for pardon. When the search for Denki and Iwabee turned up an injured Funato soldier instead, Buntan was against Sarada healing him, even if he had information on Denki and Iwabee, believing them to have been killed, as they hadn't even been used as bargaining chips in negotiations. Buntan visited Kagura's and Hebiichigo's graves, musing on the irony of Hebiichigo dying before getting her pardon when she was the one of them who wanted it most. She pressed Sarada to leave the village and join Kirigakure's forces against the Funato, willing to stay in the village only one more day. The following day, Denki and Iwabee arrived, having escaped on their own when the Funato rushed away upon learning of Funamushi's defeat. They also shared their unlikely theory on why he didn't have them killed or used in negotiations. That night, they began interrogating the captured Funato soldier, and when Team 7 returned from an ambush on Boruto by Gokai and Kobuna , Funamushi's son, it sparked a discussion on how to fight the Funato. The captured soldier shocked them by revealing that Ikada was Seiren 's younger brother.

Having it confirmed on the radio while listening to Araumi's broadcast, even hearing Ikada himself, Buntan and Kyohō opposed Boruto, who wished to return to Kirigakure to stop the war. They wished to get revenge for Kagura and Hebiichigo, and attacked them. Iwabee and Denki protected Team 7, allowing them to escape. As both sides continued to fight and exhaust themselves, Metal eventually spoke up, insisting that they would bring no peace to Kagura and Hebiichigo if they continued fighting each other and that they must unite for the upcoming war. Buntan and Kyohō ultimately agreed to stop fighting, but Buntan made it clear she would still go after the Funato for revenge. Putting their differences aside, the group decided to reunite with their allies. They learned that Team 7 had boarded the Funato's main warship. Buntan agreed to go join them, still wishing to exact revenge on the Funato.

Acquiring a boat, the group sped off to aid Team 7. They arrived in time to watch Boruto sacrifice himself to the Funato to end the war. Between Boruto willingly throwing himself into the raging water to die and his team-mates honouring his sacrifice, Ikada had a change of heart. He saved Boruto and agreed to end the war, a sentiment that was shared with his men. With the situation changed, Metal asked what Buntan would do now. She calmly put her blades down, agreeing to not fight. In the aftermath, Kyohō and Buntan returned to Kagura's and Hebiichigo's graves to tell them of their success. Buntan decided to return to Kiri, wishing to capture Shizuma to make him pay for his crimes instead of killing him for revenge.

## In Other Media [ ]

### Video Games [ ]

Buntan, along with Hebiichigo and Shizuma Hoshigaki , appears in the Naruto Mobile game menu dedicated to the introduction of Chōjūrō into the game as the Sixth Mizukage .

## Trivia [ ]

- "Buntan" is a type of grapefruit-like citrus fruit, known as a " pomelo ". Kurosuki ( 黒鋤 ) means black spade or black plough .
- As with Raiga, Buntan's family name was consistently given as Kurokuwa ( 黒鍬 , literally meaning: black hoe) in promotional materials, but was spelled as Kurosuki ( 黒鋤 , literally meaning: black spade) in the anime end credits.

## References [ ]