Ryo: 165/558
Companions: (1/1)
Training: (24/75)
Prestige Perks: (1/1) Beast Master
Karagata, Shiv
"We are all but weapons, our value is based on how competent we are at a given task. If one is of no inherent value they are trash not deserving of life..."
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DescriptionShow Over the years, Shiv's physical description changed drastically. In his early years, he had been quite lanky and thin which was hardly surprising considering his focus on agility rather than strength. However, the years in service of Kirigakure have conditioned him to be close to the epitome of human performance. Something that many never come close to actually achieving. When you gaze upon Shiv today he doesn't look weak or misshapen in the slightest, instead, his body is like that of chiseled stone with toned muscle seemingly bulging with power. Being quite handsome in appearance he isn't above using his looks to charm those around him, becoming quite the beloved celebrity around the village. Something of a slight to this otherwise perfect image would be his skin tone. The color of Shiv's skin is a pale white almost coming off as greyish. The light tone is mostly due to the fact that Kirgakure is constantly covered in a thick blanket of mist which conveniently blocks out the sun for weeks at a time. Not that he minds really, for the sun has never really been a necessity for a man conveniently working in the shadows. Unfortunately, this does have the stigma of him looking rather corpselike. Upon his upper torso on his back is a rather large scar. This scar came out of a failed mission years ago when he came face to face with the infamous Fushinkou, Yaku. Aside from that, he is rather unblemished with just a few notable scars littered randomly over the entirety of his body. One peculiar thing about Shiv is his teeth. Shiv has a set of teeth that are quite distinguishable from most normal people outside of Kirigakure no Sato. This unique trait is that his teeth have been sharpened to a point to achieve a shark-like appearance. It is exotic outside of the village but around the village, it is considered a pretty standard modification to usually intimidate people outside of the village. On occasion, he has even found them to be quite effective in cutting through a variety of things. Moving on, we are left with Shiv's head. His hair never changed much throughout the years, as he was always mindful of how it affected him in combat. His dark brown hair is cut short with the top left slightly longer than the sides. The way in which he styles his hair is fashionable while still being acceptable for one in his line of work. There is also a small braid that he has grown out in memory to those he has lost over the years, especially Shizuka, Naoko. This braid is located by his right temple and tied securely with a band of leather. Clothing/AccessoriesShow
Shiv is a weapon of the village through and through and this can be seen by his choice of attire. Specializing almost exclusively in assassination he had a custom jumpsuit fitted to his body focusing on enhancing maneuverability and mobility. This one-piece black jumpsuit is breathable and durable, constructed to withstand abuse in a variety of different environments. Upon the jumpsuit is an interchangeable system for attaching web gear and the like so that Shiv can easily carry customized load-outs for diverse missions. This web gear includes many black military-grade pouches for holding weaponry and the like. In addition, he also has a refillable camel pack that holds water to keep him hydrated on duty; it comes attachable to his helmet. Within one of the many pouches on his suit is a folded black and white shemagh which is worn when not paired with his custom-built helmet. This helmet is one of a kind, designed, engineered and manufactured to minimize weight while maximizing performance. The visor is virtually unbreakable as well as polarized to help reduce the effect of glare while being active. Made out of high-performance composite materials, this ensures the ultimate protection against a majority of threats. What about his head-protector you ask? Well, he usually wears it upon his right shoulder, firmly attached to his suit so that all can see his allegiance to Kirigakure no Sato. EquipmentShow 'Ol'faithful': Heavier than it looks, tricky to wield, and guaranteed to last. This 20-inch machete weighs in at two pounds while being quite thick with a width of four inches. Unique to this chakra sensitive machete is the uncanny ability for it to increase in size, becoming both broader and heavier; the increase is three times its original size; 60 inches in length, 12 inches in width. When fully grown this weapon takes on the appearance of a two-handed sword, in essence looking like a giant kitchen knife. This increase in interchangeable, changing between regular and big on a whim, to activate the ability the user simply pours some chakra into the blade until it either increases or decreases in size. This machete is stored in a sheath across his back, securely attached to his suit. Built into this sheath is a mechanism that holds the blade firmly in place, though can be quickly unlocked and released by pulling at a particular angle. x2 Windmill Shuriken: The windmill shuriken is unique as it can be collapsed into a dagger looking object for ease of carrying. These shurikens have been slightly modified for use with a length of wire, essentially connecting the two for further use. This is done by having small holes on the shuriken so that wire can be run through it easily. An example of use would be a makeshift grappling hook. These are securely fastened upon his machete sheath on his back. Ninja Wire (20 feet): Standard wire used for a variety of general ninja purposes. Located on the waist, securely latched onto his belt. SatchelShow x3 Rations: Standard military issue field rations that provide enough for one meal. Typically, the ration contains a meal item (beans and wiener sausages, scalloped potatoes with ham, smoked salmon fillet, macaroni and cheese, cheese omelet with mushrooms, shepherd's pie, etc.), wet-packed (sliced or mashed) fruit in a boxed retort pouch, and depending on the meal a combination of instant soup or cereal, fruit drink crystals, jam or cheese spread, peanut butter, honey, crackers, bread (bun) compressed into a retort pouch, coffee and tea, sugar, commercially available chocolate bars and hard candy, a long plastic spoon, paper towels and wet wipes. Everything is packaged inside a heavy-duty folding paper bag no bigger than that of a regular bowl. x1 Standard Body Disposal Kit: A basic disposal kit given to each member of the HHD. The kit comes with all the essential supplies to dispose of a body completely; in the most standard method. Included within this kit: Canteen worth of flammable oil, flint, and a steel tool. Military Waist PouchShow x5 Explosive Kunai: A basic kunai with the addition of an exploding tag being connected to the back of the projectile with a small amount of wire. The tag is clearly visible but makes for a stronger projectile. x40 Senbon x10 Shuriken x10 Exploding Tags - Kept within the left pouch on his belt. x1 Ninja Wire (20 feet): Standard wire used for a variety of general ninja purposes. Located on the waist, securely latched onto his belt. PersonalityShow Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite a remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons and or tools based on their inherent qualities. This ideology of comparing people has greatly affected the man over the years as he considers those below to be nothing more than a necessity required to provide for those of true worth. In this frame of mind, he actively separates people based on their presumed worth, thus the man is completely fine with slaughtering practically anybody rationalizing it as deserved since they weren't capable weapons, to begin with. However, everything isn't exactly black and white to the man as there are notable exceptions that can make trash useful enough to be left alone. For if everyone was expendable then what would be the point of being above everyone? At least that is the rationale Shiv has adopted to explain society in general. When not lost in thought, Shiv is quite calculating by nature. This nature can be seen through his professionalism in relation to his role and position as a ninja of the village. With that in mind, these traits can also be clearly seen through his demeanor while on duty. Shiv carries himself with distinction revealing complete confidence in himself which expertly hides the demented side of him. Unfortunately, there are times when people don't see this pious individual at his best, instead, witnessing the worst usually due to his obscure judgment on their actual worth. People are only shown his professionalism if deemed worthy of his respect. Due to this, superiors are often the only ones shown this side, but almost solely because of this pseudo respect and in combination with his ability as a ninja, those above have always spoken highly of the man, in turn, increasing his perceived reputation. To be honest, that very reputation Shiv earned over the years has gone directly to his head. He has become much more arrogant of his abilities and has taken up a lone wolf attitude, thinking himself above his peers to a point in which he prefers doing things solo instead of relying on people. However, his views don’t stop him from talking to those he comes in contact with. In fact, he is quite a social individual with a flair for the dramatic. Dramatic being that things always seem to have to be edgy. Once people get over his sarcastic demeanor they find he can be quite fun and or at least interesting to be around, especially if one is looking for something out of the ordinary. Regrettably, Shiv has a tendency for talking to women over men being more comfortable conversing with those he doesn't exactly see as 'rivals' or 'competition'. If anything was truly affected by Shiv’s elitist view, it would probably be his outlook on women. He has taken up a chauvinistic view of women and essentially objectified them for the most part. The only time he acknowledges them as more than just an object is if they can hold their own in combat. However, he will still playfully flirt with them, but those that have proven to be competent weapons are of a higher pedigree than those that can’t fight worth a damn. This particular trait of his has become universally known to many around the village, but due to his position and standing, is often overlooked by the same people. Shiv is always seeking to refine his abilities by openly looking for a worthy challenge to test his mettle against, which would also explain his treatment of women. A challenge is a challenge and boy does he take pleasure in taking down a worthy target. Known throughout the land for his brutality towards those deemed acceptable to kill, the magnitude of this ruthlessness has barely been seen in person but from what people have heard his targets are often mutilated beyond recognition aside from the head which is usually required in hunt and disposal missions. Shiv finds comfort in being ready to go at any moment and as such he spends much of his free time maintaining everything, making sure everything is in tip-top shape, and or going through records of his peers or rogue ninja. Those are things he feels are necessary for his daily routine, but are not necessarily the only things he does. For fun he likes hooking up with women, partying, and or playing around with people. To relax he enjoys hiking around the island surrounding the village and training on the slippery and jagged cliffs atop the mountain range. Within the village is another story for there are few places he can go unnoticed, thus he likes to stay home in his condo located in the inner portion of the village till nightfall. Here he has installed the necessities needed to not venture out into the world; gym, training area, garden, pool, bar etc. Even with Shiv’s training and years of experience, it is almost impossible to completely remove emotion from oneself and as such he does have a soft spot for those that are related to him through blood and or a few individuals outside his family that grow on him over the years. When he is with these people you can easily tell his change in personality as he becomes much more considerate than at any other time, blatantly going out of his way to keep these people out of harm’s way if he can manage it. Thus, from that one can easily guess what the man fears too; emotional connections. Becoming more human instead of a weapon is what keeps the champion of Kirigakure awake at night. This constant struggle of attempting to achieve his goal while also caring for those around him is what nags his being and makes him human enough to keep sane. HistoryShow A while back a small baby was born. It was a gloomy and cold night; the rain came down hard and heavy. The hard thumps that echoed from the roof made for a somewhat comforting melody compared to that of the screaming coming from within. This was the night Shiv was born. There wasn't much to tell about the newborn, he looked and cried just like any other baby, but was smaller than average. Rushing back from a patrol the father stormed into the delivery room. What he saw made him cringe slightly. This was his baby?! The brute of a man thought that there must have been some mistake. His baby was supposed to be; grandiose in every way. The baby was a bit of a disappointment for the father, who had high expectations for his would-be son who would be tasked with furthering the political influence of their once lowly house. What could the father do with such an average bloke that looked more like a dock worker than a potential ninja? Only time would tell if the boy turned out to be useful, but with a fake smile, the father kept a reserved demeanor as to not spoil the moment. The Karagata family had a reputation for producing exceptional assassins. They were a family born and raised upon the sea, the majority worked in or around the docks transporting goods and people everywhere around the country. Those that were chosen to become ninja were highly praised within the house as they brought the family more influence and power. It would be troublesome for the father to convince the house to allow such an average child into the academy, but after bothering them enough the father finally got his wish. Surely they could see the boy wasn't going to be much use on the docks. There was no doubt before long that Shiv would be forced upon the same path as his father as the man worked tirelessly to forge a weapon of worth out of the boy. The expectations placed on this boy were quite daunting, but the boy met them through blood, sweat, and tears. Shiv's father romanticized combat, known to hospitalize men for simply looking at him wrong, he would speed the boy’s progress forward with a firm hand. These harsh and strict methods conditioned Shiv into violence and combat which ultimately prepared the boy for his future role as a ninja of Kirigakure. It wasn’t long before the boy was accustomed to this brutal way of learning, achieving, and overcoming obstacles. Truth be told, it wasn’t an easy childhood but Shiv made the best of it, coming to enjoy the challenge and thrill of overcoming the challenges given to him by his father. Taught in the ways of the older generation, Shiv eventually emerged as a spitting image of his father, though smaller and less intimidating. When it came time to enter the academy, Shiv was already well on his way for anything they had to throw at him. The years in the academy seemed to breeze by, Shiv became known as a fierce duelist having faced the best students countless times, coming out on top or equal. His group was even considered one of the strongest for their overall ability to outmatch any other group in fighting prowess. Most of that group went on to pass their final exam and become genin, it was a moment of accomplishment for these younglings and their parents. Passing the final exam meant being placed into a customary duo group. Upon being placed with another, Shiv instantly recognized his rival, a boy by the name of Taka. He was one of the strongest boys in the academy having bested Shiv on more than one occasion; he would make a great rival. Their mentor, on the other hand, was a drunkard. His name was Ochi; he was a man of small stature measuring only slightly above that of Shiv and Taka, but what he lacked in height he made up in crazy. His training methods were outright dangerous and unorthodox, leaving a long-lasting impression on both boys. Throughout the years they grew as a team and came to be known throughout the village for their brutality and dark sense of humor. While not training or the like, Shiv was an active player around the docks being hired by his numerous cousins for small jobs here and there, especially those that needed a bit of muscle. Truth be told, Shiv was slightly distant to the majority of his cousins as they had all become honest working sea folk who earned their living with the 'Karagata Shipping Company'. There were definitely times that Shiv wished he hadn't been pushed to become a weapon, as the further indoctrinated he became to more he became distant with his family who didn't exactly share the same state of mind that was required of a ninja of the village. When you became a weapon, the family generally looked at you as a means of furthering their own influence and the like. So instead of keeping close with his cousins they eventually began to use him for whatever they needed, but as was his purpose he willingly agreed to tasks without hesitation. In turn, this would eventually have the effect of him feeling alone even when amidst family. Eventually, the duo was given the chance at advancement. During the examination to become chuunin, Shiv and Taka excelled and were surprised at the fact that there was actually quite a decent amount of competition still in the village. The duo passed their examination with flying colors, passing along with many other skilled Kirigakure comrades. His father was intensely proud of what he had created yet still maintained his ferocity toward sharpening Shiv into a weapon of worth. This might have been the first time Shiv actually saw his father display any sort of positive emotion as everything was usually implied as positive. Without much of a male role model outside his father and his mentor, Shiv too would eventually take up their behavioral traits becoming colder than most others his age. People that showed emotion were usually considered on a weaker spectrum; this would shape the boy immensely as he slowly began to interact with more people. Cast amidst another squad, Shiv eventually left the confines of his parent’s house, moving into an apartment with a couple of his cousins in the merchant ring of Kirigakure. Training and working became the only real things of importance. During the day he did his usual duties and when night fell across the land he took the graveyard shift doing rounds and watching for threats in regards to the safety of Kirigakure. Many would say he became a total workaholic during this period of his life, having nothing better to do than work to both improve his standing and abilities as a ninja. That isn't to say that his efforts didn't help with that goal, but they also further distanced him from his childhood buddies and the like. Even the cousins he lived with didn't exactly know him as they barely if at all saw him. Specializing in close-quarter combat Shiv modified his body so that he could be more efficient and effective at close range. By adding a pair of air tubules throughout his body he was able to develop a style of killing that utterly decimated his enemy at close to medium range effectively turning his enemies into a bloody mess of organs, feces, and whatever they ate before combat. This style came to be so effective that he was thought to be easily jounin level, surprising enemies and dispatching them like nothing before they even had time to realize his abilities. Earning a decent track record of successful missions, the young man was starting to gain the notice of those above, particularly those in the head hunter division who were always on the lookout for people of exceptional talent. On one mission Shiv even managed to slay a small village worth of people when things went haywire and the village tried to rebel against an important feudal lord in the region. It was during this period in his life that he was approached by his mentor about becoming a jounin. Shiv was confident in his abilities but he knew he was no match for a fully-fledged jounin. If he was to be promoted to a higher rank he needed to first make sure he was ready to handle such a burden, because, in his opinion, only the strong deserve to be counted among the elite ninja known as jounin. A year or so passed and Shiv had become a fine specimen of Kirigakure might. The once blunt tool had been sharpened from the constant butchering of enemies and by witnessing the brutality of combat. During this time, Shiv was swiftly promoted to the rank of jounin. The rank increase came with increased influence with his comrades as he was now counted among the elite in the village and there was the added benefit of having an equally impressive salary. Shiv didn't need much though; he was content with what he had and sent a great deal back to his family. However, with the extra income, he decided to move out of the merchant ring and into that of the military ring. The change was drastic, everyone seemed a bit colder, but that was exactly what he was used to. This felt more like that of his family home than that crowded apartment ever did. Here he was able to perfect his craft and slowly carve out a staggering reputation for himself in 'search and destroy' based missions. There wasn't exactly the time in his schedule to visit family, though occasionally he was able to make it back for a variety of family outings and or requests. Shiv's father, having retired now, would gloat of his son's prowess as if he was still the man responsible for such leaps in power. This, however, in turn, made Shiv a pawn of the Karagata family as he was constantly ordered to carry out the whims of those higher up in the family. After a couple of years of completing missions and working under Kirigakure, he came face to face with a highly dangerous opponent. This event happened during the night, it was cold and gloomy when the alert came in of a breach in Kirigakure territory. It was rare to get an alert from actually within Kirigakure territory and Shiv was quick to move toward the threat. At the time Shiv thought it might be a bandit raid of some kind or maybe some large creature of the ocean, but drew a blank when he was first on the scene to meet up with one of the most infamous ninja of Kirigakure; Fushinkou, Yaku. In just a short amount of time he and the response group were utterly decimated. When Shiv awoke he was covered in wrappings, having been treated for burn injuries. The other thing Shiv found out was that he had failed to protect his homeland, costing Kirigakure a weapon of immeasurable strength. As Shiv recovered he made up his mind to hunt down those men when he was strong enough. It took a bit before Shiv regained his strength and began to take up missions again, vying to replace the weapon that died that night. Through hard work and dedication to becoming the best, Shiv earned a reputation amongst the village. He was an exceptional ninja and there were few that could equal him in combat. His dominance over his peers and enemies was brought to the attention of the special forces who finally desired to recruit him into their organization. He was ready for what this opportunity would provide and willingly accepted their offer into the head hunter division. With higher standards of performance, he improved quickly to levels he hadn't thought possible before, becoming feared by the enemies of both Kirigakure and the Karagata. This was essentially Shiv's highest point in his career. He was in his prime with a great reputation around the village for being one of the best. There were even a couple of offers floating around to sponsor him by the merchant caste! Quite a profitable business venture. He didn't exactly need to be weighed down by anyone, and or made into an action figure for the people of the village, so he declined for the moment as he could hardly find time for anything aside from his work anyway. Everything was negligible to what he actually wanted; to become a perfect weapon without emotions distracting him from achieving his goal of killing threats that presented themselves. However, Shiv's aim shifted when he met the love of his life. Her name was Masami, Naoko. She was also a ninja of the village and before long her affection melted his cold heart. Feelings and emotions once thought impossible became a possibility. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to solely be a weapon. That was until she was taken from him. The wound inflicted was severe, but it was quickly filled with a hate and bitterness towards everyone around him. It was at this moment he decided to close off his heart and shift back to becoming a perfect weapon. The pain Shiv had received from the death of Naoko had not even started healing fully when word reached his ear that his parents were killed by a raiding party in the waters surrounding Lightning Country. The story was that his father fought valiantly but was overwhelmed with numbers. The father had been retired for years now and died protecting his wife who was undoubtedly raped and slaughtered while he was most likely turned in dead at a foreign bounty collection agency. Both were killed like animals. This news tore Shiv apart even further, but what could he do? That was the question that burned within his head. He was powerless to save them just like in the case of Naoko. What he needed was to become a weapon, not a person that felt emotions. Without being consumed by anger, Shiv found each and every bandit that he could and slaughtered them without regard for their humanity. For these weren't people, these were blunted and rusty knives that were simply stabbing out in an attempt to be relevant in a world full of weaponry of superior quality. After this personal vendetta was carried out, anger came flushing forward and pushed Shiv to become even stronger as he slowly forged himself back, mentally, into the weapon he had been during his prime. A combination of his lone wolf antics and skill once again brought him to the attention of the leader of head hunter division. Shiv was swiftly promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of The Hunt and Disposal Unit and before long he became the commanding officer of the division. A role he had never wanted but reluctantly accepted due to his personal investment in it. As the commanding officer of the division, he regrettably brought it into a state of mediocracy during the first few months as an acting leader. With no formal experience and or knowledge of managing an organization he had to work tirelessly at improving himself in that regard. Eventually, through hard work, he brought it back to par and recruited quite a few exceptionally talented individuals who made the division that much stronger. Another woman came into Shiv's life now. She wasn't one of the many that he fooled around with daily, she was the lost sister of his one true love; Masami Naoko. This was troublesome for him as it conflicted with his aim of being a weapon. With his previous conviction of not allowing himself weakness, he attempted to ignore her excessively, but eventually, he opened up to the girl as she was quite persistent. That ended up being just another stab in the heart as she also died shortly after. Maybe this was his curse? When he strayed from his true aim, the people who he cared for died. It was proof that opening up again would only rip him apart and thus he became the weapon he is today. A cold individual that cares for his countrymen, but would never admit such for fear they will die as everyone eventually has. Shiv now does what he has always done; patiently await his next order... |
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Combat StyleShow Infiltration and assassination; would be the best words to describe Shiv's particular way of fighting. Instead of directly dealing with his opponent(s), he would rather patiently wait for an opportunity to cause massive amounts of damage with either his elemental-powered attacks or martial prowess. That isn’t to say he isn’t skilled at directly dealing with an opponent if it comes to it, but prefers to finish things as quickly as possible due primarily to his low stamina pool. With that in mind having a long drawn-out skirmish is usually completely out of the question as it will surely end poorly for the champion of Kirigakure. Abilities 1/3Show Implanted Chakra Tubules: Concentrations 15/18Show NinjutsuShow
TaijutsuShow Heavenly Body Control: Sword Weapons: Close Quarters Combat: Medicine: Projectile Weapons: Stealth: Perception: Deft Hands: Acrobatics: GenjutsuShow Sight Initiation: Sound Initiation: Touch Initiation:
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