Post by Tensei Kaori on Jan 26, 2008 23:27:26 GMT -5
NOTE: I was going to wait to post this until its completion, but seeing as how it already takes up a good four pages in Open Office, there's no way I could subject you all to reading the entire thing at once. Therefore, I'm submitting this first portion for you all to read at your leisure so I don't kill you with the final version. It's already a monster; there's no way I'd make anyone read the finished product in one sitting. That's just cruel. XD)
Once again, credit for the formatting style goes to our lovely Hatake Hiroshi, whose format for the Yanagawa Clan information was the only reason I could even begin to collect my thoughts on this thing.
It is impossible to pinpoint exactly one place from whence the Tensei came, for not even the oldest Tensei writings contain any information about a permanent clan home other than the more recent records of their time in Konoha. This is because, before settling in Konoha, the Tensei had no permanent home. They were nomads – gypsies, of a sort – traveling performers who delighted in gathering music and stories from all over the world and weaving it into a colorful, neverending tapestry depicting the culture of the world and the history of their travels. Over time, what began as a motley, almost ragtag cluster of musician families evolved into a close-knit, cultured, highly-developed, and rather complex society of skilled performers and historians – it is around the time that this transformation completed that this cluster of small families decided to unite, functioning as one body under one name – that of the Tensei Clan.
It is around the time of the First and Second Hokage that the name “Tensei” begins to surface in history. Various writings place them all over the world at some time or another: from the deserts of Wind Country to the misty islands of the Water Country; from the minuscule Wave Country to the colossal military powers of the Fire and Earth Countries. They are never shown to have participated in wars; opting instead to simply move on when war threatened to disrupt the peace of the Clan.
Of course, though, such a group as the Tensei could not be expected to defend themselves. Having acquired certain artifacts of value on their lifelong travels, and being in possession of considerable wealth earned by performing in towns and cities, the Tensei – who were, after all, quite a difficult target to miss – found themselves attracting numerous attacks from bandits and the like. And so it was that the Clan Elders and Chieftan decided to get help. At first they would hire shinobi from various countries to protect them, but anyone could see that keeping a perpetual security detail on hand was rapidly depleting the Clan's financial assets. Before reducing the Clan to poverty in record time, the leaders of the Tensei decided that they must turn to themselves for help. Having witnessed shinobi at work for some time, the Clan's brightest and most ingenuitive minds immediately went to work. While progress at first was promising, it soon became clear that developing their own shinobi arts from scratch would be much more difficult than even the pessimists of the Clan had foreseen.
The Tensei, though, have never been known for giving up easily – and so they persevered. They adapted their tactics and fighting styles as necessity dictated, and it wasn't long before the Clan's best performers had completed the adaptation of their dances into a graceful, flowing fighting style. This lead to the Tensei Clan's practice of referring to battle as a Dance, something they continue to this day.
Physical combat, of course, was the easiest for the teacherless Tensei to learn on their own – the arts of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, however, were a different matter entirely. Though familiar with the vague idea of Chakra (mainly to the extent that it exists, and is the source of energy for a ninja's techniques), left to their own devices as they were, the Tensei had no idea how to actually draw out this power and manipulate it. The clan's brightest minds worked ceaselessly to solve this conundrum through various means – most were of the opinion that meditation and other mental exercises were the best way to “awaken” a person's chakra, so to speak. Over time, the Tensei finally began to understand the usage of Chakra – and though by no means proficient with it, particularly outstanding members of the Clan could manipulate chakra on the level of a moderately proficient Genin – an achievement that, while perhaps not particularly outstanding in a world ruled by the Five Kage, can quite easily be seen as monumental, considering the fact that this was accomplished without outside help.
As the Tensei set about perfecting their art, it became clear almost immediately that most of their population were, above other aspects of battle, particularly gifted at using their music as a medium by which they could influence the minds of their opponents. Because of their lack of an outside teacher, the Tensei obviously had no way to recognize this as Genjutsu; instead, they chose to call their new fighting style Zesshoudou (絶唱道), or “The Way of the Song” and gave the name Odoridou (踊り道), or “The Way of the Dance”, to their dancelike physical fighting style.
Though the newly created arts of the Tensei Clan were by no means sufficient to deal with highly skilled attackers, the leaders of the Clan were not worried – highly trained and deadly shinobi assassins were, after all, not the people from whom the Tensei had to defend themselves. Their Genin-level arts were more than adequate to deal with bandits and the like, and it was with those people that the Tensei had a problem. However, word soon spread among the shinobi villages that a group of rogue ninja were traveling the world, some of these reports even going so far as to accuse the peace-loving Tensei of attempting to steal jutsu from the larger, more powerful villages. This was when things began to get really dangerous for the Tensei. Shinobi from other countries were sent to investigate, and the Tensei knew that these non-aggressive “surveillance” missions would only last so long before blood was shed over the issue.
And so it came to be that the Tensei Clan decided to settle down. But the question was, where? The Tensei were currently traveling through the Lightning Country, and some had suggested to simply head to the nearest Shinobi village and seek refuge. The Hidden Cloud Village, however, was not known for its hospitality, and few of the Tensei found the climate to their liking. There were others who thought that, with their musical abilities, the village of Hidden Sound would suit the Tensei better. However, things in the Rice Country were far from stable at the time, and the last thing the Tensei needed was to associate themselves with a village that was collapsing and that many thought would probably soon die out. If their fears proved to be true, it would be even harder to find a home then. Then someone suggested Hidden Leaf. It had always been a large military power, overcoming even the most difficult struggles in the harshest of situations. Hidden Leaf had always been hospitable and welcoming, looking after everyone who came within its reach – and, most importantly, its people were like family, protecting each other with their very lives. The debates continued, but before long, it was settled: the Tensei would settle down in Hidden Leaf Village. A small delegation – capable of moving quickly without attracting too much attention – was dispatched to enter the Leaf Village as guests and deliver a petition to its leader, the Sixth Hokage, requesting that the entire Tensei Clan be allowed to live in the village as citizens – and that a small force be sent to escort them on their journey from the Lightning Country to what they hoped would be their new, permanent home.
After the Tensei Clan's request for sanctuary was accepted by the Hokage, the delegation was sent with the requested team of Jounin and Chuunin to locate the main body of the Clan and bring everyone back to Konoha. This happened not a day too soon – for as reconnaissance on the part of the Leaf Shinobi revealed, a party from Hidden Cloud had been dispatched to wipe out the “threat” represented by the Tensei Clan's presence in their country. However, the Cloud shinobi had not foreseen the presence of highly skilled Leaf ninja, and thus had not sent an adequate force to deal with such a threat. The Leaf ninja easily defeated the Cloud's forces, pushing them back and effectively escaping into the Grass Country – and, soon, the Fire Country. The Hidden Cloud, now being rid of the excuse that the Tensei were a “threat” - since they were, after all, no longer in the Lightning Country's territory – had no choice but to not pursue the group, leaving them to complete their journey in peace.
Once the Tensei arrived in Konoha and were formally accepted as citizens, they went to work immediately in order to provide a home for themselves. Using their amassed wealth, it was easy enough for them to purchase a large tract of property within the village, comprising mostly of abandoned commercial centers and other empty areas. The members themselves found work right away, doing what they did best – performing. While their children were accepted into the ninja academy to learn the ways of the shinobi, the Adults of that first group of Konoha citizens found themselves civilian jobs as entertainers, music teachers, and – rarely enough – artisans.
Rather than using the money they earned on an individual basis, the Tensei Clan pooled their resources, hiring craftsmen and workers from both within the village and without. Their new land could not, after all, remain in its current state – one cannot live in abandoned commercial centers forever, the Clan leaders knew. With the combined efforts of everyone in the clan, the Tensei were able to live in relative comfort (meaning everyone had adequate food, clothing, shelter, and medical care) and, at the same time, completely transform a once dead area of Konoha into a beautiful masterpiece of architecture and landscape: the aesthetic haven known as the Tensei Clan Grounds.
Having been trained in their own clan's version of the shinobi arts since they were very small, the children of the Tensei clan took to the Ninja Academy like fish take to water. They not only learned these skills, though – they also brought them home to their parents, teaching the adults of the Clan what the Tensei themselves had not been able to learn on their own. This was a period of Renaissance for the Tensei – once gypsies and wandering performers who had taught themselves just enough of the shinobi arts to get by, they now found themselves experiencing a newfound success both in the artistic and shinobi worlds. The Clan's jutsu and fighting styles greatly improved, leading to the eventual evolution of a new form of the Way of the Dance, an art the leaders of the Clan named Maidou (舞道).
Because of this transformation of the Arts which continue to be the very center of the Clan's existence, the Tensei also experienced an evolution in their social status. With their financial holdings, large clan grounds, and increasing number of skilled, dedicated shinobi, the Tensei found themselves rising in standing among the other clans in Konoha. By the time of the Ninth Hokage, by which point they had already become one of the largest clans in Konoha, the Tensei found themselves in a near-aristocratic position.
Out of all the traits that pass to those born of the Tensei lineage, the most distinguishable of the physical traits is that of the Tensei Eyes. Large, slightly tilted, and lacking a visible pupil, the Tensei Eyes have a deep, alluring stare that only gets stronger as one gets older and gains life experience. Depending on the individual, these eyes can either shimmer with potent emotion or hide layers of mystery behind veils of outer calm. A typical Tensei will begin life with the former, and gradually change to the latter as he or she continues life. Exceptions to this do exist, though they are rare. Eye color is varied, though many-varied shades of blue are most dominant, with a deep mahogany brown being the second most common hue.
Tensei are naturally fair-skinned, though some individuals choose to allow themselves to tan by staying out in the sun. Freckles are rare though not unheard of, and occasionally a descendant will be born with particularly pale skin, though it is never unnaturally so. Generally, this pale skin is held in high regard because it is so rare.
Hair color in the Tensei Clan is primarily either a particular shade of muted golden blond or a dark mahogany brown. Cases of black or blueish-black hair have been known to surface on rare occasions. For whatever reason, no full-blooded Tensei has ever been born with red hair. No matter its color, members of the Tensei clan tend to have very thick, silky hair. This can cause some problems – especially with the females – when trying to get it to stay in place, as it likes to slip around and generally do as it pleases.
Physically speaking, generations of highly trained dancers have led to Tensei naturally having a slender, flexible build. Most are between average and tall height, though exceptions do exist. While some members are more muscular than others, most Tensei prefer to keep their slender physique by keeping their bodies fit and toned without building too much muscle. Ease of movement and grace also come natural to them – the more experienced the Tensei, the more pronounced this grace will be. It might be barely noticeable for an Academy Student, while a true master of the Tensei arts can make even walking down the street look like a beautiful dance. This characteristic can be enhanced when the user actually focuses on it, but it is usually completely subconscious.
Similarly, the voices of Tensei Clan members have a natural musical quality that is enhanced with training and experience. The most experienced Tensei have even been known to cast surprisingly effective Genjutsu using the natural musical quality of their own speaking voices as the only medium, though this level of proficiency is rare even now.
Because of their traditional training methods, spanning back generations to the first attempts at awakening Chakra, Tensei also tend to keep their outer expressions much calmer than many other Shinobi; the most skilled Tensei are known to have kept a completely calm face even while in exceedingly stressful situations, keeping a tight rein on their inner feelings. As unshakable calm and peace of mind are considered virtues in the world of the Tensei, it is only natural that its members would strive to keep a cool head in any situation – even if that just means looking calm on the outside. This leads some outsiders to think of the Tensei as cold and unfeeling, when in truth this is just a part of the Tensei Clan's outlook on life.
((More Information to Come Soon!))
Once again, credit for the formatting style goes to our lovely Hatake Hiroshi, whose format for the Yanagawa Clan information was the only reason I could even begin to collect my thoughts on this thing.
The Tensei Clan
Of Hidden Leaf Village
Origins
It is impossible to pinpoint exactly one place from whence the Tensei came, for not even the oldest Tensei writings contain any information about a permanent clan home other than the more recent records of their time in Konoha. This is because, before settling in Konoha, the Tensei had no permanent home. They were nomads – gypsies, of a sort – traveling performers who delighted in gathering music and stories from all over the world and weaving it into a colorful, neverending tapestry depicting the culture of the world and the history of their travels. Over time, what began as a motley, almost ragtag cluster of musician families evolved into a close-knit, cultured, highly-developed, and rather complex society of skilled performers and historians – it is around the time that this transformation completed that this cluster of small families decided to unite, functioning as one body under one name – that of the Tensei Clan.
It is around the time of the First and Second Hokage that the name “Tensei” begins to surface in history. Various writings place them all over the world at some time or another: from the deserts of Wind Country to the misty islands of the Water Country; from the minuscule Wave Country to the colossal military powers of the Fire and Earth Countries. They are never shown to have participated in wars; opting instead to simply move on when war threatened to disrupt the peace of the Clan.
Of course, though, such a group as the Tensei could not be expected to defend themselves. Having acquired certain artifacts of value on their lifelong travels, and being in possession of considerable wealth earned by performing in towns and cities, the Tensei – who were, after all, quite a difficult target to miss – found themselves attracting numerous attacks from bandits and the like. And so it was that the Clan Elders and Chieftan decided to get help. At first they would hire shinobi from various countries to protect them, but anyone could see that keeping a perpetual security detail on hand was rapidly depleting the Clan's financial assets. Before reducing the Clan to poverty in record time, the leaders of the Tensei decided that they must turn to themselves for help. Having witnessed shinobi at work for some time, the Clan's brightest and most ingenuitive minds immediately went to work. While progress at first was promising, it soon became clear that developing their own shinobi arts from scratch would be much more difficult than even the pessimists of the Clan had foreseen.
The Tensei, though, have never been known for giving up easily – and so they persevered. They adapted their tactics and fighting styles as necessity dictated, and it wasn't long before the Clan's best performers had completed the adaptation of their dances into a graceful, flowing fighting style. This lead to the Tensei Clan's practice of referring to battle as a Dance, something they continue to this day.
Physical combat, of course, was the easiest for the teacherless Tensei to learn on their own – the arts of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, however, were a different matter entirely. Though familiar with the vague idea of Chakra (mainly to the extent that it exists, and is the source of energy for a ninja's techniques), left to their own devices as they were, the Tensei had no idea how to actually draw out this power and manipulate it. The clan's brightest minds worked ceaselessly to solve this conundrum through various means – most were of the opinion that meditation and other mental exercises were the best way to “awaken” a person's chakra, so to speak. Over time, the Tensei finally began to understand the usage of Chakra – and though by no means proficient with it, particularly outstanding members of the Clan could manipulate chakra on the level of a moderately proficient Genin – an achievement that, while perhaps not particularly outstanding in a world ruled by the Five Kage, can quite easily be seen as monumental, considering the fact that this was accomplished without outside help.
As the Tensei set about perfecting their art, it became clear almost immediately that most of their population were, above other aspects of battle, particularly gifted at using their music as a medium by which they could influence the minds of their opponents. Because of their lack of an outside teacher, the Tensei obviously had no way to recognize this as Genjutsu; instead, they chose to call their new fighting style Zesshoudou (絶唱道), or “The Way of the Song” and gave the name Odoridou (踊り道), or “The Way of the Dance”, to their dancelike physical fighting style.
Though the newly created arts of the Tensei Clan were by no means sufficient to deal with highly skilled attackers, the leaders of the Clan were not worried – highly trained and deadly shinobi assassins were, after all, not the people from whom the Tensei had to defend themselves. Their Genin-level arts were more than adequate to deal with bandits and the like, and it was with those people that the Tensei had a problem. However, word soon spread among the shinobi villages that a group of rogue ninja were traveling the world, some of these reports even going so far as to accuse the peace-loving Tensei of attempting to steal jutsu from the larger, more powerful villages. This was when things began to get really dangerous for the Tensei. Shinobi from other countries were sent to investigate, and the Tensei knew that these non-aggressive “surveillance” missions would only last so long before blood was shed over the issue.
And so it came to be that the Tensei Clan decided to settle down. But the question was, where? The Tensei were currently traveling through the Lightning Country, and some had suggested to simply head to the nearest Shinobi village and seek refuge. The Hidden Cloud Village, however, was not known for its hospitality, and few of the Tensei found the climate to their liking. There were others who thought that, with their musical abilities, the village of Hidden Sound would suit the Tensei better. However, things in the Rice Country were far from stable at the time, and the last thing the Tensei needed was to associate themselves with a village that was collapsing and that many thought would probably soon die out. If their fears proved to be true, it would be even harder to find a home then. Then someone suggested Hidden Leaf. It had always been a large military power, overcoming even the most difficult struggles in the harshest of situations. Hidden Leaf had always been hospitable and welcoming, looking after everyone who came within its reach – and, most importantly, its people were like family, protecting each other with their very lives. The debates continued, but before long, it was settled: the Tensei would settle down in Hidden Leaf Village. A small delegation – capable of moving quickly without attracting too much attention – was dispatched to enter the Leaf Village as guests and deliver a petition to its leader, the Sixth Hokage, requesting that the entire Tensei Clan be allowed to live in the village as citizens – and that a small force be sent to escort them on their journey from the Lightning Country to what they hoped would be their new, permanent home.
History in Konoha
After the Tensei Clan's request for sanctuary was accepted by the Hokage, the delegation was sent with the requested team of Jounin and Chuunin to locate the main body of the Clan and bring everyone back to Konoha. This happened not a day too soon – for as reconnaissance on the part of the Leaf Shinobi revealed, a party from Hidden Cloud had been dispatched to wipe out the “threat” represented by the Tensei Clan's presence in their country. However, the Cloud shinobi had not foreseen the presence of highly skilled Leaf ninja, and thus had not sent an adequate force to deal with such a threat. The Leaf ninja easily defeated the Cloud's forces, pushing them back and effectively escaping into the Grass Country – and, soon, the Fire Country. The Hidden Cloud, now being rid of the excuse that the Tensei were a “threat” - since they were, after all, no longer in the Lightning Country's territory – had no choice but to not pursue the group, leaving them to complete their journey in peace.
Once the Tensei arrived in Konoha and were formally accepted as citizens, they went to work immediately in order to provide a home for themselves. Using their amassed wealth, it was easy enough for them to purchase a large tract of property within the village, comprising mostly of abandoned commercial centers and other empty areas. The members themselves found work right away, doing what they did best – performing. While their children were accepted into the ninja academy to learn the ways of the shinobi, the Adults of that first group of Konoha citizens found themselves civilian jobs as entertainers, music teachers, and – rarely enough – artisans.
Rather than using the money they earned on an individual basis, the Tensei Clan pooled their resources, hiring craftsmen and workers from both within the village and without. Their new land could not, after all, remain in its current state – one cannot live in abandoned commercial centers forever, the Clan leaders knew. With the combined efforts of everyone in the clan, the Tensei were able to live in relative comfort (meaning everyone had adequate food, clothing, shelter, and medical care) and, at the same time, completely transform a once dead area of Konoha into a beautiful masterpiece of architecture and landscape: the aesthetic haven known as the Tensei Clan Grounds.
Having been trained in their own clan's version of the shinobi arts since they were very small, the children of the Tensei clan took to the Ninja Academy like fish take to water. They not only learned these skills, though – they also brought them home to their parents, teaching the adults of the Clan what the Tensei themselves had not been able to learn on their own. This was a period of Renaissance for the Tensei – once gypsies and wandering performers who had taught themselves just enough of the shinobi arts to get by, they now found themselves experiencing a newfound success both in the artistic and shinobi worlds. The Clan's jutsu and fighting styles greatly improved, leading to the eventual evolution of a new form of the Way of the Dance, an art the leaders of the Clan named Maidou (舞道).
Because of this transformation of the Arts which continue to be the very center of the Clan's existence, the Tensei also experienced an evolution in their social status. With their financial holdings, large clan grounds, and increasing number of skilled, dedicated shinobi, the Tensei found themselves rising in standing among the other clans in Konoha. By the time of the Ninth Hokage, by which point they had already become one of the largest clans in Konoha, the Tensei found themselves in a near-aristocratic position.
Tensei Clan Traits
Out of all the traits that pass to those born of the Tensei lineage, the most distinguishable of the physical traits is that of the Tensei Eyes. Large, slightly tilted, and lacking a visible pupil, the Tensei Eyes have a deep, alluring stare that only gets stronger as one gets older and gains life experience. Depending on the individual, these eyes can either shimmer with potent emotion or hide layers of mystery behind veils of outer calm. A typical Tensei will begin life with the former, and gradually change to the latter as he or she continues life. Exceptions to this do exist, though they are rare. Eye color is varied, though many-varied shades of blue are most dominant, with a deep mahogany brown being the second most common hue.
Tensei are naturally fair-skinned, though some individuals choose to allow themselves to tan by staying out in the sun. Freckles are rare though not unheard of, and occasionally a descendant will be born with particularly pale skin, though it is never unnaturally so. Generally, this pale skin is held in high regard because it is so rare.
Hair color in the Tensei Clan is primarily either a particular shade of muted golden blond or a dark mahogany brown. Cases of black or blueish-black hair have been known to surface on rare occasions. For whatever reason, no full-blooded Tensei has ever been born with red hair. No matter its color, members of the Tensei clan tend to have very thick, silky hair. This can cause some problems – especially with the females – when trying to get it to stay in place, as it likes to slip around and generally do as it pleases.
Physically speaking, generations of highly trained dancers have led to Tensei naturally having a slender, flexible build. Most are between average and tall height, though exceptions do exist. While some members are more muscular than others, most Tensei prefer to keep their slender physique by keeping their bodies fit and toned without building too much muscle. Ease of movement and grace also come natural to them – the more experienced the Tensei, the more pronounced this grace will be. It might be barely noticeable for an Academy Student, while a true master of the Tensei arts can make even walking down the street look like a beautiful dance. This characteristic can be enhanced when the user actually focuses on it, but it is usually completely subconscious.
Similarly, the voices of Tensei Clan members have a natural musical quality that is enhanced with training and experience. The most experienced Tensei have even been known to cast surprisingly effective Genjutsu using the natural musical quality of their own speaking voices as the only medium, though this level of proficiency is rare even now.
Because of their traditional training methods, spanning back generations to the first attempts at awakening Chakra, Tensei also tend to keep their outer expressions much calmer than many other Shinobi; the most skilled Tensei are known to have kept a completely calm face even while in exceedingly stressful situations, keeping a tight rein on their inner feelings. As unshakable calm and peace of mind are considered virtues in the world of the Tensei, it is only natural that its members would strive to keep a cool head in any situation – even if that just means looking calm on the outside. This leads some outsiders to think of the Tensei as cold and unfeeling, when in truth this is just a part of the Tensei Clan's outlook on life.
((More Information to Come Soon!))
