Zakarī Nii'gata

Zakarī Nii'gata (ザカリー新潟, Nii'gata, Zakarī) Is a youngling Nii'gata age of but eight. He has recently left the homelands by a unexpected accident and has found his way to Hikagakure by 'coincidence' or otherwise unexplainable reasons scientifically some could simply call it sheer luck.

Background
In late October of year 87, father Ezekial had a child on the way in the womb of mother Kiyoko. Both parents were of household religion Balerion and clan Nii'gata members, pure blooded members of the clan. The baby was expected to be due early to mid December of the same year.

Kiyoko however, had contracted a illness which had before become a problem to several Nii'gata mothers in past times. In some cases leading to the loss of the baby, Nii'gata lacking the technology or medicine of modern day villages could not do as much to fight the illness as most around the world could do. The father of the upcoming child was very concerned for his united mate and more importantly his first born in the making. Ezekial was going to great extents to help his unified lover get through this and help with the best chances of their child making it.

In time Ezekial began to become more and more worried, her symptoms grew worse and bit by bit he found himself faced with the chances of losing the child to this illness. Despite being so far in the pregnancy Kiyoko was feeling less and less movement, a sign of the child fading in energy and thus life which would gradually lead to death or was so believed. It was not reassuring that this was happening and because of this, the man of the house and pure blood Nii'gata Ezekial made the decision he was going to venture to Mount Iki to seek out the leader of the clan for her guidance and help.

He left his united mate Kiyoko back at home, in good care of her mother as well as his own sister. While Ezekial made the week long trip, through the treacherous terrain towards Mount Iki. Being a capable man as well as a experienced hunter, Ezekial would not have any problems in his venture there. He made it there in swift timing, taking little breaks for the better of time consumption for not only Kiyoko but the child inside of her stomach. In that weeks time he arrived and scaled the mountain up to the compound where the leader lived.

Upon arrival he was met by two year experienced, eighteen year old Taiyu Nii'gata the current leader of the Nii'gata clan. He was surprised to know that she knew he was coming, how he did not seem to question but the woman knew he was coming to Mount Iki to seek her. Soon inviting him into the compound the two pure blooded Nii'gata made their way inside and swiftly into a dimly lit room where a table with small cotton cushions sat on the ground with a couple clay molded cups filled with tea sat on the table already prepared.

Ezekial sat down hesitantly and struck up a conversation with the woman in little time. "Taiyu, I have come to you to seek your guidance and to seek your knowledge. My united mate Kiyoko has contracted a illness and I am very worried about the well being of not only her but my first born in which she carries. As every day passes she seems to get worse and with each moon that rises my soon to be child feels more faint. I plead you for your help Taiyu, what am I suppose to do?" He questioned with sincerity, he had his eyes closed and was halfway bowing from his sitting position in a pleading way. He was a very worried man and he had his worries for respectable reasons.

Taiyu took a long inhale as she stared towards him before she pulled out a small basket from under the table. She put it on top of the flat surface before him before she began to speak in a calm, collective and reassuring manner. "Ezekial, your child will be fine." Were the first words that escaped her lips, making Ezekials eyes shoot wide and look up to her in slight shock and surprise. She continued onwards a smile thinly coming across her lips. "Kiyoko will be fine, she will beat the illness and with the help of these herbs she will not fail. You must mix this into tea for her, every morning before noon. I respect that you came to seek out my knowledge Ezekial, but have faith. Everything will be alright, your child will be healthy." She said as this seemed to light a fire in Ezekial. A fire of happiness, yet the inquisitive man could not resist asking.

"Taiyu I already give her herbs like these, in hopes of helping fight the illness. Are you sure?" He said as Taiyu chuckled slightly. "Are you questioning me Ezekial? These are not just ordinary herbs. Do not question your blessing!" She said in a firm, serious but still reassuring manner. "Right." Ezekial said with a nod, though secretively he could not of been happier about hearing this. He had his answer, as well as what he came for. He got up and he grabbed the whisker basket in front of him. He went towards the door, leaving the redheaded woman sitting on her cushion gently sipping her tea. But when he came to the door, his palm rested solidly against the firm clay wall. He looked back to her slightly with a question. "Taiyu, one more thing before my departure. I'd like to ask of your permission to teach my child Nii'shita, my father taught me and I feel it be only right I carry that on." He said in a questioning way. A smile came to Taiyus lips and she gave a gentle nod. "You have my blessing."

Ezekial headed out the with a low "Thank you, Taiyu." Coming from his lips, although Ezekial was a Balerion worshiper he had a current aura to him on this subject and this trip disagreeing with the stereotypes held for them. This likely was because of the subject and his current happiness, the male had made a quick rush for home. In fact he made it two days quicker then he did on the way to Mount Iki. Under Taiyu's words for the next month and a half, every day would he put some of the herb in some tea for Kiyoko before noon. Even once she had seemed to stop having any symptoms he continued without question.

On December twelfth of Year 87, Nii'gata Zakari was born into the world.

His father, Ezekial looked down to him with a large smile to his lips while the boys mother lay there exhausted but looking up all the same after the birth. The fathers gaze down to the child never broke while his hand shuffled inside of his pocket and brought something up, unwrapping it he gently slid it around the cleaned neck of his newborn baby. "Our boy, Zakari. You will take this necklace with you as a statement of your faith, bravery and strength. It is said to be a tooth of Balerions from when he was but a child. It has been passed down from generation to generation and now, my first born son I give it to you." He said to the baby who kind of just gazed up to him. It's not as if a baby could respond, but the father was doing it at such a early age in good will. The mother and father both smiled to their newborn, happy that the birth had gone without a problem.

As years passed, his father became as expected the dominant parent in how Zakari was raised. As so Zakari followed in his footsteps to limited extents, becoming a Balerion follower as how his father was at quite the young age, he believed in Balerion because of his father and that was the religion he was raised around. The boy was taught Nii'shita and all through his life he seemed to prefer speaking in this language then the common language most spoke around him. When his father talked to him, he spoke in Nii'shita and it became natural to the boy to talk in Nii'shita all the time in preference to the other language. He became very fluent in the language from quite the young age, it was his primary language, at least to him.

He was still young and because of that, he did not have a issue with the other sides of the Nii'gata religion. Since a young age of four he had a friend whom supported the opposite side along with her parents. This girl was a Coaxoch follower, near age in Zakari and the two of them constantly would sneak out to play with one another in the woods behind their parents back.

They both knew of the risk if they were ever discovered, the likelihood of two friends from different religions being accepted in their minds was very low. They knew it would only be trouble if their parents found out yet they had no personal distaste in each other. They were simply kids, innocent ones at that who didn't judge based on reasons like that and up through their life they continued to be friends. As time progressed over the years, the female friend of his wound up learning scale techniques at a early age from her side of the family. Because of this, these techniques became exposed to Zakari. Zakari lacked any techniques by the age of six, his father did not believe he was ready for any voice techniques so he became jealous of the cool things his best friend could do.

Overtime he began asking for her to help him and within a few months he had started the development of his own scale technique under the adequate help of his unbiased friend. More months passed and he started to get closer towards being seven years of age, at this point and time he had his technique down pat and accidentally he had revealed the scale technique to his father. This of course made his father angry originally and because of that, he connected the dots proceeding to make it known to his son he was banned from seeing the girl he had grown up with ever again alone. This made Zakari enraged at his father, with the right to be of his best friend being torn apart from him. His rebellious outburst led to his first true punishment and he was 'grounded' and 'punished' for a entire week. He did not gain any access to the outside world for more then a couple minutes and most of his time became solitary in his own room. His father could not very well make his child forget the scale technique so attempting to tell him against it even if he didn't like it was useless. Zakari took this time in his own room to progress and train his technique further. He did not have much else to do and under this period he became more and more upset with his father.

Time passed and it was not for another two and a half weeks after his punishment had ended did his father give up and take him into their basement. He gave the boy a long talking over, attempting to tell him why he had gotten mad and about their religion. In a calm way he heard the boys words out to him as well but the father disagreed with his boy, the conversation lasted nearly a hour and a half but no true progress was made other then mending their own personal relationship. It was at this time his father had decided to give the boy the opportunity to show his own faith, if he agreed to do it he could continue to see his friend. His father did not expect his immediate agreement but the boy did not hesitate to agree. He did not take a second guess and his father believed he didn't know what was coming, he was being reckless about it was his fathers opinion all over some stupid Coaxoch worshiper.

It took the father time to prepare but by the next day he had it ready and Zakari was took down to the basement, the hidden room of the family made of clay from generations before under their rather simplistic home once more. Into where a large iron brand was inside of a very hot bucket of was seemed to be coals fresh from a blacksmith. It made Zakari bite into his own lip and tongue slightly upon the appearance but his nose curled and his eyebrows ruffled, he walked over and sat his way down onto the stool without any fear coming from his eyes as he looked over towards his father. "Have you decided where you want it boy?" His father asked as the cold tone of his own child replied in a snappy fashion. "Dead center of my back." He said reaching up and tearing his own cotton shirt up off his head and glaring towards the ground.

"Vucot batobot si mi tirir nomeno ekik di sia itov ihk wux, drot. Nomeno ui gethrisjir ekess qe vi symbol di dout eluithol vur lae vi idol ekess show dout vis herunga ekess Balerion. coi geou qe, hefoc dout tahwak vi quilins di sveargith vur vers. Coi geou ouith, probably zi kiarf ekess wux Zakari. re wux su-" He began to ask but was cut off loudly by his own seed. "Axun! Itrewic coi svern mrith!" The young seven year old boy roared as his father grumbled with a sigh escaping his lips. He had hoped his boy would not of been so reckless to go through with it, but he had given his son this situation he could not turn it down considering his bravery now. He walked over and stood up, walking over to the door and closing it as most of the light faded from the room now.

Time passed and all that was heard was the loud agony screams of the boy from the branding iron being pushed into his back. His screams of pain filled the room and even escaped the crevices of the basements door to his mother above who could do nothing to interfere with the two but sit there in mental pain of her child being pained. A lot of time passed and eventually the father came out of the room wiping his hands and shutting it behind him.

Zakari was not seen for the next day and a half, before he finally made his way out of the basement. He did not even look to his father currently, he said nothing to anyone really. The shirtless boy passed by his mother and as he did she got a clear sight at the large branding mark into the boys back. It was a dragons skull, supposed to represent Balerion but it was a dragons skull all the same. Zakari made his way out of the house and it was simple to know where the boy was going when he left his parents Ezekial and Kiyoko that day. He was going to see, what the mark was truly for.

Things returned to a relatively peaceful state for the boy in the months to follow, his eighth birthday came and went. Time passed and things returned to normal between his family, he continued to hang out with his friend his father unable to intervene due to their agreement which Zakari took with no complaints. The boy was back to normal Nii'gata life as the family continued normally.

But as time passed, one day Zakari was out in the woods near their house which was relatively close to one of the many mountains which surrounded the homelands of the Nii'gata. He was familiar with most of the woods in relatively close proximity. He was out in the woods, after his friend had gone home he was not ready to return. He was just fiddling around per normal and his eyes had managed to spot a small fox. It seemed to have a white fur as well, which seemed to surprise and interest Zakari. Friendly towards most animals, the boy got curious and began to follow the fox.

He chased the fox happily, barefoot running about it was through sheer luck the boy never had things go into his bare feet in the woods but his feet were also quite used to the surfaces below. His pursuit of the fox gradually led him further and further through a path nearby the mountain which led away from the homelands. It was not a place Zakari was familiar with but he continued to chase the fox without thinking. Every so often the fox seemed to look back to him and then continue as if gradually leading him along. Zakari was determined to catch the small critter and continued to chase it for a couple more hours into the evening.

Finally however, he had lost the small fox and he was deep within the woods outside of the homelands. He seemed to look around in confusion, he wasn't very aware of the lands around him. He didn't know this place, or his current environment. At first it was a bit scaring and worrying to not know where he was, but he pushed that aside gaining his confidence back in sureness he could relocate himself back home properly. The lost boy began to wander through the treacherous landscapes of plains, avoiding any signs of danger to the best of his abilities.

Time passed and eventually night fell, the eight year old boy wasn't the most idiotic on basic survival and he got himself up into a somewhat large tree to avoid most of the land fitted animals below that might stumble upon him during the night. Nothing messed with him in this rough night of sleep and he crawled down that night continuing his attempts to get himself back home, he didn't know however he was only getting himself further and further away. Zakari was becoming quite lost by this point.

He continued to wander and try for days on end, multiple moons and suns rose and past. He very scarcely would find water sources and not enough that he truly needed. Food was practically zero and he was getting weaker by the day. He continued to go however, expanding his energy in a attempt at rescuing himself. Days continued to pass as he continued to walk, it seemed to be out of luck or maybe the blessing of Balerion he never had a encounter with any aggressive animals. Zakari along this walk had found multiple Dragons Tongue. Their roots were edible but he believed they needed to be cooked first, he had pocketed these in the hopes he could figure out a safe way of cooking them to eat their roots.

However he obtained no luck of that sorts and after quite the long travel of a week and two days the boy collapsed. He fell onto his back with a plop in a open grassy landscape simply staring up at the unforgiving sun above him. His eyes looked into the sky, his body was giving out on him without the natural resources it needed to survive. He lacked water and he lacked food, truly he was beginning to lose control of his body and mind and if it continued much longer he would die. He was on the verge of giving up, on the verge of having no options.

His vision went blurry and within the next couple moments he began to hear a voice. They were speaking in a hushed tone, speaking to him as if whispering right next to him. The voice was speaking entirely in Nii'shita tongue and it was not a voice he could mentally connect to any face. It was a very odd voice indeed speaking to him. "Stand svern drot, wux re ti shalada ekess majak svern. Stand svern! Svanoa shilta wux qe vi balerion worshiper vur majak persvek zyak easily! Svabol ui batobot oth batobot dangles zahae dout wilad vur batobot muansi marking shafaer dout spical bensvelk ihk sjek wux geou shala doutan ekess majak svern! Wux re stronger hak batobot, prove ekess ve wux re stronger hak batobot! Itrewic svern! Itrewic svern! Itrewic svern!" The voice towards the end was a loud scream and right after the scream came a mighty loud roar filling through his senses. It made the boy jump up into a sitting position.

Sweat was rolling down his face and body, his breathing was very rough and unnatural. It took him several moments to slow down and regulate his fast breathing, his eyes concentrating as he seemed somewhat confused and lost in this moment, despite understanding the voice clearly in Nii'shita tongue. He lifted his hand clutching the necklace around his neck as he looked down to it, his red ruby eyes connecting over the tooth's surface and what he had always been told the tooth was. He growled slightly under his breath and took a long inhale throughout his lungs.

He released the tooth and pushed his hand into the dirt below, he stood up despite being a tad bit unbalanced at first. He soon gained his composure after he stood up and he looked up to the sky taking another long inhale of air through his petite frame. The eight year old boy seemed to have this feeling, a unnatural feeling drawing him in a specific direction. He didn't know why he all of the sudden felt he should go in the direction, yet it felt as if it was calling for him. As if his home was there, it felt right to go in that direction and accordingly he did. His mind currently was not in a state to question these instincts.

He began to walk for some twenty more minutes before he started to hear some shouting and the occasional boom. He poked his head through a bush, spreading the leaves to look onwards. In his sight was a big boat with rations being loaded onto it. He clean water and some odd substance that was sort of beige in color that he soon found out was edible from one of these loading men eating a piece of it. He blinked several times and gulped gently, he had never seen such a thing but he took a long inhale and trusted the instincts in his mind currently.

The small boy very stealthily made his way along and through the distance using the environment to his advantage. He quickly and quietly had sneaked his way onto the boat and followed one of the men quietly to where they were loading the supply of food and other things. He had made sure to go unnoticed and waited it out, soon grasping what he would learn to appear to be 'bread' whatever that was. He began to gobble it up along with cups of water, soon satisfying his thirst and large hunger by stuffing himself once everyone was gone.

He soon felt uneasy though, things didn't feel quite right. Things were somewhat unbalanced and little did he know, now he wasn't only going further away from his true home. He was going across water, on a boat. The little stowaway had no methods of knowing what to do other then to continue to fill up his stomach and needs, getting ample amounts of sleep and food. The next stop for this boat was going to be Hikagakure and that's where things would begin again.

Personality
Zakari holds a childish personality, he has Bi-Polar disorder even if he does not know or acknowledge it so his mood tends to flair often. He is a normally nice boy, innocent enough. However he has a secretive nature as Nii'gata generally make sure of. He is very closed off to unfamiliar people and has problems in making new friends, more specifically referring to anyone whom isn't a Nii'gata. His raw personality is very undetermined yet and his bi-polarness will likely make him seem different at times then other times just because of that reason alone.

Appearance
Zakari is a medium sized boy. He has a good healthy build for his age, with good muscular mass for a eight year old. He generally wears darker clothing preferred to lighter variants, Caucasian tanned skin with ruby red eyes and dark black messy somewhat spiked hair. He is always wearing a very sentimental tooth necklace around his neck. He currently is barefoot, not having any footwear.

Abilities
Zakari is still quite young and currently only has a very limited skill set. He has above-average reflex's and common sense to him in which most of his age does not have. He is by no means the smartest boy and knows very little of anything outside of Nii'gata culture. His skills are sure to improve with time but as of now, they are very lacking.

Nii'shita Tongue
Possibly one of Zakaris most unique assets is his outstanding fluency in Nii'shita, it is first language to him and he can speak it without any difficulties despite the troubling way of pronunciation most would have to pull it off. It is first to him above common tongue and because of this his accent is much heavier then most other Nii'gata from the way he normally speaks; in this language.

Common Sense
Although Zakari is not the smartest boy of his age, he does have excellent common sense for his age. He generally can determine and process things by seeing them and or experiencing them, to the extent of someone a few years old then himself. This however, does not mean the boy is not very prone to mishaps.

Trivia

 * Zakarī (ザカリー) has a known meaning of 'memory', along with a couple less frequent meanings.
 * According to the databook(s):
 * Nii'gata, Zakarī has never been known to remove his necklace ever since it was put on him as a baby.
 * Nii'gata, Zakarī prefers sweet food. He also enjoys spicy food, sweet and spicy is his favorite combo.
 * Nii'gata, Zakarī is the youngest person to leave from the Nii'gata homelands and the youngest Nii'gata period to venture so far.