The recovery from the war was a heavy toll on Taiho’s entire family. It started first with Taiho’s grandfather, Seriyu Suzuna, whom was a devout warrior for the great Daiymo Sai. He was such a proud man that he even offered up his first born, Seriyaku, to be a willful instrument for Sai and his glorious innovations for the future. Seriyu was a gifted ninja with origins that dated back to the great Sand Village long ago. He held a nature release that was unique to himself and rare upon the battlefield and, with his great power, he killed many all for the glorious and righteous Sai!

It wasn’t a surprised that, in the great battle in Amegakure, that Seriyu, quite aged, was present. He lasted quite a while, however he was actually bested due the collateral destruction of one of Sai’s attacks. It was said that, before the attack, Seriyu conjured up a monstrous, devastating Iron Dragon that tore through the ranks of the enemy and consumed just about every attack that was tossed at it. After that battle he was known by the survivors as the Iron Dragon.

Seriyaku, a man that did not hold such an affinity for ninjutsu, was also there in that battle. However, when the numbers of his allies fell, despite Sai’s strength remaining, he fled for his life. He had a woman and child and he was sure to bring them with him. Seriyaku regretted that action for the entirety of his life. He was one of the men that was unlucky enough to be branded with Sai’s curse mark. Although it gave him strength, it was a permanent mark, which he had no ability to hide, that inevitably caused him trouble every place he went. It wasn’t long before, in hiding, the hunters tracked him down and killed him and his woman in front of the child. They, out of some act of sympathy, spared the child.

Taiho only vaguely remembers his grandfather and the few times he did meet that man they were typically violent and abusive. Seiyu was violent towards his son, Taiho’s mother, and Taiho all the same. His father was not. His father was stern and hardly affectionate, but he never hit Taiho or Taiho’s mother. He did care for them both, even if he was terrible at showing it. Taiho’s mother, whom was constantly busy, hardly had time for the boy too and when the three of them all went on the run there was hardly anytime for rearing the kid at all.

Taiho’s personality, or lack thereof, demonstrated itself early and, as he matured some, he became a boy that was unfettered by most things. When his father or mother had to kill someone that had been tracking them Taiho wouldn’t flinch. He didn’t even cry with both his parents were killed right before his eyes. He was left with nothing and was taken to some foreign land in which he was added to the orphan population. He didn’t associate with anyone there, nor did he think that he was anything like them. He hardly would speak, would always do as he was told, and spent almost all his free time staring out the nearest window. Not many cared for Taiho. Although he was spared, many constantly questioned why. Why was he allowed to live when Sai and his men killed so many? Taiho’s linage wasn’t hidden. Most shun him or disrespect him or outright detest him, however he’d maintained his neutral persona as to not let it bother him, no matter how aggravated his harassers can be. Even those scorned enough to physically attack him aren't’ enough to really incite malice out of the boy. He always picks himself up and just continues on with his day as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

It was recently, when he became of age, that he decided that he would be a ninja. He saw Genin from out his window and realized that they had wages and some independence. They also had a little respect and maybe, just maybe, deep down in himself, to which he was unaware, he yearned for that respect too.

However, he looked at becoming a ninja as some means that he could use in order to stand on his own two legs and he was unafraid of any dangerous associated with the position. It was a stable pay, so long as you didn’t die, and the work wasn’t always strenuous and one could learn a great deal of useful skills in training. He held experience in the area from his upbringing with his father and grandfather. He’d never been taught the techniques by them, and hardly even knew his grandfather enough to say he learned anything about ninjutsu from the man. Being on the run, watching others die, predicting enemy movements and seeing brutal fight after brutal fight was his everyday life as a child.

It was simply going to be a job for him.
As such, he started training. He was favored by one of the academy teachers who helped him with extra lessons. His name was Tataki Shurimi and he claimed up and down that Taiho was a spitting image of Tataki’s dead little brother. As such, he taught Taiho about some ninjutsu beyond the D-Rank techniques, though Taiho still has a long way to go.

Taiho recently graduated from the academy. As a definite Genin he’s prepared to do whatever it is that he is told to do because this is his life now.