Kajou Shinji | Kumogakure no Sato | ANBU CAPTAIN FIN

[Kajou Shinji]

KAJOU SHINJI

TEN RAIKOU • HEAVENLY LIGHTNING

GAVE ME BREATH AND I HOWLED AT THE MOON

AGE: twenty-eight, 
BIRTHDATE: January, in the 22nd year of the Third Age
GENDER: male
SEXUALITY: Straight
VILLAGE: Kumogakure No Sato
RANK: A-Rank (Elite)  Jounin 
POSITION: ANBU Captain
INNATE AFFINITY: Raiton
CHAKRA NATURES: Raiton [1], Fuuton [2], Doton [3]

HEAR YOU SPEAK IN MY DREAMS, WHISPER TRUE

HEIGHT: 5ft 8 inches
WEIGHT: 160 lbs
APPEARANCE:

You are not the first person to look at the small frame of the talented Jounin and wonder how he ever cracked such an elite unit, and you won't be the last. The unassuming expression that blankets his youthful face falls well short of intimidating when paired with the unimpressive presentation the rest of his body would provide at first glance. Not a physically imposing person by any means, Shinji is a study in that tried and true lesson concerning judging books and covers. Though he is not one to inspire pants-shitting awe upon introduction, in this section we will explore just why he might have the tools to garner such results.

Shinji's skin maintains an even dark brown tone throughout, his dark features fitting for one whose roots derive from the sun-kissed lands hidden amongst the clouds. The smooth skin and boyish face disguise a body that has been there and back, a form which has seen more than its fair share of wars, brawls, fights, apprehensions and even the occasional sacrifice. Scars and memories of abrasions long faded layer the taut muscles of the man's body, a slender yet firm torso maintained by the constant movement and stimulus provided by its owner. A belly, flat and sectioned with definition, connect to pectorals and shoulders that slope inwardly slightly from a chronic slouch. The angular shoulders themselves narrow as they transition to a slim neck, climbing upward towards the sharp point that signals the beginning of the chin and jaw; the squared lower border of Shinji's face. On the opposite side of the torso a slim waist descends to lithe legs that bulge slightly with tightly packed muscle at the thighs and calves. This brief description only encompasses the frame of the Jounin's form, to grasp the nuisances of his appearance more words and further explanation are needed.

Let's start from the top shall we? A crop of black and choppy locks spring from the top of his head in all directions, an irreverent “fuck you” to proper grooming and combing utensils. Spiky and unruly, raven strands frame the face of the anbu Captain in an ever-shifting obsidian frame. There are varying grades of hair all jammed onto one head, the length, the grade, the texture and the style itself varies, a style unto itself due to Shinji's infamous grooming negligence. The front is dominated by choppy patterns that turn up wildly in the most exaggerated form of bedhead. The stray strands falling into his eyes could be called bangs if there was rhyme or reason to them, but as the unplanned mess that they are, these locks are merely a segment of the formless chaos atop the ninja's head. Pulling away from the shorter, choppier front, the main tangle of Shinji's hair can best be described as a sloppy mane, on the long side for a male. Jutting up every which way, the sheer gravity defying (sans product) positioning of the mess is remarkable in itself. On the sides the hair lengthens a bit, falling in two relatively tame (considering the train wreck that is the main body) points on either side of his face and neck, the borders to the frame that his “bangs” initiate and that his lack of facial hair does not close.

Description of the rest of his body hair is lacking because that population is poorly represented, as the chest, arms, neck, back, etc. are relatively hair free. His legs however sport their fair share of hair, a reminder that Shinji does not avoid the nuisance of body hair; rather he's predestined to lack it.

Beneath that hazard of a “hairstyle” lies Shinji's face, as unaided by cosmetic as the coif that rests atop his head. However this natural carelessness has a very different result than the one achieved by his ignorance of combs and brushes. By grace the male is blessed with a handsomeness that requires no work or upkeep and dramatic individual features which make his looks all the more striking. A smooth and wrinkle-less brow is punctuated by two fine black arches of hair, symmetrical eyebrows that hover above a pair of eyes that seem drowned in slumber at all times. A vibrant and luminous hue of yellow, depth-less in scope, the large irises are deadpan and uninspired when Shinji is at rest (which is often it seems). The beautiful orbs are shielded by lush lashes, silky fine points curling away from the gorgeous spheres. Tucked between his eyes and sloping outward is a fine and pointed nose, noble and straight when he is calm but with nostrils that flare unbelievably when he is agitated or excited. Or pissed. Rounding out the face is a thin-lipped mouth, fine and drawn, the last delicate touch on an angular face bracketed by high cheekbones, underscored by a square and hairless chin, and rounded out by two identically unremarkable (save for the slight way they stick out) ears. Nestled within the lobe of each ear is a silver sphere earring of absolutely no importance save fashion. It is quite fetching after all. Shinji's expression range runs the spectrum of human emotion, from the dull and disinterested blank stare of one perpetually bored (say if he had to read through this tedious application), touching upon the disdainful in either scowl or smirk, and finishing in the scope of a jovial laugh which breathes an effusive charm into his unassuming presentation. What makes Shinji's expressions so enthralling is this animation which floods an otherwise stony demeanor.

Though Shinji is often overlooked due to an annoyingly subdued nature, his subtle qualities assemble an underdog's Voltron; an entity whose sum far outweighs the pieces. At first glance the forgettable ninja can be mistaken for a lightweight, or a soul that is easily tossed to the side due to a tragic flaw in design. As was said earlier nothing remarkable could be excavated nor should some inherent understanding of the former idol's ability be garnered by a mere glance, and yet Shinji's build carries many clues as to his specialty. Rail thin, the body is supernaturally inclined to a power based game, utilizing his otherworldly strength and balance to overcome a pedestrian frame.

A streamlined upper torso boasts one of the more impressive wingspan-to- body size ratios that one can hope to encounter. Though the man stands well below six feet, his outstretched arms span a distance which greatly dwarfs that, the width of which is six feet, two inches. Yes his wingspan is a full six inches longer than his cumulative height, a discrepancy that gives Shinji a gawky, if not awkward stance. His well toned (and in keeping with the rest of his body: slight) torso seems to be in a constant half-slouch, a posture which makes him look lazy, shiftless or unmotivated. Nothing could be further from the truth, though we're talking build right now and the dynamics of his stance and the beauty of his movement can wait. The arms themselves are willowy and sinuous, extended enforcers that are sure and more powerful than their slender appearance would indicate. His shoulders, one of the few places where bulging and defined muscles can be found upon Shinji's upper body, segue from thin body to slight arms, providing the basis for his strikes with fist or weapon.

In subtle mimicry of his rather impressive arms, Shinji's legs are on the long side as well, lending an overall impression of a four limb spider. They harbor more mass than is in the upper regions, firm muscles which knot at the joints but ripple with potent menace under the skin, long and lean in the thighs while his calves almost appear to be balls of muscle hung high on thin poles (the tendons, shins, and tibia maintain sleekness all the while extending downward until they meet the angular protrusion that are his ankles).

As vital to the man's physical standing as his formidable lower body and limbs, Shinji's extremities are the front lines for his assault. Without hands stiffened by combat or feet sure and quickened through experience, the speed and violence that the ninja is capable of bringing down on a soul wouldn't be nearly as effective. Hands that are wide and coarse extend from bony wrists, the bay color of the backhand in contrast to the tan of the palm. The knuckles protrude as violent ridges, harsh joints used to strike the soft parts of an enemy. In contrast to the roughness of the hands are the fingers, long, lean, and what one could describe as elegant, if not for the power that tenses the digits. The tips of the fingers are rough however, due to the style of life and combat that Shinji is used to, their simplistic conflicting aesthetic and feel a perfect summary of the soul known as Kajou Shinji.

In motion the physical character of Shinji is fully exposed and the athletic planning that makes such overwhelming movement possible is revealed. Muscles shift and flex in an inherent quest to achieve the optimal angle in the shortest amount of time with an utmost nod to control. Accomplishment of such is achieved at a level that many souls cannot comprehend, much less attain. The youthful expression that usually dominates the landscape of his face is instead replaced with a look of calm focus, a face at once serene and fierce like that of a bird of prey's right as it begins its descent for a hapless victim. Or you know, a lion closing in for the kill.

Like a good brawler, Shinji's understanding of body language and movement is thorough, making it hard to throw off his exceptional defensive senses with feints. Through improbable leans and instinctual magnetism towards balance, Shinji's movements are direct, quick and deadly. Sureness seeps from his every attack and possesses a confidence in unlikely angles that can only be borne out of experience and intense drilling. When attacking, regardless of how unconventional the move seems, there is a very small chance that the attack has not been practiced countless times in one variation or another by the ninja. At rest Shinji's posture and stance seem to be the antithesis of the skill in structured chaos that makes him such a dangerous enemy, but nothing can be further from the truth. He is never caught flat footed, though he seems slightly slouched and disinterested most times. The truth is a slightly hunched position with a moderately wide leg stance is the ideal rest position for Shinji's style.

Tricks of the trade: In all things apparel, Shinji is the perfect soldier. His uniform does not deviate from what he expects his squad mates to wear, nor does he wear anything that may call attention to his elevated status amongst his faceless brethren. This Spartan like approach to warfare is indicative of the modest life he leads and his professionalism.

PERSONALITY:

There are layered and complicated levels to the persona known as Kajou Shinji that one cannot hope to be understood simply by observing him in one facet of his life. Like water he flows through situations, not domineering or overbearing enough to make those around him conform to his traits, instead it is he who adapts his characteristics to the situation. For simplicity's sake a dichotomy can be established between the man's two egos, a pair of categories labeled "Shinji with his mask" and "Shinji without his mask".

Shinji with his mask:
As one of the highest ranking ANBU combatants, Shinji is the picture of professionalism once in uniform and deployed on a mission. He is silent, deadly and efficient, and there is no time for games nor room for flaws in his performance. As no one in the village (save the Kage and select Jounin) know who he is, most refer to him by his nickname, "Ten Raikou", or the Heavenly Lightning. It is a lofty title bestowed upon the man due to the swiftness and violence of his movements as well as the way he seems to pop up where he needs to be on a whim. Ten Raikou is a name that strikes fear in the hearts of those who have tried to stir up trouble with Cloud Village, and the mere mention is more than enough to give a saboteur pause. The elite faction of the ANBU unit he leads, SHINIGAMI, has seen their morals and code reinforced by the ruthless nature of its leader. For the good of his village Shinji does not count himself above an execution or torture. To him the words of his Kage are final, he is ever the good soldier who has learned to place priority above his own qualms or issues with an edict. 

In preparation he is a study in excellence. There aren't many who can brag that they knew something about the workings in Kumogakure before the ANBU Captain, whether large or small. Whispers of omniscience follow his name in hushed whisper, so as to not draw the attention of the ninja or the wide net of spies he must employ. His mind is sharp and his ability to synthesize the large amounts of information he is tasked with keeping a handle on mark him as valuable an asset to his village as his considerable talents. Resourceful, cunning, with a brilliant mind for strategy, Shinji displays exceptional quality as a leader as well as a fighter.

In combat he is unflappable and steady, a master of his craft who trusts his capabilities enough to never get too flustered. There have been countless battles where it seemed the ninja would succumb to impossible odds, only for his impeccable preparation and ability to strategize on the fly to see him through, so panic isn't something he's prone to. But excitement is a different story. Should an enemy prove to be worth it they might be met with a different beast than any they could have expected. Shinji simply rises to the occasion in battle, with the thrill of a worthy enemy fueling his fire and sharpening his performance; probably something that no one against him probably wants. You'll know you have the attention of the ANBU Captain if he stops backpedalling and starts assailing your defenses with a flurry of offense. You'll also know you should probably start praying to whatever deity you hold most high as it's about to be a long fight.

Without the mask: 
And yet it would be impossible to place Shinji as Ten Raikou without prior knowledge to his identity. In all ways Shinji seems to conflict with the cold traits he exhibits as one of the highest ranking ninjas from his village. In unmasked life he is detached, quiet and unassuming, a dutiful family man who is content to wile his days away with his children rather than looking to involve himself in needless fights. Shinji exhibits none of the startling violence that makes Ten Raikou such a renowned name, and were it not for the status of his clan-name he might be dismissed as an afterthought within a village with so many capable ninjas. 

An air of laziness seems to float around the man like recently dispelled smoke. His mannerisms as well as his penchant for sighing while speaking or yawning while others speak mark him as a drowsy sort of fellow with a slow fuse. His face, when not smiling or sleeping, maintains a withdrawn indifference that one would never attribute to an attentive predator such as the ANBU operative. Shinji? Assassin? What, never, not when there's much more fun things for him to be doing like painting with kids or concocting new recipes to dirty the kitchen with.

To him, attachment to most people is simply not worth the trouble. People, when taken out of the context of a field report or a dossier are pools of pain, confusion and other troubling traits that he deems not worth the effort to dive into. There are however exceptions, and Nanaho Kazuko is one. His closest friend from the days of the orphanage they both grew in, their relationship is built on an unshakable foundation formed over two decades; he counts her not as a friend but as family. And above all else, even the village he places his life on the line for, there is nothing so important to Shinji as his family.

LIKES:

❥ Knowing [It is Shinji's job to not only know everything that happens within the Land of Lightning's borders, but everywhere in the world. It is a blessing that the man greatly enjoys researching, surveilling, surveying, scouting, espionage, training, and reading; as this amounts to what he spends day and night doing.]
❥ Rest/Sleep/Sitting/Reclining [Something he can't get enough of is also a thing he doesn't get enough of. This is why at times, during dull meetings, Shinji has been known to nod off.]
❥ Cooperation [There is nothing as satisfying as when a good plan comes together. Those times where he can even trick Kazuko into going along with his devices are especially pleasing.]
❥ His children. [Two four year old twins, Jiko the girl and Tetsuo the boy. Everything he does, is for those two rambunctious brats.]
❥ A good fight. [Not just any fight, but one that makes his muscles ache and cuts open fresh and breath come scarce. Those battles that see you either take your game to the next level or shuffle off this mortal coil.]

DISLIKES:

✖ Konohagakure no Sato [They are, after all, solely responsible for the deaths of not only his parents, but Kazuko's, as well as the families of a great many children Shinji grew up with.]
✖ Sunagakure no Sato [This one's for petty reasons as their little slice of desert life is far from the ideal place in Shinji's mind. Unfortunate events also seem to assail him whenever he visits.]
✖ "The Funeral Game" [When left in the care of Aunty Kazu, the two children and one childish adult play a very disturbing game where they lay Shinji's wife to rest as if she had just passed, and burn candles at a shoddy shrine for the woman. It is a game that the man does not understand at all.]
✖ People. [There's a reason Shinji devotes much of his time to scrolls and databases and reports; and it is partly because he has a great aversion to people. They are messy, they are petty, they are flawed, which is something that he strives to rise above daily].
✖ Banter. [Ugh shut up and fight. It's rare that someone can force the man to crack a smile, and most times if he is caught beaming, it is no doubt from something he thought and not something you've said.]

HISTORY:

"Somebody's been running a long time."
Prologue

It was done. The final bloody kunai clattered to the ground as the broken figure slumped at last; one more extinguished soul in the books for the killer. Two silhouettes hovered above the dying man as they waited with bated breath to see if he would rise again, if this battle would continue. A man, a woman. Their features were oddly resemblant, as if God had doubled up on a design without intention. Here and there shaggy black hair sprouted from the heads, two pairs of keenly golden eyes peered down at the kill with identical glares. Scowls twisted their expression in much the same way, two condemning parties who bore no ounce of sympathy for the person they had wrecked. To either side and behind them bodies lay scattered, more ruined forms whom had hoped to halt their cyclone of violence that led to this final fallen man. The macabre smatter of corpses was oddly symmetrical as well, as if the two had torn through their obstacles in much the same fashion.

There existed, however enough difference for even the blurring vision of the fading man to discern which was which. The woman, was paler by far and slightly shorter. Here the black mane grew thicker. Her clothes marked her as separate from her male counterpart as well; the uniform of a Kumogakure Jounin had held through combat enough for that contrast to remain stark. Her partner had not fared as well, and somewhere along the way the mask he had started with had come off - or been yanked off - in the course of battler. Where the trappings of a Jounin marked the female as other, the regalia of an ANBU operative designated him one of their ilk. Two peas who had long since split now stood before the very man who had brought them together.

Here lay their mentor. Broken with the same techniques he had hammered into their heads so many years ago when they had simply been Kazuko and Shinji, Gennin with promise but no refinement. In his face was reflected none of the hardened scowl that etched their own expression, instead a smile seemed to pull at the corner of his lips even as life fled his eyes.For the two this was no laughing matter, but one of business, and regardless of how this pulled at their insides, Shinji was not the type to show it. Nor was Kazuko. With a quick step the man drew nearer to the body of his former master and had his fingers pressed to the neck for a sign of a pulse.

A quick check was all that was needed to affirm they had at last achieved success. But for his composure Shinji remained kneeling before the the Jounin who had taught them both so much. His face, one that never betrayed the young man, had grown cracks; his emotions were bare for the world to see, something that the young man could not fathom revealing even to his closest ally in this dark world.

"How the **** did we get here Shirley?" Her voice was steady, but her dismay at what they had just done could not be hidden from her lone relative, her brother in blood. That old nickname rang in Shinji's ears as he began to rummage on his teacher's person for a clue as to why they had been brought to such a point in their lives. It pulled him back in time to an earlier him, one whose path illuminated how exactly they had reached this point. 

"I believe there's a God above me, I'm just God of everything else."
Genesis

He was eight years old. When his parents had left him early in the preceding week, he had not thought much of it. Their lives as ninjas in Kumogakure no Sato demanded they often travel to lands unheard of to perform acts unspeakable. But this time, as it would be for many of the children in Cloud village, would be different. The adults who came to the estate to fetch him had not been his mother or his father; instead they were retainers of the Raikage. How do you tell a child their parents have perished serving abroad for interests they cannot fully comprehend? By the time they reached the Kajou residence to inform this boy, these two had more than enough experience at just that. And yet...

Those eyes held their gaze as they described with care how they had died. How the ambush had not been accounted for. How so many Konoha shinobi could be so deep in Kaze no Kuni lying in wait. How he would have to be brave from here on out, he was one of the last of a proud family. His stare did not waver as they haltingly labored to tell a child his entire family had been wiped away for the interests of men more powerful than they. Had he heard? Did he understand? He could not be left alone in this vacant house, but there were homes for refugees of shattered families sprouting up all over the village. He would go to one of these until he was old enough to claim his title as head of the clan and sole heir to their estate. They were there to take him to one that moment.

Their approach left much to be desired, but they were neither nurses or daycare providers. A ninja who expects to live to long age in the midst of war was a fool, and Shinji's parents had not counted themselves in that optimistic lot. The boy had been steeled for the loss of one parent or the other from an early age, it had been the contingent to his entrance into learning the rudimentary techniques the clan held high as unique to their name. His father had been fond of claiming he would make them proud of the soldier he would become, and that was whom these two harbingers of tragedy met on that day. The last known Kajou soldier. His back remained straight through their speech not due to shock, but because the pressure to do right stiffened it and left him unbowed. 

But when they left him to pack that was when the tears fell. This was Genesis, the point when Shinji made an oath to not let this be the last word. But even then he could not have told you what that end would look like.

"A hot temper, match with a cold killer."
Exodus

Or how the orphanage would impact his life. A sea of parentless children awaited the boy on the other side, reaching hands and unrequited desires that rubbed and shoved against his own in this new crueler life. Most days they were left to their own devices, the unneeded collateral of a defeated society. Their conditions in those days lacked oversight, and it was left to their "caretakers" to determine how to control these heedless babes. Cruel punishment awaited those who stepped out of line behind those walls, though Shinji was left alone for the most part. He was a child of means regardless of his current orphaned state, and so his new wardens gave him space to exist. It was the children who took it upon themselves to toughen the sheltered child up.

His privilege marked him as an other to most of the children here. Where they were forced to lean on the support of too few resources, Shinji's clothes always seemed too whole, too new. They came for him, to no avail. The first foe he dropped marked him as a powerful enemy, but an enemy nonetheless. These orphans had not been crafted by some natural phenomena but by the hand of man; and his weapon had been ninja. His swift movement, his balanced strikes, they marked Shinji as the child of one of these weapons and as such just as hated as the parent-killers that had come a callin' in Kaminari no Kuni. From that first bully onward Shinji was forced to fight for his survival. His life became an endless string of challengers who thought the rage death had planted within them could trump the discipline his father had instilled. They were often wrong, unless they overwhelmed the young Kajou with numbers to even the scale of battle. But this was easy for Shinji. It was those who rivaled his own abilities that made life difficult.

He saw her before she ever noticed him. It was hard not to take Kazuko into account, for she was a feral child even amongst the most brutal bullies in the orphanage. Her viciousness could not be checked or deterred by their wardens, and her name was whispered by frightened girl and terrified boy alike. Shinji had thought her a long lost member of his clan when he first took in those identical features to his own, until he had seen her barbarism firsthand. She was no Kajou, she was a demon. From the moment the bowl she had splashed in another child's face had clattered to the floor, she became marked as one to avoid.

A monster should be given a wide berth, but when one can not avoid conflict, that monster should not go unchecked. Shinji would have known that to plant Kazuko on her ass was of the most importance even if the principles of the Kajou not been instilled in him at an early age. He was asa different from the others as she, vagabonds who bowed to her will simply because her glare seemed otherworldly. And when she decided to come for him, he was ready. It did not take much on his part to plant the girl; a flick wrist, a leg sweep. She was down before he had even warmed up, and they both knew that perhaps she had waited too late to come calling at his door. By that time Shinji had already learned to keep multiple offenders at bay with the rudimentary moves of his family, with swift strikes and hard knees. To their powerful style he has added the lessons of the orphanage and made something of a brawler's masterpiece. She would not have stood a chance before he had been learned, Lord knows what he would have done to her had he been able to mount the scrawny beast-thing and hammer his point home with merciless elbows and fists.

But the caretakers knew. Or at least they thought they did. They swept in and took the girl away before she could truly learn her lesson. To Shinji they offered nothing but frightened looks over their shoulders as they retreated with their favorite malcontent. Since he arrived at their door step they had not been able keep the fear from their eyes when they regarded him. "What do we do with you?" the befuddled looks broadcast. He was truly other to them as well. The truth was he had not been one of these children cast into the village by fate, left stranded in life by some low hanging peasant's poor luck to be home when the offensive units of alien enemies swept through; his family had died out there in the thick of things. They had died heroes. His puffed chest was meant to repel those alienating glares, but defiance in the moment will not ward off the tears that come each night. It was not the loss of his parents that drove him to push his face into the mattress to muffle his sobs every night, but those damn looks.

His brave showing could not ward off a trip through a window that came once the unholy terror of Kazuko was unleashed either.

"Well since you over do it Imma pour more."
Numbers

In Ninja Academy, Shinji came alive. Here was what he was meant to do; to take up the dropped mantle of his fallen family and restore their name through the art of ninjutsu. To his lessons he took like a fish to water, and excelled where others stumbled out the gates. He was a prized pupil for instructors, a ready made talent who wanted nothing more than to see pride on their faces. Anything was better than the alienating glares of his artificial parents when they regarded his standout potential. All the better that the rude beast known as Kazuko floundered in class, for all her potential. He let the divide in their marks speak for the game of oneupmanship they played, and thus found more reason to make his instructors proud. Through his thirst for these basic skills that proxy-love was garnered, but something still rung empty in the accolades he attained. They saw him as worthy, but not as kin. For all the world and his efforts he still found himself an outcast amongst the other children, with their families and their well-adjusted home life.That feeling did not subside but grew as they did in class, until he was marked as different as much by the way he blazed through practicals and applied a fledgling knowledge of what his ancestors could do as he was by moodiness and a forlorn expression at all times. He and Kazuko were the Orphans; separated by approach, but united in isolation and talent.

Although the tales of their time spent in the Academy could not have seemed different to an unknowing outsider, it was the feeling of alienation that overrode all successes and failures at school. It would seem that these two were fated to walk the same path from here to death; one they could not even escape upon graduation to Genin rank. With his shiny new forehead protector clutched in hand, Shinji's heart fell as he read the list of teams and saw Nanaho Kazuko had been placed along with Kajou Shinji and Ayanami Sayo in Team Eight.

"Step on they necks til they can't breathe."
Deuteronomy

His name was Tenji and his mission was impossible. Before him stood three raw recruits; a dirty disheveled demon-child who looked as liable to eat him as listen, a sad looking sapling of a boy, and a shy fragile girl who appeared to be trying to disappear into the shadows of the other two. Jesus Christ. With a sigh he flicked his cigarette away and stepped towards his three charges with little faith that even he could make a useful team out of this trio.

"You, quit snarling at me; you learn to fucking smile and you... get a backbone." Those were his first words to them, the first lesson, but it would not be the last. Old hostilities die slow, and although Sayo, the third member of the team, bore no ill feelings towards either, the team was dragged down by politics carried over from the orphanage. Shinji and Kazuko were water and oil, two volatile specimens forced onto the same team in the midst of a heated rivalry. Their early years of growth were dictated by a lust to enact violence on the other; Shinji to deter the dangerous girl, and Kazuko to unseat the talented boy. Tenji could do nothing but watch as mission plans went up in flames due to their penchant to turn on each other and treat the objective as an obstruction to their endgame of ending their true enemy. How many times in those first months had they defeated an enemy only to turn on each other with wild jutsus and violent strikes?

But what he saw beyond the infighting and backbiting was the fact that -they did defeat the enemy-. Even as their focus clearly lay on destroying each other goals were achieved through will alone, and so a spark of inspiration struck the Jounin. Their missions became much more driven to driving the two together; by fighting off bandits that threatened villages much in the same way Kazuko's parents had been killed he found a common ground for them to take their aggression out on. Soon the beast child that was Kazuko was distracted from killing the boy long enough to exorcise demons on the faces of these perpetrators. Eventually Shinji was comfortable enough to know that should he turn his back on her, she would not fall to trying to sever his spinal cord with a kunai. That was the start.

That trust built to an assuredness that through one or another, these external demons they faced would be stamped out. How often had Shinji smirked in the face of a force that had him cornered, only to have Kazuko validate his confidence by falling on his attackers when they thought they had the upper hand? How many times did Kazuko seem to relax in a trap because she was sure that Shinji would free her from a spot her violence failed to? In those years they grew (along with the afterthought that was Sayo) through that assuredness, as if the growth of their dependence went hand-in-hand with the blossoming of their abilities.

By the time they achieved the title of C-rank shinobi, their unlikely bond became one of co-dependence. They had gone from enemies to inseparable.

"What's a King without a Crown?"
Psalms

Upon ascension to Chuunin level, it was time for Shinji to take what was rightfully his. For too long past promises had gone unheeded and oaths neglected. If he was to truly to take up the mantle of the last of his kind, then some things would have to be reclaimed. After proving his worth as a C-rank member of the village, Shinji decided it was time to seek out the peculiar beasts the Kajou had long used as partners and allies. Vital to the success of a Kajou as a ninja was a connection to the natural state of things, and this symbiosis was signified by their summoning contract with the Kaminoinu, the Divine Dogs of Kaminari no Kuno. He would have to go and reclaim his birthright from those animals themselves as the contract had reverted to the mountain ranges it had been taken from upon the passing of his father all those years ago.

But he had no intentions of going alone, for the idea of undertaking such a dangerous mission by himself would be foolish. By this point, his connection to Nanaho Kazuko was beyond reproach. They had braved the dangers of the world together for too long for her to be considered anything but a piece of him, and so it was when he went to retrieve the final piece of Kajou he would take with him into adulthood, that she went with him. The road was hard, but they made it easier for one another. Had Shinji undertaken this challenge alone, his devices might have seen him end at the summit of the highest mountain without much pomp or circumstance. As it was, with Kazuko nothing went quiet. They blazed a trail through the dense forest and dangerous beasts to their destination, and even had the audience they sought not been amongst keen wild dogs known for superior senses, their names and feats would have been known before they'd ever gotten to the top. Foresight proved invaluable as many times on this dangerous venture Kazuko's intervention was the only thing that stood between the young ninja and death. Her nature was much more indicative of the wild they traversed than even the wild violence he had inherited from his parents. 

To his renewed allies their triumph was enough for them to respect this dated pact; his blood and abilities proved that he was indeed a suitable upholder of the summoning agreement between the Kaminoinu and Kajou. The contract was his for the safekeeping, with only the only thing left to do being to sign with blood his allegiance to these sacred beasts, which he did. But he begged a favor. It was true that he came before them the last of the clan with which this agreement had been signed, but it was not true that he was without family of his own. If they agreed to it, Shinji requested that Kazuko be allowed to sign the contract and so too come under the protection of these powerful dogs. After much debate between Shinji and his canine allies it was agreed to that Kazuko would become an upholder of this agreement and a summoner of these powerful beings.

At last Shinji could say this part of his story was completed. He had restored his family to their place in the world, as well has claimed Kazuko as his new sister-in-blood. Months were spent learning from the Kaminoinu as the two ninjas realized the value of having such powerful allies theirs for the summoning. The holes in Shinji's own lessons, the ones his father had perished before he could impart in son, were filled with the knowledge these animals had of the people they had worked side-by-side with for all these years. Kazuko's own rough fashioning attained a new refinement at the paws of the animals. Once again the two ninjas experienced a growth in power and ability in the wild, another step in their paths to becoming dangerous fighters and imposing forces for Kumo. They learned until there was nothing left to teach, and so were ready to resume life among other humans rather than packs of wild creatures. With the contract now strapped to his back and safely back in the hands of the Kajou clan, Shinji returned to the land of his people and continued his path in the village.

"What's a Circle without you squares?"
Leviticus

As a singular talent made hard by the life of an orphan, coupled with a taskmaster for a Jounin instructor, Shinji was set upon a path not many get the chance to sniff. His abilities coupled with the isolated nature of his upbringing tabbed him for the darker side of the Kumogakure power scale, and upon completion of the levels that mark you as a competent ninja, those elements swallowed his life. We are of course referencing his inclusion into the ANBU ranks here. They started Shinji early as an ancillary piece, a young ninja with the potential to be something greater once further refinement was attained. Into his hands they placed excellent resources as well as placing him in the hands of exceptional men and women who showed him what it meant to belong to the faceless ranks of the Kumo operatives. His first years in the organization passed with him in the background of the group, learning from the best, reading scrolls shielded from the public's eyes, and so his understanding of the inner workings of the society grew along with his abilities to silently remove souls that threatened his village from this world.

In these spaces he showed great potential to not only eliminate targets, but also to break down the most formidable through preparation and learning. Extensive and detailed reports became his calling card amongst the officials of the units, and his ability to mesh with many different squadrons set him apart as a leader in the making for the ANBU. To Shinji, coexisting with these elite ninjas was child's play after a childhood where he had to learn to understand one of the more wild and violent young women known to the land.

Before long he found himself at the head of a unit himself, one made to his liking. They were known (or unknown) as the "Shinigami", Gods of Death. And they fit this name brilliantly, death dealers who were called on to untangle sticky messes by the Kage and other high ranking officials in the village. Their specialty was the "beautiful kill", one that no one saw coming, nor understood after the fact. They were comprised as much by the masked ninjas whom you might see (or fail to see) flitting through the shadows as unremarkable faces in the crowd, an ever changing and shifting group of unknowns that only a few even knew existed as a cohesive and select unit of executioners and spies.Their record stands as underwhelming due to the fact that most of the assassinations they carried out went unnoticed or unremarked upon as natural or accidents. As impressive as they were, it can be said that much of the Nidaime's reign of terror is the red of blood that stains this super secretive unit.

"When you flood you can drown figures."
Judges

Kumogakure in those years following was anything but the proud village it had once been. Their defeat had shaken the morale of the people as much as the casualties had, as defeat had never been a part of their lives before. How does one of the greatest ninja villages recover from a humbling loss? There were many thoughts on this, thoughts that led to actions, and actions that led to repercussions. This was the world a young Shinji was thrown into as an ANBU recruit, one filled with conspiracy and idealism, a world of schisms and secret alliances.

And it was his duty to find them out. To ferret those whose ways did not align with the values and vision of the Nidaime Raikage. In his efforts to tie up these loose ends he was ruthless, and soon a name was made for the child's merciless actions with traitors; the Death God [Shinigami] of Kumogakure. His prey never saw the daylight of a fair trial, though their executions went unquestioned, so peerless was he in tracing these lines of treachery within even the most close-knit of units. It was said that the ANBU had spouted eyes and ears everywhere, nothing escaped their vigilant persecution of those who devised against the Raikage.

With the exception of one lead. They were numerous, influential, and powerful. Established survivors of that devastating war who saw so much potential in a Kumo that could be shaped away from the weak hands of the Nidaime. Their names flitted on the tongues of revolutionaries throughout the village, hopefuls who would lay down their lives for these respected plotters when the time came. That would be unacceptable. By then Shinji was old enough to see for himself how the next war would be the last war; one that would have them falling upon themselves like rabid dogs with no principle or pride. He could not argue that the Nidaime was wrong for a rebuilding nation; a self-centered and loathsome ninja who who performed deplorable experiments on his own people, but a revolt would be so much worse. It became his obsession to quash this nameless uprising before it spread through the people like an infection.

But they were good. It seemed regardless of how how close he came to unmasking the perpetrators they remained a step ahead, their leaders seemingly slipped through his fingers each time he and his brethren closed in. How many of his own had been corrupted and bought into the ideology espoused by those they were tasked to shut down? It seemed that regardless of who he thought he could trust, the word made it back to his foes, his prey, and they were able to get away. With a compromised crusade and spies working even amongst his own ranks against him, it seemed Shinji had no one to turn to.

Well except for one person. This entire time he had been climbing up the ranks of the ANBU, so too had Nanaho Kazuko been making a name for herself as a powerful young face amongst the crop of new Jounin. Her savage nature had proven to be her best weapon, and brutality still ruled her every move, yet now it came with a level of restraint and control that made her even more menacing. They had taken different paths to strength, and yet he knew that she could be counted on as much as those Genin days, or when she had helped him reclaim his clan's summoning contract. So he sought her out. And after much gloating and preening at the fact that he once more needed her to clean up his messes after all these years, she agreed to help him root out the culprits.

They were as devastating a team as ever. Shinji's refined technique mixed with the unadulterated violence of Kazuko seamlessly and made for a truly horrifying combination that out-punched, outthought, and outran even the best attempts of this underground movement to remain in the shadows. Their formidable abilities soon pulled the resistance grown in the dark out to the light, though even they were shocked by what they revealed. For at the heart of the conspiracy was none other than Tenji, their mentor. What's the word for your own making being the cause for the undoing of your devices?

Irony. And this was how both Shinji and Kazuko got to that point.

"Cause we can't get along, no restitution til we drown all these haters."
Song of Solomon

But where they stood was not where they stand now. The Shinji you know now is the proud father of two small Kajou offspring; twins aged 5. Kajou Tetsuo and Jiko, the true loves of his life were the last good thing his wife gave to him before she passed away. Somewhere along the way he had set aside time to marry Ayanami Sayo, his former teammate and teenage love. They had shared a bond of their own that began as children on that Genin team; a connection that grew love where his relationship with Kazuko fostered nothing but co-dependence. In strength it rivaled what he felt for Kazu, but in a different way, and so too did her loss rival the deaths of his parents when she expired. Well was murdered. Sayo had been a part of the plot engineered by their former mentor, Tenji, and had met her end by Kazuko's fist. To spare her closest friend the pain of more violent loss Kazuko had fashioned her own story for how and why the woman had passed. She had given her life to the hunt for a bijuu the fabricated story went, it had belly flopped on her face before she had known what was happening. That was four years ago, and since then the Shinji who lacks a mask has raised the two children with the help of his best friend.

But with a mask he has been as busy as ever. Rumors waft around the corpse of the Nidaime Raikage as to how he met his end, though none would truly guess what happened. There were some who speculated that one of the test subjects got free and exacted sweet revenge, and this would be Shinigami's doing. The truth of the matter is it was staged to look like that, in order to marshall in a new leader for Kumogakure no Sato. Shinji, ever the player of the good soldier, had been involved in a movement even more silent and monumentous than that of his mentor Tenji, or that Kazuko would have ever dreamed (or cared). And when the time came that plot had gone into fruition.

Now he spends his days as a hapless single father of two at the too-young age of twenty eight, and his nights as a masked keeper of the peace and order for Kumo. 

i WAS RUNNING ON ALL FOURS LIKE A FOOL

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Taijutsu Aptitude- Jounin Level proficiency Style:: 

• Tetsuzaru -Iron Monkey Technique Tetsuzaru [Hiden]

Ninjutsu Aptitude- Jounin Level proficiency

• Raiton -Primary element and affinity
• Fuuton -Secondary element
• Doton -Tertiary element

Genjutsu Aptitude- Jounin Level proficiency


Chakra Reserves- Jounin Level Proficiency


Chakra Control-  Chuunin Level Proficiency

---
Superior Chakra Reserves

Bukijutsu Aptitude [Jounin Level] 

• Nuchaku [Primary]
• Bo Staff [Secondary]
• Trench knives [Tertiary]

Shurikenjutsu Aptitude [Jounin Level]


   

INVENTORY:

• Kunai - 12
• Shuriken - 12
• Exploding Tags - 10
• Nunchaku - 1
• Fūma Shuriken - 1

SUMMONING CONTRACT: Kaminoinu Contract - Divine Dogs {Wolf Contract}

JUTSU:

A
Ranshinshou - Body Pathway Derangement


B
Fūka Houin | Fire Sealing Method
Raiton: Hiraishin - Lightning Release: Lightning Rod
Hari Jizou - Needle Jizou
Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku - Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere
Raiton: Gian - Lightning Release: False Darkness


C
Raiton: Kangekiha - Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration
Suimen Hokō no Jutsu - Walking on Water Technique
Gen no Sunkantekina Heni | Illusion of Momentary Displacement
Doton: Kengan no Jutsu - Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique
Doton: Doroku Gaeshi - Earth Release: Earth Shore Return
Doton: Dochū Senkō - Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage
Fuuton: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
Gofū Kekkai - Five-Seal Barrier
Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu - Rock Clone Technique

D
Shunshin no Jutsu - Body Flicker Technique
Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu - Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique
Doton: Keisei Doro - Earth Release: Molding Mud
Kanashibari no Jutsu - Temporary Paralysis Technique
Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu | Haze Clone Technique


E
Henge no Jutsu - Transformation Technique
Bunshin no Jutsu - Clone Technique
Nawanuke no Jutsu - Escape Technique
Kawarimi no Jutsu - Substitution Technique
Kakuremino no Jutsu - Cloak of Invisibility Technique

NOW I'M FLYING LIKE YOU DO. LEAD ME TO YOU.

CHATANGO NAME: Apnshinji
OTHER CHARACTERS: None
SPECIAL ABILITY CLAIM: Black Lightning
FACE CLAIM:ANIME/MANGA NAME | [i]canon character's name[/i] is [b]your character's name[/b]

coded by akemi

[Kajou Shinji]

Ready to be reviewed. : D

[REAPER]

Hello and welcome to Revival!

I'm going to start off with the more simple areas of your profile, so please bare with me as this review process may be a bit long and daunting but when there are huge sections to read I feel like an ant. So without further ado LET'S GET STARTED!


SPECIAL ABILITIES!

Taijutsu, I can see you put some effort into this, however, Taijutsu is only allowed one style at Jounin-Level not three. Even Kage only get Two-Styles if they decided to work with Tai.

Superior Chakra Reserves doesn't have its own Level, it's simply Superior Chakra Reserves.

Under Bukijutsu please list the three weapons you are proficient with as though it were Ninjutsu.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.

Black Lightning is just an advanced form of Raiton, it is not an ability in the ability system to be listed here, therefore please remove it and if you wish replace it with something else. If you still want to list it somewhere just note it next to Raiton.


JUTSU!

Please link any and all customs you have.

If I remember correctly the Iron Monkey Technique is a Taijutsu style, therefore not an actual literal technique. As such please remove it from your jutsu listing.

Please remove your S-rank bracket since it's unused

the bandage technique is a medical ninjutsu. You are not eligible to use this technique because you do not have iryou ninjutsu capacity or chakra control superior. Sorry but please remove this.

Aitemuin is a fuinjutsu technique. You do not possess fuinjutsu aptitude therefore cannot use this technique. I'm sorry but please remove this.



INVENTORY!

I don't believe you're allowed both the shurikenjutsu perk and bukijutsu perk. Do not act on this yet though as I will confirm this with the admin.

[Kajou Shinji]

Hi! No rush and no worries, I know I put together a pain of an application to labor through. :3

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Taijutsu: Cleaned up that section some. Hope it's acceptable.

Cleared up the Superior Chakra reserves as well.

With Black Lightning I was told if I wanted it I'd have to reserve it as a Special Ability. I'm all down for it not costing me an ability slot though aha.

Bukijutsu: added the three weapons Shinji is proficient with.

JUTSU

Linked in the customs

I was unable to register Tetsuzaru as a taijutsu? It's down technically as a passive boost to Shinji's physical capabilities.

Removed the fuinjutsu and bandage jutsu

INVENTORY

*holds on*

[REAPER]

Sorry for the wait.


In your inventory, you're only allowed to receive the perk from either Bukijutsu OR shurikenjutsu, not both.


I am unable to locate your summon contract in the records for summons. Please make sure all of your summons are up to date and approved.


Please update your special abilities to our new stat system.
As an elite jounin you get 18 Points to allocate. Everything you need to explain this new system are:
Template
Core Skills
Sub Skills


Also looking at your Jutsu now, I've noticed you have too many C-Ranks. Please make sure you're abiding by the OOC jutsu limitations. You're a Jounin at the age of 28, so please make sure you're using the right bracket.



If you have any questions, PM either Me, Akemi, or King.

[Kajou Shinji]

Edited Jutsu. Edited inventory. Going to read up on the changes to the stats now.

Here's My Summoning Contract

[REAPER]

Alright everything looks alright other than your stats and elements.

In order to have three elemental natures you must be S-rank in Ninjutsu. Since you are a Jounin you cannot go above A-Rank which means please pick two elements, and comb through your jutsu to remove one of the elements.

Please notify me when you have updated your jutsu and stats once again.

Also remember if you run out of jutsu to place into your app, you can always make customs. [highly recommended]