Helios J Mears

HJM's Tester

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✖ ‖ N a m e

Hayato Inoue

✖ ‖ A g e / B i r t h d a y

42 / September 21st

✖ ‖ G e n d e r

Male

✖ ‖ B o d y T y p e

Tall and narrow, cutting a long, imposing silhouette

✖ ‖ V i l l a g e

Amegakure / Village Hidden in the Rain

✖ ‖ C l a n

No clan affiliation

✖ ‖ F a m i l y

Father: Akihiko Inoe (deceased)
Mother: Misa Inoue (deceased)
Siblings:N/A
Others:N/A

✖ ‖ R a n k

Amekage

✖ ‖ T i t l e s / N i c k n a m e s

The Wind's Mask, Rain's Thunderhead, God of Needles

✖ ‖ P e r s o n a l i t y

Hayato is a hard man, tempered by years of combat and strife. His life has been a long and difficult one, and has instilled in him a frank cynicism and pragmatic spirit that makes him well-suited to command. Each decision he makes is carefully weighed, balancing personal obligation and morality with cold realism. Consequently, he isn't afraid to risk it all if the ends are significant enough. Similarly, he comes across to those round him as aloof and cold, although certainly humble, tending to deflect or outright ignore lines of conversation or thought that he deems insignificant.

That said, he is not without empathy. His ascension to the role of Amekage was driven, in large part, by his desire to aid the village he'd spent a lifetime serving, and he feels the suffering of those important to him at an acute level. While never openly warm, he is kind, and capable of moments of gentleness, working in the knowledge that a good leader must win hearts as well as minds. He values fairness, and has made an effort to keep every citizen of the Hidden Rain under a warm roof.

Overall, he could be called a goal-oriented man; his plans and manipulations are complex and multifaceted, secure as he is in the knowledge that anything less than a holistic approach to any interaction is bound for failure. This does, however, leave him rather isolated. Hayato is both a lonely man, and one who dislikes closeness. His inner circle is as notoriously close-knit as it is small. To gain his respect is rather simple. To befirend him is another thing altogether.

✖ ‖ L i k e s

✖ - Rain
✖ - Cold Weather
✖ - His people
✖ - High places
✖ - Boating

✖ ‖ D i s l i k e s

✖ - Threats to those under his protection.
✖ - Arrogant people
✖ - Hot, dry climates.
✖ - Spicy food
✖ - Open aggression and warmongering

✖ ‖ N i n d o

"As long as my aim is true and my defenses firm, my charges will not fall"

✖ ‖ B i o g r a p h y

Hayato Inoue is a man shaped by war. Born into a ninja family, he always believed that he was destined for

✖ ‖ N a t u r e s

Wind, Water, Competent Lightning

✖ ‖ T a l e n t s

Insert any natural or trained talents or skills that aren't summed up within specific techniques. Such as swordsmanship, enhanced hearing, or an impressive affinity for cooking.

✖ ‖ J u t s u

Wind Jutsu

Great Breakthrough: A massive, shaped front of air is expelled from the user's mouth, carrying incredible force. At Hayato's level, a sufficiently charged blast has been known to blow back or injure whole squads.

Stream Edge: Blades of sharpened, rolling air bank off a flattened hand, moving at speed, and slicing on impact. Visible and audible by distortions in the air and their distinctive piercing thrum.

Typhoon Tailwind: A stream of disturbed air follows the user like an afterimage, causing delayed damage as they move. Can be adjusted for both blunt and cutting impacts.

Wind Needle: A focused air current, shaped into the form of a senbon, is launched at an opponent at near supersonic speeds. Requires a certain level of control. Can be overcharged with additional time cost to explode, dealing far more lacerating damage.

Wall of Needles: A barrage of Wind Needles is formed and launched in a single sheet, covering a wide area.

Wind Javelin: A large projectile, fashioned from Wind Chakra, is thrown at a target like a spear, ripping and tearing upon penetration.

Death Hand: A mass of tightly swirling air blades is formed around the user's open hand, shaped to the user's purpose and driven towards a target at close range. On contact, it shreds through metal in seconds, and flesh in moments, and has been known to reduce a man's head to a fine mist in moments. If not sufficiently controlled, the technique's containing shell breaks down, causing catastrophic failure as the contained currents tear into their immediate surroundings. If a controlled failure occurs, the resulting blast of air can extent outwards in a cone for up to fifteen feet before dissipating.

Vaccuum Sphere: A sphere, roughly 50cm in diameter is emptied of air and manipulated around the battlefield, allowing for suffocation, depressurisation, pressure waves and distractionary techniques. Visible as an area of warped space, and takes a little time to set up.

Water Jutsu

Water Clone: Illusory copies of the user fashioned from Chakra and water capable of mimicry, Jutsu and somewhat limited freedom of thought. The water rushes its attacker when dispelled in an attempt to drown.

Master of Rains: A fifteen-foot sphere of control emanates from the user, exerting his will over any water within that zone and shaping it accordingly. So well trained is Hayato's control that he can compel raindrops to pierce the skin. The technique, while vastly powerful, is energy-intensive, and requires a certain amount of focus.

Water's Edge: Ribbons of water, compressed to a razor sharp edge, are manipulated towards and around opponents. Can be used to slash, bind or otherwise incapacitate. Particulates from the surrounding terrain can be incorporated to act as a pressure saw.

Water Needle: A technique comparable to a more malleable, cancellable wind needle.

Lightning Jutsu

Wall of Volts: A panel of dense electricity is erected at arm's length to block attacks and push forward.

Raging Bolt: A lethal amount of lightning chakra is charged in the user's off-hand, then projected at the target

Human Stun Gun: A small electrical charge builds at the fingertip, incapacitating on contact.

Combination Jutsu

Ame's Will: By combining all three natures, and with a few minutes of set up, Hayato can summon a localised thunderstorm, providing both ideal conditions for his techniques and impressive cover. Takes more time and chakra the further separated the environment's atmospheric conditions from those of Rain Country.

Water Echo: By adding Water into his Tailwind, a more solid 'echo' of Hayato is formed, mimicking his actions after the fact and increasing battlefield pressure significantly.

Volt Lattice: Lightning is conducted across Hayato's sphere of Water, sending shocks and currents wildly through it and terrorising those trapped inside.

Lethal Injection: A large, highly visible needle of wind and water chakra is formed. If alowed to make contact with a sufficiently large blood vessel, it will inject a bubble of air into the bloodstream, causing an embolism leading to immediate cardiac arrest. Very difficult to land, and easy to see coming as it's something of a staple technique, but potentially devastating.

✖ ‖ W e a p o n s A n d T o o l s

Twin Fans of Ame: A pair of near-identical Chakra Fans crafted from the leaves and branches of Ame's forests by Hayato's mentor. Naturally aligned with Water and wind, they allow for finer control and more efficient expenditure of Chakra at the cost of hand movement.

✖ ‖ F i g h t i n g S t y l e

Hayato works to enforce complete control over the battlefield, launching precise, calculated attacks at ideal moments and generally acting as the chessmaster for his forces.

✖ ‖ T h e m e S o n g

Link to your themesong. (Optional)

✖ ‖ P l a y e d B y

Insert your username.

HJM's OTHER Test Thread

Name/Identity:
Rokumaru the Crusher

Personality/Disposition:
Generally gruff, bad-tempered and fuelled by a cold bloodlust. More of a high-powered bandit than a Ninja in terms of outlook.

History/Motivation:
Disowned by the Hidden Stone after deserting and stealing a prototype chakra-channelling weapon. Follows groups of stronger ninja in order to satisfy his urge to kill and generally grow stronger.

Power Rank:
C+: High Chuunin

Abilities and Style:
Uses a mixture of basic Earth Ninjutsu and a style involving manipulation and transformation of rock as projectiles. Effectively a mid-level earthbender who throws pointy stones about, making walls and spikes, trapping people in stone and hitting things very hard with a bokken.

Noteable Gear:
An experimental Chakra weapon in the form of a long Bokken. Designed to channel Earth chakra in order to inflict massive impacts, emit directed earthquakes and kick up rocks when swung at the ground.

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Takayuki Mekakushi

---

Taka's grin could've split his face. These kids were just something else!

Akira had arrived first, with little fanfare, and he had to admit that the boy had shot up in his estimations a fair bit. Despite having fallen for the man's (textbook) trap, the boy held himself with a certain poise, and the conditioning he put his young body through was evident. He'd tried not to fuss over the kid too badly, simply helping him through the rest of the rig, doing his best to put the genin at ease. He led Akira to his sofa, and had been ready to introduce himself properly when he heard the distinctive sound of a sword being drawn. 'That's the Mist boy, then'

The next minute or so had so amused him that he was presently struggling not to burst out laughing. Karata-kun had fallen right into his little trick with the pressure plates, apparent by the rather satisfying thunks of wood against metal. His face when her reached the doorway was priceless! Still, Taka had to admit that the boy's tenacity was impressive. He'd pushed through a fairly competent trapping setup without actually getting hit, and while he was clearly leaning too heavily on his bloodline there was more than enough to work with.

Of course, as though that weren't enough, he was once again interrupted by Uzumaki-chan diving under his coffee table with a glorious yelp. The manoeuvre itself had been remarkable; the outcome not so much.

"Excellent dodge, Uzumaki-chan!" He did his best not to patronise, but these kids were just so cute! His infectious grin still pasted over his face, Taka stood to attention, addressing his students.

"So glad you could all make it! I'm Takayuki Mekakushi, Jounin rank, (although I'm sure you already know that), and from today onward you three will form Team 2! I look forward to working with you all!" He turned, gesturing at Ami and Rashiku. "Now, I gather you two are acquainted, but Akira-kun here is something of an unknown quantity. This is Akira Senju, and he'll be replacing Kiyoshi Hyuuga as the third member of our unit." His smile softened a little. "Akira-kun, these are Ami Uzumaki and Rashiku Karata, your teammates. I hope we can all get along."

With the basic introductions settled, he plopped into the sofa, gesturing for the others to find a seat around the table.

"Now, since we'll be working together for a good long while, I think we should take today to familiarise ourselves with each other. An effective team is one that knows itself!" His expression hardened a little as a more serious air fell over him. "I expect full honesty from each of you. We will all take turns to introduce ourselves. I'm thinking our names, ages, hometowns, likes, dislikes, one good memory each, and one traumatic memory to balance it out. Understand?" He settled back into his seat, relaxing somewhat.

"I'll go first, so you know what I mean! My name is Takayuki. I'm 26 years old, and I was born and raised here in the Leaf! I enjoy long runs and cold weather and I hate it when I lose my temper." He paused, and a cloud seemed to pass over him.

"Also slugs."

He shuddered, visibly.

"Anyway! Last month I had the most delightful fling with a rather lovely Sound ninja who called himself Ran, and when I was fourteen I saw both my teammates' heads blown off by a rogue Stone Nin whom I proceeded to gut; an act which saw me promoted to Chuunin." Despite the cold air that seemed to have fallen over him, his smile didn't waver, and he regarded his students with kind eyes and a gentle air, waiting to see who would speak up first.

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Burai Kasei

---

Burai regarded his new sensei with interest, as he took to his stretches with gusto. Such exercises weren't unfamiliar to him, of course. Taijutsu was his family's speciality, and his long and thorough training process left no room for pulled muscles and improper warmups. Suto-sensei was an intriguing prospect to say the least. He had known since first seeing her in the street that she was a powerful Ninja; The flow of her chakra was too quick, too tempestuous for her to be anything else, and it shone with a barely restrained potential, as though ready to explode at the first given moment. He liked her, he supposed, although he hadn't expected such a source of irreverent energy to be the teacher of such an... unconventional group as his. He smiled.

He looked forward to messing with her.

Equally, he looked to his teammates with a comfortable air of amusement. Kenshiro had been quieter than usual today, and Burai couldn't help but frown at the mixture of doubt and suspicion that emanated from him when he regarded Shiori. The girl, meanwhile, was radiating a... confusing aura. Her chakra's flow was an odd mix of contempt, humour and... fondness? In equal measure, regardless. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, and that alone got him fired up; he prided himself on the insight his bloodline granted.

He'd barely restrained a laugh when Ken seemed to strip, imagining the town's reaction to a naked, stretching Hyuuga. 'Is that supposed to be impressive, Ken-san?' The boy was taking this seriously; unnecessarily so in Burai's opinion, but such was life. His answer to their sensei's question, however, was oddly fitting. By contrast, Shiori's reply had been laced so thickly with irony and misdirection that he really had laughed. He regarded her, as he'd found himself doing often, with fascination. The Spiga girl was a bundle of contradictions and intent so convoluted that it almost hurt! He couldn't wait to properly befriend her.

Oh, the fun they'd have together...

Finally, almost a minute after Shiori had given her answer, he piped up, looking to his sensei with a soft smile (although his focus couldn't help but keep drifting back to the girl's impressive... form) as he followed her movements. "A pleasure to meet you, sensei!" He paused for a moment, a strange energy suffusing his spirit. "To be a proud Shinobi of Konoha! To serve it and its people to my last! This has been my goal from the moment of my birth!" His fist clenched, his smile broadening. "I will do my parents proud, and complete our branch's fighting style. I will train until I cannot be touched. I will become a shinobi that will make all my clan proud! Until I draw my last breath, that is my goal!" For the first time, he showed a true, broad smile to those outside his clan, his face lighting up. "I will be a proud shinobi, even if it takes me all my years. Every day, every breath, is a new challenge, sensei," he proclaimed, fixing his eyes on Kuree, "And I truly cannot wait!"

A moment passed, and he found, to his surprise, that he'd stopped stretching and thrust a fist into the air. With a nervous laugh, he rubbed the back of his head and returned to his stretches, mildly embarrassed for his somewhat brazen display.

"And for future reference, sensei, I cannot see images, so perhaps an identifying seal would work next time?" There! Persona re-established!

He was glad Uncle Jou hadn't seen that.

The man would piss himself laughing.

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

@Odin We've all done it, don't worry. If all goes well, I look forward to writing with you!

HJM's Tester

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✖ ‖ N a m e

Chou Akiyama

✖ ‖ A g e / B i r t h d a y

35, 1st of January

✖ ‖ G e n d e r

Female

✖ ‖ B o d y T y p e

Short, Willowy and thin as a rake.

✖ ‖ V i l l a g e

Takigakure (Missing Nin)

✖ ‖ C l a n

No clan affiliation

✖ ‖ F a m i l y

Father: Ken Akiyama (Deceased)
Mother: Asuka Akiyama (Deceased)
Siblings: N/A
Others: Rukia, her old guardian.

✖ ‖ R a n k

Jounin (Missing)

✖ ‖ T a i l e d B e a s t

Choumei, the Seven-tailed Beetle

✖ ‖ T i t l e s / N i c k n a m e s

The Roving Butterfly, Taki's Loose End

✖ ‖ P e r s o n a l i t y

Chou is something of a hard woman, with a disinclination to personal connections and a vicious mean-streak. Her long, and at times arduous travels have shaped her into a bastion of cool indifference and calm composure. She is well known for moving on as suddenly as she appears, roaming from place to place and leaving a trail of corpses and grateful villagers behind her. In the event of her being confined, she has, on no fewer than three occasions, unleashed as much of the Beast's power as she was able.

She's become well known for her sense of justice, which is as well-developed as it is warped. She views attacks on the powerless as personal sleights, pursuing the instigators with dogged, vengeful determination. That said, she also carries a mercantile streak, and makes most of her money filling contracts or retainers for nobles and desperate commoners alike.

She's a highly secretive woman, and keeps her Jinchuuriki status under heavy guard. She's rarely seen without some form of henge, given that being recognised would draw undue and dangerous attention. She treats attempts to probe into her identity with vicious contempt.

Her relationship with Choumei is sparse, but mostly cordial, given that her seal prevents it from exerting its will without her express intent to access his power. They speak fairly regularly, and the Seven Tails is, seemingly, content to remain within her until her eventual death. Interestingly, She reacts as negatively towards those who disparage the tailed beasts as she does to those who speak against her.

✖ ‖ L i k e s

✖ - Travelling
✖ - Peace and quiet
✖ - Fairness
✖ - Pastry
✖ - Insects

✖ ‖ D i s l i k e s

✖ - Aggression
✖ - Condescension
✖ - Nosiness
✖ - Most Ninja
✖ - Inequality

✖ ‖ N i n d o

Let me get to 40 first, then we'll talk.

✖ ‖ B i o g r a p h y

Orphaned shortly after her birth, Chou Akiyama, at three years old, was shortlisted to be the latest of Taki's uninterrupted line of Jinchuuriki when the Seven Tails' previous container was critically wounded on a routine mission. After a series of thorough checks and examinations, she was recognised as the most hardy infant in the Waterfall's care, blessed with deep chakra reserves and a strong immune system, and was selected to be the new jailer.

The Beetle had been in Taki's hands for as long as there had been Jinchuuriki, and their Loremasters held a long tradition of updating and augmenting the seal periodically. It was no difficult for Chou, who was given an adaptive seal, designed to entirely confine the Bijuu's presence, allowing only a portion of filtered chakra to mingle with the container's and bind the two.

From the moment of the sealing, Chou's fate was all but assured. As soon as she was up and about, her training began in earnest; her every waking moment not spent eating was dedicated to training in all aspects of the Ninja lifestyle, from Taijutsu to rudimentary chakra control. Her Teachers in turn ranged from accommodating to brutal, some allowing her time to rest, and opportunities to enjoy herself, while others only just refrained from killing her outright, resentful that such malignant power was in the hands of a fumbling toddler. Needless to say, she grew up quickly.

Her only solace from the constant graft was her assigned guardian, Rukia. A Jounin of some renown, and an empathetic soul at heart, she had been assigned by the Kage to raise the girl as a proper ninja. Rukia disagreed with that edict. In Chou's limited down time, her surrogate mother would do her best to teach her the intricacies of being human, instilling in the young girl a sense of Justice, and, for a Shinobi at least, a strong moral compass. Even after she entered the academy, with the goal of acclimatizing to others her own age, Rukia remained the guiding influence in her life.

And so things were for her formative years, bounced between jealous classmates, ruthless tutors and an earnest guardian. That is, until she was eleven. A week before her graduation, she had her first real encounter with Choumei. Her tutor that day was particularly nasty, intent on pushing her to the limit, and she snapped, unconsciously tapping her seal. With the connection opened, the Beetle was able to establish a link, and dragged her into the mind space. Chou of course knew that she was the container of a Tailed beast, but never until that moment had she been truly confronted by the reality of her situation. Choumei dwarfed her in every manner. Following a short, bitter and heated conversation, he managed to slip a small piece of his mind past the sealing barrier and into her brain. In the ensuing rage, Chou drew on a tail of chakra and slaughtered the teacher in cold blood.

Over the following weeks and months, Chou, shaken by the experience, did her best to adapt to this new power, retreating to the waterfalls at the edge of the village to tap Choumei's chakra and at least try to understand him. Their conversations were, largely, one-sided, but she found herself confused and intrigued by the beast's calm demeanour and almost casual malice.

As time went on, she continued to grow, first by befriending the team she'd been assigned, and then by training with them and her Jounin teacher to better understand her capabilities, Rukia's steady hand always on her shoulder, ready to help should she need it. However, with every mission, she found herself growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Ninja lifestyle. Ninja, she had surmised, were users. In every situation where a Ninja could be found, they were either the tool of a greater power, or themselves manipulating their lessers. It was true of her. It was true of her comrades, and their commander. It was true of the Kages, and even of the Tailed Beasts themselves! (It was this earnest realisation that earned enough grudging respect from the Seven-tails that he told her his name). By the time of her early promotion to Special Jounin, warding off skirmishes from the Ninja War, she had grown bitter and resentful. Something needed to change.

That something soon came. The Kage, in his infinite wisdom, had laid the death sentence on her old Jounin teacher for disobeying mission orders, and she found that she just couldn't take it any more. Chou made to escape the village, in the hopes of becoming a Missing Nin and, for once, living for herself. As the Jinchuuriki, the village's greatest weapon, she was met with heavy resistance, Taki's finest Jounin swarming her with sealing tags and physical restraints. She drew on every reserve she could in her efforts to flee, and found herself wanting. In desperation, she called on Choumei to help her. The Beetle knew what it was to be trapped, and obliged, promising, with some humour, not to damage her too much before it completely overtook her body and set out on a rampage.

When Chou came to, it was to the sight of a trail of destruction behind her, and the terrifying memory of vanishing under a consciousness that dwarfed her to an unfathomable degree. She ran. She ran until she could barely move, finding herself in the mountains of Lightning Country, where she was taken in by an order of Monks. The Monastery was a tranquil place. It was, in many ways, the opposite of Taki, and she rejoiced in the opportunity to simply be, She would spend hours each day meditating and coming to know herself. In equal parts, she spent time communicating with Choumei, further developing the uneasy truce they held. (Although the beast admitted to having indulged itself rather too much in their escape, it never once apologised for it)

She spent a year atop that mountain among the monks, and by the end of it she felt changed, somehow. She had realised, somewhere along the line, that all she had ever wanted was to live. Well, that, and to never again be overwhelmed by Choumei's presence. Before she departed, the monastery was visited by a traveling seal master of some renown, who had travelled there to pass on his knowledge. He was fascinated by Chou's seal, and after several long discussions with her, he decided to pour his vast experience and wisdom into creating a tool that would help her control her prisoner and better harness his power. The end result, a large belt, adorned with the Kanji for 'Armour' was given to her as a parting gift, and she accepted it tearfully, before setting off to travel the world and truly experience it for herself.

In the years since, she has seen a huge portion of the Elemental countries, sticking her fingers into events and taking sides as she sees fit. Taki routinely sends skilled Jounin to hunt her down and retrieve the Tailed Beast, and twice she has been forced to unleash Choumei wholesale to escape. Her name is one that has seeped into communities wherever she treads, her reputation as a quiet, stalwart warrior echoing across the continent. The changes she makes are small, but their impact is always felt by someone. And all the time she's travelled, the beast has continued to stir.

✖ ‖ N a t u r e s

Wind, Earth, some Fire

✖ ‖ T a l e n t s

Plays a mean bamboo flute solo. Somewhat skilled swordswoman. Talented in hand to hand combat. Speaks several thieves' codes from her time traveling.

✖ ‖ J u t s u

Basic Jutsu

Clone
Shunshin
Henge
Substitution

Wind Jutsu

Wind Clone Technique: A skin of chakra surrounds mobile air current that rage and cut when the clone is dispelled.

Grinding Skin: A tight shroud of sharpened wind currents that forms around a limb or the torso, and can cut on extended contact.

Great Breakthrough: A large projectile of compressed air is expelled through the mouth, causing severe impact damage. Size varies.

Tailed Maelstrom: Chomei's wings are briefly manifested, whipping up a localised storm of wind currents that rip and tear at a target. Can also be used to manipulate objects and opponents.

Phantom Edge: Currents of wind surge around the blade of a kunai, shuriken or other bladed weapon, extending its reach and cutting ability.

Earth Techniques

Earth Clone Technique: A more durable, if somewhat slower clone technique.

Great Wall Technique: A hard wall of earth springs from the ground to block attacks.

Hiding in The Earth Technique: Chakra manipulation allows the user to move through the ground like water.

Headhunting Technique: The earth opens up beneath the target, swallowing them down to neck level.

Earth Gauntlets: Earth chakra coats the fists. When plunged into the ground, gauntlets form that boost impacts.

Tailed Beast Jutsu

Although Chou's belt allows her to more easily channel the Nanabi's chakra, his influence still slips through. The more completely she transforms, the more he begins to creep into her mind, turning her slowly into a rabid, vicious fighter until she's able to close the link. More traditional transformations are far more risky.

Bijuu Henshin; Helm Mode: A durable helmet modelled on Chomei's head manifests, adorned with a compact Rhino Beetle's horn. Tanks hits unflinchingly, and allows for a vicious charging attack. The horn can be infused with Bijuu chakra in order to launch projectiles, increase damage, and even charge Bijuudama. The grating over her eyes can open, unleashing a stream of hot scales that cut, burn and obfuscate at close range. Further, this mist of scales can be used as effective cover if expelled for long enough. Further, The mandibles that comprise her mouth can open, allowing her to impart a vicious bite.

Bijuu Henshin; Gauntlets: Chou's arms and hands transform into clawed, heavily armoured gauntlets, capable of imparting massive damage. They can be charged with wind or earth chakra, either cutting or bludgeoning on impact, but the toll this takes on her arms increases with extended use. Further, by crossing her wrists, Chou can expel a barrier of dense wind currents and infuse it with scales and raw bijuu chakra in order to block incoming attacks.

Bijuu Henshin; Plating: Chou's torso transforms into a hard, winged carapace, granting increased durability but slowing her movement, and allowing for limited flight. A large Set of paldrons adorn her shoulders, with a rhino beetle horn protruding from the centre, behind her head. So charged with Bijuu Chakra that it burns on contact.

Bijuu Henshin; Greaves: Armour coats Chou's legs, and her ankles sprout wings. Her kicks become devastatingly powerful, and she gains a speed boost and enhanced jumping abilities to match. With some focus, small Bijuudama can be planted in the ground like landmines.

Bijuu Dai Henshin!: Chou's body assumes a fully exoskeletal form, appearing as a figure clothed fully in chitinous, insectoid armour. By default, this form carries two tails of chakra, manifesting as a wing on each shoulder, and possesses weakened forms of her more localised abilities. However, by channelling more tails into her belt, the form advances, first gaining a wing on each ankle, then each elbow, followed finally by a heavy prehensile tail. At each stage, she becomes exponentially more powerful, but equally loses more and more control over extended periods of time. In seven-tail mode, she's a nigh unstoppable knight of destruction, but the form quickly destabilises as the tailed beast breaks free of its bonds and drives her mad.

Seven-tails Cocoon: When necessary, Chou can form a large, extremely hard cocoon of scales and chakra as a defence mechanism

Chakra cloak: Chou can manifest up to six tails of Bijuu chakra, at risk of losing herself to the beast. While harder to control than her armoured form, the cloak is more directly powerful, and allows her to more easily use traditional Jutsu.

Partial Transformations: Chou can manifest a Rhino horn, six wings for free flight, fire breath and a prehensile tail with little cost beyond a certain level of physical strain. The horn can fire small Bijuudama with the effect of a burning explosive tag.

Version Two Forms: Chou can access the full version two form, although her control wanes around five tails of chakra.

Full Transformation: In times of severe danger, Chou temporarily breaks the seal, allowing Choumei's full might to enter her body. Depending both on the beast's mood and the amount of chakra she allowed out, this can mean anything from a sociopathic man-sized Seven-tails to an angry, rampaging beast. Chou herself can control up to three tails of transformation before losing herself completely, but Choumei tends not to permanently damage her mind or body in higher stages unless it's completely necessary, given that, for all his animosity, he doesn't completely dislike her. Cho both fears and hates using these forms, as each time she does she feels the total destruction of her sense of self in terrifying detail.

✖ ‖ W e a p o n s A n d T o o l s

Bijuu Control Belt: Crafted by a wandering monk, this secondary seal allows the channelling of bijuu chakra to a finer, more controllable degree, at the cost of lessened power output.

Sealing scrolls, a Shortsword, Four kunai pouches, four shuriken pouches, 30 metres of ninja wire.

✖ ‖ F i g h t i n g S t y l e

Chou tries to finish fights quickly, using her armoured forms to loose devastating kicks, punches and projectiles, supplemented by her jutsu to maintain both the effective range and number of opponents.

✖ ‖ T h e m e S o n g

Butterfly - Koji Wada

✖ ‖ P l a y e d B y

Helios J Mears

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Burai Kasei

---

Burai's week had, at least in his eyes, been a fun one.

Lunch at Ken's family home was... an experience, certainly. His mother had been surprisingly pleasant, (which perhaps made sense, given that she was clearly no Hyuuga by blood), and had reacted positively, if a little stiffly, to his occasional probing. Equally, his male teammate seemed to have utterly missed his subtle attempts to flirt with the woman (again, she hadn't really reacted, but Shiori's chakra had brightened with amusement, so he considered it a success), which he considered as fortuitous as it was utterly hilarious. He and his Uncle Jou had been in fits when he'd got home. Oddly, Shiori had seemed genuinely content for most of the time they'd spent there, a little of her aura's general malice appearing to fade beneath the surface. It had been... Pleasant, he supposed. It helped, of course, that Kenshiro's response to his summoning spoof was utterly perfect. His panicked hissing to stop, and the accompanying quickening of his chakra to a frenzied pace had sent him breaking down into peals of laughter. Amusingly, the Yokai he'd been invoking wasn't even a malicious one; Rather, it was one of the clan's guardian spirits, who would purportedly ward off any attacks on defenceless Kasei by vengeful demons.

The remaining days had passed in something of a blur, between his frantic work to familiarise himself with his Water element and Jou's constant needling about the presence of both a Hyuuga and a (supposedly) very attractive young woman on his team. Truthfully, he wouldn't say he was particularly interested in such things at present. In his own opinion, there was far too much in his life as it was to waste time on boyish romances. (That wasn't to say he'd necessarily be opposed to the idea, of course...)

His focus flitted between his teammates, zoning out their busy surroundings, but quickly drifted again. He wouldn't deny that he was anxious. He'd been waiting for a week to meet his teacher, and, although he'd never admit it, had placed rather too much pressure on himself as of late. With any luck, he wouldn't fail too spectacularly at the water bullet technique today...

Frankly, he thought with some humour, he just hoped the teacher wasn't a Hyuuga.

He would patently deny that he'd snorted out loud at that.

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Takayuki Mekakushi

---

It had been an... interesting week.

Taka's troubles had begun, of course, on the day of his team's assignment, what with the cocky bastard from cloud jumping in to ruin his afternoon. It had put him into something of a foul mood for the remainder of the day, despite how cute his kids had seemed. Truthfully, he couldn't wait to meet them properly today! He wondered if they'd liked his ducks...

The next day had taken his mood from bad to worse. He'd woken up to find a reassignment notice for one of his genin setting at his windowsill, utterly trashing the test he'd been planning to give his team, and it'd sent him into an uncharacteristically acerbic haze. He'd even snapped at the old lady next door! (He made a mental note to send her some flowers and an apology card.)

The week had, sadly, only really got worse. His father had cancelled their dinner date, citing an urgent board meeting in the Fire Capital, Sensei had only laughed at him when he'd asked for teaching tips, and his old nervous twitch had come back to his arm with a vengeance yesterday, raining hot tea over his kitchenette and ruining the delicate folding mechanism of one of his nearby birthday cards.

Still, he supposed, he'd spent an enjoyable few hours catching up with Ichika during the week, which had gone a long way towards cheering him up, and his new Genin test, although notably less complex than his original plans, was fit for purpose and ready to go!

"Speaking of which..." He stood up from the stool at his breakfast bar and took one last look around his apartment. It was noticeably tidier than usual, and he'd made sure to arrange everything so as to be as welcoming as possible. He frowned, then, recalling once again that the young Senju they'd found to fill out his team was only 10 years old. A scowl crossed his face, though it quickly faded.

He double checked everything, ensuring that the plain white vase was in full display on the coffee table and that the handful of traps he'd scattered around the apartment were properly armed. That done, he grabbed three apples from his fruit bowl, retrieved a kunai, and slowly set about carving miniature shuriken from them, ready to hand to his students when they arrived. He grinned.

This was going to be great!

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Takayuki Mekakushi

---

Taka glared at the younger man as he spoke, his body coiled with tension, but he reigned in his temper so far as he could. After all, he thought, if the Cloud shit was at Ichiraku's in broad daylight, in the presence of one of his own colleagues, no less, there had to be a decent reason. Speaking of which...

"Not too old to kick your arse, kouhai. I take it he's with you?" The jab was made with as much humour as Taka could manage. He could only hope Kuroki was in as good a mood as he seemed. Belatedly, he grabbed his left arm, which had begun to vibrate nervously. He cast a cold eye back towards the grandstanding chuunin. "Not sure there's a button around that could silence a mouth that big." He laughed, coldly.

Had this kid shown up any other day, Taka would've let it go. Frankly, he'd probably taken the offer to spar in good humour (he'd always enjoyed showing off).

Today wasn't any other day. The man had threatened one of his kids! In his own village! The Mirage cast a fond eye towards his students, who'd been dragged over to a group of peers, an then looked back at the chuunin. His hands blurred, and a moment later he was shrouded in lightning chakra, his hair cast upwards in jagged spikes. His body hummed quietly, and if one were to look closely, they'd realise it was rapidly vibrating. He regarded the younger man viciously, and lowered his tone almost to a whisper.

"I'm willing to ignore the jab, kid, since you clearly don't know what you're getting into. As for your business in Konoha, if the Hokage's sanctioned it I couldn't give less of a damn." He stepped forward, almost seeming to blink between spaces. "Now, out of respect for Ichiraku-san, whom I've long considered a valued acquaintance, I'll refrain from tearing your stinking throat out. Instead, I'm going to give you a warning." His hands blurred again, and time slowed. Almost leisurely, he wandered behind the man, reaching into one of his pouches for a kunai and aiming it squarely at the back of his neck, dropping his free hand on the kid's shoulder. He broke the Jutsu. A second later, time resumed its natural course. "If I ever see you, or any other Cloud scum near my kids again, without my explicit permission, no one will find the bodies." He grinned, and it was far from a kind expression. His piece said, he stepped back and dropped the Shroud, in a crackle of discharged lightning. To his delight, old man Ichiraku had left his Ramen on the counter next to him, and he sat down to eat with a satisfied smile.

"I'm busy today, by the way, but if you still want that spar next time you're in Konoha, look me up." He laughed. "Hell, I've got a few friends who'd be interested in watching, we can make a game of it! I'll be sure to show you a good time..." He trailed off, a lecherous edge to his voice, and slurped some of the broth from his bowl.

Despite the massive chakra depletion, this had been more than worth it. Truly, it was for moments like this that he'd developed the Godspeed Flicker. Poor kid wouldn't know what hit him.

Naruto: Fire From Ember (open/accepting)

Takayuki Mekakushi

---

Takayuki frowned as he left the Hokage's office. He supposed he should be happy; he had, after all, been nagging the man for a team for quite some time, and he couldn't deny the pool of excitement currently bubbling in his chest. Still, the news of attacks to the north was... deeply worrying, especially given that they'd been able to track his own movements. The widely accepted theory was that his movements were planned, at random, by the Hokage's office. Frankly, that it was common knowledge suited him just fine; it was, after all, a load of bollocks. With a flash of hand signs, Taka flickered to his apartment, making quick work of the lock, and sauntering over to his desk. There, sealed into the wood, he kept his map book, and he spent a tense few minutes scratching through and redrawing many of the countless, multicoloured lines that he used for routing. This book, started when he was a simple chuunin, was his pride and joy: A journal and atlas, all in one, hand-drawn from scratch, featuring every shortcut, clear channel, nook, cranny and straight he'd ever run, and likely ever would.

Finally, with a deep sigh and a wistful smile, he scratched out the final route, dotting a new one in some 3 miles West, and snapped the book shut, resealing it before leaning back in his chair. Taka's accommodation was a blatant reflection of his lifestyle. Given that he was so often away from the village, he'd lived in his humble studio apartment for the better part of ten years. His bed lay, unmade, in the corner, and next to it was a potter's wheel and a high cabinet filled with clay and tools. On the opposite end was a rather spartan kitchen, still littered with the aftermath of yesterday's lunch. He eyed it, dubiously.

"Welp," he muttered, "That's going in as a D rank!" He spent another moment stretching, laughter on his breath, then turned his gaze to the folders he'd been given on his students. He spent longer than he'd perhaps meant to, just reading through the files, a broad smile slowly blossoming across his face. They were a ragtag band, certainly, and he'd have to keep a close eye on the boy from Mist (Lord knew he'd seen what they could be like), not to mention a bloody Jinchuuriki, (and hadn't that been a surprise, on his first team), but still...

His eyes shone, one arm twitching restlessly.

"My kids are going to be fun!"

---

Later, with a few raw eggs and a cup of milk down his gullet, and a wood carving of a duck for each of his students in his pockets (It was far trickier to work with than fruit, but equally more permanent), he began making his way through the village towards the academy, taking a much deserved walk, taking in his surroundings as he went. As a child, he'd wanted to get out, to see the world, and to prove himself wherever he went. Now, he wasn't sure there was anywhere he'd rather be than home. A voice caught his ear.

"Lots of shinobi at Ichiraku today!" That got his attention, and he kept half an ear on the civilian conversation, stopping to eye a shop window. It wasn't as though such a thing was rare, of course, Ichiraku Ramen had been a hub for Ninja for as long as he could remember, but there was always the chance one of his genin was there - that and he hadn't had a bowl of the stuff in quite some time. That settled, he changed course, and made for the rooftops. From there, he fixed his eye onto Ichiraku's and Flickered over, some twenty metres to the right. What he saw, needless to say, rather upset him.

It was, from a certain point of view, an amusing scene. One of his fellow Jounin observing a cloud nin (whatthehellwasacloudninthereforhe'dfuckingkillhim!), who seemed to be threatening one of his kids, another one, the Jinchuuriki, tugging at the boy's sleeve while another team watched from nearby. All told, he felt rather sorry for the proprietor. Especially given what he was about to do. In a single, swift movement, his brass knuckles were fixed firmly over his knuckles, and just the faintest hint of the Shroud was flickering over his hair. Shredded leaves exploded across the scene as he flashed between Rashiku and the Cloud Nin in a Surging Flicker. A tongue of flame rushed across the fingers of his left hand. He turned, viciously, to the one from cloud, a snarl tarnishing his lips.

"You,", he began, voice barely a whisper, "have twenty seconds to tell me who you are, what in god's name you're doing in my village, and why, precisely, you seem to be inciting a conflict with my student."

And then, suddenly, the tension was gone from his form, and he turned genially to the old man at the counter.

"Sorry for the ruckus, Teuchi-san. Just trying to diffuse the situation." He paused. "One bowl of Pork Ramen, if you don't mind." Order placed, he cast an eye over his shoulder at Rashiku, smiling kindly - although his body hadn't moved from where he'd arrived. He reached into a pocket and pulled out two of the carved ducks, handing both to the boy. "Sorry about this, kids, I won't be a second. There's one of those each. Carved them myself!" He laughed. "I'm Takayuki Mekakushi, your Jounin sensei!" He placed emphasis on the word Jounin, and looked back to the older boy, a wicked glint in his eye.

He needed to resolve this quickly.