Senju, Saito

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Saito’s parents were born and lived through a period of seemingly serene peace. Nurtured by a blissful future and the peace that managed to sustain itself, his mother and father managed to create their own light in the form of a child; Saito. An unplanned gift, Saito’s parents thanked the gods for their newfound hope and present. Even before his birth, they loved their son more than anything in the world, and were ready to lay their lives on the line for the protection of their unborn child.

Unlike many children at the time, Saito had the luxury of being born into and growing up in a two parent household. They raised their son diligently, allowing their son to grow up in an environment that didn’t place any restrictions on one’s way of thinking. For the most part, they left Saito’s mental and cultural development to him. They felt that each person was their own and that they should be treated as an individual.

Saito’s mother was a nice, caring woman who simply wanted her child to be safe at all times. Some may describe her as overbearing, but in reality she was just a mother who was aware of the world’s environment and current state. While not a fighter, she was prepared to engage in combat should anything were to happen to Saito.

A strong, battle tested man, Saito’s father was a stern individual. He was rough with his son, insisting that he must endure certain hardships to become a man. He was also a firm believer in shinobi ability, clearly under the impression that every shinobi should be able to care for themselves in combat. Due to this state of thinking, he trained his son from a young age in the ninja arts, specifically in Taijutsu. Saito largely credits his father for his current ability and strength in combat.

Saito was born a perfectly normal individual, void of any health problems or disabilities. For this, his parents were extremely thankful, for this was considered unusual at the time, likely due to the lack of a stable environment in the world.

Unlike many young children, Saito spent most of his time training with his father. At a young age he had shown formidable combat skills. In this, his father took great pride. Once he deemed his son ready, Saito’s father entered him in the local Konohagakure Shinobi Academy. To the surprise of his teacher and the students around him, he was already far ahead of much of the class. For his age, he was a genius in combat and combat analytics, capable of taking on nearly the entire class by himself. Due to this, he passed the Genin requirements fairly quickly, gaining his title of “Shinobi” before the age of eleven.

Much of Saito’s young life consisted of work and training. In the early mornings he would help his mother collect food from the local stores. Upon returning, he would partake in his strict training. Once finished, he would often be covered in blood and a plethora of cuts. Despite his mother’s concerns, she rarely contradicted Saito’s father.

It was during his late childhood/pre-teen era that Saito proved capable of high level Taijutsu techniques. Much to the glee of his father, Saito was rewarded with even stricter training sessions. At the time, the young boy despised his father. He would often curse his name to his mother, who would retaliate with beatings. He didn’t know it at the time, but the pain his father put him through was a necessary one, at least for the world that they lived in. It would take some time, but Saito would eventually realize that what his father did was absolutely necessary.


Saito remembers the day his father was called up for a "deadly mission" he often spoke about like it was yesterday. He remembers his mother’s tears and his father’s reassurance. Never an oblivious one, Saito understood where his father was going, and what he was being told to do. That night, he wept in his bed. Somehow, he knew that his father wouldn’t come back. He knew what was at stake. That day was the last time he would see his hero, the man who taught him all he knew about the world.

Saito would undergo a severe state of depression while his father was away. He cried nearly all day. He often thought about suicide. His mother, the only remaining person in his life, tried her best to reassure him. This proved unsuccessful – she feared that she had lost her son forever.

A few weeks after being sent off, his mother would receive the letter – his father had passed away during the proceeding of the mission. This time, Saito didn’t cry. It was expected. Instead, he stood silently as his mother’s tears rained down her cheeks. This moment would stay with him forever, changing his entire perspective on life. From that moment forward, he dedicated nearly all of his time to the shinobi lifestyle. He trained day in and day out, often forgetting to sleep. He advanced quickly in ability, and soon would surpass his current ranking of “Genin”. Through the sheer showing of excellence in shinobi arts, he was directly promoted to the rank of Special Jounin.

During his tenure as a Special Jounin, Saito met some amazing people from across the world. He noticed that people from all type of backgrounds and suffering were still happy. Once again, his perspective on life was changed. He made an effort to be happy as often as he possibly could. Saito made it his personal goal to make people happy. He didn’t want anyone to ever feel like he had during the few weeks that his father was off on that perilous mission. This was his new goal in life, and he’d do anything to achieve it.

He concluded that to achieve happiness, he would have to leave the confines of his village. As such, he left behind the memory of Konoha and fled, looking for new friends to spend time with. Soon enough, he would encounter the fabled-yet-true Akatsuki, who would take him under their wing.

Shiji smiled as the young shinobi's look turned from one of bewilderment and anger to one of confusion. The experienced ninja wasn't surprised by the boy's lack of knowledge. After all, it had been years since the technique had been seen. Hiraishin was many years older than any young shinobi alive today. "I understand how confused you are by the markings now placed on your arm, but don't worry too much. I'll show you what it is in just a few moments," the man proclaimed. It was important for Ryoichi to understand that he was safe so long as he had the seal on his body.

Ozamaru took no harm in the young boy's words. His reaction was definitely warranted. An unknown man places a mystery seal on one's body. Anyone would have reacted the same way. "This gift I've given you... You needn't worry too much about it." Truth be told, his decision to place the seal on the boy's body was a last minute one. It wasn't premeditated in any way. It came about on his way to the location.

A wider smile found itself on Shiji's face. He nodded quickly and kept his pose, waiting for the boy to initiate battle. "Yes, of course. How can I take care of you and train you if I don't know what you're capable of? Listen here, boy. In this world that we live in.... Power is everything." While Ozamaru's words may have sounded cruel to Ryoiji's ears, he would learn to appreciate the truth in them in due time. The world that the current generation has been cursed with is a cruel, merciless place. War is always on the horizon, it would seem. It was crucial that the future soldiers of the military force were prepared for any situation. Their lives depended on it, after all.

As quick as he decided to let the boy initiate, he had changed his mind. In the blink of an eye, he warped instantaneously to the boy -- placing his hand on Ryoichi's neck. He leaned in and whispered in a menacing voice. "In the real world, no one cares about you. You're safe in these walls, but you've seen nothing. You don't know what suffering is. However, you will eventually come face to face with fear's menacing snarl. You better be prepared for anything." Shiji took a deep breath and released his grasp from the boy's neck, backing up about twenty steps.

"Make your move."