Mikoshi

Mikoshi (ミコシ, Mikoshi) is a genin from Sunagakure. He is part of a genin group alongside Matsuri and Yukata.

Personality
Mikoshi appears to be a very earnest person, taking every step of the Chūnin Exams seriously, as opposed to his team member Yukata. Despite sometimes being annoyed by his team members' behaviour, he is still on very friendly terms with them and knows how to deal with Yukata's obliviousness during the written test for example, acting with it in mind accordingly to pass the test despite being in different rooms. While normally acting maturely, Mikoshi is prone to join a brawl between the genin before the start of the second stage of the Exams and also stubbornly demands being right, even while being sucked in by quicksand.[1][2]

Appearance
Mikoshi has short, brown, spiky hair and wears black, round glasses. He wears his forehead protectoracross his head. Mikoshi wears a light yellow and dark blue zipped jacket and blue and light grey pants with black shinobi sandals. He also has a light violet sash wrapped over his right shoulder and black fingerless gloves.

In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths
Mikoshi and his team partake in the joint Chūnin Exams co-sponsored by Konohagakure and Suna. For the first phase of the exams, Mikoshi and his teammates were split into different rooms. On a monitor, Shikamaru Nara explained that everyone only needs to answer one question on the test, but their team's combined score must equal exactly 100 points to pass.[3] After time is up, Shikamaru revealed a bonus question, demanding to know which teammate should be left behind if needed. Mikoshi and his teammates left the question blank, hence passing the first round. However, a preliminary round had to be held to lessen the many participants there were. During the preliminary round, the teams had to race to Suna, with only the first 30 teams to arrive at the destination would qualify for the second phase.[4]

Ultimately, Mikoshi and his team were among the first 30 teams to make it. The next day, the second exam proctor, Temari, announced the start of the second round taken place within Demon Desert.[1] Later, knowing they were running out of time to pass the exams, Mikoshi suggested they go intercept an enemy team already attempting to complete the exam with both scrolls and take the needed scroll. Along the way, they were caught in a massive sandstorm. Ultimately, Mikoshi falls into quicksand. While Matsuri was able to catch him initially, the whole team ends up falling in. Fortunately, he and his team are saved by Fū. After they regained consciousness, Fū offered them her scroll, saying she no longer needed it. Mikoshi and his team, however, declined, following Gaara's example of persevering through struggles.[2]

Afterwards, Mikoshi and his team were attacked by Hōichi, who captured them. As the genin screamed, Gaara heard and returned to rescue them. After they were freed, Hōichi subdued Gaara with chakra chains that began extracting the tailed beast within in. Gaara told the genin to retreat and leave this to him. Despite his orders, the genin instead chose to get help. Part way, Yukata collapsed and it was decided that she stay behind with Mikoshi while Matsuri went on.[5] Later, the two were found by Might Guy, Kurenai Yūhi, and Asuma Sarutobi of Konohagakure who they told of the situation.[6]

Later, as the exam was nearly over and Mikoshi' team had yet to find a matching set of scrolls, Matsuri decided instead of find Shira, a fellow Suna-nin who like her was a student and supporter of Gaara with the desire to fight him. Upon finding him and making her intention known, he agreed. Ultimately, Matsuri lost, but took her defeat in stride. Their two respective teams then went to the main building to wait for the second exam's conclusion. Ultimately, the Chūnin Exams were ended early before starting the finals due to controversy happening in the second exam. Instead, it was decided by Gaara that a report on each participant would be sent to their respective village leader for them to decide if they would be promoted.[7]

Trivia

 * "Mikoshi" (神輿) means a "divine palanquin".