Soushirui-yokujin Clan

[Zann Rath]

Clan Name: Soushirui-Yokujin (More commonly known as the Souyoku Clan)

Clan Village: Sunagakure no sato

Clan Starter: Washi-tsukai Takamaru

Clan Head: Souyoku Hayabusa

Clan Age and Status: The Soushirui-Yokujin clan is relatively young in comparison to the more experienced clans, although they have seen their fair share of hardships in competition for survival. They were first formed soon after Sunagakure aided Orochimaru and Sunagakure in the invasion of Konohagakure, although they did not come into any recognizable power until some decades later. They are currently a clan that is hesitantly tolerated because of their unique physical traits, even though they are a great boon to Sunagakure’s source of warriors and scholars.

Clan Bloodline: Gankoukeikei (Piercing Eyes), Doudou Chisoku (Majestic Speed), Seikuuken (Mastery of the Air).

Clan Element: Wind

Clan Emblem: A white feather on a light blue circle.

Clan Info: The Souyoku clan was not created on the basis of some incredible genetic evolution or ability, but rather began more like a club or a business. Its founder, Washi-tsukai Takamaru was an avid collector of rare bird species and was a very skill trainer of avian creatures. He married a Kunoichi who shared his passion for birds, and they soon began to form a cluster of followers who wavered on the border of worshipping his abilities. Their numbers quickly bolstered, and after several years they were all informally adopted into Takamaru’s family. They began to refer to themselves as the Soushirui-Yokujin, or Two-winged Hunter clan. The name was modeled after the birds they loved so much, namely the birds of prey, or raptors, that took up the majority of the clan’s focus. However, because the name posed to be something of a mouthful, the clan's name was quickly abbreviated to Souyoku for simplicity's sake. For several years their numbers increased both as they adopted more followers from outside the informal family, and as young ones were born into the clan.

Although none of the members at this time were able to boast any remarkable abilities like the Uchiha clan of Konoha or the Kaguya clan of Kiri, the clan’s intense knowledge of birds and the close friendship they often formed with their trained raptors rivaled that of the great Inuzuka clan’s relationship with canines. By the time a young clan member was 12 years old, he was gifted a young hatchling raptor, which he was to raise as his constant companion. Because of the knowledge and studies in the training and behavior of birds of prey, many of these gifted birds of prey came to be fierce foes in combat.

Years passed and the Souyoku clan continued to advance their knowledge. Many people admired the clan’s ability to handle birds, and this ability began to show itself in the simple genetics of the clan members, as the clan’s young were often seen accompanied by wild sparrows and other small birds who were simply drawn to the child’s presence. No one opposed the clan in removing birds from their natural homes, as both hosts in the relationship seemed to benefit greatly. The birds under the care of a clan member often grew to be much larger than their wild brothers, some large enough to be ridden by their adult masters. Many of the more skilled clan members professed that their companions held intelligence on a nearly human level. The clan members benefited immediately from the bird’s companionship simply because of its presence and aid, but other forms of a symbiosis began to emerge as generations of the clan passed. None are sure exactly how this change came to pass, but many of the later generations of the clan began to manifest bird-like features. The first noticeable difference was an increased intelligence that came with greater ease to the clan members. They grew to have a very sharp wit and fierce thirst for knowledge. Although this did not seem too odd, as the love of knowledge often ran within a family. The first very strange trait came in the person’s eyes. They were bright and sharp like a falcon’s. They could see great distances with incredible detail. Many warriors who bore this trait took up the art of throwing kunai, shuriken and senbon needles, and some even dared to pick up a bow or crossbow. Those who did so became renown as incredible marksmen.

Another trait that developed came as a great shock to those within and without the clan. Several decades into the clan’s life, a child was born with tiny feathery protrusions growing from their shoulder blades. These were undeniably wings. As these first children grew, so too did their wings, and they proved to be fully functional. Although they could move as well as any bird’s wings, flight was unattainable until the gifted child had matured to a greater age, roughly their mid to late twenties. Until then, the bearers of these wings experienced increased physical speed with the aid of their wings. Despite the presence of wings, the children were still human in all other aspects. Their bones were heavy and dense, unlike a bird’s bones, which were light and hollow. This, along with much other dissimilarity between humans and birds kept them from natural flight without a great deal of aid from chakra.

As to be expected, the clan began to be shunned because of their children’s strange birth traits. They were claimed to be “inhuman”, and a great prejudice against them began to swell in Sunagakure no sato. It would seem that this prejudice would not recede, as the further changes began to take place as more generations passed. Their children were born with slimmer body frames and very distinct facial features that have them a nearly hawk-like appearance. Without their wings to distract onlookers, the clan members may have been considered incredibly handsome for their smooth features and sharp, piercing eyes. On a more subtle level, the children were also born lighter. This was overlooked for a brief time, as these children were born during a time of acute famine in Sunagakure, but the children were as healthy as any other. Their light weight was caused by lighter and more porous bones, another trait of their increasingly avian bloodline.

The changes have slowed and nearly stopped in recent days, though they have not receded. The members of the clan still bear wings, incredible eyesight, hawk-like features and lighter frames. To follow suit with the relentless changes that have overcome the clan, the prejudice against them has backed down to a resentful tolerance of the clan members. This tends to be the greatest concern of parents within the clan, as their children are often scoffed, spat upon and hated by others upon venturing out of the mother’s nest. To overcome this, the clan members have adopted a very proud outlook towards their gift. They carry themselves with a noble posture and an elegant stride that seems to come naturally with their lithe forms. The children are taught that their physical and mental differences are a gift, and that they are never to feel sorry for themselves or to apologize to others simply because they are different. Although this defiant pride seems to increase the hate of some towards them, it also keeps the targets of the hate from spiraling downward into a state of self-deprecation.

When looking over the clan’s government, there is little seen that is out of the ordinary. There are not true branches with the clan, as they cannot afford to tolerate prejudice between branches that may consider themselves “greater” than another. All clan members are given the opportunity to receive the same training in clan techniques, and they are all welcome within the clan’s library, which contains a vast wealth of knowledge on their avian companions. The clan’s leadership is best described as a hierarchy. There is a “Council of Elders” that consists of nine members that are elected by the populace of the can. These nine members elect a Head of the Clan, who oversees most of the operations within the clan. Beneath him is the Jinsokukakan, who often oversees the clan’s physical training, and also serves as second-in-command of the clan’s forces, under the Head of the Clan who serves as commander in chief, in times of war. At an equal rank to the Jinsokukakan is the Sokketsusokudan, who is third in command of the clan’s forces. He often resides over the library and assures its maintanence and order. He is often known to be very intelligent and a swift thinker. He elects a host of trainers who takes on groups of young and prospective shinobi who wish to learn of the clan’s special ninjutsu and genjutsu. Despite these key positions of leadership, all clan members are considered of equal status.

Clan Specific Techniques: Called Shots.

Clan Skills: Hindering traits.

Bloodline: Gankoukeikei (Piercing Eyes), Doudou Chisoku (Majestic Speed), Seikuuken (Mastery of the Air)

Edited January 13, 2007 by Zann Rath

[Takius]

That's some hardcore prose ya got tharrr D:

::Undeniably APPROVED::

[Arashi]

Approved

[Cellar Door]

Moved/Inactive