Kazuma

Biodata

Background and History

Genpachirō brought Kazuma from an orphanage into the Daimyo’s service. As one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Kazuma became a trusted guard of the Fire Daimyo and was regarded as one of the group’s two strongest members. While stationed at Konoha’s Special Envoy’s Office, he discovered that envoy Takanori Hiramiya was abducting people and warned him not to disgrace the Daimyo. When the Police Force uncovered the envoy’s operation, Kazuma killed Hiramiya and framed his guard, Ogasawara Uemon 247 258 261 265.

Kazuma believed that Konoha’s independence prevented the Daimyo from ruling the Land of Fire as its sole sovereign. He led the Guardian Ninja’s Radical Faction, sought allies against Konoha, and tried unsuccessfully to recruit Asuma Sarutobi. He then chose to sever his faction’s ties to the Daimyo. His group ambushed and killed four Moderate Faction members in the Imperial Palace and fled; the Daimyo subsequently placed a bounty on them 265 268 269 270 273.

Seeking enough power to challenge Konoha, Kazuma mastered Dead Soil and seized the Tsuchigumo Clan’s forbidden technique Nuregami after an attack that killed En no Gyōja. The technique’s incomplete fusion with his body later became life-threatening. He allied with Hiruko, gathering Kekkei Genkai-bearing captives in exchange for treatment and help against Konoha. Hiruko eventually completed the fusion 266 270 281 285 294 295 298 306.

Kazuma later targeted people close to Uchiha Sōken. An attack on Toka, Yakumo and Hotaru in Konoha failed. In a subsequent alliance with Shirou Tsuchigumo, he used Dead Soil constructs to surround their squad, but Uchiha Chihaya broke through his forces. Kazuma’s final attempt to unleash a large-scale Lightning Style technique failed when Chihaya dispersed its required thunderclouds. Sōken then immobilized Kazuma with genjutsu and read his memories 313 345 347 349 350 351.

Appearance

Kazuma has long white hair and is known to dress as a traveling monk 247 345.

• Monk attire — Wears a robe and carries a khakkhara staff; he later uses a bamboo hat as part of his disguise 247 345.
• Forbidden-technique core — After acquiring Nuregami, he has a black, pearl-like core embedded in his chest, surrounded by abnormally pale skin 294 345.

Personality

Kazuma is committed to making the Fire Daimyo the sole ruler of the Land of Fire, even when that goal requires betraying his own organization. He plans around opponents rather than relying only on force: he tries to move Asuma aside without a fight and uses Dead Soil constructs to exhaust targets before capturing them. He is also willing to sacrifice allies and, when cornered, threatens mutual destruction rather than surrender 265 269 270 296 347 351.

He is wary of powerful prospective allies. Kazuma distrusts Obito Uchiha’s motives and enters his arrangement with Hiruko for practical reasons, principally treatment for his deteriorating condition and support against Konoha 255 285 294 295.

Abilities and Skills

Earth and Wind Style

Kazuma specializes in Earth Style and Wind Style; even without forbidden techniques, he is described as an elite among jōnin 265 296.

• Earth Style — Uses Earth Dragon Spear, Earth Core Rising, underground movement and defensive hardening 290 296.
• Wind Style — Uses cutting Wind Blades and Vacuum Wave 296 313.
• Matchup limit — His Earth and Wind attacks proved ineffective against Hōzuki Mangetsu’s Hydrification Technique; the Lightning and Fire Styles that could harm Mangetsu were outside Kazuma’s expertise 296.

Dead Soil

Kazuma mastered Earth Style: Ultimate Creation Technique: Dead Soil after studying it in the Imperial Palace’s Forbidden Library 266 270.

• Creates mud-based corpses that retain combat instincts and can use ninjutsu 347.
• Can supply selected constructs with more chakra to let them follow complex orders; maintaining such units limits how many he can create 349.
• Requires substantial chakra. Kazuma uses massed constructs to wear opponents down before attempting capture 347 349.

Nuregami

Nuregami is the Tsuchigumo Clan’s destructive forbidden technique, which Kazuma took from En no Gyōja and later had fully fused into his body by Hiruko 285 290 306.

• Draws on natural energy; a longer preparation produces a stronger blast 290.
• Produced a massive crater when Kazuma used it against monsters at Mirou Mountain 290.
• Requires him to remain relatively still while preparing it, leaving him vulnerable in close combat. Hiruko’s treatment removed the technique’s additional burden on his body, but not this restriction 290 306 350.

Lightning Dream Lightning Person

Kazuma later attempted Lightning Style Forbidden Jutsu: Lightning Dream Lightning Person, a technique requiring four synchronized ninja and thunderclouds above its target area. He threatened to use it even at the cost of his own life, but Chihaya dispersed the clouds before it could fire 351.

Equipment and Items

• Khakkhara staff — His usual carried weapon; one was accidentally destroyed by his Nuregami blast 247 290.
• Concealed four-bladed iron claw — Hidden at his wrist and used to threaten Tenmoku 349.
• Storage scroll — Used to carry a spare staff and to seal corpses intended for Dead Soil 270 290.

Relationships

• Fire Daimyo — Former master who trusted Kazuma and granted him access to the Forbidden Library; Kazuma later broke formal ties to pursue his campaign against Konoha 265 270.
• Genpachirō — Brought Kazuma from an orphanage and supervised his access to forbidden jutsu 265 266.
• Asuma Sarutobi — Fellow Guardian Ninja whom Kazuma tried to recruit; Asuma refused and later confronted him over the deaths of their comrades 269 272.
• Tenmoku — Radical Faction member and sensor ninja on whom Kazuma relied in the field 269 272 347.
• Obito Uchiha — Uneasy collaborator who helped Kazuma acquire Nuregami and later directed him to target Sōken’s close ones 285 313.
• Hiruko — Allied with Kazuma in exchange for captives and ultimately treated the dangerous fusion of Nuregami with his body 295 306.
• Shirou Tsuchigumo — Temporary, mutually distrustful ally in the attempt to capture Hotaru and her squad 345 349.