Ishiko

==== Ishiko is an Iwa Genin who is also the Nibi Jinchuuriki.

Appearance
Ishiko has a young girl's body blossoming into a young woman. She's growing out in curves, yet still childish. Her head is a bit big for her body, she still has shoulders that haven't quiet grown out, and still has growing to do. Still, traces of athleticism can be seen in her lean physique and athletic inclination. Ishiko has a Trickster's mask, typically slanted along her head, and bright blue locks of hair that is kept short and cropped, only a braided lock passing down to her shoulders.

Ishiko, for being an orphan, seemed to have a fairly unusual, colorful outfit. A bright, obnoxious pink shirt with long, flowing sleeves embraced her as a loose top; leaving her midriff bare. Under-armor in the form of a one piece could be seen towards the pink kimono-like shirt's V cut, with lace-like fishnets under that. A similarly designed pink skirt danced around her thighs; a pair of dark, tough leather shorts seen under. More for necessity than fashion (unlike her other aspects of her ensemble) were stone-like fore-arm protectors.

Personality
Innocent’s faint tint of care-free days and Candide’s simplistic view of everything working out for the best were imprinted in the girl’s smile and the way she laughed; youth needed no reason. On the faintest, shallow levels of her character, the girl was still optimistic and bubbly, when in the proper mood. Her naiveté and ignorance of the world were still evident, mixed in with experience’s harsh lessons that found balance in the turbulence of youth. Ishiko is the sort of child that believes in other people, has a great admiration for the human will, and particularly trusts in the capacity for good in others as well as her own self.

This optimism, however, isn’t simplistic. She wants to believe in people because of all the bad in the world, convinced that these injustices are only more reason to have faith and believe in the kindness in others, while all the same understanding human suffering and its brutish reality. Without the faith or good intention in one’s heart, a good act would weigh as much as an evil act. Without the compassion to understand and grow close to one another, people would break apart and cease to live; only exist and suffer. Ishiko, however, has rather bitter thoughts; almost hateful thoughts. Her confidence and faith in other people is shadowed by a condescending critic looming in the darkness of her heart. A voice assuring her all this struggling and all her idealism meant nothing. This is another aspect of her development; the doubt and cynicism she has buried from others, characterized in grotesque, selfish, self-serving, and hateful thoughts.

Perhaps it’s these dark thoughts that have driven Ishiko to clutch at who she identifies herself to be: a bubbly, perky girl with the best intentions.

History
Ishiko, named a Child of Stone, is anything but. She’s always been considered a bit too soft, a bit too gentle, and a bit too dainty for life in Iwagakure. That was just life in Iwa; life as a Shinobi in Iwa was considerably hard to grasp for anyone who knew the girl. As an orphan abandoned by her parents and taken in by her Uncle, her mother’s brother, her studies as a Shinobi helped her cope with the loss. While things seemed to be for the better, she still felt as though everything felt wrong. It was wrong because mother wasn’t there to give her sweets, or that father wasn’t there to pat her on the head.

Eventually, though, Uncle’s mannerisms and quirky smiles became the source of light for Ishiko, she even began to refer to him as Outo-San. Her studies quickly put her through, and her Outo-San was proud that little Ishiko would someday become a splendid Shinobi. In all honesty, the only reason Ishiko continued to pursue her studies at the academy was Outo-San’s approval. When he’d smile and beam with pride at how Ishiko would gallantly serve Iwagakure. She was just happy to have his approval.

On graduation day, not too long ago actually, Iwagakure was greeted with the Yonbi’s attack. Ishiko, just recently receiving her head-band, was herded away from the attack, glancing back to see the Yonbi’s horrid glow. She spent graduation night huddled in fear in one of the lower levels of Iwagakure, clutching at her head band. The following morning, the Yonbi was gone, and Ishiko was taken along with Outo-San and many citizens of Iwa that lost their homes. There was talk about Iwagakure falling apart, and it brought a panic. It was the reason Ishiko had to spend months in Tea Country, feeling homesick.

Iwa was her home, Iwa was her calling, and Iwa was her country. She couldn’t sit in Tea Country, enjoy distant relatives and their nobility, and talk about getting married off to some boy who didn’t even know her. No, that wasn’t right. It was one night, when Ishiko out-fitted herself in her Shinobi garb, when she met up with her Outo-San, who looked down at her. Ishiko could’ve pleaded with Outo-San. Made him come along with enough persuasion. Maybe he would’ve, had she started crying. But that wasn’t right. If he wanted to stay here and get fat on feasts and sweets, so be it. Ishiko shared a few brief parting words, stating that if Outo-San ever wished it, she’d be in Iwa.

Months of grueling labor and hitch-hiking brought her back home, where the Genin was quickly put to work on helping re-build Iwa. Most primarily she was part of kitchen duty, helping prepare snacks and lunches for the construction workers and Shinobi. Slowly but steadily, Iwa rebuilt herself with the help of her children. Ishiko was glad to be back, sad to have Outo-San gone, and had mixed feelings about the people she’d come across. She spent much of her time back in Iwa getting re-settled in, working, and even getting assigned to a new team consisting of a Tenma and Namiyo, whose constant advances were something that Ishiko just grew accustomed to.

Life wasn’t all that bad, and even though she still missed Outo-San, she felt that she had new friends to help fill the void he left. It wasn’t even a year after the Yonbi attack that the Nibi attacked, this time attacking with an army of the dead. Ishiko was kidnapped, knocked out, and had the Nibi sealed in her unconscious body.

Now she is Iwagakure’s Nibi Jinchuuriki, no longer considered Ishiko in the eyes of the higher ups and the Jounin that had been there to seal the demon inside of her. As for what Ishiko felt about becoming a Jinchuuriki. . . well, she seriously began to regret coming back to Iwa. Just a little bit. Despite all of the fascinating events Ishiko has undergone, her only determination (or ultimatum), her Nindo, stays the same; her ninja way is to find happiness in her life and live without regret.

Abilities
Ishiko has the basics of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu mastered from her years in the academy. She is well-balanced for her level as a Genin, a beginner-level Ninja, and has shown promise in her IQ scores and capability assessments. She's shown herself to be a capable Shinobi in all these fields of being a Ninja, but has shown particular promise in her expertise of Ninjutsu.

Roughly speaking, Ishiko has a Chuunin-level capacity for mastering Ninjutsu. Through this mastery, Ishiko has developed some complex forms of Fuuinjutsu for her level, and is even found playing around with Jutsu that have been deemed too advanced for most, if not all, Genin.