Akkun

A pale, owl-like mask forms Akkun's face, one eye-hole cracked and hollow while a large red eye fills the other. The rest of it is a rounded lump of clay with stubby limbs, the left arm noticeably longer than the right. Where most Akuta loom over people, this imperfect one is barely the size of a household pet.

Akkun stood apart from the other Akuta, carrying almost none of their aggression. More like a small child, it was playful and endlessly curious about everything around it, and it fixed on Inojin so strongly that it seemed to imprint on him as a parent, wanting to stay near him whenever it could. Meeting anyone else left it anxious and quick to lash out. It clearly possessed a measure of real intelligence, particular about what it was called and able to speak and pick up names as long as they were not too hard. For all its childishness it proved brave and devoted, its first instinct always to shield Inojin even from far stronger enemies.

After a number of the Akuta were destroyed, one reassembled itself imperfectly and was found by Inojin, who it instantly took to and trailed everywhere. His friends wanted to bring the creature to Konohagakure as proof of the conspiracy they had uncovered in Iwagakure. When the group set out for help from Onoki, Inojin stayed behind with it to avoid drawing notice, and during that time he warmed to the odd little thing. Realizing it hated being called simply an Akuta, he tried out various names until it happily settled on Akkun, then began teaching it his friends' names, which it could only manage as silly nicknames.

The hideout was later discovered by Kirara, who kicked the imperfect Akuta in disgust. Inojin stepped in to protect it but was pinned by her genjutsu, and Akkun woke to find him taken. It searched until it reached Iwa, then came to his aid by wrapping Kokuyo's eyes, buying Chocho another opening, though Kokuyo shattered its mask in return. Once Kokuyo was beaten, Inojin cradled the little Akuta and scolded it for getting hurt. Akkun spoke Inojin's name as its final word before its mask broke and its body scattered. Grieving, Inojin built it a grave, laying down the surviving piece of mask along with a drawing of it from his sketchbook.