Matsuri

Matsuri is one of the first students of the Sunagakure ninja school modeled after the one in Konoha. She chooses Gaara as her teacher despite his lingering status as the village039s weapon. When it comes time to begin training her with a weapon Gaara suggests she uses a jouhyou it being the safest of all the available options. She is initially fearful of weapons after the murders of her parents yet becomes accustomed to them after realizing they can be used to help others. She is the first of the anime039s filler characters to make an appearance in Naruto: Shippuden where she joins a Sunagakure rescue team meant to rescue Gaara after his capture. She becomes somewhat outspoken over the timeskip as she complains when her team spends its time protecting Sunagakure039s borders rather than trying to save Gaara. She later appears during Gaara039s revival praising him and boasting about his powers.