Name: Saitou Reicheru
Age: 10 | Gender: Female
General Description:
From first glance, Saitou Reicheru seems like the kind of kid who'd tense up under any sort of social interaction: her mop of long, dark brown hair hides deep gray-black eyes set in an olive-toned face, giving off the impression that she'd rather hide from the world. Yet also hidden behind the shy façade is her quick wit, a desire to forge meaningful relationships, and the occasional hint of lavender in those dark eyes when she smiles. She's a slender girl of average height for her age, and easily blends into a crowd of her peers. Her clothing is generally plain, and the only thing she keeps on her constantly is a worn-out red scarf. Though typically more quiet, Reicheru is not afraid to speak her mind on things she deems important and is quick to jump to the defense of anyone being treated unfairly or unkindly. She often tinkers to try to discover the inner-workings of the technology around her and often marvels at the advancements Konohagakure has made, and similarly enjoys trying to discover the inner-workings of the people around her, wanting to know why people make the decisions they do. With the spunk of her mother and kindness of her father, Reicheru seeks ultimately to be one to affirm the inherent worth of all people, both great and small.
History:
The first-born and only child of Saitou Gorou and Nanjirou Akane, Reicheru wanted for nothing in terms of affection in her first ten years of life. Finding love in her parents and companionship in her cousin, Nanjirou Hiroshi who was her same age, the young girl would have seemed to be set up for an easy life, were it not for the occupation of her parents. Shinobi of Konohagakure, the hazards of such a lifestyle were well-known to even the most sheltered children in the village. Yet Reicheru could not fathom following any other path, even when prodded by aunts and uncles (her father's siblings, of course) to consider a future in literally anything else - shop keeping, a ramen shop, or going to school for tech development - the last of which had admittedly always been an interest to young Rei, who loved to tinker. Still, when she came to the age of being able to apply to the academy, she did so quickly and with her family's blessing. Her acceptance was a shock to no one; not that she would be the most advanced in her class by any means, but she certainly had the same natural ability that flowed so effortlessly from her Jounin mother. And of course, it helps to have a father on the inside; Gorou was a Chuunin and teacher at the Academy.
"So dad, do you think you'll be my sensei?"
A soft chuckle. "I doubt it, they can't make it that easy for me to have favorites now can they? So no, probably not officially. I'd like to think there's quite a lot I can teach you outside of the academy, though!" he said feigning indignance, ruffling his daughter's dark mop of hair that mirrored his own. They walked home together, his mini-me shadow-boxing with excitement the whole way.
When she began classes was the first time she met her mother's parents; Reicheru had asked before why they never came by, but her parents always skirted the issue. They came to congratulate Rei on her acceptance, and assure her that her Nanjirou blood would ensure that she would catch on very quickly. It was a comment that made Akane's jaw tighten, which Reicheru didn't understand considering the obvious high regard with which her mother held their Nanjirou ancestry. But again, when she asked, Akane and Gorou brushed it off, told her she was reading too much into it.
And then she began! Her first few weeks as an official academy student went smoothly enough; she excelled in her sparring, weapons and history classes, and her ninjutsu was beginning to come along. Genjutsu proved to be a struggle, but it was a challenge Reicheru was excited to meet. It was during one of these classes that a meeting was called at the academy. Such interruptions were not unusual, be it developments at the gate causing a lock-down or to announce a change of teaching staff, typical due to… occupational hazards. But this time, they called the students together to ask if any of them had any information on a certain boy from the academy. Reicheru knew of him - he was one of her father's students, a trouble-maker that everyone, even some of the adults, said had no business training to be a shinobi. She didn’t know why exactly, only that her father disagreed and had spent a great deal of time and energy investing in the boy and hoping that one day, he would see his own potential and be able to show it to those who doubted him. Turns out, that morning the boy had drugged one of the guards at the gate and gone missing. Gorou had gone after him.
Days turned into weeks, and the strength with which her mother assured Reicheru that these types of missions are typical and that her father would be back in no time began to fade. Akane had requested to go on the retrieval mission to locate her husband and the boy, but had been denied as an ANBU team working on a mission in the suspected area had already been alerted. As news spread, Rei learned more about the boy - an orphan being raised by an older cousin, with no obvious talent as a ninja and an even worse attitude. There were some vicious rumors that he had killed his parents, but these were likely spread by kids who had lost to him in play-ground brawls. It didn’t sound at all like the kid her dad talked about; Gorou saw a boy fighting desperately to be seen, to have his existence validated in any way he could. He saw a fighter, a survivor who had what it took to make it in his dream. And survive he did.
"What about Gorou?"
Two ANBU came by the house late, and had informed Akane that the boy had been returned to the village safely.
"But what about Gorou?" The ANBU began to explain a situation involving a gang, and a run-in in the forest after Gorou had found the boy and was bringing him home. As they talked, a third ANBU with a black katana and green, beaked mask ran in behind them. Uncle Daisuke. He pushed his way through the other two, and put a quivering hand out to touch his sister's should, but stopped just short before letting his hand fall.
"Akane… I'm so sorry…"
Reicheru had never seen her mother cry, not ever, until that day.
The following weeks were a blur. The ANBU team had been able to recover Gorou's body, which he had used to shield the boy he had gone so far to protect and bring home, and so they had a proper burial, laying him to rest alongside two of his brothers. Things were quiet at the academy, and once again the announcement was made of a change in staff. The day the run-away boy returned to class, classrooms were buzzing with whispers and sideways glances. When classes dismissed and everyone headed home, someone bumped Reicheru, knocking her books out of her arms. As Rei moved to pick them up and the student paused and turned, they met eyes - it was the run-away boy. Frozen for only a moment, he quickly turned and walked home. Her cousin Hiroshi had been walking toward them and saw it happen.
"That ungrateful…! Someone ought to teach him some manners! I mean, that boy….!"
"He's got a name, you know!" Reicheru almost yelled.
"Okay then, what is it?" Hiroshi shot back defensively, as if asking whose side she was on. Reicheru stammered and then turned away flushed when she realized she didn't remember. Hiroshi softened. "It's alright. I mean, it's not, but…" He stopped while helping get the rest of Reicheru's things, and then suggested they go sit for awhile on the city's cliff-side.
After sitting in silence for some time, he started, "Your dad knew his name. Your dad knew that everyone had potential, that everyone deserved a chance…" As he said this, he pulled the worn red scarf from his neck and put it around Reicheru. She put a hand up in protest, "Your dad gave this to you…" "No actually, your dad did." Her cousin interrupted, eliciting a confused stare. "Dad just told me about it, the night we buried Uncle Gorou. Apparently the winter when I was two, I got really sick; and rather than helping my body recover, my immune system began attacking itself. My dad was convinced I wouldn't make it. Your dad came over, stayed up with me so that my parents could sleep. When I shivered, he wrapped his scarf around me, kept whispering to me that I was stronger than this. It took awhile, but I recovered, and Uncle Gorou told my parents to keep the scarf as a reminder to never give up on anyone, even when it seems bleakest." Reicheru held one end of the scarf, and Hiroshi smiled. "It looks good on you. So does your dad's attitude. You may not remember that boy's name, but you defended him when bitterness would be totally excusable. Your dad would be proud."
As they looked out at the crumbling carvings of past Hokage in the cliff-side, Reicheru's reason for wanting to become a great shinobi and her motivation at the academy shifted markedly from simply wanting to be like her parents, to being rooted in a belief she inherited from her father: that each member of this village was her family, each one equally deserving love and protection. And she would protect them with her life, not if but when the time came.
