Sayotsu

 "This is how fires begin. Little men with big dreams. Long memories. Short imaginations and shorter fuses. And too much time and opportunity. Fires start in the funniest places."

- Sayotsu to Koienma

"You're fired. I don't need partners. And I don't need advice."

- Sayotsu to Hotaru Yanma

"Of course we're going to do this. I said it looked tough, not unbeatable.."

- Sayotsu to Naien 

'Sayotsu (小夜箇, Sayotsu) originally born as Yoiten Hoshi (星宵天, Hoshi Yoiten; lit. Star of the Evening Sky) is a major and extraordinary ninja originally hailing from Land of Fire and is the current member of Konoha's Recon Corps. Yoiten (now known as Sayotsu) was born to Seika Hoshi (星聖火, Hoshi Seika; lit. Star of Sacred fire) and Usui Hoshi (星薄い, Hoshi Usui; lit. Star's Light) in Konoha, with both of his parents being a part of the "Interrogation Corps". Both of his parents were extremely loyal to the village, as seen both of them died protecting the village. Sayotsu was originally a member of the Sensory Squad but later on he was transferred to Konoha's Recon Corps as a high ranking member due to his skills.

Personality
In his early days as The White Ghost (霊白, Shiro Rei) despite being only 10, he was more experienced than his fellow classmates. By then he had been training under his Uncle's wing for four years. Despite his Uncle's influence on Sayotsu, the two have very contrasting personalities. While his mentor was cold and very serious, Sayotsu's demeanor was quite the opposite. Sayotsu was naturally a very lighthearted individual who seemed to take joy in nearly everything that he did. Despite his immaturity, he could get along very well with people who were older than him, and tended to act more maturely whenever he was tasked with a certain level of responsibility. Sayotsu has shown a deep caring and protective side for his loved ones.

When simply interacting with his friends, Sayotsu behaved in a jovial and oftentimes "little brother"-like role, in which he joked freely about his teammates, and even made fun of them when they made mistakes. He had a particularly close friendship with Hotaru Yanma, with whom he was able to joke and often treated like a brother of sorts. Sayotsu also seemed to take great pleasure in creating back-formations, by removing prefixes from commonly-used words such as "disaster", "distraught", "overwhelmed" and "infiltrated" to create new words.

Sayotsu is commonly seen as a brave and righteous hero with an indomitable sense of justice and responsibility. Shaken by his parents's tragic death, Sayotsu's vow of responsibility has led him to a path of heroism and humanitarian service. There are times when Sayotsu's sense of responsibility can be almost overbearing; this was noted by Naien when he felt embarrassed about R (one of his villains) causing the hiatus, despite the fact he had nothing to do with it. This combined with his strong moral compass in the face of adversity and sharp wit make him one of the most iconic and enduring heroes of all times.

Despite his child like behavior at times, Sayotsu was a natural tactical thinker, often coming up with plans for the Team on the fly, and figuring out complex situations faster than many of his teammates. He was also very pragmatic and preferred to think ahead. During the Team 's brief scuffle with R, Sayotsu took the liberty to activate the elevator to escape instead of fighting alongside his Team, had no qualms about Takumi Uchiha delving into his mind to retrieve his memories, and took a break from running from R and Senku to download the building's blueprints.

Sayotsu initially considered himself to be the natural leader of the Team, citing his longer experience as a hero. However, this experience and his strong working relationship with Ryūken Senju led him to mistakenly assume that the other members of the Team would understand and follow his plans without him explaining them. This unfortunately caused problems on their first mission against Senku Agari. He subsequently claimed that Naien would be a better leader for the Team. While Naien accepted the role, he stated that both he and the rest of the Team expected Sayotsu to eventually take the mantle, due to the fact he was more suited for the job.

After the trauma of watching his teammates die in a simulation, Sayotsu opened up to Takumi during a therapy session. He did want to be the leader and wanted to someday become "A Hero". But after sending his friends to their "deaths" in the simulation made by Honey Senju, he no longer desired to become "A Hero", willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the mission. Despite this, five years later he demonstrates these traits as team leader. He has stated that he does not believe in heroes anymore.

Sayotsu has matured considerably over the intervening five years. As his new self, he is more driven and focused—just like his mentor. While he had a moment of levity in congratulating Rei's success in his first mission as squad leader, Sayotsu has reined in the wisecracks, and has become much more somber and serious. A different side to him is what makes Hotaru call him a "dog"—he has had relationships with multiple girls and all are still on good terms with him. When asked, he has commented that it was his superpower.

One of Sayotsu's most prominent traits is his sense of humor. Even at the face of certain death, Sayotsu invariably cracks a joke, to the annoyance of both friends and foes. His reasons for this vary: either he wants to relieve the stress of a situation or simply because he wants to hide how scared he really is during a crisis. Also, he does this to get on the nerves of his opponents, since he knows that if they are angry, that they would normally lose themselves and be vulnerable to a superior skilled opponent. It is generally agreed, however, that whenever Sayotsu stops making jokes, he will take the current situation with the utmost seriousness. Sayotsu is also a loner. Due to his individualistic style (having been a social outcast in his youth), Sayotsu now finds it hard to work in teams. However, this has gradually lessened over the years. He has currently become a part of the Konoha Recon Corps.

Sayotsu turned out to be not only sarcastic and witty but also a Philanthropist and essentially a good man. Sayotsu himself opposes the usage of arms and has stated that he hates taking lives. He views life as "Sacred" and as a gift. Sayotsu's unstoppable determination and strength of will make him an extremely formidable opponent. This makes him able to function while tolerating massive amounts of physical pain, and also allows him to resist telepathy or mind control. His training and lifestyle demanded much determination, and he was rarely known to give up or surrender especially in physical confrontations.

Abilities
"Born to fight, raised to strive, trained to KILL!!"

- Naien about Sayotsu.

Sayotsu is adept in the use of interrogation techniques, employing anything from law enforcement methods to outright torture. Several methods seen include hanging a person over the edge of a building by one leg or chaining a person upside down and beating them. He usually just plain uses his frightening appearance to get answers. "Fear is an excellent motivator" he once said. He uses his interrogating skills to get information from people who has links to criminals through very creative use of torture as well such as water boarding, electrocution, suffocation, sleep deprivation, starvation etc. He is skilled in sharpshooting and knife throwing as well. He is a polyglot who is able to speak Spanish, French, Latin, German, Japanese, English, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese, Farsi and Portuguese. Hotaru once implied that he is "Mr. Know it all" although this was done to make fun of him but also signified that Sayotsu is highly educated and has honed all of his skills over the years.

Sayotsu's body is highly resistant to certain elemental extremes, particularly cold, to the extent that he can sleep nude in subarctic conditions with no apparent injury. Sayotsu's bone structure allows him great flexibility. He can remain in a crouched position for a long time and perform contortionist type feats without causing any damage to his spine. Sayotsu's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are at levels those are beyond the human body's natural limits.

Master of Stealth And Disguise
Due to his excessive training he is also a master of stealth. He is capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. Sayotsu is a master at stealth, capable of disappearing and reappearing without anyone noticing. He possesses incredibly extensive knowledge and skill in many types and ways of stealth tactics, enabling him to easily slip in and out of areas undetected. His abilities in all manners of stealth are so refined he appear as mere illusions to those who have been lucky to spot him. He can move throughout even the most guarded of areas and act in true discretion. His Ninjutsu training has made him a master at stealth and capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. He is able to become undetectable as long as he is in darkness or shadow. He possesses instincts that allows him to become a master of evasion. Due to this ability he can discern numerous factors of a situation, including how much of a threat a foe poses (what move they will make, where they are going, and if these things relate to bringing harm to him), as well as how to hide without giving away his presence, and how to preserve energy when running. He has instant knowledge on how to kill any living being regardless of how powerful they are. This ability comes in great significance when dealing with seemingly unstoppable opponents and allows him to end their lives with expedient efficiency. He can perform the art of assassination better than the average killer, he is able to dispatch his victims without as so much as a struggle. The ways to do this range from something complex and high-finesse like mastery in stealth, strategically planned scenarios and highly disciplined martial arts to something simple-yet-effective like brute strength and raw speed to overwhelm the targets. He is a master of assassination techniques, espionage methods, covert operations, infiltration methods, escape artistry, marksmanship, and is highly skilled with many bladed weapons (frequently carrying two swords strapped to his back), and a number of other weapons including firearms. He is extremely stealthy and has shown to hold his breath underwater for about 10 minutes at ease. He is an expert pitcher whose accuracy has few rivals.

Sayotsu can’t be tracked down, all the traces of his passing disappear or are ignored: fallen hair, blood, skin particles, etc. will dissipate into dust and no scent is given off. Sayotsu does not leave behind a trace such as broken sticks or disturbed leaves. He is additionally a master of disguise and has multiple aliases. Sayotsu has mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 15. Has further learned Expanded Disguise techniques by the time he was 16. Sayotsu has many aliases he uses to infiltrate the underworld or just to go undercover in public situations.

He possesses extraordinary talent and instinct for hunting all things. He can track anything under any conditions, sense the weaknesses of their prey and exploit them and finally kill or capture his prey(if required).

Bukijutsu
Sayotsu is highly skilled with all martial arts weaponry such as the Chinese double edged sword (jian), butterfly swords, oxtail swords, staves, and both single and double nunchaku. He has often made use of make-shift weapons as well, using metal pipes and even a tree trunk. He has shown that is flawless with a Kris and Rencong. Nandao and practically all forms of swords have been used by Sayotsu so far. He has stated that aside from his Escrima sticks and shurikens, swords are his favorite weapons. Due to his mastery of kobudō, he is virtually a master of Bō, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama, Tekko, Tinbe-rochin, Surujin, Eku, Tambo, Kuwa, Hanbo, Nunti Bo and Sansetsukon. While thanks to his ninjutsu training he is a master of Kusarigama, Kakute, Tessen, Shuriken, Kyoketsu shoge, Kunai, Fukiya, Shuriken, Hanbo, Naginata, Wakizashi, Ninjato, Tantō, Bow and Arrow. He is an expert in wielding all types of stick weapons which include staffs, batons, nunchaku, and paired short sticks.

Sayotsu seemed to be skilled enough to use modified Shurikens to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite even giving him a head-start and disarm others with his shurikens. This feat was achieved by the time he was 15.

He is a master of bladed weapons, most notably all forms of the sword. When it comes to pure swordsmanship, he may be unequaled. Due to his extensive training with Samurai's and Ninja's his skills with the sword remain unrivaled so far. Even at the age of 8 he was noted to be an expert fencer by his father. He is able to demonstrate a natural aptitude for the ways of the sword. He is able to wield a sword with great proficiency in speed, power, and skill, allowing him to perform feats such as stopping and deflecting bullets, decimate large objects or areas, cutting through hard materials such as steel, and even hold back his strength to deal damage to his foes without killing them.

He is also able to operate with little or no effort, deliver skillful strikes to weak points with great precision. This ability also allows him to become naturally skilled with multiple swords or any bladed weapon regardless of shape or size to suit him needs in combat. He is capable of wielding three different weapons with ease in combat.

He is a skilled marksman capable of throwing his sticks with great accuracy. Sayotsu is also skilled with most projectile-like weaponry, archery and has been shown utilizing military-grade weaponry in extreme situations. Due in part to his training in Ninjitsu, Sayotsu almost never misses his targets, 9/10 times he's successful. However, his marksmanship skills have been shown to become better with time. At one point, Naien commented that it is nearly impossible for Sayotsu to miss. He is an exceptional marksman of every type of firearm who is sometimes depicted as being ambidextrous in this respect. He is skilled in sharpshooting and knife throwing as well. He possesses very keen eyesight, and his accuracy is virtually unerring; he was trained in his youth by a world class assassin with throwing blades, balls, bolas, and boomerangs. He now has near-perfect precision with any aimed or thrown weapon. He can hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds or interactions. Sayotsu has even been known to hit an apple in the center of it.

He has shown to use a bow effectively by propelling arrows at superhuman levels against his intended target. He can also launch multiple arrows with one shot, or use the bow itself as a melee weapon, such as the string for cutting or the bow as a bludgeoning staff. He can shoot several arrows in moments, he can shoot all arrows with remarkable aim, precision and dexterity. He once shot two arrows down two different gun barrels while upside down, in mid-flip while somersaulting off a building. Sayotsu is perhaps the finest archer ever known. He claims to be able to shoot 39 arrows per minute. He has a wide-variety of trick arrows, ranging from bola arrows to time-bomb arrows to his infamous shuriken launching- arrow. In recent years he has used these arrows sparingly, preferring the time-tested simple arrow. He has shown the ability to shoot an arrow down the barrel of a gun, pierce a drop of water as it leaves a tap, and shoot almost any part of the human body; although he aims only to wound and not kill when he shoots. Sayotsu has trained himself to become a master archer specializing in the use of regular bows, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows with near-perfect accuracy. He is capable of firing multiple arrows at a single target in a few seconds, hitting multiple targets in a few quick strokes, and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances.

He has shown that he can assign Chakra Flow to his bladed weapons to increase their cutting power. Once Sayotsu was assigned a mission an ANBU to disguise himself as a rookie Samurai and visit Land of Iron, in order to train under them although his main task was to spy on a particular Samurai. Under the Samurai's Sayotsu has learn a number of tricks such as the Samurai Sabre Technique, Flash, Iaidō and Iai Beheading.

Sensory Skills
Sayotsu is a brilliant sensor. Sayotsu's natural five senses are pushed at the highest limits of human perfection; meaning that his sense of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste are enhanced. He is capable of seeing further, acutely touching ink on a page, hear small sounds, have a smell capability similar to an animal and tasting accurately than normal normal humans. Sayotsu's sense of hearing enables him to detect an acoustic pressure change of one decibel at a pressure level of seven decibels (whereas the lowest threshold for average human hearing is twenty decibels.) He can hear a person's heartbeat at a distance of over twenty feet, or people whispering on the other side of a standard soundproofed wall. Through practice, Sayotsu is able to control his hearing acuity, mentally blocking out specific sounds like his own breathing and heartbeat, all ambient sounds to a normal human level of perception, or all sounds but a particular sound he is concentrating upon. By listening, feeling or smelling, Sayotsu can tell whether a person is lying by sweat, changes in body temperature and heartbeats (though he can be fooled by a pacemaker and those able to keep calm under pressure.) Sayotsu's sense of taste enables him to detect the number of grains of salt on a pretzel. His ability to remember tastes enables him to determine every ingredient of a food or drink he tastes, as long as there are at least twenty milligrams of that substance present.

Sayotsu's sense of smell is so acute that he can distinguish between identical twins at twenty feet by minute differences in smell. He can detect odors of an atmospheric concentration of thirty parts per million. Further, his ability to remember smells enables him to identify any person he has spent at least five minutes with by smell alone, no matter how he or she might try to camouflage his or her natural odor. His powers of concentration are such that he can focus upon a single person's smell and follow it through a crowd of people at a distance of fifty feet. Sayotsu's sense of touch is so acute that his finger can feel the faint impressions of ink on a printed page allowing him to read by touch, though laminated pages prevent him from touching and thus reading the ink impressions at a much faster pace than a normal person would be able to read. The rest of his skin is equally sensitive, enabling him by concentration to feel minute temperature and pressure changes in the atmosphere around him. Even with his senses of smell and hearing blocked, he can feel the presence of a person standing five feet away from him simply by his or her body heat and disturbance of air. A side effect of his sense of touch is Sayotsu's ability to manipulate his muscles and internal organs. The sense of touch is not just external, but internal too (central nervous system), thereby giving him the ability to have total body control, increasing his strength and reflexes to peak human levels, increasing his agility to enhanced human levels and also giving him the ability to totally numb himself to pain.

Ryūken Senju who himself possesses a natural sonar of sorts has taught Sayotsu one of the most valuable sensing technique. Sayotsu refers this skill as his "Sixth sense". A form of Human Echolocation via low wave projection, according to one theory, a energy within certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The signal emanates from sending regions of his brain, after which it travels outward, bounces off objects around him, and returns to receiving regions of his brain. In any event, with this ability, Sayotsu synthesizes a very close analogue of three-dimensional 360% human sight. An offshoot to the "Sixth Sense" this ability is the combination of all other sense (Excluding the other Sense) and can allow to increase the stability of it as well as to be used as a sub-par replacement. All of Sayotsu's senses help identify people by the specific patterns of their heartbeat, smell, touch, sound, and even Radar appearance as it allows to "see" through objects, specifically clothe (Though albeit obscure).

Aside from his naturally developed senses, he also seems to be able to use Sensing technique which allows him to detect one's chakra. He is also able to control his chakra levels, even masking them to normal civilian levels or below. This is essential to maintain his disguise and stay off the radar. He can track others down easily via various means, ranging from scents to footprints. With his experience, Sayotsu can follow tracks that are days or even weeks old. He may be able to reconstruct what has happened by sniffing around the area he is searching.

Sayotsu's extent to discern pictures or video images without his eyes are limited, and he can only guess at colors based on the amount of heat they are absorbing or reflecting. If nothing is being emitted (By a person or thing) that would trigger his heightened senses Sayotsu wouldn't be able to detect it, like when a sniper bullet fired outside the range of his sense of hearing was able to badly injure him. Sayotsu's superhuman senses render him extraordinarily vulnerable to odors or excessive noise, which can temporarily weaken his senses. Under extreme circumstances he can be easily immobilized, suffer great pain or left disorientated. Once the disruptive effects wear off, Sayotsu's Senses are able to return to its normal calibration. Though uncommon-- in unique situations (where multiple objects, sounds, temperatures, and smells, are in close proximity) Sayotsu's Sixth Sense has been known to fail leaving him to rely on his other senses.

Tsuyoshi during training Sayotsu noticed his weaknesses and taught him a special seal that allowed him to block all of his hyper-senses and reduce his senses to normal levels to protect him from these weaknesses. Although, Sayotsu can always undo the seal to activate his senses.

Taijutsu and Fighting Style
Sayotsu had taught himself to fight back. As seen, he able to hold out on his own while fighting three thugs, even using the wall to build up centripetal force, jumping over one the thugs and strike him down. This feat was achieved when he was an academy student. As a genin, he took out two thugs without taking a hit from them, by flipping the second thug onto the then down first thug. He has shown an ability to fight more than three opponents simultaneously, including when they wield weapons. Sayotsu even as a genin was skilled enough to outfight four of his class mates. He is a very proficient and formidable hand-to-hand combatant. He was able to incapacitate two members of the Sunagakure's Sealing Division (disarmed one and broke the other's leg). He is a Kinesthetic learner as such can learn as he continues to engage in combat. Sayotsu has regularly taken the advantage of this fact and has repeatedly defeated his enemies. Sayotsu is proficient in various types of fighting, and can more than hold his own against his opponents, whether with his signature sword and kunai or completely unarmed. He styled his fighting styles of self defense, offense, grappling, and takedown. Unlike, most traditional shinobi's he seems to use shurikens both as diversions and strong attacks in combination with his hand to hand combat skills. He can break steel chains and cuffs, support a ceiling that weighed over 1000 lbs, bent steel metal bars with his hands. Sayotsu even punched an opponent through a brick wall. His endurance was comparable to that of the finest Shinobi. His lung capacity is so great that he can hold his breath underwater for 12 minutes and 15 seconds. His agility is greater than that of a Chinese acrobat and an Olympic gold medalist gymnast. His main phase of movement is Parkour which he learned in France and uses it to scale the cities rooftops in an acrobatic manner. He is capable of completing a triple somersault. He even took part in several free-running competitions. He has also learnt Artistic and Rhythmic gymnastics.

Sayotsu was further trained in blind fighting during his time as a Jōnin, he has shown to quite skilled in this area. Best seen when he defeated 6 armed fully grown male Samurai's with his eyes closed and receiving only minor injuries. Sayotsu is an extremely accomplished taijutsu master, with advanced knowledge, if not skill, in various taijutsu styles and techniques. Sayotsu after becoming an ANBU he sought an assassin to train him in the art of assassination and street fighting. Sayotsu furthered his studies by travelling far east in a country covered by snowy mountains. Sayotsu trained for 2 years, mastering what now is known as his signature fighting style "Aikido". He is an Aikido Disciple which utilizes a method of unarmed self-defense which encourages a discipline and a nonviolent attitude. Through Aikido, Sayotsu's dexterity and strength comes from the suppleness in his practice which uses a rhythmic good posture, perception, and coordination. In Aikido, Sayotsu uses an opponent's force by bringing it into his own circle, neutralizing aggressive action by gaining control of the attacker. He has arguably the most prestigious training of any martial artist so far. He understands that Aikido is "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or  "the Way of harmonious spirit." The study of ki is a critical component of aikido, and its study defies categorization as either "physical" or "mental" training, as it encompasses both. The original kanji for ki was 氣, and is a symbolic representation of a lid covering a pot full of rice; the "nourishing vapors" contained within are ki.

The character for ki is used in everyday Japanese terms, such as "health" (元気 genki), or "shyness" (内気 uchiki). Ki is most often understood as unified physical and mental intention, however in traditional martial arts it is often discussed as "life energy". Aikido training is mental as well as physical, emphasizing the ability to relax the mind and body even under the stress of dangerous situations. This is necessary to enable the practitioner to perform the bold enter-and-blend movements that underlie aikido techniques, wherein an attack is met with confidence and directness. Due to his aikido training, he is naturally the master of using short staff (jō), wooden sword (bokken), and knife (tantō). He has also learnt many firearm-disarming techniques. Physical training goals pursued in conjunction with aikido include controlled relaxation, flexibility, and endurance, with less emphasis on strength training. In aikido, pushing or extending movements are much more common than pulling or contracting movements. This distinction can be applied to general fitness goals for the aikido practitioner.

In order to master Aikido, Sayotsu underwent rigorous training, aside from swimming, yoga, running practice, tree climbing practice, cycling, weight lifting and push ups he also mentions that he used to perform at least 400 ab crunches. Sayotsu even learnt dancing to improve his body's balance and flexibility. He possesses the strength level of a boy his age, size and weight who engages in intensive regular exercise. He has shown that he can easily lift objects which are twice as heavy as him (420 lbs). Although there are several occasions where he has shown that he can lift and handle weights exceeding 500 lbs. He can also do front flips holding all his weight on one arm. He has shown to possess enough strength to punch through thick glass without any apparent injury. Under his trainer's tutelage he has shown the ability to lift up to 600 lbs at his peak demonstrating himself to be considerably strong. He has shown enough strength to throw a man twice his size through a concrete wall. A few years later, the databooks listed him as a person who can lift just over 800 lbs at his peak (820 lbs). More recently, he has shown greater strength, as seen he can easily overpower humans by lifting them up with one hand or by hurling them around. He and can also lift extremely heavy objects, crush and break through wood panels and templates, bend metal, and can punch through glass without gaining injury. This strength also extends to his legs, enabling him to leap 25 feet out in a single bound and 12 feet into the air without a running start. He can snap steel handcuffs and chains, and is capable of breaking through wooden walls and steel doors with a single kick. He has kicked a steel door off of its hinges and held up nearly 1200 lbs of rubble. Sayotsu continued his training improving his speed and reflexes mastering every essence necessary in order to become a master of Aikido.

He has been said to be one of the finest Aikido practitioners so far and has even defeated his own master. He relies more on his speed than strength as such he is many times faster than humans of his age. He can run at speed out outperforming any human athlete. He is shown to be fast enough to catch up to those whose speed are further enhanced with the help of Chakra. In spite of his tremendous training, Sayotsu was still inferior to most combatants which is why he began the next phase of his training. Although, he wanted to sail further in south to seek a Capoeira Master who also happens to be a former Heavy-weight Boxer, ironically due to heavy storms he ended up on a small island. The island didn't have much but on the island he learnt one of the most essential skill, "survival". Many people argue that the island was the first place where Sayotsu developed his stealth skills, as seen he possessed sufficient stealth to surprise forest animals. He had time from birth to nurture a survival instinct lost to most other humans. This very instinct had saved his life on many occasions, making him an even more formidable warrior. He honed his hunting and tracking skills. Archery is by far Sayotsu's preferred method of hunting however the ability to hunt comes from years of training, patience and survival. He soon met the inhabitants of island who happened to be formidable fighters and hunters. The people of island taught him Kobudō and Yoshukai Karate, the former also known as the weapon system. Due to his training in Kobudō he soon became the master of Bō, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama, Tekko, Tinbe-rochin, Surujin, Eku, Tambo, Kuwa, Hanbo, Nunti Bo and Sansetsukon.

Yoshukai Karate or "Way of the Empty Hand." The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean "Training Hall of Continued Improvement." He has mastered each and every kata and could defeat two fully trained black belts at ease. He is one of the few people who can use Strong Fist to its full extent. He can usually out-react even the fastest humans, no matter how well-trained.

He can even move his finger or toes effortlessly, with tendon strain no longer being a problem. He can stand up right on even the most unstable of surfaces, such as a moving vehicle, a collapsing building, or an earthquake. He is also able to regain balance or bounce back to his feet quickly and perform feats such as shooting a gun, throwing a knife, or fighting at seemingly impossible angles and positions. Sayotsu's reflexes border on nearly superhuman level. His reaction speed is just over 30 kph, which makes it possible for him to dodge gunfire even in point blank range from multiple gunners at the same time. He can dodge attacks even from extremely close ranges.

Sayotsu after becoming a part of the corps learnt Tang Soo Do, a mystical art of fighting, his overall training has made him one of the most competent foes so far. "Tang Soo Do" (당수도) is the Korean pronunciation of the Hanja 唐手道 (pronounced Táng shǒu dào in Chinese), and translates literally to "Chinese hand way" (the "Tang" refers to the Tang Dynasty). Since he is a 7th dan he is referred as a ko dan ja (고단자/高段者). His final part of training took him far in North in deserts, where he not only honed his survival skills but also learnt his last form of combat, commonly known as "Eskrima" or "Arnis". Since, he already had experience with fighting for survival and was proficient with sticks, he displayed a natural affinity for Kali.

Most systems recognize that the technical nature of combat changes drastically as the distance between opponents changes, and generally classify the ranges into at least three categories. Each range has its characteristic techniques and footwork. Of course, some systems place more emphasis on certain ranges than others, but almost all recognize that being able to work in and control any range is essential. In order to control the range, and for numerous other purposes, good footwork is essential. Most eskrima systems explain their footwork in terms of triangles: normally when moving in any direction two feet occupy two corners of the triangle and the step is to the third corner such that no leg crosses the other at any time. The shape and size of the triangle must be adapted to the particular situation. The style of footwork and the standing position vary greatly from school to school and from practitioner to practitioner. His style focuses on defending against or reacting to angles of attack rather than particular strikes. The theory behind this is that virtually all types of hand-to-hand attacks (barehanded or with a weapon) will hit or reach a combatant via these angles of attack and it is reasoned that it is more efficient to learn to defend against different angles of attack rather than learning to defend against particular styles, particular techniques or particular weapons. For instance, the technique for defending against an attack angle that comes overhead from the right is very similar whether the attacker uses barefists, a knife, a sword or a spear. Paninipa can be regarded as the study of leg muscles and bones and how they are connected, with the goal of either inflicting pain or outright breaking or dislocating the bones. Most striking techniques involve applying pressure to bend the target areas in unnatural ways so as to injure or break them. Such pressure may be delivered in the form of a heel smash, a toe kick, a stomp, or a knee. Targets include the groin, thighs, knees, shins, ankles, feet and toes. The upper body is used only for defensive maneuvers, making pananadiyak ideal for when combatants are engaged in a clinch. When used effectively, the strikes can bring an opponent to the ground or otherwise end an altercation by making them too weak to stand.

Fundamental techniques include kicking or smashing the ankle to force it either towards or away from the opposite foot (severe supination or pronation, respectively), heel-stomping the top of the foot where it meets the lower leg so as to break or crush the numerous bones or otherwise disrupt the opponent's balance, and smashing the opponents knee from the side to break the knee (with severe supination and pronation as the desired result).

In a gist, Sayotsu is a master combatant who has mastered Aikido, Eskrima, Tang Soo Do, Kobudō and Yoshukai Karate; his knowledge is extensive enough that it has been shown that he can use pressure points against his opponents, striking nerve clusters to stun or even instantly incapacitate.

Intelligence
He possesses tremendous wisdom; with his wisdom he has greater understanding and realization of concepts, people, things, events or situations then average humans, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments and actions in keeping with this understanding. To attend such state of wisdom, he was required to control his emotional reactions (the "passions") so that universal principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one's actions.

He possesses more natural intelligence than any average human of his age. His mind can be compared to a computer: remembering vast amounts of knowledge flawlessly, performing complex calculations or other similar tasks. With his level of intelligence, he can learn a variety of combat skills in a day, which would take a normal person years to achieve mastery over. He can use 100% of the brain capacity, gaining extended knowledge and usage of the brain. He is able to think in ways that no human could never have imagine or understood before. Sayotsu can remember things he has forgotten, replicate knowledge, and become completely competent and aware of the situations he is in. He can instantly learn and understand the complexity and exactness of organisms, objects, and even techniques without the need of long-term or special education.

He can copy any movement or action after seeing it performed, including acrobatics, martial arts, and other physical stunts. With these skills he can become a master and incredible at what he does, by combining what several forms and movements in rhythmic motions instead of using the same thing over. Sayotsu is able to instantly understand an opponent's method of thinking and fighting and anticipating their moves. Once he understand their enemies strategy, he is able to find their flaw and weakness and take them down with little effort.

Using his superior problem-solving skills, Sayotsu can work out a battle ahead of time for many possibilities and predict enemy movements and tactics after the battle has engaged by recalling and utilizing memorized mannerisms acquired through past experience on a moment's notice. He is also highly devious, and a superb strategist and tactician, who has committed various famous war manuals to his brain. A section of Sayotsu's brain not associated with fighting was dedicated to the analysis and understanding of a situation. Not many can catch Sayotsu unaware. Sayotsu is an accomplished strategist. He had been widely considered one of, if not the greatest, tacticians on the planet, both on and off the battlefield. He is able to formulate battle strategies and his brilliant tactical sense allows him to alter any strategy to fit the changing need of the situation. He is always listening, exploring and scrutinizing. Sayotsu's a good detective with broad skills, knowledge and understanding of the criminal mind. He commonly utilizes cunning tactics to outwit his foes. He can create strategies and plans several steps ahead of the opponent seeming like he can see into the future. He is able to elaborate complex plans and strategies and apply them in not just in battle but any other activity that involves cunning intellect. He has the ability to analyze, and later pick up on, patterns in any given environment. He commonly utilizes cunning tactics to outwit his foes. He is an excellent leader and at times commands the Corps in their leader's absence.

He is shown to have a naturally high intelligence. He is extremely proficient with computers. he is by far the most computer literate of his entire family, and one of the most efficient user of computers world-wide. He is an expert computer hacker. With his computer hacking skills, he is able to breach the highest security systems. His skills are rivaled by none. He has total recall and can remember anything in great detail. He is a brilliant, virtually peerless, detective, strategist, scientist, tactician, and commander; he is widely regarded as one of the keenest analytical minds on the planet. He had learned Forensic Sciences, Medical Sciences, Expanded Computer and Engineering Sciences. He has also mastered "Prestidigitation", he is an expert at "Sleight of hand", during his time in circus he used his skills to impress his audience with his magic tricks. He is to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly. His mental performance is considered to be greater than most humans and even people who are referred as "geniuses", allowing his mind to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible. One manifestation of this is his tactical genius; the ability to quickly process multiple information streams (e.g., threat assessment) and rapidly respond to changing tactical situations. He also possesses an eidetic memory, meaning that he never forgets anything and has perfect recall. This enables him to remember any military tactic and apply it to any situation. Sayotsu's an accomplished strategist.

As mentioned he has a photographic memory, which borders on absolute total recall. This has allowed him to memorize the countless skills, disciplines, and facts that he taught himself over the years. He is able to perceive all cause and effect relations. He can notably deduce the path leading to any effect, allowing him to plan, analyze, and take action with absolute efficiency. In a fighting situation, he can perfectly adapt to all factors before they even appear, achieving maximum efficiency in offense, defense, and strategy, ensuring optimal success as long as there is the slightest chance.

He is also ingenious in devising solutions against superior aspects of opponents, can observe and exploit, and can calculate distance, speed, and time at lightning speeds; his sense of timing is superb, bordering on perfection. He can work out any sort of battle or attack ahead of time and predict an enemies movements based on what they have displayed so far, showing that his memory borders on almost total recall.

Sayotsu has solved complicated chemical equations in seconds. He understands the variety of powers associated with the human metagene and manipulated it for his own purposes. He claims he found a cure for cancer as well as AIDS but holds them in his personal notes to better bank on it's research.

Quotes
"Someone tell me I'm not having a heart-to-heart with a reanimated assassin." "But guys like us? The life we lead? We're never truly alone. Every day is a fresh horror. Every memory a nightmare. Even when it is just the two of us... there's a pasty-faced clown sitting in the corner of the room, just laughing. At us. "