Name:

Ryu Azai

Nickname/Title:

n/a

Gender:

Male

Age:

25

Race:

Human

Occupation:

Shinobi. No. Really.

Physical Appearance:

Ryu is a rather menacing figure, even though his height isn't the most intimidating. He stands at a mere 5'10", all of which is muscle. His training and his workload makes his metabolism inordinately fast. He certainly isn't the build of a bodybuilder however, instead appearing a bit more healthy and a bit more lean.

He wears his black hair short, though while his black hair is merely ordinary among his people, what isn't so ordinary is his eye color - which is a rather brilliant green. It's unlike many of his particular descent, which is a very dark brown, with no semblance of any other color. He dresses in a simple, unassuming manner, and doesn't look to be the type of person that, clothes-wise, would raise any red flags. It's his presence that would make a person worry a bit.

Personality:

Ryu has an adept understanding of what is right and wrong, and in his own way is an honorable person, but prefers to keep such facts hidden. In fact, he is quite responsible, but presents an attitude of non-involvement to the world outside his life. Ryu is bound to honor and tradition, which can make him rather conservative in regard to his homeland and his people.

He is very self-sufficient, which is an amazing talent of his. He is easily a leader among his clan, even if he isn't the de-facto leader. He's a bit young for that yet. Still, Ryu is well on his way to becoming a leader, though he would have to get on in years and experience first.

Magics:

The Art of Lightning: A technique which allows Ryu to manifest the energy within his body in the form of a strong electric current which he then unleashes outward towards multiple foes that are within a ten foot range. The effects of such an attack are intended to inflict mild amounts of damage while also rendering a foe immobile for a short period of time. Performing the technique also puts a strain on Ryu's body that can leave him weakened if used for prolonged periods of time.

Strengths/Good Qualities:

Stealth: Clearly, Ryu is a Shinobi. And the fact that he's still alive and that he he lived to see 25 years old at least implies that he's somewhat good at stealth. With that said, he's very good at stealth. With the wealth of assignments that he's been given, and has come back successfully from all of them, he is considered as one of the best shinobi in his clan. One will not hear footsteps or even know that he is coming, and his quick speed makes it easier for him to beat a quick retreat.

Speed: Ryu is very fast. While ninja are supposed to be fast, he is always making sure that his speed is up to snuff. He's an accomplished runner, and can navigate his way around things quickly and pretty well.

Body Conditioning: Ryu is well-muscled, though his body type is slender and lean. He has conditioned his body to take some serious knocks. Granted, if someone to cut him, he'd bleed like a stuck pig, just like any normal human being, but he's someone who is going to try very hard to prolong his life and he's quite the fighter. His body conditioning makes him relatively strong, though he's not a powerhouse.

Detachment Between Job and Life: Ryu knows not to take his job home with him. He doesn't have very much of a reaction when he kills someone. He almost dehumanizes them to make his job a little bit easier. With him, there is really nothing personal at all - and it is a rare case when he does feel some sort of personal connection to one of his clients or his "prospects". His job is just that - a job.

Neutrality: Ryu is very neutral to a fault. He doesn't concern himself with the affairs of other clans very much. This is both a good and a bad thing - and it is a good because the Azai clan generally isn't involved in much regarding war and such. They remain behind the scenes and opt to do so.

Extremely Loyal: Ryu has a sort of loyalty to the people that he befriends and his family. He will kill for them...and that's just an understatment. He has a strong attachment to his family, so one can only imagine if he finds love. It is very likely that he'll be even more loyal and dedicated towards a woman that he has feelings for.

Weaknesses/Bad Qualities:

Overprotective and Vengeful: Ryu can be overprotective to a fault, if those he cares about come into any form of harm be it intentional or not he can and will harbor vengeful thoughts for those responsible. Ryu is also not the kind of person that is able to forgive and forget, those who have wronged him will always be remembered in a foul way. He will try his best to make good on any threats that he makes, so, by right, Ryu doesn't make threats. He makes promises. In this regard too, he can have a one-track mind...which is getting even.

Traditional: Also, another problem of his is how bound to tradition that he can be. He can be harsh to his very own siblings if they were to break any code of honor existing within the Azai clan. He does have a mind of his own, but he is someone who feels that the law is something that is to be obeyed to the letter.

Lack of Armor: When doing jobs, Ryu doesn't wear much in the way of armor. He almost takes it for granted that he needs armor. Lately, he's been very lucky in this regard, but his luck could very well run out if he were to meet his match.

Difficulty in battle when the opponent has armor: Also, with his own lack of wearing armor, he also takes it for granted that his opponent wears armor as well - which leaves him horribly disadvantaged. His job is to take out warlords in the shadows - not to face them or their armies head on.

Aloof to outsiders: Ryu isn't the most friendly person when it comes to outsiders. He generally is more prone to glare at an outsider, rather than welcoming them with open arms. It's due largely to his line of work and the way that he lives his life - he has a paranoia in regards to most outsiders rather than being friendly to them.

Neutrality: Ryu is very neutral to a fault. He doesn't concern himself with the affairs of other clans very much. This is both a good and a bad thing - and it is a bad because in the case that something significantly awful were to happen to the Azai clan, they wouldn't have many allies to help them.

Character History:

Ryu was born to another clan, (though currently, this clan's name will remain anonymous) and lived a relatively happy childhood as a young man growing under the life of a family of shinobi. He grew up learning to live under ninjutsu principles, and when he got a little bit older, began to work with ninpo. His village had a good amount of sorcerers, though their magic was really nothing too special. They were more skilled in magic, though they had their own very primitive form of technology too - though it was very primitive. It involved a lot of living off of the land and crafting things properly.

When Ryu was 11 years old, his village was attacked by outsiders to his land. They came, raped, pillaged, and killed. They didn't use any magic at all - it was their technology that had done so. He had watched his parents die by fire, though he remembered exactly what his parents told him.

"Run Ryu - and don't you dare look back here."

And that's just what Ryu did. He took his little legs and ran as quickly as he could, his tiny size allowing him to hide under the brush of the woods. While these outsiders scoured all over for him, they could never find him. Little Ryu had barely escaped with his life. His fellow clansmen weren't so lucky. Ryu was afraid, confused and most of all - angry.

He swore revenge.

Continuing to run from the demons of the village, he managed to find his way into a small village with another shinobi clan known as the Azai. Ryu had to work to make himself a viable candidate there - he needed to be with someone - he had to have someone to support him. At the very least, he wanted approval. With his skills, however, and his eagerness to please, he grew up to be a very valued member of the Azai clan, and when he turned 16, got the surname Azai, as well as his first assignment - which was a resounding success.

Now, he fights and does this work in hopes that he will soon come across those who eliminated his little village. He keeps them in mind with everything that he does - and becomes better to kill them.

Belongings:

Ninjato, shuriken, and kunai.

Pets/Familiars:

A young wolf that Ryu has named Kadan.

Other useful facts: