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Gyōbu Kasumi (霞 刑部, Kasumi Gyōbu) is a member of the Kōga Manjidani clan and one of the ten ninjas selected by Danjō Kōga to participate in the war against the Iga Tsubagakure clan who has an intense hatred for the Iga after they killed his father Renbu Kasumi when he was just a child.

Appearance[]

Gyōubu is a tall, bald and very muscular man with small beady eyes and no visible eyebrows.

He wears a white, sleeveless kosode which he ties with a black belt. He also wears white, three-quarter-length hakama and no shoes. He wears these clothes as they are quick and easy to remove, which he must do to be able to use his ability.

As a child, he had long black hair that was tied in a ponytail and far less muscles.

Personality[]

Like most of the Kōga, Gyōubu bears an overwhelming hatred for the Iga, although (in the anime) Gyoubu's rage is more of a personal vendetta due to him wishing to get revenge for what they did to his father Renbu Kasumi.

He believes he would have been able to protect his father had he not been so weak as a child, explaining why Gyōubu trained his body to become a mountain of raw physical strength.

Despite the rage inside him, Gyōubu's still capable of being friendly as seen through his relationship with Okoi in the anime.

Biography[]

Before the War[]

Gyoubu Child

Gyoubu as a child

As a child, Gyōubu would go and train in the woods with his father, Renbu Kasumi. On one occasion, Gyōubu failed to follow through with a strike to which his father berated him for it, telling him compassion is unnecessary for a ninja. Soon afterwards, his father is sent to Iga Tsubagakure as a peace envoy by Danjō Kōga. Renbu told him that it was time for the hatred to end and when Gyōubu told him to be careful he laughed and asked who he thought he was. However, shortly after, Gyōubu would stumble upon the near dead form of his father, having been ambushed by the Iga. Gyōubu cried and begged him not to die, but Renbu once again told him he had no use for compassion. Gyōubu wanted revenge, but the peace treaty of Hanzo the 1st was initiated the next day, leaving Gyoubu unable to claim it. Later that night, Gyōubu cut all the hair from his body as a statement of his unsatisfied fury.

Gyoubu cutting his hair

Gyōubu cutting his hair as a monument to his fury

Gyōubu is seen years later on a hunting trip with Okoi in the woods surrounding Kōga Manjidani. He had merged into the ground, intending to grab the boar while Okoi speared it from the bushes. As he was about to grab the boar, Okoi let out a scream, scaring away the boar, which trampled on his face as it ran away. Annoyed, Gyōubu emerged to find Jōsuke Udono, who had grabbed at Okoi while she was bent over. The pair chase Jōsuke down the hill to where Saemon Kisaragi and Shōgen Kazamachi were fishing. Jōsuke plunges into the water, soaking Saemon and Shōgen and letting the fish escape. Gyōubu and Okoi then appeared and the group joked about how they should cook Jōsuke for dinner instead.

The Iga's Attack[]

Gyōubu is first seen with Saemon Kisaragi, Kagerō and Hyōma Muroga as they listen to Jūbei Jimushi reading the stars. He warns them that Danjō Kōga is in great danger and that here are signs of ill fortune for Shōgen Kazamachi too. Gyōubu moves off the wall he was leaning against, indicating he was going to go to Sunpu to check on them before he is stopped by Jimushi who tells him that he will go instead.

The next day, Gyōubu sits with Kagerō and Hyōma in Danjō's estate where Kagerō complains about Gennosuke Kōga marrying Oboro and Hyōma begins to explain to her its for the greater good and that it may bring peace between the Iga and Kōga, but Gyōubu interrupts and accuses Hyōma of only pretending to be understanding and that he is only trying to rationalize it to himself, to which Hyōma agrees. Hyōma then says he is worried about Gennosuke so Gyōubu volunteers to go to Iga but they are interrupted by Saemon, who says he sent Okoi. Gyōubu agrees it was a good aidea and is about to say they should just wait for her to return when Hyōma says he hears footsteps from the north which don't belong to Kōga ninja. Fearing an attack, Saemon and Gyōubu get ready with Gyōubu merging into the wall outside.

As Gyōubu waits, the five Iga ninja stop in the alley Gyōubu is hidden in and discuss killing the rest of the Kōga ten. Gyōubu's presence is then sensed by Koshirō Chikuma so Gyōubu makes his move, grabbing Rōsai Azuki and pinning him to the wall. The others look on as Rōsai struggles to escape. As he struggles, Gyōubu whispers to him that the walls of Manjidani have ears before Rousai breaks free with a fierce kick. Gyōubu then shouts for back up and the entire alley fills with Kōga ninja. Tenzen Yakushiji claims they're only messengers for Gennosuke, but Gyōubu doesn't believe them, pointing out that they came from the north and that what they had said to each other was suspicious. Gyōubu orders the Kōga to attack and watches from his position as the five Iga fend off the Kōga. Seeing that the Kōga were losing, Gyōubu decided to challenge the Iga's leader, Tenzen, making a grab at his feet from the ground. A warning from Hotarubi allowed Tenzen to dodge so Gyōubu materialized out of the ground and took up two katana swords, but was stopped when Hyōma ordered the attack to be called off. Tenzen throws a shuriken at Hyōma, but it's blocked by Kagerō. Tenzen then claims the Iga acted in self-defense and that they'd kill Gennosuke if the Kōga tried to get revenge. Hotarubi then summoned a swarm of butterflies into which she, Tenzen, Koshirō, Rōsai and Nenki Mino disappear.

After seeing the Iga escape, Gyōubu angrily demanded the Kōga seek retribution for the men killed, but Hyōma pointed out that doing so would jeopardize the safety of Gennosuke who's currently staying at Iga Tsubagakure and instead ordered Gyōubu and Saemon to infiltrate the Iga village to uncover the truth behind the attack.

Invading Tsubagakure[]

While on their way to Iga Tsubagakure, the duo come across Yashamaru returning from Sunpu and decide to get information from him. The pair hide and Saemon Kisaragi uses his ability to change his voice into Tenzen Yakushiji's voice and begins to question Yashamaru. Fooled by Saemon's plan, Yashamaru tells them about everything, including the breaking of the Hattori truce. Saemon is shocked by this news and accidently gasps in his normal voice, allowing Yashamaru to determine he wasn't speaking to Tenzen. He slices through the wall with his ropes and manages to trap Saemon. He puts his foot against the wall to gain extra leverage, giving Gyōubu the perfect opportunity to strike. He emerges from the wall and seizes Yashamaru around the throat and hands, breaking his thumbs so his enemy couldn't utilize his wires anymore. At the time, Gyōubu merely intended to take him prisoner for further interogation, but Yashamaru attempts to fight back using the spare wires wrapped around his calves, forcing him to break his neck.

Saemon then uses the body to transform into Yashamaru, giving him the perfect disguise to enter Tsubagakure. Gyōubu accompanies Saemon there and leaves him to go further on his own. However, it appears as though Gyōubu follows Saemon into Tsubagakure by using his technique.

Later, when Saemon is surrounded by the Iga, he throws the scroll into the air, leaving Jingorō Amayo in the perfect place to catch it. Suddenly, Gyōubu emerges from the ground and grabs it, knocking Jingorō into Akeginu. He laughs and runs off, followed by a horde of Iga ninja. He rounds the corner and disappears into the ground, heading in the direction of Gennosuke Kōga's room. He manages to reach there at roughly the same time as Saemon and give him the scroll, shortly before the Iga arrive and surround them. Gennosuke orders them to follow him back to Kōga Manjidani and kills the fleet of ninja that charge them. With the remaining Iga now in awe of Gennosuke's ability, the group pass through undeterred until Koshirō Chikuma attempts to stop them. Gyōubu remarks that "Tenzen's puppy is damn cheeky" before Gennosuke uses his ability to blind Koshirō. The three then leave with Gyōubu and Saemon grinning, beginning their journey back to Manjidani.

Ferry Ride to Sunpu[]

Having met back up with Kagerō and Hyōma Muroga, the group sets off for Sunpu where Gennosuke Kōga plans to ask Ieyasu Tokugawa the reason for breaking the treaty. Gennosuke had sent the Iga the scroll and a letter explaining their plans so Gyōubu was aware that the they were following them. Gyōubu decides that he's going to finish the Iga himself and, against Gennsouke's orders, parts from the other Kouga to find them.

Gyōubu finds the Iga boarding a ship and manages to sneak on board disguised as a regular passenger. Throughout the trip, he shares a room with Jingorō Amayo and Akeginu and eventually merges with the floor to sneak into Oboro's room. There, he finds Tenzen Yakushiji attempting to rape Oboro and he uses this opportunity to strike. He reaches up from the floor and grabs Tenzen around the neck, strangling him to death. Gyōubu attempts to do the same to Oboro, but he is interrupted by the arrival of Akeginu and Jingorō. Gyōubu retreats momentarily while the others try to find the cause of Tenzen's death. Suddenly, Jingorō figures out the culprit and begins to slash the walls and floor of the room. He runs outside and begins to slash the sword around again, this time killing an innocent passenger in the process. Gyōubu then materialises below him and lifts him up before hurling him into the sea where he dissolves completely. Gyōubu gloats about killing Jingorō and watches as Akeginu dives into the sea in an attempt to save him before returning his attention to the blind Oboro and Koshirou. As he turns however, he sees Tenzen standing by the door.

Shocked to see Tenzen alive and well, he vanishes into the deck to think of what to do next. Tenzen begins to mock Gyōubu about his desire to avenge his father Renbu Kasumi, causing him to re-emerge in a rage. Gyōubu starts throwing crates at Tenzen and manages to disarm him in the process, now wielding Tenzen's katana. Gyōubu moves in for the killing shot, completely unaware Tenzen has positioned himself in front of a young boy. Tenzen avoids the attack and Gyōubu accidently kills the boy's father who had used his body as a shield in order to protect his son. Gyōubu freezes in shock, horrified he'd just done the same to a child which he hated the Iga for doing to him. He tries to run for cover, but he's too distracted to realize Akeginu has climbed back up, allowing her to spray him with her blood mist as revenge for slaying Jingorō earlier.

Gyoubu's Body

Gyōubu's body laminated into the boat

He merges with the wall, but the blood he's marked with makes him visible and allows Tenzen to impale him through the chest. Gyōubu's last sight before Tenzen drove the blade down to the hilt was the son of the man he'd killed staring at him with the same rage and sorrow he had carried his entire life. Tenzen cuts the wood from the boat and leaves it propped by the sea for the Kōga to find. When the remaining Kōga discover the body, they set it adrift into the sea, adorned with flowers which Kagerō had picked to mourn his passing as well as the other Kōga who have lost their lives to the war.

Gyoubu's funeral

Gyōubu's funeral

Abilities[]

Solid Matter Assimilation: Despite his massive size, Gyōubu's specialty is stealth. By merging with the surface of an object, he is able to move and attack in complete secrecy as well as manipulate any object in physical contact with the surface. However, there are some limitations to this technique:

  1. Only his body can merge, so he must strip naked and drop any weapons he's carrying in order to use it. However, with his immense strength, he doesn't really need to carry them.
  2. This ability offers him little to no defensive benefits, even if he fuses with a durable surface like stone, any strike delivered to it will still transfer over to Gyōubu as if he'd been struck himself.
  3. The surface area of an object must be at least equal to his own in order for him to merge and move on it, he also must be in physical contact with a surface of similar dimensions in order for him to traverse from one object to another.

Enhanced Strength: Gyōubu has trained constantly since his father Renbu Kasumi's death and is strong enough to break an enemy in half with nothing more than his bare hands. His favorite method of attack is to suddenly appear from an enemy's blind spot and strangle them. His kicks are more then capable of knocking an opponent several feet into the air and he can lift fully grown people above his head without much difficulty.

Relationships[]

Renbu Kasumi[]

Although his father was very strict, the two had quite a close relationship and Gyōubu really looked up to him, having complete faith in his power and thinking it impossible for him to be killed. His death spiraled Gyōubu into a life of hatred and he constantly thought of getting revenge.

Okoi[]

In the anime, Gyōubu shares an uncle-niece relationship with the tomboyish Okoi, whom he frequently takes with him to go hunt wild boar in the forests surrounding Kōga Manjidani.

Saemon Kisaragi[]

Saemon and Gyōubu are very good friends who function extremely well together in combat.

Kagerō[]

Another one of Gyōubu close friends alongside Saemon Kisaragi.

Difference between Manga, Anime and Novel Versions[]

Gyōubu in the manga is noticeably less humanized that in the anime. His backstory is never touched upon nor is his father Renbu Kasumi mentioned, so the incident regarding the passenger he accidentally kills never occurs in the manga.

As a result, his character appears to hate the Iga without a discernible reason which makes it harder for the audience to sympathize with him. His fight with Tenzen Yakushiji is also much shorter in the manga, with the young boy and his father not included at all.

In the original novel, Gyōubu is described as being born completely devoid of body hair and resembling some sort of strange monk. His technique remains the same in all sources. Much like the manga, his backstory is never fully touched upon in the novel and he also was not included in the 2005 live-action film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade.

Etymology[]

  • The name Gyōubu means "prison" (刑部).
  • Gyōubu's surname Kasumi means "fog, mist, haze" (霞), which reflects on how he is surprisingly elusive and stealthy.
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