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Korogaru
Korogaru had a comfortable upbringing in the Hidden Cloud Village. The young pup was happy to laze about in the shadow of her older brother and an ever expanding family tree. She was complient enough in her training; It would have been a waste of energy to argue as her father barked commands and she followed through. However, this Inuzuka always felt out of place. an imposter in her own clan.
Daddy had many complaints. “Be aware of your surroundings, Ru!” and “As a pack! As a unit!” could often be heard shouted from the family training grounds but these critiques never seemed to penetrate her thick skull.
She was very independent. Social interactions wore her out and she needed time alone to recover. She knew her parents and siblings worried about her. She knew they weren’t trying to smother her. They wanted to spend time with her because they loved her, right? Still, their home seemed smaller and smaller over time. It seemed like everyone knew everything about everyone else in her family.
Ikigai was the only one she could confide in without the expectation of instant exposure. The Ninken was fluffy white with black and brown spots around eyes that seemed too big for his face. The tip of his tongue stuck out through his teeth stupidly and whenever he wanted attention he would stand on his hind legs and hold his paws to his chest and say, “ah-woo”. He didn’t howl. It didn’t sound like a howl. It was just like he was saying it. Probably, he did it once and realized he could get whatever he wanted since it was so endearing. Korogaru loved that dog. She loved him more than anyone had ever loved anything in the whole world. And for a time she thought that maybe she did fit in.
She and Ikigai graduated from the academy and were placed on a team. They completed a few missions before her father started harping on her for not using her nose more. It was tiresome but eventually she got pretty decent at tracking. There were other skills her father wanted her to learn but they were all a waste of time as she really couldn’t find it within herself to put her whole heart into them. She was much more interested in taijutsu which she found to be the most useful if one found themselves in immediate danger.
It was around the age of seventeen that war raked it’s claws into her family, ripping them apart and dragging some into the mist. Korogaru excelled on her new team, often scouting ahead to sniff out traps and ambushes. Did she get a little too cocky? Did she wander too far ahead? In hindsight… It was her fault. They were waiting for them and Korogaru didn’t notice. Her leg was wounded and she couldn’t run anymore. Ikigai came back for her and paid the price for her mistake. The rest of the team arrived in time to rescue Korogaru but it was too late for her Ninken who bled out in her arms.
Her superiors ordered her to return to the village to receive a new ninken but she protested. She couldn’t abandon her comrades on the field when she could still be of use. There was no telling when a new niken would be ready and besides, her heart wasn’t ready for a new pup. She worried it might never be… Ikigai was irreplaceable in her cold grey eyes. She went without an animal companion for almost a year before the incident that would change her forever.
She was creeping through the mist when she heard her sensei coming up behind her. She turned to see, not a man, but a mother brown bear poised for attack. The law of the wild was kill or be killed and no second thought emerged to prevent her from defending herself. However, as she began to walk away her senses picked up a clumsy stalker. “Go away little flea.” She waved dismissively at the bear cub as she continued on. A few miles later she threw a shoe at the cub. It winced but did not run. She made camp and fed the bear some of the fish she’d caught. The beast was on its own now… just like her. She spent the next few days training it to watch her movements, to run when she ran and stop when she stopped. They started with fishing and moved onto more dangerous game, hunting together and fighting. It took a long time for the bear to mold chakra, but eventually they found a rhythm and he proved to be as good as any ninken she’d seen.
They scouted and fought together for a couple years before her father caught wind of what she’d been doing. They got into a heated argument about traditions and she said some things she would regret a year later when she heard of his death. They’d never had a chance to reconcile. The war began to fizzle out and Korogaru returned home but everything was different now. They were adults and Korogaru felt like an unwelcome guest in her childhood home. She kept to herself, continuing to serve her village as a chunin but spending much of her time in the wilderness outside of the village.
Proficiencies
Four Legs Technique [Journeyman]The quintessential taijutsu technique of her clan involves the partial or full transformation into a beast. This is used in conjunction with an animal companion that is trained in the ninja arts. The Inuzuka are famous for their dog companions and although the technique can be used with other creatures it is frowned upon to do so. In Korogaru's case, she utilizes a bear companion and her transformations tend to have more bearlike qualities.
-Nomi (Animal Companion)
Now a full grown brown bear, Nomi was adopted and trained by Korogaru after she unintentionally killed the cub's mother in self-defense. Nomi is almost as tall as a horse with wide shoulders but considerably heftier than most mounts. Still, he is easily ridable and can run as fast as a ninken in short bursts but will be a little slower than average over longer distances. What he lacks in stamina and speed he makes up for in brute strength.
Shurikenjutsu [Apprentice]Korogaru is skilled at thrown weaponry although she focuses mainly on smoke bombs. She carries a larger arsenal of smokebombs than bladed projectiles and uses them to obscure the battlefield visually since she is able to enhance her olfactory senses.
Medical [Journeyman]Korogaru has spent most of her life in the wilderness and uses her keen senses to quickly identify medicinal herbs and avoid anything poisonous. She is able to provide basic first aid to herself and other injured shinobi as well as animal companions. Her experience in hunting, tanning, and butchering of prey has given her a unique knowledge of the body.
Stealth [Apprentice]The mark of a true ninja, Korogaru is able to move quickly and quietly and is trained in the art of not being seen. She learned this skill at the academy and has had years of practice to improve. She's about as stealthy as you could hope for a girl riding an adult grizzly bear.
Summon [Rookie]: Ashioto - This enthusiastic miniature woolly rhino is small enough to ride in Korogaru’s fur lined hood. He watched with eyes wide the amazing battle between his father and shinobi from the various villages! Afterward, he became determined to learn such powers from the girl he now idolized. His father agreed to lend him to aid Korogaru and she agreed to take him on as an apprentice. He has learned basic ninja training (and has the potential to learn doton in the future).
Enhanced ScentKorogaru is able to heighten her sense of smell by focusing her chakra into her nose and is therefore able to track certain individuals by smell if she is able to pick up their scent somewhere. She is also able to sense incoming enemies before they arrive, if conditions allow it and they have not taken precautions against this.
