Birthday: January 14th (Capricorn)
Current Age: Mid 50's
Village: Cloud
Lineage: Okada (Phantasm Manipulation)
Occupation: Adventurer
Affiliations: Cloud/Stone/Leaf ANBU
Shinobi Rank: Former Sennin
Aliases: Yoake (Daylight), Esgrimidor, Papa
He wears his legacy; his appearance.
Gender: Male (He/Him)
Height: 185cm
Weight: 77.1kg/170lbs
Beneath his gentlemen’s style and persona is an ectomorphic physique sculpted to near-perfection— the product of close to thirty years of militant shinobi training and service. He is slim by design and stands tall and lean, made for agility over acts of brutal strength. His body is free of heavy scarring despite years of rogue activity and hard labor. The few scars on his body serve as constant reminders of miscalculated actions: things he won’t repeat. His skin is of a tan complexion, and his hair is salt and pepper, and about shoulder length, and almost always blowing in a breeze. It appears as if his skill with the sword has carried over to the scissor, as he cuts the hair himself rather than seeking professional stylists. His eyes are like emerald gemstones that glow unnaturally, but their shape fits his face handsomely, resulting in a moderately attractive endgame.
It's fairly common for Kaji to dress in collared button-up shirts, with black suspenders and earth-toned slacks paired with black suede riding boots. In colder environments, he is known for adding a coffee-colored aviator jacket to his appearance. He doesn't try hard to look cool, it's just kind of effortless. Even on casual days, Kaji tends to latch a toolkit onto the back of his trousers and manages to conceal his sword Eelspine in a seal-tag form until trouble arises. And then there's his combat. Kaji’s combat costume layout is made to reflect simplicity and effectiveness. Every item maintains earth-toned shades, ready for adventures abroad or some stealthy activities. His wardrobe is fairly fitted to his body, and the clothing generally includes various pouches and zipper-lined pockets for tools. A few straps and pins are attached to reduce empty spaces. The exact items of clothing he wears change regularly but remains similar in nature, and at a minimum, all of his armors include enchanted protective fabric sewn into the chest, back, and abdominal areas. When operating within the Cloud, Kaji will generally don the traditional ANBU uniform, especially when conducting business within the ANBU Headquarters. In all cases, Kaji will also equip a haze gray or earth-toned cloak as needed, and always pins them with a pewter cast Sennin pendant, which he wears as the classifier of his status as ANBU Grand Commander rather than the traditional head protector.
| His was a will to endure; personality. The Seasoned Veteran. Kaji is best described as a well-rounded individual with fiery determination tempered by time and experience. He is a balanced man who embodies his teachings, having spent a full career as a shinobi with several apprentices trained from the Academy to Jounin ranks. He is prideful of his commitment to duty and the code of honor he upholds, yet humbled by a wayward past and the experiences of failure. His is a soul that has been broken and mended time and again, growing stronger every time until the result is a hardened spirit with a will of stone. However, all of these breaks are small unsolvable gaps where weakness hides. Stress fractures: Kaji sometimes struggles when doubt rears its ugly head— the doubt of his own power, will, devotion, or love. Despite his body being honed to his peak, age challenges him, and living on every side of the shinobi experience has left him often questioning right and wrong. He is slow to trust others and believes that the most he should expect from a shinobi are for them to follow orders until they are unsupervised. As a leader he is a wise schemer, only choosing operatives he can expect to perform without reservations towards their mission. He believes in testing the beliefs and worth of his comrades, pushing them to their limits but never breaking them. Placing Bonds Above All. The relationships Kaji has fostered in his long life come first as bonds he protects as the sum of his body of work. His love for his wife and daughter has redefined his view of life and is a constant motivator of his will to protect the innocence of the Hidden Cloud as the ANBU’s Grand Commander. It drives him to put both himself and his men at the front of efforts to preserve the lives of Cloud citizens, and Kaji has gone to great lengths to purge the ANBU of those who have self-destructive views of how they serve the village. The way Kaji loves is somewhat rigid, given he saw adoration as a dangerous fault before falling deeply for his wife, Yuii Kagetsu. Once his daughter Umeko Okada was born, Kaji began to reform his techniques when it came to how he treats others, somewhat softening as he considers that all men began the same, as innocent children before a cruel world got a hold of them. A Shinobi Lives to Serve. Kaji’s story is one of a being lost and found time after time, dying and being reborn, broken and rebuilt. In the days of his youth, Kaji was made into a devout follower of an extremist leader who taught him to follow without question. He instilled the values of shinobi working without wavering: loyal, disciplined, and lacking a fear of demise in the service of his master. While his growth has mostly broken the shackles of his master’s teachings, Kaji has since found salvation through the blessings of the White Stag, a materialized aspect of the goddess of nature and life, Sakuya-hime. While the principles of good and evil are often manipulated by the ways of men, Kaji aligns his actions with nature, always choosing the path that best protects and benefits the greater world. He draws a line in the sand when it comes to shinobi and the natures of their powers, often recognizing the potential for evil in great strength. Innate powers are a threat in the hands of those who are not taught constraint. His distrust of potentially manipulative shinobi such as Uchiha with Sharingan dojutsu is more of a precaution than hatred, as he feels similarly about many shinobi blessed with powerful bloodline abilities. | Preferences Loves Beer Coffee Curry Crab Cakes Duck Feathers His Horse, Kukki Lobster Paninis Pineapple Rum Squid Ink Likes Being Left the Fuck Alone Chicken Building Small Shrines for Sakuya-hime Empanadas Gin Holly Octopus Pipeweed Shinobi Scout Cookies Squid Whiskey Neutrals Pizza Sex (Even when it's bad, its still kinda good.) Dislikes Eelspine Giants Menthols Pickles Snow Yam Wild Horseradish Hates Kaminarian Geese Hazelnut Shinobi Scout Cookie Drives The Sharingan |
A Shinobi's Way.
"If you don’t like something, change it.
If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it."
Trivia & Et Cetera
- Briggs Meyers Test Type: INTJ Introvert(34%) iNtuitive(28%) Thinking(44%) Judging(38%)
- - Secret Talent: Dancing
- - Practical Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Nature, Survival, Athletics, Perception, Stealth, Herbalist
- - Kaji is a former smoker.
- - Kaji is also a damn good horseback rider.
- - Prefers Beer over other forms of alcohol.
- - Noteworthy Relationships: Akuha Sarutodai, Yuii Kagetsu
- - Naturally, distrusts and prepares counters for known Genjutsu Specialists and Uchiha.
- - Kaji is subconsciously aware that he is in an anime-based reality and occasionally breaks the fourth wall. These moments are very rare and finessed into threads.
Character History Summary
Of Labor and Lumber — Humble Origins
Kaji Okada was born the second child of a lower-class family of lumber farmers living in the high-tree hills of Akatsuchi, a farming territory in the Land of Earth. Alongside two parents, two younger sisters and an older brother, Kaji’s family worked a sizeable patch of forest as serfs to wealthy aristocrats who owned a vast estate. The Okada family tended to this land almost independently. It was an age of false prosperity; where rich families owned land and hired villagers to cultivate their crops for little to nothing. The Okada family toiled sunrise to set for meager pay and a shanty roof over their heads. Even in this environment, young Kaji was recognized for his keen senses and sharp wit.
Destined for more, Kaji's intellect was first furnished when the Landlord imposed a heavy tax due to harsh winter tightening resources across their territory. In an effort to lessen the burden, young Kaji became hired help at the landlord's estate. As a bright lad, he was mostly put to work as a tutor to his employer's children; older children who would benefit from having Kaji to help them with their studies. The estate's owner was inspired by Kaji when the boy swindled him out yen one day with an impressive scam for a child his age. Perhaps in error, the estate owner thought he would elevate Kaji into being a greater servant by educating him. Through the estate's library of books, Kaji learned not only the intellectual tools expected of students, but he delved into the histories and cultures of civilizations far different from the meager farm life he knew. A book titled Shinobi of the Red Earth inspired Kaji to join the ranks of Iwagakure, where he knew any man could make a decent life for himself if worked for it. He desired a life beyond squalor that held purpose.
Of Streets and Squalor — Shinobi of the Red Earth
When he came of age Kaji left his family, essentially running away to do so. He chose to seek out his dream, even at the cost of the humble life he knew. Young but wise beyond his years, Kaji Okada gave up life with his family and threw himself to the wild world instead, seeking adventure. He worked his way into the Hidden Stone, which proved to be quite a task considering his lack of resources. By the proper age of 13, Kaji had escaped his life of servitude and enrolled into the ninja academy.
Almost two decades ago, society had a few major differences to the Hidden Stone we know today. As a young and talented teen with no family to turn to in the new life he chose, Kaji made for perfect ANBU material. Under the watchful eye of his overseer, Master Iwakura, Kaji would become one of the village's most successful protege assassins. Of course his career began with simple jobs like most young Anbu; first filling information and support roles, before graduating to reconnaissance, and eventually elimination orders. He had a unique finesse when on the job. As he was taught, his methods were violent but executed to perfection. The bloody scenes left behind resembled gory art exhibits. Before he snapped, Kaji was close to meeting the record for covert kills on enemy turf.
You can imagine how that kind of reputation can come back to bite you in the ass. Rumors about his character sprang up like weeds. Whispers around the Shrine of Gods judged him as extreme. Time and time again he would place his comrades at risk, often using them as bait or harming them to reach his target. He was developing an unhealthy obsession towards death. But when placed under the spotlight for analysis, Kaji always registered as a solid ninja. Simply following his master's decree, Kaji became a weapon aimed at the head of the stone. On a brisk autumn night he made an attempt on the life of the Tsuchikage of that era, but thankfully (for both him and the kage) the attempt failed and he was captured alive, but only cost the lives of two chamber guards.
Of Redemption and Renewal — The Onyxian Sanctum
Following the assassination attempt, the council incarcerated Kaji, though there was heavy speculation that he would be put to death for treason. He faced constant surveillance in the Onyxian Sanctum. They would have put him to death if they simply followed the same rationality that left Kaji labeled a threat before the attack. A full investigation launched within the ANBU rooted out the mastermind who, through the years of brainwashing, prepared and coerced him into attempting the attack, in addition to several other incidents with his other pupils. Iwakura fled the village, confirming council suspicions. However, during those years it took to uncover the truth, Kaji was subjected to intense psychological reprogramming. A state of the art project meant to turn prisoners into perfect shinobi was put to the test on a notorious killer. It was perfect for the scientists, and they did their worst. Yet, before the facility could finish their research, the program was defunded, and Kaji managed a period of solitude and peace to level himself once more. After four years and nine days, Kaji found freedom, and the council declared him to be a victim of manipulation. Though he was prosecuted, his corrupt master was never brought in alive to pay for his crime; instead, on the night Anbu operatives finally pinpointed his hideout, the strike team arrived to find him freshly slain, in an eerily familiar murder scene.
Of Hunters and Havens — Walking Forested Trails
In the years following his release from imprisonment, Kaji began a new journey of discovery, seeking nature to show him who he could become without the will of man twisting and perverting his existence. While his probation required Kaji to remain tethered to the village, he became a rover in the wild, gradually reaffirming his identity and those skills dulled by his time in the Sanctum.
initially found a new calling in life as an instructor at the Hidden Stone’s Shinobi Academy. The ability to aid youth in a way that his own former master failed him brought about necessary closure for Kaji; however he would eventually have to leave the Academy role behind after a temporary reassignment to the Hidden Leaf. Following the Leaf’s retaking of their village from the Daimyo’s crazed tyranny, Kaji was deployed with other stone shinobi in order to help restore balance in their ally’s country. Upon moving to Konoha, his qualifications as an Academy Instructor came into question because of his past, and he was forced to return to what he knew how to best in the ANBU Corps. Although he was initially disappointed in being requested to return to a violent life, Kaji found the resolve to remain the different man from whom he was before his imprisonment, and chose to welcome Konoha as part of the new path he walked in life.
Of Titans and Tundras — The Long Journey North.
After joining an expedition to the Hidden Cloud at the behest of the Hokage, Kaji became an ambassador for the Leaf to the Cloud for a term of two years. In that time he became the master of an impressionable boy by the name of Tatsuo. Kaji was also lucky enough to forge a relationship with a Cloud Sennin by the name of Yuii. At the end of his term of deployment to the Cloud, Kaji found himself wanting to keep this new life he found there, marrying Yuii and starting a new family when their daughter Umeko was born. Kaji has since arisen in the ranks within the Cloud’s great Shinobi Army, served a lengthy tenure as ANBU Sennin and a revered leader who served the village honorably. In these years he’s made many allies and enemies from lands near and far— they are numerous and he’s only met more as time rolls on. The adventures of Kaji Okada have reached a new era, and are long from finished!
Chapter One: Urchins
The origin of Kaji, Xinyue, an Heizo in the slums of Maruishi
The children are taken by Master Iwakura to become his apprentices.
Chapter Two: Children
Iwakura fosters competitive natures between his apprentices.
Kaji duels with Xinyue in Iwakura’s Grove at night.
They share a wish to join the Disciples
Xinyue casts doubt in Heizo.
Chapter Three: Apprentices
Indoctrination life
Xinyue fits in well with the senior Disciples.
Kaji and Heizo begin exploring Maruishi, and discover life beyond being shinobi.
Chapter Four: Apostles
Xinyue secretly joins the Cult of Jashin
Celebrates Jashin Rituals
The Sword Sage begins crafting the 9 Masterworks
Chapter Five: Earthborn
Rumors of war in the Land of Grass begins to circle.
The Trio is assigned to a larger squadron and is sent on a mission at the country’s border to protect a vital point.
They are treated like outsiders by their new peers for their secluded training.
As anbu, the trio is deployed as scouts. They find an enemy shinobi, but Xinyue kills him before they obtain useful info.
Xinyue uses Jashin magic to extract info from the corpse, telling them about a camp.
The trio agrees to attack the camp at night.
Chapter Six: ANBU
The trio scouts out the enemy camp: Grass Shinobi.
Heizo sets explosions.
The attack commences, the trio commits atrocities in a coordinated assault.
They almost succeed, even Heizo reveals a savage efficiency in murder.
A couple of powerful enemies rise up from the destruction.
A real battle ensues as Heizo is taken down.
Chapter Seven: Skirmishers
Kaji chooses to withdraw with Heizo.
Xinyue refuses to leave the battle unfinished with the enemy Captain and they split up.
Kaji and Heizo make at a deserted mill. Kaji tends to his brother’s wounds.
An enemy from the previous assault tracks them down in the night. Wondering if Xinyue survived
Kaji battles Kei Krono on even footing until the end. Kaji sees himself as he kills Kei.
Chapter Eight: Savages
Xinyue’s battle with the Captain.
She barely wins, but staves off death with the dark blessing of her Jashinism.
She is found by their squad laying incapacitated and taken back to their own camp.
Kaji and Heizo also return to the camp with proof of defeating Kei Kurono.
It is revealed that their actions at the camp were a major contributing factor to the campaign in the region.
Xinyue feels that she was more crucial and doesn’t want the credit shared. Her hatred grows.
Chapter Nine: Disciples
Iwakura commends his apprentices on their work in the campaign and they are deemed full Disciples.
The affection between Iwakura and Xinyue seems strange for the first time to Kaji.
Kaji and Xinyue are given masterwork blades, and Heizo is given a dweomer that is deemed powerful, but considered lesser by Xinyue, who mocks him for not receiving a martial weapon.
The trio is assigned their first official mission, hunting a monster ravaging the mines of Arcadia.
The trio departs. Iwakura promises the Sword Sage that his new Disciples are worthy to wield the MasterWorks, but if they fail, more wielders shall be chosen. New apprentices are already being trained.
Chapter Ten: Hunters
The trio begins their adventure into the deep mines.
They discover a path of destruction through a strange ward where savage cave people lived.
A sole survivor tells of the six-headed Cerbereel before dying.
A trap is set for the monster and the trio has a plan.
When fighting the hydra eel, the trio is marveled at the power of their new weapons.
The Cerbereel is formidable though, and Xinyue’s savage fighting style ends up getting her and Heizo separated from the fray by a cave in.
Chapter Eleven: The Eel's Spine
Kaji defeats the hydra eel alone in a brave and insane battle.
Xinyue Kills Heizo to take his dweomer and claims that he died in the accident. Kaji doesn’t believe her. They fight.
Chapter Twelve: Villians
Kaji and Xinyue fight over the Dweomer, and it falls over the edge of a bridge into lava, LotR style.
Kaji cannot defeat or even deter Xinyue, and she nearly dies trying to retrieve the Dweomer.
Xinyue is mutilated by the burns, but survives, yet again thanks to the Dark Blessing.
The destruction of the Dweomer causes a massive cave-in, even revealing a gap to the surface of Maruishi
Chapter Thirteen: Murderers
Kaji is given another commendation for the feat of felling the Hydra. His saber is named Eelspine.
Iwakura spins the story, demonizing Xinyue for her actions despite her will being his own.
Xinyue is taken into custody, threatens endangering The Disciples regiment. Her sword is returned to Iwakura by Kaji.
Iwakura Orders Kaji to silence Xinyue.
Kaji tries but cannot. Xinyue is on life support.
Kaji hides as the Tsuchikage enters the lab with interrogators.
He witnesses as they discover the truth, and the Tsuchikage executes Xinyue himself.
Chapter Fourteen: Revenge
The Disciples go underground, on the run. Kaji tells Iwakura that Xinyue has been compromised and slain.
Iwakura takes advantage of vulnerable Kaji. Imbues curse seal on Kaji to silence him and keep The Disciples protected.
Iwakura banishes Kaji for the time being, claiming he needs Kaji to hide.
Kaji goes rogue though and searches for the Jashin Temple, believes it led Xinyue to become a monster.
On a warpath, Kaji enters battle with Clerics of Jashin.
Darkness is consuming Kaji after all this time of resisting it.
Chapter Fifteen: Blood
Iwakura meets with the Sword Sage again and claims that The Disciples need more Master Works for the work ahead.
The Sword Sage refuses, as Iwakura expected he would, so Iwakura assassinates the Sword Sage with his previous Disciples who remained, and he wields Xinyue’s blade. They take the remaining two Masterworks.
Kaji defeats the Jashin Clerics and the Temple is set on fire from the battle. Kaji flees.
Iwakura claims that they must clean up their traces and rebuild. Sends the New Disciples to find Kaji after learning of the arsonry. Says the one who kills him can have Eelspine.
Chapter Sixteen: Crimson over White Ash
Kaji is on the run in the wild and weeks pass before the New Disciples catch up to him.
Kaji defeats the new trio, claiming that they were still inexperienced. Kills all three, claiming their souls.
Seeing himself and his siblings in the slain apprentices, he feels the regret. He buries them.
Kaji finds a secluded place deep in the wilds and hides Eelspine, hoping no one would ever use it again.
Chapter Seventeen: Guardians
Months pass. Kaji has returned to his ancestral home in Akatsuchi Hills. Has family deserted it.
His father passed a couple years earlier from pneumonia. His mother moved to a distant city with his two sisters.
Kaji had taken up a residence for some time and had a few sheep he started shepherding.
Two shinobi came to his home. The shinobi state that they are Guardians.
They say he is a wanted man in conspiracy with The Disciples. Kaji agrees to come peacefully.
The Guardians explain that The Disciples have been disbanded. Some are still on the run, including Iwakura.
They claim that coming peacefully and answering questions may lessen Kaji’s sentence.
Epilogue: Okada
Due to the curse seal on his chest, Kaji is not capable of giving up certain details, so he is forced to serve a sentence. He is compliant as much as he can be, which does help in the long run. He ultimately serves four years before being pardoned. With his conscience mostly cleared, Kaji decides that he shall become a true shinobi serving stone. He retrieves Eelspine.
Kaji makes it his personal mission to find Iwakura and bring him to justice.
The origin of Kaji, Xinyue, an Heizo in the slums of Maruishi
The children are taken by Master Iwakura to become his apprentices.
Chapter Two: Children
Iwakura fosters competitive natures between his apprentices.
Kaji duels with Xinyue in Iwakura’s Grove at night.
They share a wish to join the Disciples
Xinyue casts doubt in Heizo.
Chapter Three: Apprentices
Indoctrination life
Xinyue fits in well with the senior Disciples.
Kaji and Heizo begin exploring Maruishi, and discover life beyond being shinobi.
Chapter Four: Apostles
Xinyue secretly joins the Cult of Jashin
Celebrates Jashin Rituals
The Sword Sage begins crafting the 9 Masterworks
Chapter Five: Earthborn
Rumors of war in the Land of Grass begins to circle.
The Trio is assigned to a larger squadron and is sent on a mission at the country’s border to protect a vital point.
They are treated like outsiders by their new peers for their secluded training.
As anbu, the trio is deployed as scouts. They find an enemy shinobi, but Xinyue kills him before they obtain useful info.
Xinyue uses Jashin magic to extract info from the corpse, telling them about a camp.
The trio agrees to attack the camp at night.
Chapter Six: ANBU
The trio scouts out the enemy camp: Grass Shinobi.
Heizo sets explosions.
The attack commences, the trio commits atrocities in a coordinated assault.
They almost succeed, even Heizo reveals a savage efficiency in murder.
A couple of powerful enemies rise up from the destruction.
A real battle ensues as Heizo is taken down.
Chapter Seven: Skirmishers
Kaji chooses to withdraw with Heizo.
Xinyue refuses to leave the battle unfinished with the enemy Captain and they split up.
Kaji and Heizo make at a deserted mill. Kaji tends to his brother’s wounds.
An enemy from the previous assault tracks them down in the night. Wondering if Xinyue survived
Kaji battles Kei Krono on even footing until the end. Kaji sees himself as he kills Kei.
Chapter Eight: Savages
Xinyue’s battle with the Captain.
She barely wins, but staves off death with the dark blessing of her Jashinism.
She is found by their squad laying incapacitated and taken back to their own camp.
Kaji and Heizo also return to the camp with proof of defeating Kei Kurono.
It is revealed that their actions at the camp were a major contributing factor to the campaign in the region.
Xinyue feels that she was more crucial and doesn’t want the credit shared. Her hatred grows.
Chapter Nine: Disciples
Iwakura commends his apprentices on their work in the campaign and they are deemed full Disciples.
The affection between Iwakura and Xinyue seems strange for the first time to Kaji.
Kaji and Xinyue are given masterwork blades, and Heizo is given a dweomer that is deemed powerful, but considered lesser by Xinyue, who mocks him for not receiving a martial weapon.
The trio is assigned their first official mission, hunting a monster ravaging the mines of Arcadia.
The trio departs. Iwakura promises the Sword Sage that his new Disciples are worthy to wield the MasterWorks, but if they fail, more wielders shall be chosen. New apprentices are already being trained.
Chapter Ten: Hunters
The trio begins their adventure into the deep mines.
They discover a path of destruction through a strange ward where savage cave people lived.
A sole survivor tells of the six-headed Cerbereel before dying.
A trap is set for the monster and the trio has a plan.
When fighting the hydra eel, the trio is marveled at the power of their new weapons.
The Cerbereel is formidable though, and Xinyue’s savage fighting style ends up getting her and Heizo separated from the fray by a cave in.
Chapter Eleven: The Eel's Spine
Kaji defeats the hydra eel alone in a brave and insane battle.
Xinyue Kills Heizo to take his dweomer and claims that he died in the accident. Kaji doesn’t believe her. They fight.
Chapter Twelve: Villians
Kaji and Xinyue fight over the Dweomer, and it falls over the edge of a bridge into lava, LotR style.
Kaji cannot defeat or even deter Xinyue, and she nearly dies trying to retrieve the Dweomer.
Xinyue is mutilated by the burns, but survives, yet again thanks to the Dark Blessing.
The destruction of the Dweomer causes a massive cave-in, even revealing a gap to the surface of Maruishi
Chapter Thirteen: Murderers
Kaji is given another commendation for the feat of felling the Hydra. His saber is named Eelspine.
Iwakura spins the story, demonizing Xinyue for her actions despite her will being his own.
Xinyue is taken into custody, threatens endangering The Disciples regiment. Her sword is returned to Iwakura by Kaji.
Iwakura Orders Kaji to silence Xinyue.
Kaji tries but cannot. Xinyue is on life support.
Kaji hides as the Tsuchikage enters the lab with interrogators.
He witnesses as they discover the truth, and the Tsuchikage executes Xinyue himself.
Chapter Fourteen: Revenge
The Disciples go underground, on the run. Kaji tells Iwakura that Xinyue has been compromised and slain.
Iwakura takes advantage of vulnerable Kaji. Imbues curse seal on Kaji to silence him and keep The Disciples protected.
Iwakura banishes Kaji for the time being, claiming he needs Kaji to hide.
Kaji goes rogue though and searches for the Jashin Temple, believes it led Xinyue to become a monster.
On a warpath, Kaji enters battle with Clerics of Jashin.
Darkness is consuming Kaji after all this time of resisting it.
Chapter Fifteen: Blood
Iwakura meets with the Sword Sage again and claims that The Disciples need more Master Works for the work ahead.
The Sword Sage refuses, as Iwakura expected he would, so Iwakura assassinates the Sword Sage with his previous Disciples who remained, and he wields Xinyue’s blade. They take the remaining two Masterworks.
Kaji defeats the Jashin Clerics and the Temple is set on fire from the battle. Kaji flees.
Iwakura claims that they must clean up their traces and rebuild. Sends the New Disciples to find Kaji after learning of the arsonry. Says the one who kills him can have Eelspine.
Chapter Sixteen: Crimson over White Ash
Kaji is on the run in the wild and weeks pass before the New Disciples catch up to him.
Kaji defeats the new trio, claiming that they were still inexperienced. Kills all three, claiming their souls.
Seeing himself and his siblings in the slain apprentices, he feels the regret. He buries them.
Kaji finds a secluded place deep in the wilds and hides Eelspine, hoping no one would ever use it again.
Chapter Seventeen: Guardians
Months pass. Kaji has returned to his ancestral home in Akatsuchi Hills. Has family deserted it.
His father passed a couple years earlier from pneumonia. His mother moved to a distant city with his two sisters.
Kaji had taken up a residence for some time and had a few sheep he started shepherding.
Two shinobi came to his home. The shinobi state that they are Guardians.
They say he is a wanted man in conspiracy with The Disciples. Kaji agrees to come peacefully.
The Guardians explain that The Disciples have been disbanded. Some are still on the run, including Iwakura.
They claim that coming peacefully and answering questions may lessen Kaji’s sentence.
Epilogue: Okada
Due to the curse seal on his chest, Kaji is not capable of giving up certain details, so he is forced to serve a sentence. He is compliant as much as he can be, which does help in the long run. He ultimately serves four years before being pardoned. With his conscience mostly cleared, Kaji decides that he shall become a true shinobi serving stone. He retrieves Eelspine.
Kaji makes it his personal mission to find Iwakura and bring him to justice.
Role-Play Only Arc Summaries
Volume One: Dawn (1-15)
The adventures of The Hunter have begun anew since his arrival in the Land of Fire. After the Return of the Leaf, Kaji was deployed to Konoha on behalf of the Hidden Stone on assignment to help restore their renewed allies to their former glory. Seeking a new road to redemption for the actions of his past, Kaji elected to remain in the Leaf once his deployment was complete. Months later, Kaji has found himself back in the deep end of the Leaf’s ANBU Branch, and a life of hunting those who dare to make an enemy of his new home; a life he sought to leave behind in The Stone. And when you go looking for trouble, it is trouble you shall find. Kaji’s typical misfortune has led him back into the midst of a conspiracy threatening the Leaf: a League of Sellswords have rooted themselves within the Land of Fire, and pose a threat to peace and prosperity by instigating war and violence in favor of the highest bidder. Seemingly unable to avoid this fate as a shinobi of the shadows, Kaji has chosen to embrace it instead and has dedicated himself to being the divider between the Leaf and those who wish to bring it harm.
Volume Two: Sojourn (16-29)
With a new age of prosperity realized in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Kaji has joined a party comprised of the Hokage Umashi, a young Medic named Sara, and a brash lad named Tatsuo. The Companions of the Leaf are on a diplomatic journey to the Land of Lightning. Their destination— the Village Hidden in the Clouds, where the Hokage intends to create a bridge of peace between their shinobi villages. Keeping his Oath to both his village and the realm, Kaji is pulling double duty as a diplomat representing the Leaf, and a protector of the wild, seeking out the denizens of the Land of Lightning, which run rampant due to The Cloud’s preoccupation with political infighting. With Tatsuo clinging to his side, Kaji finds new adventures in the frigid mountain land known as Momento Deo. But a battle isn’t all to be found in the Land of Lightning, as Kaji finds himself drawn towards a new ally by the name of Yuii Kagetsu, whom he affectionately refers to as Blue. This fiery arc of the Kaji Okada story promises to deliver action, adventure, and romance like never before.
Volume Three: Sovereignty (30 - 51)
Following the Battle with Mother Suna’s Vassal, Kaen, Kaji embarks on a new journey to unravel the mysteries enshrouding his latest foe. He partners with Yuii, seeking to go the distance in uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Sand’s mighty benefactor, and the ancient beings who give them power. With the journey of the Leaf to the Hidden Cloud coming to close, Kaji has been chosen to stay behind to continue serving as an emissary of the Will of Fire within the Cloud, to see through with the promises made by Umashi when the two respective Kage met. Meanwhile, his duties and new station have brought Kaji closer to Yuii, and their friendship is developing into something deeper. Kaji struggles to focus on his duty, trying to balance their investigation, his commitments to the Leaf, and new duties as Cloud’s First Alliance Shinobi.
Volume Four: Wintertide (52 - 62)
The tales of Kaji Okada enter an exciting new arc as new adventures in the Land of Lightning and abroad take flight. The alliance railroad is nearly complete, and Kaji finds new adventures awaiting him all the meanwhile. A warship wrought with vile energy is bringing a powerful new threat to the Land of Lightning with its course set for Port Cirrus. Kaji and a squad of ANBU Elite have narrowly survived an encounter with this ship locals call The Dreadnought; now the Hidden Cloud is in a rush to prepare for an oncoming incursion from the undead-driven war machine. Meanwhile, things are heating up metaphorically speaking, as Kaji has been bade by the Hokage to participate in the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament as a representative of the Eastern Nations’ Alliance. Leaf, Stone, and Cloud have weights upon his shoulder as the days tick away until its tourney time. Stipulations by the deviant Hokage demand that Kaji participate if he’s to remain in the Hidden Cloud for a permanent stay— a necessity for the sake of his newly betrothed, Yuii, and their first child on the way.
- The Rite of Stone
- The Titan Lizard's Bargain ✦
- The Hunter №1: Werebear ✦
- The Ultimate Reward is Honor
- The Rite of Fire
- A Brand A Part
- A Horse Whisperer
- Atropa Belladonna
- A Dry Run
- Wells of Knowledge
- Patience & Wrath
- Webs of Deception (Imposter Kaji)
- Return of the Chosen
- The Hunter №2: Akimichi Titan
- The Ides of March
- We Might Be Lost
- Cirrus Business
- Kiri x Kaji
- Explorers of the Dale ✦
- The Hunter №3: Banshee ✦
- The Hunter №4: Winter's Breath ✦
- Sayonara, Wilderness!
- One-Thousand Blades
- Escort Arrival
- Escorts Return
- Fire + Lightning = Plasma
- Into the Goblin's Eye ✦
- Cirrus Surveillance (Cameo)
- Testing the Will of Fire ✦
- Kaenception ✦
- The Hunter №5: Reptilius
- The White Elk Calls
- A Night on the Town
- Beginning of One's Greed ✦
- Center of One's Greed ✦
- Depth of One's Greed ✦
- Farewell: Kaji Versus Umashi
- Foreign Exchange №1
- Familiar Territory
- Game of Clouds
- The Hunter №6: Lofty Heights
- The Hunter №7: Homecoming
- A Haunting in the Ancient Forest
- The Life Aquatic
- The Life Aquatic №2
- Boars on Parade
- Song of The Lion Volt: Verse №1
- Song of The Lion Volt: Verse №2
- The Frontega Chicken Accord
- Cool Runnings
- Darkness ≠ Darkness
- Back into the Belly of the Beast
- Volition & Virtue
- The Dreadnought ✦
- Dreadnought: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
- Dreadnought: Ice in Winter's Veins
- The Hunter №8: Flight on Hasted Wings
- Wild Eyes of a Beast
- A Report from the North
- Walking Through the Forest
- Out of the Valley, Into the Frying Pot
- Gidayu and the Everlasting One
- Become the Cloud's Chosen
- Ukara the Coil
- So it Begins! Cloud's Chosen Tournament Trials!
- Uchiha Scum...
- Revelation of the Lion Volt
- Cloud's Chosen: Room 2
- Silent Blades Ⲁ
- Old News
- Night's Reality
- To Catch a Predator
- I DID Warn You All
- On the Right Path ✦
- Her Lucky Bones
- Tea Tournament: Kaji v. Azusa
- Spilling Tea: A Steep Price to Pay
- The Secret Scrolls of Kaji Okada
- KAJI №11: The Eel's Spine
- KAJI №01: Urchins of Maruishi
- KAJI №16: Crimson Over White Ash
- Timbers of Fennario
- Wolf Like Me
- The Reflection Eternal
- The Hunter №9: Emeraldine Eyes
- Late Night Tales: The Homecoming
- The Red Queen's Race
- Into the Howling Dark
- Proving Your Worth (Kaji VS Uri)
- Inverted Halcyon Days
- Black Lotus Box
- An Unlikely Visit
- The Hunter №9: Wildmother
- Blunted Kunai
- Ties Stronger than Blood
- To Be Hewn
- Return of Normal and the Villain
- The Trial of Anatsu Uchiha
- Tap, Tap, Tap, Down the Halls One Last Time
- An Unlikely Visit III: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly
- The Life Aquatic No.3
- Unlikely Visit II: Electric Boogaloo
- The Future is Now
- Guess He Doesn't Learn Too Well
- It Stands to Reason
- Execution Phase
- Knock Knock
- Soon May the Weller Man Come
- Raiden's Throne: Call Me if You Get Lost
- And So Will We Yet
- Muge Train: Fool's Gold Rigamarole
- Mugen Train: Tired Eyes
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