Kuroda Ryuichiro

Originally born Ryuuichirou Inaba, he is the head leader of the yakuza group Kuroda and the head of the Kuroda Family. He married into the Kuroda family. He is known by many for his skill, guts, and brains. That is how he is credited for climbing the ranks to head patriarch of the group.Though he is known as the "Raising Dragon", he's not without kindness. As he helped take a wounded Shinohara to an underground doctor to have his wounds treated. He even gave him money, knowing that the boy was struggling just to make ends meet.

History
Ryuuichirou is the grandfather of Kumiko Yamaguchi. He took the name Kuroda after marrying his late wife Kyoko. They in eventually had a daughter named Yuriko. However, Yuriko could not stand her father's lifestyle. In defiance, she left her family and married a public worker named Yoshio Yamaguchi. Though his reaction is never shown, its assumed he accepted his daughter's preference for a normal life. Things would change further when his only daughter and her husband died in an accident. Leaving his seven-year-old granddaughter an orphan, and with no one else, Ryuuichirou took guardianship of his granddaughter.

Due to his lifestyle, he did get some help with raising Kumiko. He appointed his "young chief", Kyo-san as Kumiko's caregiver. While its shown that Kyo did take a fatherly or big brother role for the girl, her grandfather was clearly a constant presence in her life. He even recalls the time when Kumiko had with measles in the fourth grade. His granddaughter would pick strange mannerisms from this upbringing. But despite this, she clearly loves her grandfather and cares for him and the men of the Kuroda group.

Years later, Kumiko sees how badly Minoru and Tetsu were treated by their teachers. This inspires her to become a teacher and hints, she wouldn't follow her grandfather's lineage as a Yakuza heiress. Despite this, he holds no grudge and respects her wishes. He is also still clearly very protective of her and isn't afraid of crossing a line if it means protecting his granddaughter.

In chapter 6, his health takes a turn when he coughs blood and suddenly collapses. According to Wakamatsu, it was his liver again. And he'd be out in about 2 or 3 weeks, Kumiko quickly told her grandfather. During this time, he left her in charge of the Kuroda family.

Kuroda Family
The Kuroda family is a small group, but they have much respect by the other yakuza groups and he can call upon thousands of members.



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