{I'm the Greatest Ninja of Them All}


Face Claim: Makoto Shishio of Rurounin Kenshin


{You Think You Know Me}

Character Name: Sokuzen Matsumune
Nicknames: "Soku", "The Trapmaster", "Dark Sniper".

Age: 32
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 141 lbs
Gender: Male

Personality: Soku is reserved and keeps to himself mostly, rarely opening himself to even members of the Shattered Blades. He sees himself as a bit of a lost puppy, who has lost his family, friends, village, and even his reason of existence. The joy and pride he had as a shinobi is waning, and he wishes so desperately to reclaim it in a very physical manner. Cool, calm, and observant, Soku carries with him a trained level headedness that can only be lost when someone pisses him off. As a veteran of a prestigious village and a shady character himself, Soku has an ego that he rarely brandishes. As a person, he would like some respect with people, but can be rude. However, he does coorperate very nicely with people of compatible ability. In battle, Soku replicates his reserved persona in his fighting style, and is determined to use the quickest and most dirty tactics in order to obliterate his enemy.


{What Are You Waiting For! Welcome Me Home}

Your Village: Death Valley
Your Rank: Shattered Blade, Ex-Head of Death's ANBU Black OPs


{They Made Me Who I Am Today}

Mother: Rinka Matsumune
Father: Roku Matsumune
Siblings: N/A

Family History: Roku Matsumune was a Jounin of the Death Valley, and a famous member of the Matsumune clan who possess the mutated gene that allows members to produce up to two extra limbs. Skilled at manipulating shadows and crafting metal work, he would have a decent influence on his son Soku. His mother died a few months after he was born, so he has no recollection of her at all. Later on, when Soku became a Genin, his father left him, leaving his son to survive in the deadliest village in the world...


Character History: Born in the taboo'ed Death Valley, Soku was raised by his father Roku Matsumune. He did not have a strong bond with his father, but did realize that he was his only family and only source of potential love, which he rarely received and instead was sometimes substituted with physical violence. But as Soku was a Matsumune and the son of a shinobi, Roku expected him to follow in his footsteps, especially so he could defend himself. At the age of 5, Soku learned how to manifest an extra set of an arm, leg, or both. Soku liked to play around with kunai and shurikens, and especially displayed an unnaturally gifted talent in wire-work. The use of thin strings, like spider threads, was almost second nature to Soku after he swung it around a few times. After he played around on his own time for a while, he was practically a ningu adept. At the age of 7, he learned how to become a ninja, capable of basic Ninjutsu and excelling in weaponry. He also got used to molding and drawing his chakra pretty quickly, earning the best marks when it comes to chakra control in his class. He became a Genin at the age of 8.

After he became a Genin, his dad left him. Ran away because he feared some ninja from the village were after his life, because at this time the village was under a state of extreme panic from the Akatsuki's attack. The Death Valley had increased its bloodlust on its own people, as notable Chunin and Jounin sought to compete with each otehr to the point of killing each other off. Soku would never see his father again. At the very least, he had the ninja skills to escape.

He developed his first friends with his fellow Genin. He didn't have anything close during the first several years of his life, so he was very awkward socially, and it took awhile before he could converse normally. As a Genin, Soku taught himself how to become more skillful as the traitorous climate in the Death Vallyet at the time demanded that younglings teach themselves how to survive. He developed his wind affinity, and learned the way of the weaponsmaster, trying to learn how to handle whatever he gets his hands on. He could handle properly wires, kunai, shurikens, senbon, large shurikens, scrolls, exploding tags, paper bombs, swords, arrows, spears, staffs. He even was able to learn Fuuinjutsu to supplement his nuking capabilities. In addition, Soku toughened himself by training in the foggy terrains in the Death Valley. A few times, he had to fend off enemy muggers, huge beastly animals, and even a couple of genin from his own village.

It was only when he was around 10 years old did things turn around. The Kage Kazuya was able to return to his prime and Soku was part of the amateur "bombing" corps designed to help defensive forces by attacking offensive enemy lines using non-direct means. It was during this time that Soku got the hang of combat tactics in warfare. Learning how to read the environment and climate, looking for signs, and executing guerilla tactics were part of his job description as a Genin. In less than a year, the "Darkest Hour" as it was called ended as the villages returned to peace. Soku achieved honorary status as a junior member oif the Brat's Rebellion, and was promtoed to Chunin at the age of 11.

The battle had hardened Soku as a child soldier, and he adopted the Death Valley's attitude of battle fierceness as he also sought future battles. This would drive him to become a stronger ninja. He looked to missions to satisfy him, whether it be to destroy shinobi from minor lands or scale walls and carry out espionage work in royal castles. But through missions, he rarely encoutnered someone as strong as he. It was only did he try to do a personal hunting service of Missing-Nin did he really seek out enemies. His first target almost killed him, but he started to achieve some success in future targets. As a self-employed hitman, the ANBU inducted him into their ranks so they could tap into his tracking and assassination abilities. Later, he became a Jounin at the age of 17. By tat time, he was basically a human nuke when it comes to weaponry skills. He could utilize chakra threads and manipulate weaponry with chakra across distances. He could combine his clan ability for extreme dexterity and handiwork, able to multi-task a vast number of weaponry and guide them with impressive skill to demolish his opponents. He unlocked his Doton element. He earned his nickname as the "Dark Sniper", as he'd usually conceal himself in a coveted place and take out the enemy as soon as possible. It was his stealth capability that he picked from his ANBU training that really did good for him. Not only could he minimize his breathing and noise from footsteps, but he also learned how to suppress his chakra presence skillfully, and even become a novice sensor himself. He mastered manipulation over shadows.

Stocking up on scrolls, Soku learned how to become more efficient in battle and truly mastered his oqn fighting style, climbing up the ranks as one of the village's most prestigious and fearsome ninja. At the age of 20, he returned to hunting rogues down as there was a time of peace and missions were kinda stale. But he had wrapped his body almost entirely in chakra-pliable bandages, which gave himself a mummy-like appearance. He earned a fearsome reputation as a hunter-nin, gaining his moniker as the "Trapmaster" for his superior weaponry skills. The man had stocked up a variety of unusual and mundane weapons to be used in combat effectively. Soku was involved in a few war-like conflicts with other villages during his Jounin years, carrying what he learned during the rebellion and applying war strategies in the skirmishes. These battles lasted a few months at best.  

Became ANBU Captain at the age of 29, and also enlsited into the Bingo Book as a S-rank ninja. During which he was well versed in medicine, human anatomy, and poison. However, him leading the ANBU - and living in the village only lasted for a year. Over time he had sensed a growing staleness in the Death Valley. Although unknown to outsiders, it was losing its power and fearsome might that led them to be respected and feared. Furthermore, it seemed like the village authorities had lost their sense of direction, unable to lead the village into greatness anymore. As he watched a declining village before his eyes, Soku saw that he could no longer relish in being a shinobi as a member of the village. Soon, when he turned 30, he became what he hunted - a rogue. He left the village and was recruited into becoming a Shattered Blade, where he would finally found peace with his life.


{A New Beginning}

Spoiler:

{Hey, What's the Answer to Number Three?}

Way of the Shinobi