Kugutsu is a samurai by birth and is currently under the mentorship of Hagoromo Gitsune in Kirigakure. She has been accepted as a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and granted use of the Nuibari. However, due to her delicate mental state, Kugutsu fears this gift may be lost to her. She has begun to seek out a spiritualist recommended by her mentor in order to combat this possibility.
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editNingyō | |||
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Marionette (傀儡, Kugutsu)
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Personal | |||
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| Age |
20 | ||
| Height |
152.4 | ||
| Weight |
44.5 | ||
| Blood type |
AB | ||
| Kekkei Genkai | |||
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Rank | |||
| Ninja Rank |
Unranked | ||
| Ninja Registration |
865521 | ||
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August 5
Female
Splintered Sides[]
Kugutsu is the original personality in the woman's splitting psyche. With a phlegmatic disposition and melancholic air, she retains a distance from others and is often considered off-putting. Due to her psychological disorder, Kugutsu often "blacks out" and cannot remember anything when she comes to. Embarrassed by this symptom, she frequently attempts to cover it up via lies or quietly trying to piece together the missing portions of her memory. This stoical or impassive nature has led her to be perceived as the leadership type, though she has never assumed such a role. Kugutsu does not speak much, unless directly spoken to, which is thought to be a direct link to her heritage and upbringing; her father was strict in her and her sister's raising, though women were also taught to speak only when spoken to in many households.
She adheres to rules and regulations, yet has broken many unspoken values held in her village. Hailing from a country filled with samurai, they held themselves in higher competency over ninja, yet Kugutsu made the decision to seek out shinobi in order to further her knowledge over kenjutsu. She is also known for having an irrational streak when angered; however, this is difficult state to provoke her in to. During a time of irrationality, she has sought out the teachings of geisha, whom were abhorred by her village, in order to spite her father.
Kugutsu has also been noted to have an eloquence about her manner of speaking, despite her preference for remaining quiet. She is not, however, above criticizing someone unfairly; in the past, Kugutsu caused numerous disputes between herself and an individual that she saw as a "mangy cur" due to his mixed bloodline (a shinobi and samurai's child). She is strict and often harsh on others, but generally means well. She is not known for dealing out compliments or praise, though she does occasionally show appreciation for another's hard work. On the occasions that the samurai does behave kindly toward someone, it is usually hard to spot; for example, she may purchase flowers for an ill comrade, yet leave them as anonymous gifts.
She also has three additional personalities as a result of her condition, each being a "separate entity" from the original persona. Certain aspects of her environment may trigger another personality to emerge, yet Kugutsu is rarely aware of when they are coming. She is only aware of her "Ningyō" personality: her slain sibling. Though a level-headed and rational individual, she is under the impression that her younger sister has possessed her body and is causing her blackouts. Kugutsu is unaware of the others and always assumes it to be Ningyō who takes over her body.
Blooming Lilly[]
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Painful Memories
She lives up to her name, as she truly resembles a life-size doll. The woman, upon first glance, appears very ethereal, and her beauty contributes to this factor greatly. With raven tresses and enchanting Prussian blue colored eyes that are slightly slanted and often mistaken for black, Kugutsu is an exquisite woman to behold, being in a category of her own in feminine grace and softness. She has a soft, fair complexion with sweet, gentle smiles and long eyelashes; according to appearance alone, one would believe her to be royalty. She normally dons darkly colored kimonos that reach to her ankles, whose patterns vary. Her main attire consists of a navy blue, shin-length, informal yukata with baggy sleeves that reach her elbows. She has an intricately designed, crimson obi that is tied in a large bow at the back, and her feet are often bare; however, she only seems to do this when idle, for otherwise she dons geta with socks. Her hair is almost always down, but she will occasionally pull it back into a loose ponytail, and what once were bangs have now become long like the rest of her hair. Her ever faithful sword remains at her side on the left hip and she does not seem to wear a hip pouch unless she has become "Ningyo." There are, however, senbon tucked within the red obi she wears. She is a Geisha of Kirigakure, which is fitting when considering her seemingly fragile appearance and lithe body; a woman whose very form holds resemblance to the mist itself.
On idle days she can be seen in an ornately decorated, pink, silk Furisode, which has dark red flowers and similar designs littering the long sleeves. A yellow obi is donned with this kimono and is folded to reveal the contrasting red underside to it. The formal Zōri footwear is worn along with white socks to tie the look together. Her black tresses are always down as a result of the formality associated with her manner of dress and her sword does not accompany her; however, her Wrist-Mounted Senbon Launcher is hidden beneath the left sleeve in case she needs to protect herself; however, she has not learned how to properly utilize the weapon.
Background[]
Flourishing Blossoms[]
Twin Dolls: Ningyo and Kugutsu
Ningyō and Kugutsu were born as identical twin sisters, Kugutsu being the elder by only ten minutes, though they both weighed the same and were identical in length as well. This peculiar fact about the puzzled doctors and their parents, but seeing as they were healthy and crying loudly there was no reason to be alarmed. The duo grew up in the cold, mountainous Tetsu no Kuni with their mother and father, both of whom adored their girls and wanted only for them to grow up and be strong women of the sword. Their father was a tad harsh on them at times, but otherwise their life was idyllic. The twins were closer than most siblings, and it seemed they shared a bond very few could understand; they rarely, if ever, fought or bickered in any manner, were always courteous and kind to one another, were always seen by one another's side, and seemed to know each other's deepest secrets. Kugutsu was protective and almost possessive of the younger, threatening to slice the throats of any who talked badly about Ningyō, and yet the younger of the duo rarely spoke up even when her sibling's integrity was in question. Both knew, however, the other's true self and could never doubt each other.
As the years went on, the twins grew closer and eventually rarely talked with anyone but one another, yet they were growing into two beautiful swordswomen that were quite the talk of the small village they resided in. The youngest had made a friend during the duo's time in training, whose name was Kurai, but Kugutsu did not share the relationship with him that Ningyō did; instead, she had a one-sided rivalry. Ningyō and her elder sibling had planned to leave and travel the world together for awhile so that they could discover what the rest of society was like. They had made many plans and promised one another they would be together always once they returned to the village so they could run the family's training facility for aspiring samurai. That dream, however, would be brought the an abrupt end.
Kurai had been in an intense rivalry that blossomed into some sort of affection for the elder sister, Kugutsu, but Ningyō held strong feelings for him instead. A triangle had formed and without any of them realizing it, this formation would bring an end to a happy picture. Ningyō had often saved Kurai from being dealt a death-blow from Kugutsu, though it is uncertain if Kugutsu ever actually intended on killing him.
Wilted Flower[]
Death of Ningyō
The day of their departure was to be a happy occasion: rise at dawn, eat well, and depart. Things, though, did not go as planned, for in the middle of the night an enraged individual was on the prowl; the young man Kurai had an episode after being wounded fatally (or so it was believed) earlier that evening by a ruthless Kugutsu, who had deemed him a menace and a threat not only to herself and her village, but to her younger sibling that had developed strong feelings for the 'half-breed'. Ningyō was often in the shadow of her older and talented sibling, even in regards to romance; Kugutsu had no real interest in love, but she had somehow garnered the attention of Kurai and found it annoying that he completely disregarded her younger sibling's feelings, thus she had decided to inevitably remove him. He had slain their mother first, who had accidentally stumbled upon the man creeping into their house in the dead of night. Her blood stained the light colored flooring of the house crimson, but she had never gotten time to make a sound other than the gurgle of air attempting to escape the hole in her throat where blood had begun to pool and spill out of. He started next for the twins' room, which was located in the middle of the house and opposite of their parents' bedroom. Once inside, both young women sound asleep, he struck down the youngest sibling first: Ningyō. Kugutsu was unsure how exactly her sibling had perished in the arms of the monster now within their bed chambers, but her earth shattering scream had forced her from a deep slumber. Kugutsu was horrified at seeing her lovely younger sibling lying limp in the creature's arms, her then cold, dead eyes having locked with her elder sister's own before she had passed on. The horror and dismay, anguish and rage that built up her the fifteen year old's heart seemed to hold her there, petrified and unable to even move. Her father, too, had heard the terror-filled screams of the young daughter, and he had planned to rush to her aid, though was stalled by the sight of his wife in a bloody heap near the front door, which had been opened and now ushered in the cold night air and snow. His own voice was choked back as he leaned down and out for her terrified face, so as to cup her cheek in his hand, which was a striking difference in temperature when compared to her almost frozen countenance.
His hesitance brought trouble to Kugutsu, who was still frozen with shock on her pallet and could only seem to watch as the murderer merely remained in his spot as well, staring at her first, then her deceased sibling. It would not be long before her father joined them within the room, having hardened his heart so that he may face the fact that his wife was dead, though he was not prepared for the death of his youngest daughter. The moonlight illuminated the room and danced eerily off the red pool of blood soaking through the sheets of Ningyō's pallet, her face devoid of fear and pain. The man lunged at the attacker, though somehow his blows never landed a fatal hit, thus this humanoid creature escaped and further shattered the psyche of Kugutsu.
Subversive Sister[]
Sitting there in the darkened room, neither father nor daughter could really process all that had occurred that night; they both had lost their loved ones, but neither could find comforting words for the other since the monster was still loose. The silence grew deafening for a time before Gorou informed his remaining daughter that her mother had also passed on, yet Kugutsu did not want to hear it. She attempted to revive her sibling with a Kekkei Genkai both herself and her sister had developed, but she was stopped by her father with an explanation that bringing Ningyō back to not only her mother dead, but her sister as well would crush her spirit; he claimed that she was the only one of the two strong enough to press onward. The fifteen year old swordswoman was furious with her father, claiming that it was terrible of him to think her sister was weak in any way, an thus she began to lash out in the most unusual way.
After the funeral, Kugutsu put away her sword for what she thought would be forever, vowing to never pick it up again an to destroy her father's work the minute he died. This broke the aging man's heart, but he knew that one day she would understand. Nevertheless, he was disappointed in her as she began to practice the lifestyle of a Geisha, which were, at the time, scorned by the people in the village due to their sometimes lewd practices.
This continued on for two years, her performances becoming something of an attraction within the town, though she was too young to actually be advancing on, especially with the watchful eyes of her father lurking about. Though he could not stop her from rebelling, he could keep others from putting their hands on her and he did so at all costs. Kugutsu began to realize the toll her actions were taking on her father's waning health, as well as the business he had built up on his own. She was getting older, therefore wiser to her own actions, thus began to feel horrible for her subversive actions against the man that had stopped her from taking her own life to revive a sibling that may have very well done the same in return.
But, in those two years the broken psyche of the young woman had fractured into separate entities, the image of her mother and sister being painted by them. She was not the same and she somehow knew that. By age seventeen, she had began experiencing blackouts at random intervals, found things moved around her room that she never recalled moving, and been greeted by people she never remembered meeting. It was a strange feeling, believing that she no longer knew herself or had no control over her body, so it was time to set out and gather herself.
Faceless Watchers[]
Kugutsu departed from her home, having picked up her sword again after two long years, and promised to return after she had made herself a better person and swordswoman. In truth, she was seeking to learn about the sides of herself she never knew existed, but she never got the chance to realize that. Upon exiting the mountains, Kugutsu was pushed back and replaced by her sister's integrated personality, leaving her true self completely masked and unaware while "Ningyō" has been parading around with her body, acting just as her deceased sibling would. Shy and submissive, this version of Kugutsu traveled for many miles, even stayed in Yukigakure for a time and became their Toxicologist. The shy sister Kugutsu had created in her mind to replace what was lost had steadily become altered. Kugutsu became aware of this false Ningyō after she woke up in Yukigakure, though left it soon after while giving the excuse that she wished to better her swordsmanship within the walls of allies. She was both excited and annoyed that somehow her 'sister' had 'possessed' her body; to this day she is still unaware that it is her mind playing tricks on her.
Kugutsu is currently in Kirigakure awaiting the possible teachings from a member of the Seven Swordsmen. Even now she is unaware that her actions so many years ago were what caused the death of her beloved sister, and she is also ignorant to the identity of the person that murdered her sister in cold blood; should she ever realize either, it may break her entirely.
Kenjutsu[]
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Dance of Blades
Ningyō/Kugutsu, born in the land of Samurai, was trained from an early age in their ways. She's particularly swift and elegant in her attacks while also being very agile and flexible. Her abilities are ones that should be noted above all else, for she practices two types only: Iaijutsu and Iaidō. She's proficient in both, though is nothing in comparison to some; however, because Kenjutsu is her primary fighting style, she surpasses normal expectations for a petite, almost fragile appearing, eighteen year old. Her attacks are always well-timed and she will often utilize defensive or counter measures to ensure a win rather than blindly attacking someone. She prefers defense seeing as she doesn't have the upper body strength to deliver very strong blows, but always aims for the head of whoever she fights; if she means to kill, it will be swift at the very least.
Her lower body is particularly powerful, as her legs support her weight in her stances, thus she has an easier time maneuvering around the battlefield. Being light on her feet holds many advantages seeing as she can't deliver very powerful blows, and can easily be overpowered by others in strength; since she can't muscle her way through an attack, she has to parry and dodge, which requires her to be swift. Ningyō's reflexes also depend on her ability to quickly and easily remove her swords from its sheath to strike any incoming objects; both of her styles depend heavily on this manner of drawing out her blade, so she can't afford to be slow.
One technique in particular forces her to be fast or be blocked, though when she uses all of her possible speed to utilize this technique, she can be quite hard to dodge, especially when coupled with the Body Flicker Technique. She's certainly nothing to underestimate when using her sword, but it definitely isn't her strength which makes her fearsome. Despite her small body, she is fast, thus keeping up with her swordplay can prove difficult for even the most trained eyes, other than those who own Dōjutsu.
Kugutsu is equally proficient with a Katana, though is physically stronger than Ningyō ever was; however, she is definitely no brute in regards to strength, so still stays close to defensive maneuvers rather than offensive ones. With the addition of the Nuibari to her weaponry, Kugutsu struggles to utilize its unique shape and abilities. Although receiving some training with it, the lack of slashing and hacking maneuvers leaves her with the problem of attempting new stances. She often uses the Nuibari now to better familiarize herself with it. She is also in possession of a Kaiken (a double-edged dagger) that she hides in her obi, indicating she may use this in close-quarters combat.
Poisons[]
Kugutsu is aware of poisons and such properties as that just as Ningyō, and often imbues her blade with various types of poison. Her senbon launcher is also equipped with poison, allowing her to be a threat even without her faithful sword.
Furthering her poison studies, Ningyō has found an alternative use for the Poison Mist by instead adjusting her chakra to form a liquid, which she can then spit from her mouth; open wounds stand a greater chance of being infected, but other uses could easily include contamination of a water source. Kugutsu shares Ningyō's knowledge and strives to find new ways to improve this area.
Image/Artist Credits[]
CM#192. Witchynade. Image location: Deviantart. [1]
Satsuki. Innocent Gray. Image location: Myanimelist. [2]
The One. Pandacapuccino. Image location: Pinterest [3]
Twin Dolls. Unknown artist. Image location: Pinterest [4]
come. with your body and soul. NanFe (DeviantArt). Original artist- Tite Kubo (Bleach). Image location: Zerochan [5]
Satsuki (Kara no Shoujo 2) #2126674. Innocent Gray. Image location: Zerochan [6]
Satsuki Image #899510. Innocent Gray. Image Location: e-shuushuu [7]
Unohana Retsu (BLEACH) #1367743. Unknown artist. Original Artist- Tite Kubo (Bleach). Image location: Zerochan [8]