Raikage: Kaede Hatsuharu

Name: Kaede Hatsuharu

Age: 53

Sex: Male

Rank: Raikage

Village: Kumogakure

Physical Appearance and Motions:




Standing at 6’9, and 237 pounds, Kaede is all muscle. Although well past the standard prime for a ninja, Kaede has managed to keep himself in tremendous physical condition, and his body shows it. His bulging arms and legs testify to the numerous hours he’s spent climbing the mountains around his home village of Kumogakure. His hair is long, past his shoulder blades, but his bangs are swept back. A single plume of hair sticks out over his face, and he likes to obsess about making sure that it’s always properly straightened, even though it will disintegrate at the slightest contact. As such, he’s very careful about people getting near his face. His facial hair includes a prominent mustache and full-length beard. His eyes are a dull gray, the color of steel. They light up with a blazing white light when Kaede initiates any chakra-fueled technique, and they serve as a gauge for how much power he is immediately tapping into.
As for attire, Kaede’s preferred clothing is the traditional robes and sashes of the Raikage, sans hat (not pictured above). After all, a hat would simply mess up his carefully cultivated plume. The robes are held up with a thin black sash that is easily torn off. He wears traditional shinobi sandals. However, when involved in a serious battle or a mission, with a flick of his wrist he can easily transform his Kage attire into a much more threatening set of battle armor. A traditional shinobi undershirt, black shinobi pants, bronze gauntlets, a bronze chest plate, knee pads, a bronze back plate, and shin guards all make up his impenetrable armor. Contrary to its appearance, this suit of armor actually increases his mobility. All of the metal parts are made of the type of metal that conducts the user’s chakra. When running Katon, Raiton, or his signature Kesshouton chakra through it, his movements and attacks are enhanced. Depending on the type of chakra, the armor will glow red (Katon), yellow (Raiton), or bright blue (Kesshouton).
He has a very neutral, yet deep, voice, often sounding aloof or disinterested. Depending on the situation, it can either become very soft or extremely loud. He moves slowly and deliberately, yet can move very quickly when in a hurry. He has a bit of a shuffle in his left leg when he walks, due to a heavy scar across the back of his calf. He often stands looking away from the person he’s speaking to, arms crossed either across his chest or behind his back.

Personality: The single most accurate term for Kaede would be thoughtful. He does everything very slowly and very deliberately. Everything he does, from the smallest of motions to the most powerful of jutsu, has been carefully considered and planned in advance. In general, he is quiet, but authoritative. He accepts his role of leadership and the responsibilities that come with it, but he expects everyone around him to treat him like a leader. He is very strict when it comes to matters of impudence and insubordination. However, this isn’t because he is very overly controlling. Through the long years of training and growing, Kaede has gained impeccable discipline and confidence. He issues orders and expects them to be followed because he has complete faith in his ability to make the best decisions at the best times, and because he has faith that the ones under him will follow those orders.
However, Kaede isn’t always completely authoritative. He enjoys a good joke and likes to tell them. He has a natural talent for story telling, and his long, epic yarns always captivate those around him. When he makes a foray from his office into the village, he makes sure to greet everyone, if a little formally. Children especially like him, since he is so soft-spoken and big. The company of little ones always soothes him, especially after a difficult day.
To say that Kaede is addicted to training would be an overstatement, but he finds a special joy in working his body that he can rarely find anywhere else. Many of his training techniques seem harsh, even impossible. However, the supremely toned body needed to perfect the Kesshouton jutsu demands hellish, continuous training. With his village being surrounded by mountains, the most natural training for him is climbing. After scaling many of the surrounding peaks, Kaede has become a supremely proficient climber. When he’s out on the rocks, Kaede can feel at peace with nature, and with himself. Whenever he has a difficult problem to solve, he can always be found at the top of the third-highest summit, meditating. This is also where he goes once a year to offer a prayer for his deceased wife, Tsuhime.
In battle, he isn’t much different. With slow deliberation, Kaede tracks down his opponent. He can think out many different strategies, but in the moment tactics are not his strong suit; he has difficulty adjusting to situations that he is not completely prepared for. However, the number of strategies that he can prepare beforehand makes up for it. If one doesn’t work, he has a contingency plan that covers the exact failure that occurred.

History: Born in the Cloud Village, Kaede lived a fairly normal life. His mother was a shopkeeper, and his father was a ninja. Kaede looked up to his father for both his immense strength and his burning desire to protect the Cloud Village. However, he held a special love for his mother; she was the kindest, most thoughtful person Kaede knew. As he progressed from a toddler to a child, Kaede grew. He was a big kid, easily dwarfing most of the other children in his class. At age eight he joined the Cloud Village Academy, and began his training as a ninja. His size gave him a natural advantage in Taijutsu, and he also found a skill for Genjutsu. His Ninjutsu wasn’t terrible, nowhere near it, but it was lackluster. Kaede got his first taste for training then. At age ten, he began climbing mountains. Instead of dwelling on his Ninjutsu, he focused on making it the best it could be. Kaede was not a genius. He wasn’t an extremely talented ninja, and his chakra control was always erratic at best. Through constant training, he crafted his own unique fighting style that covered his weaknesses and exemplified his strengths. Difficulty with attack jutsu? Kaede would simply implement them in a way that they were useful. Particularly effective Genjutsu? Kaede made that the focus of his battle plans. After graduating sixth in his class, Kaede was assigned to a Genin squadron and a Jonin mentor. The squad was well balanced; Kaede, the strategist and defensive specialist, Rukawa, the reckless, fast attacker, and Tsuhime, the elegant master of Taijutsu. The three knew each other from Academy, but real bonds had yet to be formed.
Their first missions, D ranked, were easy. Naturally, with such a good blend of fighting and social styles, the team worked very well together, though Rukawa and Tsuhime clashed sometimes. Rukawa’s impulsive, brash nature was a natural foil to Tsuhime’s aloof and sometimes disinterested ego. Kaede took it all in stride, often acting as a keeper of the peace. He and Rukawa got along well, but it was Tsuhime that Kaede began to develop feelings for. After their first couple of C missions, it became clear who was leading the group. Although most people looked to Rukawa, the outspoken one, it was Tsuhime that truly led the two boys. At age 14, after an above-average mission completion rate, all three took the Chunin exam. Kaede passed the written test easily, and the survival test was a throwaway for someone with such extreme physical conditioning. During the battle phase, Kaede used superior strategy to manipulate his opponents and come in with two wins before walking into the finals. His opponent was Rukawa. Putting their memories behind them, Rukawa and Kaede went all out.
Kaede used his basic Raiton attacks to gauge Rukawa. However, Rukawa had no intention of letting up that easily. Rukawa’s mid-ranked Katon techniques left Kaede in a dangerous situation. Calling upon his trump card, Kaede unleashed a combination Genjutsu that paralyzed Rukawa while at the same time leaving him open to a devastating Taijutsu combination. Kaede won, barely, and became a Chunin.
Assigned his own squadron, Kaede began to develop his fighting style even further. Ninjutsu, traditionally his weakest point, received the most attention. His weak Raiton abilities began to grow, from short bursts of electricity into more dangerous bolts. Working on missions of B class, he could put a new ability to the test before solidifying it as part of his arsenal. A few years passed. At age 17, Kaede had developed his Raiton to the point where it was on par with his now abnormally strong Genjutsu and Taijutsu skills. His overall power increased greatly with his now-mastered Raiton, and he began to look for new ways to improve himself. Throughout all of his missions and training, he continued a strong friendship with Rukawa and Tsuhime, each now a Chunin. The three were inseparable, always out together, never failing to back each other up. As they grew older, they matured, and Kaede’s romance with Tsuhime became a true love. At age 23, they married, and they were extremely happy together.
At age 24, Kaede was offered a Jonin position. He decided to accept, and showed up for the written test, personality test, and practical examination. He passed the written test with an 89%, and the personality test concluded that he was a fit leader. The practical examination was challenging. First, he had to prove his physical conditioning. With his immense strength, Kaede easily overcame that obstacle. Next was a Taijutsu examination. Although his speed was up to par, his real strength was the accuracy of his attacks and the power behind them. The Genjutsu test was also easy for him, making use of his intellect and his patience. The final Ninjutsu test was the most difficult. Exhibiting a mastery of basic Ninjutsu was no problem, but when asked to display his elemental prowess, Kaede began to wonder if he could really pass with only his acquired knowledge of Raiton. However, his fears were quickly dispelled. With a flashy display of lightning and thunder, Kaede’s true powers shone through, and he passed.
After training a Genin squad for a year, Kaede learned wonderful news. Tsuhime was pregnant with their first child. Of course, she took a leave from active duty, while Kaede made sure that everything was in the right order for the new arrival. However, things were not to be so lucky. At the end of nine months, Tsuhime delivered a stillborn baby. Kaede couldn’t believe his bad luck. He had done nothing wrong, neither had Tsuhime. Neither of them deserved this, yet it had still happened. They discovered that the cause was an unidentified virus in Tsuhime that would slowly kill her from the inside out. This wrought an almost frightening change in Kaede. Reaching out to his elderly father, he begged to know the secrets of the clan’s Kekkei Genkai. Long ago, Kaede had sworn to rise up with his own strength, and not that of his clan. But the tragedy of his child had opened his eyes. Strength came from within, yes. But real strength came from knowing when to accept help, knowing when to take what you can get, and from the fact that things rarely turned out as expected. Kaede’s father agreed, but there was a stipulation. In order to master the Kekkei Genkai that dwelled within him, Kaede would have to master Katon. With a solemn vow, Kaede promised that he would not only master Katon, he would master the Kekkei Genkai, and become a ninja that could make the Hatsuharu clan proud.
For six years Kaede toiled. Between A and S-ranked missions, caring for his now-sick wife, and his rigorous physical training, he had little time to master Katon. He worked his way up from miniature fireballs all the way to scathing infernos. At age 30, Kaede could say that he mastered Katon. Going back to his father, now in his sixties, Kaede asked for instruction in the Kekkei Genkai. At this point, his father stood up and unlocked a small case. Withdrawing a small, electric blue scroll, he handed the scroll to Kaede. He explained that the few things needed to master the Kekkei Genkai were in the scroll, but each person who mastered it transformed it into their own unique style. With a bow, Kaede exited to go and learn this new style.
Unraveling the scroll, Kaede began to read. The scroll told of the essential combination of Raiton and Katon chakra, to create the new chakra form. The scroll also described the impeccable physical conditioning needed to withstand the strain of the chakra’s power. The scroll told Kaede to stop and practice combining the elements, which he did. Holding lightning chakra in his left hand and fire chakra in his right, he focused each of the elements into a single point of energy. Slowly bringing his hands together, he let the chakras flow into each other. Suddenly, his arms began to burn. As the two chakras merged completely, a single point of bright blue light erupted between his hands. With a vicious explosion, Kaede was knocked off of his feet. His hands were burned, and his arms were sore from the exertion of keeping the chakra in check. With new resolution, Kaede leaped up and began again.
After mastering the elemental fusion a few months in, he read the rest of the scroll. The name of the Kekkei Genkai was Kesshouton, or Plasma Style. It made sense; superheating air required a mastery of Katon, and ionizing it required extreme control of Raiton. Training became harder…much harder. After grasping the concept of creating plasma, he began to create jutsu. Slowly, the style evolved. Focusing plasma turned into plasma blasts. Plasma blasts evolved into plasma storms. Finally, his greatest weakness, his poor Ninjutsu, had become his greatest strength.
At age 49, Kaede’s wife Tsuhime passed away. Her virus had claimed her life after a long fight. Kaede had come to terms with her dying, or so he thought. Still, her death hit him hard. With her passing, Kaede devoted himself entirely to his training. Suddenly, however, he found that he had little left to train. His Taijutsu was still impeccable, his Genjutsu inescapable, and his Ninjutsu was indefensible. The only thing left to do was leave his mark on his village. With that goal in mind, he set his sights on one thing; the newly created Raikage post. He submitted his name for consideration in the Raikage selection. After several months of deliberation by the village elders, Kaede was alerted. He had been selected as Shodai Raikage. After accepting the post, Kaede allowed himself a brief reprieve. He had reached the peak of his powers. All that was left was to prove it to the world.

Fighting Style: For the most part, Kaede relies on his abilities as a strategist to see him through a battle. By analyzing his opponent, he can determine their strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly. Going into a fight, he will test his opponent with low level Raiton and Katon, as well as defending himself with Taijutsu. After the battle starts to heat up, he will begin bringing out his Genjutsu combinations, which usually disorient or paralyze the opponent in order to leave them open to a vicious attack. If his opponent appears to be at an appropriate power level, he will switch to his high level elemental attacks, as well as vivid and disturbing Genjutsu. After determining that it is time to get really serious, he will break out his Kekkei Genkai, Kesshouton. His final trump card is always, without fail, Kesshouton: Shinsei Arashi.


Raiton Jutsu

C Rank:

Kaminari Muchi (Thunder Whip) - With a flick of their wrist, the user creates a crackling stream of yellow energy that can be used as both an offensive and defensive weapon. The range on the whip is based on the amount of chakra put into the jutsu, though the standard range is about 20 feet. Contact will produce burns and mild paralysis.

Raikyu (Lightning Ball) - With a punch, the user sends a sizzling ball of yellow lightning the size of a human head at a target. The ball explodes on impact, with a 10 foot blast radius. Anybody touched by the ball itself suffers burns and paralysis. Anybody touched by the blast suffers mild paralysis.

Kaminari Kyozetsu (Thunder Repulse) - A contact only jutsu. The user gathers negative lightning chakra in a hand and passes it on to an ally. The ally will gain near complete resistance to the user’s specific lightning chakra, but not to opponents’. This does not cover Kesshouton.


B Rank:

Duyu Suku (Jolt Armor) - The user emits a quick burst of lightning chakra from a point on their body. The burst can counter both physical and chakra-powered attacks, acting as a magnetic repellant. The area can be expanded based on the amount of chakra used.

Duyu Yari (Jolt Lance) - Using the same theory as Duyu Suku, the user forces a burst of lightning chakra outwards, shaping it into a single beam. The beam has extreme penetrating power, but its path cannot be altered once fired. Multiple shots can be fired in succession with the use of more chakra.

Karui Ouda Kusari (Light Strike Chain) - This jutsu targets multiple opponents. The user fires a single stream of chakra at the nearest opponent. Once contact is made, the stream moves to the next opponent. A maximum of 6 enemies in a 30 foot radius may be chained. The chains do no damage and cause no paralysis, but instead provide a pathway for other Raiton attacks. This is most often used in conjunction with Duyu Yari.


A Rank:

Shugeki Bakudan (Shock Bomb) - The user creates an immense wad of lightning chakra, about 3 and a half feet in diameter. The user propels it forwards with their chakra, but it moves slowly. When it makes contact with an object, it explodes with a 25 foot radius. Anybody touched by the bomb itself will suffer heavy, if not mortal, burns and paralysis. Anybody in the explosion will become blinded and paralyzed, with severe burns. This takes a large amount of chakra to perform, and can only be used sparingly.

Duyuha (Jolt Wave) - With an enormous explosion of lightning chakra, the user sends a wave of energy speeding outwards in a 20 foot radius. Anybody caught in the wave becomes completely paralyzed, based on power level. This takes a significant amount of strength and chakra, and as such must be performed with care.


Katon Jutsu

C Rank:

Kaen Shingu Sazanami (Flare Ripple) - The user sends a 4 foot high wall of flame outwards from their body. The flames cause burns and damage, but not to a high degree. Repeated waves can be utilized with more chakra.

Tachi Hidama (Multiple Fireballs) - The user sends a stream of fireballs from their mouth, each the size of a baseball, at an opponent. 10-12 are fired on a standard chakra level, but up to 25 can be utilized. The fireballs cause small burns and minor damage.


B Rank:

Kaen Shingu Toppu (Flare Gust) - With a punch, the user sends a large stream of fire from their fist. The fire spirals as it flies and eventually becomes a sideways tornado of flame. The radius of the cone is 10 feet. The center of the cone causes burns, which decrease in severity towards the edges.

Hitoshin (Fire Rush) - The user dashes forwards, exhaling heavily. Their breath becomes fire, which coats their body in a way that makes them look like a moving inferno. Once the user stops moving, the fire expels outwards in a 5 foot radius. Anyone touched during the rush suffers knockback and severe burns. Anyone caught in the expulsion suffers minor burns.


A Rank:

Muchitsujo Hono (Chaos Flame) - The user creates a wall of fire around them from their mouth, and the fire encircles them like a column. The column is three times the user’s height, and is 5 feet in radius. With a punch to the ground, the column collapses in on itself, creating a dome that is twice the user’s height and 5 feet plus the user’s height in radius. The dome then spirals outwards like a tornado. Anyone caught in the blast will suffer major burns and damage.



Kesshouton Jutsu

B Rank:
*As a B Rank jutsu, the user can freely manipulate an amount of plasma that surrounds their body at any given time during the Kesshouton release. The amount of plasma depends on the chakra inputted, but it is measured in units. A unit of plasma occupies 2 square feet of mass, though the units are condensed into ions that surround Kaede like an aura. Kaede’s general release supplies him with 30 units of plasma. Up to 30 more can be generated, at which point Kaede must release the Kesshouton state. A unit of plasma causes severe and immediate burns, with superior penetrating power.

Shinsei Myakuhaku (Nova Pulse) - The user utilizes 4 units of plasma to create a powerful straight-line burst. The burst can only travel in a straight line for 25 feet. It sacrifices burning ability for penetration, piercing clean through any defense.

Juki Tate (Vapor Shield) - Utilizing a unit of plasma for each 8 foot section, the user creates a wall in front of themselves and allies. The intense heat of the plasma wall vaporizes all physical objects that pass through it. Chakra attacks are dispelled for the most part, though strong A Ranks and S Ranks will pass through.


A Rank:

Shinsei Nagare (Nova Stream) - Utilizing 10 units of plasma, the user focuses all of the plasma into a single ball. The user can fire 15 shots of plasma from the ball, as well as link the shots together into a stream which can be controlled either in a straight line or a whip-like motion. The plasma causes severe burns and knockback.

Kesshou Danpen (Plasma Shredder) - Utilizing 11 units of plasma, the user fires a wide area burst of myriad ions. The ions are the size of the tip of a pin, yet shred through flesh and bone very effectively. The area of the shred is about a 15 feet arc.

Shinsei Funka (Nova Eruption) - Utilizing 15 units of plasma, the user creates a node of plasma in the ground beneath an opponent. By striking the ground, the user can send the column upwards, effectively disintegrating the opponent. There is little to no defense possible against this technique. Its only disadvantage is that the eruption takes 1.5 seconds to complete, and the node of chakra is easily detectable.

Kesshou Suishin Ryoku (Plasma Propulsion) - By utilizing 10 units of plasma, the user can fire up to four jets of plasma from any point on their body. This allows for extreme-speed movement, as well as flight. The initial propulsion time is 10 seconds, increased by five for each unit of plasma added.


S Rank:

Shinsei Arashi (Nova Storm) - The ultimate technique of the Kesshouton jutsu. The user focuses no less than 20 units of plasma into a single point in their palm. The point glows as bright as a start, and will temporarily blind those who stare at it for more than a second. When the user releases the jutsu, the point expands rapidly into a dome. The dome covers a 30 foot radius, and is 20 feet high, with the user at the center. When the jutsu is initiated, everything within the circle is immediately assaulted by an upgraded Kesshou Danpen. After that, the residual plasma is gathered at the center and expelled outwards in a single wave. At this point, the user gathers all of the plasma within and without the dome and releases a single, incinerating blast. This technique can be used only once, as it draws on most available plasma and chakra. The user will be partially incapacitated after performing this technique; Kaede will be unable to use jutsu for 20 seconds. If Kaede has not reached the 60 unit limit after this technique, he retains half of the remaining units. Example: If Kaede has used 20 units of plasma, uses 20 units of plasma to use the technique, he has 20 left in his limit. Therefore, he retains 10.



Genjutsu:

D Rank:

Kage Me (Shadow Eyes) - The user’s eyes change to black. Anyone who makes direct eye contact suffers 10 seconds of minor paralysis proportional to their power level. The paralysis will last for about 3 seconds shorter for each rank. This jutsu doesn’t affect high-ranked ninja.

Nise Kaishaku (False Interpretation) - When used in conjunction with an attack, the target sees the attack split into three parts. A thrown kunai will appear as 3 different kunai coming from different angles, and so on. Contact with the illusory attacks causes no damage.


C Rank:

Sokudo Oni Toshin (Speed Demon Rush) - The user slows the target’s reaction time by half, making the rest of the world appear sped up. This jutsu is produced via direct eye contact for two seconds or physical contact.

Ketsugu Chikyu (Binding Earth) - The user punches the ground, sending a shockwave of chakra too small to be seen through the earth. Anyone who makes contact with the shockwave is subjected to moderate paralysis for 10 seconds, enough to stop high speed movement. Walking and basic defense can still be executed.

Haroku (Blade Lock) - The user executes a Taijutsu technique. If the opponent blocks the Taijutsu technique with either a weapon or their own Taijutsu, they fall under the Genjutsu. They will be unable to move from the position they are in when they block for 5 seconds. After the 5 seconds are up, they will be knocked back by the aftershock of the jutsu.


B Rank:

Momoku Kizu (Blind Wounds) - The user must first succeed with a physical attack. Once the attack connects, the victim feels the impact in three places other than the point of impact. The places are determined beforehand by the user. The pain of the quadrupled attack can be paralyzing and disorienting.

Tsukami Dokoro Ganaiami (Illusory Web) - The user sends out a high pitched whistle. Anybody who hears the whistle is automatically caught in the Genjutsu. Their chakra is linked to the user’s, and the user can send false sensory readings to the victims. This jutsu only lasts for 1 minute, during which the user must remain completely still and meditative. The user cannot control movement or thought, only sensory readings. The user cannot cause any fatal damage unless they manipulate the victims in such a way that leads to their death.


A Rank:

Jigokui (Hell’s Maw) - The victim watches as the user’s face contorts into a twisted demon. With a vicious roar, the user implants fear into the victim’s mind. For the rest of the battle, the victim will move more slowly and suffer a defensive penalty against the user. Those with high mental fortitude can resist the attack with great effort.

Sakareta Tsubasa (Ripped Wings) - Used only after a victim successfully completes an attack. The victim hears a burst of static in their ears, and is immediately paralyzed for 5 seconds. The victim then watches as the user seemingly reflects the attack back at them. They feel pain equal to half of the damage of their attack. For the rest of the battle, they are incapable of using that same attack. The user can only cast this Genjutsu once per battle.


[spoiler=Equipment]

Like described in Appearance, Kaede has on a suit of lightweight body armor beneath his Raikage robes. He has two pouches on either side of the belt. One contains 15 kunai and 20 shuriken. The other contains 10 explosive tags and 3 smoke bombs. He has two scrolls attached to the back of the belt. One carries a teleportation jutsu that immediately transports him and everyone in a 5 foot radius back to Kumogakure. The other contains a blank scroll that can be used for sealing jutsu.