The Hoshigaki Clan:.

[Eechi-go]

.:The Hoshigaki Clan:.

 

 

"The weak are meat, the strong eat."

 

弱肉強食

 

 

.:Village: Existing as one of the founding clans of Kirigakure, the Hoshigaki refuse to call any other village home. That said, there are some Hoshigaki who prefer to live out on the eastern isles in solitude.
.:Clan Founder: Samebito; Demon King of Akafuchi. Samebito was once a creature that ruled one of the summoning realms that dotted the multiverse. The demon shark and his subjects frequently appeared from their dimension to devour those foolish enough to tread through the waters. It was only after a fair maiden offered herself as a tribute did the Demon King stop his mad feast, and together they created the Hoshigaki.
.:Clan Head: Hoshigaki Komori-zame. The leader of the Hoshigaki Clan, which is known by their title 'zame', is not chosen through democratic methods, nor is the title passed down through next of kin. The clan leader is dethroned when another clansmen challenges and defeats them in single combat to the death. Though mercy can be granted to the losing clansmen, it is rare. This is the sole reason why Komori-zame continues to lead the clan despite his rigid leadership. Existing as the oldest living Hoshigaki, Komori-zame's immeasurable experience and lack of limits has bested every single challenger to have stepped against him despite his aging body.
.:Clan Age: Ancient. The Hoshigaki have existed long before the founding of Kirigakure no Sato and were one of the most powerful clans during the First Great Shinobi War.
.:Clan Status: Feared and Disliked. The terrifying appearance of the average Hoshigaki member combined with their terrible, bloody history makes the clan an easy target for scorn and distaste. Their aggressive nature makes it difficult for them to get along with most people, especially due to Komori-zame's belief that Hoshigaki are superior to all other clans and people.
.:Clan Bloodline: Samehada
.:Clan Element: Water

 

 

.:Clan Emblem:.

 

 

 

.:Clan History:.

 
 

.:Children of the Demon Shark:.

 

 

If you asked multiple scholars of history about the origins of the Hoshigaki, you would get a multitude of different answers.

 

Yet if you asked a Hoshigaki about the origins of his clan, they would all tell you the same story. It is said in their legends, long before the First Great Shinobi War, that there were still demons that lurked across the earth. Their relation to the nine bijuu were questionable, and were similar to the yokai that inhabit the world today. These demons had a nasty habit of interfering with human life, from making deals with them to just murdering them with swaths.

 

But there was one demon that wreaked havoc on the coastlines of Mizu no Kuni- a great black shark that devoured all who were foolish enough to step foot in it's waters. He was known as Samebito, and he lorded over the realm of the Demon Sharks of Akafuchi. The attacks were relentless, and no survivors were ever reported- except for one. In order to save Mizu no Kuni's budding civilization, a woman approached the shark to strike a deal with it in order to get it to return to its original plane. Surprisingly, the shark not only held back from attacking the woman, but obliged her attempts to come to an agreement. Yet nothing the woman offered was enough to sway the mighty black beast, and it looked as though she too was going to suffer the same fate as all who had come before her. But rather than devour the woman, the shark came back with its own bargain- he would leave this plane of existence if the woman gave herself to him and bore his spawn. With no other options available outside of her inevitable consumption, the woman reluctantly agreed, and the deal was set.

 

Samebito upheld his part of the bargain, disappearing from this world like he had promised, while the woman would eventually give birth to his spawn. What she didn't realize, however, is that her children would all possess similar traits of their father- beady eyes, gills, sharpened teeth, and blue skin that was abrasive enough to tear human flesh. In addition, the terms of how many spawn she would birth were never set, so she would find herself giving birth to a new set of pups every couple years. Despite all of her suffering, she cared for her shark-children with all of her heart as best she could. Unfortunately her body could not handle the strain of the endless birthing cycle, eventually passing away before many of the children could even reach adulthood. With the death of the only person they knew to grant them affection, the shark-people went berserk, their demonic blood boiling in their veins as they lost themselves to anguish as they were let loose on Mizu no Kuni with no coincidence to guide them.

 

 

 

.:Dried Fruit and the Brotherhood:.

 

At the time of the shark-people's appearance on the world stage, Mizu no Kuni was being fought over by a multitude of shinobi clans in an attempt to gain dominance and claim the islands for themselves. No one was truly prepared for the hell that the shark-people would unleash on the islands. They were wild animals, attacking in groups and mauling anyone they came across. They hated everything and everyone for absolutely no logical reason, and used all of that hatred to demolish many of the lesser clans with their superior strength, speed, and genetic mutation. Even without any proper leadership, the shark people thrived in with high birth rates despite the cannibalism that began to take hold in the ranks, eventually driving Mizu no Kuni's citizens to the brink of extinction until they finally encountered the Kaguya.

 

It was the Kaguya alone who single-handedly stood against the shark-people's mad desire to conquer the entire continent. Their ability to regenerate and turn their entire body into a weapon made them worthy adversaries to the shark-people, as they were not as easy to kill as the typical clans that they had stomped on in the past. No longer were these shark-people able to simply launch themselves at their foes with teeth bare- they would have to finally break their single-minded fury and become more thoughtful and tactical if they had any hopes of taking down these new and powerful foes. Thus, the oldest of the shark-people stood amongst his family and took the position of 'leader' in order to guide his budding clan to greatness- Koukou-zame. Having had lived the longest and having gained a great deal of wisdom, the shark man would possess the tactical mind necessary to ensure that his people would not be wiped out by the Kaguya retaliation. Koukou-zame gave a voice to his clan by embracing the name 'Hoshigaki' as their surnames, which is what the people of Mizu no Kuni referred to them as in order to be insulting by comparing them to the foul, dried, unpleasant fruit known as the persimmon.

 

In order to combat the Kaguya menace, the Hoshigaki began forging weapons and armor made from the bones of the great beasts that lingered in Mizu no Kuni's oceans. Though their abrasive, bladed skin made their bodies weapons as well, Koukou-zame deemed it foolish to engage a Kaguya in hand-to-hand combat unless absolutely necessary due to their ability to extend their bones out through their flesh at any point in time. At this point the Hoshigaki began to abandon their previous desire to conquer Mizu no Kuni, and instead dedicated all of their efforts to demolishing the Kaguya. This war would be waged for many, many years, and as the two clans fought many more clans began to rise to prominence. Eventually the Hoshigaki was fighting a war on multiple fronts against the Kaguya, Hisame, Zandoran, Hozuki, Suizuma and Umikaze. It wasn't until the Namikaze finally landed and started making a name for themselves would things change for the land at all.

 

It was Namikaze Bodaiju who approached Koukou-zame in an attempt to barter a deal between- bring forth their most skilled swordsman to challenge Bodaiju in single combat. If the Hoshigaki was victorious, the Namikaze would submit in defeat. If Bodaiju won, however, the swordsman must submit to the Namikaze and join his brotherhood. Finding amusement in the challenge, Koukou-zame himself took to the field, brandishing his shark-bone weapons and armor against Bodaiju. Their battle raged for hours with both clans watching in awe. Despite Koukou-zame's best efforts, he could not fell the Namikaze and his expert mastery of martial combat. Rather than taking a bite out of the man while he let his guard down, Koukou-zame honored his agreement with Bodaiju, showing that perhaps the Hoshigaki were capable of peace as well.

 

As Bodaiju's brotherhood grew, Koukou-zame became more and more uncomfortable with each member from opposing clans that joined their midst. This would all come to a head when Kaguya Shirayuri was accepted into the ranks. The Hoshigaki clan leader absolutely refused to deal with the Kaguya, even going so far as to lashing out against him, but was quickly reeled in when he realized how different Shirayuri was from his peers. He was a turncoat of his people, and his mindset was clearly detached from that of the rest of his family in that he wanted to achieve true peace in Mizu no Kuni rather than the total dominance of the Kaguya. The shark-man would drop the issue...for now.

 

 

.:Samehada:.

 

There was a summit.

 

Together, Bodaiju with his brotherhood and the other representatives of their clans, met in their own personal sanctuary to discuss the future of Mizu no Kuni. It was clear that despite all the progress they had made thus far there was no end in sight to the warring unless they did something drastic. Bodaiju proposed the creation of a village where all of the clans of Mizu no Kuni could unite under a single banner and live in peace and prosperity together. Though the idea was sound, it was ultimately a pipe dream unless the seven clans could hold enough power and influence to sway and scare the other, smaller clans into letting go of their pointless grudges. Not to be deterred, the leader of the Namikaze put forth the idea of subduing and sealing the mysterious Bijuu that also shared the land with them- the Sanbi. Yet even that was a significant hurdle seeing as how not even an army was able to fell the beast. They would need powerful weapons to beat back the Bijuu and claim it for their own.

 

Koukou-zame returned to the clan and explained the situation. Hoshigaki blacksmiths were called back from all corners of the country to see what could be done about fashioning an ultimate weapon with the skills they had gathered over the years. After mutilating all manner of creatures for their resources, ultimately Koukou-zame was not pleased with the result. It was then that he decided that they would need the help of a demon to defeat another demon.

 

One brisk summer's evening, Koukou-zame called for a blood ritual to be performed. The goal was simple; summon Samebito back to the world so that they may gain his blessing and guidance. And so, many of the clansmen stood in an enormous circle and slit their palms with their blades, before attempting a joint summoning technique together. To their misfortune, the technique succeeded....somewhat. A bloody rift between the two worlds was formed, granting the Hoshigaki a projection into the world of their progenitor.

 

The entire world was one enormous ocean, filled with the corpses of countless creatures that had been torn apart by the hunger of the demon sharks. The ocean itself was dyed a deep crimson from blood. It was a savage world, one that even some of the Hoshigaki had reservations about. Eventually, Samebito himself came through the rift he was summoned from, lavishing the Hoshigaki with his presence. He was a tremendous beast- far larger than ever depicted in history prior. The Hoshigaki explained the situation to their creator, begging for his assistance, but Samebito would deny them. As a matter of fact, he was disgusted with all of them. Samebito went on to reveal that the only reason he had created the Hoshigaki was to own an army that he could control to take over this world, as well as all other worlds. Their purpose was to tear this world apart and devour all life so that it could be used as breeding grounds for more of his people while he bided his time and planned for the inevitable inter-dimensional war in his own world. The fact that they hadn't even wiped out all life on Mizu no Kuni, let alone the entire planet, marked them as a failed experiment that had fallen off the tracks.

 

The Hoshigaki were enraged and confused by this revelation, immediately raising up arms against their creator. Failed experiments they might have been, but hell could not contain their fury as they abandoned their god and master. The entire clan rose against Samebito, pushing him back into the rift from whence he came, with Koukou-zame leading the charge. While the Hoshigaki were ultimately successful, they noticed that they were swiftly being sapped of their chakra just by coming in contact with the great beast. This made it rather easy for Samebito to drag a great deal of the clansmen down into the Akafuchi with him before the rift closed, leaving Koukou-zame and a small platoon of men alone in the den of the beast.

 

For three days the clansmen mourned the loss of their leader and comrades, but on the night of the third day, another rift in the summoning dimension opened up, and out came Koukou-zame riding the corpse of the great beast himself, Samebito. He was the only survivor who was caught in the demon shark's dimension, but he and his fellow sharkmen had apparently gone on a suicide mission into Samebito's belly to kill him from the inside. Successful and stronger for the experience, Koukou-zame commissioned Zandoran Koginu to forge a blade out of the impossibly durable, chakra-draining flesh of their god. And thus, Samehada was born.

 

 

.:Birth of Kirigakure and the Seven Swordsmen:.

 

The seven swords were forged. Each clan leader held one in hand, leading their respective clan into battle against the Sanbi. Koukou-zame commanded his Hoshigaki brother and sisters, wielding Samehada and inspiring them with it as a symbol of the immeasurable power they all had- the power to kill their own god. The battle with the Sanbi went on for what felt like days, and most of the clans who participated lost a sizable chunk of their population. But eventually, the battle was won, and the Sanbi was brought to it's knees, only to be sealed inside Umikaze Wararu, who volunteered to be the great beast's host.

 

The next step of the process was to go out and strong-arm the other, weaker clans into surrendering to the seven clans. The Hoshigaki were sent out to be the attack dogs on this particular part of Bodaiju's plan, and it worked rather swimmingly, especially due to the fact that Samehada was...changing. Ever since it had absorbed the Sanbi's chakra, it had seemingly taken on a life of it's own. The clan could not figure out why this was or how it happened, but they accepted it as a tool for intimidation. With the frightening sharksword being brandished at every clan meeting, it wouldn't take long before each clan folded under the pressure that the Hoshigaki were placing on them. Before long, their dreams were realized, and Kirigakure no Sato became a reality.

 

Then, of course, the time came to pick a leader, and it was unanimous among all clans, even the Hoshigaki- Namikaze Bodaiju had earned the right to be the Shodai Mizukage, for without him, the village would have never come into existence. The other six clan heads would act as his council, and together they would govern the village. It almost seemed crazy...but it would seem that peace had finally risen over the misty lands of Mizu no Kuni. The seven clans acted as the major might of the village but before long an academy was opened to train a new generation of soldiers to become shinobi.

 

The Hoshigaki continued to thrive in this new establishment due to the power that maintained as one of the seven clans on the council. As such, they lived comfortable lives as they carved out a part of Mizu no Kuni to raise their estates and called it home. Wars would wash over the countries as more shinobi villages rose to power, but Kirigakure remained relatively absent from most thanks to it's distance from the main land. The Hoshigaki would not suffer any great loss until Koukou-zame met the end of his life roughly one hundred years prior when he was cut down in his old age by an individual named Fuguki Suikazan, who did so in order to obtain Samehada and wield it for his own nefarious purposes.

 

On his death bed, Koukou-zame warned his clan of a great evil that they would have to deal with in the future. He told them that when he had brought death to Samebito, the creature swore to Koukou-zame that he would one day reincarnate into one of the Hoshigaki children. When that day came, he would mette out his final revenge against his children and enslave them to his will so that they may fulfill their destiny of absolute global genocide.

 

 With Koukou-zame's passing, the Hoshigaki remained wary of each new child born into the clan.

 

 

.:The Bloody Mist:.

 

The relative peace in Kirigakure was shattered the day the Kaguya decided to attack the entire village to sate their lust for battle, resulting in an enormous history of violence that birthed the nickname of 'The Blood Mist' in the land of Mizu no Kuni. Scholars believe that the Kaguya acted out against the village once Koukou-zame was killed due to the belief that the Hoshigaki were at their weakest without their leader and their legendary blade, Samehada. This act reignited the horribly rivalry between the two clans, but in the end, the Kaguya were beaten rather soundly by the combined forces of the entire village. Due to this wanton act of aggression by the Kaguya, however, an intense hatred grew among the villagers against those who possessed a kekkei genkai.

 

This hatred resulted in the mass genocide of several clans that possessed one, and very nearly drove even the Hisame and Kaguya to extinction. At first the Hoshigaki were spared from this purge, believing them to be the heroes who possessed the knowledge on how to beat back the Kaguya during their initial assault. However, as time passed, the hatred began to make even the Hoshigaki sweat as the people who detested kekkei genkais began to notice that there was not much difference between the Hoshigaki and the Kaguya, and eventually they would find themselves despised as well.

 

By now the Fourth Mizukage had risen to power, and under his decree the academy graduation requirements were changed. Rather than completing a simple jutsu for a crowd, each member of the graduating class was required to kill their fellow classmates in a battle royale until there was only one left standing. This move was controversial, and severely reduced the amount of shinobi that Kirigakure had active at any point in time...but no one could deny the sheer strength of those who survived.

 

One of those graduates was Hoshigaki Kisame.

 

A legendary individual in his own right, Kisame cut a swathe through his classmates with no remorse, proving himself to be worthy of the title of shinobi and eventually found himself in the company of Fuguki Suikazan, the very man who slaughtered Koukou-zame decades ago and stole Samehada from him. Kisame was pressed by his clan to try and retrieve the legendary sword from the man, and after working as his henchman for several years, Kisame fulfilled his clan's request and slaughtered Suikazan in cold blood, retrieving Samehada...for himself.

 

What happened to Kisame after that was a mystery to the entire clan. Rather than return home triumphantly to his people, the swordsman instead decided to abandon the village entirely. This action branded him as a missing-nin, and made the village look down on the Hoshigaki with an even more unfavorable gaze. The Hoshigaki quickly turned on Kisame, disowning him from the clan and claiming him to be the reincarnation of Samebito who was clearly out for revenge against them. This belief only seemed more justified as Kisame joined the elite mercenary organization known as the 'Akatsuki' who would eventually go on to try and trap the world into an eternal genjutsu.

 

During the rest of this time period, the Hoshigaki remained inactive, not wanting to bring further attention to themselves.

 

 
 
.:Clan Relations:.
 
• - Allied
• - Neutrality
• - Enmity | Hatred
 
 
.:Kirigakure Relations:.
 
• - Namikaze
• - Hisame
• -Zandoran
• - Hozuki
• - Raigeki
• - Suizuma
• - Umikoi
• - Kaguya
 
 
 

.:Clan Slots:.

 

1. Hoshigaki 'Nibble' Kajiru

2.

3.

4.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Eechi-go

[Eechi-go]

.:Hoshigaki Physiology:.

 

 

"Sharks start out as eggs, but incubate and hatch in the womb. Sometimes the number of pups is less than the number of eggs that were fertilized. Do you know why? Cannibalism. The pups start eating each other within the mother's womb the moment they hatch. They start killing their siblings the moment they enter the world, viewing everything they see as nothing more than prey. As of today you and I are fellow members of Akatsuki. So be careful… of me." - Hoshigaki Kisame

 

---

 

The Hoshigaki are essentially a race of Mermen.

 

Though they share many physical traits with that of humans, their shark-like traits are more prominent due to their demonic ancestry. The most obvious trait being their two sets of gills. One set appears on each upper bicep on their shoulders, and the second set appears on their upper cheekbones, right below the eyes. In addition, depending on the blood purity of the Hoshigaki, the clansmen may experience sunken cheeks, giving an appearance of strong cheekbones. A Hoshigaki's eyes are also very small and beady, with veins being more prominent than the average human's. It is not uncommon for those Hoshigaki with less purity in the blood to have more normal looking eyes.

 

Another Hoshigaki trademark would be their ferocious and jagged teeth. Unlike other Kirigakurians who have to manually sharpen their teeth to maintain an intimidating presence, the Hoshigaki are born with the innately terrifying teeth of their ancestors. These teeth are razor sharp, and combined with the astronomical torque of their jaw strength, it is very easy for a clansmen to bite straight through several inches of metal without batting an eye. Their teeth regularly fall out, though this is usually of no concern for the Hoshigaki, because a new tooth is prepped and ready to regenerate within minutes after the original tooth is lost. The Hoshigaki never lose the ability to regenerate their teeth, even in their old age.

 

 

 

The pride and joy of the Hoshigaki would be their complex dermal corset made of flexible collagenous fibers and arranged as a helical network surrounding their body, known to the clan as their natural 'Samehada'.

 

This protective dermal mutation is the form of the Hoshigaki kekkei genkai, and it causes the clansmen to have numerous shades of skin colors that range from blue, to a twinge of green, to even black. Their dermal teeth give them hydrodynamic advantages as they reduce turbulence when swimming. The dermal teeth are typically retracted until chakra is actively pumped through the Hoshigaki's tenketsu, which serves to stimulate the skin and cause the abrasive texture to become apparent. This skin acts as a suit of armor for the Hoshigaki, protecting them from physical attacks as well as water-based techniques, turning them into powerful juggernauts that can shrug off assaults that would fell most shinobi. The dermal teeth are sharper than one would predict, and even gently touching a Hoshigaki while their kekkei genkai is activated would be enough to cause bleeding and other physical harm. This can be used to great effect when the Hoshigaki chooses to engage in hand-to-hand combat with their foes, leaving their opponents in a giant lose-lose situation.

 

Hoshigaki are also known for their funny hair colors, having hues that are usually a darker shade than their skin color. The most common colors are blue, turquoise, green, black, and occasionally even silver. There have been a few 'mutants' in the clan who possess colors outside the usual spectrum, such as Hoshigaki Oka and Hoshigaki Kajiru, though they are truly oddities when it comes to their genetics. The Hoshigaki are capable of growing out facial hair, though it isn't a very common trait, and those who are capable of it rarely partake.

 

The Hoshigaki on average are several inches taller than most humans. Most adult males tend to stop growing at around 6'2-'64, whereas the females average around 5'9-6'0. On top of generally being taller than most humans, the Hoshigaki have longer lifespans as well, though many of them die in combat long before old age comes for them. The oldest living Hoshigaki is Komori-zame, who is 150 years old. Finally, there are rumors circulating around the clan regarding the genitalia of the male Hoshigaki. It is hypothesized that the males possess two penises like their shark counterparts, however, when pressed on the topic, Hoshigaki males will simply grin and hold their tongues. The females also share this sentiment. The world may never know the truth.

 

 

.:Hoshigaki Politics:.

 

 

"Speak when spoken to, Meat. I'll drag you and the rest of this clan to glory whether you like it or not." - Hoshigaki Komori-zame

 

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The Hoshigaki clan is one of the most radical political parties in Kirigakure, which comes as no surprise to anyone.

 

Standing in direct opposition to the Kaguya Clan on almost every issue, the Hoshigaki clansmen have almost always favored more drastic political changes that their rival clan actively opposes. While this clan feud makes politics difficult, it provides the other five clans with greater perspective into the most extreme scenarios, and makes it easier to find a common middle ground between the rest of the clans. Like all of the other clans, the Hoshigaki leader represents the interests of their clan, and is generally expected to vote in favor of the majority rule in their family. However, the Hoshigaki head is not bound by the desires of their fellow clansmen, and has free will to make whatever decisions he or she thinks is best for the continued survival of the clan.

 

If at any time a clansmen disagrees with how the current clan head is running the family, they may challenge them to one-on-one combat using any tactics necessary to overcome one another. Both clansmen are expected to fight to the bitter end, until one shinobi falls. Once a Hoshigaki lay dead in a puddle of their own blood, it is customary for the winner to devour the remains of the fallen and take on the title of 'Zame', indicating their position as clan leader. Mercy is allowed, but rarely given.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Eechi-go

[Eechi-go]

Reserved:.

[Cellar Door]

Approved

[Hardcore Skittlez]

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