Kumoihime Ōtsutsuki

is kunoichi of Kumogakure. Running away from her homeworld in search of a place to grow strong, she traveled to Earth. After her identity is made public, she took an opportunity to become an official shinobi as the teammate of her rival and crush, Surudoi.

Background
Kumoihime was born in another dimension to an Ōtsutsuki patriarch and his wife, the youngest of five sisters. Because of her father's status within their clan, she was raised sheltered from the universe, rarely leaving her home unless interacting with other clansmen. Desiring to learn more about the universe, she developed a love reading books and scrolls containing information about different worlds, beings, and subjects. When Kumoihime came of age, she was taught to manipulate chakra. Like the rest of her sisters, she displayed an affinity for a chakra nature different from her siblings. Unlike them, she was less responsive to basic training, taking longer to grasp even simple abilities. Her love of reading, combined her apparent lack of strength caused her family to write her off as a failure.

Accepting her status, Kumoi threw herself into reading, but eventually sought knowledge and experiences beyond her homeworld. Deciding to travel to another world, she convinces her parents to take her on their next expedition. Her father takes her to witness a world with a God Tree being harvested to show her the way to grow strong without honing her skill. Kumoi sees the world has been drained of life by the Tree, and witnesses the chakra fruits being gathered. When her father explains the process of harvesting God Trees for strength, Kumoihime is disgusted by her clan's ways, and secretly vows to find a path to strength without relying on chakra fruit.

Kumoihime decides to achieve her new goal by finding a world where she can grow stronger without interference from her family. As a result, she learns a Space-Time technique, though she is forced to use chakra pills to raise her chakra levels enough to reach new worlds. While she managed to gain knowledge and have fun on her excursions, she failed to find a proper training ground, and her parents would send a scout or a guardian Ōtsutsuki to bring her back for punishment. Undeterred, she traveled to new worlds regularly and would hide there until she was found. On her ninth birthday, Kumoihime learns of a relative that betrayed the clan but managed to elude punishment:. Seeing that Kaguya had remained unpunished for a millennium, Kumoi decides to find the world she went to and hide there. Using the problem-solving skills she picked up from her reading, she finds Earth and travels there.

After reaching Earth and gaining a basic understanding of the shinobi world, Kumoi begins learning about shinobi history and Kaguya's fate. Seeing that mankind produced beings that beat her kin, she decides to make Earth her training ground and study ninjutsu. Finding a small town in the Land of Lightning, she manages to blend in despite her unique appearance because she does not have any horns. However, a wealthy couple living outside of town mistake her for homeless child and take her in. She initially tries to leave, until she finds they have a library she can use freely. Piecing together a story with bits of truth, Kumoi tells the family she is a runaway seeking to become a ninja, and only needs to stay until she gathers enough money to continue her travels. They buy it, and offer to pay her to babysit their other children when they travel so she can make money. Seeing a win for herself, she agrees and settles into the role, while using books on ninjutsu stored in the library to begin teaching herself.

One year into her stay, Kumoihime begins mastering Lightning, Wind, and Water Releases, all while staying under the radar of the. While training one day, she encounters a boy from Kumogakure and gets into an argument over the use of the spot she is training in. Getting into a fight, they achieve a stalemate, so the boy offers to share the spot if she agrees to train with him when he's around. Kumoi agrees and the two become friends. Around the same time, Kumoi decides to trust her host family with the truth about herself. Expecting to be forced out due to the world's distrust of celestial beings, she is surprised when they choose to let her stay, having come to accept her as family. After several years, the combination of sparring with her friend and reading about ninjutsu lets her improve in way she could not at home. One day, Kumoihime is confronted by her sparring partner with her identity as an Ōtsutsuki. Expecting to be sold out, she is again shocked when he tells her he will not tell his village about her acknowledging her as a friend. However, he does promise to sell her out if she does anything to make him doubt her intentions.

Personality
On the surface, Kumoihime starts out as arrogant and uncaring towards others. Due to her upbringing, she possesses a superiority complex, believing any being outside her clan to be inferior. However, beneath her arrogance toward others is a kind and compassionate heart that she actively suppresses for fear of persecution. This leads her to be distant towards people in general. This trait especially shows when she encounters beings with impressive strength: while she respects those who prove to be strong, she avoids openly admitting it. She also struggles with expressing fondness for people: it often takes her time to express her feelings. However, her time on Earth moves to begin exposing her true nature, causing her to become more open and respectful to those around her.

Unlike the rest of her clan, she possesses an aversion to using lazy tactics to achieve power, leading to her resolve to find a way to become strong without rely on God Trees. Despite not being very strong herself, she clings to the belief that she can grow out of these things and become strong. Thanks in part to the shell of pride she has wrapped her heart in, she takes this self-reliance to an extreme, often refusing aid for things she believes she can do on her own and only accepting it when forced on her. Due to her family's strict avoidance of forming close relationships and them writing her off as as weak, she is not accustomed to anyone showing her kindness or respect. As such, she is deeply moved by acts of kindness towards her and often struggles to maintain her composure in those moments. She is also fiercely protective of those she bonds with, being able to lay down her pride and insecurities to protect them. She will not stand for danger befalling those she cares about, and will fight for them regardless of the risk to herself. After becoming a ninja, Kumoi learns that she should not seek the power to do everything alone. Though her goal doesn't change, she comes to recognize leaning on friends as a strength, and becomes open to seeking help.

Kumoihime's thirst for knowledge manifests in her hobby of reading: She loves learning new things and rarely travels without reading material. This has drawn out incredible intelligence, strategic, and analytical skills. She constantly seeks to expand her skillset, and focuses her reading to on anything that may be useful with little concern for the odds of ever needing that knowledge. Her other hobby, playing Beigoma, also reveals her competitive side. As evidenced by her proficiency in the game, Kumoi has a fighting spirit described as "extraordinary." Despite appearing soft to the untrained eye, she has a strong contempt for losing. Her time on Earth has taught her humility, so she becomes able to accept losses with grace.

Kumoihime has complicated feelings towards her family. While she loves them all deeply, her clan's aversion to attachment prevents her from expressing it. On top of that, her family's disapproval of her also affects her more deeply than she reveals to anyone. As such, she struggles to reconcile her love for those who think so lowly of her, and this dissonance makes her interactions with them difficult. Having been put down for so long, Kumoi has a hard time speaking her mind around them out of fear of being rebuked, but she steadily grows more confident and assertive towards them thanks to the encouragement she has received from the humans she has met.

Of all the people in her life, Surudoi has had the most impact on her. As the first person to acknowledge her, she has enormous respect for him, seeing him as the greatest catalyst for her growth. In the same way he considers her to be his strongest rival, she views him as her greatest rival to overcome. As such, she rarely ever turns down a challenge from him, and always enjoys competing with him. When she begins to understand him more, she develops romantic feelings for him, being drawn to his strength and hidden compassion. She works hard to keep her feelings hidden after learning that he is a Celestial Dragon out of fear that the enmity between their races would cause a relationship to fail.

Appearance
Kumoihime is a young, pale-skinned girl with grey hair that reaches her hips, along with chin-lengths frames around her face. As an Ōtsutsuki, she has signature white eyes of a Byakugan user, although they possess tinges of lavender. Before arriving to Earth, her standard attire was a white hime-kimono with intricate teal lines on the sleeves, collar, and edges. After spending time one Earth, she dons a lavender kimono shirt with a matching ankle-length skirt, along with a navy obi around her waist. She occasionally wears a hooded cloak to disguise herself.

After becoming a shinobi, she wears a Kumogakure flak-jacket, and a dark blue undershirt and pants, along with knee-high boots. She also wears a dark colored Kumo Forehead Protector. Several years after becoming a shinobi, she changes her attire. Her standard clothing becomes a gray kimono jacket with her clan's symbol inscribed on the left shoulder. She also wears a modified flak jacket that covers her stomach only, and a crimson undershirt and matching stockings. She wears crimson armguards and matching cords on her wrists, and long shinobi sandals. She also wears her forehead protector around her neck. Thanks to intense training, she also grows a set of horns reminiscent of Kaguya's.

Chakra and Physical Prowess
Kumoihime possesses large chakra reserves, greater than that of many jōnin, but lower than what is expected of an Ōtsutsuki. Her reserves are large enough for her to battle for long periods of time and engage in multiple intense battles with little time to rest between. She possesses skill in taijutsu, and is also able to use her Byakugan to utilize Gentle Fist and target the chakra pathway system of enemies. She also possesses above-average physical strength, enough to exchange blows with Surudoi Yotsuki, a Celestial Dragon and student of the Fourth Raikage.

Byakugan
Kumoihime possesses the Byakugan, a dōjutsu that grants her penetrative vision in a near-360° around herself, with one blind spot at the back of the neck above the first thoracic vertebra. When activated, it grants her x-ray vision, and the ability to see chakra accurately enough to target the chakra pathway system.

Tessenjutsu and Nature Transformation
Kumoi has developed proficiency in Lightning, Water, Yin, and Wind nature transformations, with Lightning being her natural affinity. She also possesses Typhoon Release, a powerful Wind-Release variant that lets her produce tornadoes and hurricane-force winds. She can also use Typhoon Release to perform her basic Wind Release techniques with augmented power. After training, she developed the Fujita Scale, a multipurpose series of Typhoon Release techniques that build on all of her abilities.

Using Yin Release, she can connect her mental energy to that of others, allowing her to read the thoughts and emotions of others, as well as communicate telepathically. Though she can penetrate most minds, she relegates herself to reading emotions and surface level thoughts out of respect for privacy. She can also link her field of vision to others, allowing them to see through her eyes. She can also possess a person remotely, but only if her target consents or lacks the willpower to resist.

Kumoihime is skilled in tessenjutsu, wielding a large folding fan in battle. She uses it in tandem with her Wind and Typhoon natures to create severe winds. In addition to being used as a makeshift club or shield, she can also use the sharp side of the fan and wield it like a sword, and infuse it with chakra to increase cutting power. She also uses her fan to glide upon for transportation.

Taijutsu
Kumoi is an adept in taijutsu. She utilizes Gentle Fist to locate and strike enemy tenketsu and disrupt chakra flow. She also combines it with her above-average strength, using her hands for Gentle Fist attacks while delivering heavy kicks with her feet. Despite having Gentle Fist, she is not against using her normal punches as well. Through training, she developed her own unique fighting style using her hair. By growing her hair out and weaving it together, she can shape it into fists to strike with. Combined with her Byakugan, she can track opponents and extend her hair at opponents to strike anywhere in her enhanced field of vision. She can also combine this style with Wind Release to raise the speed and power of her strikes.

Intelligence
Kumoihime has incredible intellect, formed and honed by her love of books. She is a quick thinker, able to come up with plans on the fly, though she can struggle to strategize when scared or nervous. Using her reserves of knowledge, she is smart enough to understand how techniques new to her work fairly quickly. She can even replicate a jutsu instantly if she understands the mechanics and has the chakra levels and control needed, as evidenced with her learning how to use Rasengan after seeing it only once. She can also learn jutsu she has not seen before by thinking of the mechanics herself, such as copying Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, using her knowledge of Rasengan as a base. In her bid to learn more about Earth, she increased her knowledge in many fields. She has gained varying levels of proficiency in medicine, mechanical engineering, computer usage, piloting, etc.

Versus Urashiki Arc
One day, a large typhoon rages across the Land of Lightning. As the village Kumoihime is living in prepares for the storm to reach them, she is visited by Surudoi. Surudoi tells her about an attack on Kumo, committed by one of her clansmen:. He suspects that he is looking for her. Kumoi confirms his explanation, and when she hears that Urashiki has taken a child hostage, she immediately agrees to give herself to save the child. After saying goodbyes to her host family, she leaves with Surudoi and meets up with the rescue team. While they are not happy seeing her and even less happy that Surudoi is friends with her, they move out to find Urashiki. As they travel, Kumoi erects a barrier to shield them from the weather and Urashiki's sensory skills.

Once they get close to Mountain Storm, Kumoi lowers the barrier, letting Urashiki know she is close. Once there, she focuses on keeping Himawari calm by communicating with her mentally, even as Surudoi threatens to kill her. When Urashiki agrees to the swap, she prepares herself for her return home, but is caught off guard when Urashiki reneges on the trade. Before he can escape, Kumoihime flies Himawari out of the way of the trap the team prepared before they arrived. While Sasuke, A, and B fight, Kumoi takes Himawari to the genin and follows them out into the typhoon, now hitting their position. Before they could get back, Urashiki's Summoning Animal, a levitating turtle, catches up to them. Unable to put a scratch in it, they struggle to stay ahead of it as they try to avoid debris whipped up by the storm. As they all begin to tire, Fukai creates a strategy to use the debris to attack the summon. Kumoi helps the team uproot uproot some support beams and use the wind to guide them to the turtle's eyes to injure it.

As they get closer to one of the evacuation shelters, Urashiki arrives. Angered at his summon being injured, he defeats all of the genin. In the melee, Surudoi orders Kumoihime to fly Himawari to safety while they stall, and she reluctantly complies. Using her Byakugan, she tracks down the Five Kage, who mistake her for the enemy until Himawari explains that she is in their side. She then leads the Kage to the genins' position in time to see Urashiki preparing to kill Surudoi. Her instinct to protect her friend kicks in, and she takes the blow in his place. The Kage then catch up and push a wounded Urashiki back, forcing him to retreat, but Naruto and Darui attack him at the last second. As she watches the Kage fight, she is impressed to see such a small group push back one of her clansmen. She is carried away from the fight by Hinata, who was convinced by her daughter to come to her aid. After recieving medical attantion, Kumoi returns to the battle, only to find it has concluded. She then approaches an incapacitated Urashiki and takes a box off his person, she then shatters the box, sending his mind and freezing his body for a group of Kumo ninja to lock away.

The day after the incident, the Five Kage convene to discuss their response to the incident, which includes Kumoihime's fate. Brought before the Kage, Kumoi tells her story and explains her motives. When Surudoi is questioned and sticks up for her, even though it could mean no longer being a shinobi, she is moved to the point that she sheds tears as she is returned to her cell. After the Kage agree to reconvene the next day, Kumoihime is brought to Darui's office. He explains that he trusts Surudoi's judgement, and offers Kumoi a chance to avoid life imprisonment by becoming a Kumo genin, on the condition that Surudoi be held responsible for her actions. Seeing a way to stay on Earth and continue her pursuit of strength, accepts the terms, and she is assigned to be the last member of Team Samui.

Team Samui Completion Arc
While Surudoi is stuck in the hospital having his regrown arm studied by doctors, Kumoihime is properly introduced to her sensei, Samui. Acutely aware of Samui's mistrust of her, Kumoi decides to be as friendly as possible to earn her trust. Along with her sensei and squadmate Fukai, she begins training with them while they wait for a mission. However, her presence frightens clients enough to force the village to pass Team Samui over for missions. After a month in this limbo, she gets fed up with it, she goes to the Mission Assignment Office and demands that her team be given a mission. Before she can be turned down, the secretary recalls a mission no other team will touch. Kumoi takes the mission request to Samui, who refuses it. However. Kumoi refuses to let the matter go, arguing the issue until Samui relents and accepts it.

While on the way to the site of the mission, Samui explains the mission: help stop a series of rampages by the animals on the, a responsibility that normally falls to , the only ninja to have tamed the animals. Unfortunately, B is away from Kumo, and getting the island's population in line is next to impossible when he's not around. Because of the size and ferocity of the animals, most squad leaders avoid taking missions to the island, especially during an animal riot. Undeterred by the danger, she enthusiastically watches as they approach Genbu. When Team Samui arrives, they first travel to B's estate to unpack their belongings, then head out in search of the rogue animals. Kumoi uses the Byakugan to find them, and guides her teammates toward them. Once they arrive, Samui instructs Kumoi to hang back while she and Fukai get their attention. Kumoi reluctantly agrees and watches her teammates lead the animals toward the edge of Genbu's back. She follows orders and hangs back, until she watches Fukai get cornered. She flies him to a safe distance, but is injured in the process, forcing Samui to call for a retreat.

As punishment for disobeying orders, Kumoi is forced to stay behind while her injury heals by Samui. She argues against it, calling Samui out for being biased against her, but her sensei refuses to budge. After several days of being stuck inside while teammates investigate, Kumoi decides to leave the estate and explore the island. Her wandering leads her to the, and a passing ninja explains the location's significance. Curious, she decides to kill time by meditating there. When her true self emerges, she is surprised to see it manifest as a younger version of herself. Kumoi is confused, so her true self explains that her time on Earth has not changed her true nature, that training will not make her less of a failure, and that she is still lacks the strength to handle true adversity.

Before she can retort, she is disturbed from her meditation by animals stampeding nearby. When she is nearly run over by, she initially considers fleeing, but after remembering her true self's words, she chooses to stands her ground and yell at King instead. Sensing that Kumoihime is neither human or animal, King attacks her, but she counters with Lightning Release and yells at him again, scaring him into submission. With King is calmed, she manages to glean that something is frightening the animals and the rampages are actually them trying to avoid it. Kumoi tries and fails to get King to take her to the source of the disturbances, so she instead has him point her in the right direction. Before leaving to investigate, she accepts a fist bump from King, who acknowledges her as an equal.

Following King's directions, Kumoi locates the source of the disturbance: an alien creature from another world. Her arrival provokes the creature to fight. Kumoi holds her own against the creature, barely avoiding its attacks. While fighting, she remembers that she read about the species, and how to stop it. Unfortunately, the epiphany distracts her long enough for the creature to pin her down. It tries to kill her, but she is saved by Samui and Fukai, who scold her for disobedience again. While they argue, they manage to work together well enough to pin the creature under fallen trees. However, Kumoi catches it escaping, but is too slow to counter it, so she decides to shield her teammates instead. She is shocked when King and the other animals arrive and defends her. When they overwhelm the creature, Kumoi intervenes when they come close to killing it. Using her knowledge to calm it down, she then convinces the animals that it is not a threat, and gets them to leave each other be.

After the animals accept the island's new occupant, Samui punishes Kumoi for disobedience by forcing her to write the team's mission report, a punishment that doesn't bother her much. While she is preparing the report, she is moved when Samui apologizes for treating her poorly. Samui explains that she did not want to trust Kumoi, but her willingness to sacrifice herself for them opened her up to her true nature. As her sensei vows to do better, Kumoi thanks her, then leaves suddenly, having discerned how to overcome her true self. Returning to the Falls of Truth, she confronts her true self again. She argues that even though she does have fear of the obstacles ahead, it is not her only defining quality. Citing her strengths and weaknesses, she vows to charge at adversity as she really is: a intelligent, determined ninja willing to go the distance for others. She also promises to expose her what's in her heart through action from now on. The resolve in her words causes her true self to transform into a mirror of her current self. Satisfied, the duplicate disappears, and Kumoi returns from meditation happier than before. Unfortunately, Kumoi's actions had an unexpected side-effect: the creature now considers her it's alpha. It begins following her everywhere, and she cannot get it to stop. Since it will likely follow her to Kumo if she leaves the island, Team Samui is forced to stay until a solution is found. Not wanting to miss the boat leaving the island, Samui teaches Kumoi about the Summoning Technique, and helps her establish a contract with the creature. Kumoi promises to summon it if she ever needs to. Once it's satisfied, Kumoi meets up with team and leaves the island.

A few days later, she and the rest of her team greet Surudoi after he is discharged from the hospital. Kumoi responds to his surprise that the team is getting along, promising to explain how it happened as they prepare for their next mission.

High Queen Dragon Arc
Two months after the mission to the Island Turtle, Kumo is reading a book when she detects an unfamiliar chakra emanating from far away. Unsure of why she can sense it from so far, she focuses on the signature. When she hones on it, she hears a roar that fills her with dread, as she recognizes it as the call of a Celestial Dragon. Unsure if the dragon is there for her or not, she decides to keep it a secret until she knows more. Four days later, Kumoi is training with her team, only for her sparring with Surudoi to get serious. When she corners him, she is caught off guard when a Celestial Dragon appears and grabs Surudoi. Confused, she tries to get the dragon to release him, only for it to cut her off from Samui and Fukai and attack her. It manages to trap her in ice and tries to incinerates her, but Surudoi yells at it. The dragon releases everyone and retreats, confusing everyone. The incident is reported, but Kumoi senses that Surudoi must be connected to the dragon from the way it responded to him. She decides to question him later, but realizes he is going to supply answers when he invites the team to his home.

When they arrive, Kumo is introduced to Surudoi's mother, Toyotama, only to nearly start a fight when she realizes that she is the Celestial Dragon. Surudoi stops her and explains his heritage, and everything he has learned since Toyotama came into his life. Kumoi is shocked that her dear friend is a creature born to kill beings like her. Having trouble reconciling this truth, she nonetheless vows to keep his heritage a secret.

Beigoma Tournament Arc
Three weeks later, Kumoihime is introduced to Bakuten Shoot Beigoma, a game that is popular in Kumo. She is shocked to find that the game they know as Beigoma is the game she and most Celestial Beings know as Beyblade. When Surudoi requests she face him to test his new arm's usefulness for the game. Eager to see how much of her prowess she has recovered, she challenges a random player and defeats them. Unknown to her, she defeated the "Park Boss," the unofficial ninja who runs the park. As she realizes the responsibilities that come with the title, she is surprised when approaches her. He asks her to acknowledge him as the best player in the park. Unsatisfied, she demands that he beat the current holder of the rank. She is then struck on the head by an annoyed Surudoi, who points out that he is the one with the longest winning streak in the village, having reached that point before he lost his arm. Kumoi then watches Surudoi defend his title. She then challenges him to a match, but is beaten fairly easily, which inspires her to start practicing at the game again. The two do practice battles until it gets too late to continue. Before returning to her apartment, Kumoi resolves to retrain herself to her original level in response to Surudoi promises to not lose to her.

A few days later, Team Samui is given an A-rank mission: to serve as the honorary guard for the Raikage on his visit to Konoha. When they get there, they find that Team Konohamaru was given the same mission. While Darui and Naruto meet, Kumoihime leaves with her team because they already know they were given the mission to let Konoha see if she is still docile, as evidenced by the ANBU agents watching them. The three find a spot to play Beigoma near the konoha Hospital while Team Konohamru tries to get them to return to their post. She faces off with Fukai while Surudoi explains the truth to them. As the three practice, Sakura shows up to say hello to her daughter. She recognizes the game they are playing, and asks that they come to the hospital and play to entertain the child patients. Having no problem with it, they move their game to the playground on the campus so kids can watch them.

After a while, Sakura leaves, then returns and presents a Beigoma top. Sakura challenges Kumoi to a battle and wins, prompting Surudoi to challenge her. Kumoi watches their battle, and is excited when Surudoi wins. She listens to the story of how Sakura got her top, Surudoi explanation of the original Beigoma makers lived and died. When Boruto pull out the top he was gifted and Kumoi senses strong potential in both his bey and the one Sarada has. She then watches as Sarada takes Surudoi on. She former loses the match, but Kumoi is amazed that she holds her own against a talented Beigoma player in her first match. When it is over, Kumoi picks up Sarada's bey and returns it to her. When the rest their respective teams leave, she holds Sarada back and asks how she managed to create a move that held up to Surdoi's bey so easily. Sarada does not understand, and Kumoi realizes that she pulled that off instinctively, further amazing her. She connects to Sarada's mind and shows the battle from her perspective. She then explains the concept of resonating: when a player's will connects to the will of a bey through the chakra infused to it, its speed and power increase greatly and unique moves can be generated. She tells Sarada that she is not on Surudoi's level, but she can get there with practice, then catches up with her team.

A few days after they return to Kumo, Kumoi is approached by Toyotama, who tells her about the International Beigoma Tournament being held in Kirigakure and makes her vow not tell Surudoi about. Sensing an urgency to her demand, she agrees, but signs up herself. When Kumo's qualifier starts, she makes it into the main tournament, though she has difficulty. Having had issues controlling her top for some time, she determines that the change to her nature being on earth caused have weakened her connection to it. Saddened, she decides to stop using it and craft a new top that she can connect with. When the time for the tournament comes, she is confronted by Surudoi, who is upset she never mentioned the tournament to him. She tells him that his mother demanded that he not be told, but does not elaborate. She then asks him about a means of getting a new bey. Though upset, he points her in to Kitsui, the only person left alive who knows how to craft Beigomas using the old ways. She visits him, and he agrees to help her, so she creates a new bey for herself. While in Kirigakure for the tournament, she runs into a Konoha-nin. Hearing the voice of her old bey again, she decides that ninja can put it to good use, and gives it to her. The girl is unfamiliar with the games, so she has a quick match with her to show her the ropes, then heads off to the tournament grounds.

Using the new top she crafted, she manages to make it other to the semifinals, using the intense matches to improve her use of the new top. In the final four, she is outwitted by Sarada Uchiha and loses. Later that night, she offers to practice with Sarada, and explains that Surudoi's attitude is his way of acknowledging her skill. Once Sarada is convinced to get some rest, Kumoi tells her to do her best. The next, she excitedly watches Surudoi and Sarada face off. During the break, she identifies a sprain in Sarada's shoulder. Catching her in a hallway, she heals the injury and explains that Surudoi's attitude is his way of acknowledging her. Before leaving, she tells Sarada that she can defeat Surudoi if she listens to her bey. When the match continues, she inwardly notes that Sarada heeded her advice, but is saddened when Surudoi manages to win the tournament anyway, while also happy for her friend's victory. The next day, she watches as Surudoi talks with Sarada, hearing him call her a Spin Emperor: a title normally given in Kumo to mark the best Beigoma player. As they head to their train to return home, she gratefully accepts when Surudoi grants her the title of Spin Emperor too. She resolves to honor the title by making sure she wins their next bout.

Chūnin Exams Repeat Arc
When the time for the next Chūnin Exams arrives, Kumoi registers with her team. When the three agree to spar in preparation, Kumoihime suggests they go to the training area they used when they first became a team. While there, he participates in a three way sparring session that quickly escalates into a serious ninjutsu battle. The fight is interrupted when an Ōtsutsuki male appears out of nowhere and attacks Surudoi. She immediately recognizes him as a distant cousin of hers. Surudoi fights back, and Kumoihime tries to support him, but she's grabbed from behind, and is shocked to see her mother and four older sisters. She is thrown off further by the appearance of four Celestial Dragons who attack them. Toyotama and Surudoi's dad arrive and stop the dragons, and Kumoi and her family stop out of sheer terror at so many Celestial Dragons present. Seeing Surudoi's injuries, she shakes her family off and goes to treat his him.

Once the violence ends and both sides are calmed, Kumoi overhears that the Dragons are Toyotama's family members, who came to meet Surudoi. She then talks to her family, wanting to why any of them, let alone six of them, came for her. Her mother tells her that she is being brought home immediately, and she brought her daughters for a learning experience. She does not buy it, as her eldest sister would not have been brought along for something so trivial. Her mother insists that they leave before the Dragons attack again. Kumoi initially does not resist, but when she thinks of leaving her teammates and friends, she tells her mom she will not go. Her mother gets upset, but at that moment, Darui and a battalion of shinobi arrive to deal with the situation.

Darui gives the new celestials a chance to leave, but before a fight begins, Kumoi pleads with the Raikage to give her two minutes to rectify the situation and prevent a slaughter. He agrees, and Kumoi explains that life on Earth has made her stronger than she could have become under anyone else's teaching, and asks her to leave her be. Her mother responds by slapping her and demanding she comply. With reason failing, she goes to Plan B: explaining the deal she made to stay on Earth. Because Surudoi will be punished if she leaves, he will fight them to keep her here, and fighting him will incur the wrath of five adult Dragons. When her mother still won't back down, she gets worried. Knowing she is the least-favored daughter, she can't understand why her mother would fight Celestial Dragons over her. She makes one last push and offers a wager: watch her performance in the Chūnin Exams, where she can prove Earth is the best place for her to be. If she impresses her, she takes her sisters and leaves; if not, she will come willingly, even if the Dragons get in the way. Amused that her youngest, weakest child believes she could impress her, she agrees to the terms, and Kumoi squares it away with everyone. She is allowed to keep her family up in the. They are not impressed, but they behave, as Surudoi's extended family is there also. A few days later, Kumoi departs for the exams with her team, determined to show her mom her growth.

When Kumoihime and company arrive in Konoha early, she trains with them until they are interrupted by Sarada, who challenges Surudoi to a ninjutsu battle. She watches as her friend soundly beats Sarada. As a condition of the match, Sarada surrenders her Beigoma top to him, and he breaks it. Kumoi chastises him, but he says he has a purpose that Sarada should understand, and counters that she already understands it. The next day, Kumoihime decides to explore Konoha, and finds a barbecue eating contest. Having fallen in love with barbecue, she can't resist the challenge, especially after seeing the first place prize of vouchers for barbecue joints across the world. She is even more motivated when Surudoi enters to compete with her. She manages to win the contest, beating out even and. When Chōchō asks how she can eat so much without it affecting her weight, she jokes about having a portal to another dimension instead of a physical stomach, and then must explain it when Chōchō thinks it is true.

Two days later, the exam begins, and Kumoi easily finishes it, then uses the extra time to probe the minds of the other genin. Many believe her to be a nuisance who unworthy of ranking up, an obstacle to overcome, or a freak of nature that does not belong. When the proctor prepares to give the last question to decide who passes and who fails, she is unfazed, having read their mind to know what is happening, allowing her team to pass the first stage of the exams. Once the test is done, she is invited to hang out with several other girls after dinner Though her mind probes reveal that they are asking out of courtesy rather that friendliness, she smiles and agrees to come, something none of them expected. At the hotel that night, she finds that some of them play Beigoma, and she starts to befriend them by giving them tips on how to tap their beys' power. She also fascinates them with tales of the times she ran away from home, and they steadily accept her.

During the night she wakes up when she hears a disturbance nearby. Investigating, she finds several girls frightened by Itsumade and Isonade, her twin older sisters. She drags her sisters and the witnesses into her room and begs the girls not to say anything. Seeing her family resemblance, they are hard pressed to alert the ninja guarding the hotel. Kumoi explains that she could get kicked out of the Exams if her sisters are seen. She then reveals the deal she made with her mother, and her determination to prove to her family that she is strong. At that moment, guards arrive to check on them, and Kumoi is moved when the girls cover for her. They are asked to return to their assigned rooms, but Kumoi mentally thanks them all. Angered at the trouble they've created, she demands the twins stay there for the night, then return to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning in the morning. They don't take her seriously, so she rips a horn from each their heads, and says she will not allow them to reattach them until the morning. Once she is satisfied that they will obey, Kumoi goes back to sleep.

In the morning, Kumoi gets up early to send her sisters back to the Land of Lightning, and finds that Surudoi was awakened by his mother's arrival. Toyotama came to retrieve her sisters before they are found, so Kumoi entrusts them to her. She explains that she conveyed her feelings to them, and they responded to her humility. Before leaving, Toyotama hints that the next leg of the exams is a race. When Surudoi deduces that they are supposed to go to Konoha's airfield, he decides to get a head start. Kumoi stops him, deciding to go herself, and asks him to rest some more. Sending her sisters off, she returns their horns, and as they reattach them, Isonade asks Kumoi how she was able to get the other girls to obey her without force. She explains that she conveyed her feelings to them, and they responded to her humility. She then flies to Konoha's airfield and rests some more until her team gets close. When a Suna team tries to stop her teammates from getting to the ship first, Kumoi snipes at them with Lightning Release so her team can make it aboard first.

When they arrive at the island where the next part of the exams is held, Kumoi listens to the rules being explained, then heads out with her team. As they traverse the island and get the lay of the land, they reach a spot where they find a shinobi carrying their target; a scroll. They find a scroll, but they learn its guardian is Kurotsuchi. Though shocked that a Kage is getting involved, Kumoi does not waver when Fukai suggests they try to take the scroll despite the skill of their opponent. Despite their best efforts, Surudoi and Fukai get restrained without getting near the scroll. Kumoi is the only one left standing, so she retreats to think of a way to free her team, but she is pursued by a clone of Kurotsuchi. She manages to find a hiding place and tries to formulate a strategy, but cannot think of a way to outmaneuver a Kage. While thinking, she hears Surudoi express his faith in her to the true Kurotsuchi. Moved by his faith, she decides that since she cannot progress using stealth, she must confront Kurotsuchi head-on and use the new techniques she has been experimenting with.

Using a barrage of Typhoon Release bullets, she confounds the Rock Clone long enough for her to get close and slash the clone apart. She then confronts the real Tsuchikage, who decides to send a large golem after her. Kumoi decides to summon the creature she left on the Island Turtle and has it distract the golem. At that moment, Surudoi and Fukai break free of their restraints and help her summon smash the golem while Kumoihime engages Kurotsuchi. The two kunoichi trade blows, but she gets caught in a Kurotsuchi's stone fist. Kurotsuchi goes in for the kill with another fist, and Kumoi barely stops the punch. Kurotsuchi rebounds, and she cannot form a jutsu in time to stop it. She thinks that she is done in, but does not want to give up yet, and remembers something from the flight to the island: Boruto practicing his Rasengan. While he was practicing, she analyzed how the jutsu works. Putting the pieces together in her head, Kumoi successfully creates a Rasengan to counter Kurotsuchi. While that happens, her teammates manage to grab the scroll. Since they have the scroll, Kurotsuchi concedes, praising the team for their teamwork and Kumoi specifically for her skill. The team leaves to go commandeer an airship to leave the island and head to the finish line in Kirigakure. While they find a safe place to rest, Kumoi is praised for being able to replicate the Seventh Hokage's ace move without being trained.

The next morning, they encounter Team Konohamaru tailing them as they head to find an airship. The teams face off, but the confrontation turns into a one-on-one battle between Surudoi and Sarada that the latter loses. The team reaches the dock with the airships and sees only one remaining, so Kumoihime searches for other competitors. When she finds Team Konohamaru and two more teams heading their way, she defers to Surudoi's request to wait. When all of the teams arrive, Surudoi makes them all an offer: they agree to a truce and ride the airship to the finish line together, or he blows it up with explosives planted aboard, causing them all to fail. When they agree, he helps get the ship moving, and removes the tags from their hiding places. As all of the teams work together, they are able to overtake the remaining teams. However, once they enter Kiri's borders, Shinki turns on them. and demands everyone's scrolls. Fortunately, Kumoihime, who has her team's scroll, is not on the ship. Having anticipated this outcome, Kumoi flew ahead with the scroll. Partway there, she sees her team has caught up to her, but they are then intercepted by Team Shinki. As they battle, Surudoi is knocked off of his eagle. Kumoi tries to go grab him, but she is cut off, and he signals her to continue forward. Kumoi uses her Typhoon Release to fend of Shinki's Iron Sand, but he uses his Magnet Release, to pack the sand to a degree that she can't disperse it.

Realizing she only needs to keep Shinki away long enough to put distance between them, she tries to think of a technique that can break through the Iron Sand constructs and scatter it at the same time. The only technique she can think of that can accomplish that is Rasengan. Because she would have to get close to use it, she rules it out, until she has the idea to throw a Rasengan at Shinki's constructs. While dodging attacks, she summons the knowledge she has about the Rasengan, and realizes it would dissipate before reaching its mark, searches for a way to allow a Rasengan to be thrown without losing power. By summoning her knowledge of Shape and Nature Transformation, she forms a jutsu in her mind that would work and tries to form it in her hands. Though it consumes most of her remaining chakra, she gives her idea form, unaware she is actually using Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. Throwing it at Team Shinki, it breaks through the Iron Sand, and the explosion nearly hits the team, forcing them back and letting her and Fukai get away. Near the finish line, Kumoi gets distracted by Surudoi's summon disappearing, throwing her and Fukai off long enough to get knocked to the ground by Team Konohamaru, ho had caught up to them. The two get cornered, then suddenly are past the finish line. She realizes that Surudoi used his Lightning release to carry them the rest of the way. When asks their condition, and she tells him she is fine. She gets a shock when Surudoi collapses from exhaustion.

Chūnin Exams Finals Arc
After the second round is complete, Kumoi watches over Surudoi as he is examined by medics. She is then pulled aside by Sasuke, the proctor for the second exam, and brought before the Five Kage and her family, who were watching the Exams through cameras. The Kage demand to know how she learned the Rasenshuriken, a technique Naruto created and never taught anyone else. Gaara questions if she has been stealing information from other people's minds. It takes a moment, but she realizes what they are referring to. When she catches on, she explains that she simply dreamed up a Rasengan-like projectile in the spur of the moment, unaware that she was using a move someone else created, and apologizes profusely to Naruto for stealing his move. Everyone present is amazed that she managed to copy and perfectly execute two high ranking techniques using instinct and limited information. Gaara praises her mind, then scolds her, saying she could have killed Team Shinki. After apologizing some more, the Five Kage rule that she can continue to the finals, but they forbid her from using Rasenshuriken in the finals. She accepts their ruling, thanks them, then goes back to check on Surudoi. When she learns he is fine, she scolds him for his recklessness, but is secretly overjoyed that he is okay. Once everything that happened is explained to him, Kumoi explains her intent to go to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning to train. Since the next stage will likely pit them against each other, they agree to train separately.

Kumoi spends the first week trying to get Surudoi's aunt, who knows Typhoon Release, to train her. After a week of pestering, she manages to earn a new teacher. Kumoi spends the month enhancing her Lightning Release and building up her arsenal of Typhoon Release techniques. Halfway through the month, Kumoi's mother sees her growth and acknowledges her the winner of their bet. She also presents Kumoi with a new fan capable of storing electricity. With it, she can make her Lightning Release moves stronger with less chakra consumption. Kumoi is surprised and happy that her mother is acknowledging her, and accepts the gift. She begins practicing with it, and gains enough confidence to use it in the finals. The last week of the training period, she receives a message that thanks to complications in preparing the site of the finals, the training period is extended two weeks. She also gets a message that Hinata Uzumaki is in Kumo and wants to meet her. She then remembers that she sent word to Hinata, wanting to learn how a human Byakugan user fights. Since she never got word, she assumed she refused and forgot about it. Curious, she returns to Kumo and meets Hinata, who offers to use the extension to teach the basics of Gentle Fist. Hinata has one condition: she puts up both her and her daughter while they are there. Kumoi wants to train under Hinata, but she turns her down. Hinata asks why she is turning it down, but since she cannot talk about the Celestial Beings staying in the Valley, she simply says she found another teacher she can't abandon. Hinata explains that she was already told the truth about Kumoi's situation by her husband. Knowing that, Kumoi agrees to train with her on the condition that they come to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning so she can keep training with her current master, promising to keep Himawari will be safe there. Hinata agrees, so they head there to start. Kumoi begins spending her mornings training with Surudoi's aunt, and spends afternoons and evenings with Hinata. After a while, she is able to master one move: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. Hinata attempts to teach her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, but Kumoi struggles to master it. She manages to grasp it, but fails to mater the final step in time for the Exams. Nonetheless, on the final night of training, Kumoi thanks Hinata for training her, and thanks Himawari for being brave enough to stay in the Valley with her.

When the comes for the finals, Kumoi sent to : the site of the finals. Reuniting with her team, they all agree to hang on until they meet at the end. They gather with the other contenders, and hear that the finals will be battle royale, and the entire area is the battlefield. Contenders must fight until they are unable to continue. Each participant is be given a single smoke bomb they can use to withdraw from exactly one fight without being removed from the finals. The last four participants standing after a certain amount of time will participate in a tournament bracket the next day. If less than four remain after time is up, whoever is left will fight in one final match.

When the melee starts, Kumoi uses her eyes to search for a strong opponent. She sees Boruto, and considers going to him, but she is accosted by Kirei, a fellow Kumo kunoichi. Kirei engages her, but Kumoi is strong enough to fend her off with ease. Sensing a grudge, she asks why she's targeting someone from her village so soon. She responds that she hates Kumoi for taking her role from her, but she has no idea what that means. Reading her mind, she sees that the Kirei was the most skilled and popular kunoichi of their generation of Kumo-nin. However, Kumoi's rapid growth, kind nature, and exotic beauty has made her more popular than she realized. Though many are afraid to openly admit it, girls admire her skill and personality, and all of the boys that used to be into Kirei are now attracted to her. She is most upset because she has feelings for Surudoi and also considers him a rival, though he does not feel the same way. Kirei blames her for Surudoi's refusal to acknowledge her, thinking that Kumoi likes him and is intentionally "stealing" him away. Realizing the problem. she tries mentally telling Kirei that her bond with Surudoi is not romantic, but it doesn't work, so she switches back to fighting. Kumoi easily corners Kirei until she transforms, revealing her trump card: a Cursed Seal she had implanted over the training period, something forbidden for use in the exams.

Using the transformation, Kirei turns the table and badly injures Kumoi. A proctor attempts to step in, but she mentally asks them to stay out of the fight. They convey orders from the Five Kage to stop the fight, so she reaches out to her eldest sister, who is watching the fight alongside them. She asks her sister to let her possess her temprarily, and her sister complies. Using her mouth, Kumoi asks the Kage to let the fight continue, as she wishes to defeat Kirei honorably. The Kage are apprehensive about letting Kirei continue after breaking the rules. Even though she will be disqualified, Kumoi will be be too if she loses. As she gets back to her feet, she counters that as a shinobi, she has to endure for her goal, and that she cannot call herself a ninja if she is does not win or lose the fight in front of her on her own terms. Her words move the Kage enough for them to rescind their orders. Knowing she cannot win a contest of brute strength, Kumoi decides to focus her strength into an attack that will overwhelm Kirei in a single blow. Standing still, she allows Kirei to hit her with a barrage of Lightning Release attacks. Enduring the pain while focusing her chakra. When she's ready, Kumoi unleashes a technique from the new level of Fujita scale techniques she developed: F4: Sting Jet. She blasts Kirei with a cyclone powerful enough to break through her Cursed Seal-enhanced Lightning Release. As the jutsu takes a page from the Rasenshuriken, she is swept away by the cyclone and buffeted with countless Typhoon Release chakra needles that purge the Cursed Seal's chakra from her body, destroying it. When Kumoi cancels the blast, Kirei is returned to normal and too injured to move. Kumoi admits to Kirei that their feelings for Surudoi are the same, but she did not force him to acknowledge her. She worked hard to get better for her own sake, and became somebody Surudoi accepted in the process. She tells Kirei that she needs to improve herself for herself instead of to impress others: only then will she become able to draw others to her again. Kumoi then leaves to rest before finding her next opponent.

After ten minutes of rest, Kumoihime prepares to leave the underground cavern she was occupying, only to run into, with having rejoined her old team for the Exams. Though unsure she has recovered enough stamina to beat three opponents at once, Kumoi faces them anyway. Thanks to their enclosed surroundings, she is apprehensive about using Typhoon Release, so she uses Water and Lightning Release to fend them off. Kumoi keeps them at bay, but she loses track of Namida and falls prey to Calling on Tears Technique, blasting her into the wall of the cavern. Injured and disoriented by the attack, Kumoi struggles to her feet, realizing their strategy: Sumire,, and attack head-on to open her up to  technique. Determining that Namida requires rest after using Calling Upon Tears, she devises a risky plan and charges her opponents. She forces Sumire and Wasabi into a close quarters fight to keep Namida from firing off her technique. She then flies away when it appears Namida is ready to attack again. When she fires, Kumoi counters Calling Upon Tears with Dry Punch. Her wind blast keeps her safe from the brunt of the sound waves and scatters the rest enough for her jutsu to affect her teammates as well. Using the opening, Kumoihime strikes Namida down with Lightning Release and blows the rest of them away with Wind Release. With Team 15's trump card out of commission, Kumoi focuses on the rest of the team. Deciding to conserve chakra, she decides to unveil her new fighting style.

Kumoi grows her hair out using her chakra, the weaves it together to form four large fists that she can extend and retract with ease. Using her fists, she is able to fend Nue off and still pummel Sumire and Wasabi. She manages to down Wasabi, so she offers Sumire a chance to take her friends and retreat. Sumire considers it, but her teammates offer their chakra to Nue, who uses it to form a chakra cloak around her, inspiring her to keep fighting. Sumire manages to cut through Kumoi's hair, rendering it powerless, and turns the tide in her favor. Backed into a corner, Kumoi stops the finishing blow by using the chakra she infused in her scattered hair to immobilize Sumire long enough to blow her away with a Typhoon Release gust that also destroys the chakra cloak. Nue rushes to avenge its master, but Kumoi warns it not to waste its power on a losing battle. She instructs Nue to guard its team until help arrives, only to be shocked when Sumire stands despite her injuries. Kumoi praises her determination, but since she knows Sumire cannot continue, she leaves the cavern. When her foe tries to shoot her with Water Release bullet, Kumoi dodges and knocks Sumire out with a Squall Sphere.

Heading Outside, Kumoi checks around with her Byakugan, seeing that over half of the contenders have been eliminated. She notices Surudoi battling four opponents - including Sarada - at once, and goes to watch him fight. When there, she sees that he's struggling and also senses a difference she cannot identify. While watching, she is set upon by Boruto, who wants to face her. Kumoi is uninterested, so she convinces Boruto to wait until Surudoi's fight ends. During the match, Surudoi is buried alive by his opponents, but Kumoi is awed when breaks free, recognizing that he has successfully transformed into a Celestial Dragon. The sight of the change fills her with awe at its beauty, and terror at its implications. She watches with great interest as he changes back to normal and swiftly turns the tide of battle. Seeing Boruto, who wanted to save Sarada, join the fray makes her even more impressed when Surudoi still holds the advantage. Kumoi considers going to fight him himself, but the battle reaches a climax when Surudoi blows his foes away, leaving only Boruto and Sarada standing. Since she, her teammate, and the two Konoha-nin are the final four standing, the battle royale ends, forcing them to finish the finals the next day.

Kumoihime spends the rest of the day recuperating from the intense battles she fought. While resting, her mother comes to talk. She tells her she is impressed at the way she handled herself. She then asks her a favor: to come with her when they leave Earth. Kumoi gets defensive, but her mom explains that she is asking, not demanding. She reveals that she worries that because Surudoi is a Celestial Dragon, he will turn on her one day. Kumoi responds that she's confident that her bond with him will not turn into one of predator and prey. Since she will likely have to face him tomorrow, she resolves to show that they can fight and still be friends. Her mom isn't swayed, but decides to drop the matter for now, but she gives Kumoi something to use in case she changes her mind.

When the time for the finals arrive, Kumoi is brought to a special arena prepared in the event the battle royale didn't eliminate enough contenders. She then finds that her semifinal match will be with Surudoi. Shocked and excited to face her greatest rival, she is so impatient that she demands that they skip the pre-fight intermission that was scheduled. Surudoi has no problem with it, so they begin their fight immediately. Knowing her opponent will not hold back, the fight begins with intense swordplay. Surudoi shows off the new sword he has been forging in secret, and it proves to be equally effective against her new fan, even with Typhoon Release streamed through it. The two trade blows until they disarm each other at the same time. Kumoi tries to get distance by combining Water and Typhoon Release to form a vortex of water, but Surudoi evaporates it with his Inner Flame. Kumoi uses the smoke to nail Surudoi with a Lightning Release attack.

The two trade shots evenly for twenty minutes, until Surudoi ramps things up by transforming into his dragon form - disguising it as a normal Transformation Technique. Seeing him change fills her with fear, but she presses on anyway. Since Surudoi is slower because of their enclosed arena, Kumoi flies around, using her size to attack while dodging his moves. Surudoi tries blanketing the arena with Thunder of Revolution, but she deflects the shots, and finds an opening to use her F4 attack. While it damages him, Surudoi forces his way through the cyclone and blasts Kumoi with his Lightning Release. Though she is injured, she forces Surudoi to revert to normal. She decides to finish him off with a Typhoon Release Rasengan, but Surudoi matches her attack and the shockwave blows them both away. Kumoi is nearly drained, but she stands again, happy that she is able to hold her own against her greatest rival. When Surudoi stands to continue, she thanks him for the fun battle, then surrenders. She leaves the arena as Surudoi is declared the victor, and goes to wait for the next match to start. Surudoi follows her and asks why she refused to finish their battle properly. She tells him that she accomplished everything she wanted to in the Exams. Having achieved that, she is satisfied if she doesn't progress any further. She also tells him she is not ready to settle their rivalry yet, which satisfies him. She then gives him the earrings she is wearing, which was the gift her mother gave her. She then reveals them to be chakra pills with enough power to let her leave Earth, but they should be enough to replenish his strength and the strength of his next opponent. He accepts them, and they go to watch the fight between Boruto and Sarada. She is surprised when Boruto surrenders his fight also. She then realizes that he is allowing Sarada to face Surudoi, remembering that he considers her a rival too.

When the final match starts, Kumoi sits with her family, the Five Kage, and their respective families in the concealed viewing area set up for them. Kumoi watches the final match with interest, and is not surprised that Surudoi holds the advantage. She is surprised when Sarada begins pushing Surudoi back, recognizing that she is steadily reading her opponent's movements better. Eventually, Sarada attempts Chidori, but she is shocked when Surudoi blocks it with Black Lightning, One of Darui's ace techniques. She is upset that her rival did not use that against her, until Darui explains that he asked Surudoi to use it only if he made it to the final match. When Surudoi turns the tide, she expects the fight to be over, and is impressed when Sarada uses Chidori a second time, a risky move as she is low on chakra. She watches with shock as the two ninja achieve a mutual strike, and catches that her Chidori was strong enough to hurt Surudoi when he begins to fall. She worries that Surudoi could actually lose, but relaxes when he manages to stay on his feet, winning the match.

Kumoihime later attends the finishing ceremony for the Exams, where she and the other final four competitors are promoted to Chūnin. While boarding the airship to return to Kumo, she watches Surudoi talk to Sarada. Knowing that he is acknowledging her as a rival. As their airships take off, Kumoi reaches out to Sarada mentally, explaining that Surudoi's remarks mean he is going take her seriously from now on. She also tells her that the two of them are now rivals, as she won't allow Sarada to surpass Surudoi before her without a fight. Sarada responds that she will beat her first, then go after Surudoi. The two promise to square off another day before ceasing their communication.

Titanic Beast Arc
Several months after the Chūnin Exams, Kumoihime and the rest of Team Samui are assigned to a coalition formed by the Shinobi Union for an unknown mission. They are told to travel to the Northern Coast of the Land of Lightning before receiving their orders. Kumoi travels there with her team, and she learns that a volcano is not far from their destination.

Once they reach their post, she is annoyed when they are told they must wait for the remaining members assigned to the group to arrive. While waiting, she analyzes the area to try to find out what she can about their mission. She rules out addressing volcanic activity, as their post is set up unreasonably far away. She decides it cannot be a large enemy force, as the region is uninhabited. Her thoughts circle back to the volcano, so she uses her Byakugan to study it. She is shocked to find a large winged beast buried in the side of the volcano. Partially unearthed, she deduces that something alerted the Union to the existence of the creature, and the coalition is there to investigate it.

Having no idea how much the Union knows about the beast, she decides to hide her findings, leaving her unsurprised when she is briefed that their mission is to study the beast and see if it is dangerous. Traveling to the side of the volcano, she begins studying it, determining that is an alien creature she once read about. After finding that the beast has a heartbeat, she then analyzes the exposed parts of its body and calculates that it has been there for several thousand years, long before shinobi history began. Her thoughts disrupted by her sensei calling for her.

Kumoi is introduced to the leader of the coalition: of Konoha. Temari asks what she was doing, so Kumoi explains that she is familiar with the beast, and gives an estimate of how long it has been inside the volcano. Temari, impressed that she was able to provide more information than anyone else has discerned since the mission began, has her to sit in on her next videoconference with the Five Kage and the Daimyō. With no choice but to comply, Kumoihime nervously informs them about the beast the next day. However, she is pulled out of her nervous state by mention of plans to kill it, something she did not expect.

While attention shifts from her, Kumoi finds and reviews a strategy intended to kill the beast if it's deemed dangerous. She is put back on the spot when Temari, who saw her looking at the plans, asks her for her opinion. She bluntly tells them that their plan is terrible: it would fail miserably and provoke the beast to destroy the coalition.

Trivia

 * means "Sky Princess". It can also be translated as "Cloud Princess."
 * Her favorite foods are any kind of barbecue and manjū, while her least favorite food is hayashi rice.
 * Her hobbies are reading and Playing Beigoma.
 * Kumoihime wishes to fight Surudoi and her eldest sister, Kiyohime.