Hareyakana Kurai - Kumogakure Genin

Posts : 730

Hareyakana Kurai

THE INFO.

Name: Hareyakana Kurai
Nickname: Kana or Rai
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance: Draped in elegance, there seems to be no question of this young woman’s breeding, yet she hails from no famous clan. Brought out of common stock this girl still shines with beauty, topped first with a head of silken threads of the deepest night. Her hair is long, falling well past her shoulders and shimmering with reflected light, bound only near the bottom with a short length of blue ribbon. Her eyes are a similar shade of abyssal black, like a pair of obsidian flecks contrasting within the white surrounding them. Her nose is small, her lips full and red, while the face which holds them all is angelic in shape and pale as fresh cream.

She is a stunning girl with confidence in her eyes and grace in each movement, and she is dressed well in an expensive seeming kimono. It is a silk soft enough to rival her hair, though dyed the pleasing blue-green of warm, clear seawater. The luxurious garment is embroidered with a garden of flowers, lilies and chrysanthemums left white with stems and leaves of a light floral green. Golden trim shines well in the light, while it matches the long obi which cinches the loose robes tightly about her slim waist. Below she wears soft white tabi and wooden soled sandals which are bound gently to her ankles and calves with soft blue-green ribbon.

Her body was not one made for the work of a lowly peasant, and that is plain enough to see with one glance. Her curves are those more suited to a life of pleasure, already a bit top heavy, and bearing hips which fill out her robes well. Her waist is a narrow thing giving her the hourglass figure of the most desired models, with skin soft and smooth as satin. Though she is small, standing just at the five foot mark and falling just short of 100 pounds, she wears each ounce of weight with perfect appeal, from her smooth and strong dancer’s legs up to arms lithe and light like those of a porcelain doll. Her feet are small things, her hands delicate and soft, seeming to have never once seen a day of hard work, in spite of the tireless effort she has placed into mastering her blades.

To look at her she seems a delicate thing unfit for any life of war, further evidenced by her apparent lack of weapons, or a village headband. Instead she’s found only carrying a white paper fan trimmed with gilt edges, and framed within a spread of gold braces. A length of golden beads wraps around her wrist from the handle, securing the family heirloom in place through all manner of action. It seems more a tool of leisure than any manner of weapon; however those who look upon her should be warned that such a gentle visage can be deceiving. Within her sleeves and beneath her kimono there can be little doubt that Rai is as deadly as any ninja produced by the fine Kumogakure Ninja Academy.

Forehead Protector: Wrapped around her left thigh, well hidden by her kimono.

Personality: Hareyakana Kurai is well named for her personality, translating to Radiant Dark. She is both, and she is neither depending on how whim strikes her. Born amongst commoners who lack sufficient skill to be potential shinobi she is now the first of her line to graduate the academy. Because of this there is a lot of pressure on her to both make a name for herself, and to secure her family in the annals of shinobi history, thus paving the way for more to come. This tension causes her to split in personality, doing what it takes to achieve both glory and victory.

At most times Rai seems a serious girl, noble and determined, often overly formal to those who hold station above her. This act is one which was expected of her growing up amongst those with titles and rank far above her peasant roots, and one she does not despise so much as resent. She seeks always to be seen as honorable, in the social situations not battle, an as such retains the proper etiquette of a lady born to stock much finer than her own. While this side of her is calm, passive, and cool under pressure, it is only the face she shows the world around her, and not her true self.

This illusion of etiquette was one bred into her, one she is able to display with little effort, like an actress well read in her lines. Her smile comes easily to her during these times, the soft upturned lips a delight to the eye of those around her, while even her jet black eyes seem to glisten with some untold joy, an inward bliss at simply being one of Kumo’s chosen. It is for good reason, for being freed from the constant care and attention of her farmer homeland has left her overflowing with emotional rapture, and physical freedom. She can flirt, she can laugh, she is now permitted to spend days in quiet contemplation of her future or turn it all off and simply exist as a young woman quickly coming of age.

When given moments to relax, and let her hair down, Rai shows herself to be both fun-loving, and quite relaxed. It is a rare sight when others are near her, but in her solitude she can be found delighting in the simple pleasures of life; like music, flowers, or simple cloud watching. She is a pleasant child during these moments, easy to laugh, easy to sing, and yet still a subtle sadness lingers in even these moments. She is always too aware of her importance to her family, and burdened by the duty of raising her bloodline out of obscurity. During these times it is doubt in her own ability which brings her crashing back down to reality, her playful spirit stifled by the great weight of external expectations.

She takes her joy in simple pleasures, loving the sight of the morning sky, the colors and soft scents of wildflowers, and even pleases herself with daily reading and exercise. She loves all the things she is permitted to choose for herself, from which books she would read to music filtering through the doors of a bustling theater. She is well groomed for the finer things, and while she does love luxury, which is not to say she hates her simple and impoverished roots. No, truly, having lead such a cloistered life there is little in the world Rai has learned to hate, except the idea of being left idle for too long. Rai has grown up with expectations of her own, and allowing the village to misuse her by thinking her weak and leaving her out of the important work frustrates her to no end. In the end, there is nothing Rai loves more than prove her value to all around her, and little she despises more than being underestimated and left to the common life of kitchen work, or serving.

Because of the great amount of pressure placed on her before she has carved her willpower out of the stone of her mountain homelands. Her demeanor rarely changes, happiness seeming etched on her features. Inwardly she is a very emotional child, easily switching from joy to anger, from anger to frustration and from frustration to glee over and over; all while maintaining an exterior of stoic placidness. Because of this many think she has not a care in the world, but that is as much an illusion as the smile she wears constantly. In truth, Rai is a bubbling tempest of emotion, well contained within a shell of steady quiet. She is like the lingering calm before a great storm, even when already a torrent rages within her.

Clan: N/A

Nindō: Duty is my life. My task is no simple one, and to achieve it, I must work, and work hard. I can never give up, not without disappointing the whole of my family. I must be a shinobi, but I must also be a lady, one who must balance potential marriage with a life of war; a life drawn tightly between a life of social honor and the life of a silent killer. Because of this I have only one option. I must work hard, embrace my future, and never look back.

THE NINJA.

Origin: Lightning Country.
Affiliation: Kumogakure
Rank: Genin
Specialties: Ninjutsu / Eijutsu
Elemental Affinities: Fuuton / Doton
Combat Style: Rai’s Combat style is focused mostly on defense. She is a weak combatant compared with most that have spent their lives exclusively training to kill, and the closer an enemy gets, the more reason for worry she has. That is not to say she is completely helpless, but like many smart shinobi, Rai relies greatly on the presence of her allies to assist her in remaining alive and well on the battle field. Rai is quick on her feet, fast to hide, and faster to retreat from enemies pursuing her, for she knows when a battle ends, her skills will be the ones most needed.

She is weak against strong weaponry and taijutsu users, as their physical power and speed often outmatch hers with little trouble, and because so many people specialize in one or both of those facets of combat, she’s often find on the back line of her squads fighting formation. Lacking in armor or a vast selection of weapons on her own Rai often hides when things get dangerous, choosing a shadow patch of trees, a large rock, or a good sized crack in the mountains to hunker down in. While it can be said that she simply stands no chance in a one on one confrontation against an armed and determined enemy, let it not be said she is completely helpless.

Rai has her strengths, and being a talented medic is only the beginning. She has practiced long and hard to achieve a small level of mastery over her own elements, and with earth comes great protection. Conjuring up a tall and thick wall of solid stone makes it somewhat easy to hide from most elemental attacks, and while Raiton can trump her doton, she’s got fuuton to answer that problem. Likewise, strong gusts of air can keep her well protected from incoming projectiles, knocking them off course or simply obliterating them as they fly. At range, Rai is able to remain confident in her ability to survive, however she doesn’t let that get to her head. She still sticks to the primary strategy of any good shinobi. Her strongest strategy is, and will always be, relying on her friends.

Special Characteristics:
Perception

Spoiler:

THE BACKGROUND.

History:
Kurai’s life was not an easy one, but that goes without saying. The village of Thunder Valley is one nestled deep in the mountains of the Land of Lightning, one built on stone, and filled with farmers. Life was never easy there, the soil is rocky and malnourished, but the people from her village are tough. Even before she was born this was known to be true, and so it was passed down into her family that the will to persevere is vital to the very continuation of life. You reap only what you sow in those lands and so each of the farmers is born to labor long and hard in the rice fields and farms, to dig irrigation and prune plants. It’s a life few complain about openly, though almost all of the farmers yearned for something more. While some dreamed and whispered their desires to their husbands and wives or encouraged their children with lies about the potential of the future, there were always a select handful of families who actually sought to do something about it. Kurai’s family was one of them, and she is a shining example of the result of their desires.

Growing up she was separated, removed from her village like some black sheep and forbidden to work the fields with the rest the village children. The plans her parent had would not allow for such a thing, and though such work would have toughened her body, it would have limited her possible placement in the years to come. Instead, Kurai was the final attempt at glory for her entire bloodline. Farmers do not make much ryo, instead they usually subsist to live, growing their own food, and scraping by only by the sweat of their brow. Yet in good times and bad, those who pinch their pennies learn how to amass money enough to escape the caste of their birth, and rise up another rung on the social ladder. Her family had saved for years before her birth, and for years after her birth just to bring pay the fee required to bring a true tutor to the village, and to focus on training. What made Rai so special? It was nothing, really, nothing but the timing of her birth.

To say she was nothing special is something of false modesty, but her merits had not blossomed before a Kumo chuunin had made the lengthy voyage from their hidden village to take pity on a lowly peasant. Still, by birth she was gifted with a great charm, a pleasing face with friendly eyes and a soft voice others found lovely. Her parents took special care in her early years, warding her away from socializing with the other children, and instead pushing her into a life of study and carefully controlled lessons on social protocol. These were her foundation, the solid ground she stood upon before she began her more esoteric training. Of course, there were none in the little farming community able to teach her the skills she truly needed; only the eventual arrival of a Shinobi tutor could teach Rai how to harvest the seeds of her chakra, and plant them into a crop of jutsu.

Her training went quite well, beginning at a young age and lasting for three years. She was thirteen when he finally left the village, her family’s money then well spent and gone; leaving them destitute but with great hope for the future. Rai was their hope, an incarnation of their ambition, and not a day passed in which she was not reminded of their lofty expectations for her future. To them her future was not even her own, it was the destiny of her entire bloodline. With Kurai they would rise or they would fall, and to mark her as such, they gifted the girl with a family name no others in the land of lightning held. Hareyakana; radiance, light, blistering brilliance to shame even the sun. It is a difficult name to live up to, and yet her parents had the forethought to add on to it, layering the name with dual meaning. Kurai is a simple word, and Darkness is a simple thing.

Darkness of heart was carefully bred into her training, a life of teaching with ethics bent strongly towards a lack of true morality. Honor would replace conscience, allowing her to kill for her country without feeling the pangs of regret that accompany the untrained. This darkness lingers with her still, a shadow cast by the light of her social grace. Few would look upon her and see it there, hidden away in her heart, and yet to her it is as obvious as the shadow cast by an ancient oak over a vast meadow. This darkness is not vile, it is not evil, it is only potential; the potential needed to become a true ninja.

Kurai’s tutor discerned her elements and evaluated her skills, and over the course of three years he turned her from a simple farmer’s daughter into a blossoming shinobi, with an understanding of chakra, a knowledge of her elements, and a keen knack for doing anything required to come out ahead. He even sang the girl praises before leaving, saying she was one of the brightest students he had ever trained. The chuunin informed her parents and extended family that their money was well spent, and that in time she would find her potential equal or greater than that of the students coming from the oldest ninja clans in the region. When he left, Kurai soon followed.

Before shee was cast out of her village, however, Kurai was given the greatest of what her village had. The finest clothes, the sharpest knives, everything the village had once used to defend their own homesteads, or dress up for the feudal lord’s passing through town or local weddings. She received her mother’s finest kimono. Her father gifted her with a simple wakizashi passed down through his family. The entire village contributed a purse full of ryo, and she was finally sent on her way to the village hidden in the clouds. There her life was to change, finally out of the watchful eyes of her parents her guard came down for the first time. It seemed to her as though she was reborn, breathing freedom at last, and yet still the constant need to achieve success lingered in the back of her mind.

It festered there like the remains of fish below ground, steadily supplying the soil of her mind with the nutrients required to grow into something special. She was enlisted into the academy the next year and what had been a life of only tutoring became a life utterly devoted to perfecting the craft she had just begun to learn. Kurai spent two years in the academy, learning the basic jutsu all were required to know, and adding some elemental techniques into it between semesters. Her talent with the katana and wakizashi was honed until she finally chose between the two, selecting the shorter blade for both offence and defense. Near the end of her second year she was given tests, made to speak, write, explain, and prove her grasp on the jutsu both basic and advanced; and then she was given her finest reward; her Kumogakure headband.

There are those in the village, especially the rest of her graduating class, who claimed Kurai was dishonoring the village with her treatment of her headband, but few of the privileged youths born into families which were assumed from birth to be shinobi could understand her upbringing. When given their headbands they wore them proudly, flaunted them like farmers with a new ox and plow. Rai did not follow this trend, and instead hid her headband away beneath her clothing, as she had learned to do with all the rest of her ninja tools. The headband found its home on her left leg, hidden from sight from all those who might scan the girl with their prying eyes, while her tools were hidden up her loose, luxurious sleeves.

While official school training for most ends as they pass out of the academy, the same couldn't be said for Rai. After the basic ninja academy her instructors selected her for her special talents, and ushered her into the next tier of her schooling amongst the medical forces of Kumogakure. There less of a focus was placed on the direct need to destroy the enemy forces, and emphasis shifted over towards protecting the squad, and ninja of Kumogakure as a whole. Medicine was something Rai had a limited experience with already from time spent working with the village doctors and midwives, but here she gained a true grasp on just how little she knew. Anatomy was thrown at her, bio-chemistry, physiology, botany, and a list of herbal remedies to pair with less traditional healing skills which put the healers of her small village to shame.

It was a whole new world for her, one she found herself enthralled by and quickly became a strong facet in her life. She purchased book after book on topics she never dreamed she would be studying, and feel back into old habits. Sleep came less and less often as her medical classes became more and more in-depth as she’d remain up at all hours, consuming page after page of her medical texts. Even when the focus shifted away from the books and more on how chakra was focused, Rai continued to stay up late and just read. Bones and organs and muscles all became figments of her dreams, haunting her by night even as she labeled them by day. Of course, she excelled in the craft, her teachers taking notice, arranging private lessons and more detailed training to ensure the blossoming medical nin would find access to every bit of skill she needed.

Experienced medics took turns in testing her talents, bringing her tame injuries at first and carefully guiding her through mending lacerations and minor fractures. Illness and disease became part and parcel of the trade, and as quickly as she’d helped mend bones she was eradicating bacterial infections and unwanted viruses weakening her fellow Kumo citizens. She became adept at focusing her chakra and feeling her way through her patient’s bodies with it, seeking out the hurt and mending it quickly and efficiently. While it can not be said that Rai was the single best student to ever be ushered through the doors of Kumo’s trauma ward, it can be said she was a great fit for the place. Her upbringing had seen numerous accidents, and she had a very strong stomach for the blood, exposed bone, and even worse which came through the door. For two years after her academy graduation she spent every waking moment perfecting her medical trade. After those two years, reports of her progress were spread around to her superiors and she was soon discharged from exclusive hospital training, and permitted field work.

Of course, this begins a new chapter in Rai’s life, with all new experiences. She’s yet to make a name for herself in the field, outside of the hospital, but is eager and anxious to get out there and prove her worth. She awaits assignment to a team still, hoping to be placed among the more active and talented groups of genin. From stories she’s heard, she suspects her life to be boring at first, as once more she will be forced to prove her worth to people who’d yet to see her act. She is confident, however, that she will impress them all, as thus far she’s met every challenge posed to her, and triumphed over them with skill and grace.

Roleplay Sample:
Her mentor’s attack had come suddenly, the first blast of wind knocking her off balance, but she’d anticipated it coming and compensated quickly. With her momentum already pushing her off her feet she simply rolls, tucking down into a small ball and tumbling head over heels to the side to escape the wicked downward slash of the man’s katana. It wasn’t the cleanest attack, and even if she hadn’t predicted it coming she might have escaped it, but the presence of his previous jutsu was really muddying things up. Kumogakure no Jutsu was one known by many in the village, one even known by personally by her, but knowing how to call down a thick fog did little to help one see through the thick white soup now lingering on the battlefield. It had to be dealt with if she was going to survive, or even turn the tables on her teacher.

The cloud was fluffy and white, really more a fog than the mists known by Kiri, but she knew how she could escape it. Moving with the roll she’s soon back on her feet, releasing the paper fan she was holding and letting it dangle limply from her wrist by the chain of golden beads it was secured with. Both hands would be needed for the upcoming jutsu, and with no hesitation she clasps them together and quickly sets to weaving through a complicated string of seals, each motion drawing chakra to the surface, and focusing it inside of her. At the end she draws in a deep breath and forces the chakra into her lungs, distilling it into breath she held. After a moment the wind inside her compresses and she leans forward, opening her mouth and pursing her lips and exhaling a strong gust of wind out into the open space of the training grounds.

In an instant the wind kicks up the fog, parting it, forcing it away, and pushing the fluffy white cloud back up into the sky where it belongs. The battlefield would be revealed in an instant as the jutsu took effect, the grey stone of the mountain they fought on somewhat slippery with lingering dew, and patched with green moss and patches of grass growing up between the rocks. Her opponent was there too, smiling as he spins around, moving to hold the katana with only one hand, while the other seizes a handful of shuriken and lashes out quickly. There was no rest for the wicked in these intense training sessions, and a wrong move could easily end in grievous injury, but the attacks were typically kept less than lethal. Still, the sight of five shuriken racing through the air towards your body leaves little time for such reasoning.

Without thinking her defense is one more brought to the surface, ignoring the need for hand seals and instead relying on the tools of her trade. She hops back quickly, if only to buy herself another second to react with, and flicks her wrist. Her fan lands in her hands, her fingers flicking it open as her arm draws back. When she lands she sweeps her arm forward, the fan gathering wind and forcing it forward in a single strong gust, a gust which tears across the battlefield and deflects each of the shuriken off target. The metallic stars clatter and bounce off the stone surroundings, each one missing her by a comfortable margin; though the action leaves her somewhat winded, and panting. She remains there, staring at her mentor with a half smile, and slowly draws her arm back.

“You are going easy on me.” She says quietly, her voice carrying over the stone mountaintop. She gestures with her fan, flicking it once towards herself as though she might be warm and in need of a cooling breeze. “Come now, make me work for it. I’ll never learn if you don’t at least try.” She continues, keeping a careful eye on her mentor. The words might enflame the tempers or egos of other combatants, but Rai and her mentor had grown into a good report, and he only laughs as he races forward to press his assault.

THE ARSENAL.

Jutsu

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

So,

Just a tad bit more of appearance and personality would be needed. Overall, you have a nice writing style and cover the basis; but I'd like to know more of the body build of your character. For an example, how tall is she? It might seem like a lot of nitpicking, but it is really crucial to have all the needed details and information in the character's application to help out in the future those who will be rp-ing with you.

As for your personality, add in more of things she likes and dislikes. Does she ever get pissed off? Is there anything she loves?
Origin should be just the country she was born in.
Can you please add in the specific main/sub for your ranges? [Weaponry - Main: Close/ Sub: Long]
Your combat style has to be longer. At least one paragraph (250-300 words-ish). Add also in her main weakness and main strength when in battle.
I'm afraid you have to change your history's writing style. As you must always write in 3rd person on this site. You are describing your character and her life, but not your own.
You have 14 jutsu but can start with 15. Not mandatory, just a reminder
Another reminder (and not something you -must- have or do), you can start with 2 C rank weapons of your main range and then up to 15 D rank weapons of either range.

Posts : 730

Changes made.

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

You forgot to change the Origin, it should only say "Lightning Country"
In your history, there are a few places where you forgot to change the first person perspective. I shall quote all those that I found here below;

Quote :

Kurai’s family was one of them, and I am a shining example of the result of their desires.

Her family had saved for years before my birth

their lofty expectations for my future.

To them her future was not even my own

Before shee was cast out of my village, however, Kurai was given the greatest of what my village had.
The chakra cost for Retsudo Tenshou - Revolving Split Earth Palm is missing.

Posts : 730

Alrighty! Edited once more, I am pretty sure I got them all this time. I combed over it again and found a few more first person lines. They've also been edited.

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

(1/2) approved.

Posts : 730

I edited a great deal of my character. Changed my combat style, added to my history(In third person even!), removed Weaponry as a spec and added Medical, Removed my weaponry based jutsu and added Medical techniques, Edited my ninja kit, making a mix between both normal genin stuff, and needed medical stuff, and... possibly some other stuff I'm not remembering. Oh, made my wakizashi D rank so she could carry it still.

Anyway.. sorry for making you mods look at my App again... but this is much better for me. ^-^

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

(1/2) approval.

Again.

Age : 32 Posts : 869

Approved 2/2
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