Jinzō Ōtori

Jinzō Ōtori, born into the Ōtori clan as its only remaining member. Jinzo is a quiet soul, preferring silence and lonliness over crowds and commotion. He is the only Shinobi who possess knowledge of Mercury release, his clan's special nature release type. His parents trained him in the ways of metal before their death, bestowing this knowledge onto him to pass on to his son or daughter. As a Jonin and an ex Ronin, he serves whoever needs it, living or dying by his sword.

Background Information
March 8, exactly 30 years ago in a cottage outside of Kirigakure no sato, a newborn baby would be named Jinzo Otori  after the famous Kiri swordsman who liberated several slave villages so many years ago. His mother, Ostume Otori, and his father, Erene Hoshigaki, held their newborn son in their cottage along the outskirts of Kirigakure. Along with them stood the former Mizukage and several ANBU shinobi. Why? They were witnessing the birth of the first Otori child born with a mercury body in hundreds of years. Such an event was like a comet passing through the ebony skies during nightfall.

''"He is such a beautiful boy. . ." Said his smiling mother as she touched the child's silver cheek.''

''"He won't be accepted by the other children. You all know this." The Mizukage stated blankly.''

''"How dare you say that. . .You don't know how things will be when he starts his time in the academy. . ." Said Jin's mother sadly.''

''"You're right. . .I am sorry." Said the Mizukage apologetically.''

''"He will win the Chuunin exams without a doubt. How unlucky for the rest. . ." The Mizukage said as he left the cottage with his men.''

The Mizukage couldn't have been more correct in saying that. The future for this child would be filled with endless bullying and ridicule for his odd appearance. A Hoshigaki AND an Ootori? That is some kind of shitty luck. Jin would eventually grow up to look a lot like his mother; same hair, same nose, same eyes, same skin, same. . .Almost everything. The only thing he had of his father's was his kindness and bravery. Something that would serve him well in the future. The baby boy smiled and giggled, reaching  up to touch his mother's face, which brought on the happiest of tears from her face. This mother truly loved her boy. Without an ounce of doubt.

Such a thing can be a wonderful gift. . . .But also a curse.

CHAPTER 2: CHILD YEARS

"Pass the ball Jin! Stop hogging it!"

''Exclaimed several of the children at a now 7 year old Jinzo on the basketball court. By now, Ken had learned quite a bit about Mercury Release from his mother, so it gave him quite a distinct advantage over the other children in the yard. Jin could stretch his arms and legs, even increase his height with his new ability, essentially allowing him to cheat to win. The other kids, knowing of this ability, hated playing with him. Most of the time, the other kids would mock him for his appearance and his awful humor, but today was different. Today was the first day of school for him and the rest of the new kids, which brought on a lot of fear around the playground. All of the parents knew that Ken was the favorite to win the Chuunin exams and slaughter the rest of the children. However, Ken did not know this was what was required to become a chuunin. He was a sweet kid who would never hurt someone on purpose.''

"Splash!"

'' Exclaimed the young mercury user as he shot a three-pointer over the rest of the children, swishing it in. The other kids grumbled and whined once they ball made contact with the net, most of them walking away in frustation. The ball bounced back toward the silver boy, which he grabbed.''

''"That's game and. . .That's easy!" He said as he laughed, pointing at the other kids.''

''"Hey guys come on! One more game?! Come oooooooooooon!!!!" He shouted as the kids began to leave the playground.''

"Man. . .They never want to play a second game. . .Huh?"

'' Out of nowhere, his mother and father appeared behind him. His mother was holding a basket around his wrist which only meant one thing. . .Mercury bites. Oh yes. . .So delicious. . .So sweet. .Sugary Mercury balls.''

'' "GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE!" Exclaimed the boy as he jumped onto his mother.''

''"Easy, easy... This is your lunch for school today, J-boy." said his mother.''

''"But I want them noooooow!" He whined, trying to grab at the basket.''

''"No!" His mother said, setting the boy down.''

"Lunch. . .That is for AFTER you finish your schoolwork. Got it, kid?"

''"Yes mom. . ." The boy said sadly. After he agreed, his mother could only smile, looking down at her boy.''

"Hug me, young man."

''The boy, with a cheerful smile, glomped onto his mom's hips, hugging her tightly. His father could only smile.''

''"Be a good boy now, Jin. Dinner will be at six so don't be late!" said his father.''

"Yeah, Yeah I know! Byeee!"

''The boy said as he swiped the basket from his mom, rushing into the academy doors as he waved back at his parents. His mother was his best friend... His only friend in a sense. No one else accepted him besides his two parents. The other children were too afraid to talk to him or even look at him. Indeed, Jin was a dangerous kid by default, but no child deserves to be treated that way.''

''Jin ran into the classroom and sat down by a smaller boy with the same colored hair but purple eyes. The boy seemed annoyed by Ken's presence already. Judging by his clothing and the crest on his t-shirt, he was a Hozuki.''

"Howdy, Hozuki~!"

Jin said, holding his hand out to the other kid.

''"No." Said the Hozuki boy blankly as he stared out the window, watching the trees dance in the slight wind.''

"Well alright then! I hope we can be friends!"

"No."

"I. . .Okay."

''Jin's silver lips drooped into a heavy frown as he pressed his forehead against his desk, already dreading the day. The Hozuki boy, noticing the silver boy's sadness, folded his arms and spoke.''

"Saigetsu. Saigetsu Hozuki."

Jinzo's head shot up from the desk excitedly.

"Jinzo Otori Hoshigaki! Nice to meet ya, pal~"

He said with a cheeky smile.

"''Hmph. . ." Saigetsu huffed under his breath and rested his cheek on his palm as he resumed watching the trees. Little did the children know it. . .Soon those trees would be engulfed in flames.''

CHAPTER 3: THE EVENT

Jinzo, now 8 years old and a genin, sat in front of the schoolyard beside Saigetsu, adjusting his Kiri neck band to fit comfortably.

''"Ghh. . .I hate this thing. . ." He said under his breath.''

"Ehhh...I'll just have mom fix it."

''"Just do it later. . .Who cares?" Said the Hozuki sitting next to him.''

"Well. . .Okay. This makes my skin feel weird."

"That's because it is metal. Separate metals rubbing together can't possible be comfortable for someone like you, right?"

''"I guess. . .Well, I better head home. Later, Sai." The boy said. It was late. Past the time he was usually supposed to be home for supper. His dad would kill him. Quickly, the boy jumped up from his seat and rushed back toward his home, waving at Sai on the way. Something wasn't right. . . .Was it a smell? Just a hunch? Feeling uneasy, the silver boy increased his speed as he began jumping on rooftops to get to his home faster. It was a pleasant temperature today, not too humid. Maybe after dinner, mom could train him more in Mercury release: Armory tactics. That was his favorite thing to use, espcially when playing sports. He could kick that soccer ball so damn far...Once at his house, Ken burst through the door only to see darkness.''

"Mom, Dad, I am ho--..."

''What....What was this? Jin felt almost sick to his stomach as he further walked into his home.''

"Mom...? D-Dad. . .?

The boy called out, looking through each room until he arrived in the living room.

"......."

''Two bodies piled on the floor. One belonging to a Hoshigaki male, the other an Otori female. Who were these people? They surely weren't his parents...They were too strong to be defeated. And...The man standing above them in the darkness...? Who was he?''

''"H-Help...Please..." The young boy asked. It was obvious who killed his parents, but Jin was in shock and couldn't think clearly.''

". . . . ."

''A spark of lightning lit up in the man's hand, which also lit up his face. Sunglasses...Tattoos on his cheeks...A Kumogakure headband. At this point, Jin knew he was done for. He was going to die right after graduating from the academy. The boy fell to his knees, a minute silver tear running down his cheek until it hit the floor.''

"Just do it alre--"

!!!!!

''Right when he thought all hope was lost, someone jumped over his silver body. Who was it? The boy looked up to see a woman with cyan hair standing on top of the Kumo ninja's body, now on the floor beside his parents. Who was she...? He doesn't remember someone like that running around the village...She had long cyan hair, a white Shinobi top, black pants with matching boots, and a Kiri mask with green markings under the slit eyes. How mysterious. . . .''

''"Who.. Who are you?!" He exlaimed, falling onto his back, crawling away so he could hide.''

"Stop."

''The woman spoke, appearing in front of him in an instant. The boy saw her feet in front of him and began sobbing, so much in shock. He had no idea who was who.''

''"Keep it together, Jin. The village has been attacked by Kumogakure. I need you to get to the academy. Now." The woman commanded.''

"B-But.. My parents..."

"I know. They would have wanted you to stay alive, not stay here and die. So GO."

''The woman said, her voice rising. The boy, with a harsh sniffle, rushed out of the front doors of his home, heading toward the academy. Fire. . .Bodies. . .Screaming... War... Jin's tears rained from his cheeks as he ran to the academy as fast as he could, watching shinobi fighting on the rooftops of each building. What was going on...? Who was that woman? Why were they attacking us? Why why why?! So many questions left unanswered....It would drive any boy to the brink of insanity. Finally the boy reached the academy and was safely escorted to the basement by a Chuunin where the rest of the kids were. Upon seeing the kids, Ken spotted Saigetsu, whom he rushed to.''

''"Sai?! What is going--..." Sai's face....It was the blankest a face could get. Did his parents die too? Was he hurt?''

''"Sai...?" Jinzo asked, nudging the Hozuki. No response. Ken, with a sigh, sat down beside Sai and buried his face in his knees. Mom... Dad.... Please... Let this be a nightmare... please let me wake up right now.... Please!''

--ONE YEAR LATER--

CHAPTER 4: THE BEGINNING OF A LEGACY

"Behold, your new Mizukage!"

''The crowd cheered and rose from their seats as the new Mizukage was crowed after the former Mizukage was killed in the war with Kumogakure. What ended the war? The woman now being crowned. She defeated the Raikage and forced Kumo to surrender. A hero among men and women. She adorned a white Kage gown, her mask now removed. She had an icy leer and pale skin. Her cyan hair was now in a pony tail and style nicely. She indeed looked the part for a kage. Ken, who standing along with the other ANBU, smiled at the woman being crowned, now adorning Kiri's Mizukage hat. Ken thought back to that time so many years ago. The beginning of the war, his parents, his friends....Jinzo owed this woman more than just his life. He owed her everything. Azuresato Ryu.''

''"Oi, Jinzo!"A man came running, calling his name as the crowds began to surround the new Mizukage for meets and greets. It was his Uncle, Midoke.''

"Hm? What's up, big M?"

"It's my wife....She gave birth."

"She did!? Shit, I missed it!"

"Yes! A girl and she is beautiful!"

"Well... What's her name, damn it!"

"Midoku."

Personality & Behavior
Jinzo is the quiet type, always preferring to be alone. Whenever the village had parties or any public events, he was always absent. Between his social awkwardness and his odd appearance, he did not wish to be around anyone, unless they were someone he truly, deeply cared about. After leaving Kirigakure, he swore he would live and die by the sword, using his knowledge in Kenjutsu to protect nature and innocent beings. Such things were important to him. He believes that kindness his necessary, but mercy isn't always necessary either. If killing someone would end conflict quickly, he wouldn't hesitate.

Jinzo thought himself to be ugly, hence the several masks and the jingasa to cast shadows over it. Growing up, a lot of the other kids at the academy mocked him for his appearance. Ever since then, he kept his body completely covered to avoid anyone else seeing his oddly colored skin. Despite being an honorable swordsman, Jinzo was very insecure about his appearance and his skin. If anyone made a nasty comment about those things in particular, he would return the rudeness ten-fold. Despite his insecurities, Jinzo is a loyal ninja and wouldn't stab anyone in the back, for that would be unchivalrous, which goes against the way of the sword.

Appearance
Jinzo wears the same outfit everyday, which consists of a black jingasa atop his head, a black, plastic mask covering his mouth adorned with demonic teeth, a black swordsman's vest, a black rain coat, combat wraps around both arms up to his shoulders, ronin pants with matching plate armor around his waist, ronin boots with matching, spiked armor around the calf area, a long-katana attached to his right hip, and for laughs, a second mask underneath his first one. Perhaps the most noticeable part of him, his chrome colored skin often shocked most people, casuing them to question whether or not he was human. Underneath his jingasa, Jinzo possessed pretty, silver eyes and spiked white hair, small spiked earrings hooked into his lobes.

Abilities
Because of his natural born Mercury nature type, his body is completely composed of mercury, however, it is controlled. With this ability, he can stretch his body like rubber, melt into a puddle of mercury to fit through cracks and doors, and even shape shift to appear like other people or even objects. This makes Jin a very capable spy.

Jinzo, by simply touching someone, can transfer a portion of his chakra to them. This ability makes him an excellent teammate for a doujutsu user.

Jinzo wears a Jingasa at all times. This hat can be infused with a ring of mercury around the edges so that it can be thrown like a large shuriken. An experienced mercury release user can even expand the mercury ring on the hat mid flight, essentially doubling or even quadrupling the size of the metal ring to completely throw an opponent off guard.

Kenjutsu
The Kuikkushirubā (首斬り包丁, Literally meaning "Quicksilver") is an extremely long Katana shaped like a thin razor knife, earning it the title of "seversword" (断刀, dantō). This blade was one of the famed blades from the ancient underground village known as Senpugakure. The blade itself is about six feet in length with several markings on it resembling a dead language. The latter notch allows a strap to be wrapped around the weapon, making it easier for the user to carry. Its extremely long handle is also detachable to further aid transportation and then reattached when required for combat. However, despite being well-trained, most wielders tire out easily when using it; a problem Jinzo would not have.

Like the other ancient famed blades created in Senpugakure, Kuikkushirubā possesses a unique power, this being its ability to reform itself using the mercury harvested from even the smallest amount of the commonly found mineral cinnabar. This regenerative process takes place almost instantaneously and is capable of bringing the weapon back to its original condition no matter how severe the damage is, from a simple chip or nick to a complete separation of over half the blade. The sword also possesses high durability and is quite strong, able to cut through almost anything. The blade can also extend and stretch to about ten times its length, possible due to the Otori clan member wielding it.

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu focuses on iaido. Iaido, derived from iaijutsu, develops the samurai skill of drawing the sword and cutting in the same movement, rather than cutting from a traditional stance after already having drawn the sword. Iaido aims to cultivate spiritual harmony in addition to the battlefield skill of iaijutsu. Eishin-ryu contains sitting techniques, standing techniques and techniques for use against multiple opponents, as well as for use on terrain.

Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu

Although the samurai carried both a katana and a wakizashi, they only used the katana outdoors and the wakizashi indoors. Miyamoto Musashi, the famous samurai who wrote "The Book of Five Rings", developed Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu. This style's name translates to "Two Heavens, One School" and refers to the trademark stance of both swords held above the head to attack. The swords work in a sequential rhythm; as one sword defends, the other attacks in the next step.

Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu remains the oldest surviving school of Japanese swordsmanship. According to Koryu, an index of traditional Japanese martial arts, Katori Shinto-ryu dates to 1447 and has had 20 headmasters based in Japan. The style encompasses training in the use of the katana, the bo staff, the halberd-like naginata, the spear and in empty-hand combat through jujitsu. Katori Shinto-ryu headmasters enjoy the status of Living National Treasures of Japan.

Mugai-ryu

The Chicago Mugai-ryu Study Group manual explains that this style has existed since 1691. It has both kenjutsu and iaijutsu techniques. Students train with bokken--wooden swords--or iaito, aluminum training swords with a dulled edge. Advanced students move on to tameshigiri exercises, which involve cutting targets to ensure proper form and blade angle during a cut. Mugai-ryu's iaijutsu curriculum incorporates two-person forms to help students achieve a sense of distance.

Ono-ha Itto-ryu

Ono-ha Itto-ryu's name translates to "one sword." The underlying principles of the style, and the branches of Itto-ryu that followed it, rely on a single powerful cut to defeat the enemy. According to Fighting Arts, Ono-ha Itto-ryu curriculum has over 150 techniques, many of which involve a direct downward cut through the center line of the body, often using the wrists as a target during their raised position when ready to attack. Modern kendo, the sport form of kenjutsu, derives its underlying philosophy from Itto-ryu.

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was the first style of the Tokugawa shogunate, before they began using Ono-ha Itto-ryu. Shinkage-ryu emphasizes flowing, subtle movements, and uses a longer and thinner blade. It contains some principles of aikido: instead of killing an enemy, the style encourages the use of disarming techniques.

Jigen-ryu

Jigen-ryu was founded in the late sixteenth century. It emphasizes a powerful first strike, intended to kill an enemy instantly. Students of Jigen-ryu stand in a modified Hasso-no-kamae stance, with the sword held vertically on the right side of the face with the guard at cheek level. The attacker makes a running hidari-kesa cut from the opponent's left shoulder to his right hip, cutting into the base of the neck where armor would not protect easily. You can learn Jigen-ryu in Kagoshima prefecture today.

Tamiya-ryu

Tamiya-ryu, founded in the late 1560s, makes use of a sword with a slightly longer hilt. A longer hilt gives the sword greater stability and power. When you stand in the high stance, Jodan-no-kamae, your opponent will have a tendency to look at the raised sword blade, and they will not notice foot movement. Tamiya-ryu requires large, precise movements.

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