Oumi Shuri

Oumi Shuri (近江 手裏) is a character originally introduced in Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index as a competitor for the Natural Selector tournament.

As a member of the Kouga School of Ninjutsu, she is an odd-looking woman seeking interesting supernatural persons to help her school's prestige, she becomes an unwilling key character in the distortion in Baggage City as she tries to survive in the bloodbath and at the same time accomplish her goal.

Appearance
Despite her being over 30 years old, her body has been modified to the point that she looks around 10 years old. She has long brown hair, which she ties in a long ponytail and child-like complexion. Her outfit is more becoming of a cheerleader than a ninja of her school. Going with a pink theme, Shuri wears a tied shirt under a pink long-sleeved jacket, exposing her smooth abdomen and her navel. For the bottom part of her body, she wears a pleated short skirt that barely covers her thighs, exposing once again the smooth skin that befits of that of the unspoiled child. At her feet, she wears a pink boots. Shuri also carries on her person a large backpack that has a variety of her tools, although, tools being part of or being her clothes herself is not far fetched.

Personality
The oldest of the three girls (Kumokawa Maria and Saflee Opendays), she is the most serious of all them. This maybe due to her advanced age, and the unwavering dedication to her mission. When she was with the similarly strangely dressed Kumokawa Maria, she acted as the to Maria's, giving snarky comments regarding her quirky behavior, amongst other things. As a member of the Kouga School, she is works best with teamwork, as exemplified with her work with Maria, and later including Saflee Opendays.

Background
Oumi Shuri is a member of the Kouga school of ninjutsu, and is trained in their arts, and at the time of the Baggage City Arc, was a genin. Some time in her life, she came upon a disease, probably the bacteria, that stopped her from growing, and maintained her skin and preserved her childish face.

Shuri met Tsurigane, a fellow Kouga ninja, around ten years before the present. Tsurigane was not aware of Shuri's real age and thought she was an older girl, something not helped by Shuri's childish behaviour at the time (such as sticking a firecracker in a toad). At some point, Shuri singlehandedly killed a pack of wolves near Tsurigane, a feat that left the younger ninja in awe of her skill.

Due to the growing times, she, Sakata, Asai, Yasu, and other of her comrades, went to Baggage City for the Natural Selector tournament in order to find an interesting person that they could get and analyze their abilities for the sake of the Kouga School. Spying on the Science Guardians, and knowing of the existence of GREMLIN.

Baggage City Arc
She first appears just after the invasion of Baggage City by Academy City. Here, she reports to her comrades on how she has found a "treasure" fit for the Kouga, being wary that she might have to face other competitors that still want to fight, as well as the Kiharas of Academy City, and the GREMLIN of Baggage City. However, after contacting the three of them, she hears their cries and screams of a monster overwhelming them. Despite this, she decides continue the mission of bringing back the treasure on her own. Coming upon a passageway, she hears a sound behind her, and discovers a soldier. She takes out her kunai, a gardening trowel. However, she becomes cornered. Due to her quick thinking, the man misses his attack giving her an opening to stab him.

Suddenly, Kumokawa Maria blocks her attack, and immediately after forcibly takes Shuri’s kunai away using spinning. She spins again, which allows her to be of a higher position than the man, slamming her knee into his jaw, incapacitating him. She was now on top of the man, with her weight pressing down on him. Meanwhile, Shuri, still being cautious, prepares for action. She asks Maria who she is, to which she confides her identity of being from Academy City, and that she is looking for someone. Seeing that it'd be troublesome if she knew of her mission, Shuri takes out a shuriken and prepares to fight; however, Maria just warns her that she'd lose, as Shuri can only use both hands to fight, while she can use all four limbs. Shuri doesn't believe her, and takes out a liquid red pepper water cannon that was hidden under her skirt. However, Maria simply dodges by standing on her two hands, and begins spinning back upright. Unimpressed by this Shuri asks for a match, to which Maria agrees, with her giving back the kunai back to Shuri. Here, she reiterates her desire to finish her mission. Hearing this, Maria decides to beat her to protect her life from the chaos that is currently happening in the city. Immediately after, using all four of her limbs, Shuri loses her consciousness to Maria.

When she comes to, she discovers that Maria has moved her to a control room for the supply of hot water to Baggage City. She tries to attack Maria again, though she is easily put down by her. Suddenly, someone fires a bazooka missile into them, though it was merely a distraction, as she was knocked out by the bazooka being used as a blunt weapon. This surprises Shuri, and there, a girl shows herself before a fearful Shuri. Here, the girl displays her control over the computers to show her queer graphs, whither she quickly absorbs the information described therein. The girl attacks Shuri with quick and smooth movements, mimicking a Kihara Amata. Thinking quickly, Shuri tries to throw metal spikes on the floor to slow her down. However, it did not slow her down. She kicks one of her metal spikes towards her, opening Shuri's lower defenses as she tries to defend her face, and allows the girl to kick a metal spike into her gut. She charges towards Shuri, avoiding the spikes, and uses Shuri's kunai against her. However, before the girl could pierce Shuri, a man in white and helmet appears and attacks the girl, knocking away the Kunai. Here, Shuri witnesses the battle, as the man tries to save both of them. In the end, the man uses a convex shaped landmine, detonating and forcing the girl to retreat.

Wary of him, Shuri draws out her kunai, though is told that by him that she has too much strength to defeat him, confusing her. The man says that he does not wish to battle her for he is more specialized on Kiharas. Finally, he advises her to meet Kamijou Touma if she wants to survive. He later tells that he has his own objective and that he will not be able to protect them, as he is a Kihara himself. Shuri later tells of the events that have unfolded, and Maria states that he is Kihara Kagun, the person she is looking for. Still wary of Kihara Enshuu, Shuri suggest they should going, but not before Maria clears their clothes of potential bugs. Shuri states that her clothes will change color if something were added onto her. Because of this, Maria alone checked on her clothes, removing it completely in plain sight of Shuri (much to her consternation), and starts blow drying it. After that strange event, the both of them continued moving in an underground passageway. Here, Shuri comments on the fact that they have met no one, and is creepy. In the passageway, they later come upon the Academy City military equipment on the floor that was scattered by Kihara Enshuu as a trap. Having a chance to get cutting-edge Academy City, Shuri uses her skills to probe the traps, and later finds out that the equipment are useless.

While traveling, Shuri asks Maria about Kamijou Touma, though, Maria gives an unsatisfactory response, stating that her sister should know more. Suddenly, a heavy tank falls above them. It suddenly explodes due to its explosive reactive armor, though Shuri manages to save Maria in time, who wanted to save anyone who was trapped inside. Still dangerous with its reactive armor, both Shuri and Maria, tried to induce an explosion by using static electricity with the dust that surrounded them. Maria removes her entire maid outfit again, much to Shuri's chagrin, though it served its purpose after Maria waved it and induced an explosion on the armor. They later discover that no one is manning tank, though it was being remotely controlled by Shar Berylan. They were still blocked however, and it needed to crawl inside a hole to get to the cold outside surface of Baggage City. Outside they witnesses one of the HsB-07s that have taken damage from Marian Slingeneyer's assault, as well as Shar Berylan running away. However, because of the blasts all around them, a building collapses and the ground they stood upon collapsed as a response, though they are fine and manage to get to a safe area. Here, they begin doubting if they could meet Kamijou Touma in this chaos.

The both of them now had planned to leave Baggage City, as both of their goals need not be carried out in Baggage City, as the Kiharas and GREMLIN would leave once the conflict was over. However, they accidentally stumble upon Marian Slingeneyer's secret room, and after seeing her "furniture" and hearing her threat, they begin running. Being followed by her, and they somehow managed to run back into the passageway where the tank lied, though Shuri states that they could use it to stop Marian's pursuit. Suddenly, one of Marian's traps, humans shaped into rectangular pillar shot around the narrow passageway, filling it and trapping their escape route. Marian catches up to them, and says that if they want to escape they'll need only see them as obstacles, not just living human beings. Having no choice, they are forced to engage Marian in order to escape. Ever haughty, Marian explains that the moment that her gold touches them the alteration of their body begins. With this, the both of them utilize a passive strategy, distancing themselves from her. However, Marian begins attacking, and Maria is forced to meet her in combat, using her unique style to avoid Marian's attacks whilst Shuri watches. At the turn of the tide, Marian becomes injured due to Maria's assault, and is forced to contact Sigyn for her magic ability. However, she notices Shuri muttering something, and later mimics perfectly Sigyn's voice. Here, it is revealed that Sigyn was already in the grasps of the Kouga Ninja, and had divulged the weakness of Marian's abilities. Shuri shows off that her materials, since they are still human are still affected by alcohol, making them drunk, and difficult to control and alter. Shuri then insults Marian's powers, saying that it is not useful for the Kouga. With a serious disadvantage, Marian flees, with Shuri in hot pursuit.

Shuri is mentioned by Saflee Opendays after finding Kumokawa Maria, stating that she was still chasing Marian Slingeneyer, though she later escapes Shuri's pursuit. During Saflee and Maria's operation towards the plant factories to stop Kihara Enshuu's biological weapon, Shuri sends a paper airplane to determine their location, which Saflee, prompting her to send it back. Finally, at the height of Maria and Kihara Enshuu's battle, Shuri arrives just in time to hit Enshuu in the hand with her kunai, allowing Maria to deal the finishing blow against Enshuu. The both of them later tie her down afterwards.

Shuri and the others later witness the death of Kihara Kagun, and both Maria and Marian's breakdown thereafter. Utterly furious, and despite Othinus' warnings, she decides to use her sword, Dáinsleif. Seeing this, an indescribable feeling of danger ran through them, the three of them try to act positive regarding this and make a plan, even with that feeling and being in an advantage. However, Marian raises her sword, and lightning strikes it, surprising them. Maria gets a queer premonition and tells both Shuri and Saflee to scatter and try to do their plan. Marian begins unsheathing a little bit of the blade, and immediately after, Shuri's heart stopped. Saflee would soon follow soon after.

After, "dying" due to the effects of Dáinsleif, Shuri is out of commission for the rest of the battles that come through in Baggage City. However, it was hinted that Shuri and Saflee might have begun breathing again after the appearance of the true Kamijou Touma.

Maria later mentions to Touma that she and Saflee are e-mail friends, confirming that Saflee is still alive. On Shuri, she mentions that she disappeared somewhere, and states that she is confident that Shuri is someone who will not die easily.

Jailbreaker Arc
Shuri is a participant in the jailbreak trial, alongside her fellow ninjas. She managed to climb over the private juvenile hall's outer wall even before it was breached by Misaka Mikoto's group. She and her group had entered Academy City two days before, with the help of Tsurigane who had snuck in pretending to be a Child Error. Tsurigane had suggesting participating in the trial in order to gather information. Shuri doesn't think much of the hall's defences, but notes that her faction needs some way of suppressing the firepower of a Level 5 esper like Mikoto.

While inside the outer wall, Shuri notices that Tsurigane has gotten stuck in a trap and frees her, telling her that she needs more training.

After entering the building, Shuri encounters a riot suppression gigapede, which she destroys using acrobatics, smoke bombs and kunai. She decides to order her group to split up to better gather information. Now on her own, Shuri spots Mikoto's group and pretends to be a helpless little girl to trick them into helping her (and giving her information in the process). Yakumaru, who is following the group, notes that Shuri is suspicious. Shuri in turn notices that someone's following them, but when she considers what to do she accidentally drops a smoke bomb. Kuroko confiscates it as she considers it too dangerous for (what she thinks is) a child to carry. The group then encounters an esper who loses control of their power due to an AIM Jammer, causing rubber bullets to fly around. Shuri is protected by Saten but one of the bullets still hits her tailbone. Shuri decides to escape the group with a smoke bomb and rejoins her allies, having decided that Academy City's powers and technology are too uncontrollable and dangerous for the Kouga to use.

The trial ends (thanks to Uiharu breaking out the prisoner) while Shuri and her group are still inside the juvenile hall. Shuri is still bent over with pain from the prior injury.

Shuri and her group leave the juvenile hall. All but Shuri and Tsurigane (the latter being injured) go off to continue their investigations. Shuri apologises to Tsurigane for having her take part in the mission. However, Tsurigane (who had only pretended to be injured) reveals that she had suggested taking part in the jailbreak trial so that she could break out Kimi, and then attacks Shuri. She inflicts a wound but Shuri manages to escape in a truck. Tsurigane notes that she had covered her blade in a numbing agent that can incapacitate in a manner of seconds, but still decides against pursuing Shuri. Shuri applies a tourniquet to her injured arm.

After Tsurigane was defeated by Kuroko following her group's abduction of Uiharu, Yasu asked Shuri what they should do. She revealed that she had found that the Dark May Project was responsible for Tsurigane's change and decided that at this point Tsurigane, who had proven the risks of approaching Academy City's technology and techniques, should be considered a citizen of Academy City and left to be judged by their laws. She declared with her status as a senior ninja that Academy City technology was a detestable thing that they should never touch again. As they departed, she silently said farewell to Tsurigane, remembering their past.

Abilities
As a kunoichi (female ninja) of the Kouga School, she is learned in the arts of a ninjutsu, knowing basic combat, stealth, espionage, and information gathering skills, among other things. She is a genin, the lowest rank of a ninja, though as her actions in the chaos of Baggage City shows, she is very skilled, especially when working in teams.

Her appearance is applied in her strategy, making herself as the center of attention, and creating a blind spot, allowing her comrades to employ their own tricks, making her role in teams crucial.

Equipment
Part as a ninja is the use of equipment for operations. For the Kouga ninjas, seemingly mundane things can be used as something useful, even extending to the clothes they were. Most prominently, Shuri's clothes have a reagent added to their clothes that can detect objects (it changes color) that have been added into them.
 * Microphone and radio - Using a small microphone connected by cables in her clothes to a radio, she is able to contact her comrades.
 * Security buzzer and camera - Located upon the shoulder strap of her backup.
 * Garden trowel-type Kunai - Standard fare for a ninja, the kunai, which has its roots from digging the digging tools, probably useful for concealment.
 * Powerful flashlight - A powerful flashlight located in a spare equipment hanging from the bottom of the backpack. It is a flashlight that produces a powerful light, which can temporarily blind an opponent.
 * Shuriken - Standard fare of for a ninja, they are most likely projectile weapons, though no more information is provided.
 * Water cannon - Shuri hides a water cannon under her skirt, which can fire liquid red pepper.
 * Metal sheets - Concealed within her socks, Shuri had metal sheets the size of nail clippers with both ends pointed. They were meant to be projectile weapons, though can be used as floor hazards, as well it can be used as stabbing weapons.
 * Alcohol - Shuri has an alcoholic drink on her person, and is primarily used to throw pursuing dogs off her trail.
 * Paper - Shuri has paper with her. In the chaos of Baggage City, she uses the paper to create a paper airplane, to determine the location of her allies.
 * Sling - A sling to throw rocks using centrifugal forces, it is hinted though it is never actually shown.

Design evolution
Shuri's character design was made to look like the child ninja from or.

Quotes

 * (To Kumokawa Maria from NT Volume 4) "I must get the cornerstone that will revitalize the Kouga. It doesn't matter even if the Natural Selector can't continue. If I must be eliminated by someone, my fate shall contribute by letting someone else fall into such a threat in the future. I must go no matter what."
 * (To Bersi from NT Volume 4) "Who is Kamijou Touma?"
 * (To Kumokawa Maria) "Is anywhere a good place to be wearing a maid uniform?"
 * (To Marian Slingeneyer from NT Volume 4) "Marian-chan…run… Run from there. Right now. There is no guarantee that they are working alone. If reinforcements come, your right leg would be a major weakness. So get out of there right away and tape it up…"
 * (To Marian Slingeneyer) "No. If this is all your supernatural powers let you do, they do not seem a worthwhile candidate to take in as part of the Kouga."