[center][color=#417994][h2][U][B]Mayonaka, Seisui[/B] – [I]The Tranquil Lotus[/I][/U][/h2][/color] [img]http://oi50.tinypic.com/2yvlx1x.jpg[/img][/center] [hider=General Data][B][U]Name:[/U][/B] Mayonaka(Midnight), Seisui(Elegance). [I][U]Nickname/Alias:[/U][/I] The Tranquil Lotus. [I][U]Gender:[/U][/I] Male. [B][U]Age:[/U][/B] 28 [I][U]Age Appearance:[/U][/I] 32. [I][U]Sexuality:[/U][/I] Heterosexual. [B][U]Village:[/U][/B] N/A. [I][U]Birthplace:[/U][/I] Land of Iron. [B][U]Organization:[/U][/B] N/A. [B][U]Clan/Style:[/U][/B] Mayonaka/Shizukana-ryū-ji no. [B][U]Rank:[/U][/B] A rank Samurai. [I][U]Position:[/U][/I] Heir to the Mayonaka. [B][U]Chakra Nature:[/U][/B] N/A. [I][U]Additional Appearance Details:[/U][/I] On both his right and left forearms beneath his garb are bracers. He stands at 5'10 and weighs somewhat above average due to his musculature, which is well defined. [B][U]History:[/U][/B] Seisui is not so much his past as he is a persona defined in the moment. As such all that needs be known is that his life has consisted of being raised under the tenants of the Mayonaka and with the discipline necessary for his clan's legacy to be passed onto him. He recently set off on his pilgrimage to refine and become a grandmaster of his clan's style. He spent extra time within the clan compound to allow the Shizukana-ryū-ji no to truly engrave itself in his body and mind. [B][U]Personality:[/U][/B] [I][B]"At our core we are human beings, our purpose is that of the conduit through which flows the power to give tranquility to any who oppose us, whether they believe it to be such or not. I am a conduit just as you are, a human conduit, through which the tranquility can flow; I walk a path of serenity and peace despite the damage I appear to deal on the surface. For, it is not physical beauty I wish to bestow, but rather the beauty of wholeness of self, inner peace, which I wish to give unto all who strike at me in adversity or challenge. I wish to give my opponent what they cannot with honor give themselves: Death,"[/B] - Mayonaka, Kōtaku.[/I] Like his great grandfather Kōtaku, Seisui is resolute of his purpose, his sense of self, and knows what he must do, always. However, in the scope of wisdom he is yet lacking to his ancestor and still has much to learn by comparison. Seisui is a calm existence, filled with understanding and empathy for those around him. He strives to understand himself, others, and the world in order to reach the purest state of his existence. While this is indeed the perpetual wish of practitioners of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no it is still indeed a strong aspiration to which he reaches. Yet while resolute in this he is nowhere near perfect, in fact Seisui has many flaws, as all men and woman do. While he does not have the shortest of tempers he is known to react badly to what he perceives as 'insults to swordsmanship and the blade'. He is unforgiving when truly slighted and rather disgusted by those of hypocritical nature. When faced with a foe he know he cannot best, Seisui will not bow his head, and he will not run, but he will instead push himself to the furthest edges of his ability and hope for a miracle. He is a spiritual man, understanding the flows of yin and yang energy, and the essence that forms all things. As a practitioner of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no he has instilled in himself the dogmas by which those who wield its serene glory live. [I][U]Theme:[/U][/I] [/hider] [hider=Equipment Data] [B][U]Base Weapons & Items:[/U][/B] X explosive tags. X smoke bombs. X kunai X shuriken X wire [B][U]Specialized Weapons & Items:[/U][/B] [B]Name of Weapon or Item:[/B] Chinmoku: Yōikō no sharakuna ginren([sub]沉黙: 容易光沢、洒落な銀蓮[/sub] [I]'Silence: Simple Match of the Boldest Silver Lotus'[/I]). and Tōrenai-men to naikō([sub]通れない面と乃公[/sub] [I]'Ego with an impassable mask'[/I]). [B]Description:[/B] A blade whose essence has been passed down through the Mayonaka family since its beginning, Chinmoku changes with each of its wielders' passing. The blade, due to how many times it has been altered and had chakra poured into its magnificent form has become nigh unbreakable and gained an edge so sharp that in the right hands it could easily sheer through even the strongest of substances. Due to the nature of Chinmoku and the fact that with each passing generation it is reforged and renamed, something unique has come of its existence making it much more than just an ancestral blade. With each passing wielder it is melted down and taken apart only to be created once more to better suit the inheritor. Its name is than chosen via the use of the wielder's closest relatives, for while the user names the blade themselves and to express its new form and how it will be used, it must still reflect several of its more recent wielders to remember its place in the world. Beyond these facts there is still a very unique aspect that many never truly realize is present in Chinmoku, for only with in depth meditation and reflection with the blade can one realize that within the blade is something similar to a soul or consciousness of some form. In fact, from the very beginning, Chinmoku has imprinted the skills and wisdom of its wielder into itself, acting as an ancient record of all those who have wielded it in earnest. These skills and this wisdom can be accessed through meditation and trained into a form that can become reliable in combat, but in no way are they easy to obtain. After all, the blade has a consciousness, and to truly unlock its secrets Chinmoku's sheath must be taken off the wielder's person so that there is no filter between the blade and the wielder's consciousnesses. It becomes a tug of war, a power struggle to see whom shall truly influence whom. Once the blade has however lost this struggle and its wisdom and imprinted skill has been unlocked, the user can once again don Tōrenai-men to naikō and still access the bounty of experience imprinted within Chinmoku. To expand, one ought to understand the nature of Chinmoku's sheath, Tōrenai-men to naikō, for without this sheath chinmoku would become an unwieldable monster, or rather it would be foolhardy to wield it if one did not want to go insane. In essence, the Tōrenai-men to naikō was created to filter the influence of Chinmoku's soul on its wielder. When Chinmoku is sheathed its influence is entirely filtered, and even if drawn it is not able to subjugate or totally influence its wielder as long as the Tōrenai-men to naikō is on their person. It is only when the blade is wielded and sheath discarded that its influence becomes dangerous to the mind of the wielder. Otherwise it has been seen that the sheath is just as resistant to damage as Chinmoku itself, the actual reasons behind this are unknown, but it is thought that the sheath was made to be even more impervious than Chinmoku so that it would not be destroyed, damaged, or influenced by the blade which it is meant to limit. Last of all, it has been seen that the Tōrenai-men to naikō has an incredibly calming effect on any whom it touches, entering them almost into a state of pure all consuming serenity. This effect can be felt even through clothing and indirectly through a weapon or armor, though its effects would be noticeably dulled. It is said that, in essence, Chinmoku and Tōrenai-men to naikō are the yin and yang to one another, for while Chinmoku is used for physical damage and destruction --embodying the yang-- Tōrenai-men to naikō is used to bring peace and serenity by way of sheathing the blade and keeping it from destroying --thus embodying the yin. So it has been seen that one cannot be used without the other, plain and simple.[/hider] [hider=Combat Data] [B][U]Special Traits[/U][/B] Incredible physical attributes --durability, strength, stamina, speed, agility, flexibility, etc etc-- Exceptional chakra control No purely nin or genjutsu Average chakra reserves Close range combatant Master Swordsman [U][B]Style:[/B][/U] [i][B]Name of Style:[/B][/i] Shizukana-ryū-ji no(Style of the tranquil path). [i][B]Clan:[/B][/i] Mayonaka. [i][B]Description:[/B][/i] [I][B]"To the eyes of a swordsman it is a strange aloof thing, beautiful in its strangeness; to a peasant it is a strange peace embodied by the swordsman's form, blade and sheath and mortality alike; but to the truest of swordmasters, one who understands that there is always more to learn, it is a masterpiece constantly renewing itself to perfection. This is the Shizukana-ryū-ji no, the style of the tranquil path,"[/B] - Mayonaka, Yōi-tsūka.[/I] Just as his grandmother told him so many years ago, the style of the Mayonaka clan is indeed a constantly renewing masterpiece. For while many a style does not change once one has considered it perfected, this style is not as such. With every passing generation is is altered slightly to reach further into the concept of perfection that the user of that generation holds in their core. There are two codes which practitioners of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no live, the first set of codes are those of the Mayonaka family, while the second are the dogma of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no itself. While those from outside can attempt to learn the Lotus dogma and become practitioners of the Style of the Tranquil Path, it is unlikely that they would ever truly be full practitioners of masters as they lack the background of the Mayonaka. [U][B]Tenants of Mayonaka[/B][/U] [list] [*]Be humble, but understanding of yourself and your place in the world. However, never allow yourself to limit yourself to this position. [*]Judge one by your impressions of them, but do not underestimate them due to your judgements. [*]Strive till your limits, then come to understand what keeps you there and again surpass yourself. [*]Do not squander or show off one's abilities and talents, to do either is to demean oneself. [*]While one may judge and adapt, understand that you can easily be proven incorrect. [*]When proven incorrect, accept that you were wrong and change. [*]Be malleable only to your own will and the will of the universe. [*]Respect those wiser and more skilled than yourself. [*]Be changed by all, but be moved by only yourself. [*]Predict, verify and adapt. [/list] [U][B]The Lotus Dogma[/B][/U] The four petals of the lotus flower, a flower which sits upon the surface of the water and spreads its arms in the four directions, represent the four core ways that the blade is drawn and wielded in the Shizukana-ryū-ji no. These four methods of unsheathing and positioning the blade are considered part of the No geijutsu nodjiita ken(の芸術野地板剣 'Art of Sheathing a Sword'). These forms are each named after one of the four cardinal directions each of which have their own purpose in the scope of the style, without one form the others would simply not be in balance, that is the way of tranquility. [U][I]Kita-muki Renge-hen(北向き蓮花片 'North Facing Lotus Petal')[/I][/U] draws the blade with its edge facing forwards and its tip pointing upwards, the sheath comes off by pulling it up along the blade rather than drawing the blade from the sheath. This is considered one of the most bizarre of the No geijutsu nodjiita ken, but is nonetheless necessary. Typically the user will place the sheath upon their shoulder with the edge of their blade pointing away from their body even while within the sheath. One of the few dogmas that has the user fully draw the blade almost at all times, the Kita-muki Renge-hen is used for frontal attack. Once the blade is drawn, the sheath tends to move to the shoulder opposite where the blade was originally drawn from. The blade itself is then held with the dominant hand with the blade vertical, tip pointing up, edge facing away and forwards. The pinky is used to stabilize it, while the rest of the hand grasps it, the arm in a diagonally downwards position. This dogma is actually used to create openings by sliding the attacks down the blade, and then utilizing the sheath to strike the attacks away from the blade as it flows right into position to strike the opening. It tends to throw the attacker off balance while allowing the wielder to flow from defense into attack almost effortlessly. [U][I]Azuma-muki Renge-hen(東向き蓮花片 'East Facing Lotus Petal')[/I][/U] begins with one of the wielder's shoulders facing towards their enemy as they stand sideways. The left palm cradles the sheath, the blade's point aimed forwards towards the enemy or target and the sheathed edge facing away from the user's side, to the right. The fingers of the left hand are pointed towards the hilt as the hand cradles the sheath while its kin on the right hand easily grasp the grip of the blade. With this the stance is set and the user may use the variable movements of the sheathed tip with precision to disrupt the flow of attacks and then sway the blade to the other side of the body, exposing the other shoulder and hiding the prior thus allowing the blade to be drawn, its edge still facing right, to strike. This No geijutsu nodjiita ken is utilized to disrupt and then simultaneously block and strike the following counter if necessary. It is an intriguing and certainly unique form of the style. [U][I]Minami-muki Renge-hen(南向き蓮花片 'South Facing Lotus Petal')[/I][/U] is likely the most bizarre forms of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no as it is not used in true conflict, or at least that is not its primary purpose. Rather than conflict the form is used to disarm an armed opponent, even if this opponent's weapon is their body, their jutsu, or their mind. Standing with feet apart and the point of the blade facing to either side, blade horizontal and sheathed edge pointing towards the wielder, this style begins. Beside the blade itself, as the sheath is seldom used in this form, a guard on the forearm is typically applied so as to shield from the wielder's blade as it is held in reverse grip with the edge facing towards the arm rather than away. Another of this form's defining characteristics is that most of its attacks are delivered backwards and are piercing or pincer oriented. Beyond this there is only one other truly unique thing to be said regarding the Minami-muki Renge-hen, and that is that it is the only form (excluding the Shinzui no Hasu) of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no that can tap into the yin and yang of both the wielder and their opponent intentionally. It does this by using the blade as a conduit, which is how they manage to seal off certain capabilities, or even tenketsu if one is skilled enough. In this way it differentiates itself from the other No geijutsu no nodjiita ken. [U][I]Nishi ni menshi Renge-hen(西に面した蓮花片 'West Facing Lotus Petal')[/I][/U] first cradles the sheathed blade with the left arm, letting most of the sheath rest against the crook of the elbow. Within the sheath the edge will face away from the user's body, conversely it can face towards the user's body if they happen to wield the blade better with their left arm rather than their right. Given that they are right handed though, they will rest their left hand, fingers outstretched, along the sheath near where the blade's hilt is located. The blade is drawn by simultaneously pulling the sheath back with the left arm and drawing the blade with the right hand. The only explicit rule of this dogma is that the edge must always face towards the user's left side, meaning if it is drawn from the right side, its edge must be pointing towards the left. Many applications of this style do not actually fully draw the blade. Rather the sheath and hilt are used to block and trap the weapons or attacks of the enemy, flick them away and then quick draw when openings are present. Additionally, with a hand on the sheath and a hand on the katana, the blade can be sheathed and drawn at increased speeds allowing a limb to be more easily cut off by forcing the blade through it by manipulating the it via the sheath's movement and positioning. [U][I]Shinzui no Hasu(真髄の蓮 'Core of the Lotus')[/I][/U] is both the initial and final style of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no as it is used first without its definitive stances to test the opponent(s), and then later as a last resort to be the core of the lotus dogma and bring together the other four petals into a cohesive whole, a unifying central point. In its essence it is simple yet complex as it unites the four forms into a wonderful state referred to as Mabayui mankai which simply allows the user to do something that'd be otherwise essentially impossible, utilize all the forms with little to no hesitation as one flows through them and with no possibility of harming oneself. Lastly it does one thing that no other form of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no, it discards the sheath. ========================================= [B][U]Techniques:[/U][/B] [B]Canon Jutsu[/B] [url=http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Samurai_Sabre_Technique]Samurai Sabre Technique[/url] [B]Custom Jutsu[/B] [B]Name of Technique:[/B] Mabayui mankai([I]まばゆい満開[/I] 'Resplendent Full bloom'). [B]Type of Jutsu:[/B] Ninkenjutsu. [B]Rank:[/B] A. [B]Range:[/B] N/A. [B]Nature Type:[/B] N/A. [B]Handseals:[/B] N/A. [B]Description:[/B] Using the same principle as the samurai sabre technique, Mayonaka clansman who master the Shizukana-ryū-ji no are taught to utilize this technique. Through pushing chakra into their blade, the user will create what appears to be an almost a cylindrical formation of chakra, making their blade omnidirectional and also non-existent. It shields the wielder from the blade's edge, and simultaneously makes it deadly from all angles. Not only this, but it acts as an imprint of the Tōrenai-men to naikō for a short period of time, thus allowing them to better handle the influence of Chinmoku's unrestrained power. [B]Weakness:[/B] While it acts as an imprint of the Tōrenai-men to naikō it cannot do so indefinitely and will only last for around 8 minutes max, though currently Seisui can only hold its imprinted effects for around 5. Such is the limitation of the technique. ==================== [B]Name of Technique:[/B] Menimienai jokyo([I]目に見えない除去[/I] 'Unseen removal'). [B]Type of Jutsu:[/B] Ninkenjutsu. [B]Rank:[/B] C. [B]Range:[/B] N/A. [B]Nature Type:[/B] N/A. [B]Handseals:[/B] N/A. [B]Description:[/B] Once Mabayui mankai is active, the user is capable of utilizing this technique. Designed to allow the user to utilize the movements of the Nishi ni menshi Renge-hen stance, Menimienai jokyo adds an additional layer of chakra just over the surface of the Mabayui mankai, allowing the user to grip and remove it at high speed. This additional layer looks no different from those below it and thus cannot be seen with normal vision, though doujutsu like the byakugan would be able to tell the difference. This technique essentially facilitates of the Iaido like techniques of the aforementioned stance, which would otherwise be impossible without the use of the practitioner's sheath. [B]Weakness:[/B] This technique can only be utilized when Mabayui mankai is active and the user has initiated the complete Shinzui no hasu stance. The additonal layer of chakra takes only a fraction of a second to create and requires an utterly miniscule amount of chakra however, every second counts in combat so the user must time its use well lest their opponent(s) gain the upper hand. ==================== [B]Name of Technique:[/B] Menimienai shunji([I]目に見えない瞬时[/I] 'Unseen flash'). [B]Type of Jutsu:[/B] Ninkenjutsu. [B]Rank:[/B] B. [B]Range:[/B] N/A. [B]Nature Type:[/B] N/A. [B]Handseals:[/B] N/A. [B]Description:[/B] This technique is achieved through the utilization of chakra flow through constructs and/or objects, whose currents and polarities oppose one another. This causes the two objects/constructs to be pushed away from one another at high speed. Practitioners of the Shizukana-ryū-ji no utilize this technique on their sheath and sword whether it is physical or not, allowing them to preform terrifyingly fast quick draws, which carry enough momentum to shear through flesh and bone easily, and enough to cut rock. Metal can become dented or cracked if it is not reinforced sufficiently when this attack hits it. This technique is typically used during the state of the completed Shinzui no hasu after Menimienai jokyo has been activated. [B]Weakness:[/B] Dodge or block it. Additionally, the chakra build up can be noted by adept users of the chakra sensing technique, and those who possess doujutsu. [/hider]