Dan Takagari



"You all disgrace the Shinobi way. Flashy attacks, long winded speeches and unneeded showy entrances, A true shinobi can kill his target without waking his sleeping wife and child."

- Dan Takagari

is a master assassin turned rogue. Born and trained as his households, The House of Sakura Trees, next head assassin, Dan lacked any sort of childhood. From when he was old enough to accomplish his first assassination till he reached his hundredth murder, Dan lived a cold and relentless life. It is rare for one to grow close to Dan as he feels emotions and human affection is a Shinobi's true weakness, yet his greatest tool for manipulating others. For this he simply introduces himself as Takagari rather than Dan. For him, Takagari fits better for his overall skill in assassin. Also leading to him rather being known as an Assassin then a person. Dan has little to no memories of his childhood, nor does he care. Even his allies are susceptible to him either betraying them to accomplish a mission. Dan's current goal is unknown, however, as he continues further down his road, his name continues to grow large with a one hundred percent success rate.

Dan Takagari is an incredible assassin. Choosing to focus on stealth, speed and hand to hand rather than long distance battles, Dan's reputation as a Shinobi has excelled that of previous generations. As a true shinobi, Dan managed to erase all traces of his former life. Making it impossible to track down his family or home. Some say he is a demon sent from hell to avenge those who suffered. While others talk of him causing suffering. One day he appeared, and everyone who saw him since then, either died or suffered a horrible accident. With such a large skill set and success rate, Dan works more for hire rather than a committed village position. No one is worth his loyalty. Not even his own blood. From his first assassin, no one has seen Dan's true face. As he prefers to walk with it covered in bandages. To keep his enigmatic aura, Dan only travels at night. If a target calls for a day operation, he moves through shadows. Food, bathing and other human needs are accessible during darker hours as well. Dan's true family is one known far and wide for producing top-notched Assassins. He carries their crest upon his back, alerting those who he does grace his presence with that he holds powerful blood within himself.

Dan's assassination capabilities revolve around self-augmentations and shadowy movements. Rather than ostentatious and conspicuous attacks, Dan combines his extreme mastery of Body Flicker Technique with his talents in taijutsu and kenjutsu to create Ten Deadly Steps which are designed to kill all without notice. What makes him so dangerous is that, he can attack before a shinobi could cast their ninjutsu, aiming to literally disarm. Dan's skill with Body Flicker Technique caused those who survived his attacks to refer to him as a Maboroshi (幻, Literally Meaning; Phantom). Dan has a specific style of Kenjutsu which resembles Iado without Bushido. Mixing Shinobi with Samurai, Dan has become a warrior without code. Leading to his epitet as the Legendary Hoshii (糒, Hoshii), a depraved Samurai. Those two names are not his only titles. Hundreds have developed over a short amount of time. He prefers to leave at least one witness in order to ensure his legacy continues. Dan's unsurpassed mastery of Body Flicker has earned him his most famous title, Dan of Afterimages.

Chakra Control
Dan is a warrior who never waste Chakra....

Body Flicker Technique Mastery
Dan's entire arsenal revolves around drastically enhancing this simple yet extremely versatile technique. A technique which allows basic shinobi to reach near instantaneous speeds, usually accompanying a puff of smoke. However, Dan adopted and increased the Body Flicker Techniques to levels that far surpassed Shinobi of previous generations. Through his extreme levels of chakra control, Dan can use the Body Flicker Technique in a continuous manner or in short rapid burst. Both methods crucial in his infamous Ten Steps of Ama-no-mihashira. Dan combined his Body Flicker with weighted training to increase both his bodies physical resistance against high-speed damage as well as his overall speed when in use. He also carefully circulated his energy for better control of his speed, increasing it beyond basic levels to levels that match the Shinobi world's greatest instant movement technique. Using his body flicker allows him to move at speeds which can lose eyes blessed with godly perceptive abilities. And since his base speed is already incredibly high, flickering turns Dan into something unreal. Dan can isolate his body flicker to specific portions of his body through careful chakra regulations. This leads to high speed kicks, punches and weapon based attacks where a specific portion of his body acts at a incredibly higher pace. A two kick appearance is really four to six deadly strikes all done in a quick succession. A barrage of attacks becoming a Gatling gun of punches. Weapons thrown at speeds which go unseen by the naked eye. And at such speeds, an after-image usually follows. Creating an illusion that the afterimage is his real attack, when in truth, Dan attacked seconds before. Even those who nearly eliminate their brain delay fall victim to this illusion. This means that often, Dan's true attack happened seconds before those who witness it actually register it.

Ten Steps of Ama-no-mihashira
Dan's favorite use of the Body Flicker Technique involves his Ten Steps of Ama-no-mihashira. Each step is a simple attack or movement capable of being performed on its own. However, he can combine each step to create a string of attacks. A combination of unpredictability to confuse his opponent. Each step is an increase in speed, meaning he has to remain focused mentally and physically. Just as a dance, one slip up can ruin his chain. And for that reason, Dan has only reached a Five-Step Combo. He refers to his flicker as Ground Level or Step Zero (ゼロのステップ, Zero no suteppu). From Step Zero, Dan can move onto any of his First Steps. His First Step (第一歩,Daiippo) often hold a goal of forcing an opening or maneuvering around his opponent. A majority of his first steps will release an after-image from pure speed. But these after-images are intangible and will fade out of existence in a matter of seconds. The purpose of his after-image is a decoy. Attacking or counter-attacking his after-image while Dan truly attacks from above, behind, below or his targets side. He can also use first-step to feign attacks and force allies to handle one another through false aiming. First Step allows Dan an excellent boost in deflection and evading. He is able to dodge weapons and attacks that move at incredible speeds. Playful yet strategic patterns lead enemies confused and lost at what his unpredictable dance will end with. First Step follows Burst rather than Continuous. Flashes, rush, sudden increase, it is a concept that shocks an opponent like a lion's sudden pounce. And with a burst of speed, Dan's own evasiveness and attacking power increases exponentially. Whether he uses it with a weapon or not depends on which he step he takes. Some steps use a weapon as a deflection, while others prepare for an execution strike. Without weapons, Dan's First Step involve his unique style of Soft martial arts. An art that resembles the Hyuga's very own Gentle Fist. He chooses to attack his opponents pressure point as a method to physically disable, knock unconscious or even kill. Dan's first steps are through sheer-speed followed by a sudden flicker.

Dan continues his chain with Second Step (第二段階,Dainidankai). Second-Step is modeled with an intent to kill. When using a sword, his First Step involves holding the handle of his sheathed blade as he maneuvers. And right before attacking, drawing his sword with a powerful attack capable of sending tree blowing gust in every direction. His second step is graceful. A slash to either ones stomach or neck. His second step is lethal, and after a sudden burst from his flickering body further boosting his attack. At such speeds, his sword is capable of cleanly slicing through metal. His second step is a terrible step to waste, a principle he believes wholeheartedly. And such, he aims for a kill when using his second step. Unlike his First Step, each step can be continuously used. A chain of second steps could lead to an army of slit throats or gashed stomachs and guts. If he is unable to go for a kill, for example a person managed to prepare for his second step by already knowing his First Step, Dan's second step is also used for disabling targets. Multiple slashes to one's tendon as a method of removing physical movements. Or incredibly quick attacks to one's eyes or face, any sort of depravity of their sense and physical ability. Without a weapon, Second Step moves beyond First Steps soft style fighting. It becomes Hard, meant for incredibly heavy damage. Bones fractured, cracked and once ripped out it's socket. Attacking a weaponless Dan in his second step is a foolish move as it gives him a opening to remove his attackers limb.

Quotes
"I am not someone you should take lightly..." "Do you want to lose that hand?"

Trivia

 * Dan Takagari's last name is a play off his enhanced eyesight, a common trait found within the Falcon family, in which his name is based off.
 * Dan absolutely hates bad puns.
 * Dan's kill count is one of the highest within Naruto so far.
 * Dan is still a virgin.
 * Dan's Databook:
 * Dan's hobby is training.
 * Dan has no bounty. Even as a successful Assassin, those who place his name within that book usually disappear.
 * Dan wishes to fight Shisui Uchiha
 * Dan's favorite food is Nigiri while his least favorite is anything with Wasabi. His favorite drink is Sake.
 * Dan's favorite words are "Disgrace" (不名誉, Fumeiyo) and Accident (異状,ijou)
 * Dan's favorite words are "Disgrace" (不名誉, Fumeiyo) and Accident (異状,ijou)