This is the article on the Konoha genin. For other uses, see Kosuke (disambiguation).

Kosuke Maruboshi (まるぼしコスケ, Maruboshi Kosuke) is a genin of Konohagakure and is reputed as the Eternal Genin (万年下忍, Mannen Genin) as well as Konoha's Strongest Genin (木ノ葉最強の下忍, Konoha Saikyō no Genin).

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Background

When he was still a child, he made a reckless decision that cost him the lives of his teammates. Ashamed of this, he felt he was not worthy of being promoted beyond the rank of genin. Despite this, he continued to train arduously to improve his skills, something that was insisted upon him by Tobirama Senju. Kosuke would remain a genin for over fifty years, thus the reason others called him the Eternal Genin. During this time, Kosuke would serve under the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage. At other points, he fought alongside the Legendary Sannin, Konoha's White Fang, and the previous generation of Ino-Shika-Chō trio. He also seems to be one of the few people who knew about the true identity of Naruto Uzumaki as the Fourth's son. At some point he lost one of his legs, presumably in battle, and had it replaced with a sword he conceals with a prosthetic foot.

Six years after the Fourth Hokage died saving Konoha from the Nine-Tails, Kosuke was sent on a mission with Might Guy to complete a trading of secret scrolls with the Land of Wood's Prajñā Group to establish an alliance between the two countries. Along the way, Guy noted his suspicions that this mission was actually to test the trustworthiness of the other country. Ultimately, Guy's guess was right as the Prajñā Group betrayed the Konoha-nin after getting the scroll. As Kosuke and his team were nearly crushed by the enemy, Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha of the Anbu appeared to save their allies and swiftly defeated the Prajñā Group.[1]

Seven years later, he was placed on a team alongside Hayama Shirakumo, Tekuno Kanden and Naruto Uzumaki to guard the borders of the village after Orochimaru and Sunagakure's invasion of the village. While on the mission, they realised that their borders were invaded by several Iwagakure shinobi. After being left by both Hayama and Tekuno, to report to the village what had happened while they held them off, they were confronted by two Iwagakure teams that had broken through the defensive lines. After defeating the teams with various techniques, Kosuke directly clashed with the attack force's leader who mistook him to be the leader of Konoha's defence forces as well. After Naruto returned claiming that he could never abandon a comrade on the battlefield, Kosuke declared that he would neither die, nor allow Konoha to be besieged by someone who would so willingly sacrifice their subordinates. With this, he defeated the Iwagakure kunoichi.

He was later given a mission on retrieving valuabe infomation from Iwagakure. After retrieving information from the Three Brothers from Iwagakure, Kosuke rushed back to Konohagakure to relay the information. He was, however, overpowered by them and when seemingly trapped, Team Asuma arrived as back up and saved him with their Formation Ino–Shika–Chō.

Personality

Kosuke has a very calm, collected and kind personality which seemingly comes from his years of knowledge and expertise, and is often seen smiling and hardly letting anything bother him even while on missions. This demeanour however, should not be taken as him being lazy or uncaring as he was quick to action when the team was being attacked and with his expert survival skills. He is usually seen with a smile on his face which gives him an air of carefree. This however can change in an instant to one of pure seriousness.

He is also quite loyal, holding closely to the Will of Fire belief shared by the villagers with which comes his great sense of duty. This is seen in his willingness to sacrifice himself to allow Naruto to escape to warn the village and when he got angry at the Iwa kunoichi that had sacrificed her genin-level ninja during the battle. Because of what happened during his youth, Kosuke seemed to put little value on his life, resulting in him putting the village's well-being ahead of his own, which led to him being repeatedly reprimanded by the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage. This mentality has seemingly changed however, after he met Naruto Uzumaki, whom he has noted to be very similar to his father.

Appearance

Kosuke is an elderly man with his once black hair, now greyed which he wears in a short ponytail. He wears a mesh armour shirt under a short, brown, sleeveless kimono with a pair of grey pants. He carries a wok that he uses for multiple reasons ranging from cooking in while out on missions, to supplementary weaponry during battle. He also carries a ladle, and a sword sheathed horizontally across his lower back.

In his youth, Kosuke had dark hair, tied in a ponytail. He wore a blue jacket along with a mesh shirt underneath.

Abilities

Even though his official rank is that of genin, he is easily skilled enough to become a jōnin — a promotion he declined time and time again. A long career as a shinobi has also given Kosuke a large amount of knowledge and experience, both within and out of combat.

Physical Prowess

Kosuke has shown considerable taijutsu skill, able to use only his cooking-ware to defend and manoeuvre against enemy attacks. He is also a skilled kenjutsu fighter and wields a tantō and a hidden blade concealed in his prosthetic, left leg, both of which he can use to strike with deadly precision. Additionally, despite his advanced age, Kosuke has repeatedly showed to be deceptively agile and fast.

Nature Transformation

When he was younger, he was taught many techniques by the Second and Third Hokage. His training under the Second has given him highly proficient skill in high calibre Water Release techniques, allowing him to use techniques such as the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique and Water Release: Water Formation Wall. He was even able to overpower an Earth Release technique with a Water Release technique, despite Earth being Water's weakness. He is also seemingly capable of using Earth Release techniques such as the Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique.

Other Skills

He also demonstrated the use of a unique technique which incorporates genjutsu along with kenjutsu to confuse and petrify his opponent, making it easier to strike them down. He also learned the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique from the Third Hokage which he uses with similar proficiency. In addition to combat skills, Kosuke is a highly capable survival expert and cook and as such is often requested personally when missions that require these skills arise.

Part II

Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha

Two years later, when the village was being rebuilt after Pain's assault, he remarked that Minato had left behind a fine son.

Paradise Life on a Boat

Kosuke later came across Team Asuma whom he greets fondly, telling them that he owed a debt to them for saving him many years ago. After thanking them, he tells them about the first time the formation had saved him during the Konoha Crush, causing the three friends to realise that their fathers were amazing. As he leaves, he tells them not to worry as good shinobi aren't made in a day, and that he'd be more careful so they wouldn't have to save him again.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes

On the day of the Sixth Hokage's inauguration, Kosuke and the other shinobi guard the village gate, not allowing anyone not authorised to enter.

Trivia

In the beginning of Naruto: Shippūden episode 75, an elderly man who is stopped by Konoha-nin bears a great resemblance to Kosuke.

episode 75, an elderly man who is stopped by Konoha-nin bears a great resemblance to Kosuke. Kosuke shares his epithet of the "Eternal Genin" ( 万年下忍 , Mannen Genin) with Might Duy.

Quotes

(To Naruto) " When you've been a genin for fifty years as I have, chances are you've worked with many who became great masters. " [2]

" (To the Iwa Kunoichi) " There is no single Konoha shinobi who would sacrifice the lives of a genin! " [2]

" (About Naruto) "You've left behind a fine son, Fourth Hokage."[2]

References