Post by Hatake Hiroshi on May 18, 2007 23:55:54 GMT -5
The Yanagawa Clan
Origins
The Yanagawa Clan originated from Hidden Storm, a small shinobi village located on the south border of Lightning Country.
The citizens of Hidden Storm lived peacefully in their little village, not worrying themselves with the troubles of other villages or countries. Being as small as they were, they only looked out for their own well-being, and concentrated mainly on protecting their quaint little village against any threats from the outside world. They were successful for the most part in keeping themselves safe from attacks and invasions from neighboring villages and rouge shinobi, but failed to take into consideration the geographical location of their beloved little village.
Only 15 years after Hidden Storm's founding, it was hit head-on by a violent storm that had developed in the waters near Wave Country. The enormous storm cell brought with it torrential rains, gusting winds and tornadoes which ravaged the unsuspecting, unprepared little village. The storm claimed the lives of hundreds of shinobi and civilians, including the village's leader, and left everything in complete and utter ruin. Having lost their leader, and any hope of rebuilding what they had, those that survived decided it best to split up and start anew.
The Yanagawa Clan took a major blow, losing the Head of the Clan as well as the main heirs. Without leadership, the Yanagawa would have to work amongst themselves to figure out what to do or where to go. This was when Arashi and Akio, the great-granddaughter and grandson of the Head of the Yanagawa Clan, stepped up and took over leadership of the Clan, working in tandem to find a refuge for their beloved family.
Not wanting to flee to Hidden Cloud like they knew most of the other surviving villagers would do, the two young Yanagawa led their Clan on the long and difficult quest to find a new home... And they knew exactly where to go: Konoha. Both Akio and Arashi had traveled there on missions, and knew of the village's exceptional reputation with dealing with outsiders, especially those in need. They had never imagined that they would be in that dire of a situation, but at least they knew a place where they would be helped.
Over the course of the next several weeks, the Yanagawa suffered the deaths of many clan members. Most of those that were lost had succumbed to infections from injuries they sustained during the storm while the others had been claimed by the harsh, unforgiving elements. Still, they pressed onward, stopping whenever necessary to give proper burials to their fallen kin.
After what seemed like forever, they arrived in Konoha, which was now under the rule of the Seventh Hokage.
History in Konoha
Upon their arrival in the village, they were met with an almost overwhelming crowd of people. Several medical shinobi were there to rush the sickly and injured to the hospital for immediate care while other shinobi escorted the remaining Yanagawa to shelters. Akio and Arashi were taken to the Ninja Administration Building to meet with the Hokage. Apparently, Konoha had caught wind of the devastation in the Lightning Country just days before the clan's arrival. Most all of the surviving villagers had fled to Hidden Cloud, but reports from neighboring shinobi villages had indicated a large group of travelers heading south towards Konoha. It had been suspected that the group was made up of more survivors attempting to find refuge. A small troupe of Leaf Jounin on their way back to the village had spotted the Yanagawa Clan only hours before their arrival, and reported it to the Hokage immediately, allowing just enough time for the village to rally the medical shinobi and prepare shelters.
Several months after fleeing to Konoha, the Yanagawa Clan decided to take up permanent residence there. After all, they had no other place to go. After establishing themselves in their new home, they began to rebuild their lives as citizens of Hidden Leaf. It would be a long process, but they were determined to make a name for themselves. They entered their children in the Academy, took jobs all throughout the village, and those of the upper shinobi ranks began taking on missions for the village.
As the years progressed, and as the Clan grew, they became known as “the clan that overcame.” By the reign of the Ninth Hokage, they had become one of the largest clans in Konoha, known mostly for their lightning-based jutsu and unique physical traits (stark-white hair, pale complexion, and purple eyes and odd eye markings).
Yanagawa Clan Traits
Members of the Yanagawa Clan possess very unique traits. All of them have white hair, pale complexions, purple eyes, and purple triangle markings and “doutai” on the outsides of their eyes (more info below). These traits vary from Yanagawa to Yanagawa, depending on their lineage. Those that are born directly into the clan, meaning that their parents are both purely Yanagawa, tend to have extra striking traits. The trademark white hair is usually snow white, and sometimes almost blinding in the right light. Their eyes are usually a haunting icy-purple shade, and their skin is a deathly pale color. Those born with mixed blood will carry slightly darker traits than their pure-blooded kin. Their hair is usually a slightly duller white, and can sometimes be lightly gray or silvery. Their eyes tend to be a dark shade of purple or violet, and their skin normally has a more color to it, but not much. At times, mixed-bloods can have skin just as pale as the pure-bloods.
Currently, the mixed-blooded Yanagawa outnumber the pure-blooded ones, only because the rules regarding marriage outside of the Clan are way less strict than they used to be. However, it is only pure-bloods that are eligible for taking over leadership of the Clan.
Pure-Bloods: Miyuki and Mitsuko*
Mixed-Bloods: Kohana, Aijou, Kane and Kyoko, and Hoshiko
*Instead of the usual icy-purple eyes of her fellow pure-bloods, Mitsuko possesses black eyes as the result of a mutated gene.
The Doutai Explained
The doutai are conductors, or small passage ways for absorbing, emitting, and charging lightning chakra. Every Yanagawa has a set of “doutai” around their eyes, and a good majority possess an extra set or two somewhere else on their bodies. The doutai around the eyes play an incredibly major role in one of the Yanagawa family techniques, Denkou Chakura Isou, or “Lightning Chakra Transfer” (more info below). The location(s) of any extra doutai often determine the point(s) from which a Yanagawa's own specific jutsu is/are strongest.
Ear Piercings
The Yanagawa take great pride in their ranks and their positions held in the village. Since their beginnings in Hidden Storm, they have shown their pride through ear piercings. Each piercing represents any given person's rank and/or position in the village and are symbolic of their accomplishments and progress through the ranks.
Upon entering the Academy, all Yanagawa are given simple gold studs, one in each ear. After a year or so in the Academy, it's popular for the girls to switch out the plain gold studs for gold dangles or more stylish designs such as lightning-bolt shaped studs or larger studs with the Clan's emblem engraved on them.
Once a Yanagawa has graduated from the Academy and become a genin, they are given a second pair of slightly smaller gold studs to be placed above the first set of studs. The same is for becoming a Chuunin; they receive another yet smaller set of studs to be placed above their genin studs. These earrings are not usually switched out, although a small percentage of the Clan's members have been known to do so at some point.
Yanagawa that have reached the rank of Jounin are given a small hoop to be put in the cartilage of the ear, and those that have reached the rank of Special Jounin are given a simple ear cuff to be placed above the standard Jounin hoop.
If a Yanagawa chooses to pursue a special position in the village, the standard Jounin/Special Jounin earrings in the right ear are discarded and replaced with a special earring(s) or cuff(s) representative of whatever job they choose.
Yanagawa that become ANBU are given a simple gold ear cuff with chain that connects to a stud that is put in the place of the Academy Student stud. If they are a Jounin, the standard Jounin hoop remains in place and the ear cuff is placed below it. If they are a Chuunin, the ear cuff goes in the same place, only the Jounin hoop is non-existent.
Konoha Military Police are given a 4-ring gold ear spiral that spans between the Jounin hoop (if the Yanagawa has it) and the Chuunin stud.
Yanagawa medical-nins are given a set of three rounded ear cuffs which are connected by a purple bar. The Jounin hoop, whether they have it or not, is discarded, however, the standard Chuunin stud remains in place.
Any Yanagawa that have chosen to become hunter-nins are given two gold ear cuffs that are put in the same place as a Military Police member's ear spiral. The top cuff is engraved with a lightning bolt while the bottom remains plain. In addition, three small hoops are put in place of where the standard Jounin/Special Jounin piercings are to located. The regular Academy Student-Chuunin piercings remain in place.
Chakra Affinities, Chakra Levels, and Fighting Style
Since the beginning of the Yanagawa Clan, all of its members have possessed a primary lightning chakra affinity. There have been a select few over the course of the Clan's history that have had either a primary wind or water affinity, but it is very rare. Nowadays, it's more common for a Yanagawa to possess a secondary affinity for wind or water than a primary affinity.
The Yanagawa also have naturally high chakra levels, but never really gain the ability to use them correctly (or safely) until they are experienced Chuunin or Jounin, after years of extensive training.
Most of the Yanagawa are highly trained in ninjutsu and taijutsu more so than genjutsu, although there are members of the clan that specialize in genjutsu.
Yanagawa Clan Jutsu
Denkousekka no Jutsu – (Lightning Speed)
Rank: Academy Student - Genin
~Description: This jutsu is, basically, a “teleport” jutsu. With small amounts of chakra, the user is able to flash anywhere they wants, at most anytime, with the speed at which lightning travels (93,000 miles per second). This technique is great in battle, for making quick escapes or ambushing an enemy from behind. The user can transfer other people with them, which can also be very useful.
Genkai Makuden – (Sheet Lightning Barrier)
Rank: Genin
~Description: This technique, a powerful defense jutsu, is created by concentrating and molding chakra into a nigh-impenetrable shield. Once the shield is up, nothing organic (including humans) can penetrate it without getting SEVERELY burned. It is lightning after all. The same goes with inorganic objects, (i.e. kunai, shuriken, etc...) They can penetrate it, however, they really slow down in the process of passing through the barrier.
Normally, small amounts of chakra are used, but in some cases, larger amounts are used, like when making the shield bigger, or, when ensuring that absolutely nothing can penetrate it.
Denkou Chakura Isou – (Lightning Chakra Transfer)
Rank: Genin - Chuunin
~Description: This technique, to execute correctly (and safely), requires incredibly good chakra control. For this reason, members of the clan are not taught it until they are Chuunin, or sometimes, in rare circumstances, as genin, but this is only if that genin has already exceptional chakra control. What this technique is, exactly, is a transfer of lightning chakra from one Yanagawa to another through the doutai, the small purple circles above the triangular markings. One Yanagawa places their fingertips over top of the doutai of another Yanagawa, letting chakra flow from them and into the doutai in which they are touching. They have to be extremely careful not to let off too much chakra, which is why this technique is so dangerous for the younger members of the clan to use.
The Lightning Chakra Transfer is normally only used on the battle field for quick pick-ups for members of the clan that have nearly depleted their chakra, until they have time to rest and replenish the chakra that they have lost. If needed, the technique can be performed at least twice during a battle, thanks to the Yanagawa clan's naturally high chakra levels, but no more than that. Anymore than that could be dangerous.
In some instances, this transfer can be used on others outside the clan, but only if they have the lightning chakra affinity.
((Information on the Yanagawa Clan grounds and customs coming soon...))
