Senju Yukimi

千

手

SENJU YUKIMI^{千手 雪見}

SEX Female
AGE 31
MARITAL STATUS Single
CLAN Senju

CAREER

COUNTRY Hi no Kuni
VILLAGE Konohagakure no Sato
POSITION Kunoichi
RANK Jōnin
TEAM n/a
CHAKRA Suiton; Katon

PSYCHOLOGICAL

LOYALTY Yukimi is a fiercely loyal person. Her ties to her village and the Senju clan are strong and not easily broken. She serves her superiors well and keeps her allies well-protected. The idea of laying down her life for the sake of others is a comfortable notion in Yukimi's head. She would welcome the idea of diving into a fray to rescue a friend in need.

COMMAND A natural-born leader, Yukimi takes to her position as seriously as one can. On and off the battlefield she maintains order and logistical superiority. Even when the chain of authority breaks above her, Yukimi is not afraid to take authority and begin barking orders. Other Shinobi label her as 'stern' and 'bossy', but such childish titles do little to bother Yukimi. In her mind, only with a strong leader can the task at hand be completed with the utmost efficiency.

Yukimi's tactical prowess is notable as well. She is able to analyze and respond to most situations quickly. Every problem she comes across, in all facets of life, Yukimi will analyze and formulate a solution. This ability of hers makes Yukimi as valuable commander among Shinobi.

PHILOSOPHY Imbued with a strong moral and ethical compass, Yukimi believes that love and compassion are the keys to an everlasting peace. She holds true that one should stand up to protect one's home and friends at any cost. It is this "Will of Fire" that has been passed down to Yukimi and that she seeks to part onto future generations as well.

PHYSICAL

HEIGHT 5'9''
WEIGHT 139 lbs
HAIR White
EYES Brown
BUILD Slender; Curvy
OTHER Senju clan emblem tattooed on right wrist

BACKGROUND

Yukimi was born into a clan whose skill and prowess was known to all in the Shinobi world - Senju. The Senju clan were infamous for their mastery of all disciplines of the Shinobi arts as well as being one of the clans pivotal in the founding of Konohagakure no Sato. The Senju instilled the principles of a village established and promoting peace; and so was the world that Yukimi was born into. However, such tranquility never lasts. Tensions escalated between the various Shinobi villages and soon all out war broke loose. This was to be the First Great Shinobi War.

Countless Konoha Shinobi left for the front lines, including the vast majority of the Senju. Yukimi's own parents, Senju Furamu and Ashimi, were forced to leave their infant child behind to defend a world of peace that they wished for their daughter to grow up in.

A decade would pass with war ravaging each nation greatly. Ten years time saw the death of many Shinobi, and many Senju, as well as new generations swelling the ranks and replacing those that were lost. Yukimi, now eleven, saw very little of her parents, and would often look to her cousins, aunts, and uncles to act as a surrogate family to her. When at last each of the villages had nothing left to gain in fighting a peace accord was made. It signaled the end of a terrible war and ushered those that had been away from home for so long. Yukimi was elated with the idea of being a part of a full family once more with her mother and father - but things are never as they should be.

The Senju clan had seen much devastation during the war, losing many of its most skilled and revered members. Tired and wounded, those Senju that managed to survive returned to Konohagakure as heroes. Of those in the homecoming was Senju Ashimi, Yukimi's mother. Yet, detecting something amiss, Yukimi inquired where her father was. Cold and sober, Ashimi told her daughter of her father's demise on the battle field as he defended a medical caravan retreating the wounded from the battlefield. Her whole life Yukimi had always been explained what the "Will of Fire" was from the clan elders, but listening to the story of her father's death was truly the first time that she ever understood it. She did not mourn for the loss of her father as much as she felt empowered by it, by what it meant to be a Shinobi. The following week Yukimi enrolled in the ninja academy - to continue on with the Will of Fire that her father passed down to her.

Yukimi's time at the academy was spent diligent and focused. Night and day she was seen studying or training the fundamentals of the Shinobi arts. Where her peers would spend their time wastefully, Yukimi used any spare time she had to train or to be tutored in her studies. Yukimi's drive was fueled by her family name. Her clan was known for producing some of the strongest Shinobi and Kunochi the world had seen. Being a Senju, Yukimi was adamant in not failing her ancestors' legacy, her deceased father, or herself. Noted, it was no surprise that after three years time Yukimi graduated the academy as one of the top students her class. Given her first hitai-ate, and becoming a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato, Yukimi had taken her first steps in her larger journey ahead.

As was custom with Genin, Yukimi was placed into a team with other recent academy graduates under the tutelage of a Jōnin sensei. The new Team Four was to be composed of Mitaka Atsu, Kude Jūno, and Senju Yukimi - all under the direction of famed Shinobi Ishii Rū. A veteran of the past war, Rū gained notoriety for being the sole individual, and of Chūnin rank no less, to deter an enemy advance during an ordered retreat of allied forces. Later Rū was found barely alive, feigning on the verge of death. His efforts, and survival, was considered nothing short of miraculous. Rū's reward was fame, hero status, and a series of swift promotions. Now, years after the war's end, the Jōnin Rū was responsible for the continued upbringing of a new generation of Shinobi - more specifically "Team Rū".

Initially Rū was surprised about his team's dynamic. For being the only female in the group it seemed that Yukimi would often give orders to her two male Genin teammates. Soon the initial shock wore off, and Yukimi's leadership qualities proved to be an asset to the team in dealing with evolving problems or tasks at hand. For two years Team Rū traveled the expanse of the countries, performing missions and honing their skills. Multiple Chūnin Exams were held, but Rū deliberately opted to withhold his own team until a time that he felt they were each ready individually and collectively. When at last that time came, Rū provided his sponsorship and the team entered the exams.

Located in Tsuchi no Kuni's Iwagakure no Sato, Team Rū made their way promptly to the Chūnin Exams. When the arrived they were met with a cosmopolitan mix of various other Genin and their sensei from the various Shinobi village from different countries. Despite the cultural differences that each team had, one thing caused Team Rū to stand out among the others - they were older. Though some teams were "seasoned" in their own rights, a lot of participants were younger, between the ages of twelve and fourteen. And though only being around sixteen years of age, Team Rū was definitely on the more mature end of the spectrum. Though unrealized by his Genin at the time, their age was a conferred advantage that Rū had planned on. Being older, Rū anticipated his team would be more developed both physically and mentally to take on the exams ahead. And he was right.

For the next month and a half, the menagerie of Genin from their respective villages were pitted against a series of tests and trials to test their abilities. Many teams failed to progress, or rather only an individual from a squad would continue on. However, Team Rū, aided by Yukimi's combat leadership, was able to work together to make it to the end of the exams unified and undivided. And though they each were battered and exhausted, their ability to so efficiently utilize teamwork impressed the officials and other Jōnin alike. Of all those who were promoted to Chūnin as a result of the exams, Team Rū was the only collective three to rise in rank together.

Returning home, Yukimi and here team were met with congratulations and praise from the villagers and other Shinobi. Following tradition, the Senju presented Yukimi with her first piece of armor - an ancestral trademark worn still by many Senju and signifying one's acceptance as a fully fledged member of the clan. Peculiar though, and of no sheer coincidence, was the armor that Yukimi was given. Of an older style, it once belonged to Yukimi's father, and was now refitted to suit his daughter long after his death. For this reason, Yukimi preferred to wear the armor rather than the standard flak vest that was common with those of Chūnin rank and above - a trend that Yukimi still follows to the present.

Now a Chūnin, Yukimi was given more difficult missions to perform. Still she operated as a cell with Atsu, Jūno, and Rū. The four of them became known as a team that specialized in logistics, and tactical missions of vital importance to the welfare of the village. Years would pass and the group became older, wiser, and more precise in what they did. Yukimi was now a beautiful young woman. Always did the team operate as a tight-knit unit, but things always seemed closer between Jūno and Yukimi. In time their relationship blossomed into a romance. Though the two were nearly inseparable, they had to keep their feelings a secret from the rest of their teammates, in fear that it would hamper the chemistry and efficiency of the squad overall.

At age twenty-one Yukimi was given the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin. Her ability to plan, organize, and command proved vital to the village and was noted as being of a Jōnin level of leadership, if not surpassing as much. As Yukimi was promoted, so too did Jūno receive advancement in rank, but ahead of Yukimi to a full Jōnin position. Lagging behind was Atsu, still a Chūnin, but rumor was that his promotion was pending. Now of all different ranks, Team Rū became less defined. Though they would operate collectively from time to time, each member was more often tasked to work on different assignments with different Shinobi.

The next five years saw a turbulent rise in tension between the various Shinobi villages. Once more it seemed that war was just around the corner. Various Konoha teams were dispatched to deal with border disputes, which often led to skirmishes with foreign Shinobi. Atsu was sent out to respond to these minor proxy-wars where he met his end - killed in the heat of battle. Rū, Jūno, and Yukimi came together to grieve Atsu's death. Jūno took the loss particularly hard as he and Atsu had been close friends since the academy. Konohagakure could no longer ignore the hostilities and began mobilizing for a large scale conflict ahead. In anticipation for the need for competent field commanders, Yukimi was promoted to full Jōnin. Her overall skill professed Jōnin skill, but it was Yukimi's leadership abilities that would prove to be most valuable in the trials ahead.

Sure enough, a series of events perspired that once again ignited the flames of war. The Shinobi World would once again feel the ravages that it once experienced with the First Great Shinobi War. Like in the previous war, the vast sum of Konoha Shinobi and Kunoichi were sent to fight - this time Yukimi being one of them. Though Yukimi did spend some time on the front lines, the majority of her campaign was spent away from direct action - planning logistics and coordinates offensive and defensive measures. However, for Yukimi, one event in particular would be the defining moment of the Second Great Shinobi War.

Three years deep into conflict Yukimi was called out to a forward outpost located close to a receding enemy line. The outpost acted as an offensive HQ, but doubled as a battlefield hospital for wounded Shinobi. Due to the vital importance of the base, it's location and mere existence was kept as the highest level of classification. It was here that Yukimi met up with Jūno and former sensei Rū for the first time since the war's beginning. Their appearance did much to relieve the sorrow that wore on Yukimi's heart, a result of the horrors brought on by war. Since the start of the Second Great Shinobi War, Jūno had made a name for himself as being one of the most fierce and reliable fighters in combat. Rū, on the other hand, openly voiced his dissent over the disregard of all diplomatic possibilities. Yet despite the happy reunion of Team Four, it was short lived.

A few days after their arrival, the secret outpost came under assault from an overwhelming enemy force. The wounded were evacuated while the able-bodied stood in their defense. Together, Jūno and Yukimi fought back to back. It was nostalgic of their youth. Yet, for however well they worked together, they couldn't hold off attack forever. Realizing their inevitable defeat, Jūno and Yukimi made plans for their own retreat. They began to flee, but unexpectedly Jūno turned back, using himself as a shield to cover Yukimi's escape. She turned back, about to run after Jūno, but before she could do anything Yukimi watched Jūno fall to a hail of kunai. Having watched her lover die helplessly before her, Yukimi had no other choice but to continue with her flight away from action. Though her escape saved her physically, she was emotionally crippled with Jūno's death.

Regrouping safe in their own territory, the Konohagakure field commanders came together to determine how their forward outpost had been discovered. Given the secret nature of the HQ, its location must have been leaked by an ally who knew its location. It was then that those present in the attack realized that Rū was nowhere to be found either during or after the assault. Combined with his disgruntled attitude about the war, it was surmised that Rū defected and exposed various secrets about Konoha and allied forces to their enemies. Yukimi was reluctant at first to accept this conclusion, but as the war dragged on without sign of Rū it became apparent what truly did happen. It was not unheard of for treason in times of war, and Konoha was prepared to compensate for a breach in security. For the remainder of the war Yukimi chose to participate first hand in the fray, using it as a method to take her mind off of Jūno's death and Rū's betrayal.

After a few more years of total war, the Second Great Shinobi War had come to a conclusion. In the five years it was waged, the war claimed countless lives, the destruction of villages, and left those who survived with a bitter taste in their mouths. Yukimi, for one, returned home a seasoned and cynical version of her former self. Though Konoha had won the war, Yukimi personally felt that she had lost everything close to her.

With the war's end, all that was left was to rebuild. Each of the villages receded to lick their wounds. Yukimi took refuge back with her clan in Konoha. Many of the previous elder members had been slain in battle, and Yukimi, being over thirty years of age, was now considered part of the leading echelon of the Senju. Given everything that she had experienced, Yukimi made an effort to due in part to the younger members of the Senju the importance of peace and the travesty of war.

After the war Yukimi continued to act on behalf of her clan and her village - blazing a new path for future generations. Though the future is always a dark and unpredictable thing, her path was lit with the torch of her friends and family, of those that came before her and those that would come after - it was lit by the "Will of Fire".