Sakurai Iori
Basic
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Height: 5'11
Body Type: Athletic
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Blonde
Rank: Jounin
Occupation: Monk/Professor
Likes: Wasabi ice cream, high places, juice boxes
Dislikes: Reading, monocles, boats
Relationships:
(Dislike) -
(Acquaintance) - Chi, Keita
(Friend) -
(Good Friend) -
(Best Friend) -
(Family|Crush) -
(Full Blown Love) -
Description
Iori can typically be seen dressed fairly well, with only his hair a mess. Working with students, he prefers to look the part of a superior due to his age not being too far off from theirs most times. He wears blue pants with a white button-up and black shoes, if not a full blazer, sweater vest and red tie. On a more casual day, he wears a black coat with his favorite blue scarf, or a red sweat suit. His eyes are normally a soft amber, but become dark with hints of purple when he shows his true strength.
The world is a wide open place for Iori; with his trust in the Gods and Goddesses, he believes that he can do or be anything, so he chooses to give that opinion whenever or wherever possible. It takes a lot to truly make him mad, because his laid-back attitude is barely comparable to others. He believes himself to be a person with very good morals, and he realizes that he still has a lot to learn.
Age: 19
Height: 5'11
Body Type: Athletic
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Blonde
Rank: Jounin
Occupation: Monk/Professor
Likes: Wasabi ice cream, high places, juice boxes
Dislikes: Reading, monocles, boats
Relationships:
Description
Iori can typically be seen dressed fairly well, with only his hair a mess. Working with students, he prefers to look the part of a superior due to his age not being too far off from theirs most times. He wears blue pants with a white button-up and black shoes, if not a full blazer, sweater vest and red tie. On a more casual day, he wears a black coat with his favorite blue scarf, or a red sweat suit. His eyes are normally a soft amber, but become dark with hints of purple when he shows his true strength.
The world is a wide open place for Iori; with his trust in the Gods and Goddesses, he believes that he can do or be anything, so he chooses to give that opinion whenever or wherever possible. It takes a lot to truly make him mad, because his laid-back attitude is barely comparable to others. He believes himself to be a person with very good morals, and he realizes that he still has a lot to learn.
History
Iori was born into a very spiritual family, living in Iwagakure. His mother was a priestess at the family's shrine right outside of the village, and his father was a travelling exorcist at the time. The two of them met when he came to the village on business. According to them it was love at first sight and he was destined at that moment to be a representation of their will. From the moment that they decided to have a child, they swore that he or she would be raised to banish evil forces from the world and protect the good. The day of his birth, Iori's family rejoiced and performed a ceremony, asking for the blessings of their ancestors.
When Iori turned 9, his family decided that it was time he started learning to defend himself and others against the evils of the world. It started with basic lessons about the spirits and their influences on humanity, and then led into learning real practices associated with the teachings. They were not so concerned about war, disease, or crime but rather evil spirits and demons. It made sense when compared to the beliefs and traditions they had all been raised on, so it made no difference to Iori. Never being put into schooling for the shinobi arts, however, took a toll on the social aspects of his childhood. He was never able to be around people his age or enjoy being a child, but he was still as carefree and social as could be at the end of it.
Whereas most of those at the shrine were priests, priestesses and monks, some were trained in the art of combat. Their skills were honed in a way that was not comparable to any other styles of fighting, and each person was given a weapon that they were bound to at a very young age. Through a ceremony, they made a special connection to the weapon that made combat with it much more instinctive and fluid. When he turned 11, the boy was given a sacred sword that had been passed down his family for generations. It was said to have been wielded by a warrior spirit in old stories, but Iori had his doubts about that story. He trained for the next few years in the art of Kenjutsu until he was up to par with a few of those trained at the shrine, but he was not the best by any means. Iori grew to be fond of the sword, but he was never as good as his abilities in healing. It was said that with every few generations of the Sakurai family, a healer would appear and act as a Shaman for not only the shrine but the entire village. Their medical practices would reflect those listed in the traditional worship of the Old Gods and Goddesses. He healed many returning warriors and diseased villagers, and was given the title of Shaman through a ceremony and celebration once he had proved himself.
At age 14, Iori faced the night that would define his life. A small farming community further outside of Iwagakure than the shrine was attacked by a group of rogue shinobi, and they didn't stop there. Iori awoke to the sound of his mother's screams, followed by the crackle of fire and the clash of metal on metal. He knew instantly that the shrine was being attacked, and his brain pushed him into a sequence of actions he'd be taught a hundred times. He was always told that if a disaster were to fall upon the shrine, he should sneak out of his window and under the family's dojo to their private ancestral chamber. He did so, only taking a moment to look at scene taking place on the other side of the building; shinobi wielding dark, shadow jutsu and large blades were going head-to-head with the combat-oriented priests of the shrine, and Iori's family was losing. He ran into the chamber and locked the door behind him, pacing frantically in the dimly lit room. Every thought was coming out of his mouth with the panic finally setting in, "What am I supposed to do?! If I don't do something, my mother...my father..everyone is going to be....no...no! I can't let this happen! But..what can I..?" His eyes searched the room for answers, and finally set on the rack of ancestral blades, specifically his. It was the blade of a warrior spirit, an ancestor of his family. However, he had no idea what the name of the spirit was, and searched his brain for any hint of an answer. His hand laid onto the hilt, and the name 'Akihiko' came to his mind out of nowhere. He quickly grabbed it and recalled a prayer that he'd been taught to call on power from the spirits. He pulled together all the strength he could muster and gripped the blade like his life depended on it, searching within himself for the power to fight, "Warrior spirit Akihito, bestow on me the strength that you possess, for I am-" Mid-sentence, he was cut off by a prickling sensation in his hands, which was followed by sharp pains traveling up his arm into the rest of his body. It was electric, both numbing and shocking his whole body with a sensation he couldn't resist no matter how hard he tried. The pain lasted for a couple of minutes, but it felt like much longer. Something was different.
At first, Iori thought he was dreaming, but soon he realized that what he was hearing was coming from within his head. As he had been taught of contact from the spirits, he shut his eyes, opened his mind and listened. "Boy, you have proven to be a miserable excuse for a warrior time and time again. You have wielded my sword with little grace, and little skill to match. I have been embarrassed to find my prized blade in the hands of someone like you, but I am certain that with my strength that will change. I will lend you skill, and I will lend you grace so that it becomes a part of you. My soul lives within this blade, and I will entrust to you the responsibility of keeping it free of harm. You will be the warrior that I have been, and take my strength as your own from this moment." Iori's eyes opened immediately, and he noticed that their color had changed to a dark brown(almost black) color in the reflection of the blade. Unlike before, his confidence was incredibly high, and every movement he made with the sword in hand felt more fluid and reflexive than ever before. He made his way out of the chamber and arrived in the chaos with only a few casualties to his family. His sword skills were faster, as well as more defensive. He quickly made his way through one of the shinobi, leaving a gash down his chest. With only two enemies left, he assisted a priest by blocking the shinobi's giant blade so that they could get him bound and finished the last one by decapitation him with one full swing. Iori's mother ran up to him, questioning his new found ability, and he answered "It was the blade, mother. It spoke to me."
After the attack, the bound shinobi was taken away by Iwagakure's military police for questioning, and the other two bodies were left with the shrine for proper disposal. Iori was brought into a room with the elders of the shrine, still clutching his sword. They all watched as his eyes reverted to the light amber color, and he relaxed his body. One spoke up with confidence in his words, "This boy..he has been brought into this world with a gift. He is a medium, a vessel for the spirits. His body can be the force that protects not only this shrine, but Iwagakure, and even Earth Country from the evils of the world." A voice shouted from the group, "If he has taken the spirit of that blade, can he have more? Do they stay?" He frowned, thinking before giving an answer, "If the teachings of our ancestors are in fact true, this boy can form a bond with the spirits and use their power as his own. Boy, can you tell me the name of the spirit that dwells within your blade?" Iori was still taking everything in piece by piece, and felt overwhelmed by all of it. He had never been told the name of the warrior spirit that was in the blade, so the elder was giving it as a test to prove that he was truly a vessel. "Akihiko."
Sadly, the attack on the shrine wasn't the last time that Iori would awaken his abilities. By the time he turned 17, Iori had become a very advanced healer and swordsman, and had defended the shrine on multiple occasions. Years of training and vigorous spiritual enlightenment had him in full control of the abilities he'd acquired as a child, but he had not explored being a vessel any further. It frightened him in a way, giving a spirit the opportunity to take control of your body or have any influence at all. The first time it worked out well, but would it be different the next time? On a calm day in the spring, a woman approached the shrine, seeming to drag one of her legs as if it was hurt. Her hair covered her face, her clothing and skin were cover in ash and she was whispering something no one could distinguish. Iori's mother approached her with a helping hand, and the woman burst into a coat of flames. His mother's arm was burned badly, and the woman was cackling as she let her flames spread to trees and buildings alike. Her eyes were those of an evil spirit, and Iori's father ran out to try banishing it. No one was able to engage in combat due to the innocence of the woman being used as a host, so Iori contributed by healing the injured. After multiple attempts to control her and exorcise the spirit, it was settled that the only way to take care of it would be to find a new host. With his father's weary consent, Iori volunteered to be used as a vessel for the fire spirit, with hopes that he would be able to control it with his experience from Akihiko in mind.
His family set him in the center of a ceremonial circle, and surrounded him and the woman, praying for the transfer of the spirit from one body to another. As the ceremony got under way, Iori started to feel warm and the heat around and inside his body increased intensity until it felt as though his body was going to burst into flames. He screamed in pain, tearing at his skin in a feeble attempt to make the heat stop but wasn't able to do anything. He shut his eyes and let his mind open, seeing nothing but a single burning flame, and hearing a voice that range through his mind and startled him. It was raspy, and sounded mysterious in a way, calling him by his first name, "Iori...I see that we aren't alone here.." He was referring to the presence of Akihiko, who Iori had not had any contact with since the night of the attack. "..it is clear what your purpose has become with your family..to use as they please..you must feel powerless to them.." It was something to consider, sure. "..I can give you power, boy. I can give you exactly what you need to show them who is in charge..it can be yours..." He didn't want to hurt his family, or take over the shrine, but power was something that he had to take in mind. He also needed to consider the possibility of what could happen if he said no. "I'll lend you my strength, but you need to agree that when I ask a favor of you..you will do so without question.." To himself, Iori agreed. It was the best thing to do, and without even replying, the spirit seemed to take the answer and be at peace with it. "My name is Rokujou." The boy remembered, it was the flame spirit in Earth Country lore that engulfed entire villages without warning. It was an evil spirit, but it was under control within Iori. He opened his eyes, and the pain had stopped; people were tending to the woman in distress and the shrine was starting to be at peace. Everyone assumed that the situation was under control.
The next year, Iori decided that it was better for him to leave the shrine so that when the time came for Rokujou's favor, he wouldn't be putting his family in harm's way. He moved into Iwagakure, and continued his work as a shaman while also entering the ranks of the military police at a high level. He used his knowledge of the elements and the Old Gods and Goddesses to educate young prospective shinobi, and decided he should take up missions for the sake of the village. Only time would tell what could lie for him in the future.
When Iori turned 9, his family decided that it was time he started learning to defend himself and others against the evils of the world. It started with basic lessons about the spirits and their influences on humanity, and then led into learning real practices associated with the teachings. They were not so concerned about war, disease, or crime but rather evil spirits and demons. It made sense when compared to the beliefs and traditions they had all been raised on, so it made no difference to Iori. Never being put into schooling for the shinobi arts, however, took a toll on the social aspects of his childhood. He was never able to be around people his age or enjoy being a child, but he was still as carefree and social as could be at the end of it.
Whereas most of those at the shrine were priests, priestesses and monks, some were trained in the art of combat. Their skills were honed in a way that was not comparable to any other styles of fighting, and each person was given a weapon that they were bound to at a very young age. Through a ceremony, they made a special connection to the weapon that made combat with it much more instinctive and fluid. When he turned 11, the boy was given a sacred sword that had been passed down his family for generations. It was said to have been wielded by a warrior spirit in old stories, but Iori had his doubts about that story. He trained for the next few years in the art of Kenjutsu until he was up to par with a few of those trained at the shrine, but he was not the best by any means. Iori grew to be fond of the sword, but he was never as good as his abilities in healing. It was said that with every few generations of the Sakurai family, a healer would appear and act as a Shaman for not only the shrine but the entire village. Their medical practices would reflect those listed in the traditional worship of the Old Gods and Goddesses. He healed many returning warriors and diseased villagers, and was given the title of Shaman through a ceremony and celebration once he had proved himself.
At age 14, Iori faced the night that would define his life. A small farming community further outside of Iwagakure than the shrine was attacked by a group of rogue shinobi, and they didn't stop there. Iori awoke to the sound of his mother's screams, followed by the crackle of fire and the clash of metal on metal. He knew instantly that the shrine was being attacked, and his brain pushed him into a sequence of actions he'd be taught a hundred times. He was always told that if a disaster were to fall upon the shrine, he should sneak out of his window and under the family's dojo to their private ancestral chamber. He did so, only taking a moment to look at scene taking place on the other side of the building; shinobi wielding dark, shadow jutsu and large blades were going head-to-head with the combat-oriented priests of the shrine, and Iori's family was losing. He ran into the chamber and locked the door behind him, pacing frantically in the dimly lit room. Every thought was coming out of his mouth with the panic finally setting in, "What am I supposed to do?! If I don't do something, my mother...my father..everyone is going to be....no...no! I can't let this happen! But..what can I..?" His eyes searched the room for answers, and finally set on the rack of ancestral blades, specifically his. It was the blade of a warrior spirit, an ancestor of his family. However, he had no idea what the name of the spirit was, and searched his brain for any hint of an answer. His hand laid onto the hilt, and the name 'Akihiko' came to his mind out of nowhere. He quickly grabbed it and recalled a prayer that he'd been taught to call on power from the spirits. He pulled together all the strength he could muster and gripped the blade like his life depended on it, searching within himself for the power to fight, "Warrior spirit Akihito, bestow on me the strength that you possess, for I am-" Mid-sentence, he was cut off by a prickling sensation in his hands, which was followed by sharp pains traveling up his arm into the rest of his body. It was electric, both numbing and shocking his whole body with a sensation he couldn't resist no matter how hard he tried. The pain lasted for a couple of minutes, but it felt like much longer. Something was different.
At first, Iori thought he was dreaming, but soon he realized that what he was hearing was coming from within his head. As he had been taught of contact from the spirits, he shut his eyes, opened his mind and listened. "Boy, you have proven to be a miserable excuse for a warrior time and time again. You have wielded my sword with little grace, and little skill to match. I have been embarrassed to find my prized blade in the hands of someone like you, but I am certain that with my strength that will change. I will lend you skill, and I will lend you grace so that it becomes a part of you. My soul lives within this blade, and I will entrust to you the responsibility of keeping it free of harm. You will be the warrior that I have been, and take my strength as your own from this moment." Iori's eyes opened immediately, and he noticed that their color had changed to a dark brown(almost black) color in the reflection of the blade. Unlike before, his confidence was incredibly high, and every movement he made with the sword in hand felt more fluid and reflexive than ever before. He made his way out of the chamber and arrived in the chaos with only a few casualties to his family. His sword skills were faster, as well as more defensive. He quickly made his way through one of the shinobi, leaving a gash down his chest. With only two enemies left, he assisted a priest by blocking the shinobi's giant blade so that they could get him bound and finished the last one by decapitation him with one full swing. Iori's mother ran up to him, questioning his new found ability, and he answered "It was the blade, mother. It spoke to me."
After the attack, the bound shinobi was taken away by Iwagakure's military police for questioning, and the other two bodies were left with the shrine for proper disposal. Iori was brought into a room with the elders of the shrine, still clutching his sword. They all watched as his eyes reverted to the light amber color, and he relaxed his body. One spoke up with confidence in his words, "This boy..he has been brought into this world with a gift. He is a medium, a vessel for the spirits. His body can be the force that protects not only this shrine, but Iwagakure, and even Earth Country from the evils of the world." A voice shouted from the group, "If he has taken the spirit of that blade, can he have more? Do they stay?" He frowned, thinking before giving an answer, "If the teachings of our ancestors are in fact true, this boy can form a bond with the spirits and use their power as his own. Boy, can you tell me the name of the spirit that dwells within your blade?" Iori was still taking everything in piece by piece, and felt overwhelmed by all of it. He had never been told the name of the warrior spirit that was in the blade, so the elder was giving it as a test to prove that he was truly a vessel. "Akihiko."
Sadly, the attack on the shrine wasn't the last time that Iori would awaken his abilities. By the time he turned 17, Iori had become a very advanced healer and swordsman, and had defended the shrine on multiple occasions. Years of training and vigorous spiritual enlightenment had him in full control of the abilities he'd acquired as a child, but he had not explored being a vessel any further. It frightened him in a way, giving a spirit the opportunity to take control of your body or have any influence at all. The first time it worked out well, but would it be different the next time? On a calm day in the spring, a woman approached the shrine, seeming to drag one of her legs as if it was hurt. Her hair covered her face, her clothing and skin were cover in ash and she was whispering something no one could distinguish. Iori's mother approached her with a helping hand, and the woman burst into a coat of flames. His mother's arm was burned badly, and the woman was cackling as she let her flames spread to trees and buildings alike. Her eyes were those of an evil spirit, and Iori's father ran out to try banishing it. No one was able to engage in combat due to the innocence of the woman being used as a host, so Iori contributed by healing the injured. After multiple attempts to control her and exorcise the spirit, it was settled that the only way to take care of it would be to find a new host. With his father's weary consent, Iori volunteered to be used as a vessel for the fire spirit, with hopes that he would be able to control it with his experience from Akihiko in mind.
His family set him in the center of a ceremonial circle, and surrounded him and the woman, praying for the transfer of the spirit from one body to another. As the ceremony got under way, Iori started to feel warm and the heat around and inside his body increased intensity until it felt as though his body was going to burst into flames. He screamed in pain, tearing at his skin in a feeble attempt to make the heat stop but wasn't able to do anything. He shut his eyes and let his mind open, seeing nothing but a single burning flame, and hearing a voice that range through his mind and startled him. It was raspy, and sounded mysterious in a way, calling him by his first name, "Iori...I see that we aren't alone here.." He was referring to the presence of Akihiko, who Iori had not had any contact with since the night of the attack. "..it is clear what your purpose has become with your family..to use as they please..you must feel powerless to them.." It was something to consider, sure. "..I can give you power, boy. I can give you exactly what you need to show them who is in charge..it can be yours..." He didn't want to hurt his family, or take over the shrine, but power was something that he had to take in mind. He also needed to consider the possibility of what could happen if he said no. "I'll lend you my strength, but you need to agree that when I ask a favor of you..you will do so without question.." To himself, Iori agreed. It was the best thing to do, and without even replying, the spirit seemed to take the answer and be at peace with it. "My name is Rokujou." The boy remembered, it was the flame spirit in Earth Country lore that engulfed entire villages without warning. It was an evil spirit, but it was under control within Iori. He opened his eyes, and the pain had stopped; people were tending to the woman in distress and the shrine was starting to be at peace. Everyone assumed that the situation was under control.
The next year, Iori decided that it was better for him to leave the shrine so that when the time came for Rokujou's favor, he wouldn't be putting his family in harm's way. He moved into Iwagakure, and continued his work as a shaman while also entering the ranks of the military police at a high level. He used his knowledge of the elements and the Old Gods and Goddesses to educate young prospective shinobi, and decided he should take up missions for the sake of the village. Only time would tell what could lie for him in the future.
