Kuma

Kuma was one of the Igan ganins who lived in the 1570s and 1580s.

He was one of the ninja dogs of the Kihē family and the first and most skilled student of the gan Ōzaru . He knew how to use a special smaller than usual sword meant for ganins.

Ginga Densetsu Akame

While on patrol, Kuma, along with Ryōjun and the other dogs , ran into Sadamitsu , who warned Iga’s dogs that Kōga had allied with Nobunaga Oda .

Later, Ryōju and the dogs were surrounded by Ryōga and his six subordinates. Kuma and Ōzaru escaped with Ryōjun into the waterfall. They survived but lost their weapons. Soon after, they found Kihē dying. He passed away, after which Ryōjun and the dogs returned back home. Kuma stayed home while Ōzaru went with Ryōjun to meet with the higher Iga ninjas.

Kuma later defends the house from an attack by Kōga’s ninjas. When the fire breaks out, he escapes into a secret passage along with Kaede , Taichi , Kotobuki and Kotobuki’s puppies. They all made it out of the battle alive.

About two years later, in 1581, Kuma is with Tahei working at Nobunaga Oda’s estate, to spy. Kuma’s face has been painted light so that he cannot be recognized. However, Tahei and Kuma are revealed, and Tahei is killed. Kuma flees alone with the man’s katana with him. He manages to escape to the river, but gets an arrow in his side and another in his right hind leg. Kuma manages to pull one of the arrows away, but the other breaks and remains in the wound. He continues on his way and rolls around in the mud pit of wild boars to wash off his smell, but Kōga’s ninja dog Izuna finds him. Several of Kōga’s ninja dogs arrive and Kuma is surrounded.

Izuna cuts off Kuma’s katana, but Kuma manages to wound Kazumi with half of it and takes Kazumi’s katana. More of Kōga’s ninja dogs, including Ryōga, arrive and Kuma starts howling for help. Ōzaru and his sons, Taichi and Hikozō run to the scene, whereupon a wounded Kuma gives the katana he took from Kazumi to Hakutaka . Hakutaka gets caught in a fight against Izuna, but Kuma saves him by punching Izuna in the side. However, Izuna manages to strike Kuma’s chest with his katana. Just before he dies, Kuma holds Tahei’s sword in his mouth, after which he succumbs to his wounds.