Kimimaro


 * Age: 15 (deceased)
 * Rank: Unknown
 * Height: 166.1 cm
 * Weight: 49.8 kg
 * Birthday: June 15
 * Blood Type: A
 * Gate: None
 * Seiyu: Toshiyuki Morikawa
 * Unique traits: Shikotsumyaku ("Dead Bone Pulse"), highly-skilled taijutsu user

Kaguya Kimimaro is the fifth member of the Sound Four, thus temporarily changing their group name to the Sound Five. The original four were forced to accept him against their will, as Kimimaro's combat abilities (largely due to his powerful bloodline limit) exceeded all of their skills combined. He was the sole survivor of the Kaguya clan, who could manipulate their bodies' skeletal frame. The Kaguya clan was wiped out when they attacked the Hidden Mist Village (seemingly for no reason other than the desire to kill). Having underestimated their opponent's defenses, they were slaughtered to the last man, with only Kimimaro surviving.

Kimimaro was referred to by Orochimaru as the most powerful member of the clan, having "abilities that even that war loving clan feared". Because of this, he was locked away in a cage for most of his life, only released occasionally when needed to fight other clans. He retreated from the fight with the Hidden Mist Village, which is probably why he survived. Afterwards he was found by Orochimaru and recruited as one of his most loyal servants.

Kimimaro's bloodline limit and other abilities make him well suited for close combat fighting, and he can hold his own at a distance by firing the bones in his fingertips as bullets. Since he can regenerate and make new bones (shown when he was able to move his left arm again, despite having removed the humerus), he has an endless supply of bones he can use against his opponent. Kimimaro's only weakness is a sickness that he constantly suffers from (possibly tuberculosis or lung cancer, because of his bloody coughing). The sickness seems to have been recently developed, as he was once a prime candidate for Orochimaru's next host body.

He had a strong devotion towards Orochimaru, bordering on religious zealotry or considering him a father figure, as Orochimaru was the only person to care for and inspire him. On his way to the Hidden Mist, he encountered Zabuza Momochi and Haku, apparently shortly after they met each other, since Haku is still young. Their relationship parallels his relationship with Orochimaru in many ways, as both had similar backgrounds and found a purpose in living for another.

Like many others of Orochimaru's closest followers, Kimimaro was branded with a curse seal, which gives him greater power at the expense of his free will. He bears the cursed seal of Earth, which is said to be equal in power to the Heaven seal branded on Sasuke and Anko. When in his Level 2 form, his appearance is similar to that of a dinosaur, with dark gray skin, six large bone spines on the back of his chest, and a long bone spiked tail. He also appears to have much greater control over his seal than any other character seen so far since he was able to restrict its spread to his chest in order to grant him a greater surge of power without activating it fully.

Kimimaro died in the middle of his fight with Rock Lee and Gaara, the latter of which appeared as a result of renewed relations between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. Though he was able to hold off all of Gaara's attacks, and even gained the upper hand near the end, he succumbed to his illness just before he could kill Gaara with a surprise attack. Gaara came to the conclusion after the fight that no one can defeat loneliness, even if it means to care for an evil person like Orochimaru. Gaara comments that Kimimaro had the same eyes as Sasuke, which say (so to speak) "I want to confirm the value of my existence."

While belonging to a clan that loves killing, murder, and slaughter, and being the most powerful of this clan, Kimimaro was not truly violent because he never really knew the outside world. Thus, the only reason he fought was because his clan needed him to do so, and being needed by someone was the one thing he truly desired (until he meets Orochimaru, where his desires change to serving him and ensuring the continuation of his master's dreams and ambitions).

Kimimaro demonstrates extreme distaste for "trash" ninja, as he puts it. He generally attempts to "clean it up", by killing the person who is "trash", even if they are an ally (he plotted to kill Tayuya after she defeated Shikamaru because she was unable to deliver Sasuke by sunset).