Kazuma Shiraishi

Kazuma Shiraishi (白石一馬, Shiraishi Kazuma) was a Chūnin ranked shinobi. He grew up in a village located close to the border of the Earth Country, and eventually moved to Iwagakure. After spending a while in Iwagakure, he ended up in Kirigakure and graduated in said village, eventually becoming a Chūnin. He was the previous leader of squad 8, prior to his death in year 94.

Background
Kazuma grew up in a village close to the border of the earth country. His parents were kind and warm-hearted towards him, and owned a furniture shop. Being of common birth, he was given no special treatment or luxuries. The village he lived in was small, and thus had a tight community. Kazuma often ran errands for people to earn some side cash support his family and buy small snacks for himself without needing to rely on his parents. Because his parents often asked him for help in their shop, he knows his way with creating and polishing furniture. Even though the town was friendly and peaceful, Kazuma wanted something different and more exciting. He didn't dare speak out about this, as it was quite a touchy subject because the inhabitants of the town were quite proud of it.

Once his parents received an order from a noble in Iwagakure, who had heard of his parents' furniture, Kazuma got an idea to mix things up in his life. Just as they usually would, his parents asked if he could help out with creating the furniture, and to give it his all. Deciding that this would be his last work for his parents, he put all his effort in it and declared it his "masterpiece". The furniture was not assembled in his home town, as it'd be harder to transport that way. Instead, they were left in separate pieces and put into big crates. Kazuma didn't want to leave his parents behind without leaving a note, so he decided to write one. "Dear mum, dear dad,

Life's often happy and peaceful, but often that is not what we seek. Some of us are okay with such a boring life, others want excitement and thrill. I am one of the few who seek the latter. Please, do not mourn my leave. Even though I will be gone, I will remind you as the kind people you were for me. Mum, I tried my best to make a sculpture out of myself so you may always remind me, or burn it if you hate me. Dad, take care of mum.

Your hopefully still beloved Child, Kazuma"

After he wrote the note, he snuck into one of the crates that were to be delivered, and made sure it would appear sealed shut even though it wasn't. Kazuma made sure to bring some spare food and a canister of water with him, so he wouldn't starve to death inside the cramped box.The crates were loaded into a carriage, and after a few hours headed towards Iwagakure. The journey took around a full day for Kazuma's feeling, and was the most boring thing he had ever done in his life. Once the crates were loaded and stored outside the cart, he waited around half an hour to assure that everyone was gone. After that, he carefully climbed out of the crate, but was noticed by a guard who was silently guarding the noble's house. Being chased, Kazuma made a run for it, and ran through the city. He managed to get out of sight and hid behind some barrels under a bridge. After he was cleverly hidden from sight, he noticed he was not alone. A small kid, around his age of 13, was also hiding in the same spot. The kid's hair was dark red in colour, and his face was a little grumpy, as if he didn't want anything to do with Kazuma. Because Kazuma was still very trustworthy at that time, he exchanged names, age, and several different characteristics with the boy.

Ever since that day, Kazuma had befriended Ryukou. Ryukou lived with a single woman, who was fostering him. Because Kazuma had nowhere to stay, he was allowed to move in with them. His foster mom was a shinobi of Jōnin rank, this is why she suggested that we both enlisted for the academy. Kazuma was quite excited, he had finally found the thrill he was looking for, and was going to become a shinobi. During the academy years, he made great friends with Ryukou. Their studies lasted for around two years, as they had failed their exams the first one. Having learnt to know and understand Ryukou deeper than brothers did, they grew accustomed to each other and wouldn't care for the company of other people. It even went so far, they declared each other as "Brothers beyond brothers" or "Blood Brothers". This was when they decided to get their cheeks tattooed, but decided to stall it because they were still growing.

As days went by, both Kazuma and Ryukou were placed in the same squad, being lead by their foster mother. Kazuma figured it was because she knew they would always protect each other, and it'd be safer if they were together as neither of them went along with others too well. Not because they were anti-social or mean, the others just lacked the spark the two 'brothers' had. A girl of around their age was also in their squad, as was courtesy. The four of them went on numerous missions together, and collected their income through them. Once they finally had a mission to cross the border, they accepted it in an instant. They prepared for their journey by packing food and resupplying on throwing weapons.

After a journey that lasted around a week long, they finally made it across the border. Shortly after they crossed said border, they were pacing through a thick forest, still not done with their journey. Out of nowhere, dark figures approached them. Kazuma couldn't make out what they looked like as there was barely any light, and the figures were constantly moving. As quick as they appeared, they also initiated their attacks. Because they came with such a surprise, and showed exceptional skill in fighting, Kazuma's squad was wiped out easily. However, the ambushers were cruel enough to let both Kazuma and Ryukou live, with mortal wounds on their bodies. Keeping themselves barely alive with the bandages to stop the wound from bleeding, they waited for what seemed like hours to them. They were found by a lone man, who took them into their farm and allowed them to rest there.

Around a week passed, and Kazuma and Ryukou were still recovering from physical and mental damage. They figured that, once Iwagakure caught on that one squad was missing, they'd set out a search party to look for them. A couple of weeks had passed when there was a knock on the door. The man who was currently fostering them opened the door, and was asked about shinobi with the Iwagakure headband on. Worried that the man might lose the two kids he grew attached to, he said he never saw any. Because Kazuma and Ryukou never found out about this, they were left with the thought that Iwagakure had either not sent a search party, or hadn't bothered looking thoroughly. It was only after a month that there was another knock at the door. This time, it was a messenger who handed them a scroll. The scroll was stamped with the seal of Iwagakure. Inside, they read about a squad that was wiped out, and none of the members were found alive. It was shocking, really.

"The following Shinobi of Iwagakure have been announced deceased;

Keimaru, Kanata - Jōnin

Shiraishi, Kazuma - Genin Keimaru, Ryukou - Genin Kaika, Reibun - Genin

A funeral will be held for those who wish to attend and pay their respects to these fallen."

Having worked on the farm ever since their village had announced them as dead, they grew older, into their twenties. The hard work greatly adjusted Kazuma's appearance, making his skin look like that of a labourer. Once they heard about a shipment of food to a distant village, Kirigakure, they decided this was their chance to start over again, living the lives they wanted to ever since they met. Even though they were already in their twenties, they never graduated past Genin. Old fashioned, Kazuma and Ryukou hid themselves in a crate, and embarked towards Kirigakure.

Once the two arrived, they crawled out of the crates. This time, there were no guards nearby, the crates were simply stored in a warehouse. As noted before, they were only ranked genin. This is why they decided to enroll into the academy in Kirigakure under different names. According to Kazuma, the faces on the headmaster's face was priceless. Never before had someone of their age tried enrolling into the academy. They never mentioned that they had already graduated in Iwagakure, and thus got in. They tried their best to hide the hint that they had already been taught the basic abilities years ago, and made it look as if they had exceptional skill. "It comes with age", they smugly said to their fellow students.

Due to the fact that Kazuma was obviously quite skilled at the techniques the genin were still learning, he was allowed to attempt at an early-graduation, making his study only last half a year. Without too much effort, he graduated as a genin of Kirigakure. Kazuma had never mentioned the reason for his bandages, which he decided to carry as some sort of symbol. If people would ask, he'd shrug it off; "I cut myself back at home on accident, I liked the bandages, so I carry them with me.. I suppose they look cool, huh?". This wasn't the real reason behind him keeping the bandages, it was more because the emotional value.

After graduation, Ryukou and Kazuma were not placed in the same squad, but were seperated. Most likely to spread out their power amongst different squads. Although he wasn't too skilled, his focus on Taijutsu and his age made him seem strong compared to the others. His body was still a little small, but his fists weren't exactly weak to say the least. It took around a six months for the Chuunin exams to start, as he had joined the academy while they were going on. Ryukou left behind as a genin, as he decided he wanted to keep lower responsibilities.

Once the Chuunin exams started, Kazuma was already prepared according to himself. The exams started with a test in water. The contestants had to swim across a giant lake, and retrieve weights from a platform in the middle of it. Because Kazuma enjoyed swimming, he made it to the platform. Once he made it, he picked up one of the weights, strapped it on his back and slowly glided back into the water. He noticed that other genin tried jumping into the water for a headstart, but sank to the bottom because they shot themselves underwater with their extra weight. Slowly but steadily, he started swimming back, making sure to keep himself above water. The weight made it hard on him, as he had to put excessive amounts of energy into each swing of his arms. The years he spent on the farm strengthened his arms, and he managed to make it to the end. Once he was on land, he was exhausted, and had to rest for a while.

The next part consisted of a maze, those who passed the previous test were allowed to enter, each from a different starting point. Because the maze was foggy, it was hard to see where you were going, and the contestants had to rely on their senses in order to get through. While Kazuma was pacing through the maze, he started noticing traps, after accidentally activating and barely dodging a few. It took him hours to finally find his way out of the maze, and many contestants had tried to knock him out or lead him into traps, trying to make their own chances bigger. Although one had almost succeeded, Kazuma decided it'd be best to go solo afterwards, and not trust anyone because they were obviously as lost as he was.

In the end, only ten people were left, out of the many that joined the exams. The final, and third part of the exams was hosted the next day, to allow the contestants to prepare for the unknown. Once morning arrived, Kazuma entered the building the third part was supposedly taking part in. Once all ten of them were in, the door got locked behind them. A voice was heard echoing through the room. "For the final test, you are to survive, using your surroundings to your advantage. There is only one rule here: Do not kill the other contestants. However you choose to pass this test, is up to you.". Left and right, people started making a run for other rooms, and so did Kazuma. Once he opened one of the many doors, he found himself in a door that simulated some kind of swamp, and it looked awfully real.

Carefully pacing through the swamp, Kazuma noticed footsteps following his. He stopped, heard a single footstep followed by complete silence, and turned around. Behind him stood a girl of around the age of seventeen. He smiled at her, indicating that he did not want to hurt her. Even while the girl started charging at him with her fist pulled behind her head, he only dodged. The girl was full with openings, but Kazuma knew exactly what he was doing. "I was told to survive, the shortest way to survival is to not initiate any aggressive behaviour towards anyone.", he thought. Once the girl managed to land a hit in Kazuma's chest, he stepped back as a result from the air suddenly being pushed out of his lungs. He took a deep breath, and grabbed the girl, and threw her to the ground. Although this move might have seemed like it had the intention of hurting the girl and possibly knocking her out, Kazuma made sure to place his hand behind her head to not hurt her as much as it normally would. Now standing over the girl, he spoke to her in a calm tone of voice. "Do you not see what they are doing? The goal here is to survive, not to fight each other. While the others are all trying to win their battles, we will stick here and not fight. That is the first priority of survival. Safety first.".

A couple of hours passed as Kazuma and the girl were both waiting, when the same voice they heard at the start could be heard. "Only three contestants remain conscious. Remember that only up to two can be the victor. Good luck to all of you.", it sounded. Kazuma started pacing through the odd building, looking for the other contestant. He had hoped he would be convinced of his theory as well. When he opened a door that lead to a hot, desert-like room, he found the other contestant. He looked insane, as if he had been through a lot and had fought battles he had only hoped to win. As soon as the guy spotted Kazuma, he started forming handseals, trying to initiate an attack. Kazuma noticed this, and made sure to close the distance between them.

Although he didn't want to hurt the third contestant, it seemed like he had no choice but fight this one. Surprisingly, once the boy finished his handseals and activated his jutsu, the sand which he attempted to fire at Kazuma fell mid-air, as if resisting the boy's control. It seemed as if he was almost out of chakra, and would soon pass out of both the heat and loss of chakra. Knowing from his studies that chakra pretty much acted like life force, Kazuma decided to show mercy on the boy. Swiftly pacing through the sand, leaving footprints where his feet had touched the ground, he closed distance between him and the boy, who was barely standing. Once he got up close, Kazuma tackled him, and forced him onto the ground. The sand wasn't that hard, so it wouldn't have hurt the boy that much. While keeping him down onto the ground, he looked at him, as if inspecting his intentions. Finally, he stood up, extended his hand and helped the boy back up. Because the boy was barely his size, Kazuma carried him back to the start on his back.

Once the door opened, both two boys and the girl walked outside, and found themselves looked at by the people of the city. It was announced that Kazuma's way of acting was both clever and well thought of. He acted with responsibility, and showed mercy to the few people he met, even while they had no intentions of sparing him should he be the one knocked on the ground. "A genin who can show that he has the ability to push his body to the limit, even while weighed down in water, who can trust on his senses to guide him through life, and who has shown that he has the capabilities to lead, is definitely worthy of being a Chuunin", a man from the first row of the crowd announced. "Those who can show the first two, and also that they can follow the orders of even those who are equal in rank, and can see clearly who is right, also deserve this title.", he spoke further. As he walked towards the three, Kazuma gently placed the boy he was carrying on his back on the ground.

This was when the man who spoke stopped in front of Kazuma, and declared him as a Chuunin. He then walked over to the girl, and declared her a Chuunin as well. However, when he walked back to the boy, he simply smiled, and congratulated him on making it. "We will see what we can do for you, you have shown that you are strong, but your mind is not matured enough to carry these responsibilities.", he told him. After the man turned his head back to the crowd, he spoke further. "These two new Chuunin will be respected from now on. But not here in Kirigakure. A new village heeds our help, and we will send them these fresh, yet experienced Chuunin as a gift.", he yelled. The next week, Kazuma had packed his stuff along with Ryukou, who went with him. Although this wasn't intentionally the plan, Kazuma managed to convince the village that he could be missed in Kirigakure, but would be a great addition to Hikagakure.

Personality
Kazuma is usually a calm individual, who values the life of others over his own if they deserve such treatment. Some would say Kazuma is an 'eye for an eye' type of person, he remains loyal to people who are loyal to him, and he respects those who respect him in return. This comes from his past, where he was left betrayed by other people numerous times. Only one person kept him company in his youth because of this, Ryukou. Although Kazuma looks very unfriendly because of the numerous bandages on his body and head, he is actually quite friendly to strangers, and will only get passive-aggressive once provoked.

Appearance
Kazuma looks like a man in his mid-twenties, his rough skin makes him seem a little older than he actually is. His hair is coloured in a light gray tone, and is often a little messy. His chin and neck are normally clean-shaven, but often appears rather rough in the weekend. Although his wounds are certainly already healed, he still carries his bandages on him as a symbol, being somewhat proud of his survivability. The lower layers of bandages are clean, though, to prevent possible infections. The outline of a headband of unknown orientation can be seen through the bandages on his forehead, perhaps indicating that he is trying to hide it, but is too attached to it to get rid of. His right cheek is tattooed (See special characteristics).

Abilities
- Henge no Jutsu - Kawarimi - Bunshin no Jutsu - Leaf Whirlwind - Shunshin / Body Flicker

Chakura suishin (Chakra Propulsion) The user focusses a great amount of chakra into one of his legs, allowing him to bash it into the ground and propel himself forward. This only works on solid ground (So not sand or swampy grass). Although it increases the force at which you send yourself forward with, it does not strengthen the bones in your leg. Extensive misuse of this technique can possibly cause your femur and fibula to break or fracture.

Makikomu kōken'nin (Engulfing Guardian) The user of this jutsu can make an object around a part of his body engulf his whole body, causing it to act as a guard. The mass of said object will increase depending on the users body size and width. This also means that the user is unable to move should the material be hardened (Say metal or stone), and may result in choking if it covers the nostrils and mouth. The user can also, for a few seconds, harden the armour, but not soften it. Chakra is mostly negated, but amounts depending on the opponent's chakra control may pass. The armour still has the weakness of the object it originated from (For example, cloth would burn if hit by a fire-based attack.)

Hiding Like a Mole Technique  This technique changes earth into fine sand by channelling chakra into it, allowing the user to dig through it like a mole. This effect goes around the body (not just the hands), making it just large enough for a person to move through. The user can pinpoint where they are, despite being underground, by sensing the magnetic forces. They can also sense what is happening on the surface and use that information to launch a surprise attack on the enemy. One can also hide deep in the ground, escaping to a depth where the enemy can't reach. It also appears that after digging, the ground can be returned to its original state, leaving no trace of where the user entered the earth. This jutsu can also be used to travel underground, but it can be somewhat tiring as the user needs to dig their way through the earth at up to normal human's running speed (Up to 12KMH), rather than just appearing out of nowhere like the Hiding in Rock Technique. The travelling/popping out of the earth is fast, but not eye-blinding and can be dodged by a suspicious person depending on the situation (How much sound the user of the jutsu makes, and what direction his opponent is facing.).

Accolades
Winner of his Chūnin exams, along with another person.

Traveler of great miles.



Quotes
"If you wish to be respected, learn how to respect others first."

"If you can't do two hundred push ups, but can do one, then do that single one two hundred times."