Born in 1546 in Himeji, Harima, to the Kuroda family serving the Kodera clan. His father Mototaka was castellan of Himeji. Rising as a senior retainer of Kodera Motunari, he was captured and imprisoned in a dungeon for over a year while attempting to negotiate with the rebel Araki Murashige—leaving him with a permanent limp after his rescue. Entering Hashiba Hideyoshi's service, he devised the water siege of Takamatsu Castle in 1582 and, after the Honnoji Incident, planned the legendary forced march back from western Japan that allowed Hideyoshi's decisive victory at Yamazaki. His brilliance made Hideyoshi wary, reportedly saying "the only man who could take the realm after me is this one." He converted to Christianity in 1587, taking the baptismal name Simeon. He ceded the headship to his son Nagamasa and retired as "Josui" in 1588, but retained real influence. At Sekigahara, while sending Nagamasa to the eastern coalition, he independently swept through Kyushu, crushing Western-aligned forces. Legend holds he lamented that a longer battle would have given him the realm. He died in 1604 at age 58.