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This article, Kenji Nagakura, is property of Kenji-Taichō. Permission is required to alter its content. |
"The last time I looked in a mirror I noticed that I have two perfectly good eyes. Meaning I’ve got one to spare." |
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| Name | Kenji "Ashen" Nagakura Kenji "Ashen" Nara |
| Kanji | 賢治長倉 & 賢治奈良 |
| Birthdate | 22nd February |
| Age | Part I: 12 |
| Gender |  Male
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| Height | Part I: 172.72cm or 5.667ft |
| Weight | Part I: 74kg |
| Blood Type | A |
| Hometown |  Kirigakure
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| Home Country |  Land of Water
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| Affiliation |  Konohagakure
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| Previous Affiliation | Kirigakure
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| Occupation |  Genin
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| Team |  Team Star
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| Partner |  Sanada Sarutobi Harumi Amaterasu Shigeru Sarutobi
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| Previous Partner |  Rosuto Nagakura Elisa Kusaka Sōjirō
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| Family | Rosuto Nagakura (Father) Kaede Nara (Mother) Nara clan (Maternal Relatives) Nagakura clan (Paternal Relatives)
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| Rank | Genin
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| Classification |  Jinchūriki (forms) Swordsmen
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| Ninja Registration | Not Revealed |
| Academy Grad. Age | 12 |
| Chūnin Prom. Age | N/A |
| Jōnin Prom. Age | N/A |
| Kekkei Genkai |  Ash Release Smoke Release Zengoranme
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| Tailed Beasts | Two-Tails
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| Hiden Techniques | Shadow Imitation
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| Nature Type |  Fire Release Earth Release Wind Release
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| Jutsu | Ash Release: Ash Burial Ash Release: Crushing Ash Funeral Smoke Release: Shroud Shadow Imitation Technique Riot Sphere
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| Weapons |  Bow Bracer's Hōchōkiba Hakiba
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| Styles |  Niten
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Kenji Nara (賢治奈良, Nara Kenji), formerly Kenji Nagakura (賢治長倉, Nagakura Kenji), known by his team-nickname Ashy (灰, Hai), is a Genin-level Shinobi of Konohagakure's Nara clan, formerly of Kirigakure's Nagakura Clan, the current Jinchūriki of the Two-tailed Monster Cat, and member of Team Star under the leadership of Shigeru Sarutobi where he partners Harumi Amaterasu and Sanada Sarutobi. He is the son of Rosuto Nagakura and Kaede Nara.
Appearance[]
Kenji is a light-made up young man with shoulder-length black hair styled into downward pointing spikes. Being only twelve years of age he has yet to fully mature. He does, however, possess some muscle in thanks to exercises taken under his father's encouraging tutelage and later that of the Ninja Academy in Konoha. He is also quite tall for his age. He generally wears loose fitting black trousers and a white long-sleeved shirt with black arms. In addition he wears an-all black cloak tied at the neck which opens up to show the clothing worn beneath, while extending down to knee-length. He is also blind in his left eye for he donated the eye to his team-mate, Sanada. As such he has taken to wearing special contacts which hide the blank coloration of his eye, causing it to mimic the color of his good eye.
Personality[]
Kenji was once loud and boisterous. He loved causing mischief and getting into trouble. Following an incident that resulted in the death of his sparring partner however, Kenji became quiet and withdrawn and rarely spoke to anyone not of a familial relationship. He became even more withdrawn when the Sixth Mizukage ordered him to be killed as an exile in response. When he came to Konoha he was open only with his mother, but slowly came to trust the members of the Nara clan as he had those of the Nagakura clan. As such he rarely speaks to anyone else which has led to instances of him being called odd; even among his team-mates.
Kaede explained to Sanada that Kenji never had many friends to confide in growing up. Kenji himself later revealed that his best friend had always been his father, suggesting the two where very close. He furthered that he considered all but a select few within the Nagakura clan to be his allies. But when he does befriend someone he proves to be incredibly loyal to them; often acting without regard to himself. He selflessly took a kunai in the shoulder for Harumi (trajectory and angle meant that had it struck her it could've been fatal) knowing he'd recover faster. In the aftermath of the same battle he donated one of his eyes to Sanada to prevent his friend going blind: both acts he performed without hesitation.
History[]
Kenji was the result of a lustful night on the eve of the Fourth Shinobi World War involving his father -- then legend Rosuto Nagakura -- and his mother, Kaede Nara. Born in the months following the war, Kenji would be raised away from Konoha at Kaede's request. As such Kenji spent the first ten years of his life with his father amongst the Shinobi of Kirigakure, in the Land of Water. He learned, lived, and trained with his paternal family: the Nagakura Clan, with his father teaching him in the ways of his families Hiden-jutsu. He would also awaken his unique dōjutsu at a very young age and began advanced kenjutsu training.
Kenji aged eight years old.
When he turned eight Kenji met his mother for the first time, who was hunting Missing-nin in Kirigakure as part of a cross-country task force. Rosuto caught wind of her arrival and intercepted her unit, with Kenji in-tow, which initially resulted in a skirmish; as both sides failed to recognize him. Rosuto took Kireina's place in the party so that she could spend some time with her son. Answers where asked and answered, and before the mission ended, Kireina entrusted to her son a talisman which he has worn around his neck ever since.
Between the ages of eight and nine Kenji met Kusaka Sōjirō who introduced him to his current apprentice -- Elisa. Even though he was somewhat quiet around strangers Kenji formed a special bond with Elisa and the two would become almost inseparable as a result.
At some point before he turned ten Kenji was responsible for the accidental death of a young student slated as a future prospect for the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist. The two had forbade their mentors order and practiced with sharpened blades. After stumbling and pitching forward, Kenji rammed the young man clean through the heart, killing him almost instantly. In the face of this scandal Kenji was named a murderer by Mei Terumī's replacement. His ruling declared that Kenji was to be killed as an exile. Coming to their clansman's rescue, Rosuto and four other members of the Nagakura clan smuggled a captive Kenji out of the country and across the border. The members of the task force split off one-at-a-time until only Kenji and his father remained.
Prior to his escape however Kenji visited Elisa one final time and asked her to forget about him. He also begged Kusaka to protect her from the Mizukage.
Following his father, Kenji crossed the border into the Country of Fire. Rosuto infiltrated the Village and revealed to Kenji that he had spent a total of five years working alongside Konoha shinobi on a past mission, and had formed a strong rivalry with one Shin Takahiro. Sneaking up on his old friend Rosuto pleaded with Shin to look after Kenji. Rosuto and Kenji parted ways and Shin took the boy to his mother, where he'd live out the rest of his life as a Konoha civilian. The only people outside the Nara clan that knew of Kenji's predicament where the Hokage, Shin, and those in the Nagakura clan who saw him to safety.
Kenji aged twelve-thirteen.
A mere two weeks after he turned twelve, Kenji was patrolling the outskirts of Konoha with his academy instructor, Shigeru Sarutobi. The two where separated and Kenji had a run-in with a pair of missing-nin -- Itazura Fūma and Hageshi Inuzuka. The meeting left him near-death. He was rescued by Akira; a fellow Konoha shinobi, who returned him to the village after meeting up with and helping Shigeru defeat a group of missing-nin believed to be in league with those who attacked Kenji. With no other alternative Akira sealed the newly acquired Two-tailed Monster Cat the Hokage had tasked him with claiming, within Kenji. Matatabi done as Akira had hoped and kept Kenji alive by gradually healing the damage done to him, which kept Kenji alive long enough for medical-nin to preserve his life. From that day onwards Kenji was a Jinchūriki.
Kenji and Matatabi quickly developed a type of synergy with one another even though they remained naturally suspicious of one another's intentions. This culminated in a meeting which saw the two set aside some of their differences, working towards a healthier relationship.
Synopsis[]
Origins arc[]
Trials of a Genin arc[]
Land of Water arc[]
Equipment[]
"Don't be an utter idiot, Kenji. Everyone uses some form of equipment: it could be a simple kunai, or a shuriken. Heck, it could even a tantō! The point I'm trying to make is that they remain simple equipment unless you do something personal with them." Shin put a comforting hand on the young mans shoulder. "That's when they become special. Think, plan, and make those weapons you use truly dangerous." |
Kenji attacking with his trusty bow, alongside Sanada and Harumi.
Bow: Instead of traditional ninja armaments Kenji commonly utilizes a bow in battle, and can fire upwards of three arrows simultaneously. He commonly ties either rope or wire to the end of the shaft before firing so he can bridge large gaps, follow-up with by directing fire down the wire, or firing arrows with an explosive tag at the tip to cause explosions. Per Shin's advise he has also taken to firing his sensei's specially made seals from range.
Dragon Talisman: A talisman passed onto Kenji by his mother, Kaede. He wears it as a necklace, though what it does beyond being decorative is currently unknown. However, when Kenji holds it in the palm of his hand, the dragon inscribed begins to glow. As such it serves some small purpose as a light in dark areas.
Summoning Bracer's: Kenji received these bracer's as a gift from May, one of the two female members of the Nagakura clan who helped Rosuto take Kenji to Konoha. The bracer's are purple with bandages worn beneath, showing the seal clearly as black markings. Merely by touching the seal, Kenji can summon an assortment of weaponry ranging from shuriken, kunai, and tantō.
Tantō: Kenji received his tantō as a gift the day after his graduation to Genin from Kentaro Yamanaka and Kenta Akimichi. The weapon is short but incredibly sharp with a long and durable chain entwined around the hilt. With it Kenji can easily entangle weaponry, limbs, or attack at range. He often summons the weapon to him through use of his bracer's.
Abilities[]
In the beginning, as a recent graduate of the ninja academy, Kenji had low-level skills all around the board. He had a higher aptitude for long-range combat than close-range, and preferred careful scheming and effective planning over a "gun-ho" approach. His highest skill was easily his marksmanship. As a marksmen Kenji was the best-of-the-best amongst his class, and could hit the same target one-hundred times out of one-hundred tries. In addition he had some measure of skill in cloaking and transformation techniques, and specialized in the gathering of information.
As per the Origins arc Kenji struggled to control his Chakra levels. This boiled down to the fact that Shigeru created an imbalance within Kenji's body when he sealed the Two-tails within him. Before Kenji's graduation however Shigeru diagnosed the problem and rectified it, allowing Kenji to once again utilize his Chakra reserves. He even demonstrated greater ease controlling his Chakra afterwards. In terms of Chakra reserves Kenji has high levels and can utilize various jutsu in quick succession without feeling winded, a trait which continues to improve with time.
Without spotters to warn him Kenji finds it difficult intercepting attackers that come from his left-hand side. This is due to the fact he sacrificed an eye so that Sanada wouldn't be blind, thus limiting his own vision.
Bukijutsu[]
Kenjutsu[]
Prior to leaving Kirigakure Kenji received direct tutelage in the proper handling of a sword from two of the greatest swordsmen within the entire Land of Water: his father Rosuto and Rosuto's former student, Kusaka Sōjirō. Even though he originally distanced himself from Kenjutsu usage following his arrival in Konoha, he once again picked up the art when leadership of his Genin team was passed temporarily over to Kentaro Yamanaka. Kentaro encouraged Kenji to pick up his sword once more, which he immediately demonstrated tremendous proficiency with. Despite his young age, Shin Takahiro, whom is a sword-master himself, claimed that nothing was wasted in Kenji's movement, and that he would some day become a revered Kenjutsu master.
Kenji attacking four shinobi with Kenjutsu.
In battle Kenji favors the style his father invented: the Niten. He is one of only four individuals trained in the devastating form. He was skilled in both the Hyō and Jinkaze variants, and capable of performing all the Ninjutsu associated with the demanding style. Using it (even whilst injured and rusty) Kenji was capable of instantly cutting down four attacking enemies, before moving on to attack a fifth. His reflexes are noted to be incredibly precise, to the point he can react to Sanada's swift release through practiced trial-and-error, whilst immediately offering blistering counters. Attack and defense are focused on with a balanced approach, leaving very few openings to exploit.
Aside from his favored style of Niten, Kenji has also practiced the Kumoshiki (雲式, Cloud-style), which he learned from his father's student, Kusaka. With it he can attack multiple enemies with little time to act, feign weakness in order to launch an immediate counter, produce waves of flame which follow the arc of his swing, perform swift single-target strikes and attack enemies behind him whilst tricking the one in front. Under Kentaro's watchful eye he has also incorporated these attacks into his Niten form, creating a particularly potent hybrid-style all his own; capable of dispatching multiple enemy Ninja.
Kyūjutsu[]
Next to his Kenjutsu skills are Kenji's skills with a bow and arrow, which are considerable. Unlike such contemporaries as Sasuke Uchiha whose skills where demonstrated mostly through his Susanoo, Kenji uses a composite bow with specialized arrows, whose tips are embedded with minute grains of ash which can be detonated on command, leveling buildings or causing severe internal and external injury to anyone he shoots. The Zengoranme enables him to track a target over vast range via a mental mapping of the area achieved through sensing a foes Chakra, granting him unparalleled accuracy. He can also fire his bow and arrows without using his own hands, achieved through manipulation of the Two-tails Chakra cloak, enabling him to rain arrows upon an enemy whilst employing seperate techniques.
Shurikenjutsu[]
Dōjutsu[]
- Main Article - Zengoranme.
Zengoranme activated.
Shigeru Sarutobi was also surprised at how naturally attuned Kenji was to sensing chakra, for he could easily and effortlessly track multiple individuals based solely on their chakra signature. He done this by closing his eyes and controlling his breathing. When he opened his eyes his irises were noted to have changed, with each eye gaining a unique appearance reminiscent of sealing signs. With it Kenji can see chakra, track it mentally as though he had a "mental map" of the area, and gain an acute understanding of jutsu. His mother, Kaede, later named it Zengoranme; meaning "all seeing eye". This Dōjutsu is a mystery to everyone who knows anything about Kenji's family. None of his immediate relatives have access to the Zengoranme, for none of the Nara clan have had access to any form of Dōjutsu. It is thus theorized that the eye must have skipped the previous generation; as Kenji's father, Rosuto, also does not possess the Kekkei Genkai. Regardless of how he obtained it, Kenji has vowed to master its many applications and is steadily improving his ability to do so. He does, however, now only possess one eye. The other was given to Sanada when his own eyes where blinded by poison. It hasn't effected the benefits granted to him however, as the mental sense of chakra he always benefited from remains as strong as ever. With the Zengoranme activated Kenji even overcomes the usual weakness associated with having only a single eye.
Ninjutsu[]
Kekkei Genkai[]
Ash Release[]
Smoke Release[]
Hiden[]
Shadow Imitation[]
Jinchūriki Forms[]
- Main Article - Kenji Nagakura's Jinchūriki Forms.
Just by tapping the Chakra of the Two-tails, Kenji's body begins its initial transformation. This is shown from how his hair becomes somewhat spikier, like when a cat arches its back and raises its fur. His eyes also become a darker shade of their usual shade. In this form, Kenji usually moves on all fours like a cat, and has shown enhanced reflexes and speed, which his mother compared to the Four Legs Technique of the Inazuka Clan. When enough of the Two-tails Chakra has been tapped, Kenji's body adopts a blue-colored aura reminiscent of flames surrounding his body, though he doesn't form a tail. Kenji initially reached this stage through extreme fits of rage and frustration, and has only a bare minimum of control over himself when he is using it. However, Matatabi later allowed him to use its chakra, removing the negativities completely. As such he can assume this state voluntarily and willfully, adding to his dynamics as a Shinobi. Kenji has also been shown releasing a hiss, which creates a shock-wave when performed which surprised his team-mates, who couldn't believe a mere hiss could be so powerful. His physical strength is also increased, allowing him to perform greater feats of strength beyond what is capable of a mere teenager.
Taijutsu[]
Kenji's movement speed.
Kenji falls behind when it comes to Taijutsu as he admits he prefers fighting at mid-to-long-range. He hates the very idea of having to engage an enemy in close-quarters-combat, though this hatred lessened with time but still remained a present and persistent trait as he grew and matured. Throughout the Origins arc the only saving grace Kenji had in terms of Taijutsu usage was his speed. Like his mother he possessed a seemingly innate level of speed and instinctive reflexes which his father had helped him hone through excessively difficult training regiments Kenji would recall as torturous. As such he can avoid most close-range attacks even when he has very little time to do so, even if he does lacks the necessary skill to properly counter them in-kind. His reflexes, for example, are nothing short of incredible. He can skillfully dodge bladed weapons at close-range and even react to Sanada's Swift Release: Shadowless Flight (albeit with difficulty), at times appearing to leave tangible after-images behind.
Summoning Technique[]
Kentaro Yamanaka taught Kenji the Summoning Technique as an incentive not to rely upon the Two-tails sealed within him, and uses the same creatures as Kentaro himself: Hawks. He commonly calls upon them when he and his team need to travel large distances quickly, or as a platform on which to fight, as he once showed during an attack at sea by missing-nin. The type of hawks that Kenji can summon at any time is proportional to his chakra and skill, as when he first started out he could only summon small messengers. His skill has grown however, as he has demonstrated the necessary ability to summon hawks with enough body size to hold Team Star plus three captives.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Kenji's nickname, Ashy, is a deliberate shout-out to Ash -- who is a contributor to a number of fanon wiki the author himself also contributes to.
Gallery[]
