Riyuji Takada

Riyuji Takada

Retired Shinobi
 

Humble Beginnings


Riyuji Takada was born on a cold November morning in the Village Hidden in the Mist. He lived a privileged life as a member of the Yagyu clan. He had no worries aside classes and his obsession with the Hunter-Nin of the village.  On one fateful winter day as the first snow kissed the Land of Water dusting it with a beautiful layer of white like silk laid out over massive drifts of cotton, a messenger arrived at the clan house with word of his parents, due back two days prior. Given the storm, the elders feared the worst. The passages were notoriously treacherous during the early winter storms. While fortune sometimes smiled on the weary traveler only wishing to be home, they had not smiled on the Takadas. Their boat had gone down on their journey, condemning their bodies to the creatures who lurk below the vast cold black that is the passage between the lands of fire and water. Now an orphan, Riyuji was cast into the rain that is life at the age of 8. Life in the streets of the hidden village was rough and raised him to be passionate about loyalty and honor. The sudden passing of his parents taught him to hold on to cherish every moment like its last. He continued his classes studying diligently graduating to be a proud Genin of the Mist.





A Change of Pace

Sometimes our loyalties lie elsewhere than the land we are born. We forge greatness with the hammer of loyalty and the anvil of teamwork. We all fall in to place where the great wind takes us. While nothing is forever everything is for something. Following his desire to use his affinity for Wind most effectively, Riyuji left the Village Hidden in the Mist to serve Astral and Fletch in the short lived organization Homra - A group reckless rouges based in Takumi village. He was the first of Homra to defect, resetting his account to Sunakagure. He took part in a few organizations that came through the sand including one he founded himself but ultimately, none of them ever stuck. He made many friends and was proud the serve a new village. Especially one that would provided him with a better way of utilizing the wind style techniques he preferred.




Betrayal of the Leaf Village

It had been a long time since Riyuji had been to the Land of Water. As time went on he grew more distant from his old loyalties. This new village had been so kind to him, some even going out of their way to help Riyuji in the struggles of adjusting to a climate and culture so different than the one he was raised around. He made many friends and had been going on regular missions. It was rare that anyone attacked Sunakagure and when they did it was only so long before reinforcements from leaf would arrive to provide aid. Evidently unable to kill a single person in the Mist, Leaf shinobi grew bored of losing men to rouges and their war with the Mist. To feel better about themselves they began to wear masks and venture to the Land of Wind, slaughtering the new generation of shinobi growing up in the land that was finally showing signs of life. Missions began to get harder to complete and Sunakagure began to decline again. Riyuji only wished to defend his new home but found himself unable to.
 

Old Friends Are Still Friends
 

Riyuji was growing accustomed to the new dangers of being at war with the world. Sunakagure had become easy pickings for all villages to pick apart. Raids were frequent and while the Kazekage did his best, even leading strikes in the lands that saw the most traffic but the forces against them were overwhelming. Riyuji became more accustomed to his fan while making friends with the people who remained in the village. He became more confident in his abilities. One day while he was out with a partner in the dark forest he was suddenly surrounded by eight masked ninja. His partner ran off, head first into a bear, meeting his end. Just as these masked ninja began to strike, Riyuji removed his mask, accepting his fate. This caused his captors to hesitate. one by one they removed their masks as well, revealing their faces to be some of the people he admired the most as a fresh Genin. He was greeted warmly. After a short conversation these nin donned their masks once again and disappeared into the mists of the dark forests. Shortly after their departure Riyuji was surprised to see two of his friends coming from the sand village, running on to him on coincidence. They spoke of a mission in the Land of Fire. His teammate now dead, Riyuji accompanied them to the Land of Fire to sneak into Konohakagure. Approaching the gates of the village they heard the sounds of battle. His friends along side him rushed to see the sound of the conflict finding his friends from the Mist in fierce combat with a squad of Leaf shinobi defending the gates. Riyuji and his Sand Shinobi friends jumped into battle, reinforcing the Mist in their battle. This was the first time that Sand Ninja and Mist Ninja fought together against the leaf. It will also likely be the last. the allied forces were forced to retreat, the sand ninja aiding the mist back to their village. They were treated at the hospital in the village hidden in the Mist and escorted back to the boat. Upon leaving they spoke of potential joint operations in the Land of Fire in the future. These talks would never become reality.





Conflict of Interests
 

Riyuji was perturbed by his encounter. He desired to be a Mist shinobi again. Something he was sure would never happen again given his betrayal. His missions continued and he grew in experience. His encounters with other friends in the mist became more regular. More and more the topic of his return to the Land of Water was brought up. His missions took him farther and wider until one hot summer day he decided to take a trip to the spa in the Village hidden in the Mist to reflect on his life and the decision before him. Upon his approach to the gates he was confronted by a member of the MMPF. This shinobi was a known member of a clan in the village headed by an old friend of Riyuji. After a long talk about the choices that lead him to be in front of this man, He was allowed entry to the village by escort. Riyuji reflected on himself for a long time in the spa. He was ready to return home.



The End.
 

Riyuji now resides in the Village hidden in the Mist, a semi retired shinobi. He rarely leaves the house in which he grew up for adventure as his adventures in this land, with few exceptions, are finished. He enjoyed his time in this world and has moved on to bigger and better things.