Kaidan Nomura

Kaidan Nomura, (冷酷埜村, Nomura Kaidan), better known by his alias Spectre (幽霊, Yūrei), is an exceptionally talented whom hails from the. Though misfortune resulted in his incapacitation for many generations, he was recovered and resuscitated during the opening stages of the by denizens of. As an expression of his gratitude, he served within the Village for several years, but ultimately defected in the wake of the in order to pursue his own interests. At present, he is the leader of the reformed Nomura Clan.

Early Life
Long ago, before the formation of shinobi villages, the world was dominated by battles waged between shinobi clans under the employ of various daimyō and other nobility. This era came to be known as the Warring States Period and was the world that Kaidan was born into. It was during the last snowfall before spring that the newborn Nomura was brought into being, in the middle of a shack in the midst of a ramshackle hamlet. Kaidan was excessively low-born, even by the standards of the poor and destitute refugees whom shared their hovel with he and his mother, Junko.

As it turned out, Kaidan was nothing more than an illegitimate child created as an unfortunate consequence of his mother's occupation. She was a harlot whom serviced the various shinobi that happened to wander into their squaller. One day in particular, she met and serviced a rather stoic man whose name was lost to her memory. All that she could recall was that he mentioned that he was "one of the Nomura" and simply addressed him by his surname for the duration of his visit. Then, many months after this encounter, Kaidan was born.

Growing up was truly tough on Kaidan, as his mother was the subject of much ridicule and gossip. To make matters worse, his peers: the hamlet children, would spend their days teasing and belittling Kaidan to the point where he would run off in tears. To say the least, each and every day was a struggle for the young boy and he ended up battling with self-loathing and depression. For quite some time, he often wished that he could become invisible, like a ghost, so that the children were unable to see, hear, nor pick on him.

However, as Kaidan matured, his silent suffering evolved into something much more violent. Perhaps it was a combination of his sudden growth in stature and his growing impatience with the years of torment that led to the dramatic change in his character; yet soon after ascending to the age ten, Kaidan began to fight back. By the age of thirteen, he had amassed a reputation for violence, both provoked and unprovoked, and for generally getting in trouble.

Then, on one "fateful" evening, things simply escalated too far. It was on a dark, stormy night that one of the villagers had decided to barge into Kaidan and Junko's home, drunk, and demand to be serviced. Kaidan absolutely lost all composure and assaulted the man. When it was all said and done, the farmer was no longer standing, nor yelling in his drunken tone; for his life had been claimed by the young man. Kaidan had literally choked the life out of the farmer with his bare hands; much to the distress of his mother.

She knew that he could not stay within the hamlet, lest the villagers rise up and attempt to claim Kaidan's life. As such, she demanded that he gather the few belongings that he had and flee for his life; advising that he seek out those called Nomura. She also scrounged together the small sum of funds they had to their name and gave it to him. After a tearful farewell, Kaidan went off into the darkness of the storm.

That was the last time Junko ever saw her son.

In the Service of the Daimyō
For several months, Kaidan wandered aimlessly about the lands. He traveled blindly from hamlet to hamlet, village to village, and farm to farm, holding firm to the final piece of advice his mother had gave him. Everywhere he went, he posed a single question: "does the name Nomura mean anything to you?" In truth, the quest for his kin was not very fruitful; though optimism was not something that characterized the young boy in those days.

Most of those he asked had never heard of his family name before, but extended him the kindness of directing him to the nearest village or farm so that he may ask those dwelling there. On rare occasions, those he asked had indeed heard of the name Nomura and even claimed to have had an encounter or two in recent weeks with one bearing the name. They, too, directed Kaidan along, though in the direction the elusive Nomura headed. Rarer still, merely mentioning the name to certain people consumed them with anger to the point where Kaidan did not dare mention that he was one of them.

Finally, after weeks upon weeks of travel and search, Kaidan came upon a rather solid lead which culminated in his voyage's end. This conclusion took place before the towering gates of the local daimyō's estate. According to the information provided to him by the previous stop, there was one who bore the name Nomura residing within the daimyō's residence. As such, Kaidan left straightway and made the bold approach to the heavily-guarded compound.

When he was confronted by those standing watch at the gates, the young boy played coy. He stated that he was simply a poor youngling from a distant hamlet with a decent sword arm and that he desired to served under the daimyō as a mercenary. This was enough to get him within the compound; though he was immediately led to a group of other "stragglers from the street" who desired a steady, yet dangerous, occupation. The group was then introduced to the Captain of the daimyō's forces: a rather stern man by the name Hajime.

The mere sight of the man was enough to give Kaidan chills down his spine. This was due to the fact that Hajime was intimidating, to say the very least. Kaidan did not have the opportunity to dwell upon this feeling, however, as he and his fellow recruits were straightway launched into full-on combat against one another. Hajime's rationale was, any man who deserved to stay would emerge from the dog pile victorious.

By a stroke of pure luck, Kaidan was one of the few who managed to achieve victory. His performance, also, did not go unnoticed by Hajime. When the opportunity presented itself later on, he approached Kaidan with the intention of learning more about the boy. In the end, he was stunned to learn that both he and his latest recruit shared blood! Delighted, he enlightened the boy to a many great things; that he did not know who Kaidan's father was, that the "clan" was in a sordid state due to poor leadership, and that even finding their scattered members was a rare occurrence.

As such, Hajime resolved to take his young relative under his wing and instruct him in all that it meant to "be a true Nomura." With great eagerness, Kaidan agreed and they straightway began their training the following day. Under Hajime's tutelage, Kaidan learned a great number of things. He learned the arts of swordplay, stealth, ninjutsu, and everything in-between. Furthermore, the two forged a meaningful bond that meant the world to Kaidan.

Put simply, Hajime was the closest thing to a father that Kaidan had ever had. This bond, and all the time he had spent with Hajime, allowed the young boy to experience true happiness for the first time. However, all good things eventually come to an end.

For a total of three years, Kaidan tarried and learned under Hajime's tutelage. However, this uninterrupted cycle of education would come to an abrupt end when the daimyō became obsessed with the notion of conquest. At that time, his forces had simply focused upon protecting his lands, assets, and kin; but now he desired to commit them to a war effort. Soon, Kaidan found himself marching into war alongside Hajime, and was surprised to see that together they had survived the conflict.

Even more surprising, they had achieved victory over the unfortunate noble the daimyō had decided to attack. As such, the lands were now spoils for the daimyō and he made a declaration in the wake of their victory: the conquered land would fall under the command and jurisdiction of Hajime, and Hajime would only answer to and report directly to the daimyō. To say the very least, Hajime was honored to have the position and Kaidan was excessively proud that his kinsman had been rewarded for such excellent service in such a large capacity.

However, the pride and happiness that Kaidan felt would come to a swift and abrupt end. Only months after their successful war effort against the opposing noble, an assault was made on the daimyō's life by an enemy whom had survive the war. While this attempt was unsuccessful, it did require the sacrifice of Hajime's life in order to half; as he flung himself in the way of the assailant's knife in ordr to save the daimyō's life.

To say the least, the loss of his father figure ended up doing many things to the young man. Most prominent of these was the motivation to leave his stable occupation as a mercenary in order to seek out revenge. Thus began Kaidan's hunt for the assailant, which would come to a conclusion in the region that would come to be known as the Land of Water.

Incapacitation
Upon one of the numerous islands that composed the Land, Kaidan finally tracked down his adversary. Against the might of his rage, she stood little chance of survival and was quickly exterminated by the young man. However, what Kaidan did not count on was the fact that their battle had taken place within the assailant's land of origin...and that she was far from being alone. Though they arrived too late to liberate their kinsman from the clutches of demise, they did arrive swiftly enough to avenge her.

Though strong in his own right, Kaidan was easily overwhelmed by the sheer number of shinobi who rose up against him. To say the least, he was out of his element facing off against whom manipulated the  with ease. They were relentless in their quest for revenge and in the end succeeded in their goal. When it was all said and done, Kaidan was encased in a prison of ice and hurled into the murky seas; seemingly deceased and never to be seen again.

However, fate would have it that the nets of unsuspecting fishermen would snag upon his frozen prison several generations later. When the retrieved him, they were amazed to see an armed warrior suspended within the ice. They ferried the find to the heart of their village so that their compatriots may witness the strange finding as well. As it turned out, the settlement where Kaidan's battle against the ice-wielding clan had grown into a small village. This was one of the few refuges the Yuki had within the Land of Water; and strangely enough the same clan that had imprisoned Kaidan would be the same who aided in his release.

Fortunately for the young man, there was no record of the particular incident that had resulted in his imprisonment and once he was freed they were more than welcome to assist him in recovering from his sordid state. They even went so far as to procure medical ninja to adequately resuscitate and oversee his rehabilitation. Now free of his prison, Kaidan began the long road of adjusting to this "new world", several generations remove from all he once knew.

Personality
Originally, Kaidan was unlike any other child. He was sweet, innocent, and loved to play with the other children in his hamlet. However, as he grew, his peers became verbally and physically abusive. They made his daily life a living hell, all because his mother was the town harlot. Despite the fact that he could not control what his mother did for a living, the children were cruel, and Kaidan developed a detached personality in order to shield himself. He became quiet, distant, and antisocial. No longer did he play with his peers, instead he remained huddled in the darkness of his ramshackle home. Alone.

As time wore on, Kaidan desired one thing. He wanted to be invisible. He didn't want his peers, or anyone for that matter, to see him; since he was absolutely convinced that the mere sight of him would result in even more abuse. As such, he developed a slight reputation as "the town ghost". He would only appear when absolutely necessary, such as for drawing water out of the well or fetching vegetables from the market stalls.

When Kaidan matured into a pre-teen, his silent suffering took a violent turn. Those who would ridicule him as he passed by, or throw stones at him as he drew water from the well, were met with more than just the cold shoulder. Instead, their faces received swift introductions to his fists. Kaidan began to fight, almost everyday, and became excessively belligerent. These tendencies were directly responsible for his slaying of the drunken farmer years later.

It took several years for the young man to learn self control, and it took the stern hands of his relative Hajime to achieve this. While under his tutelage, Kaidan matured into a calm, collected individual with a mind for strategy. Hajime instructed him to take out his frustrations in a constructive manner, such as playing games of Go, meditation, or training. Through his antisocial tendencies continued, he no longer launched into uncontrollable furies over the most petty of issues.

Once Kaidan was freed from his icy prison, and earned the trust of his fellow shinobi within Kirigakure, cracks began to form within his "protective persona". His comrades soon became his first friends, and he found himself engaging in social activities; such as going out for ramen or sake. Though it was difficult for him to completely trust anyone, he was no longer the solitary creature whom lurked within the corners of his residence. Then, he met Katsumi...

She, and she alone, shattered his icy detachment and brought out a side of Kaidan that he didn't know he had. The love they shared burned with a fiery passion, and she became what was most precious to him. In response, as she was his first and only love, he became fiercely protective of her. He began to become controlling to a fault, dictating which of her comrades were best for her to be around. This caused the first of many conflicts in their relationship, in which his anger bled out; but in the end they worked through everything and he forced himself to swallow his overprotective nature.

After her disappearance, Kaidan was plunged into an obsessive search for his beloved. He could not accept what his comrades were telling him, that she was deceased, and so he began to search high and low for her. Kaidan simply could not allow himself to "move on", he loved her too much in order to do so.

Appearance
Kaidan appears as a male of average height and an athletic build, honed through years of rigorous service. His skin tone and the color of his eyes are similar in hue, both appearing as dark shades of brown. Furthermore, his hair is raven in color and has seen numerous styles over the years. As a child, Kaidan's hair was sloppy, ill-maintained, and fell just above his shoulders in length. He wore this particular "style" along with the ragged garments he managed to scrounge together.

However, once Kaidan entered into the service of the Daimyō, he was finally given proper clothing and hygienic accommodations. From that point forward, after going so many years without them, the young man placed a high value on his outward appearance and made it a priority to always look presentable. During this time, he wore kosode, hakama, and obi of various colors. Whenever he entered combat in the name of the Daimyō, he incorporated plate armor over his day to day attire and carried a basic katana.

During the events of the Third Shinobi World War, Kaidan did not make a drastic change to his attire. He simply donned a Kirigakure forehead protector to denote the village he was determined to aide. Following the war, and his entrance into the Hunter-nin, he developed his "working persona". The intent of this particular outfit was to incoroporate with an exceptionally intimidating appearance in order to aide in the interrogation and capture of targets. Thus, the Spectre of the Hidden Mist was born.

This particular attire was a deviation of the standard Hunter-nin uniform and was characterized by torn fabrics and ragged strands. His face was shrouded by his Hunter-nin mask, whose colors were modified in order to give the illusion of glowing eyes under the right lighting. When coupled with ninjutsu, such as the, Kaidan literally appears as though he were a spirit from the underworld.

Third Shinobi World War
Shortly after being liberated from his icy prison, the Third Shinobi World War broke out. It did not take long for the violence to reach the shores of the Land of Water, and soon those whom welcomed Kaidan with open arms were fighting for their lives. They stood as a single congregation under Kirigakure, and to say the least, Kaidan was surprised! He had never fathomed that so many clans and people could come together under a single banner and fight as one. After all, the era from which he hailed was characterized mainly by conflicts between clans.

Out of gratitude, Kaidan resolved to help those who had helped him. Thus, he entered the fray, operating under the banner of Kirigakure. It was a shaky arrangement at first, as none of the villagers knew or trusted this "ancient shinobi", but he soon proved himself to be a valuable ally and friend. Over the course of the war, he fought with bravery and helped the Hidden Mist achieve a number of victories.

Although the war did not end in their favor, it did end in Kaidan's. By the time the fighting had come to a halt, those of Kirigakure had developed a mutual trust with the ancient shinobi; so much so that, in the end, he was officially inducted as a member of Kirigakure! Based upon his skills, he was placed within the Hunter-nin and worked within a squad under the leadership of Tenshi. It was within this squad that Kaidan would meet the love of his life, Katsumi. However, he would only tarry under Tenshi's command for two years before proving himself capable enough to lead his own squad.

Pre-Fourth Shinobi World War
During the span of time preceeding the Fourth Shinobi World War, a great number of things occurred within the life of Kaidan. The most important of these, at least in his mind, was the development of a passionate relationship with his former teammate Katsumi. To say the least, she brought him a happiness that he had never before felt in all of his life. Whenever Kaidan was not off on a mission, the place one could find him would be at her residence, or wandering about the village with her at his side. At times, their relationship was a "spectacle", as they had a fondness for public displays of affection every now and then.

Aside from that, those many years between the wars was a time of exceptional growth for Kaidan. He began to feel as though he had truly found a place to belong: a home, with people who actually cared about his wellbeing! He had amassed a number of friends and allies, both in and outside of the village's armed forces. Yet, not only did Kaidan grow as a person, he also grew considerably as a warrior. His time leading a squad of young Hunter-nin gave him exceptional amounts of experience as a leader and as a strategist. Furthermore, it was during this span of time that he stumbled upon Kiken'na Cave and formed a summoning pact with the Bats residing there.

Fourth Shinobi World War
The Fourth Shinobi World War was, first and foremost, an event that initially confused Kaidan, but would swiftly change into a hellish nightmare. In the beginning, he found the sudden unification of the Five Great Nations as a single army to face off against the Akatsuki menace an oddity. It was his opinion that, if the other Nations had been proactive in their efforts, the Akatsuki could have been eliminated long before they amassed enough power to become a global threat. Personal feelings aside, he had his orders and he and his beloved were assigned to the Surprise Attack Division.

Their multitudes of experience as Hunter-nin gave them the perfect set of skills required to be excellent components of the Division, and whilst the war entered its expositionary phases, they demonstrated these skills time and time again. However, Kaidan's nightmare began shortly after the arrival of the entire Allied Force to back up Naruto Uzumaki whilst he faced off against Madara and Obito Uchiha. For the first time in his entire life, Kaidan felt supremely inferior; especially since he was fighting against somone who hailed from his own era, and yet he was leagues away from even being able to touch the Uchiha legend.

Regardless, Kaidan fought with everything that he had...but when the Ten-Tails surfaced and attacked, he lost sight of Katsumi. Throughout the conflict, they had always stayed no more than a yard or so away from each other; so Kaidan found it strange that she had suddenly disappeared during the fray. However, he did not have time to dwell on it, as there was a raging beast decimating their lines every passing minute, and so continued to fight on. In the end, once the Ten-Tailed beast and its Jinchuuriki were defeated, Kaidan began roaming the crowds of cheering shinobi in search of his beloved.

He couldn't find her, no matter how hard he looked.

Fear gripped the pit of his stomach and he began to frantically scour the battlefield for any sign of her. Yet, again, he could not find her. He requested the help of some of the Byakugan wielders of the Allied Forces for aide, and even they could not find her either. In the end, the only trace of his beloved was her sword, discovered underneath heaps of rubble. Kaidan thought the worst, at first, and was absolutely devastated. He had lost the one person in the entire world whom he cared about with all his heart...or so he initially thought.

Post-Fourth Shinobi World War
Immediately following the war, Kaidan fell into a state of depression due to the disappearance of his lost love. His position as a renowned squad leader within Kirigakure gathered him the support of his fellows in search of his lost love...but after weeks of fruitless search about the battlefield, the Mizukage herself ordered that Kaidan stop wasting the village's resources and declared Katsumi K.I.A. This angered Kaidan to no end, as his obsessive search had lodged a delusion into his mind. He slowly but surely began to believe that she was alive, somewhere, and that he would find her no matter what the cost.

It did not take long for this delusion to motivate him to deviate from direct orders. He found himself straying during missions and taking all of his downtime to scour the battlefield once more. This delusion was one of the major factions that made Kaidan desire to defect from Kirigakure. The other was the sordid state of the world following the War. Unlike any other conflict, the casualties were astromically high. As such, the economy within the Hidden Villages and their spheres of controls were dwindling. His orders were no longer coming in as dire requests to eliminate a rogue shinobi, they were, more often than not, orders to deal with border disputes and minor conficts.

In time, Kaidan grew absolutely sick of it. He found Kirigakure weak for allowing itself to sink so low; as he had put the Village on quite the pedestal due to their "bloody" reputation. Nonetheless, the combination of his personal feelings regarding the state of the present and his desire to find Katsumi once more were more than enough to drive him to abandon the Village, and his Team. It did not take long for Kirigakure to find out that he was gone and to send in teams after him.

At first, these teams were composed of his students, teammates, and friends. They volunteered for the missions and defied direct orders by first attempting to persuade Kaidan from betraying Kirigakure and becoming a missing-nin. Of course, he refused and this segued into numerous conflicts between himself and those he once called friend. Many of his "friends", including his students, were slain by his hands. When the dust settled, Kaidan managed to evade capture without any sizeable harm; as his experience as a Hunter-nin allowed him to identify and evade the tactics thrown at him with minimal ease.

In the end, Kaidan set about the shinobi world searching. First, he sought his beloved. Second, he sought to stave off the growing inferiority complex that resided within him; compliments of witnessing Madara Uchiha's massive strength. Third, he desired see if, perhaps, any of his kin had survived to the modern era.

And thus the search commenced.