As the genin-turned-fuma-shuriken flew through the air, an eye opened at the end of each blade of the shuriken. It looked like his sensei thought the situation was indeed too difficult for him. Everything around him was a blur, so he didn’t see too much of the outcome of the battle.
As gravity began to lower him, he released the transformation and tumbled onto the ground to break his fall far from the epicenter of the battle thanks to Shoichi’s quick thinking. The landing wasn’t perfect, so he still felt a bit of iron in his mouth as he forced himself quickly up. Behind him he saw that Sawako seemed to be disengaging the battle as well.
There were no orders given. But home was not too far away. Regardless of what was happening, there were at least two platoon sized elements of shinobi from foreign lands. Among the larger of the groups was the Hidden Rain, daring once again to trespass into the territories of the Land of Earth.
Without further orders, he did what he thought his sensei would want from him. He would begin running away from the battle and towards his village. Unless he was stopped by Sawako, or an enemy, he’d be going to report the situation and spur them to send reinforcements to deter this invasion.
Note: Attempting to leave the battlefield to report the situation to Iwagakure.
Itaru stopped along with Ai, a wrapping on his arm had come loose enough that an eye was exposed, so he watched her speak without turning to face her. While he listened, he uncovered a few more eyes on his other arm and started looking around for his teammates. He often felt like they were spying on him.
“Mm, that’d be the Tsuchikage's Tower, Ai,” Itaru explained as he continued forward. “We probably shouldn’t go too close to it, I’m not sure if they’d want guests without an appointment in that part of the village.”
The smell of various foods permeated the air around the market. A lot of spices from fresh curries and the smell of baked goods. There were stands with fruit brought in from the jungles Bonchi no Kuni which gave the area a slight hint of fermentation as there was more supply than demand. To Itaru the sounds of the market were taken for granted, all a blend of noises of hustle and bustle that he couldn’t pick much up out of. His eyes moved around seeking out things of interest.
“This may as well be the true heart of the village though, from a certain standpoint,” he mused. “So, no particular destination then just here to explore?”
As he spoke one of his eyes slid over to a back alley where he noticed some sort of a commotion between a group of men standing in a circle. It looked like they were kicking something, but he couldn’t discern what was going on exactly with so many things in the way of his field of vision. He tilted his head curiously.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 21, 2021 17:28:23 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
Itaru’s mouth dropped open ever so slightly for a moment, followed be a short bellow of laughter that he brought his fist up to. It got a bit worse, so he tucked his mouth under his shirt until he got something together. It took him a few moments to regain his composure.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said followed by a relieved sigh. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Pretty disorienting at times, being able to see in every direction. I’d offer you some of my spares if I could.”
To the village those extra eyes of his were a weapon they had invested in. The only reason he was allowed back, really.
Finally, he noticed the held hand and put two and two together after a brief squint. “But you probably know what I mean, using sensory ninjutsu that way I imagine is probably even more disorienting. You should conserve your chakra for a while, you won’t miss anything too exciting.”
He hadn’t guessed exactly right but was in the ballpark.
Regardless of compliance or not he gestured with his neck and turned around to start walk towards the village. He'd offer a raised arm to tether to subtly for a few moments, but didn't really expect she'd need it. He wasn’t sure exactly where the person wanted to be taken, but he assumed the market must have been the best place to lead her to. That was what most strangers came into town for, anyways.
Perhaps though, with her condition, she was a patient of Lord Tschikage’s team just like he was… but he didn’t recognize her from his time in the hospital. She hadn’t given a destination, and he often found the questions people didn’t answer to be intriguing.
“Got a name?” he asked.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 21, 2021 7:04:35 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
Itaru felt himself sink, slouching and slacking his jaw at the question. He looked at the finger she had extended upwards, but didn’t make the connection to it being some form of sensory ability. He was no expert in the subject matter, his own unique senses a natural gift (or curse) of his.
“Oh, so you’ve noticed already huh? You must be more perceptive than you seem,” Itaru said, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling his hair. Further investigation from Ai would show that there were eyes beyond just his arms, spanning much of his torso and each of his extremities. They were all moving about unguided as they were kept hidden from the light.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a monster or anything, just an otherwise normal person who has a bunch of eyes,” he explained. There were more people than he could count who had found his kekkei genkai unnerving, disgusting, or horrifying. He was immediately defensive about it when it came up. “It’s kind of funny really, my original pair needs glasses to see and it’d be easier just to use the others…”
Best to disarm any potential fear with a little light humor about it. Still he adjusted his glasses to better see her. He looked at the blindfold, and seemed to be lost in thought about the stranger.
The ramparts of Iwagakure’s gates were well defended, standing the testament of a village that could not be invaded. Towers and rows of reinforced wall built from the mountainsides that surrounded them, patrolled with diligence.
That’s a lot of hungry guards.
Itaru had finished the rounds around the walls, his mission of the day the trivial but important duty of making sure everyone on post got a bento. He had just dropped the last batch off at the main gate, only to hear someone calling for him.
He squinted, an eye partially unwrapped on his forearm catching sight of the guard and a woman around his age behind him as he was pacing away. He stopped in his tracks and turned about. There was a bit of pain concealed in his movements, but one that he had grown accustomed to.
He spoke in a moderato tone with good annunciation. Not quite bored, perhaps a bit more distracted than anything.
“I’m Itaru Tokoro,” he answered with a bow. “I will do as you ask, sir.”
He adjusted the bandages on his arms, rustling them around and tightening them to make sure that none of his extra features were exposed. Many found them to be unnerving to say the least. He was wearing his typical olive-green kimono with simple geta on his feet, a light sweat on his forehead from the day’s hustle and bustle. As he moved closer to approach, he noticed that the silverette’s eyes were covered. He stopped for a moment. Was he supposed to? Lead her by the arm? He shook his head at the thought.
“Hello there miss,” he said. “Did you need um… just let me know if you need help. Is there something or someone you came here to visit?”
Had they really taken her walking stick away? Gate guards were assholes.
Itaru remained flustered, more so now that his accidental disobedience was called out. He bit his lip and shuffled, easing up a bit when the chunin smiled. Maybe things weren’t so serious. Maybe.
“Yes ma’am, yes sensei, I-I’ll do it now,” he stammered out. The Temple of Nirvana was something he had heard about, it was something that was a pipe dream for a begginer. The basic principles of expeling chakra into a useful form to affect another mind in the simplest of ways was where he currently stood.
He paused for a moment as Shoichi began making a series of seals and the wind began blowing around them. He raised his hands up to adjust his glasses, his wrappings getting a bit more disheveled and drooping down. The eyes on his arms blinked as his vision opened on them. He tried to pull the bandages back up, but they were too loose, and he didn’t have much time to fiddle with it.
He was exhausted but didn’t want to disappoint anyone. He began forming a few hand seals as he looked at Sawako. As the very basic building blocks of illusory chakra resonated with him there was a flickering of the eyes on his arms, going from a soft hazel to a piercing golden. The yellowed eyes began moving back and forth in a strange pattern, almost hypnotic to look at.
It lasted only for a second before Itaru let out a sharp exhale and the eyes closed. No illusion would have truly taken hold, perhaps a weak poke of the kunoichi’s chakra network that’d be difficult to notice as anything more than a brief unease.
“I’m sorry, maybe I’m not cut out for genjutsu,” he said as all of his eyes closed. He felt sick to his stomach now. “Maybe I will have to do something more conventional.”
It was disheartening, because genjutsu had always been an interest of his since he had graduated academy. There was some mystery and allure about it, even though many didn’t find it to be as valuable as ninjutsu.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 19, 2021 1:48:49 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
“Brace!” Itaru yelled to his team as several of his eyes gave him an advantage in reacting to an incoming jutsu of powerful proportions. His eyes widened at a stampede of rhino, some running quickly running up the wall of the quarry. “Doton?”
He couldn’t find the original rhino but seemed to underestimate the speed of their approach. They’d be on them in a matter of seconds.
The incoming threat seemed well beyond his pay grade. He began forming a series of three hand seals and jumped back into the air above his team, turning himself into a fuma shuriken with the transformation technique to make himself easier to carry. He hadn’t been given the order, but self-preservation kicked in before the others reacted.
He hoped that his sensei or one of the chunin on his team would bother to grab him while he was transformed. If not, then well… it was a good run.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 15, 2021 18:37:34 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
Sensory overload. Itaru wished that at least his arms were unbandaged so he could better catch all the activity that unfolded. What started as a polite averted gaze from Sawako as she ate fell upon the strange figure that had started peering into the shop, watching the commotion.
Even as she asked him what he had been training he hadn’t quite started to reply, and his curiosity must have drawn her gaze to the window. She caught sight of something and told him to straighten up. He tensed on his seat as she called the name of their sensei. Were they all following him?
Sensei had already figured out what he was training. He winced as he answered Sawako’s question. Eyes knowingly glancing at her. He should have kept her informed about what he was doing before the sensei did. Now she was going to be embarrassed and probably mad at him. Returning to active duty was weird, he had forgotten more things than he liked to admit. He could feel a dark cloud forming as she was ordered to help him.
Then slid down Higa, the other chunin in his platoon. Now it had come back to him, why he had recognized the figure standing near the window. He was still only acquainted with the team, but familiar enough that there was recognition. When he began to heckle Sawkao he slunk back further.
“Oh, h-hello sensei,” Itaru stammered with a shaking bow forward as he stood up from his sitting position. “…and senpai. I think that um… you know… she...”
The words weren’t coming. His palms were sweaty, knees weak, and his arms were heavy.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2021 23:01:51 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
With his body covered he had no spectacular senses, though he had likely walked right by her when he went to take his seat, he hadn’t realized it was her. So, as he sat nursing his head and waiting on the help, he shuffled around briefly in surprise when she landed on a nearby cushion at his chabudai and began speaking.
“I was training, of course I wouldn’t…” he began before his lips tightened, remembering their place in the pecking order. He began a bow and stammered to start correcting himself when he felt an awkward shadow standing over them.
“Your order sir?” a young man with olive skin and a dark crewcut said, dressed in drab kimono with a pad and paper in his hands.
“Ginseng tea please, plain,” Itaru replied. The waiter nodded, seeming to recognize that he had already served Sawako. Itaru turned back to Sawako. “I apologize senpai. I will reserve more chakra in case we are suddenly deployed without notice.”
He was eager to improve. He had lost so much time on hospital beds.
The waiter moved behind the counter towards the door to the kitchen, as the owner was stepping out with a cup of hot coffee. In a sad twist of fate, the two collided and hot liquid drenched the legs of the waiter, who let out a yelp.
Itaru’s eyes moved towards the window of the inside of the shop that served drinks to the pavilion. He hadn’t been sitting at a good angle to catch a glimpse of their sensei, but Sawako may have been better situated if she looked for the sound of the commotion from where she was sitting.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2021 2:21:26 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
A room of mirrors, reflective surfaces of gemstone of various colors not quite natural. Hues of red, violet, yellows, and greens illuminated by electric lights in a dome shaped chamber. One of the quietest training areas in all of Iwagakure, set on the east side of the village in a quiet alleyway tucked between and old archive and an art museum. A place that had been a source of frustration and failure for many trying to grasp the subtle art of illusion. Most who came to cut their teeth here would fail in their endeavors and turn to arts with more practical application, but the ability of the ancient gemstones to catch and display visual genjutsu in their reflections was one of the most valuable things for a complete beginner to understand when progress was being made.
Itaru had spent the greater part of the morning within the chamber sitting cross-legged with scrolls of parchment splayed out in front of him. He sighed as he felt his head throb with an intense headache. He had burned through most of his chakra trying to cast the most basic of illusions without finding progress.
“This is hopeless, isn’t it…” Itaru complained aloud, his voice echoing through the empty chamber. He grit his teeth and began repeating the hand seals once more, trying to weave his chakra into something useful. After performing the hand seals, he did start seeing spots in the corner of his eyes. For a moment he got excited but then a paleness in his face and a blur caused him to lean back momentarily.
It wasn’t an illusion at all. He had gotten close to his limit. The migraine that set in following the near-black out was something that made him sick to his stomach as well. He stood up an wobbled out of the chamber, wincing as the village sun stung him with a glare that managed not only to catch him on his head, but several eyes that had become displaced from their bandages on his body. Annoyed, he tightened them to cover up the exposed extras so that he could walk amongst the stone without as many awkward glances.
He wasn’t going too far. He was using the walls to help keep himself propped up, spotting a small tea shop settled in an outdoor garden with a circular wooden pavilion to shield it from the elements. Resting along the pavilion were linen cushions, which he all too eagerly set himself down on. He clutched at the hair above his forehead as he waited for service to arrive to take his order.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2021 2:18:19 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
Itaru stood not far from Shoichi, his upper body unraveled of his upper garb which hung at his waist. His chest and back was exposed to the sun over the quarry, revealing a plethora of eyeballs looking around in every direction around his body. With his natural gaze and several eyes on his chest he watched the girl running into chaos with little regard for her own safety.
“Hmm… well, they say only fools rush in…” Itaru muttered, not necessarily to his platoon leader for fear of being too familiar with such a high ranking shinobi. He continued to gaze in each and every direction with the eyes that moved back and fourth on his body. He was a nobody here, but he was good for one thing at least… no one was going to sneak up on them easily. He’d call out any movements if anything got in his radar of being a potential threat to them.
He did keep his position back a bit behind the leader. So there was a small blind spot that he was sure was in the captain’s vision (and others too who might stand in front of him).
“There has to be someone backing her up... right? I don’t see them.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla sem felis, auctor nec dui eu, mollis pellentesque magna. Suspendisse potenti. Nam posuere, augue fermentum laoreet mattis, est leo gravida nunc, malesuada porta mauris nulla in dui. In justo odio, efficitur a tellus nec, vehicula posuere massa. Sed in eros a leo dignissim hendrerit. Morbi sit amet pulvinar mi. Pellentesque id gravida felis, ut lobortis massa. Nunc elementum varius semper. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Nulla sem felis, auctor nec dui eu, mollis pellentesque magna. Suspendisse potenti. Nam posuere, augue fermentum laoreet mattis, est leo gravida nunc, malesuada porta mauris nulla in dui. In justo odio, efficitur a tellus nec, vehicula posuere massa. Sed in eros a leo dignissim hendrerit. Morbi sit amet pulvinar mi. Pellentesque id gravida felis, ut lobortis massa. Nunc elementum varius semper.
simplicity
Last Edit: Sept 9, 2021 3:08:55 GMT by Itaru Tokoro
Growing up in the Hidden Stone Village, Itaru found his way into the shinobi academy at a young age. He was a promosing student academically speaking, if not a little lackluster in executing pracitcal applications. He was a bit of an introvert but not terribly so, often finding himself adopted by extroverted children and too polite to dismiss himself from their company. He graduated from academy at the age of twelve and began a career that would quickly be cut short.
His body began to have tumorous growths beneath his skin at a rate more rapid than most medical shinobi had ever seen. Within months of becoming a genin, he was medically retired but afforded healthcare to make him more comfortable. He wasn't given very high odds to live, and his parents beseeched the tsuchikage for assistance. For a time it seemed as though their pleas were ignored but after a time additional help was sent because some believed that Itaru may have a rare kekkei genkai. They provided him with expensive treatments to prolongue his life to give him a better chance of surviving the maturity of the Tokakugan.
In the end their bets had been hedged correctly. After two years of excrutiating pain the sores stopped hurting, and eventually began to open up to reveal new eyes for the first time. Even after they were awakened, Itaru had to go through physical therapy as his strength began returning to him. He was left with a large medical debt, but was offered a chance to return to his former position after being medically cleared.
Itaru has no grudge about his debt. He looks up to the tsuchikage as his hero and strives to be an asset to his country. Although several years behind his classmates, Itaru is driven to catch up to and surpass them.
Proficiencies
Taijutsu [Rookie] Itaru has classical academy training in hand to hand combat, but lacks any real experience using it outside of friendly spars. Worse his physical fitness is a bit behind the curve because of his time battling the illness brought on by his developing kekkei genkai. He knows just enough to get his ass kicked.
Shurikenjutsu [Rookie] Academy trained but nothing special. He is able to engage at a medium distance with some hope of hitting targets, but is inconsistent at best.
Stealth [Apprentice] Even though he was out of comission for years, Itaru's ability to go unnoticed has been honed by his desire to keep attention off of himself. He naturally avoids taking the most obvious path where he walks and wears clothing that conceals his abnormalities. Thanks to his eyes he is already extremely good at detecting others, and he knows better than the average genin what someone trying to hide looks like.
Visual Genjutsu [Rookie]: Itaru is able to cast illusions that create simple tricks of light with his eyes. He can change their color and form hypnotic patterns that can be unsettling to look at. This basic application is challenging for him, limiting his daily usage to a few illusions.
Tokakugan [Unranked] The many-eyed curse covers Itaru's body around his back and arms. These extra eyes afford him vision in every direction when his upper body is unobstructed. Although they provide the benefit of additional vision, they make him more vulnerable to jutsu that target the eyes as well. The eyes are capable of being used as tools for genjutsu or to monitor internal organs, but Itaru lacks the specializations needed to capitalize on these abilities.
