Name: Tatasuko, Zume.
Nickname/Alias: Suiteiru Meian(The Vacant Shade).
Gender: Male.
Age: 38.
Age Appearance: 26.
Sexuality: Heterosexual.
Village: N/A.
Birthplace: The land of Wind in an incredibly small village outpost.
Organization: Taisei Kokuren(Order of the Black Lotus).
Clan/Bloodline: Tatasuko/Kusa Chūō no sei.
--Once favored and looked to as if they stood each on mountains, the Tatasuko have since been cast from their summit and into the shadowy fog of memory. Their line of succession fallen short over recent years, the chain of death and rebirth shortening as it reaches its end. Yet is this truly what it is reaching for? Or is it simply removing those who would weaken it, or wield it in any way other than that which it was originally destined to be used? After all. the void by its vary nature gradually eats away at even its own host.
Prior to the fall of the Tatasuko clan, they were an illustrious group of rather unique shades. This title came from their mysterious demeanors and origins, not any particularly malevolent action, as they were a peaceful people. They dwelled within a system of caves that they called the Hahaoya no jōmyaku, or the veins of mother. It is said that these caverns spread and connected all places, below oceans, to other lands, and some even thought that those that were ensconced in the bellies of volcanoes led through the caps and up to the heavens themselves.
They were many things, prophets sometimes, mystics in others, but beyond these was the term of shade. Aloof removed individuals, never truly mixing with the echelons of society, it was not often that one saw one of their robbed visages; face covered by a wide brimmed straw hat dyed black, and head lowered so as to meet no ones eyes. It in fact was even more uncommon that one ever saw their eyes, and those who did were unlucky souls indeed for the abyssal void was not a welcome sight to those with weak will or mind. Sanity could not always be maintained in such cases, and sometimes blindness or subservience was the result.
These events were however few and far between, they never happened in large groups, until some began to complain and revolt. Till the first great war began to encroach upon the land and rage between clan and village alike. The Shades simply watched, doing their utmost to stay hiden, as the Hahaoya no jōmyaku was a sacred place. Without them it would be tainted by the crimson of war, and defiled by the unappreciative people of the world. Then they realized, if they remained, they might die themselves, or perhaps be hunted down causing their own existence to unveil one of the cavern's many entrances.
This, above all else, could not be allowed, and so the clan met, their entirety consisting of barely one hundred. Men, women, and children included, they were a small lot. It was no wonder that sighting them outside of their home was rare, and even within they were a difficult people to locate. It was that day that the decree was made by the eleven eldest, and wisest of their clan. They would seal their mother's veins and depart her gracious protection. However, among these eleven there was one who kept his opinion unknown. The oldest of the old, the father, some called him, others referred to him simply by his name: Shougaku.
Not approving of the others' abandonment of the home, he vowed he would not die till he saw the caves again.
- - - - -
Stumbling, climbing, and running the clan had come under attack. Shougaku could do very little, he could not protect them all, let alone save them as a whole. Banding with the few other able bodied of the elders they tore a swath of death in the wake of their adversaries. So they were able, at the loss of so many of their kin, to whittle down at their enemies and allow some of them to escape.
Shougaku, was the one of the last two whom remaining on the field and allowed the others to escape. It so turned out that it was him and his younger brother were the last to remain. Yet, the two had never once truly gotten along and so a deep rivalry had always dwelled between them. So it was that day that Shougaku did something that he thought would finish their rivalry, as it had gone on far too long. He abandoned his younger sibling in the fray, saying he would retreat and liberate him from afar...he never did. Instead Shougaku traversed the land in an attempt to find the entrance to his mother. The Hahaoya no Jōmyaku beckoned to him, and yet for decades he could not find its entrances. Not until the day he felt life weigh heavy on his shoulders, and saw death's shadow beginning to engulf him, did he find one of its sealed entrances.
With not enough strength to break it, he laid his palm on the stone to lean and rest before attempting the impossible. The stone coalesced with energy that simply shifted away and to his will, the cavern opened and the great blackness stretched out before him. As he entered, the patterns of energy flowed before him and he could grasp at them continually pulling himself towards their source. He had thought this experience long lost to him, and at the same time it was as if he had done this just yesterday.
It took him 12 days to reach the point where the Hahaoya no jōmyaku's energy met to dance a to somber cords. The chamber was considerably small, and he knew that few, if any, mortal feet had laid step here. Strangely, despite this he felt at home, and it was all so familiar to him. The energies danced around the perimeter of the room, and a single point of energy remained stationary in its center. With the intentions of survival, escape, he approached it with a curiosity totally beyond and unlike him. His hand touched it, and then his entire body began to dissolve into the same substance as the energies that surrounded him.
To his eyes the darkness opened before him and enveloped him in the womb of creation. Forever would he dwell there, or so he had thought, little did he know that his brother had survived, and though his entrapment would be long, it would not be without purpose. Their dispute had not been settled....
- - - - -
The majority of the clan went on to be more or less wiped out with but a few lines going into hiding and surviving the great wars that passed through the lands. There are only dark legends of their clan now, and even their greatest gift, the Kusa Chūō no sei, seldom graces the orbs of their descendants. Yet among them are the few, those few who dared enter the Hahaoya no Jōmyaku's very core. It is these individuals who are forced to reincarnate forever, while the others pass on into peaceful resting and warmth. Those who touch the forbidden are forever kept from the mother's touch.--
Rank: S rank/level. Zume has no official rank since he is not affiliated, nor ever has been, with any of the 5 villages (or any of the other lands).
Chakra Nature: Mukōton(Void release).
Appearance:This mysterious man, the only pure blooded Tatasuko left, wears no village headband or otherwise identification. He has no ties to others and so needs none. Beneath his clothing are worn metallic bracers of a pitch black coloration, tainted by the void. In addition to this, despite his nature as a Tatasuko and inheritor of the Kusa Chūō no sei, which would darken his eyes permanently, it is typically seen by most that he has the eyes seen in the depictions above and below, this is due to a finely weaved illusion, a genjutsu with no name, but likely the rank of S as none can get around it. This ability is something he has honed to perfection, though there is little else in the way of illusion that he utilizes. His build is toned, and he stands at roughly six feet, weighing fairly average for a fit male of his age.
Personality:Enigmatic, veiled in mystery and pleasant in his mannerisms, Zume is a rather cunning individual. While on the outside he appears a near perfect gentleman of high intellect and enigmatic interests, within he is darker, colder, and far more manipulative. Long has he toiled to perfect himself and in his own mind he has succeeded, literally. In this way Zume is entirely confident in himself in all things, even those that he has little talent for. He is unshakable in his own way and on many levels will resist the ploys of others, be they intentional or otherwise. Thus to others he appears a man entirely abhorrent of manipulation and deceit, of course that is only if you know him on an incredibly basic level, for in truth Zume is in fact quite deceitful to all around him. It is a marvel that no one, and that is said with absoluteness, has realized his trickery. For to others he is kind, reliable and honest. Intelligent yes, and definitely more than a little eccentric, but otherwise harmless unless provoked.
Of course, when provoked, Zume does not always appear so on first observation. Instead, he appears either more amused by proceedings or incredibly, horribly bored. This stems from his rather strange rage, which is not easily roused from its slumber in his soul. In fact, those who know Zume very well often say that despite having seen him angry, they always got the sense that he was still entirely in control the entire time. This is frighteningly true and brings with it many implications. First among these is that despite his emotional state, Zume remains entirely in control of his actions even if such does not appear to be the case. Second is the startling realization one gains when they come to know that not only is Zume in control at all times, but that he can rouse any desired mind state or emotion entirely on command. This lends to the fact that all who know Zume understand how great his self control is, even if not to what extent.
When it comes to matters of friend, foe, and family Zume is very particular with how he deals with people. When it comes to family, they are both priceless, and expendable, or rather they are perfect tools for his machinations. When it comes to friends Zume appears incredibly loyal and helpful to near perfection. However, in the end it is almost surely a ruse for he lets so very few into his heart
.
While he is cold, it is difficult for one to truly understand just how much until they have seen him unrestrained against his enemy. Thus it can be seen that in battle Zume only enjoys himself when he needs not utilize the entirety of his deadly arsenal of skills. Otherwise he tends to find himself annoyed by the fact that he must consider his enemy an equal. This reveals another of Zume's vices, something that few know unless they delve deep into his true persona. In short, Zume is prideful and a measure arrogant as he believes that none truly surpasses his majesty. However, it is not in the skills of the body that he believes himself entirely superior, no, it is in the realms of the mind that he so places himself. In a sense, he is not entirely wrong. A fact that, should any discover his true nature en full, would frighten most, not that they would survive long to tell their tell...after all, the others didn't.
History:Brother to Shougaku and one of the few whose fate it is to continually reincarnate, his soul never to again rest in the embrace of his mother. He has taken this in stride for unlike the others who curse their fate. Zume blesses it. For had he gone to rest, it is likely that the legacy of his clan would die and he would be forced to spend the rest of eternity in the torturous company of his brother. So, in his mind he is lucky, or close to it, as he is still forced to consciously relive, over and over again, the birth and death of his physical incarnation.
This time though, this time is important as he has been born in what he believes will become a turbulent time,though he is not yet sure how. His activities have been below the radar thus far, gathering the scattered bloodlines of his clan and bringing forth in them the gift of their father incarnated through the body born of the mother. So it has been and as the proceedings of the world continue, the name Tatasuko begins to again be whispered in fear by the local folk. The void will enter again where it was once forced retreat.
Theme Song:[youtube][/youtube]
Empire Syndicate - Dark City