Seireitou Hyūga

"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Land of Fire have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. We strive to uphold the "Will of Fire", which provides us with hope and inner strength. Earth is the element of substance. The Land of Earth and their people are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Subsequently, they put their faith in the "Will of Stone". Air is the element of freedom. The Land of Wind, in their deserts which allow for isolation from the strife of the other nations, have found peace and freedom. Lightning, an absolute force, is an element that represents authority. The people of the Land of Lightning are resolute and, like those of the Earth, will stand before any consequence with pride. Water is the element of change. The people of the Land of Water are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything, which has allowed them to persevere through the dark chapters of their history. It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others - the other nations - will help you become whole."

- Seireitou speaking to the students of Konohagakure's Ninja Academy.

Seireitou Hyūga (日向精霊の塔, Hyuuga Seireitou) is the Sixth Hokage (六代目火影, Rokudaime Hokage) of Konohagakure. He was a main combatant in the Second Shinobi World War as well as a member of the Hyūga Clan's main branch. During which time, he was feared by allies and enemies alike as the "Shiroyasha" (白い悪魔, White Demon), due to his appearances on the battlefield with his silver hair drenched in blood, as well as his abilities that were unrivaled to the point that he was considered something that could not be called human. With the level of power and skill that he possessed, Seireitou had often prompted others whom have heard of his feats to call him the second coming of Hashirama Senju. He was originally the leader of Team Seireitou, a Genin squadron consisting of Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui.

History
Born in Konohagakure during the start of the Second Shinobi World War, Seireitou was a member of the prestigious Hyūga clan's main branch. Not much is known about his childhood in the Hidden Leaf. When he turned four, the battles between Konohagakure and Kumogakure had escalated due to the support by the Hyūga Shinobi on the side of the Leaf. It was at this point that the higher-ups in Kumo hatched a plan to kidnap one of the Hyūga children and use the Hyūga's powerful Dōjutsu for their own purposes. His parents, who have not been named, were killed by a group of Shinobi from Kumogakure who had attempted to kidnap the young Seireitou from within the Hyūga household in the dead of night. They succeeded, and took the young boy with them as they left the village. However, as they began to leave the Land of Fire, something had occured within Seireitou. A spark had occured inside the young boy, and within an instant, he stood over the bloody remains of his kidnappers. His eyes were etched with the appearance of the Byakugan, but the image soon disappeared when the men fell to their deaths. Frightened and shocked at what occured, and also confused, he sat in the blood-riddled grassy plain. Seireitou had noticed a sword in one of the dead Shinobi's possession, and took it, hoping to be able to protect himself.

Months had past as the war in the background had continued with no end in sight. Seireitou, now six years old, had wandered aimlessly around the Land of Fire's underdeveloped areas, slaying innocent people around and stealing their possessions, using the sword he took from the dead Kumo ninja. One day, after killing a man, and sitting down near the corpse, eating a ball of rice he took from the bentō box of the former, a wanderer by the name of Shōyō Kawahiru approached him.


 * "I arrived here after hearing about a corpse-eating demon... Would that be you? A rather cute demon. Did you also take that from a corpse? A lonely child stealing from corpses in order to protect himself, is it? That's very impressive. However, you will no longer need that sword. A sword that is swung only in self-defense, while fearing others, should be thrown away. I shall give you my sword. If you wish to properly learn how to use that sword... then come with me."
 * - Shōyō, when he meets Seireitou as a child.

He noted that villagers around the Land of Fire had mentioned a "demon-like" presence in the forests, slaying any civilian that dares cross its path. But never expected to find "a cute demon", much to Seireitou's distain, as the latter drew his sword which had rusted from the blood of the people he had killed over the past two years. Shōyō stated that he shouldn't be using a sword that has rusted due to being misused, and that a sword should only be wielded to "protect one's soul". Shōyō took the young boy with him on his journeys, and trained the young boy in all manner of fighting styles and principles, even the way of the sword. Almost instinctively, Seireitou awakened the Byakugan's powers through his training, and Shōyō, who had confronted a fair share of Hyūga clansmen in his journeys, was able to teach a makeshift session of the Hyūga fighting style. What occured during his teenage years is unknown, although it appears that at some point, Shōyō died in a large house fire set aflame by Kumo Shinobi who had believed it to be a Konoha safehouse. The young Seireitou could only cry out his sorrow as his teacher and caretaker burned to death in the large flames.

After this event, it is unknown what happened, but at some point, Seireitou entered the Second Shinobi World War personally as an ally to the Hidden Leaf. It was during the war that he met the three who would later become his most "fiercest rivals" and his "closest allies"; the threesome being Ryun Uchiha, Echo Uchiha, and Hikaru Kurosaki. The four became famous and feared throughout the Shinobi world during the world, renowned as the four Yonkō. Why Seireitou later defected was never made clear, however it was assumed that he felt as though he wasn't able to save any of his comrades, and couldn't bear watching any more comrades die in front of him. But this is, in its entirety, merely speculation. In the years following, he met up again with Ryun, and after a fight between them, the two declare eachother to be the other's "eternal rival". With that, the two engaged in several battles to see who was the strongest, with their current record being 30-29 (although each think they are the ones in the lead, with no real indication of who is really in the lead).

Appearance
As a young child, Seireitou had rather short and curly silver hair, but he grew it out long once he got older as a homage to his mentor, Shōyō Kawahiru. He is sometimes refered to as "Silver-Hairs" Seireitou due to his appearance. Like all Hyūga clansmen, he has blank white pupils. Seireitou's expression is often depicted as calm and peaceful, with an air of humility, although many people noted his bored look makes him appear as if he has "dead fish eyes". Seireitou's attire, during his tenure as a standard shinobi, would consist of the standard Konohagakure attire with flak jacket, symbolizing his status as a Jōnin. Afterwards, he took to wearing a white sashinuki hakama, tied by a wide black obi around his waist which keeps his mentor's sword fastened to his left hip; unlike most obi, it's belt ends hung downwards on the left side. Over this, Seireitou wears a long white robe that has large bell-shaped sleeves. Leading up to his shoulders, both sleeves sport a thick long black bar running down the length of each white sleeve; these black bars are also shown to be on his hakama, running down the length of his legs on the outer edges. It also possesses a white collar that is kept up, but only block the view of his chin area. In more recent times, he is shown wearing a more simple uniform, consisting a haori with a hood, hanging downwards and shielding his face from view when the hood is up, which is normally the case.

Personality
Seireitou is portrayed as loyal and dedicated, possessing a dry sense of humor and sarcastic wit. He is often seen throughout the story as helping people, mainly befriending and giving advice to several shinobi and samurai alike. He is a complex person with some rather difficult to understand views. Using a medley of quotations and beliefs, he is able to consistently shatter the ideals of a person he confronts, but never appears interested in making someone, as he says, "see things his way".

In the chapter that he is introduced, the viewer clearly sees what an eccentric character he is. He typically acts in a goofy, energetic and fun-loving manner; being able to cheer up even the depressed Ryun Uchiha at times. While on the surface, he acts in such a ridiculous manner, this merely masks his true personality. Seireitou appears to act mostly out of self-interest rather than any sort of philanthropy, initially comes off as a self-serving man, infamous among many of his colleagues and subordinates alike for the selfish and narcissistic aura he gives off; but to those who truly know him, he is a man that always attends to those who need him. He comes off to most as a sort of cocky layabout, shirking most of his duties, but quick to take action when it appears that his loved ones are in danger. Seireitou is expertly manipulative and prone to think several steps ahead of those around him, giving him a remarkable talent for making subordinates act exactly as he wishes despite appearing not to have had a hand in their decisions. However, while these traits do have a place in his real personality, much of his outward persona can perhaps be considered an intentional facade perfectly designed to cause those unfamiliar with him to underestimate his remarkable intelligence and ability. At the core, he is a remarkably devoted leader whose primary focus and personal duty is to pushing trainers to their absolute limits; both mentally and physically. Though he hides it well behind a veil of cynicism and self-importance, Seireitou is a man who cares deeply about the people who trust and support him and goes to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being, even at the risk of his own. As a man with considerable knowledge and expertise, Seireitou considers himself a protector to those without strength and acts accordingly, earning the staunch loyalty of his most trusted compatriots.

It has been noted by Ryun that Seireitou houses two different persona. The first is his carefree demeanor, which is present consistently and makes up the majority of his personality and traits. However, he also possesses the trait of a brutal and unmerciful killer, characterized by his other moniker, Shiroyasha, meaning "white demon", in reference to his white hair covered in blood during the battles in the Second Shinobi World War. It has been claimed that these two persona are at war within Seireitou, and have been ever since the death of the latter's mentor. However, despite this claim, the "white demon" persona has been depicted several times before, most noticeably during the aforementioned war, when he was first given said title, and also shown whenever Shōyō is brought up in a negative or demeaning manner.

In the position of an instructor, Seireitou is known to be capable of unspeakable brutality, both physically and mentally. Furthermore, he isn't very considerate of another's feelings of self-adequacy lack-there-of, portraying his signature sarcasm. According to Saori Uzuami, whenever Seireitou says "Eh, I don't want to", his stubborness becomes unrivaled to the point where no amount of compensation can change his mind. One of his most defining traits is that he is very respectful of his teacher Shōyō, and out of memory of his teacher, he values the relationship between a student and their master above all others; becoming enraged that someone who would harm their student would call himself a teacher. Despite being a fearsome fighter with nearly unmatched skills, he uses the guise of a coward most of the time to avoid needless bloodshed. He is typically described by others as lazy, unmotivated, and useless. In contrast, however, those same people also seem to note his kind, responsible, and unpredictable self.

Seireitou is a firm believer in a principle that has been unofficially named "the Burden of the Soul". He believes that no matter what happens, so long as his soul exists, he can never be defeated. This unrealistic level of indomitable spirit allows him to overcome challenges that initially appear to be futile.

Abilities
Not much is known of Seireitou's true capabilities, though it is obvious he is incredibly powerful. By his standing as one of the four legendary Yonkō, Seireitou's power and abilities are said to be unrivaled by anyone who came before him or anyone since. During the Second Shinobi World War, flee-on-sight orders were given should the enemy ever see him appear on the battlefield. His abilities are said to the point that no one of the current generation will be able to surpass him, and that he has become equal to his teacher, Shōyō Kawahiru. Ryun Uchiha noted that one of Seireitou's most fearsome traits is his ability to adapt to an opponent(s) at a rate that is considered almost unrealistic. It is because of this that Seireitou almost never loses to the same opponent twice, if not once. Saori Uzumaki commented that Seireitou was a monster in this regard, subsequently noting how his title of Shiroyasha was fitting.

Through years of unusual training and life-threatening fights, Seireitou's physical prowess is one of the greatest, to the point that it is considered near-impossible to best him at close-range fighting. One of Seireitou's more noticeable traits is his tremendously skillful speed. It is unknown if he uses the Body Flicker Technique, but his speed is capable of matching even that of a Shinobi using Lightning Release Armor. He is capable of effortlessly dodging simultaneous attacks at close range and the evasion of S-class techniques. Seireitou moves so fast that opponents commonly do not know his movements until after he has made them and is skilled enough in his movements to evade at high speeds even when being attacked from behind. In addition, Seireitou has a very large degree of physical strength, most commonly displayed by his ability to fight back his opponent's attacks with a single arm. Repeatedly, he has shown clear evidenced of his strength from acts like kicking Hikaru Kurosaki through a mountain-like rock formation and slamming Ryun over his shoulder with one hand in their battle. One of the most frightening feats of strength he has displayed is an ability to hold back the physical attacks of an Uchiha's Susanoo. According to Saori, Seireitou has reached the perfect balance between speed and stamina with strength and durability, having conditioned his muscles through years of unique and unusual training methods. It is because of this that he boasts such unrealistic strength, without having a large-built body.

Seireitou carries a katana named Byakubanetō (白い羽の剣, White Feather Sword) which was a genpuku gift from his late teacher. It is rumored to have been forged from a fang of the Ten-Tailed Beast. It has a principle forge, which Seireitou is currently searching for.

Seireitou has immense skills in chemical engineering and genetic engineering, among other scientific technique. This skill was most definitively shown when he was able to reverse-engineer organisms from mere DNA samples, recreating exact replicas of the nine tailed beasts, although it had taken nearly three decades to complete the project.

Gentle Fist
Having been trained by Shōyō Kawahiru in his lineage's ancient and powerful style, Gentle Fist, Seireitou is revered as one of, if not the, greatest master of this Taijutsu. It involves the sealing of chakra points, or "tenketsu", through the user's own physical stikes. Dealing in the strict use of free-jointed circular movements, the steps of Bāguàzhǎng are often very unpredictable, and in when used by Seireitou, make it near impossible for an opponent to land a strike on him. In Bāguàzhǎng, footwork is key and when used to its highest levels, can allow the user to enter into an opponent's "blindspot" (殺し, Korui), something that is very rare for any hand-to-hand combatant to develop.

Seireitou has often stated that the very essence of the Hyūga's Gentle Fist style is to examine, understand, and manipulate the "flow" of energy between opponents and between the fighter and their environment. Essentially, that energy is always in movement and is moving both around and through living beings as well as inanimate objects and surroundings. When a fighter is able to translate this understanding through their fighting, then they have truly become high-level Shinobi. However, for most, it is impossible to actually control this "flow" of energy and that most internal martial arts work to exploit the weaknesses of an opponent's flow. However, through Bāguàzhǎng, Seireitou is capable of completely altering and affecting (possibly even disrupting) the flow of energy in the air around him through the use of his Jūken. By aiming for key tenketsu of the opponent's body, via palm thrusts, Seireitou can alter the course of energy flowing around the opponent and through the opponent, essentially weakening their subsequent counterattacks or chances of continuing the fight. By doing so, the effects that can occur can end up weakening the joints (affecting flexibility) or causing a disruption in their internal and external energy patterns. Many other effects are possible based on how the flow of energy is altered, dealing in various results.

He had created a technique known as Eight Trigrams: Seijūken, which is a technique that allows Seireitou to control the entire radius of distance covered by the length of both his arms, by using a pulse of chakra from his centre to feel out the attacks that enter that "sphere of influence". Seireitou had also created a style of Gentle Fist known as Gyakujūken (逆, "reverse gentle fist"), a creation of his own design. Instead of using the open palms, he uses the back of his palms to attack. Gentle Fist normally seals an opponent's chakra points, while the Gyakujūken loosens the chakra points, allowing chakra to leave the opponent's body with every strike. This means that Seireitou can drain an opponent of their chakra supply with only a few direct Gyakujūken strikes, making it an extremely dangerous technique.

Quotes

 * "Back then, Ryun and I discussed something. I had asked him to define what happiness would look like if he could give it a physical form. If I'm not mistaken, Ryun answered that the shape of happiness might resemble glass. His reasoning made sense. He said that even though you don't usually notice it, its still definitely there. You merely have to change your point of view slightly, and then that glass will sparkle when it reflects the light. I doubt that anything else could argue its own existence more eloquently."
 * (To Ryun Uchiha) "Who was it that taught us our way of life? Without a doubt, that man... was Shōyō-sensei. And from his teachings, we became the people we are today, my friend. Consider that... by our own efforts, all that we have managed to do is to stand as equals beside those that the past had once called divines in the shinobi arts. We've accomplished nothing but follow in their footsteps... when our purpose is to advance beyond that. But now... actual strides of progress have been made. I am the man known as Senju Hashirama's second coming and the man who has assumed the power of Uchiha Madara! By my actions and my own will, I have ascended beyond what history had originally designated as the best; breaking through the plateau of limitation. This is how progress occurs, Ryun. I am Hyūga Seireitou, the true second Sage of Six Paths!"

Behind the Scenes
The header quote is derived from Iroh's quote about the four nations in the animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.