Summary
Kumohira, also known as Thobari Durandal, serves as the twenty-five-year-old English teacher for Rokujo and Kouichi in the front world. Although he appears to be an ordinary educator, he is actually a ninja from the Banten village in the world of Nabari. Born in Waterford, Ireland, on March 17, he possesses a distinct phobia of all vehicles, refusing to ride trains or buses until Miharu manages to persuade him otherwise. His journey to Japan was driven by his grandfather, a Japan otaku and ninja fanatic who forced him to travel there to train as a ninja. Kumohira remained in Japan for a decade, partly due to his transportation anxiety, during which time he became a close acquaintance of the Rokujo family. Ten years prior, a tragic incident involving the Shinrabanshou and its user—either Akatsuki Rokujo or his wife Asahi Rokujo—resulted in the deaths of Kumohira’s parents and his grandfather. While the memories of those involved were erased, Kumohira retained his recollections of the event. In the anime, he acts as a temporary leader while the current leader is absent, whereas the manga depicts him as having the actual authority to appoint a temporary leader. According to Aizawa, Kumohira has likely recorded Banten’s kinjutsu through verbal communication. Within the Banten ninjas, Kumohira is the most vocal opponent of Miharu using the Shinrabanshou, advocating instead for its permanent sealing. This stance frequently leads him to go to great lengths to dissuade Miharu from activating the artifact, creating conflict with Miharu’s promise to Yoite. Upon realizing Miharu’s determination to fulfill that promise, Kumohira went into hiding to conceal the location of the last kinjutsushō, Banten’s Engetsurin, from anyone attempting to find it.
