Kojiki Kouichi

Kojiki Kouichi is a Kirigakure no Sato Jounin

Appearance
Kouichi stands at a height of 5'10, has black eyes(sclera, pupil, iris), and long black hair that falls about his shoulders. He's a thin man with small traces of muscle upon his body, his back and left shoulder are marred by scars from a mission in his past. He wears black pants tied at the ankle, sandals with sleeves that come up over his shins, a black cloth hanging around his waist that falls level with his knees, a belt with supply pouches on the back to hold the cloth in place, a long sleeve front zip black shirt iwth blue lining, lastly a cloak with a reverse zipper goes over all this. He has light armor across his shins, forearms, and hands.

Personality
Kouichi, being a Jounin of Kirigakure as well as one of the leaders in his clan, shows great control over his emotions in his decision making. The primary emotions one can view from him are curiosity and amusement, things like rage and sadness often not coming out unless a deep blow is struck to him(metaphorically speaking). He often gets lost in thought in order to think of a solution to problems in his life and other things, this often makes him late for appointments or gets him lost from time to time.

He can be a little arrogant to his opponents at times, his overall attitude towards the opposition can be considered that of a jerk toward oppoisition. He often berates his opponents on their abilities or skill for something as simple as bad timing, this is of course to try and bring them down in terms of confidence, to stir an emotional reaction to make them screw up even the tiniest bit, and also make them focus on Kouichi more than anyone that might be with him. When it comes to allies or members of the village, he's a very insightful person and offers wisdom to those that seek it. He also will put their safety before his own, taking a hit in their stead if need be. He also holds an interest in tactical analysis, often trying to aid the village in drills should they someday be attack. Like most other shinobi, he can find patterns in opponents moves or flaws in their performances after being exposed to them a few times.

One thing that might surprise anyone is that Kouichi has a fear of mice. The exact cause is unknown but most people assume a mouse assaulted him as a baby or his Uncle tossed him in a pit of hungry mice while covered in food. This also brings into light his almost fanatical love for cats, often dropping everything to try and hold one, even if they claw him to hell and back. His favorite food is takoyaki, his least favorite being anything with noodles. He treats his superiors with respect often keeping his eyes closed when talking to them as a sign of respect, as his bloodline unnerves people because of its visual trait.

However despite his overall loyalty to the Kage and village, he seems to hold his own agenda from time to time. His activities are always carried out in secret and his motives are completely unknown to most. If anything, he is more suspicious than anything as he never passes any students from the academy that he takes on unless they exhibit some trait he might find interesting to say the least. Of course the people that find out what he's up to follow him, finding that he just lounges around in quiet places and smokes, showing he's got a lazy side to him as well.

History
Kouichi was born with his twin brother Akito in a brisk day in January, their parents surprised at the extra child as they hadn't expected twins. To those interested the history of their parents is rather placid if not boring. Their father was the member of the Kojiki clan in the marriage, his skills as a ninja were considered sub par but his ability to keep order and keep peace were exceptional. Their mother however was nothing more than member of the village and had no background a a shinobi. They had meet when Tachizawa saved Yuko from a bunch of drunks one night and began meeting every now and again. Tachizawa always looking to please Yuko, showing how whipped he was at the will of his lovely wife. But enough of that, back to the twins.

During their infancy Akito and Kouichi were inseparable for the first couple years of their lives, often doing everything together. They eat together, slept together, bathed together, hell everything except pooping together. They often took care of each other as well, when one got hurt the other would give them a hug being toddlers they didn't know much on medical care and thought hugs cured everything. Over all they shared one of the happiest childhoods one can expect given they were born into Kirigakure. However while they lived out their first few years happily the Sanmenkyou were planning their future.

The Sanmenkyou always saw the rarity of twins within the clan as a sign, leading them to turn the children against one another using the villages genin training method. This was of course all in order to assure a strong Doujutsu user would take the place of a Sanmenkyou when the time came as most clan members are dispirited about being strong with their bloodline. As the Sanmenkyou plotted their futures, the toddlers would play unaware for a few years more.

During acceptance to the Academy, the imagined becoming peacekeepers like their father as they began their training but this was quickly dismissed from their minds as their teacher was one of the more brutal and blunt shinobi available in the Academy. Pushing the idea of ideal ninja being nothing more than a killer and a tool for his village, often punishing students harshly if they failed to meet expectations. Fearful of being punished the two brothers often helped one another in order to prevent the other from being beaten. One day they were caught helping each other study after school by their teacher and he quickly separated them.

During classes they were no longer near each other and they were often pitted against one another during demonstrations. If one messed up, the teacher would beat the other twin for their brothers mistakes. Sadly Kouichi was the forced to watch as his brother was beaten up for the small mistakes he might have made every so often. Growing tired of being beaten for his brothers incompetence, Akito beat his own brother up when they got home one evening. Yelling and screaming at Kouichi, Akito wailed on his twin brother until his arms could no longer be lifted. Kouichi was left a sobbing on the floor as Akito went to his room to study, Kouichi's parents cleaning up both children and lecturing them about their behavior. Akito once again receiving the brunt of it for beating up Kouichi.

Deep down, Kouichi began to change his outlook from the idea of becoming a happy peacekeeper to simply being someone that wouldn't let his brother down. Akito on the other hand had a hatred brewing inside him, the need to push his brother away becoming greater every day they spent at the Academy. It was through these now changing outlooks that their rivalry would be born, Akito to beat his twin Kouichi while Kouichi would merely seek to excel to prevent others from paying for his mistakes. While they began to change the Sanmenkyou were further instigating things by convincing the Academy to pair them as Genin when they graduated.

The Academy took notice of the Kojiki twins for the remainder of their time in the academy and noticed a growing tension between the two that often led to the demonstrations they had to perform in class to become rather heated to the point where one might grievously harm the other. However in seeking to protect his brother, he was only fueling the fire in Akito's heart as he strived to become stronger merely to beat Kouichi. After graduating the twins were placed together as rivals much to Akito's delight as he looked for every chance to beat Kouichi.

During their missions Akito would often perform underhanded deeds to prevent Kouichi from being the one to report, often knocking him out and favoring himself as the hard work and Kouichi as the slacker. Despite what Akito said, their parents could see that Kouichi would come home more tired and worn out from working hard while Akito would barely have done anything. Seeing this they'd always favor Kouichi in the evenings. As you can imagine, seeing Kouichi being treated better than him lead Akito to loath his brother even more. This of course lead the Sanmenkyou to further their plans again by lifting the seal upon both of them, granting them each their second stage Hakyougan.

Seeing this as the key to victory, Akito began training with Doshaburi to make it more powerful. Kouichi on the other hand merely headed into the Kojiki Compounds study and began looking through the scrolls concerning the Hakyougan and its techniques. With this he began seeking a way to try and increased the ways he could protect not only his brother but the people around him as he began to think of not only being able to protect Akito but his family and clan. The wheels being set in motion for the last time as the Sanmenkyou let the growing boys decide their own paths and in the end they would pick the one best suited to the task they had in mind, both boys now setting out to train for the Chuunin exams in roughly 4 months.

When it came time for the Chuunin exams the brothers passed the written portion with little trouble as their feuding had made them study and train both their bodies and their minds to handle situations. However given that only 8 people passed the first exam this year(the twins included), the one on one battles were commenced within the next few days. During this time the one on one battle participants were arranged accordingly. The final arrangement had Akito and Kouichi on the same branch of the brackets but they had different opponents in the first round.

During his round Kouichi was placed against a Genin from Kumogakure who specialized in the one thing he had a failing in, Taijutsu. The deciding factor of the battle would wind up being who could generate the strategic advantage over the other. Thankfully his opponent wanted to try and end the fight quickly by going for the quick finish, giving Kouichi the advantage as he used a water clone and what weapons he had in his possession to force the opponent to surrender, of course his opponent was stuck hanging by his ankle from a tree with a bed of shuriken below him and seemed to be concerned by the kunai that Kouichi was holding so it prompted him to give up alot quicker. Kouichi however had no real intention on killing him let alone seriously harming him. Akito however had broken three ribs of his opponent and caused him to go temporarily blind in his left eye, showing how Akito was almost the opposite in terms of handling their opponents.

When the next round came about the two brothers stood before each other, ready to fight even though Kouichi had his reservations about harming his own brother. However while he had doubts, Akito was more than willingly to harm his brother, hoping to inflict the most amount of damage on Kouichi before the latter passed out or died. However when the battle began neither of them moved. Akito and Kouichi merely stared at one another. Both of them realizing that the other was going to use every trick they had to bring the other down, with that in their minds they activated their Hakyougans and each of them pulled out a kunai.

Rushing the other, they performed Jutsu to battle one another. Akito releasing a blast of fire while he circled around his brother. Kouichi releasing a blast of water that clashed with the flames, steam hising as it spread around the two boys before they broke off their jutsu and threw their kunai, both weapons clashing in the air. Using this time Kouichi set about creating a water clone with the left over water from when he used Mizurappa, the clone coming to stand in front of Kouichi as he placed an explosive tag on its back. Akito rushed toward his twin, his hands a blur while they formed the needed seals and he once again released a wave of fire as the water clone sped toward Akito and his attack. Leaping back Kouichi watched as the tag on the clones back was engulfed by the fire and exploded, throwing Akito backwards before he bounced off the ground and rolled a bit.

Getting to his feet Akito charged his brother as he drew several shuriken and loosed them at Kouichi. Kouichi on the other hand performed Mizurappa once more and deflected the shuriken but his attack was blasted apart by a blast as Akito got in close and slugged his brother before moving in and landing several blows before performing a handseal and blowing Kouichi backwards with a blast from his eyes. Akito stood in place catching his breath as he smiled, having been training Doshaburi ever since the Elders granted them their second crack. He watched as Kouichi stood up, wiping blood from his mouth before pulling out several kunai and holding them in both his hands. Akito boasted how he could blow the kunai away if Kouichi threw them at him, but Kouichi replied that he had something else in mind.

Tossing the kunai into the air, the Kojiki twin performed a single hand seal the effects of what he spoke clearly making his brother go wide eyed in surprise as seven skeletal arms seemed to grow around Kouichi. The arms shifted up and each caught a kunai as a eight came down and was grabbed by the genin who looked at his brother determined to win, seeing his brother as a trial on the road to protecting him. Fuming with rage at the fact Kouichi was using a technique few Kojiki members could handle including himself, Akito charged his brother in a rage as he bellowed.

The battle didn't last long after that, blinded by his own rage and feeling of defeat at the fact Kouichi was surpassing him Akito was no match against his brother. As the seven arms faded away, the seven kunai fell to the ground as Akito struggled to his feet adn glared at his brother who was looking down at him with sad eyes. Kouichi felt bad for having to fight his brother and this would only drive him later on in his life to realize that his brother didn't want to be saved but he wanted to win. Akito's desire for mindless power causing him to lose, his hatred for his brother growing more than ever.

The Sanmenkyou had been watching from the stands and saw teh difference in both power and will as they watched Akito violently turn away his brothers attempts to get him to a medical ninja after Kouichi was declared the winner. Seeing their plans come to fruition they knew who would be their choice as a future Sanmenkyou if they stayed true to the path they'd choosen. After the match as Akito was finished being tended to, the Elders entered the infirmary and stood before both twins as they announced the fine display of skill both of them demonstrated. With that said they also stated they were going to be choosing one of them as a Sanmenkyou replacement someday. Kouichi was shocked into silence whereas Akito just grinned evilly, thoughts of having more power than Kouichi rushing into his mind.

After the events in the infirmary Kouichi was still a bit surprised that he barely seemed to notice his victory in the final match. His shock was deepened by his advancement to the rank of Chuunin along with his opponent in the final round, Akito fuming from his bed in the infirmary for being surpassed so quickly in such a short time by Kouichi. However Kouichi wouldn't be able to take on missions for a while as he fell ill a few weeks after the Chuunin Exam. His illness kept him bed ridden and unable to move about on his own without collapsing. This caused him to lose alot of weight as well as muscle. However to make up for his lack of physical training Kouichi spent weeks reading and took an interest in genjutsu shortly after.

Surprisingly his illness kept him bedridden longer than anyone could have suspected, it wasn't until a medical ninja was able to find the cause that he started to get better. Somehow the medicine he was being given once a week had been replaced with a slow killing poison, the culprit while obvious to any reader was a mystery to the Kojiki clan members. Since the dosages were extremely tiny they wouldn't have killed him even if he took it for several months, showing how little the culprit knew about poisons. After being placed on the proper medicine and regaining his health, Kouichi began to take missions again and was even accepted into a squad of Chuunin to keep from over exerting himself.

Over the years spent performing missions and training himself, he also taught at Academy from time to time. While not as harsh as his instructer, he potrayed that power should be used to protect those around you and not for blind warmongering. It was through this method that his students didn't compete to be stronger than their partner, but to protect them. Of course this style of teaching was stomped out quickly as Kouichi was called away from teaching to perform some missions and a more 'suitable' instruct filled his shoes. It was during his time between missions and training that the Elders granted him and Akito their third crack. The fueding brothers once again seeking to make themselves stronger.

During one of Kouichi's missions to take out a missing-nin, Kouichi and his fellow Chuunin arrived at the base of a mountain path that would lead up to the village turned makeshift stronghold for the missing-nin and his henchmen. As the four Chuunin climbed the mountain and reached the small village they encountered a trap as the henchman revealed he had been waiting for pursuers for a while. With that said the four Chuunin were pitted against the missing-nins henchmen, one of his comrades being overwhelmed as they appeared in large numbers. Noticing that the villagers themselves were working for the missing-nin Kouichi urged the team to fall back, responding accordingly the three surviving Chunnin fled down the mountain.

Instead of chasing them right away the villagers launched a volley of arrows at the Chunnin. Several arrows buried themselves in Kouichi's back as he slid down the mountain while trying to place himself between his teammates and the hail of arrows, rain beginning to bear down on them as well as the arrows. As he reached the bottom he staggered to too keep his balance, several arrows sticking out of him as he looked to his team mates. His heart sank as he saw both of his fellow Chuunin dead, one with his neck twisted the wrong way and the other with an arrow jutting up from the back of her head. Balling his fists he felt an anger inside him boiling to the surface as he turned his gaze up to the villagers rushing down the mountain toward him. Ignoring the warmth of blood trickling down his back and the pain that came with it, he brought his hands together in a seal and activated his Hakyougan. Not able to see the lone shinobi too well through the darkening skies, the horde of villagers charged with their voices raised as high as their spears and pitchforks.

And with a flash of light and a crash of thunder in the distance Kouichi formed another seal, the seven arms of Ebisu appearing before he focused harder, the arms spacing out as they gain extra additions to their numbers as a shield of criss-crossed rib bones melted into existence around Kouichi, the villagers watching the skeletal horror appear around the ninja as he released the best thing a human could produce in terms of a roar before rushing into the villagers that slipped and flailed in the mud as they sought to turn around and escape the beast before them.

The large arms of Oni Majutsu: Onimusha reaching out, gripping the heads of two henchmen which it promptly applied pressure to, crushing the skulls of the two people as Kouichi begin to slaughter the horde of lackeys that had charged in to kill him. After finishing he climbed back to the top of the mountain, blood staining his skin and clothes as he growled at missing-nin who was the last person left alive after Kouichi's climb up. Rushing forward, he battled with the runaway shinobi for what seemed like ages before using Onimusha to rip one of the missing-nins arms off, tossing it aside and pounding the missing-nin's ribcage into nothing more than a lump of bone and bloody flesh. Standing up, Kouichi staggered back as his Hakyougan deactivated and with it Onimusha.

Panting as the surge of emotions was washed away by the rain he could feel the tears leave his eyes as he fell to his knees and blacked out before his head hit the ground. Waking up several hours later he'd find himself in one of one of Kirigakure's outposts, his head pounding, his back and shoulder sore. Apparently one of the villagers had cut into his left shoulder with a spear before being killed. His teammates were wrapped in cloth and set aside for a trip home as well as the remains of the missing-nin Kouichi had turned into a pile of ground meat. Remembering the night before, Kouichi wept at his inability to save any of his teammates. As he recovered in the outpost word of the village he had wiped out made its way back to Kirigakure along with his report that he had someone write out while he was bed ridden. His exploits earning him the nickname Oni no Kojiki, much to his dismay.

After returning to Kirigakure he visited the graves of his fallen comrades and felt a part of him belonged beside them in the ground as sighed and headed back to the Kojiki Compound. After recalling the night where his anger had blinded him so much he felt a lack of drive to get invovled with another team. During his free time he began to take up smoking as well as returning to his studies. During the haze of days and weeks that passed he barely noticed his brother let alone his own parents. One day when he was visiting the graves he ran into the lover of his former team leader, the kunoichi that had been killed with an arrow to her head.

The man discussed many thigns with Kouichi who silently listened, having remembered these things being said by the kunoichi herself. The man pat Kouichi on the back hard making his arrow wounds send a mesage to him as they were still tender. The man merely laughed at Kouichi's gloomy demeanor and talked to him, causing a stirring deep down inside the disheartened shinobi who began to get back some of his lost outlook.

The following years of his life he applied to being a better shinobi and eventually took the Jounin exams, passing along with his brother who he surprised by returning his boasting with berating remarks full of sarcasm. Baffled by the sudden change in his brother Akito was at a loss for words even then not knowing if he should be angry or not. After becoming Jounin the Clan elders watched as Akito and Kouichi performed their duties as Jounin, the every emotional Akito still aspiring to one up his brother all the while aiming to lead the clan with his strength and Kouichi the steeled Jounin who felt the pain of loss, the touch of knowledge through hardship, the man who would rather put himself in the line of fire than those around him. The years may have changed Kouichi's outlook in different ways, but his goals remained the same. He was a tool for his village, a force that would protect those around him and slay those that would do them harm. He was a strong member of his clan, proving his mettle in combat when he needed. He was the choice the Sanmenkyou had been grooming since birth.

With his Uncle being too old to continue beingthe Mirakyousen of the Kojiki clan, Kouichi was appointed his replacement in front of a clan gathering. Akito of course caused a scene and was escorted out before he got violent. Kouichi accepted the role given to him as he close to being the youngest Kojiki Elder at the age of 27, the youngest having been his Great Grand Aunt Sadako. Upon his induction into the Sanmenkyou he was granted the fourth crack in his Hakyougan and spent the next year training his Hakyougan as well as tending to his duties as Clan Elder during the course of the following year.

Abilities
Overall Kouichi is skilled primarily in Ninjutsu and his bloodline. He has an interest in Genjutsu but so far he has not come to rely upon it fully in combat as of yet. His skills with Taijutsu are primarily lacking as he had never truly bother to train them properly.

Quotes
(from sample post: directed at his twin brother Akito) "That right there is why you weren't picked. You don't rule the clan, you lead it with the other Sanmenkyou. These aren't you personal subjects, they're your family and they need firm hand to guide and protect them. Didn't take me all but a few minutes on the toilet this morning to figure that out."