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This article, Kakushi Ken, is an article created by Shiro and as such the expressed permission of the author must be obtained to modify, use, or reference it in anyway. |
"That man is demented... He has turned himself into a living weapon... Let's just be glad he's on our side" |
Background[]
"One day you'll either do something to make yourself a monster or something to make yourself a hero, no matter which it is that comes to pass... Make sure you can live with your decision" |
Ishin Kibō was born to two perfectly middle class parents who lived perfectly normal lives and had perfectly normal goals, in other words they were nobodies. Born to parents who were as forgettable as last week's meal, Ishin dreamed of prestige from a young age. During his childhood he rapidly grew tired of the mundane life that was lived within the four drab walls of his home, tired of the meals that weren't too little but never enough, tired of the parents that never seemed to do anything; he wanted excitement, power, he wanted to live.
At the age of eight Ishin entered the Academy at Konoha and began down what he considered to be the path away from the mundane. He studied just as much as any in the Academy, drinking up every bit of information he could get his hands on, and often practiced independently in order to drive even further ahead of the class by bettering himself. With the days of the graduation exam drawing near, Ishin increased his efforts tenfold to guarantee that he would move on to become a Genin. On the day of the exam, Ishin dozed off from the exhaustion of studying through the night and never made it to the second test. Grumbling to himself about the "unfairness of it all" Ishin was recycled back into the Academy the following year and resumed his efforts to further hone his talents, seeking to redeem himself for his earlier failure. On his second attempt at the exam he passed with "flying colors" and easily completed the test given by his Chūnin instructor. Ishin paraded around the village in his newly earned Forehead Protector, immensely proud of his newly graduated status. Assigned to a three-man team under a Jonin sensei; Ishin was determined to learn what he could before taking the "next step", becoming a Chūnin.
Ishin quickly grew tired of his forehead protector, opting not to wear it at all as he completely changed his appearance that he believed would show his "soon to be Chūnin status".
Ishin during his year as a Genin
The change proved to be for the better as Ishin was the only one of his three-man squad to pass the Chūnin Exams, quickly moving on to serve as an instructor in the Academy between missions. During this period Ishin quickly became a favorite with students due to his typically cheery attitude and the belief that both good work and hard work should be rewarded, whether it be with praise or with food.
During his time as a Chūnin Ishin trained in the fields of Kenjutsu alongside Shurikenjutsu and Taijutsu, forsaking the more commonly sought after fields of Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. This is when Ishin's "unhealthy obsession" with weapons is believed to have began. He quickly became known as "Ishin of the Hidden Blade" for his ability to quickly draw, aim, and throw a kunai or shuriken with such precision and speed that the vast majority of opponent's would be caught off guard. Ishin dedicated himself completely to becoming a Weapons Master, carving into a niche that few shinobi bothered to look at.
Progressing his studies to Fūinjutsu Ishin sought to store various weapons without having to actually carry them all and to be able to quickly deploy seals meant to lessen the abilities of enemy-nin. He quickly progressed in this field and this became his second "unhealthy obsession", he seemed determined to devise numerous strategies that revolved around Fūinjutsu in combination with other techniques and to find new ways of utilizing Fūinjutsu. The method he devised involved tattooing the seals onto the target, giving them an instant supply of weapons or such things if need be. Using his discovery he quickly employed it upon himself, his first tattoo being one in the center of his right palm for the purpose of summoning his Katana quickly and without complication. This earned him the name "Hidden Blade of Konoha" for his Iaidō-like quickdraw capabilities; soon after, he was promoted to Jonin.
During the following years, Ishin adopted the moniker "Kakushi Ken" as his name and chose to shun the traditional flak jacket opting remade his appearance once more, this time playing up his natural grace and good looks. Kakushi began tattooing his body with more of his seals, increasing his deadliness on the battlefield as the arsenal he had readily available steadily increased. This resulted in him gaining a reputation as the village "madman", deemed to be demented due to his constant fascination with sealing weapons onto his body. Kakushi is fiercely loyal to Konoha and claims "No matter the struggle or the war, Konoha is where my loyalty lies... And it shall remain that way."
Rumors have recently been circulating that Kakushi is the next in line to become a Kage, although neither the Hokage nor Kakushi himself will confirm or deny these rumors.
Appearance[]
Kakushi has been imbued with a sort of natural charm that combined with his undeniable good looks and his inherent grace, create an almost otherworldly attractiveness. He possesses long, flowing, rose colored hair that falls just short of his lower back. His almond-shaped eyes hold a subtle warmth within their amber depths and he often draws people in with his curious gaze. Kakushi stands at nearly 178cm, 5'10", and as such while his height isn't awe inspiring, when combined with his slim, toned build it presents a sort of elegant appeal that few men have been known to bear.
Kakushi's natural grace gives his motions an entrancing feel, drawing in spectators and opponents alike with his fluid motions no matter the situation. His grace in combination with his charm, gives Kakushi an air of authority and importance that is contrasted by his typically cheery demeanor.
Kakushi selects his clothing with great care, choosing the articles for functionality, ease of movement, and appearance. This tends to lead to clothing that fits perfectly, accentuating his grace while allowing easy access to the various tattoos that cover the majority of his body during battle.
Abilities[]
"He's an absolute madman, one moment he has a blade, the next throwing knives, the next an ax, and then strange weapons I've never seen before; everyone of these weapons were pulled from his body, to say that he's a living weapon would be an understatement. He's beyond dangerous.... But he gets the job done, so let's just ensure that he stays happy with Konoha" |
Kakushi is a strange force in battle, excelling in certain fields while falling short in others. His strengths lie in his physical strength, expertise with weaponry and fūinjutsu, quickly switching from taijutsu to kenjutsu to shurikenjutsu in only a matter of seconds to overwhelm opponents. That being said, Kakushi is well below average in the fields of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu for a nin of his caliber and while he is able to form the basic techniques, those of higher caliber are well out of his range.
Kakushi focuses on employing deadly blends of creative weaponry, innovative fūinjutsu, and powerful taijutsu in battle; leaving scores of hapless opponents in his wake on the battlefield.
Chakra Stores and Stamina[]
Kakushi ironically possesses relatively high chakra stores despite his dislike for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, leaving his chakra "unused" for the most part. Along with his Chakra Stores, his Stamina is notably higher than the norm; allowing Kakushi to exert himself for extended periods of time, although like all humans he will tire. The greatest use Kakushi gets from his Chakra is using it to enhance his weaponry to its limits, giving an added offensive to his already deadly weaponry.
Physical Traits (Speed, Agility, and Strength)[]
Kakushi possesses a balanced physical build, evenly distributed between speed, agility, and strength due to his well-blended training regimes. This balance is a necessity when it comes to the more difficult forms of martial arts and armed combat, allowing Kakushi to exert absolute control over his body. This simple balance is enough to force most opponents into a corner, as very few are accustomed to fighting an opponent who's physical traits all fall in line with each other to create a harmonized offense and defense.
Fūinjutsu and Weaponry[]
Kakushi is highly adept in the field of Fūinjutsu and is considered to be a Weapons Master on the battlefield, this combined with his skill as a blacksmith and physical prowess makes for a deadly opponent. His skill with Fūinjutsu and weaponry has lead to Kakushi tattooing many seals in various locations on his body, the only clear area being his face. Kakushi's seals cover fields outside of weaponry, he has sealed several fireballs, jets of flame, and bolts of lightning to compensate for his lack of proficiency in ninjutsu and has a single seal on the back of his neck meant to break genjutsu.
Sealed Weapons, Techniques, and Aides[]
- Retractable shuriken chains sealed within the thumbs of each hand, these are fired at the opponent before being retracted to restrain the target in question. Unlike most other things Kakushi has sealed, these do no fully leave the seal.
- Garrotte Wires sealed into the index finger of each hand.
- Poisoned Senbon sealed within the little finger of each hand.
- Many Senbon sealed within the middle and ring fingers of each hand.
- Bolts of electricity sealed within the knuckles on each hand.
- A Katana, a Bō, and a jet of flame sealed in the palm of his right hand.
- Four separate fireballs sealed within the palm of his left hand, one seal for each.
- Two Three-Bladed Scissor Katara sealed into the back of each hand (one in each). These appear to have a solitary blade on each until the handles are squeezed, causing the blades to separate.
- Kpinga sealed within his right forearm along with a Kris and a Kusari-fundo.
- Maquahuitl sealed within his left forearm along with Throwing Knives and a shortened Fukiya with poisoned fukibari.
- Large amounts of Shuriken sealed in the crook of each elbow.
- Two Kusarigama sealed within his left biceps along with Makibishi and a Tantō
- A folding Pike (weapon) with joints placed at 4 inch intervals to allow the polearm to bend and wrap around obstacles to attack at unexpected angles sealed within his right biceps along with two Spontoon-Style Axes.
- A Three-Sectioned Staff sealed into his left triceps along side three miniature Exploding Spheres and a Jōhyō.
- An Urumi sealed within his right triceps along with a Boleadora and two lengthy diamond link chains, each link is sharpened as to allow slicing and tearing damage.
- A Chain Whip sealed alongside a Bow and Arrow at the nape of his neck.
- Innovative dual-swords sealed behind his left and right shoulders. These blades may be attached at the hilt and are able to rotate, creating deadly and versatile weapon combo.
- Tekagi-shuko, Tekko, and Tonfa sealed at each of his hips.
- An innovative whip constructed of steel segments and explosive tags sealed at the small of his back.
- Tags containing Chakra Draining Seals at the back of each knee.
- A single crossbow sealed within each thigh along with Fragment Shuriken, Ten-Blade Shuriken, Disabling Kunai, and Illusionary Kunai.
- Thousand-Fragment Exploding Spheres, Instant-Capture Kunai, Barrier Kunai, and Shrieking Shuriken sealed within his right kneecap.
- Masking Gas and Instant-Kunai Powder sealed within his left kneecap.
- Blasting Powder, Illusionary Panels, and Bluffing Powder sealed within his left shin.
- Chakra Detonation Spheres and poisoned kunai sealed within his right shin.
Stats[]
| Timeline | Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Graduation | .6 | 3 | .8 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.5 | .5 | 16.2 |
| Chūnin Promotion | 1 | 3.2 | 1 | 4.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 18.7 |
| Jōnin Promotion | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | 4.5 | 3 | 4 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 24 |
| Present | 2.5 | 5 | 2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 30.5 |
Personality[]
Kakushi's personality has notably changed from his Genin/Chūnin years. Whereas during his time as a Genin and Chūnin he was noted for his typically apathetic outlook and uncaring attitude when dealing with others, he is now considered to be one of the most outgoing and good-natured people in the Leaf. When dealing with others Kakushi almost always has a smile on his face and his generally cheery attitude stands as a stark contrast against what most assume when they see his heavily tattooed body; his social skills are well-developed and accompanied with the amount of natural grace he holds, Kakushi is a genuine pleasure to be around. Kakushi has always held a deep belief in holding to one's word and makes an honest effort to hold to his own unless he is left with no alternative to breaking it.
Weapons and Equipment[]
Kakushi carries very little equipment physically on his body, preferring to seal the vast majority of it all within his tattoos. Despite this he carries a few things that he considers to be essential on the battlefield.
- A stash of Military Rations Pills for use during drawn out battles.
- Generic Scrolls for sealing, Scrolls with Ninjutsu or Genjutsu sealed within to bypass his own weakness in these fields, and staples such as Explosive Tags.
- A single kunai that is an exact replica of those used by the Fourth Hokage. While this kunai is still able to serve its purpose as a handheld blade, Kakushi has openly remarked that it is for good luck purposes only.
Trivia[]
- Kakushi's real name (Ishin Kibō) can be broken into two parts; Ishin meaning "Prestige" and Kibō meaning "Hope". His name symbolically means "Hope for Prestige", a meaning reinforced by his background.
- Kakushi Ken means "Hidden Blade"