Ketsuekigasu Clan

The Ketsuekigasu clan (けつえきガス一族, Ketsuekigasu Ichizoku, lit. "Clan of the Blood Agents") is a secretive extended family and company of assassins who operate primarily out of the Land of Water. The history and origin of the Ketsuekigasu is intimitely connected to the ninja bloodlines, and played an instrumental role in the massacre of kekkai genkai clans during the events of Bloody Mist. The civil wars that followed resulted in the demise of the Ketsuekigasu by the blades of the Yagami clan. Only two generations later, the Ketsuekigasu mysteriously reappeared. It isn't clear to the outside world how a bloodline that had been reduced to a single survivor was able to rebound and replenish its numbers in such a short span of time, and some question the credibility of the lineage of the Ketsuekigasu. Despite these doubts, the new Ketsuekigasu clan has rapidly established itself as the go-to organization for the elimination and capture of bloodline-limit using shinobi.

Early Years
Long ago, the original Ketsuekigasu clan had been devoted to a specialized branch of fuinjutsu that relied on the use of blood pacts and internal seals. These advanced techniques allowed the Ketsuekigasu to place chakra seals on the organs of their subjects, to enable the use of jutsu without handseals. Their craft was further advanced when it began incorporating the use of blood-pacts to power these seals; subjects were able to utilize incredibly sophisticated techniques of immense power without advanced training. It was later discovered that the holders of these blood bonds passed these contracts onto their children, who were in turn able to utilize these powerful techniques. Their craft was perfected in time, and more and more powerful bloodlines were grafted into shinobi. The other countries of the world feared this power, and sought to destroy it, and a joint force of shinobi assaulted the whirlpool country, slaughtering its inhabitants and scattering them to all corners of the globe. To the Ketsuekigasu's shame, bloodline limits of the clan's creation had a hand in their homeland's destruction.

Warring States Era
The Ketsuekigasu clan emigrated from the city of Uzushiogakure in the whirlpool country to a smattering of islands in the Nagato province in order to escape the conflict. The most powerful of the bloodlines established themselves as clans of great reknown, and created hidden villages as their bases of operation. The world itself was being cleaved apart in a massive power struggle as the new balance was sought. The Land of Water was not spared the civil wars and battles that washed across the globe. The Ketsuekigasu had to assume a new role in the land of water, to survive there; the role of anti-bloodline shinobi. Though the secrets of the craft of bloodline-forging were lost to war, the Ketsuekigasu were able to assert themselves as the only clan that could dependably combat the overwhelming power of the bloodline limits in the island nation. The clan became an assault force, a weapon against the bloodline limits. With their assistance, the Land of Water was able to centralize its power around the authority of the position of mizukage in the face of threats within and without. During the fourth mizukage's reign, a great genocide was orchestrated by him against all bloodlines within the Land of Water. This event came to be known as the Bloody Mist, and the Ketsuekigasu clan was at the forefront of these mass-murders.

Fourth Shinobi World War
Immediately prior to the events of the fourth shinobi world war, a joint force of kekkei genkai clans that were supported and coordinated by the Yagami clan invaded and destroyed the Ketuekigasu headquarters. The entire clan was slaughtered, with a sole exception. Kenshin Yagami did not spare the survivor out of pitty, but out of a sense of shame; having been responsible for the slaughter of a clan once already, he did not want to take responsibility for the total eradication of another.

The survivor vowed vengeance, and sought a means of conserving the Ketsuekigasu clan's traditions and restoring its former glory. Through arduous study of the ancient arts, he was able to uncover a method of passing down his kekkai genkai, not as a bloodline, but as a hiden. By regularly transfusing his blood into his new-born children, their blood in time came to share the same characteristics as his own. In the span of just two generations, the population of the new Ketsuekigasu clan exploded. Though it is yet only a shadow of its predecessor's size, the Ketuekigasu clan's anti-bloodline role has become even more prominent in the years following the fourth war. Many countries now see the wisdom in reigning in powerful bloodline limits (the memory of Madara's near-success and the global catastrophe that would have followed weighing heavily on their perceptions). Numerous organizations, from shinobi villages, to feudal lords and even terrorists, actively seek the assistance of the Blood Agents in the assassination and capture of dangerous and valuable bloodline limit users.

Clan Information
 Population:  The Ketsuekigasu's population has fluctuated with every major conflict. Contrary to what most would assume, with the exception of the first shinobi world war the Ketsuekigasu's numbers have generally increased during every major world conflict, and stagnated in times of peace. Without conflicts or national threats to create a demand for their services, the patrons of the Ketsuekigasu usually rescind their support after a time. The Blood Agents have assumed a modus operandi to combat this loss of resources. In times of war, the Ketsuekigasu present themselves as saviors to assist both sides in the creation of peace. In times of peace, the Ketsuekigasu work from the shadows to instigate and reignite past conflicts. The new Ketsuekigasu clan numbers just over fifty active shinobi. Only approximately half of these are bloodline-hunters. The other half are spies and observers.

 Profession:  The Ketsuekigasu operate primarily as a network of assassins and information-gathering agents. Genin level shinobi are committed to assassination missions as soon as they are capable, to expand their training and experience. These missions usually revolve around the capture of low-ranking missing nin, though occasionally the death of a minor lord can be an objective. Spies continue to receive heavy indoctrination through mental stimulation (hypnosis, drugs), until it becomes impossible for them to oppose their mission objectives. Once they have been thoroughly brainwashed, they are sent out into the various nations of the world to gather information about regional conflicts, potential targets, and other avenues of profit. Though the spies aren't combatants, they do boast a mastery of basic ninja skills (stealth, distraction, poison use). The missions of advanced assassins (jonin) typically involve the capture of a bloodline limit user, or the killing of a bloodline using missing-nin. Ketsuekigasu assassins typically operate alone, receiving financial support from their clan through local agents and spies.

 Clan Politics:  Clan politics within the Ketsuekigasu are very simple. You obey the founder. Those that fail to follow this basic precept are not killed or exiled (their blood is much too valuable for that). A far more sinister fate awaits them. After being bound and confined, "traitors" receive injuries that disable their use of their arms and legs, paralyzing them. They are then forcibly lobotomized, and restrained in a holding area alongside other "collectors". Like so many vegetables they are kept alive only to continuously replenish the clan's blood stores, which are a highly valuable asset of Ketsuekigasu assassins.