Tuujaimaa — Roleplayer Guild

【Full Name】
Hataga, Shira
【Alias】
Flagbearer; Warbringer Shira, Master of the Flag
【Sex】
Female
【Age】
18
【Sexuality】
Bisexual; Prefers Women

【Birth Country】
Konohagakure
【Current Village[】
Konohagakure
【Organization】
N/A
【Shinobi Rank】
Genin

【Personality】

Shira is (or, at least, was), at her heart, a free spirit who wants nothing but to spread her wings and drink in the entire world at her own pace. Even from her youngest days, Shira was adventurous and curious and adamant in her own little ways, always yearning to do whatever she wanted at the expense of everything else. It was more of a chore than a request to get a four year old Shira to do anything - she would eat only when she wanted to, drink only when she wanted to, and generally refuse to do anything that did not suit her at that specific moment in time. It is said that those who live their lives in the present are the most content, for they have no reason to regret the past or anticipate the future - and for a young Shira, this was definitely true.

Like all things in Shira’s life, however, destiny had plans far different to any she could possibly have anticipated. As Shira reached the age of eight, she began her training in the arts of War (or at least, the arts of Flag bearing) under strict tutelage from the Warbringers. The sudden insertion of discipline into a free spirit’s life was a shock to Shira’s system, and for the first few weeks of her training she rebelled extensively against her tutors - resulting in several disciplinary punishments that she remembers less-than-fondly, and are often recalled with a grimace whenever they happen to bring themselves to the front of her mind.

The first time that her freedom was imposed was something of a wake-up call to Shira, who, not knowing what else to do, gave her total and utter obedience to her masters. That began the descent down a slippery slope into an area of gray morals and questionable decisions. As Shira progressed with her training, she found herself more and more often deferring to her superiors without ever questioning the reasoning for their commands. Of course, they were almost exclusively for her own good, but it was not something that should ever have been instilled in a child. By the age of thirteen, Shira was a soldier proper (at least in terms of personality - her skills in battle were practically nonexistent) and she would obey her superiors unquestioningly to the point of dependence.

After the war, Shira ended up in a difficult position: The thrill of war had been liberating enough to give her a taste of the freedom that she had once owned so proudly - and it had clashed immensely with the conditioning that she had embraced. Even to the current day, Shira is torn between two very distinct sides to her personality - total obedience, and complete rebellion. The two exist in a dissonant harmony that threaten to disrupt the already weakened balance of Shira’s fragile psyche, but with each day she feels herself becoming less obedient and more conscious of the world around her. They say that the greatest tragedy is being left with only enough to remember what you left. Shira was left with enough freedom only to understand how much she’d lost, and the worst part of all is that her obedience still thinks it was the right thing to have been done to her.

Shira’s adaptation to daily life initially went very roughly due to the war that rages on inside herself - she was lost without the guidance of a superior, but simultaneously yearned for the independence that she had earned as a Warbringer of the Hataga clan. The war within herself was, as per usual for Shira, romanticised to the extent that despite the fact she longs to fit entirely within a single side of her multifaceted personality, she cannot for the war is something she half treasures, and half expects to die in.

【History】

The Hataga clan have existed since time immemorial, stewards of the ancient dynasty of war that undoubtedly ravishes every land under the sun. As Kings are to their country, the Hataga are to war, and it has been by their hand that wars have been won and lost for ages. As even the Hataga know all too well, history is written by the victor and the rush of victory obfuscates facts that should be brought to light, and though their positions in all major wars have been crucial, they have not always won. The books written by the Hataga clan have taught generations of aspiring warriors how to fight and, more importantly, how to win - and though their record is, too, stained by loss the perception of their status and authority on the art of war has not shifted in hundreds of years.

Initially founded by Hataga Bushin, the clan was originally one devoted strictly to the arts of the sword and nothing more, accepting all into its creed regardless of their previous status or their current status. The only requirement to join the Hataga clan was, and to some extent still is, the desire to perfect the art of the sword. Initially, the clan could never have been called as such - it was little more than a dojo led by a man who dreamed of a family that he could mould into perfect warriors, but as the days went on and the wheels of fate turned in their slow, pendulous motions the appeal and status of the clan increased until their following was by all means sizeable enough to rival that of the other major families of the time.

Of course, the machinations of political intrigue do not respect any laws but those that they themselves have instated; The way of the blade is one of utmost purity, having no way to deal with blades that it cannot see, or blades that exist only in the minds of those that wield them. With each subtle move that the nobles made, the strength of the Hataga clan declined - first the taxation of the humble compound Bushin had built was increased to levels that he could not afford, and then his goods were embargoed to ensure that none would trade with him. Each passing day resulted in people leaving the clan to return to an easier life, without the hardships that came with the disfavour of the nobility, and Bushin's dream began to crumble around him.

They say that in times of great need, a great warrior is born to lead the people to their salvation and right the atrocities of those that deign to abuse their power. Whether or not this is true is, as all things are, up for debate - but for this instance, the metaphorical birth of Bushin was as real as it could be, and he brought up arms against those that had wronged him. The weak may have left his clan, but the strongest warriors of the Hataga clan had persisted in their efforts and rallied behind Bushin, rising up to overthrow the rich families that had taken from them their peace. In times like these, resolve is as valuable a resource as steel, and while the Hataga were undoubtedly great warriors, their numbers were small and their reach was stunted. Only with the resolve of War did they stand a chance, and so did the clan first turn a battle into a War. At first, the ideals of the War were noble, even glorified and romanticised, but the horrors that inevitably followed were enough to turn all but the staunchest of hearts black. Fortunately, the only Hataga left were the strongest of them all, and the noble ideals of the War were upheld by each member to their dying breath.

When only twenty of the Hataga were left, the war was won and the nobles had been executed for their crimes and branded enemies of the people. The only crimes they committed were against the Hataga, in truth, but the temptation to obfuscate the true course of history within a delicate veil of lies is often too much to resist for those few who have survived. With their first victory, the Hataga clan grew once more, and turned much of the world to the way of the sword, and to the way of honour that came with battles and indeed war: an ideal that despite their best efforts could not be shaken. The Hataga clan had what it wanted - a legacy - but it had been written in blood and altered to fit the times, and while the Warbringers that were left could choose to forget, the people that had endured the war could not. The memories of the people outlived the memories of the Warbringers, and the clan's image and purpose became one strictly devoted to war over the centuries that followed.

At this point, seven of the last twenty were given honour above all others for their varying contributions to the war and labeled Warbringers, the most venerated of the Hataga clan. At this point, lineage in the Hataga clan would begin to matter, and the effects of this act are still felt throughout the entire history of the clan. The remaining thirteen were, of course, venerated - but the acts that they engaged in were not as iconic and easily rewardable as those of the seven Warbringers, and they would eventually become what could be thought of as the “lower” caste of the Hataga clan, though they were still integral.

First, there was Bujin, the first Warbringer, Head of the Clan and Master of the Sword.
Second, there was Kamikasu, Master of Treatises and Manuscripts.
Third, there was Toshokan, Master of the Library.
Fourth, there was Kamabushi, Master of the Forge.
Fifth, there was Ōkune, Master of Siegecraft.
Sixth, there was Kōjō, Master of Diplomacy.
And finally there was Areshiki, the Flag Bearer.

From this point, it is said that the Samurai branched off from the Hataga clan, disgracing the name and resolving to keep to the ideals of the sword and the sword alone. Whether there is any truth to this statement cannot rightfully be known, but the Hataga claim it to be true, and even to this day they are yet to forgive any who call themselves Samurai. As the Hataga clan's image turned to war, so too did the remainder of its purer ideals, and after but a few short generations after Bushin's passing, the clan had expanded enough and grown powerful enough to teach the world the true meaning of war. From here the clan proceeded to monopolise the ideals of war, starting and ending them as if they claimed sovereignty to all blood shed beneath the sun, and the land both rejoiced and wept for evils were purged and good men were slaughtered; all things remained in a careful balance that only the Hataga clan could provide.

As the days grew closer to those we can remember, to those that have been recorded more faithfully and accurately, the Hataga clan's influence has waned significantly. In a world that was forged by war and has evolved beyond it, the source of its life is discarded as its people no longer have need of it. The delicate scales of fate have rested upon a precarious balance for long enough that they dare not be tipped, and all mortals turn from acts that can skew so delicate a state to one side or another. There are acts beyond even war, however, that can alter the delicate balance of the world - and when such things happen, fate's stewards will turn to the archaic arts that have long been forgotten in order to restore their balance in a cycle of their own. The wheels of fate ever turn, causing the losses of one age to be the saviours of another, and just as fate needs stewards so too does the Art of War - and for that purpose, the Hataga persisted.

The days of Sai the Conqueror brought need of the Hataga back to the world, and return to the world in the flaming chariot of war they did. Initially, the Hataga fought for Sai's cause - the stagnant peace that the world had lulled into was due to be changed by the coming of strife, as if war were a season, and like a force of nature they helped usher it in. Sai was little but a means to an end, as individuals tend to be in the grand scheme of things, and as he charged through the land in a tempest of conflict he set in motion events that would lead to his downfall - something the Hataga, too, would partake in. Unfortunately for the stewards of war, the machinations of which they could confidently call themselves integral to were but bits and pieces of even larger schemes, and the wheel turned for them too, bringing them almost to extinction. It is in these events that the history of one Hataga, Shira begins.

~

Hataga, Shira was born into a destiny that she had never had any hope of changing - all too often the fate of heroes - but this tale is not one of heroism. Shira was born into the lower echelons of a dying clan, to a mother and father that loved her even more than the war that the Hataga clan prized so fiercely. Shira's parents were the last of a long lineage, supposedly descended from one of the original Warbringers of the clan, but they were not fortunate enough to have been descended from a Warbringer whose skill with the pen or the sword was the stuff of legend - the Warbringer they were descended from had carried the flag of the Hataga into countless battles and, despite all odds, survived every single one. The position of Warbringer, in the early days of the clan, was much easier to earn than it had been for any year that had followed, and though it was practically meaningless in the current climate of a clan who were facing extinction, Shira's parents were proud of their heritage nonetheless.

Like all children born into the Hataga clan, Shira was set onto a path that she would walk for the rest of her life, raised on a discipline that would define her from the beginning of her days to their end. Unlike the other children born into the Hataga clan, her discipline was one that was useless given the clan's already low numbers: Flag bearer. Shira was to take on the responsibility of the Warbringer from whom she was descended, and though her parents told her it was an immeasurable honour to spare her feelings, they knew that she had seen right through them. Even so, Shira persisted in her efforts to stick to the manuscripts that had been written, and in her most formative years she became surprisingly adept at the arts she had been chosen for. It was comforting insofar as knowing that she was doing the best she could, but it was not enough to be bearing flags in a clan that had been a major force for war in every large-scale battle in history.

Until the age of fifteen, Shira's life was nothing short of dull. Each day she would enter the Institute of War, where each of the manuscripts that had been written were kept, and read a new book. After reading, she practiced any techniques that were necessary - though none of them were designed for combat in any way - and she spent the evenings with her mother and father, meditating and practicing the most basic of sword techniques. It was an unfulfilling life, even with the boundless knowledge of war that the Hataga clan could offer, and each day spent in it made the young Shira even more dissatisfied with what her life was turning out to be. The thirst for greatness was strong within her, but there was nary a drop to drink in the vast ocean that surrounded her. Each day she felt more and more alone, and she had considered giving up her duties entirely when the first truly exciting thing she would ever experience happened: War.

The reign of Sai the Conqueror was beginning to crumble beneath him, and the resistance had launched all out attacks. For a clan that was supposedly loyal to Sai during his coup and neutral during his regime, the impending war would almost certainly mean extinction regardless of which side they fought on unless underhanded tactics were used to give one side a definitive advantage - and it was in this that the remaining Warbringers of the Hataga clan doomed themselves to extinction. For hundreds upon thousands of years the Hataga clan had stuck soundly to its principles when war was about to emerge, and the decision to betray everything that the clan held dear split the clan into two halves - one loyal to their virtues, and one desperate to survive by any means. Shira's parents were desperate to survive, to leave their meagre holdings and hide from the war with Shira so she could grow up in a mundane life and maybe make a family of her own.

Shira chose to stand with those loyal to their virtues, and went to war like the manuscripts that she had so carefully studied told her to.

The result of the various battles and skirmishes grew more and more grim each time they occurred, until only a small contingent of around fifteen members were left alive. Bujin, the leader of the clan, and the wielder of the first Unmei no Chikara Prior to fighting, Shira had said her last words to whatever deities may have been listening. She had lived an uneventful life, and had been destined for little other than decoration, but she had ended up embroiled in the harsh caress of war and it was to be her undoing. Strangely, she had felt nothing but a sense of pride as she recited the famous last words of the clan, words that had been uttered by every member before every battle since the dawn of the clan:

"May all those who preside over war be my vanguard."

It seemed that for her, it would be a warrior's death, and even if only in spirit she could feel the very essence of her ancestors there with her in that moment. The clarity provided by accepting death as a peaceful inevitability is unlike any other, for it comes with the realisation that that epiphany will be your last - and the concept of finality is powerful in all of its forms, be it to inspire or to crush the spirit. The power given to Shira by her epiphany was particularly great, and as she charged into battle with the two family members she had left she was completely at peace. Death would be a warm welcome, for death in battle was - to the Hataga clan - the purest death. Unfortunately for Shira, death did not come.

Shira was entrusted to keep the Warglaive of Areshiki at the very beginning of the war, and she wielded it with pride among the remaining Warbringers of the clan, and though she personally killed very few with the glaive, it kept her alive on more than one occasion, as if it had a mind of its own and was watching over her. It was a scarring experience, to have actually been involved in war, but the scars that covered her mind and body were not those of regret but those of unadulterated pleasure. The thrill of battle was something Shira had been trained to romanticise and worship since the moment she entered the world, and above all else she was a dutiful member of her clan. It was only natural for her to thrive in the heat of the moment.

Shira remembers very little past this turn of events, except waking up once the war was over. Her body was battered, bruised, and scarred - but she had survived the war, much to her surprise (and initially dismay). Since the war, Shira has been afflicted with a form of PTSD, having flashbacks of the conflict in her dreams at night. It left her with a stutter and a heavy limp that required the use of crutches for a long while, and it was only through gaining purpose in life that her symptoms alleviated themselves. After the liberation of Sai's regime, Shira found herself struggling with life. She had no purpose left in the world: It was unlikely her parents survived the war, and even if they did, she had abandoned them and everything they stood for. They were as good as dead to her, and she was as good as dead to them. Most of the remaining members of the clan that were loyal to the Hataga wanted nothing to do with the Warbringer that held the flag and had only one battle under their belt. Having nowhere else to go, Shira turned to Konohagakure, applying to the Ninja Academy there to bring honour to the memory of her clan and to the remaining Warbringers. She would never be a hero like the manuscripts described, but with the collapse of peace she may well be seeing more war in the near future - a prospect that despite her better judgement excites her beyond compare.

Now, Shira's life was about one thing, and one thing only, trying to continue in the only way she knew how: Following the path put out before her.

【Chakra Nature(s)】

N/A

【Weapons/Tools】

Name of Weapon or Item: Unmei no Chikara [The Power of Fate]
Location: Shira
Owner: Shira
Rank: B

Description: One of the seven ancestral warglaives of the Hataga clan, handed down in warfare over the years. According to the last manuscripts of the Warbringers of the Clan, each Unmei no Chikara has selected its wielder over the course of history, guiding them into and out of battles that have been historically significant - and that their allegiance is as capricious and fickle as the nature of war itself, choosing their wielders by their displays of valour and prowess in battle. Like so many swords of legend, Unmei no Chikara are also said to have a taste for blood, and that if the wielder is bested in a duel of pure skill its allegiance will shift to the victor, turning on former allies as quickly as it makes them.

Initially, there was only one Warglaive, that Bushin himself had forged from scratch - but as the need for war grew, Bushin commissioned Kamabushi, the fourth Warbringer, to create identical weapons for each of the Warbringers based on a design that had been brought to him by Kamikasu, the second Warbringer. For each war that was fought from that day on, the clan would be recognisable by its use of the Glaives that were passed down along the lines of the Warbringers.

There are legends that at least one of the Unmei no Chikara has shaped almost every major battle in history, turning the tide with its mere presence and inspiring soldiers to fight against overwhelming odds - only to lend them victory and write history’s course in blood. The validity of these rumours is certainly debatable, but questions are rarely asked due to the imposing visage held by Unmei no Chikara and by association any who wield one. The Warglaive is, if the pictures in the manuscripts are to be believed, largely variable: Its various wielders are shown holding it in identical poses despite having different statures, and the glaive always matches its wielder perfectly. The length and details on the blade are always identical down to the various nicks and chips, and while some details are obscured by the dark splotches of blood that seem to be attracted to the lustrous metal, even close scrutiny reveals that the details remain practically identical, except for the barely recognisable kanji that depict the name of the original Warbringer.

The legends that recount Unmei no Chikara’s power vary between authors, though it is generally agreed upon that the glaive is exceptionally dangerous and that it is the metaphorical equivalent of an unstoppable force - often seen piercing staunch defences practically effortlessly and continuing through to strike its opponent, as if the glaive has a thirst for blood that cannot be stopped by the hands of mere mortals. The descriptions written in the manuscripts seem almost designed to mislead and confuse any who would gaze upon their pages, as if they are describing a concept more than actually recounting the abilities of the ancestral glaives.

In grim actuality, the weapon’s prowess is not nearly so monstrous as the manuscripts would have a person believe, but they are worthy of the praise that they garner by members of the Hataga clan, and even the reluctant praise that comes from their enemies. The glaive is a conduit for chakra, much like the way that the Chakra Flow technique imbues a weapon with additional power, but the glaive keeps the power internally, using it from within to not only sharpen the edge of the blade to unrealistic sharpness, but also to echo the force out from the blade when it strikes, effectively extending the Glaive’s reach, or imbuing it with other power. The Glaive’s specialty is breaking through defences, and its immense cutting power ensures that even the most stoic of defences cannot remain solid under its onslaught. Immensely skilled users of the weapon find that the force of the Glaive’s strikes become something they can control very intimately. This ability in particular is usually perceived to be an ability of the Glaive’s itself, but in actuality it requires the keen insights that skilled war veterans possess to be useful.

All-in-all, while the Glaive possesses power that cannot be denied, its true nature has long been obfuscated by the murky depths of allegory, and has been anthropomorphised as an incarnation of War itself by the Hataga clan. Few things about the weapon can truly be certain, but its affinity for war is a truth that can not be denied.

【Other Specialties】

Shira has no real specialties, but is extremely disciplined and is an exceptionally good student in the mental sense.
Shira is moderately skilled at Kenjutsu.
Shira is not particularly adept at Ninjutsu.
Shira has no affinity for Genjutsu.
Shira has a surprisingly high level of chakra control, despite her ineptitude at Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but cannot use it without a conduit (i.e., Unmei no Chikara).
Shira possesses moderately high chakra reserves for someone her age and rank, but cannot use it without a conduit (i.e., Unmei no Chikara).
Shira's endurance is good, but constant use of the heavy Unmei no Chikara tires her somewhat quickly.

【Kekkei Genkai】

Name: Sensō no Kurushimi [Throes of War]
Type: Sensory
Clan (If Applicable): Hataga

Description: The Hataga clan’s penchant for war has bred into its members an extension of the senses that encompasses a spherical area around them similar to the area accessed by the Hyuuga clan in the Hakke Rokujūyon Shō [Eight-Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms]. The sphere acts as a magnifier for the user’s senses, increasing their sharpness when sensing anything within the sphere, and allowing them to detect normally invisible units if they enter the sphere. There are two main portions to the Sensō no Kurushimi: A passive sensory ability, and an activated ability. For younger, more inexperienced members, the sphere only spans 10 feet in radius, but increases with age to twenty feet at the most.

The passive ability gives the user a sense that allows them to see and feel the flow of battle. The users are able to sense moving objects that are coming towards them and react without an active thought process, as well as giving them the ability to sense fast moving objects or people within their sphere of influence at all points. The sense must develop with the user, and it will initially be clumsy and difficult to use properly - but adequate time in battle, or simulating battle, allow the user to develop the sense more accurately until it becomes extremely potent.

The active ability allows the user to reduce the range of their senses to the range of the aura, cutting them off completely from the world outside of their sphere, but increasing the intensity of their senses vastly while in the sphere. While this section of the Kekkei Genkai is active, the user senses the world around them as if it were slowed down in increasing extremes, to the point where masters of the ability are said to be able to slice the wick of a lit candle and keep the flame intact atop their weapon. The additional, passive sense is much stronger within the small aura, and various clan manuscripts depict the most masterful users fighting off slews of opponents simultaneously, effortlessly dodging all attacks that come towards them. The active ability has limits, however, and can only be used for up to fifteen seconds at a time until the user gains experience with it through continued practice or meditation. After activating the state, novice users must rest for sixty seconds in combat, or ten seconds out of combat. Masters of the Kekkei Genkai are able to enter into the state at will and sustain it for long periods while only requiring short reprieves.

【Canon Jutsu】

Basic Academy Techniques

【Custom Jutsu】

Name of Technique: Suiryoku no Sensō [War Thrust]
Type of Jutsu: Kenjutsu
Rank: D
Range: Variable
Nature Type: N/A
Handseals: N/A

Description: The wielder of Unmei no Chikara thrusts forwards with the glaive, using chakra to empower the kinetic energy of the strike vastly. If the strike hits a target, Unmei no Chikara is empowered and gains a coating similar to the visual effects of Chakra Flow, but significantly more intense and stationary. This effect lasts for up to six seconds. If Suiryoku no Sensō is used again in this state and hits target, the user gains the ability to use Tarashi-Kyūzō [Warstorm Surge] for the next ten seconds. Each time Suiryoku no Sensō hits a target, Unmei no Chikara is empowered, stacking up to three times.

Weakness: Interpret it yourself.

Name of Technique: Hakushi Jōtai [Blank Slate]
Type of Jutsu: Kenjutsu
Rank: E
Range: Passive
Nature Type: N/A
Handseals: N/A

Description: The wielder of Unmei no Chikara cannot unlock power that they are not ready for, causing all abilities of the glaive to be negated unless an appropriate jutsu is present on the character.

Weakness: N/A

Name of Technique: Chikara no Hankyō [Echo of Force]
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu
Rank: C
Range: Variable
Nature Type: N/A
Handseals: N/A

Description: Whenever Unmei no Chikara is empowered with chakra, Chikara no Hankyō can be used. Chikara no Hankyō allows the user to extend the chakra from the glaive outwards, allowing it to accomplish varying effects:

The chakra can be tuned to push chakra that has not been inside Unmei no Chikara away, allowing it to effectively cleave through certain jutsu or disrupt anything that has a specific chakra flow. This effect only applies to C-Rank and below levels of Chakra, and costs additional chakra to use each time it is utilised.

The chakra can be converted into additional kinetic energy, allowing the user to extend the reach of Unmei no Chikara or create cuts beneath the surface of the body when Unmei no Chikara strikes it (this is particularly effective at cutting through armour).

Chikara no Hankyō cannot be used while Tochi Shōkō is active.

Weakness: Interpret it yourself.

Name of Technique: Tochi Shōkō [Lull of the Land]
Type of Jutsu: Ninkenjutsu
Rank: C
Range: Variable
Nature Type: N/A
Handseals: N/A

Description: Unmei no Chikara gains a coating of chakra identical to that of the Chakra Flow technique, but the chakra surrounding the blade effectively increases the length of the blade by one foot. The chakra that comprises Tochi Shōkō is not tangible until the user wills it, but cannot be made tangible if it would be made tangible within five feet of a human target.

Tochi Shōkō cannot be used within three seconds of the activation of Chikara no Hankyō.

Weakness: Interpret it yourself.

Name of Technique: Tarashi-Kyūzō [Warstorm Surge]
Type of Jutsu: Kenjutsu
Rank: B
Range: Variable
Nature Type: N/A
Handseals: N/A

Description: The wielder of Unmei no Chikara slashes downwards with a vastly empowered strike, creating a visible trail of chakra from the tip of the weapon. The downwards strike is exceptionally strong at breaking through blocks or other defences, and can easily break weapons. The damage it deals to other people is less significant, however. If the strike connects, the user may lunge forwards with the glaive for the next three seconds. If it passes through the trail of chakra, the lunge’s power and speed is doubled. If the lunge hits an opponent, a wave of force is released from the glaive which will knock anything it encounters back. The chakra cost of Tarashi-Kyūzō is reduced by 15% for each stack of empowerment that Unmei no Chikara has, but consumes all stacks upon use.

Weakness: Interpret it yourself.

Tuujaimaa Member

The Saint of Wings / Bread Wizard

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts