Character Applications Name: Sarutobi NoritakaClan: Sarutobi Age: 11Ambition: To find a unifying path for all the ninja villages, ending the cycle of war.Drive: The harsh reality of being a shinobi is that any mission you take can be your last. For Noritaka's parents, fine shinobi of the Hidden leaf, there was no exception, and their boy knew it. But did this not apply to the other villages as well? Did they not have families who shared the same fears even as they fought tooth and nail for supremacy? It was simple enough to identify the ways in which the people were different, but what would it look like to truly hone in on the ways they were all connected? It was a self-perpetuating problem on a scale so grand it seemed impossible to comprehend, but for the sake of his own family, and the families of those who had not yet succumbed to the fires of war, Noritaka wished to challenge that reality and find a path of mutual understanding and lasting peace.Goals: Fears: Noritaka fears the loss of his precious bonds with the world, but also fears being hurt by said bonds. Noritaka also fears that he will never find the means to make a difference, and that the cycle of bloodshed between the villages truly has no end.Background: StudentClass: Ninjutsu specialistIntended Role: Ranged damage Physical Description: A boy of average height for his age, Noritaka sports a messy mop of mousy brown hair which seems to bob lightly atop his head in a somewhat unkempt mess, though from the lack of built up grime and the way it's fringes avoid blocking the view of the boy's sharp, hazel eyes, there is some evidence of at least a bit of light, functional grooming to maintain the messy style. Noritaka is a bit on the scrawny side despite an otherwise healthy physique, his skin a slightly pale shade of peach with a smattering of freckles lining across the bridge of his nose from cheek to cheek. He carries himself straight backed and true, expressing confidence in his every movement and purpose with his every step, always with an analytical look upon his face no matter the time of day, as if in a near constant state of contemplation on one subject or another.Personality: Noritaka approaches everything as a puzzle which needs to be solved; it's the only way he knows how to make sense of the world around him. This informs his cautious approach to all things in life, as he is loathe to overcommit to anything when the risk is unknown, and despises the waste that comes with rash action. It explains the manner in which he can simultaneously act jovial with people while still holding much of himself back, the way in which he reduces people to what he identifies as their prominent psychological traits a consequence of his utter inability to relate to most people on an emotional level, leading to his only social tool becoming treating others in accordance with what his analysis has provided him. This also making him self-conscious of what others could see in him, so he constantly puts on false fronts to obscure his true self. He deflects every fear with a sarcastic barb, every hurt with pointed apathy, and for every problem beyond his control, he will retreat to his books until he has made that problem small enough for him to manage before tackling it again, all for fear of letting himself be hurt in a way he cannot understand. He never pursues knowledge just for its own sake, but to use what he finds so that he may always have the appropriate tools for properly navigating the obstacles set forth by the world and the people who live within it. He views the trappings of dogma and tradition as useful tools for reaching one's goals and navigating society, but feels no need to hold himself to any form of contrivance which does not protect either the village or his clan, with any other reasoning beyond that measured against preservation of the self and those he cares about. Roleplay Sample:
A Day in the Life... "Boar, dog, monkey, serpent, ram... no, that's not right, is it?" "Huh, it is, but when I compare it to... very interesting." Don't be ridiculous. She's alright. She's the strongest. Yes, clearly the worry was a useless distraction. Sarutobi Kaede was the pride of the clan, a veteran of countless missions who's legend struck fear in the hearts of enemy shinobi everywhere. Whatever she'd been sent to do, she was certain to succeed. Her time had not come yet. It couldn't have. The fact that he was even thinking about this meant he needed to bury himself deeper. So deep that there would be no other world but that of ninshou. Focus on what you can do... useless as it is right now. "Master, you really shouldn't go out in this weather without an umbrella. You'll catch a cold." "I'm glad to see you're having so much fun reading my scrolls, brat." "But would it have killed you to take the merchandise first?! " "Haha! Oh, right, your scam cream. I forgot I'd left that out there. Sorry, master." "'Sanada Dream Cream' , brat. Branding's important. And what do you mean you forgot? You had one job! I had to search the whole market district for these things because the storm knocked 'em all over the place, half the product's ruined, and my hair smells like wet Inuzuka! And you're telling me that you just forgot?!" "Yes, master~." "Whatever, looks like it was a slow day anyway." "Earth release?" "Yeah! Ever since you told me I had an affinity with the element, I figured I should start digging deeper into the practical differences in how chakra is molded to get different results. Constructs, entrapment, digging through the earth itself; that isn't even taking into account comparisons to jutsu without an element." "Definitely beats trying to cheat people out of their money." "For the last time, we are selling a legitimate product here. It just needs a little more time getting off the ground." "Ugh, never mind. Since you've already gotten a start on something today, I'm going to get myself dried up. Then I'll be back to see just how much you've actually figured out." "Looking forward to it, master! And please, take your time, you really look like you need it." Don't take the bait. Don't take the bait. Don't take the bait. Ume spoiled the brat far too much, and reflected on how she should perhaps introduce a bit more discipline into their relationship to help facilitate future training, but as she saw him hum a happy tune while going back to the collection of scrolls, she couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm. He would need to harden himself as a shinobi one day, but there was no reason he couldn't enjoy this peaceful youth, right?
Significant NPCs:
Sanada Ume: In addition to his academy education, Noritaka's development in the shinobi arts has been overseen by a jonin of some renown, the talented yet miserly Sanada Ume. As infamous for her constant get-rich-quick schemes as she was for her contributions to the advancement of jutsu research, not many would assume she would make a good fit for a master. In fact, Ume herself shared that exact same opinion when Noritaka's mother called the other kunoichi in and asked her to take on her son as an apprentice. Ume would have refused such a bothersome request on the spot, but seeing as she literally owed the woman making this request her life several times over, the best Ume could do was ask for two conditions:
1. If Noritaka ended up being a burden on her research, she could kick him to the curb.
2. She gets paid. A lot.
Some aggressive haggling and a few years later, Ume has grown fond of her quick witted young apprentice, happy at how quickly he could grasp the fundamentals of ninshou. She only wished he showed the same enthusiasm when participating in her business ventures.
Last edited by Crocodile; Feb 10th, 2023 at 04:30 PM .
Jan 30th, 2023, 09:51 PM
