Naruto Saigen Roleplay

[b]Username:[/b] [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2112828/]Valkier[/url]
[b]Points:[/b] 85/533
[b]Prestige Perks:[/b] 0/0
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[big][color=#E5D3C1]- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -[/color]
[b][color=#ED9E84] " F I R E B R A N D " [/color][/b]
[color=#E5D3C1]- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -[/color]

[color=#E5D3C1][i]“Do not pray for an easy life; Pray for the strength to endure the difficult one.” [/i][/color][/big][/center]
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[video=325,45]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsTGm4LjcUQ[/video][/float][big][color=#ED9E84][b]Age:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]46[/color]
[color=#ED9E84][b]Gender:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]Male[/color]
[color=#ED9E84][b]Height:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]6'2" [188cm][/color]
[color=#ED9E84][b]Weight:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]194lbs [88kg][/color]
[color=#ED9E84][b]Hair:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]Black[/color]
[color=#ED9E84][b]Eyes:[/b][/color] [color=#E5D3C1]Brown[/color]

[color=#ED9E84][b]Physical Features:[/b][/color][/big]
It would be hard to deny that Hayashi's most prominent physical feature - much to his annoyance - is his apparent age. Although barely past forty, his face and body both show the wear of a lifetime spent as a ninja, and it's no secret that most men of his age would be considering retirement. To imply that thought to Hayashi would be to deal him a direct insult, however; he still retains the strength and vigour of his prime years, complimented now by a good three decades of combat experience. He stands at a solid 6'2"; tall, broad-shouldered and sturdy, with eyes of a deep brown and black hair that, against all his denials, is showing clear strands of grey. On the rare days when he allows stubble to remain upon his face, it is even more grey-flecked than his hair. He allows his hair to grow long, and keeps it tied up formally in a topknot or ponytail. Thanks to maintaining a rigorous training discipline ever since he was a child, he keeps himself at a pinnacle of physical fitness, and thus far has managed to offset any age-related loss in nimbleness with raw experience and determination.

As a veteran of countless battles over his decades of service, he has enough accumulated injuries to cause any medic to start in surprise. A faint scar runs from his temple down across his left eye, interrupting the line of his eyebrows and granting him the ability to level a frighteningly cold stare at will. A long-since-healed stab wound has left a scar imprinted upon his far left abdomen, the skin around it coarse and slightly burned. Another notable scar, dark against his skin, begins on his left shoulder just above his collarbone and runs downwards, fading towards the centre of his chest. Most recently he has gained a lasting decolouration on the skin of both of his forearms, plus a patch of his central torso, from severe burns sustained during an invasion of Konoha. These last injuries still pain him daily, but they have also bred a reluctant new nickname amongst his peers: [i]"Firebrand"[/i] - usually said in the form of [i]"Hayashi Firebrand"[/i], or on occasion, [i]"The Firebrand Terūin"[/i]. A number of smaller cuts, gashes and burns are no stranger to his battle-tried body, and his hands are rough and calloused from so many years behind the hilt, but he has thankfully avoided lethal or debilitating injury so far in his career. Overall, Hayashi's stature is strong and imposing, and he walks with the steady yet confident steps of a seasoned soldier. He fully expects to retain much of his strength into his later years, much as his father has done.

[big][color=#ED9E84][b]Clothing & Accessories:[/b][/color][/big]
Beyond its utility for the job at hand, Hayashi does not concern himself with putting effort into his outfits. As a proud jounin of Konoha, he typically wears the modern deep green flak jacket that has become symbolic of the nation's ninja elite. Like its kin, this has several arrays of pockets and scroll compartments designed for swift access, located on the left and right abdomen, breast and lower back. Beneath this he wears a plain shirt. His legs are covered with dark, ankle-length trousers of a smooth fabric that allows muffled movement, and providing another set of pockets, complimented by the supple black shinobi-tabi socks and sandals that have become typical for ninja use. Stored in wrapped lengths around his forearms and ankles are absorbent bandages soaked with basic antitoxins, readily available to remove and dress wounds in a pinch. A kunai holster is tied securely to his right thigh. When wielding a blade, he adds a simple black leather sheath to his attire, typically worn hanging from the left waist to allow a swift weapon draw. Occasionally, or while travelling, he relocates the sheath to his back, where it can be drawn over-arm with his right hand.

When off-duty, Hayashi enjoys relaxing in casual clothing of no particular style, although his tastes have admittedly become more formal over the years. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see him wearing his training attire - various colour combinations of hakama and haori, worn open at the front, or in warmer weather a short-sleeved gi belted tightly at the waist.

Hayashi's position as part of Konohagakure's ANBU division occasionally puts him in situations requiring another outfit. During such circumstances he typically wears a Konoha flak jacket that has been dyed a deep grey, near black. A white porcelain mask featuring a twisting black-and-red emblem of a crowned crane is used to conceal his face, pairing to his undercover codename [i]Tanchōzuru[/i]. Although he often wears his hair differently or covered while on duty with the ANBU, situations of utmost secrecy additionally call for a dark cloak with deep hood to shroud his face and obscure the shape of his body.

[big][color=#ED9E84][b]Forehead Protector:[/b][/color][/big]
Hayashi recognises the importance and meaning behind bearing his village symbol on his forehead protector, and as such wears it openly whenever on duty, and keeps it on his person when not. It is typically tied securely around his forehead, with the metal plate front-facing, where it conceals the thin scar running down from his temple. While off-duty or on the training field, he has been known to relocate the band to his encircle his waist with the metal plate in the position of a belt buckle.

[big][color=#ED9E84][b]Personality:[/b][/color][/big]
As a youth, Hayashi was energetic and confident to the point of arrogance, the type to brashly proclaim his strength and lead a charge into battle. Thankfully, the years have calmed him considerably; Nowadays, the ageing man is reserved and taciturn in his manner, trusting to wisdom rather than adrenaline. He places a great deal of stock in being respectful to others until such a time as they suggest that they deserve otherwise. He thinks clearly if not overly quickly, but can be very stubborn and resolute once he has determined a course of action. After all, he considers himself just a simple soldier. Generally, he is quick to trust but careful never to fully lean upon another's shoulders - In his own eyes, he is the one who should be capable of supporting others rather than the other way around. In this manner he has a considerable amount of pride, and would consider a defeat as a personal slight against his ability. He pictures himself as a force of stability for his village and comrades, and as such is loyal and dependable unto the last.

To outsiders, he is strict and formal, and has established a reputation among many fellow Konohagakure shinobi of being a no-nonsense taskmaster. To his family and friends, however, the stoic façade is dropped and he becomes considerably easier to get along with, showing humour and open friendliness. He will often tease his comrades in a light-hearted manner, and enjoys spinning stories, reminiscing of his youth and days gone by. Many Genin and academy students consider him a scary and unwelcoming old man, making him one of their last choices in a mentor - but those he teaches quickly find that he is a fair and honest friend, and his wealth of experience is able to push them towards new heights of skill.

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[center][b][color=#56AA1C]Konohagakure no Sato[/color][/b]

[b][color=#ED9E84]Rank:[/color] [color=#F43F4F]Jounin[/color][/b][/center]

[color=#E5D3C1][u][b]Chakra Affinities:[/b][/u]
Primary:[/color] [color=red][b]Katon[/b][/color] [img]http://i.imgur.com/AWQEcAI.png?1[/img]
[color=#E5D3C1]Secondary:[/color] [color=chartreuse][b]Fuuton[/b][/color] [img]http://i.imgur.com/h8XuOLc.png?1[/img]

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[align=left][big][b][color=#ED9E84][u]Stats: 292 (28/50)[/u][/color]
[color=#E5D3C1]✧ Ninjutsu: 40
✧ Taijutsu: 40
✧ Genjutsu: 20
✧ Stamina: 45
✧ Control: 32
✧ Strength: 40
✧ Speed: 45
✧ Instinct: 30[/color][/b][/big][/align]

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[/float][big][color=#ED9E84][b]Combat Style:[/b][/color][/big]
An experienced fighter, Hayashi knows not to rely on any one facet of combat alone. In an ideal combat scenario he will apply his skills as an accomplished swordsman to defeat his foes in close quarters, utilising a number of close- and mid-range ninjutsu techniques to support and accomplish combat superiority. Never one to discard a useful tool, he has learnt to become adept in genjutsu techniques which can increase his effectiveness at range, when fighting multiple opponents or during espionage assignments. He prides himself on being able to flow from one combat focus to another, allowing his style in battle to bend and seek out opportunities to gain advantage over his foes.

[big][color=#ED9E84][b]Abilities (0/3): [/b][/color][/big]
[indent][color=#E5D3C1][i]N/A[/i][/color]

[b][big][color=#ED9E84]Concentrations[/color] [color=#E5D3C1](8/18):[/color][/big]

[color=#E5D3C1]Ninjutsu Concentrations (4/8):[/color][/b]
[spoiler=Katon][color=orangered][b]Katon Affinity[/b][/color]
A character with this concentration is able to utilize Katon, and can make and use any custom or archived jutsu that require the Katon affinity. Katon has a passive [color=orangered][i]ignition[/i][/color] effect.
[i]Katon's effect is [b]ignition[/b], which means that all katon jutsu, regardless of effect, start and spread fire from their source. Once a jutsu has been performed, the fire from the jutsu spreads at 1/3rd the speed of the technique, rounded down. That means a C-rank katon jutsu that moves at 13 speed would create subsequent fires that spread at 4 speed. These secondary fires require flammable material to continuously spread, otherwise they will burn out on their own.
Additionally, the strength of burns on organic material from katon jutsu is determined by the ninjutsu stat requirement. [list][*]1-14 Strength Requirement: First Degree Burns[*]15-24 Strength Requirement: Second Degree Burns[*]25-34 Strength Requirement: Third Degree Burns[*]35+ Strength Requirement: Fourth Degree Burns[/list][/i][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Fuuton][color=lightgreen][b]Fuuton Affinity[/b][/color]
A character with this concentration is able to utilize Fuuton, and can make and use any custom or archived jutsu that require the Fuuton affinity. Fuuton has a [b]cutting[/b] effect.
[i]Fuuton has a natural [b]cutting[/b] property to it, that exists in all jutsu unless otherwise stated. This gives fuuton a unique opportunity to strike with additional power, and to act as a offensive defense. Regardless of their purpose fuuton jutsu passively cut with no distinct pattern at 1/2 the strength of the technique rounded down unless otherwise stated. This means if someone punched a 20 strength fuuton wall, they would get cuts on their hand applied with 10 strength. This also means that fuuton jutsu specifically designated to cut things can create devastating wound by essentially striking twice.[/i][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Ash][color=coral][b]Ash Affinity[/b][/color]
A character with this concentration is able to utilize [color=coral]ash[/color], an extension composed of [color=lightgreen]fuuton[/color] and [color=orangered]katon[/color], and can make and use any custom or archived jutsu that require Ash. Ash has a [color=coral][b]clinging[/b][/color] effect. You must be a former or present Konoha shinobi to utilize this concentration.
[i]Ash naturally [b]clings[/b] to anything it comes in contact with, which allows it to latch onto opponents and cause burns over a long period of time, limiting their ability to fight and weakening them substantially. The burning power of Ash is growth based, meaning all Ash jutsu will cause 1st degree burns at first contact, then get worse the longer contact is sustained. Below is a table detailing the worst the burn can get, based on the strength of the technique.[list][*]1-14 Strength Requirement: First Degree Burns[*]15-24 Strength Requirement: Second Degree Burns over 2 posts[*]25-34 Strength Requirement: Third Degree Burns over 3 posts[*]35+ Strength Requirement: Fourth Degree Burns over 4 posts.[/list][/i][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Hiarashiton][color=#ca6e14][b]Hiarashiton Affinity[/b][/color]
A character with this concentration is able to use [color=#ca6e14]Hiarashiton[/color], a violent amalgam of [color=orangered]Katon[/color] and [color=lightgreen]Fuuton[/color] nature transformations that aims to enhance their combined potential towards terrifying extremes. [color=#ca6e14][i]Hiarashiton [/i][/color]techniques begin at C-rank and possess a [i]buffeting[/i] passive, exerting a gale force that opposes the direction of movement of anything inside or within range of the technique.
[i]The intense heat of hiarashiton techniques inflicts burns according to the following burn table:[list][*] 1-14 Strength: Uncomfortable heat[*]15-24 Strength: First degree burns[*]25-34 Strength: Second degree burns[*]35+ Strength: Third degree burns
[*]40+ Strength: Fourth degree burns[/list]The buffeting strength of Hiarashiton scales based on distance to a technique, and is applied as follows:
[list][*] Inside technique area: Buffeting force at 2/3 technique strength[*]0-10 metres beyond the technique area: Buffeting force at 1/2 technique strength
[*]11-20 metres beyond the technique area: Buffeting force at 1/3 technique strength[*]No effect after 20 meters[/list][/i][/spoiler]
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Taijutsu Concentrations (4/8):[/b][/color]
[spoiler=Sword Weapons][b]Sword Weapons[/b]
The fundamental skill of [b][Sword Weapons][/b] indicates the user’s proficiency with swords and sword-like weapons such as knives, daggers, sword-breakers and the like. This facilitates their use of related Taijutsu.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Close Quarters Combat][b]Close Quarters Combat[/b]
The fundamental skill of [b][Close Quarters Combat][/b] indicates the user's proficiently to efficiently make use of martial arts and advanced combat moves involving the body, for example but not limited to, advanced kicks, grapples, advanced punches, etc.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Rigid Structure][b]Rigid Structure[/b]
The fundamental skill of [b][Rigid Structure][/b] describes the user’s ability to adeptly position and lock in their skeletal structure to efficiently absorb blows with minimal damage to their person. This facilitates their use of related Taijutsu.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Perception][b]Perception[/b]
The fundamental skill of [b][Perception][/b] describes the user’s practiced methods of more keenly focussing their senses for a short time. This facilitates their use of related Taijutsu.[/spoiler]

[color=#E5D3C1][b]Genjutsu Concentrations (1/5):[/b][/color]
[spoiler=Sight Initiation][b]Sight Initiation[/b]
This user has learned to use visual cues to initiate genjutsu, allowing them to perform actions or draw the eyes to something to capture their targets in a genjutsu.[/spoiler]

[big][color=#ED9E84][b]Equipment:[/b][/color][/big]
[b][url=http://www.nihonzashi.com/shinken_forged_pictures/tsunami_800_3715.jpg][color=#E5D3C1]Katana[/color][/url]: 1.[/b] Hayashi's katana is an elegant and effective weapon. With a 30" blade and 12" handle, the weapon measures 33 inches in total including black iron tsuba, fuchi and kashira - each branded with the Teruuin family crest in gold emboss. The sword hilt is bound in ray skin, wrapped with high quality black cotton. The saya is a solid, matte black to avoid refraction. The sword weighs 2lbs 12oz, with a tapering width of 1.28" at the guard to .95" at the tip, with thicknesses of .30" to .25" respectively. The weapon is typically worn at Hayashi's waist, however is occasionally relegated to a shoulder-holster when traveling or cumbersome.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Kunai: 12.[/b][/color] Ten are stored, readily available for quick-access, in a kunai pouch on Hayashi's right thigh. Two more are concealed in a pocket at the lower back of his flak jacket where they can be drawn discreetly.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Shuriken: 12.[/b][/color] Four shuriken are stored in each pocket on Hayashi's right and left abdomen, while the remaining four are secured in reserve in his kunai pouch on his right thigh.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Makibishi: 12.[/b][/color] Shaped like faceless tetrahedra of twisted, inch-long iron spikes, these tools always present a threat when dropped, and are sturdy enough to pierce through leather sandals and footwear. Difficult to store safely due to their shape, all twelve makibishi are secured in Hayashi's kunai pouch on his right thigh.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Wire: 20ft.[/b][/color] Supple and flexible, this length of lightweight steel wire is strong enough to bind people and light objects together securely. Until needed, it is kept bundled in his right trouser pocket.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Explosive Tags: 9.[/b][/color] Standard-issue explosive tags. Five are stored in scroll compartments on his jacket breast, two in the pocket on his lower back, and two in his kunai pouch on his right thigh.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Flash Bombs: 3.[/b][/color] Standard-issue flash-tags, able to create a blinding burst of light upon detonation. One is kept in his lower back pocket, and two in his breast scroll compartments.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Smoke Bombs: 3.[/b][/color] Standard-issue sachets that combust on contact with the ground to produce copious amounts of thick grey smoke able to conceal the immediate battlefield. Two are stored in breast jacket compartments, while one is kept in his left trouser pocket.
[color=#E5D3C1][b]Bandages: 12ft.[/b][/color] Around each forearm and each ankle are 3 feet of fresh bandages, tied securely and readily available for emergency binding of wounds in the field. Each bandage is pre-soaked in a broth of herbal disinfectants and willow bark, then dried, which grants them minor anaesthetic properties. They can be used to stem the bleeding of wounds and prevent infection until further treatment or recovery of an injury can be made.
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[spoiler=History]
Boasting an age-old and traditional warrior heritage, the Teruuin are a prominent family hailing from the north-western reaches of the Land of Fire, along the mountain ranges bordering the Hot Spring Country. For countless generations they have sent their children and heirs to train and fight in the armies of the Land of Fire, to become strong and valuable soldiers supporting their homeland and its Daimyo. As potential soldiers, an integral part in the early education of every Teruuin youth has been war; strength at arms, skill on the field, trust in the chain of command, the responsibility of leadership, strategy and battlefield tactics. These traditions continue to the present day, with one addition; for the past four generations, children have been offered the chance to train and serve their country as Shinobi of Konohagakure rather than warriors below the Feudal lord and his generals. A branch of the family has existed in Konoha ever since, schooling their children to excel in the ninja arts rather than the disciplines of war - although, the family traditions are far from forgotten, and many ninja of the Teruuin develop into skilled Taijutsu users in their own right.

Terūin Hayashi is one such ninja. As eldest child to Terūin Chushiro and his wife, Saruhashi, Hayashi was born amid shinobi society in the heart of Konohagakure. An active and eager child, he grew fast and developed a passion to learn about the arts of warfare, marveling at histories of great battles and sieges and watching his father's training with awe. With each of his parents being accomplished ninja in their own right, he gladly followed in their steps and entered the ninja academy as soon as he was of age. Much to his dismay, family traditions and stories only go so far and as a student he often lagged behind his peers in studying the complexities of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and chakra control; he graduated at age twelve largely on the saving grace of diligent taijutsu training, with only just passable scores elsewhere.

As a young Genin, Hayashi remained plagued with insecurities about his capability as a ninja, but - as teenagers are wont to do - he quickly concealed such worries behind an increasingly arrogant and bashful persona. While his peers worked hard and devoted themselves to the training of new jutsu, Hayashi bragged about his natural talent with weaponry and secured a reputation as an aggressive - if admittedly skilled - taijutsu user. In his eyes, fighting up-close and personal was the true spirit of a battle, where the strong take the lead - and the weaker, less talented ninja should stay back as support, or hide behind their flashy ninjutsu. This led to an immediate clash with his new comrades; the rising star of the Awai, Shouya, the quiet and submissive Kazukawa Midori, and their medic-nin mentor, Imoko Nagase. He became the glass cannon of the group, the first to provoke and charge into a fight and the last to pick himself up from the field following it, and he was constantly berated and confronted about his ways. It took a harsh lesson to teach him his errors.

During the group's first attempt at Konohagakure's chuunin examinations, a survival task pitting each team against their rivals in a hostile environment resulted in the severe wounding of the group's third member, Midori. Without their Iijutsu-trained Sensei present to help them, Shouya and Hayashi were left alone to decide a course of action. Having defeated an opposing team and their task technically complete, Hayashi was adamant that they continue on and complete the exam, voicing confidently that he and Shouya could handle any enemy group that they might encounter - but his Awai comrade disagreed. Always a wonder-child, Shouya was everything Hayashi wasn't; Charismatic, good looking, popular, top of the class and praised as a genius when it came to ninjutsu - and not to mention the bearer of a respected family name. Since graduating the academy, however, he'd begun to see himself differently. Always under extreme pressure from his family and friends to excel, he worked harder than most of the people he knew in order to meet the impossible standards expected of him, but slowly, surely, he'd begun to resent those around him, and noticed in disbelief as his comrades continued to improve their skills without so much as half of the effort he put in himself.
And so - when Hayashi confidently turned to him, relying on Shouya yet again to protect the group from his own recklessness in the face of a wounded Midori and the untold dangers of other teams in the exam - he balked. Finally snapping under the pressure, he rounded on Hayashi in anger; after all, how could this layabout who hadn't even bothered to teach himself ninjutsu or genjutsu ever be a proper ninja? How could the fool, Hayashi, who was willing to risk his team mates' lives for a shot at becoming Chuunin, stand and expect Shouya to back him up? Shouya, who'd always been forced into leading the group, who'd trained harder than all of them only to still begin to feel like he was falling behind? The weight of emotion made the teenage Awai snap.

With tempers flaring, both Genin turned on one another. The stressed Shouya, angry at his treatment, angry at Hayashi's attitude, and resentful that the Teruuin boy could still stand as his equal despite Shouya's own surplus of training, easily goaded the headstrong and arrogant Hayashi into a fight. Both tired from the earlier engagement, however, the struggle was brief; Shouya's impressive ninjutsu and genjutsu initially staggered Hayashi, but the Teruuin boy succeeded in drawing his enraged opponent into a close-quarters duel, wherein he held the advantage and quickly incapacitated the Awai prodigy.
Although brief and undoubtedly a stupid fight, it was enough to teach Hayashi a little about his own situation and priorities. Exhausted yet calm, he realised that the Awai had been correct in his judgement; they weren't fit to continue as a team in the exam, and that was more important than striving on alone for the chance of glory. He knew that passing relied on their merits as a group, not as individuals, and so he apologised profusely to his friend, and together they helped Midori leave the arena in search of treatment, thereby withdrawing from the examinations.

Unfortunately, nerves had been struck within the fight in the arena. A rift began to form between Hayashi and Shouya and the dynamic of their team slowly changed. Hayashi reapplied himself to learning, studying and practicing alone or with Midori for long hours to grasp the lessons in ninjutsu and genjutsu that he'd shunned for so long, and trying day by day to change his attitude to his peers. For the first time since graduating the academy, he began to treasure his fellows as more than just comrades - they were dear friends, and realising this was his first milestone in understanding Konoha's [i]Will of Fire[/i]. With these feelings empowering his devotion to training and his progress as a shinobi, Hayashi also set time aside to train under his father - a known master of the [i]Shoryoutsuru[/i] school of kenjutsu - to further his taijutsu abilities.
In stark contrast to this, Shouya became more and more isolated from the group, often shying away from the burden of responsibility or watching with resentment as Hayashi began to gain respect for skills and achievements long ago conquered by himself. He grew despondent until he accidentally stumbled upon the Teruuin boy training alone and hard one night, whereupon he reflected on where his own commitment had gone. After this, he redoubled his efforts and became utterly single-minded on becoming stronger and more deserving of the title of [i]ninja[/i] than any other. He swore to Hayashi that he would one day defeat him thoroughly and show him, in his own view, what a true ninja should be.

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Two years passed between Hayashi's first and second attempts at becoming a Chuunin. The stark realisation he'd discovered during his team's initial trial convinced him of his need to improve, and while his two fellows strode onward and achieved their own promotions, he alone continued to train as a Genin. Being the third and final member of the group to leave behind that title only further helped to humble him; but when his second examination began, it was [i]anything but[/i] humble.

His opponent was several years his elder, a tall, striking girl with long, raven-black hair named Yukio. Already a Chuunin of no small renown and the bearer of a great well of potential, she became known in later years as [i]Yukio the Blacklance[/i], a Jounin of terrifying aptitude. She wielded a pair of twin, vicious-looking black [i]kama[/i], and as a Suiton user - the perfect anathema to his own Katon ninjutsu - had been specifically selected to face him. She made his perfect nemesis. The fight was fast and brutal, the over-trained Genin managing to hold his ground and fight toe-to-toe with his opponent, and many times decisive blows from both combatants were dodged by a hair's breadth, or blocked in the critical moment. Only by playing on his strengths as a prodigious swordsman could Hayashi achieve his victory; and even then, so great was Yukio's skill that his success came with a vicious and bloody price. To this day he bears a totem of the Blacklance, a wide, dark scar running from his left shoulder and curving down to end towards the middle of his chest.

Some years later, the former team reunited on an extended assignment in the Land of Fire, far beyond the borders of Konohagakure. While they were at first pleased to be working together again, Hayashi and Midori soon realised that the years had not changed their remaining comrade for the better. Now becoming famous across the village as Konoha's "[i]Sunflare[/i]", no doubt for his skill with the Awai's powerful [i]Hiton[/i] release, Shouya had seemingly transitioned to a cold and callous soldier, terrifyingly effective in battle but indifferent to anything beyond the mission at hand; Every ninja in Konoha had heard of his near-perfect mission record and he was well on his way to become the first Jounin of their academy year. It was a point of much contrast to Hayashi, who in his youth had held a similar mindset and had since grown more mature and tolerant, that his former team mate had grown in the opposite manner. The task the group had been given was to quell a rising threat of banditry in one of the country's outlying villages, but the mission intel suggested that it was largely the work of one man - a former soldier who now put his strength into forcing others to his will. Despite this, it was Shouya's strategy to leave no room for error, and he ordered the entire outlaw encampment eliminated rather than the conservative approach of quietly assassinating just the leader - after which the regular men and women would, if Konoha's intel was correct, likely disperse harmlessly back to their former lives.

The assault was ruthless; caught in a trap orchestrated by Shouya, the bandits were cornered and unable to flee while the three ninja claimed life after life. Before long the urging of the group's leader - and the certainty of imminent death - spurred the remaining bandits into an increasingly desperate fight that began to test the team. With bandits fighting for their lives and pushing in around them, the outcome of the attack suddenly became much less certain, compounded even more so when Shouya, spotting the bandit leader attempting to flee in the confusion of the fight, left his comrades to face the remaining men as he entered pursuit. Hayashi and Midori were grossly outnumbered and barely survived the encounter, the latter receiving another serious wound.

Although they strongly disagreed with his methods, Hayashi and Midori understood the chain of command, and until the completion of the assignment followed their orders to the letter. Afterwards, however, the threads that bound the group began to unravel; finding Shouya standing over the mangled corpse of the bandit leader several hundred metres away from the encampment, Hayashi confronted him for his reckless strategy and actions, lamenting that they - yet again - had caused their team mate to suffer, and asked for his friend's help in returning her to the village quickly. He was shocked to the core when Shouya, blood dripping from his hands and staining his flak jacket, turned dead eyes upon him and shrugged. Again he broke, but this time not in anger or desperation, but after long and hard premeditation. In cold calmness he explained his growing distaste for the village, despising those who had crafted weapons out of people, forced their beliefs onto their children to create tools of war, and then looked upon them with condemnation when those ninja grew to be good at what they did. With growing malevolence, he began to recall stories of their youth; how he'd always lived in the shadow of his family name, expected to do better than everyone and greeted with disappointment if he failed, as if his last name was all that mattered to his family, friends, and all of Konoha. And how now, finally, he was stronger than the lot of them.

Unable to forget Hayashi's attitude when they were younger, Shouya told him that he was going to become even stronger still, and kill anyone who got in his way. Thinking that Hayashi shared the same ideals, he suggested that they leave together - but Hayashi had been a very different man for several years, and angrily tried to shake sense back into his friend. First and foremost, Midori needed their help - but Shouya, disappointed at Hayashi's new priorities, cared little. "If she's so weak, maybe she's better off dying here. It's a harsh world, and if she can't survive even a few untrained bandits..." he voiced aloud, before turning and leaving the scene. Filled with concern about both of his fellows, Hayashi chose to help the wounded Midori back to Konoha, and reported the events of the mission. His worry about Shouya only continued to grow when the Awai failed to return to Konoha.

With no sign of the missing Shouya over the passing days, their old mentor Imoko Nagase was brought in to reunite the team and locate their AWOL compatriot - although with Midori still recovering, Hayashi and Nagase alone left the village in pursuit. Their search took them to the far northern reaches of the Land of Fire, and over a week passed without any sign of their departed comrade until a fateful messenger-hawk arrived from Konoha: Shouya had been caught, not too far away, attempting to cross the country's north border. He was being detained at the border outpost. Upon arrival, however, the pair found his captors had been overpowered and killed, and a trail led into the forests and hills beyond.
Their pursuit was anticipated, the trail they followed being a diversion and leading them to a riverbed within a forested canyon, whereupon Shouya sprung his ambush. Unifying his considerable strength in [i]Katon[/i] and [i]Raiton[/i], he ravaged the valley floor and the surrounding cliffs with staggeringly powerful [i]Hiton[/i] techniques, trapping Hayashi beneath falling rubble and rounding on Nagase. Her attempts to reason with and console her lost student were quickly shunned aside as he attacked, outmanoeuvring his former teacher and landing blow after blow. Unable to keep Shouya at bay, she finally collapsed from the assault.

But the fight was far from over. Nagase's resistance had given Hayashi time to free himself and he launched himself at his old friend, furious and appalled by his actions. Both knew that Shouya couldn't return to the village peacefully after killing the ninja at the border, and years of bitterness culminated in neither even considering allowing the other to leave. Pushing himself to the limits, Hayashi turned the valley into a vortex of fire and wind in efforts to counter the onslaught of light, fire and lightning from his opponent. Ninjutsu countered ninjutsu, genjutsu countered genjutsu, until eventually the conflict rose to its close-quartered climax. With much of his energy having been spent defeating Nagase - and prior to that, fighting and fleeing the border - Shouya was unable to hold back the passionate Hayashi despite his greater skills. Drawing a blade laced with stunning [i]Hiton[/i] chakra, he recalled the fight the two had had long ago in the arena of a chuunin exam, and stormed forward in a flurry of light-edged steel.

Under his father's tutelage, however, Hayashi wasn't far from becoming a true blademaster in his own right. The fight was long and arduous, both combatants giving and taking ground, narrowly avoiding sudden and violent deaths time and again. Bodies near their limit and muscles screaming for rest, they fought on and on. Although able to hold off his opponent, Shouya's mixing of [i]Hiton[/i] jutsu into his swordplay prevented Hayashi from overcoming his foe, and after disorientating flashes and shocks of [i]Raiton[/i] he was beginning to amass many minor wounds, each of which serving to slow and weaken him. A vicious slash across his face took the sight from his left eye, but still he pressed on, determined to end the fight. Eventually, exhausted and desperate, he resorted to using one last technique; preparing himself to strike, he allowed Shouya a fleeting, intentional opening. It was taken, and the searing-hot, glowing white [i]Hiton[/i] blade sunk into Hayashi's left abdomen.
He caught it. He latched on to it with his left hand, holding the sword in his abdomen before striking his flawless retaliation. In one final slash, staggering in speed and ferocity, he clove Shouya's head from his body, then collapsed in exhaustion. He expected, and resigned himself, to die there and then in that valley, still holding his friend's sword in his gut as their blood drained and mixed into a sickening pool around them.

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Hayashi woke several days following the events north of the border, confined to a Konohagakure hospital bed. Imoko Nagase had regained consciousness during Hayashi's fight with Shouya, but had been unable to assist before it was over - but she had immediately set about attempting to save at least one of her students in its aftermath. A medical expert, she had managed to heal Hayashi's vision and stop the bleeding of his abdominal wound at the scene, before returning with both boys to Konoha. Although having gone rogue, Awai Shouya was still buried by his family and friends in the village cemetery, where his grave remains to this day. Over time, both Kazukawa Midori and Hayashi recovered from the ordeal, and soon after resumed their duties as ninja of Konoha.

Concerned about his influence on others due to his history with Shouya, Hayashi continued to work alone for several years, and succeeded in becoming a Special Jounin at the age of nineteen. At twenty-three he achieved the rank of Jounin and continued to improve his skills, becoming a valuable asset to the village and serving in many different roles for his country. From twenty-five to twenty-seven he spent time away from the village, assigned to various guard posts and undertaking a long-term espionage assignment across the Land of Fire. Upon his return, he was presented with a surprising new opportunity: Mentoring.

One of his friends and comrades, Senju Toshiaki, came to Hayashi with a request for help. As a team leader, Toshiaki had spent a number of years training and teaching a group of three Genin, but was finding a replacement mentor difficult upon one of his student's promotion to Chuunin. He himself would be working with the promotee, leaving the remaining two Genin - two boys, Hidaka Koji and [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5084705/1/]Natsuki Takeo[/url], alone. Hayashi was reluctant. Plagued by memories of Shouya and his slow shift to hatred, he was not convinced that he would be a positive influence on younger ninja, and begged Toshiaki to search elsewhere. The Senju did not relent, instead insisting upon it - he claimed to see in Hayashi a wisdom and a caring that could be used in no better way. Eventually they came to an agreement, and Hayashi gained his first squad of Genin. His first team, now looked back upon as being [i]Hayashi-Tai Issei[/i], consisted of Koji, Takeo, and Takeo's sister Natsuki Ayame.

Toshiaki had been correct in his judgments, and Hayashi very quickly found himself warming to the role of mentor. Although not fresh graduates by some margin, he continued to work with and nurture the fledgling shinobi until each one of them qualified as Chuunin. It took two years, and he was saddened to see them outgrow him, but also incredibly proud. He forged a unique bond with Takeo especially, and the two remain firm friends to this day.

Soon after parting ways with his first unit, Hayashi used his sudden influx of free time to focus on his own wants and desires. On the eve of his thirtieth birthday he married a young kunoichi named Kohana, and together they settled on the eastern edge of the village. Together they began a family, starting with a daughter, Shiori, now sixteen and a talented chuunin herself, and followed soon after by a son, Tetsuya, who is now ten and is progressing well with his own academy education in the hope of following in his father's footsteps.

In the years since, Hayashi accepted and trained another two squads - and declined or failed many countless more, to the point where he gained a harsh reputation among the village's genin and academy student population. At forty-two, he accepted his fourth team - [i]Hayashi-Tai Yonsei[/i], more formally known as [i]Team 20[/i]. Among their number he discovered a new star of the Awai clan, [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5944886/1/]Fanho[/url], along with clan-mate [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5809570/1/]Sensu[/url] (who together caused Hayashi a great deal of reflection, given his former experience with the clan) and a timid girl, [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5809543/1/]Shibata Noriko[/url]. While Sensu and Noriko succeeded as Genin, they did not remain long under Hayashi's strict tutelage. Fanho alone remained, displaying impressive potential and a developing strength that soon saw him reaching the rank of Chuunin with only minimal guidance from Hayashi. Despite this, the two continue to work together often and share a strong relationship.

Soon after accepting mentorship of that team, Hayashi played an integral role in the defense of his home, Konohagakure, during its invasion by two missing-ninja of great and terrible power, Fushinkou Yaku and one known only as [i]Enma[/i]. Surging across the unsuspecting village, the two hostile ninja sowed chaos as a distraction - or, perhaps, for their own twisted amusement - before infiltrating, stealing from and assassinating the then-head of the Hyuuga clan. In an attempt to save those he could, Hayashi responded to the scene of Konoha's central ninja academy, which was ablaze and laden with Enma's summoned, explosively-primed crows. Alongside two Chuunin, [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5953592/1/]Koizumi Kuodachi[/url] and [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=8339527]Yojinoka Saburo[/url], he succeeded in evacuating and saving several classes of students. He was then called for duty elsewhere, and took part in the final pursuit and confrontation of the two missing-ninja before their escape from the village. While he could not stand against men of such power, he gained three things from the day: Firstly, a series of deep red burn-scars that envelop his forearms and mar his torso, which have in turn sparked the nickname [i]"Firebrand"[/i] for him among his comrades; secondly, a deep and seething hatred of the monster known as [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=5015906/1/][i]Enma[/i][/url], he who maims and slaughters innocent children in droves for sheer amusement; and lastly, a new lease of determination and will to improve, a desire for the strength and wisdom to confront and kill that man.

That determination drove Hayashi, at the behest of his former student-turned-Hokage, Takeo, to join the ranks of a reformed [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=6063353/1/]Konohagakure ANBU[/url] organisation. At first, Hayashi was concerned that his skills had likely been dulled from the years of working alongside genin teams, but among such elites he quickly found that the opposite was true; he was still the fearsome warrior he'd been in his youth, and easily the match of his younger, deadly peers among the group.

While still working and honing his skills with the ANBU, he has recently opted to accept another squad of genin. Once again taking the role of mentor, he supports [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=8102788/1/]Senju Touka[/url], [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=8161673/1/]Senju Kyogi[/url], and [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=8147583/1/]Awai Michio[/url] as part of [url=https://www.narutosaigen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?&t=8165988/1/][i]Hayashi-Tai Gosei[/i][/url][/spoiler]