Airu

Jade Samurai

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Airu Ishimori
From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection", 阿 (a) meaning "flatter, fawn upon, corner, nook, recess", 哀 (ai) meaning "pathetic, grief, sorrow, pathos, pity, sympathize", 碧 (ai) meaning "blue, green" or 藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", 惟 (i) meaning "consider, reflect, think" combined with 流 (ru) meaning "current, a sink, flow, forfeit", 瑠 (ru) meaning "lapis lazuli", 琉 (ru) meaning "precious stone, gem, lapis lazuli", 屡 (ru) meaning "often, frequently", 入 (ru) meaning "enter, insert", 蕗 (ru) meaning "butterbur, bog rhubarb", 璃 (ru) meaning "glassy, lapis lazuli" or 留 (ru) meaning "detain, fasten, halt, stop"...

Ishimori, "stone forest", 石森

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Airu was born as the only son to Kakuzu and Hisako, a Samurai and a former Oiran, in the then-small village of Takigakure, the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. His life was peaceful, full of love and care from both of his parents, and most of his days were spent by his mother's Koi pond or training alongside his father. Although a strict and stern teacher, Airu strives for nothing more than to impress his Father, and did his absolute best during every training session.

Around the age of 7, Airu discovered an odd mutation in his abilities when molding and weaving Chakra. He found that, by concentrating on crystals, he could alter their appearance and manipulate them almost at will. This led to his discovery of what is now knows as "Crystal Release", a mutation resulting from the combined chakra of Earth and Water. Upon returning home one day from training, Airu was delighted to show his parents his newfound ability, and to demonstrate, he brought two Jade Komainu statues "to life". Naming them "A" and "Un", one male and one female, Airu was bursting at the seams with pride, especially after receiving praise from his parents for having such an odd gift.

Unfortunately, not all went well in his life as the years went by...

His Father, still a dutiful Samurai and newly-turned Ninja, had been sent on an impossible mission. A mission that, unfortunately, he was unable to complete. This failure led to the Village turning against him, treating the man as an enemy and threat to their safety when it had been them that condemned him to such a fate.

Now persecuted by the Village, Kakuzu had no choice but to flee with his family, knowing that staying meant certain death. They fled, but just when they thought they were safe, disaster struck anew. The family had been ambushed by numerous assassins, their orders being clear; do not allow this man to escape the Village's perimeters, kill them all. In a desperate attempt to keep his family safe, Kakuzu did not surrender, fighting with all he had. They would have won, too...

If Hisako hadn't been mortally wounded in the process.

With her final moments of life, the woman entrusted Kakuzu with her son's safety, and her own heart to aid him. She would not survive anyway, and I'd she could give him even an ounce of strength, she'd happily do so. With grief ripping at his very soul, the man took her heart, watching the life fade from his wife's eyes as she smiled in a final goodbye.

But Fate... It had other plans. Fate had it so that Kakuzu became separated from his son during the fight for their lives. Fate played a cruel joke on them both.

Airu, upon seeing his mother's corpse, broke down in complete denial and grief. His father was nowhere to be seen, the enemy had overridden them, and he was terrified. In a final act of love the young boy used his abilities to encase both himself and his mother in pure, impenetrable Jade crystal, shielding them from time and further harm.

Kakuzu was led to believe that this was how his son died.

Now alone, the man fled his ex-Village, consumed by rage and grief for his lost family...

°°°

It's been over 100 years since then. A cruel moment trapped in time in the form of a Jade prison. Takigakure, of course, kept this event a secret from the world, and Kakuzu had been marked a criminal of the highest degree. The events that transpired that day had been lost in time, with no one to speak the truth and break the veil of lies the Village had woven to save their image.

That is, until the Village found that their well-kept Jade secret had broken free from the silence that kept it covered for so long.

Today, Airu is the only living survivor from his tragic family. He travels the world searching for a new meaning, making peace with his past slowly, gradually. He has much to learn about the modern world, and has to adapt quickly- lest he be found by his old Village members, and brought back. That is where the second chapter of his life begins: with the encounter of Tsuki's family.

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Father || Mother


Best Friend (Not sure which will be permanent qvq)