Kenta, Jirou

Name: Jirou Kenta
Age: 37
Birthdate: 6/17
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Rank: Jounin (S)

Village: Hinowagakure no Sato
Element(s): Suiton || Fuuton || Raiton
Specialties: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu
Special Characteristics: N/A


Height: 6'2''
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Light Blue
General Description: Jirou is a tall but somewhat lanky man with a fit physique and fair, pale skin. You'd usually spot him proudly adorning the symbol of his village, in typical shinobi gear and attire. He wears standard-issue black sandals with somewhat free-fitting dark blue pants, his kunai and shuriken holster tied tightly to his right leg. This leads into a black, small undershirt that he wears beneath a longer dark blue shirt, the back of which displays the symbol of the village, but it is usually covered by his dark green flackjacket that most would identify as shinobi combat gear. This jacket is equipped with multiple pouches and pockets through which he uses to carry and holster a variety of different tools and weapons, scrolls included. He's also commonly seen with a pair of black, fingerless gloves which aide him in his use of casual taijutsu, but he also has a different, metal-backed and knuckled pair that he reserves for intense combat. His hair is usually cut back at a manageable level and, if left unchecked, would grow to just below shoulder-length with large curls and unruly flow.

Personality:

Most would offer a drink to Jirou, but he would rarely accept it. He's a friendly person, someone who always puts his duty and the lives of the village ahead of his own, but he can be a bit of a spoilsport as a result. Finding it hard to express himself properly, Jirou would rather live alone in his small, incredibly humble apartment instead of mixing into the population, but he loves to spend his downtime wandering the streets of the village and mingling with people. Often, he can be spotted at his favorite restaurants and parks, becoming very close to the business owners and people that share spots near him. He's the kind of person that everybody likes, but who no one really knows. He'll show up on time every day, without fail, but he often doesn't talk about himself, preferring instead to talk about current affairs and other people's personal lives. Not very many people even know his last name! But he is well respected as one of the most dedicated Shinobi on the job in the village, someone who would definitely die for a cause if he had to, and always making sure that no one else would have to. This makes him kind of a workaholic, always taking late nights and sometimes working extra shifts, not for a higher pay, but just to make sure everything runs smoothly. Born with a will of fire, Jirou would work hand and foot to make sure that no one else would have to, defending the village single-handed if he had to.

Although he is anything but a social butterfly, he is still a very friendly person who has no problem with trying to be conversational, he simply chooses not to. He's mentored a handful of Genin in his time, and he maintains a strong relationship with all of them, making sure that they too become admirable shinobi, preferring to make friends and allies this way. He's bonded the strongest with his fellow Jounin and the upcoming wave of Chunnin, who he'd helped raise, as he feels that a bond of duty is something that cannot be turned down. Needless to say, bound in duty comes with a price - one Jirou understand very well. He's lost a lot of good friends and allies to failed missions and dastardly combat, not the least of which being his brother, something he still blames himself for. Most people don't get to see this side of Jirou, the ultimately depressed and emotional aspect to an otherwise calm and collected shinobi. Indeed, all work and no play makes Jirou a dull boy, and it's certainly taken it's toll on the man, reducing him at his worst to an alcoholic who often works all night with little rest, putting him into bouts of sorrow that he very rarely truly recovers from. This is his strongest shortcoming, something that's held him back since day one, and he's always looking for a solution to this emotional dilemma.

Still, Jirou's managed to separate this from his work, never allowing his emotion to compromise his missions again. He can and will kill under pressure or for the better of the village, but he refuses to allow a teammate to die. He believes that death on the battlefield is dishonorable, not to you, but to your allies. If you've died, he believes, it is because your allies did not save you, therefore allowing you to be killed. This idea plays into his own psyche, and it weighs heavily upon himself when his teammates die, but it also means that he has a driving passion for protection. Jirou works his hardest to ensure that his missions are completed with minimal casualty, throwing his own life on the line for the benefit of others and becoming something of a hero for it. He's destined for good things, people say, and he'll be damned if he doesn't provide for them. This has almost certainly given him a nickname from the general populace, but he hasn't heard anything like that yet. Rumors about him are always good, though. Sometimes a little far fetched - "did you hear that Jirou stopped a whole army of rampaging samurai?!" or "I heard that Jirou once wrestled a demon, with one arm!" He's become something of a public star, but he pays no mind to rumors and stipulation. He is definitely not as good as the people sometimes like the pin him as being, but he finds his public reception amusing, simply watching from afar.

As long as the people respect him, then he's satisfied. All in all, Jirou is a hard-working, mysterious man who lives for his village and acts as a bulwark to all who need him. But he finds nothing as repulsive as a Ninja without a village to call their own. Missingnin of any rank or reason are disgusting to Jirou, especially those from his own village - he understands the irony of this being that his parents were not technically village-goers, but he does excuse them, making him a hypocrite to an extent. He sees the Shinobi as heroes for the people, and those without people do not deserve the power to protect themselves alone. He offers these people no mercy, and would rather die than deal with them. He believes that they cannot be accepted back into their village without intense scrutiny, either.

There are things that Jirou likes outside of his work, though. He enjoys the rain and often does most of his outdoor training during a rainstorm, believing that it calms his nerves and soothes his mind. He enjoys smoked meats and fine wine, but otherwise doesn't drink anything other than Sake with his comrades. Jirou is a very cultured person understanding and studying to some degree the cultures of other lands, and of the past. He's somewhat of a traditionalist in this respect, believing that the Shinobi world should work the way it always has, and that very little has to change. Change scares Jirou to some degree, especially change that he can't control, such as separation and age. Still, Jirou always has a pulse on the culture of the newest generation, finding it fascinating to see the youngsters make their way through life but being unable to cope with the changes they bring.

When it comes to romance, Jirou is open, but cautious. He's only had one romantic relationship in his life, and it ended rather tragically only a few years before the events of the site. This may or may not compromise him further down the line.

All in all, Jirou is a respectable, hard-working ally with some radical worldviews but a heart as fierce as a lion's roar.

History:

The Kenta family was as poor as poor could be. A nomadic family of four, Jirou was the younger sibling to Akari, eldest sibling by two years. Kenta was born on their travels, shortly before their family settled in the village of Hinowagakure, attracted to the village with the prospect of claiming a plot of farm land. This land isn't a farm anymore, although the volcanic soil is no less fertile, however Jirou's late mother still resides in the ruddy shack they had spend much of their lives in. They were only able to afford a smaller segment of land, selling all of their other valuables (if you could call them that) to fund it. Jirou's father took up the task of running a farm on his own, with only the help of his two sons - a sizable task for an ex-merchant, hailing from Yokuchigakure. Jirou began working on the farm when he was four, old enough to hold and use a spade, alongside his brother.

Jirou learned and picked up a lot from his father, tending to their very small crop field. He learned the value of hard work - and hated it. He hated every second of it, often slacking off and using any and all excuses to avoid doing more work. Naturally, this meant that he volunteered to deliver their crops into the city, something that always fascinated him. Accompanied by his mother, Jirou thought that the village was quite simply the most beautiful place in the world, and infatuation that would stick with him throughout life. He enjoyed talking to the people on the street and just walking down the road made him feel better. Made him feel important. Nothing garnered his attention quite like the Shinobi, though. He could recall the first time he'd met one - he accidentally dropped a basket full of ripe, plump tomatoes - an entire month's rent! - and they were all headed for destruction. His father would not be happy, they might have to move, things happened so fast... but luckily, a shinobi was nearby to help the little guy out. Faster than he could see, the ninja grabbed each and every tomato, not a single one dropped! He remembered looking up at the man, who was much taller than him, and shaking his hand. He never saw the man again, but he was touched by his act of kindness. Complete selflessness, even to a commoner such as Jirou. From then on, he was inspired.

His parents hated the idea of him becoming a Shinobi, at first. His father's biggest fear was losing hands on the farm - and his mother, losing her son. It wasn't until Akari stepped in to convince their parents that they should both become shinobi, in order to help bring home more money than farming would ever give them. Considering this source of income - a risky but rewarding venture - was all it took for them to be approved for their training. Jirou's mother took up a hand on the farm, and the two were set down a path they could not turn from. He didn't plan to look back, though - Jirou wanted to keep going, see just what was waiting for him on the other side, and absorbing the journey the whole time.

There was rarely a student as dedicated as Jirou. Even his brother - who showed exceptional martial skill from a very young age - wouldn't spend as much time as he would, buried in a mound of scrolls and equipment. Jirou practiced daily, often waking up earlier than his father, using their land as a sort of 'training ground' for him to practice his Shurikenjutsu and punching old logs for firewood. He graduated from the Academy at age 8, while his brother graduated a year beforehand. Jirou was ecstatic, the idea of being a Shinobi something that he never really accepted to be a reality, even through all of his practicing and intense training. But what was to come would prove to be more than he bargained for.

Jirou began to see his brother less and less, his Sensei was particularly strict and kept him away from the house most of the time. But this was a quick sadness, as Jirou was also scooped into a group of his own. Lead by a Jounin named 'Tonzo', Jirou made two life-partner friends who would, sadly, not make it to the end of their shinobi careers. The first was a charismatic, handsome young boy name Kiro, and the second, the most beautiful woman Jirou had ever seen. They would date and marry, later on in their lives, but the cards were never truly in Jirou's favor. Aimi was a kunoichi who's family had had a stake in the village since its conception, part of a clan of talented shinobi who were very proud to honor their village. Jirou would have to thank Aimi for the chance to observe her clan's philosophies, although they aren't as important to the village as they'd once been. After graduating from the academy, Jirou's childhood had officially ended, as he began to spend most of his time completing his missions and away from home.

Tonzo was a wise, respectable person - but he was definitely a slacker, something that had legitimately gotten onto Jirou's nerves. At age 13 now, Jirou had learned that his hard work meant something. While others were unsatisfied with their menial labor missions, even his teammates, Jirou worked his hardest and took all of them seriously. This evolved into somewhat of a resentment towards Tonzo, who would often have them train among themselves and was often absent during team missions. Was this some sort of psychological test to pull them together through hatred? Maybe. They considered it. But it was probably not the case. At the time, though, there was a very good reason for this - the village had experienced a shortage of higher-ranking Shinobi, and therefore Tonzo had been pulled away for high-class missions most of the time. During this time, Jirou grew especially close to Aimi. They officially began dating shortly after their Chuunin exams, passing with flying colors at the age of 15.

Genin-hood had proven to be more work than Jirou could handle, but it could not have prepared him for being a Chuunin. The absence of a real Sensei to guide him through the much more challenging, taxing missions began to weight down heavily upon Jirou. He stopped working with the squad, the three of them having split to work in different aspects. Aimi shifted away from typical missions to tutoring at the Academy - a great way to earn money, as well as introduce the next generations of Shinobi. As far as Jirou knows, she had never taken her Jounin exams and remained a Chuunin for the rest of her ninja career. Kiro, though, was a different story. Kiro had become somewhat of a rival for Jirou to surpass, but this was stomped out when Kiro was recommended for a secretive special-ops corps, and Jirou was left in the dust. He was fine, though. Being a Chuunin proved to be a much larger work load, but he began to bring him more and more money. His brother had already become a Jounin, and lived away from the family - something that he found quite strange, until he presented the idea of moving into a nicer home to his parents. They refused, taking not a single coin from Jirou's pocket. Instead, Jirou found himself an apartment to live in, further into the heart of the city - this is where he would continue to live for the rest of his life, up to his most recent years.

Aimi moved into his apartment about three years after he had become a Jounin. She had retired as a Shinobi due to a physical weakness that plagued a large majority of her clan, something that would eventually thin their numbers to the point non-existence. They lived happily into Jirou's early twenties, and as they did, he began to develop quite a reputation - his missions became more and more intense, but he matched them all, blow for blow. He began to catch up to his brother in skill, and was eventually recruited for a covert operation out of the village. He worked in a task force with Kiro, Akari, and three other shinobi that he'd befriended to a far off land, their task a gargantuan one - they were to eliminate a Daimyo who had been inciting anti-Shinobi chaos. The task seemed simple enough, he retreated to a personal estate separated from the rest of his land, the perfect place for them to strike. But it was a trap. He had been informed of the assassination and they were met with sizable resistance, a battle ensued that raged for nearly three days. Eventually, the shinobi were forced to retreat - but they had lost many. Along with one of the Shinobi that he wasn't very familiar with, Jirou was part of the only two who returned from the mission alive. Kiro had fallen in combat and, after a very animated debate, Akari had sacrificed himself to keep the village's name out of the fiasco. Jirou understands why Akari would go to such lengths to keep the village's face hidden, but even to this day, Jirou blames himself for not taking his brother's place.

After their failure, Jirou was completely lost. With help from his soon-to-be wife, he worked even harder to advance in the name of his fallen comrades, making sure to honor their deaths and lives to the best of his ability. His father passed away from heart failure when he was 25, although the disconnection between him and his parents after the death of Akari - something that his father was skeptical about up to his death - had really softened the blow. Jirou attended the funeral, but he couldn't say that he was emotionally moved.

At this point, Jirou had been talked into the idea of training Genin through Aimi. For the next ten years of his life, Jirou underwent fewer high-ranking missions and instead focused on raising Genin in squads. He became very close to his pupils, viewing them as his own children, all of the while sending money to his mother so that she could keep the land that his parents refused to leave. Jirou had accepted three squads of Genin, but stopped when Aimi passed away as well, gripped by her sickness.

It's unclear if Jirou ever recovered from her death, but he certainly worked harder. Jirou ascended to the upper echelons of Jounin-hood within the past three years or so, distracting himself from the death of his late wife by burying himself in the work that he adored so much. He found it to be an inadequate substitute, but over time, he began to really respect his fallen loved ones. Even to this day, Jirou eats lunch by their graves, unwinding and often talking to their tombstones to clear his mind. In this way, Jirou honors them for their help in his life, and manages to keep moving forward, even when things get rough.

RP Sample: "Over here!" His voice projected through the thick growth, turning the smaller heads of his bewildered students. They turned all around, and yet, they couldn't see him! They began to mutter among themselves, assuming their own defensive stances, sometimes butting into one another and snapping at each other. The point of the exercise was to avoid doing that, but Jirou supposed that it would probably take a while before they really adjusted to one another. It was good that they were forming a sort of formation, though. They possessed simple teamwork skills, but it wouldn't be enough for them to begin proper missions just yet.

"You know, you really should think in three dimensions. I'm not around you, but how about above you?" Jirou smiled, looking down at them from underneath a very thick branch. It took them a few seconds to react to what was happening, inexperienced hands rapidly trying to sign seals. Jirou was too fast for them, of course. A great gale burst from his mouth, the violent winds knocking them all to the ground and scattering them away from one another. "Your tactical skills are impressive, but you need some work. You won't always be in formation, you know." He dropped to the ground, just as one of the students - a more expressive, anxious young boy - leaped at him, with a kick to his back! Jirou gagged, falling onto his face, lifeless.

The others stood up and gathered around him, and then he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a large rock with a cartoony face in his wake. "Haha, good shot! But you'll have to try harder than that, you know." He motioned with his hand, crouched a fair distance from them on a tree that had fallen over as a result of their training. He allowed them to regain their stances and begin their offensive, and soon enough he was barraged with a swarm of smaller fireballs. Good show, but not fast enough to actually hit him. He stepped through and around them, but almost didn't notice the shuriken that followed them. "Woah!" Flipping and twirling, he landed on the ground behind the wave of chakra and metal on his hand - or did he? When his palm hit the ground, he found that he'd placed it right onto a slip of paper, sticking out slightly from the ground. His eyes widened.

KABOOM! They rocked the forest, the explosion leaving an excess amount of smoke and dust in the air. Did they get him? Did he die? They weren't supposed to kill him...! "Very nice job, guys. I'm proud of you." He waved at them, not standing behind the group with another care-free smile spread across his face. They really were growing, it wouldn't be long before they could start taking missions. "What do you say we call it quits and grab some lunch?" Their expressions turned in an instant, shifting gear from focused Shinobi to happy-go-lucky children. Jirou didn't think he would ever get tired of seeing that, leading them out of the forest and back into the village - he could already smell the food!

Faceclaim: Fan Art, not created by myself.

This is finished, now~!