Jōshō Adashino

"Joy fades, wealth fades, friends leave and family dies, but legacy lives on. Your legacy determines what you were, so make what you were, what you are, what you wish to be."

- Josho Adashino

Josho Adashino (上昇化野, Adashino Jōshō; "Risen From the Graveyard"), known by his moniker "Josho the Nocturnal" (夜行性の栄光の上昇, Yakōsei no Josho) is the last of a clan who swore never to fight. He unlocked his massive potential when fighting for his life, and now has revised his pledge to only fight for protection of himself or others.

Background
Josho was born in a small village of pacifists in the mountains, unbeknownst to the rest of the world. He was raised in their way, not being told what fighting is, or wars, and told never to hurt someone, because if they want to be hurt it is their choice, as it is his to let himself be hurt rather than them. He followed this, known as "The Way of the Leaf"-the leaf does no damage, keeps to itself peacefully, and falls when its time comes-, and was praised for being able to do so in spite of the obvious fact that he had more strength and potential than any others. However, one day that all changed.

When Josho was fourteen, he was shocked out of his peaceful daily life by the arrival of a stranger on a horse, who carried many bags on his steed. Josho had never seen anyone from the outside, and had harbored a strange notion that the world might end outside the foothills he could see, and so he was captivated. However, his interest turned to horror when the man drew his sword and killed the merchant who came to greet him. When others turned to flee, more warriors, these on foot, emerged from hiding and easily killed all of the villagers. Josho had committed himself to death in the true Way of the Leaf, until he saw the girl who he loved and had been all but pledged to since he was three being held down by three men, about to be killed.

At this point, he lost all his composure, shattering the chin of the man in front of him with one powerful blow, and then revealing natural Taijutsu skills by disarming and killing, with their own swords, the others who were nearby. Sword in hand, he went for the three men, who were shocked at the sight of a pacifist with a sword. However, the man with the horse attacked Josho, and proved more skilled than the others. However, Josho, pushed to tears by the day's happenings, unleashed a massive burst of chakra, and a raven made of darkness formed around his hand, immediately striking out of its own accord and killing the man on the horse. He then let loose a barrage of fire, incinerating the remaining soldiers, as well as his beloved. Josho, finally overcome, collapsed into the cinders and wept.

He woke up some days later, and realized that he was extremely hungry. With the village burned down, he was forced to eat the meat of wild cattle, revoking his former way further. He set out for the next village after giving a ceremony for his dead. On his way, he realized that he could no longer cling to the Way of the Leaf, and revoked it, though vowing to never hurt anyone or anything except in defense of his life or another's.

Several years later, Josho became a traveling ninja who protects those who cannot do so themselves, and seeks one who can lead him to the perfect answer, so that the Way of the Leaf may be lived once again, this time without fear.

Appearance
Josho is a man of average height, though slightly taller than most, with spiky gray-black hair that hangs about his head, and determined, piercing yellow eyes, which are remarked upon by many as unusual, and almost glow. He wears a blank forehead protector, and basic, rugged pants of a teal color. His shirt has no sleeves, and only reaches to his chest, revealing his impressive muscles, as well as tattoo on his right breast. He also wears a complicated belt and sash, with the former holding his wide sword scabbard, which hangs horizontally across his back at waist level. Josho wears fingerless gloves, and yellow sendal jepit.

Personality
Josho is a very knowledgeable person, though somewhat naïve. He has been described as those who know him as "a veritable fountain of information", and "the garbage disposal for random facts". However, many of these seemingly random tidbits come from encounters with foes whose abilities led to this knowledge, or from abilities of his own, and he has a firm belief that everything may someday have its use. He shows that nearly every piece of information can save his life somehow. He also has been shown to have committed several apparently trivial formulas to memory, and they are such that they are now in his subconscious, and aid him in battle. For example, he formulated a conjecture about the level of a jutsu based on the user's chakra and the charge time, which has allowed him to make split-second decisions in many battles. In his free time, he has been shown to try and replicate many of the odd features he has seen or heard of in jutsu techniques. However, when told of many real-world happenings and debates that are common knowledge to people far younger than himself, he expresses a complete ignorance, rare for himself. This also applies to sexual innuendo and debates, as he does not care much for that side of life.

Josho has also been seen to be carefree and extremely jovial, replacing a weapon of a friend with an empty sheath and hiding it. However, he makes sure to impress upon his victim that it is not an act of malice, giving them a note saying to look under a rock in a specific place, where they find the sword. However, when a friend becomes genuinely angry, Josho realizes that he has gone too far, and apologizes profusely, halting until the person in question has fully recovered their good humor. He also laughs at things that many do not find funny, although it is not that he thinks they are joking or cannot understand jokes, but that he finds humor in many things that other people do not bother to think on enough to see the laughter in it, or else see as ordinary and unfunny.

Josho can also be quite somber, as seen when he sadly states that he must kill the man who has gone mad with grief, though he regrets it, in order to keep the peace and facilitate life for others. His ultimate goal is the creation of a world where the Way of the Leaf is practical, and can be practiced without any criticism.

Synopsis
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Powers & Abilities
Most of Josho's abilities are still unknown. He is said to be the only follow of the Way of the Leaf ever to survive outside of their village, and one of the most gifted ninja of his time. He was described as a "very skilled ninja" by Seireitou Kawahiru himself. He has also been noted to have been born with particularly powerful chakra, as shown by its automatically manifesting as jutsu. Josho also shows that he has access to have knowledge and intelligence; just from seeing his opponents using a technique, he can determine from their style and reaction what they are like and will likely do next, as well as their most probable village and clan. Drawing from his unique abilities and self-training, he is able to fight several high-level opponents while overall controlling the level of the battle. Hiruko noted that Josho is unique in that his unique jutsu put him at the same level as a jinchūriki, and must not be taken lightly. Josho has shown to rely mostly on swordsmanship abilities, though he can use his hand to hand skills quite proficiently when it is appropriate.

Mastery of Elements
Josho has a natural affinity for elemental techniques, having stored up several Earth Style techniques for when he is tactically outmatched, though he tends to rely on his primary nature, Water, more often. He has Ice Style without the Kekkei Genkai, similar to Nadare Roga, though this needs existing ice to be performed. Because of this, he carries a small vial of ice with him, and uses Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger to freeze water for his jutsu. He has also demonstrated the ability to manipulate the elements using their corresponding chakra, allowing him to use minor attacks and defenses without jutsu.

Chakra Control
Josho's chakra control outstrips most others' by far, being on such a level that even those with reserves greater than his not insubstantial chakra comment on it, saying that it makes up the gap easily. He has shown the ability to overcome Genjutsu of high level by regulating his chakra control and, indeed, to fight while still in the Genjutsu, manipulating his chakra system to move and sense others' energy. He can also use jutsu and techniques with a mere fraction of the chakra others use, even skilled practitioners.

Josho has demonstrated that he can make a few jutsu into an entire collection of techniques and uses by token of his chakra manipulation, sometimes fighting entire battles with only three or four techniques. He has shown the ability to create variants on jutsu that expand their uses, or allow him to use techniques which he otherwise could not. For example, the normally straightforward defense jutsu has been used by Josho for attack, seen by his Rashomon: Swallow, which can swallow enemies into a new realm, or breath that dimension's power at them. He has also been known to use Void of Annihilation, a jutsu which formerly appeared to require three puppets working in conjunction, which Josho adapted so that he can use it by making a triangle with his three fingers.

Huginn & Muninn
Josho's most powerful techniques are also his trademark. The beginning of these jutsus' creation was written into history during the slaughter of his fellow pacifists. When their leader proved too powerful for him, Josho tapped into a subconscious well of chakra, which surfaced as the shadowy figure of a raven around his hand, and enabled him to destroy the man. Later, when he came to realize he would have to abandon his old ideals, he turned back to that inner well of strength and used the familiar steps to make the figure appear again, though weaker than before. Over years of training Josho perfected this ability, moving from a normal, albeit skilled ninja to one of the most powerful of his time.

When Josho uses these brother jutsu, the ravens form around his hand. For Huginn, it is a white raven made of bone that materializes around his left hand, while for Muninn a shadowy black raven manifests, covering his right hand. The two have similar abilities to each other, and together, according to himself, effectively make Josho a master of all possible jutsu, enabling him to step far beyond his boundaries. While their exact effects are not known as of yet, Josho claims that Muninn is the pinnacle of Nature Transformation, and Huginn the equivalent for Shape Manipulation.

Summoning
Josho has a Summoning contract with a group of creatures that is unusual in that they are ghostly: the skeletal ravens. These ravens cannot talk, but can fly and attack as well as any living raven. Their size and features vary greatly, with some being small, sparrow-like ravens, and others massive creatures with bony armor around them. They also can fire bursts of chakra from the gaps in their bones. Josho has implied that there is no order to them, and as none of them have shown names or any individuality besides their appearance, it seems that they are constantly shifting and may only exist as "living" creatures when summoned.

Trivia

 * Credit for the pictures of Josho goes to Deviantart's Mazjojo.