Shimazu Clan

[Terrick Sukrai]

Clan Name: Shimazu

Clan Village: Iwagakure

Clan Starter: Shimazu Tadahisa

Clan Head: Shimazu Munenobu

Clan Age and Status: Old. Scorned outside of Iwagakure.

Clan Bloodline: None

Clan Element: None

Clan Emblem:

Clan Holdings: A medium-sized han near the Eastern borders of Earth country

Clan Info: This clan is the remnants of one of the various Samurai clans that existed before the rise of the shinobi powers in the world, and as a result is looked upon with both derision and pity by the majority of ninja, since most of them cannot fathom why those who stick to the Shimazu clan's beliefs continue to act as though they were of noble breeding, yet are willing to do the dirtiest work of all, even peasant work, to see ends meat.

This situation is because of efforts made by the various feudal lords who now mainly employ ninja to remove their once-upon-a-time vassals, as ninja are seen to be more conveniently disposable by a lot of the less-scrupulous politicians, and also more skilled. To this end, they came up with a carefully constructed scheme to reduce the Shimazu's financial strengths in an effort to force them to give up their lands and holdings, thus starving them into extinction. They did this by arranging marriages between all of the nobles' daughters and nieces for generations and the Shimazu clan. By custom, the clan of lower status, which meant the Shimazu samurai, would have to pay for all of the weddings, the housing for the new family and their many hundreds of servants, and finally give them the land needed for this. If by chance the Shimazu were to openly oppose this scheme, then it could be seen as an insult and the other nobles could then 'legally' wipe them out. However, early on in the days of this endeavour, one of Shimazu's upper ranks, Hirata-dono, challenged the clan council by saying that a true Samurai spirit does not need the trappings of a courtier, and put forth the motion that they take up the work that peasantry was normally to do in order to pay for everything. This outraged many of the samurai, and he was thus called to the front in order to prove his theory. Hirata did this by sitting on his knees as one of the nobles struck him between the eyes with a coin, then proceeded to beat Hirata in front of the entire clan. By the end of it, Hirata was bloody, with his fine clothes torn, and his face bruised beyond recognition. Yet when the noble smirked, Hirata simply bowed and said, "I am truly grateful to receive a coin." The noble was so stunned that a samurai would debase himself for the sake of the clan, that he slit his own belly open, praising Hirata's resolve even as he breathed his last. It has been several centuries, and yet this mindset, to endure the unendurable, to withstand the unstoppable, is what has allowed this clan to survive in a time where honorable samurai are pushed aside for the convenience of shinobi for hire.

The Shimazu clan's kenjutsu is part of the reason for this ability to endure. In poverty, a samurai would often declare: "Stop worrying about money! Large or small, gold coins are just cold junk anyway! No matter how hard things get, fall down eight times, somersault and stand up straight nine, ten. We'll show what kind of men we are!" That was the very spirit of a Shimazu samurai at the bottom of the ladder. Yet despite this, they needed money to pay for food and clothing, and so they would swallow their bitterness and have the life of half-noble half-slave.

At five o'clock every morning, a samurai would come flying out of his shack, wielding nothing but a long stick. Emitting what sounded like a monkey's screech, he'd batter a wooden stake some three thousand times. The noise would reverberate through the silence of the dawn. The face of the beater was said to express, without exception, the hatred typically directed at an enemy. It was an outlet, and explosion, of their frustration with their ill fate. Shrieking and thrashing like a madman will calm even a heart and soul awash in dissatisfaction and discontent... As if nothing ever happened... It must be a part of human nature. That's why Jigen-ryu is indeed a perfect art of Swordsmanship. To this day, there is no entry in the Shimazu clan's record about a rebellion born of discontent. The weak souls who could not withstand the poverty and discrimination lost their minds, and the strong-willed became ever more dogged. Those who accumulated too much stress either died of illness or of madness. And in regards to those who let their discontent burst out from their bodies... There was an episode of a man who felled a great pine tree in just three days. It should be easy to see how deep the tendrils of their fury went. Consequently, their Jigen-ryu became formidable. The more dogged their character and the deeper their discontent, the greater their seemingly infinite power became. It is this style of swordsmanship which the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure recognized as a useful asset to be used for the sake of the Land of Stone.

Unlike many clans in modern day, the Shimazu clan is made up of several families; the Shiba, Yoshifumi, Ryozo, Asukai, and Shimazu families. Each of these has its own traditions, many of which seem strange to outsiders, but seem to make common sense to those who grow up in the clan. These families came together long ago to form a united front against their enemies, and was awarded official clan status after a grueling war in the times before the rise of the shinobi nations. The clan as a whole took the name Shimazu, though each family includes their own family name as well when introducing themselves, referring to the Shimazu family proper with the title of Shimazu-taiso. These families also each have their own schools of fighting in addition to the Jigen-ryu, though Jigen-ryu is their only true school of swordsmanship.

Clan Specific Techniques: In progress

Clan Skills: Poverty, Jigen-Ryu, Nise Education

Bloodline: None

Note: Inspired by the Satsuma Gishiden.

Edit: Non-approved portion is highlighted in green.

Edited February 5, 2011 by Terrick Sukrai

[Azure]

Approved.

[Tsu]

Ello little Sammy!