Naruto Shippuden is one of the most popular and influential anime series of all time, with a rich and complex story that spans hundreds of episodes and several spin-offs.
The series follows the adventures of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. Along the way, he faces many enemies and challenges, as well as makes many friends and allies.
One of the most intriguing and mysterious characters in the series is Koji Kashin, a masked assassin who appears in the sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
Koji Kashin is a member of Kara, a secretive and powerful organization that seeks to capture and exploit the power of the tailed beasts, the legendary creatures that reside within certain individuals, such as Naruto.
But who is Koji Kashin, and what is his connection to Naruto Shippuden? In this article, we will explore his background, personality, abilities, and role in the story of Naruto Shippuden. We will also look at some of his most memorable moments and battles in the anime. Let’s begin!
Contents
All about Koji Kashin
[schemas]- Sex: Male
- Classification: Sage
- Occupation: Inner
- Affiliation: Kara/Mount Myoboku
Koji Kashin’s Background
Koji Kashin is not a real person, but a clone of Jiraiya, one of the most important and beloved characters in Naruto Shippuden. Jiraiya was a legendary ninja who was known as one of the Sannin, the three most powerful ninja of his generation.
He was also Naruto’s mentor and godfather, who taught him many skills and techniques, such as the Rasengan and the Sage Mode.
Jiraiya died in a heroic sacrifice, while fighting against Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, another criminal organization that was after the tailed beasts.
Jiraiya managed to uncover the truth behind Pain’s identity and motives, and sent a coded message to Naruto and his allies, before succumbing to his wounds.
However, unbeknownst to everyone, Jiraiya’s body was recovered by Amado, a scientist and a member of Kara. Amado used Jiraiya’s DNA to create a clone of him, who he named Koji Kashin.
Amado’s purpose was to use Koji as a weapon against Isshiki Otsutsuki, the true leader of Kara and an ancient alien being who possessed Jigen, the nominal leader of Kara.
Amado implanted Koji with false memories and a false identity, and made him believe that he was a loyal member of Kara. He also gave him a mask and a cloak, to conceal his resemblance to Jiraiya.
Amado’s plan was to use Koji as a Trojan horse, who would infiltrate Kara and assassinate Isshiki, using his natural affinity for fire and sage techniques, which were effective against Isshiki’s abilities.
Koji Kashin’s Personality
Koji Kashin is a calm and stoic individual, who rarely shows any emotion or expression. He is very focused and determined, and follows his orders and missions without hesitation.
He is also very intelligent and cunning, and can devise effective strategies and tactics to deal with various situations. He is observant and perceptive, and can analyze his enemies’ strengths and weaknesses. He is also very adaptable and resourceful, and can use his surroundings and his chakra to his advantage.
Koji Kashin is also a ruthless and merciless killer, who does not hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. He has a sadistic and sarcastic sense of humor, and often mocks his opponents with witty remarks. He is also very confident and arrogant, and does not fear anyone, not even Isshiki Otsutsuki, the most powerful being in the world.
However, Koji Kashin is not a completely heartless and emotionless being. He has a sense of honor and pride, and values his own strength and abilities. He does not like to rely on others or use cheap tricks to win.
He also respects his enemies who fight with courage and determination, and acknowledges their skills and efforts. He is loyal to his creator, Amado, and to his original goal, to kill Isshiki Otsutsuki. He is also loyal to his sword, Samehada, a living weapon that can absorb chakra from its victims and transfer it to its wielder.
Koji Kashin also has a hidden connection to his genetic template, Jiraiya. He has inherited some of Jiraiya’s personality traits, such as his affinity for fire and sage techniques, his interest in Naruto Uzumaki, and his fondness for toads.
He also has some of Jiraiya’s memories, which occasionally surface in his mind, causing him confusion and doubt. He also feels a sense of nostalgia and familiarity when he visits Konoha, the village where Jiraiya lived and died.
Koji Kashin’s Appearance
As a clone of Jiraiya, Koji’s likeness is identical to the Sannin, albeit he is physically in his prime compared to his template, having no wrinkles and his hair is straight unlike Jiraiya’s spiky hair.
Koji is a tall man with shoulder-length white hair that he keeps the top of in a topknot, leaving the rest to flow freely. He also sports trimmed beard along his jawline and black markings on the corner of his eyes, extending downward and ending to his cheeks which resemble the Roman numeral “Ⅱ”.
He also has a small wart on left side of his nose. He also noticeably wears a mask which conceals the top-half of his face, along with the black hooded robe with maroon lining that seems standard of Kara.
Beneath his robes, during his meetings with Kara and Ao, he wore a long maroon coat with a row of buttons on the right side; during the meeting with Kara it was left unbuttoned, but while meeting with Ao the buttons were fastened and he wore a belt over it.
Later, when confronting Team Konohamaru, he donned a shorter maroon jacket with black lining and straps with buckles, as well as a brown tactical belt and armour on his upper right leg and a pouch on his left hip.
Koji Kashin’s Abilities
Koji Kashin is one of the most powerful and dangerous characters in the series, and is feared as the “Kara Killer”. He has a massive amount of chakra, comparable to that of a tailed beast.
He can use his chakra to enhance his physical strength and speed, and to perform various ninjutsu techniques. He is also proficient in taijutsu and kenjutsu, and can fight hand-to-hand or with his sword.
Koji Kashin’s main weapon is his sword, Samehada, a living blade that can absorb chakra from its victims and transfer it to its wielder. Samehada can also change its shape and size, and can grow spikes and teeth to shred its enemies.
Samehada is loyal only to Koji, and will reject anyone else who tries to use it. Koji and Samehada share a strong bond, and Koji even refers to his sword as his friend.
Koji Kashin’s signature element is fire, and he can manipulate fire to create powerful attacks and defenses. He can also summon toads to aid him in battle, and can communicate with them telepathically. He can also use genjutsu to deceive and manipulate his enemies, and can create clones of himself from fire or shadow.
Physical and Chakra Prowess
Koji has had his body modified with Scientific Ninja Tools by Amado. He has blazing speed, able to catch an opponent off guard from a distance even while they face him.
He possesses great stealth skill, as he snuck up on the more experienced Victor unnoticed and also moved around Konohagakure upon infiltrating it completely unnoticed.
He is highly skilled in taijutsu, easily countering all of Konohamaru Sarutobi’s melee attacks and simultaneously implanting techniques on the latter without him knowing.
He could even compete with a heavily weakened Jigen, able to counter and exchange blows with him very well. He is extremely resilient, able to survive having an arm destroyed, his torso and legs crippled, and still had enough strength to summon a toad to escape.
Likewise, Koji has tremendous chakra control, able to perform techniques with only a single hand, despite his mangled state. He also has equally strong and large enough reserves of chakra to use Sage Mode.
Ninjutsu
Koji uses ninjutsu from Konohagakure, and has inherited his template’s mastery and skill-set at a greater scale. He can create multiple shadow clones and seamlessly switch places with them to avoid detection.
He is one of few to use the Rasengan, easily matching Konohamaru Sarutobi’s own usage, and can even use the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan. He is very knowledgeable of other people’s techniques, as he understood the nature of the Konohagakure Sensing Barrier and how to bypass it. He can also manipulate his hair to attack and defend against his enemies.
Koji’s skill in shurikenjutsu can effortlessly hit a fellow Inner of Kara before they can react. He can use Space-Time Ninjutsu, able to enter Kara’s Ten-Tails’ dimension at will and carve seals to summon eternally burning natural fire.
Koji can summon toads to aid him, ranging from summoning tiny toads that act for surveillance, act as a medium for his techniques, giant toads to crush targets, and also perform the Reverse Summoning Technique.
Uniquely, Koji has also summoned naturally occurring phenomena, such as flames, from their origin. He can use fūinjutsu to paralyse targets within his erected pillars. He can also produce a smokescreen from his body and launch sticky oil from his mouth.
Nature Transformation
Koji can utilise Fire and Earth Release. He has shown great mastery in using Fire Release; he can use True Fire of Samadhi, that from hitting targets through small mediums, will cause the victim to spontaneously combust, strong enough to overcome a target’s regeneration capabilities and never extinguish.
He can also launch a barrage of fireballs from his mouth and even imbue his fist with fire to consume his target in flames upon striking. With Earth Release, he can morph the ground in the area into sinking mud to ensnare his foes. He can also use Yin Release to project an image of himself to talk with people from a distance.
Senjutsu
Koji can use Sage Mode. Unlike his template, Koji can instantly access it with a perfect balance of chakra and natural energy, emphasised by gaining toad-like irides with black pigmentation around his eyes and no other physical alterations.
Through his senjutsu skills, Koji enhanced his physical abilities and sensory perception to the point of being able to catch a strike from Isshiki Ōtsutsuki and temporarily keep him at bay before quickly countering.
His ninjutsu is also enhanced, able to use techniques such as Sage Art: Five Fire Gods’ Fan of Flames, to the point of temporarily pressuring and surprising Isshiki with the overwhelming amount of flames.
Role’s Koji Kashin in the Story
Koji Kashin played a significant role in the story of Naruto Shippuden, as he was involved in several major events and battles. He first appeared in the Versus Momoshiki Arc, where he and Delta, another member of Kara, watched the Chunin Exams from a distance.
They witnessed the attack of Momoshiki Otsutsuki and Kinshiki Otsutsuki, two alien beings who were after Naruto’s tailed beast. They also saw Boruto Uzumaki, Naruto’s son, who had a mysterious mark on his palm, called the Karma.
Koji then appeared in the Kara Actuation Arc, where he and Delta infiltrated Konoha, the village where Naruto lived and ruled as the Hokage. They were looking for Kawaki, a young boy who had escaped from Kara and who also had the Karma.
They found Kawaki in Naruto’s home, where he was under Naruto’s protection and care. Koji decided to observe the situation, while Delta decided to attack and retrieve Kawaki. Koji watched as Delta fought against Naruto, and was impressed by Naruto’s
strength and abilities. He also noticed that Boruto had a similar mark to Kawaki, and wondered about their connection.
Koji then intervened in the fight, and used his Fire Release: Flame Attack technique to create a ring of fire around Naruto and Delta. He claimed that he was doing this to prevent Delta from escaping, but his real intention was to prevent anyone from interfering.
He then watched as Naruto defeated Delta, and retrieved her body using a drone. He then decided to stay in Konoha, and continued to observe Kawaki and Boruto.
Koji then appeared in the Ao Arc, where he encountered Ao, a former ninja of the Hidden Mist Village who had become a cyborg and a tool of Kara. Koji had planted a genjutsu on Ao, and used him to test Boruto and his team, who had been sent to investigate a crashed airship that belonged to Kara.
Koji watched as Boruto and his team fought against Ao, and were aided by Mitsuki, Sarada Uchiha, and Konohamaru Sarutobi, Naruto’s former student and Boruto’s teacher. Koji was impressed by Boruto’s growth and potential, and decided to reveal himself to him.
Koji then confronted Boruto and his team, and introduced himself as a member of Kara. He then summoned a giant toad, and prepared to fight them.
However, he was interrupted by Kashin Koji, another member of Kara who had been sent to retrieve Kawaki. Kashin Koji was a traitor who had betrayed Kara and had allied with Amado. Kashin Koji had also learned the truth about Koji’s identity, and had decided to help him fulfill his destiny.
Koji then teamed up with Kashin Koji, and fought against Jigen, who had arrived to take back Kawaki. Koji and Kashin Koji used their fire and sage techniques to counter Jigen’s shrinking ability, and managed to injure him.
However, Jigen revealed his true form, Isshiki Otsutsuki, and overpowered them. Koji and Kashin Koji were forced to retreat, and escaped to Mount Myōboku, the home of the toads.
Koji then decided to face Isshiki again, and returned to Konoha, where Isshiki had attacked and kidnapped Naruto. Koji confronted Isshiki, and declared that he was his assassin.
He then used his True Fire of Samadhi technique to burn Isshiki, and hoped to kill him before he could find a new vessel. However, Isshiki managed to survive, and revealed to Koji that he was a clone of Jiraiya. He then mocked Koji for being a puppet of Amado, and tried to kill him.
Koji then realized that he had been manipulated by Amado, and that his mission was doomed to fail. He then decided to accept his fate, and embraced his identity as Jiraiya’s clone.
He then remembered some of Jiraiya’s memories, and felt a connection to Naruto and Boruto. He then used his Reverse Summoning Technique to transport himself to another location, and escaped from Isshiki’s attack.
Koji then appeared in the Kawaki Arc, where he met with Amado, who had defected to Konoha and had revealed the secrets of Kara and Isshiki.
Koji confronted Amado, and demanded an explanation for his actions. Amado apologized to Koji, and told him that he was his masterpiece, and that he had given him free will and a soul.
He then told Koji that he had a new mission, to protect Konoha and the world from the Otsutsuki threat. He then asked Koji to join him, and to find his own path.
Koji then decided to forgive Amado, and to follow his advice. He then decided to join Konoha, and to become a ninja. He then removed his mask and his cloak, and revealed his face to Amado. He then smiled, and said that he was Koji Kashin, the clone of Jiraiya. He then expressed his gratitude to Amado, and his curiosity about his future. He then left, and went to explore the world.
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