ŌTANI, TAKUMI.

THE INFO.

Name: Ōtani, Takumi
Nickname: N/A
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Takumi's attire is divided into two categories, but within each of these categories there is one constant: bandages. In almost all situations he will be wrapped in a multitude of bandages that cover his entire body, hiding most of his face except for his eyes, and occasionally his mouth. For casual wear, a black kimono is sufficient enough for Takumi as it gives the illusion of width to an otherwise lean body. The sleeves extend to the knuckles and the cuffs are embroidered with a brilliant blue, the pattern creating the visual of waves. This pattern can be seen again around the boarder of the kimono in areas like the collar, the lower lining, and the over-collar. Footwear consists of basic wooden sandals with little room for complex maneuvering, although if necessary, Takumi is willing to be barefoot.

The boy's formal attire is equally as plain as the kimono with the only distracting feature being his fully-wrapped body. A black, strongly stitched shirt is the innermost layer with a hunter green jacket acting as the outermost layer. His bottom layer consists of simple black pants which is light yet durable, the complex sticking allowing for breathability while retaining a slimmer fit. Basic shinobi sandals are Takumi's chosen footwear.

Aside from the rather plain clothing there is more to Takumi than a well-trained body. Scars blemish his body in countless places from the areas where his disease was worst and although his body is capable of tanning, the wrappings which he constantly wears prevent the sun from turning his skin a glowing bronze. However, Takumi's most dazzling, or perhaps fear-inspiring feature, is the color of his eyes. The sclera are a ebony, his iris a sickly yellow, gifted to him from the illness that had lasted for a good portion of his early life. The eyes are fear-inducing, their discoloration has thrown many off guard, something which the boy takes pride in.

Overall, only a few features separate Takumi from the description of a typical teenage shinobi (lean muscle that hasn't finished developing, slowing increasing height and weight). These defining features are his scars, his eyes and his bandages although he is also a bit tall for his age, standing at five feet, eight inches and weighing 123lb. One characteristic that has yet to been discussed however is his hairstyle. Although his disease is cured, a lasting side-effect has left his dark-brown hair to grow wildely at times, only to fall out randomly. Thus, his hair is always a different length, sometimes longer so that it escapes from the bandages that cover his body, other times short and barely visible.

Forehead Protector: Forehead.

Personality:
Stoic: During his childhood, Takumi wasn't the type who would run in the streets playing with others. His illness created limitations that would confine him in bed and so there was little opportunity for positive interactions with most others his age. This isolation led to an anti-social development and eventually resulted in Takumi possessing somewhat of a callous demeanor. However, because Takumi isn't much of a conversationalist, (something that some academy students made a point of discriminating against him for) most of his cruelty and cynicism is lost on others. That being said, Takumi does understand the benefits of conversation, though he refrains from it unless it becomes a necessity, as he is inclined towards making gestures instead of a "yes" or "no"; even a inelegant grunt is more common for him than speech. Additionally, the years of living with his sickness has given Takumi a strong tolerance for pain, both of the physical and mental sort. As a young boy, he experienced an uncommon amount of anguish, as most of his time was spent laying next to a father declining in health, while is own illness ate at him. All these factors (illness, collective family suffering, lack of childhood) have twisted what could've been a very happy boy, but above all, these events have made him stoic.

Scholarly: What's one to do when they're confined to a bed for years? Learn to read, write, and study the world from the view out the window was what Takumi discovered to be the best method to pass the time; there was little else he could do without using his feeble legs. For the many hours of reflection and studying, Takumi had become an avid reader, despite his young age and is stone-set on the idea that the more knowledgeable man is the better man. Due to this outlook Takumi reads whatever he can get his hands on, believing information to be power. This need for information leads Takumi to refrain from sharing his opinion in part because there may always be more to learn that effects his views, but also because the less knowledge others have of him, the greater his advantage would be when obtaining information about them (or so he thinks). His obsessive need for information has resulted in Takumi being quite keen and observant, although this was of little use when facing bullies at the academy, although it did grant him some praise from the instructors.

Contradicting: As a contrast to his more studious nature, Takumi enjoys remaining active, and is not one to sit lethargically unless it's required. Therefore, is free time is mostly spent in different parts of Konohagakure; sometimes he'll be chasing strays in an alley, other times training or people-watching. This is perhaps the least odd trait that constitutes Takumi's personality, as the desire to get around, explore and study the intricacies of his surroundings has been delayed gratification for the boy since he was sick for the majority of his childhood.

Idiosyncrasies: Takumi, despite being cured of his crippling disease, continues to use bandages that cover his entire body. For several long years he had been using them to cover his unnatural appearance. Once treated for them, and having only some minor scars from the more serious areas of disease, the young man continued to apply the bandages out of habit. However, upon realizing that he no longer needed them, he decided to continue using them since a completely bandaged shinobi with ebony sclera eyes makes for an intimidating combination, not to mention that every time he bandages himself, Takumi is reminded of his past. It serves as a connection to his parents, his hardship. It keeps him in perspective. Takumi also coughs in order to keep up the persona of a sickly boy. He finds it helps separate potential friends from foes, not the mention that it also separates the true shinobi from the amateurs in that a true shinobi wouldn't fall easily any type of ruse.

Growth: Takumi still has room to grow in several categories; focusing on the physical and mental is a good place to begin. Physically, he's not at on par with the more Taijutsu-oriented shinobi. While fast, agile, athletic and flexible (all things he gained at the academy) Takumi isn't exceptionally talented in regards to those particular traits. Mentally, the boy is in a rut. Reserved, though not by design, Takumi can try harder to hold a conversation, and open up more to his allies. On the other hand, shinobi's are excepted to be secretive, at least when on official business so this area is dependent on how much he wants to devote to becoming a full-fledged shinobi and while his analytical abilities may be spot-on, his talent for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu apparent, developing true mental fortitude can only be done by experiencing the shinobi lifestyle in its entirety.

Clan: Senju
Nindō: "Every act is an act of self-definition."

THE NINJA.

Origin: Hi no Kuni
Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato
Rank: Genin (C-rank)
Specialties: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu
Elemental Affinities:
土遁, Doton; Earth
水遁, Suiton; Water
木遁, Mokuton; Wood

Combat Style:
Takumi's combat style revolves around the use of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Due to an illness that haunts his earliest memories, he is unskilled with Taijutsu and therefore sticks to what he's good at, making up for the lack of physicality in his assaults with illusions and chakra/elemental manipulation. Other than Takumi's personal inclinations regarding what he has chosen to utilize most as a shinobi, the Genin has yet to develop a concrete forTakumila for combat. This is in part because of his inexperience both in and out of combat, but also because of the realization that each fighting scenario will be different from the previous, requiring different tactics with each new situation presented. Having said all this, returning to the point that Takumi's repertoire consists almost entirely of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu techniques, it is reasonable to assume that he prefers fighting at mid/long-range and will try to stay in that comfort-zone as much as possible, at least until he matures as a shinobi and can broaden his skills.

Special Characteristics:

Physical:

Chakra-based:

Mental:

THE BACKGROUND.

History:
Born in the rural outskirts of Konohagakure no Sato within Hi no Kuni, Takumi was raised in an impoverished household with a father who became sick soon after his son's second birthday, and a mother who spent most of the day farming, replacing her bedridden husband in the fields. The unfortunate, but tight-knit family were fine living under modest circumstances, but ominous signs foretold more hardship as Takumi was struck by an unknown illness soon after he learned to walk. Now both the toddler and his father were bedridden, unable to function without the help of the third member of the family. Takumi's mother tried the best she could, but an overworked mother, both stricken by physical aches, and mental anguish was unsuitable to provide for a sick family. Sections of the field began to go unattended, as her time was split between her husband, her son, and the farm that provided their only source of food.

Takumi's illness took away his recently gained mobility, spending each day lying next to his father, whose eyes seem to dull further with each passing month. Although his father attempted to play with his son upon Takumi's contracting of the unknown illness, these efforts quickly ceased over the course of a couple years. During those two years, Takumi's condition began to express strange symptoms. His skin became dull, almost gray in color, prompting his mother to wrap him completely in bandages in case anyone caught a glimpse. Other attempts to care for her son included a desperate experiment in which Takumi's mother tried a strange home-remedy. The result was the permanent discoloration of his sclera, turning them a deep ebony. Distraught over what she had done, his mother deemed herself an unfit parent, and made preparations for her son to be sent to Konohagakure no Sato for adoption using what little savings the family had in order to relieve her son of a troubled future which included inheriting a scarcely productive farm, a sick father and a mother who, through a combination of age, physical labor and stress, was beginning to break.

It was a mournful day when a team sent from Konohagakure no Sato came to take Takumi away. There were long goodbyes, with Takumi, despite being unable to walk, clinging to his father's bedside and then to his mother's clothing. In reflecting back on the moment, Takumi would admit to not remembering the details of the scene but instead a profound sense of melancholy which is equally as heart-wrenching. That was the last day he saw his parents, separated from them at only five years of age, sick and now thrusted into an entirely new setting.

The intense glow of hospital lights were frequent in Takumi's childhood after relocating to Konohagakure. No family wanted to adopt a sick child, requiring the villages medical staff to diagnose and cure Takumi's ailment, although it wasn't their top priority. Simply getting a diagnosis took a year, as research was conducted slowly and erratically. Ultimately, the medical staff concluded that the boy had leprosy. However, for reasons unknown, the illness, (while taking into consideration the amount of time Takumi had lived with it) was not severely effecting his body nor was it contagious. Further interest was given to his condition, and after another year of sluggish progress, it was discovered that Takumi was a decedent of the Senju clan, prompting the hypothesis that the innate vitality which clansmen possessed might have been responsible for Takumi's perseverance while sick, as well as the reason for why the leprosy wasn't as unpleasant as it could have been.

After undergoing treatment, Takumi's condition improved. His skin returned to a healthy color, although his eyes remained discolored by the concoction his mother had given him (without knowing the ingredients, it was impossible to find a solution to the issue). However, even with the leprosy cured, the child continued to wrap himself in bandages, insisting that he was still sick, perhaps as a method of staying connected his parents. There was little the medical staff could do to convince him otherwise. Takumi even developed a habitual, fake cough. This odd behavior only furthered the notion that he was unfit for adoption and on the year that he was cured, the boy found himself in the home of one of the medical shinobi who had overseen him for the past two years.

At this point, Takumi was eight, an age when some might consider their child a candidate for the shinobi academy. The Senju decedent however, was still not convinced of his good health, and in fact he was not. Physically, Takumi was underdeveloped, both malnourished and in need of physical rehabilitation as he hadn't used his legs in any meaningful way for years. The process of relearning how to use his legs properly took longer than anticipated, but once the function was regained, Takumi found himself taking regular runs around the village, much to the relief of the medical shinobi, who had officially taken on the role of an adoptive parent.

The improved physical health influenced Takumi's mental attitude. While he still retained the bandages, he no longer used a fake cough and was convinced of his good health. His adoptive mother had often thought of enrolling him in the academy, but figured that Takumi needed time to discover himself before taking on the daunting tasks of a shinobi. This was a good call. Takumi fervently absorbed all Konohagakure had to offer, exploring the village, the forests, and everything in between. He especially enjoyed swimming in the streams and lakes that spotted the village, and chasing stray animals through the streets although, sometimes just observing the vibrant surroundings was enough for him.

After a full four years of self-discovery, Takumi himself volunteered for enrollment into the Konohagakure's shinobi academy, much to the delight of his adoptive mother, who wished he'd follow in her footsteps as a medic. The first year of classes however, was not a fun experience for the eleven year-old, who faced hostility as he maintained a commitment to wrapping himself in bandages. Bullied, Takumi reverted slightly, once again taking up the habitual coughing. Unfortunate circumstances left the boy to fend for himself, as his adoptive mother departed on a month-long mission. To cope, Takumi mainly buried himself in books at the village's library, gradually shifting towards darker subjects as the bullying continued.

His second year at the academy went better than the first since the bullies had moved on, no longer paying any attention to Takumi. His adoptive mother never returned however, dampening the Senju's spirits and making him even more of a recluse. Regardless of cognitive and social development, Takumi's talents in the subjects of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu made themselves apparent during this time, making him well-regarded among his instructors, who were a source of encouragement. Already a teenager and almost a graduate, Takumi was granted the freedom of living on his own. While this raised the question of how well the boy could care for himself, Takumi was able to demonstrate self-sufficiency in all domestic affairs, and although his mind might have been a bit twisted from the odds events that transpired in his childhood, the teen managed to graduate to the rank of Genin at the age of fourteen.

Roleplay Sample:

Spoiler:

THE ARSENAL.

WEAPONRY

All:

ACADEMY JUTSU

All:

NINJUTSU

Doton Ninjutsu:

Suiton Ninjutsu:

Mukuton Ninjutsu:

GENJUTSU

All:

FACE CLAIM.

Character Claim: Otani Yoshitsugu
Source: Sengoku Basara
Image URL: Here

Enzo wrote:

Very well done good sir.

I have but a single issue with your character, and that has to do with a section of the appearance. You state your character wears thick clothing, which makes him immune to the blunt force of a kunai. Does this mean that he cannot be stabbed by a thrown kunai (or projectile for that matter)? If so, then you're required to register for the specific attire; since regular ninja attire isn't meant to be that strong against weapons that fall under a wide variety of Genin-oriented strategies. I would simply suggest removing the mentions of your character gaining such resistance for projectile weaponry. Other than that little nitpick, this character looks very good. :thumpsup: