Kuruwa

Kuruwa (郭) is a side character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. A ditzy kunoichi from the Iga clan, she tries to hunt down to Hattori Hanzou in order to restore prestige to the ninja, and is later defeated by him. Despite this, she later plays a supporting role afterwards.

Appearance
Kuruwa has black hair with some brown around the bangs with ornate hairpins of various colors with beads in them. She has a lace glove on one arm and glittering nail art on both hands. She wears a type of sandals with thin straps stretched up to around her knees, along with a piece of metal shackle around one ankle.

She wears bright yellow mini-yukata and her dazzling thighs were completely bared and the left arm was sleeveless up to the shoulder for some reason. The wide obi was made of a transparent material and the yukata itself bared her midriff to match. She had two thin leather belts wrapped around over the obi and, on top of all that, she used a long chain as a decoration.

Personality
Kuruwa can be described as being ditzy, especially when it comes to ninja things, becoming nervous when her authenticity as a ninja comes into question. In spite of this, she is serious in her goal and is even willing to bear Hanzou's children if it meant restoring the "pure lines" of the ninjas, the Hattori and Iga clans, though her willingness to even die for this goal is also not how a ninja traditionally acts, and is more akin to the samurai bushido code.

She has a polite way of speaking, and adds honorifics to the end of a person's name, like Hamazura-shi and Hanzou-sama.

Background
She is a ninja descendant and is acquainted with Hanzou. In spite of this, it apparently took her half a year before the start of the story sets out for her journey to find him after becoming troubled by the disappearing prestige of the ninja and the decline of the Iga and Hattori alike, wanting to create a ninja that is "large, virtuous and high-class".

A week prior to the fourth Friday of the May of the current story timeline, Hamazura Shiage and Komaba Ritoku meets Kuruwa looking for Hanzou. At some point in time, someone leaks to Kuruwa a confidential Academy City document to her containing a list of Gemstones. Enamored by the thought of ninjas composed of Gemstone, she somehow obtains the list, and from there was likely being used by this person for some unknown purpose. Later evidence suggests that it is likely CIA operatives leaked the Gemstone list to further their agenda in spying on organizations that have "mined" the Gemstones for their own esper research, and the Iga line may have been one of those organizations of interest.

The Fourth Friday of May
After complaining about Ritoku naming him as leader of his Skill-Out if something happens to him, Shiage tries to break in a sports car. Suddenly, he hears someone call out to him by saying "Hamazura-shi". He later discovers that it is Kuruwa, a girl he met a week before still looking for Hanzou, popping from under the sports car he was trying to break into. Seeing her clothes irritate Shiage a little as compared to his shambled look, Kuruwa uses high-quality materials, in his opinion, a terrible yukata. Seeing her, he tells her that he hasn't seen Hanzou either. Her manner of speaking takes Shiage aback however, as she wonders where Hanzou could be. Admiring her breasts, Shiage wonders why Hanzou wants to avoid someone with breasts like Kuruwa's. Peaking at her, Shiage notices that her yukata resembles that of a kunoichi. There however he picks up the pieces that Hanzou's name is exactly that of the legendary ninja Hattori Hanzou. He mocks the connection and goes back to in trying to break into the sports car. Suddenly however, Kuruwa says that she must eliminate him. Hearing this, Shiage notes on how that it is stupid for a ninja then asks if Hanzou truly is a descendant of a near future-like Shinobi Soldier. Kuruwa then becomes flustered, as Shiage's thoughts is preoccupied in wondering if Hanzou truly is a ninja then he must use mysterious ninja techniques. He then wonders why he is being pursued by Kuruwa. Shiage then asks Kuruwa that if Hanzou is from the Hattori family then what group does she belong to.

Kuruwa hesitates in answering. Shiage continues and concludes that there must be some kind of conspiracy involving some ninja faction that's going to plunge Hanzou into some kind of miracle battle. Hearing this, under the belief that Shiage actually knows what he is talking about, Kuruwa says, as she sweats, that she cannot let him return alive. Shiage however is surprised by this, saying that the world of ninjas has some cheap conspiracies, as he buried his head in his hands while Kuruwa is at her wit's end. As Shiage wonders what he should do, Kuruwa pulls out a handgun out of her sleeve, confidently telling Shiage to prepare herself. However, Shiage is unimpressed by this, much to Kuruwa's chagrin. He asks if it is really okay for a ninja. Apparently feeling guilty, Kuruwa tries to explain herself. She says that a ninja is always armed with the latest equipment and as such it is okay for her to use it. She references the ninjas during the up to the  used  camouflaged as staffs and. Shiage clarifies however that he doesn't care what she knows about how it worked historically and tells her not to destroy people's dreams (his stereotyping of what ninjas do), noting several clichéd ninja techniques like splitting into multiple versions of herself in a puff of smoke, among others. As Shiage goes away disappointed, Kuruwa begs him not to go with such a sorrowful look in his eyes.

Much to Shiage's annoyance, his dramatic acting didn't help him in getting away from her, though Kuruwa has not realized his ruse and completely forgotten about searching for Hanzou. Wanting to impress Shiage, Kuruwa says that she is going to him a ninja technique, though Shiage doesn't believe. Kuruwa says that she is serious about it, and says that Shiage is lucky as a chance like this doesn't come along often. Hearing this, Shiage becomes interested in seeing a real ninja technique, and enters a back alley at the invitation of Kuruwa. Shiage assumes that she doesn't want to use her ninja technique in public, to which Kuruwa says that he is correct though says it also embarrassing. As Shiage becomes confused at this, Kuruwa begins undressing before him, much to his shock, asking Kuruwa what she is doing. Kuruwa says that she thought Shiage wanted to see a kunoichi technique, to which Shiage replies that what she is doing isn't something that he wanted to see. In spite of his remonstrations and truly believing that Kuruwa is going to show him her naked body, Shiage becomes excited at the prospect. Suddenly, Kuruwa twists her hips as she continues undressing, which inconveniences Shiage as he can't see her from the angle is she is undressing. Distracted by this, Kuruwa sees an opening and knocks Shiage out..

The First Friday of October
On the ground level of School District 22 amongst the wind turbines, Kuruwa finally catches up to Hanzou. He complains on how he went out of his way to hide his status in the city and yet she still spent half a year running after him. He then asks why she is so intent in hunting him down, to which Kuruwa says that is all to revive the pure line of the Hattori and the Iga. Hattori sighs at her explanation, and says that ninja were originally bandits that were hired by a powerful military, and that these ninja lines she says only came out later, and states that anybody can become a ninja.

Hanzou tells that "pure lines" like the Iga and the Hanzou do not work for the ninja as they are used for supporting roles and are supposed to be hidden, lest they are attacked. Kuruwa responds by saying that ninjas are afraid of influential people. However, she says that the age where they can move one more efficiently has come. Hearing this, Hanzou thinks that Kuruwa is an idiot but still understood her feeings. Hanzou gives her some advice on what a ninja truly is, continuing on from his previous reference that ninjas are of supporting roles. With this, Kuruwa concludes that Hanzou refuses to understand, to which Hanzou says she isn't putting that much effort in convincing him.

Hearing this, Kuruwa decides to convince him by force and make him surrender in order to make him part of the Hattori revival. Seeing how extreme she would go to, Hanzou jokes that Kuruwa would probably be willing to bear his children to arrival the line, to which Kuruwa admits she would. Hanzou then asks if she is going to pull out a gun, but since she remembers Shiage's lecture says that guns are too comples and unreliable. Here, she shows Hanzou a kusarigama, releasing the chain that she wrapped around her body. It was sickle with connected to the chain. Hanzou says that the weapon isn't a ninja weapon as it stands out to much.

Before she can respond, Hanzou charges toward Kuruwa with his uchine, a true ninja weapon. With him already in range, Kuruwa is forced to use the chain of the kusarigama wrapped around her hand as defense. In spite of this, Hanzou isn't fighting seriously as ninjas always does the killing blow, and if they fail they must retreat. Hanzou's protracting the battle annoys Kuruwa. She then swings the chain, forcing Hanzou to swing his head to avoid it allowing for Kuruwa to make an opening allowing for Kuruwa to hide behind one of the wind turbine's pillars. Still, Hanzou charged forward before Kuruwa can make an effort to compose herself. Swinging around the pillar, the momentum allows Hanzou to attack her from the side, stabbing her and tearing her yukata. However, he later discovers that Kuruwa has abandoned her yukata and is now in her underwear, and allows her to attack him from the other side of the pillar with the swing of the kusarigama. Hanzou tries to concentrate on the sound of the chain in order to time his dodge but Kuruwa mimicks the sound and traps Hanzou.

Kuruwa, who now believes that she has trapped and is certain that Hanzou will be beaten after releasing the chain, is saddened by Hanzou being easily defeated. Still, with a grit of her teeth, she watches as the chain tries to wrap around Hanzou's arm. However, she discovers that it slips right pass his arm as it seemed to move in an unnatural angle. Here, Kuruwa discovers that Hanzou has taken out his arm from his sleeve. With this, Hanzou once again charges to the unprepared Kuruwa who was caught off guard by the momentum of her chain. Seeing how Hanzou can defeat her, Kuruwa smiles and compliments Hanzou as she is struck down by his fist.

Hanzou later retrieves the Gemstone list from her and wonders who leaked it to her and what they were using Kuruwa for through it.

Freshmen Arc
Kuruwa was protecting Fremea from the Freshmen alongside Shiage.

Magic God Invasion Arc
Both Hanzou and Kuruwa are on the same subway train as Akikawa Mie during her adventures with the Liquid Diamond. Due to High Priest's rampage in School District 5, the train comes to halt, surprising the already fearful Mie. Mie bumps into some people as the train comes to a stop, which includes Hanzou and Kuruwa. Kuruwa accuses Hanzou of being a pervert, believing him to have molested Mie, which he denies. Kuruwa doesn't believe him, and says that she will train him for losing control, much to his chagrin. As they argue Mie leaves the train on her own determined to get the Liquid Diamond to her mother.

Both Hanzou and Kuruwa end up where Mie is after finally delivering the Liquid Diamond to her mother and father. When Kenzan Shouji pulled out a gun (stolen from Shiosai) to force Mie to give the Liquid Diamond to him, despite the presence of a crowd, Hanzou and Kuruwa draw out their weapons. However, Shouji's friend, Higata Akio, tries to incapacitate him, though it is the subsequent attack of Shiosai and Mie's father that knocks him out. After seeing the matter all settled, Hanzou and Kuruwa hide their weapons again as their "jobs" have been taken away from them, though Kuruwa is relieved they don't have to do anything.

Dream Ranker Arc
Kuruwa's experiences are used as Indian Poker cards for people to visit through dreams. Misaka Mikoto experiences Hattori Hanzou's hellish training of Kuruwa as a ninja, and later Kinuhata Saiai experiences Kuruwa studying the Iga clan's seduction techniques. Needless to say, these weren't very good experiences for both Mikoto and Saiai.

Abilities
She is a trained kunoichi, and is very pragmatic when it comes to fighting. She uses her yukata well in her fights, using it as distraction like in his battle with Hanzou, as well as using her body as well, as when she used on Shiage to distract him. In the beginning she uses a handgun, rationalizing that ninjas in history have always adopted contemporary weapons. After Shiage expressed her dismay in using a modern weapon, she later refuses to use a handgun, as it is apparently not "ninja-like."

She later makes use of the lit. "Chain-scythe" (鎖鎌), and uses it well, not only making use of the sickle or scythe, but using the chain for both attack and defense as well as for entrapment, in conjunction with centrifugal movements as well as trickery and deception. Despite this, it is not a traditional ninja weapon as it stands out too much.

Design evolution
Kuruwa's design remains relatively unchanged, with little things modified for her final design. Haimura decided that she should wear a modern interpretation of a period piece that is obviously historically inaccurate.

Quotes

 * (Upon opening the cabinet in NT 1) “…This isn't like a ninja at all.”