Kidōmaru

was a shinobi from Otogakure and a member of the Sound Four.

Personality
Kidōmaru generally saw a battle as a game, and displayed a laid-back ease in fights. Kidōmaru greatly enjoyed combat and relished in strong opponents as a source of entertainment, finding weaker opponents not worth his time and boring. His speech also reflected this when battling Neji Hyūga, he referred to Neji as a "minor character" and analysed his situation using typical gaming language such as "level" and "difficulty".

Like the other members of the Sound Four, he is extremely arrogant with his opponents. Kidōmaru shown to have a sadistic side, often playing around with the opponent too much because he preferred to have fun seeing the opponent struggle and would even laugh sometimes as he gradually become more brutal in his attacks. Due to this, he tended to slow down his team by over extending the battle with an opponent he was interested in.

Appearance
Kidōmaru was a dark-skinned shinobi with black, shaggy hair tied into a ponytail and black eyes. He was the second-tallest member of the team and was always depicted with a confident grin on his face. Uniquely, Kidōmaru also had six arms and an eye on his forehead that was usually closed and concealed under his black Otogakure forehead protector.

Kidōmaru's attire was a black, sleeveless top over a grey tunic that bore the symbol of the Sound Four on the hem, and black skin-tight shorts. He wore black arm-warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers, covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist.

After being reincarnated, he looked like he did while alive with the exception the grey sclerae common in all the other ninja Kabuto Yakushi brought back.

Abilities
As stated by Orochimaru, Kidōmaru was the most intellectual member of the Sound Four which was witnessed in his fierce battle style and quick strategies. Kidōmaru was an excellent tactical analyser, capable of figuring out his enemy's weak point quickly and efficiently, not missing any slight discrepancies nor making any unnecessary moves, while refining his next wave from what he learned previously.

As noted by Orochimaru, Kidōmaru's flaw was that he squandered too much time playing around with his enemies before killing them. He also underestimated Neji, redundantly aiming for his blind-spot without thinking Neji may create a countermeasure, which ultimately proved to be Kidōmaru's undoing.

In the anime, despite his habit of toying with his enemies from a distance, he demonstrated considerable taijutsu prowess against Neji Hyūga, an expert user of the Gentle Fist style. Shikamaru Nara noted that Kidōmaru's prowess was easily at jōnin-level. Furthermore, Kidōmaru's abilities were considered great enough for Kabuto Yakushi to reincarnate him.

Body Modifications
Kidōmaru had a unique body structure. He possessed two extra pairs of arms, which essentially gave him a total of eight appendages, relating to his spider theme. These allowed him to add extra power and variety into his attacks, hold multiple tools, simultaneously perform multiple tasks, and form several hand seals at once. He could also use the multiple arms to pull his bowstring to incredible tension, drastically increasing the arrows' power.

He also possessed a third eye on his forehead, usually concealed by his forehead protector. In a serious battle, he would reveal the eye. This eye increased his perception and accuracy by a significant amount, allowing him to pinpoint the enemy's vital points with his arrow. The eye was precise enough to allow him to note his arrow missed the intended target by 15 cm, even at a 50 metres distance.

Cursed Seal
As one of Orochimaru's closest and most powerful warriors, Kidōmaru was branded with a cursed seal, which magnified his physical and ninja skills. When active in Level 1, it spread across his entire body in twisted, entwining lines. When in his Level 2 form, his skin became dark red, gains yellow eye irises with dark black eye sclerae, canine teeth, elongated fingernails, and his hair becomes longer and turns grey. In addition, Kidōmaru gains horns on his forehead, shoulders and elbows, and the eye on his forehead that was usually closed and concealed under his forehead protector, opens.

In the anime, following his reincarnation, when experiencing strong feelings of hatred and rage, he could draw even more power from the seal. As a result, Kidōmaru could weave his Spider Sticky Gold at a much faster rate, and the weapons produced by them were even deadlier than before.

Spider Techniques
Kidōmaru had the ability to make spider webs by infusing his spit or sweat with chakra. He could use his webs to bind, trap, or sense enemies. These threads were extremely sticky, yet durable and elastic. This is because his chakra was constantly flowing through the webs, and is also why the threads could not be cut with normal tools such as kunai. However, the Gentle Fist can cut them, as the fighting style is based on using the user's chakra to attack precise points.

He could also create a thicker golden liquid that hardened into a chakra-blocking metal on contact with air. By chewing the spider web liquid inside his mouth, he could make it more solid and gum-like, allowing him to form makeshift weapons. In the anime, after being reincarnated and having his cursed seal enhanced by Kabuto, he could produce and fire them at an extremely quicker rate. This hardened material could also be released through the sweat pores and fabricated into a body-covering armour that could completely defend him from physical attacks, metal throwing weapons, and even chakra-based attacks, such as the Gentle Fist. Finally, he could form his especially deadly bow and arrows which could shatter trees when fired.

Summoning Technique
In keeping with his spider-theme, he could summon the Kyodaigumo, a giant spider that can spawn an immense number of smaller spiders to use the Rain of Spiders technique, which created threads as powerful as Kidōmaru's own. He could also make Kyodaigumo burst into his thread for aid in battle.

Cooperation Ninjutsu
Despite the volatile relationship between the members of the Sound Four, they were well-versed in a series of Cooperation Ninjutsu. They could use the Combination Transformation in order to pose as Orochimaru's bodyguards while also concealing their numbers. During the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, they could produce the Four Violet Flames Formation in order to avoid anyone from entering or leaving the confines of the barrier. When carrying Sasuke to Orochimaru, they used another technique, a barrier called the Four Black Fogs Formation which traps the target in a temporary death state in order to allow him to adapt to the cursed seal and make for easier transportation. In the anime, they also displayed another technique, the Space–Time Technique Formula: Underworld Turnover, that sends the souls of both the user and the target into the confines of a special barrier. They could also use the Sound Four: Summoning: Four Beasts Encirclement Formation, which brought out their individual summons to trap their opponents from all sides.

Konoha Crush
Kidōmaru made his first appearance with the rest of the Sound Four, erecting a barrier to keep others from interfering in Orochimaru's fight with the Third Hokage. He and the rest of the Sound Four later escorted Orochimaru when he fled. Kidōmaru used his Spider Bind technique to prevent Konoha Anbu from following them.

Sasuke Recovery Mission
The Sound Four escorted Sasuke Uchiha when he decided to join sides with Orochimaru. After the Sasuke Recovery Team found the Sound Four after having left Chōji behind to deal with Jirōbō, Kidōmaru allowed his comrades to go ahead of him while he caught and toyed with their pursuers. Because Naruto could use shadow clones, Kidōmaru decided to kill him first. Kidōmaru slowly picked the clones off to try and find the real one. When all turned out to be shadow clones, the real Naruto attacked Kidōmaru from behind. He dodged and caught Naruto and tried to kill him but is stopped by Neji, who freed him having already freed everyone else from Kidōmaru's webbing using his Gentle Fist. Neji engaged Kidōmaru in battle after the others had gone ahead. Kidōmaru was at first confident that he could kill Neji very quickly. He sent several volleys of webs at Neji and managed to pin him to a tree, but Neji broke free and even managed to get close to and attack Kidōmaru with his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, though Kidōmaru blocked it with his armour. Since he couldn't win a close-range battle, Kidōmaru fell back and attacked Neji at a distance. Neji's Byakugan allowed him to detect all incoming attacks, which he blocks with his Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven and then threw a kunai at Kidōmaru which he barely dodged. Finally viewing Neji as a challenge, Kidōmaru activated the first stage of his cursed seal.

He then summoned the Kyodaigumo to blanket Neji in webbing and prevent him from using his Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven technique against his attack, but Neji is still able to dodge by slowing it down with chakra. Kidōmaru then continued to attack Neji by sending more spiders and kunai at him. He noticed that Neji did not avoid all of his attacks when a kunai cuts Neji's shoulder, and upon further testing realised the Byakugan had a blind spot. He then sent more kunai and spiders and hits him twice more. He claimed he couldn't beat him before signalling the Kyodaigumo to finish Neji. Neji repelled it with his Gentle Fist only for it to turn into thread. Kidōmaru then attacked Neji with more kunai and hit him three more times causing him to collapse. Kidōmaru then stated he had enjoyed himself even though he knew he would win before starting to leave. At that moment, Neji stood up again.

Happy that Neji had been so much of a challenge, Kidōmaru advanced to his cursed seal's second stage and created a bow and arrow. He fired at Neji's blind spot, but Neji is able to move it in time to keep it from hitting a vital organ and instead it hits him through his shoulder. Surprised, Kidōmaru realised that Neji must have been using exuded chakra to sense attacks directed at his blind spot. Kidōmaru creates a new arrow that is connected to him by a thread, which will allow him to move the arrow mid-flight to ensure it will hit Neji, but it was thrown off by the trees. Kidōmaru then jumped to the top of the tree line for a better vantage point and created a new arrow with spin so it will cut through a tree if it hits one. He then attaches a thread to ensure that he will hit Neji that time. He succeeded, but Neji — seeing the cord — sent some of his chakra through it back to Kidōmaru, damaging several of his internal organs causing him to fall. Kidōmaru could still move though and became angry with himself for getting damaged in such a way.

Kidōmaru however believed this to have been Neji's dying effort and started to leave, all the while Neji was locating and approaching him. When he got close enough, he found he was wrong about Neji when he jumped up and turned off his chakra with his Gentle Fist attack and delivered a fatal blow to Kidōmaru's heart, causing him to scream in agony and collapse to the ground. Kidōmaru then returned to his normal form having lost all his chakra and asked Neji how he was still alive. Neji told him he couldn't let down his friends while also telling him that he was the strongest opponent he had ever fought.

As he coughed up blood and started dying, Kidōmaru told him that there is no way to save Sasuke since he had come voluntarily. Kidōmaru then collapsed again saying he hadn't been pushed that far since Kimimaro. With his last breath, Kidōmaru cursed Neji then died, leaving Neji the victor of their battle.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
In the anime, Kidōmaru was reincarnated by Kabuto Yakushi along with his Sound Four team-mates during the Fourth Shinobi World War. He was deployed at the northern edge of the Land of Lightning's peninsula and fought Neji again. Despite losing even when his body was enhanced by his summoner, Kidōmaru quickly reconstructed himself and cast the Space–Time Technique Formula: Underworld Turnover to teleport himself, his group, and their original opponents to another location. Kidōmaru rejoins his comrades in the Underworld Turnover barrier and they continue their battles with their enemies, switching opponents while Shikamaru comes up with an analysis. To reward them for their attempted efforts, Kidōmaru reveals that even their defeats will not release the barrier. Their battles rage on as the Sound Four overwhelm the Konoha shinobi with the hatred they hold for them. Taking advantage of this, Shikamaru continues to bait their hate to lure Naruto to the barrier and break his comrades free. With the souls of their most hated enemies freed, Kidōmaru and his comrades decide to take out their hatred on Naruto, only to be easily defeated before their souls return to the afterlife.

Legacy
Having used the DNA of the Sound Five in his experiments during his quest to find himself, Kabuto Yakushi gained access to Sakon and Ukon's kekkei genkai which allowed him to access the DNA of the other Sound Five members within his body by creating constructs of them which appeared from the base of his navel-snake. This copy of Kidōmaru has access to his unique abilities to create webbing which Kabuto used to corner the Uchiha siblings in his battle with them during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Video Games
In Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, and Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, Kidōmaru is a support-only character.

Trivia

 * He was the only member of the Sound Four to be seen wearing an Otogakure forehead protector.
 * means "demon child", and is a common ending for male Japanese names.
 * Kidōmaru can be seen during the omake of Naruto Shippūden episode 129. He's picking masks with Sakon nearby.
 * According to the databook(s):
 * His favourite phrase was:.
 * His hobby was playing games.
 * He desired to fight opponents that allow him to enjoy himself.
 * Kidōmaru has completed 46 official missions in total: 20 D-rank, 15 C-rank, 8 B-rank, 2 A-rank, 1 S-rank.

Quotes

 * "This game has a higher difficulty level than I thought!"
 * "I guess it was more fun this way… but now game over!!"
 * "What kind of a freak is this guy?"
 * "The weakest one in the game always goes down first!"