He was ordered to depart for the front under Yoshisada's command due to the hopeless circumstance, he fought against the army of Tadayoshi ASHIKAGA in the Battle of Minatogawa (present-day Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture) to be defeated, so he is said to have stabbed each other with his younger brother Masasue KUSUNOKI.
絶望的な状況下で義貞の麾下での出陣を命じられ、湊川の戦い（兵庫県神戸市）で足利直義の軍と戦い敗れて、弟の楠木正季と刺し違えたとされる。