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"If you are unable to live the life of a Shinobi, then you deserve no life at all." |
Bane Anahari (弾機孔針, Baneanahari) is a legendary hunter-nin from the village of bloody mist, Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no Sato). Though renown for his tactical prowess and ferocity in combat he is best known for his unparalleled use of the legendary long sword Nuibari (lit.縫い針, “Sewing Needle”), and the potency of his killing intent. Bane has served through three generations of swordsmen, and continues to hold the highest body count of any hunter-nin in history. Branded as a traitor for the conquering of a foreign country, he lives on as an S-ranked Missing-nin, and is considered one of the most dangerous shinobi ever produced by the Land of Water (水の国, Mizu no Kuni).
Appearance[]
Those who find the courage to move past Bane’s natural killing intent, often succumb to terror when they see its source. A man of great physical stature, with an imposing figure of six feet eight inches, Bane boasts four hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle. This muscle is hidden under a loose fitting black haori, its sleeves torn from battles, prominently displaying the swordsman’s beastial arms. Many times this haori has been shredded in battle through the techniques Bane employs, and the hunter-nin can often be seen fighting shirtless. While the Haori remains on, it is held shut by a steel-like cable fastened to look like a rope obi worn around the waist. This wire rope must be immense in weight, yet Bane wears it completely unburdened. Matching its weight are a pair of metallic bracers, worn on both of Bane’s forearms, and a pair of weights hidden beneath the grey leg warmers worn by Mist Swordsmen
In the typical fashion of a legendary swordsman, Bane adorns himself with white bandages. Likely his most prominent feature is the bandages that wrap themselves around his neck, both his hands, and a majority of his face. The only uncovered portion of Bane’s face is the area surrounded his left eye. This single black beady eye has gained a reputation of seeing through souls, and it is rumored that if you look directly into his eye, you can see the thousands of souls Bane has sent to the afterlife, eternally tormented within its black abyss. The top of Bane’s head remains unbandaged, exposing his blueish grey hair, cut to a medium length to avoid unnecessary distractions in combat. Bane’s dark skin always seems clean, a nearly unnoticeable gleam consistently coats his skin. The only imperfections across his body are the numerous scars that coat it. It has been reported that each time someone witnesses Bane he seems to have an entirely new set of scars, or none at all, some have attributed this to the man's demonic aura, while the more sensible have reached the conclusion that it must be through the use of medical techniques.
Personality[]
Bane is a true believer in the Way of the Bloody Mist (やり方の血霧, “Yarikata no Chigiri”). Believing that strength comes through conflict, and only the strong are permitted to survive. Bane holds a very cynical view of the world, which consists of the strong and the weak, the used and the users, as well as viewing shinobi to be nothing more than tools. Bane shows no care or regard for his comrades, believing all shinobi to be simple tools meant to be used, cutting through them to gain the upper hand on an opponent, or striking them down for simply being inefficient. He worships his own ideal version of Kirigakure, loyal to this above all else, he would show no hesitation in assassinating his own Mizukage. Believing that Kirigakure has become too far removed from their days of blood and violence, Bane has only the memory of the more barbaric times of violence and glory. The embodiment of the Bloody Mist, Bane is war-loving, battle-hungry, initiating conflicts simply to show off the ferocity of the mist. Even when surrounded and completely outmatched, he refuses to back down, preferring to fight to the death simply to entertain his own blood lust to the very end.
The embodiment of the strong silent type, Bane prefers actions to words. Keeping his thoughts close to his chest, he chooses to speak only when necessary. Instead he observes, constantly analyzing his environment, assessing every aspect of his surroundings so that he may at any time use them to his advantage. This is felt particularly by those within his field of judgement, as he takes into account every subtle movement, every eye twitch, the clothes they wear, the stance they take, the smell they have, the palpitations of their heartbeat. When one stands in the vicinity of Bane, they can feel that this man has pierced through any exterior they may exhibit, and with only a single eye, seen into their soul.
Achieving this striking perception was the result of necessity. Throughout his life Bane has had only a single goal, survival. Every aspect of his life is geared towards this goal, whether it be the survival of himself, or the survival of the Bloody Mist. To Bane, the only way to survive is to become stronger, the very reason he became a shinobi, and one of the Legendary Swordsmen. The reason he became a Hunter-nin was this same mentality, believing that the only way Kirigakure could continue was to be stronger, and therefore the only way to ensure Kirigakure’s survival was to weed out the weak, the treacherous shinobi who’d flee from the village. To this day survival remains his only goal. Even in his life of isolation he does not relax, constantly preparing for the hunter-nin sent for him, for the fools he comes across trying to claim his bounty. In this way he has lived upto his moniker, living like the very beasts he summons, without his village the Hound of the Mist has become a wild dog without a pack, acting only on the primal urge to survive.
Though, his primal urges don't apply solely towards survival. Much like the Legendary Swordsmen of the past, Bane is incapable of playing well with others. Showing no concern for his comrade's safety, he will deploy any means necessary to defeat his opponent, even if it means injuring his comrades. Bane’s arsenal of jutsu does not lend itself well to teamwork, often using wide scale techniques. Bane has been known to butcher his own teammates simply for their inconvenience to him, or use them as human tools to attack or defend with. In the past Bane was removed from his position as a sensei due to snapping the neck and devouring the spine of one of his genin in front of her own squad mates, after she claimed she wasn’t cut out for shinobi life. Even as a hunter-nin, who famously travel in squads, Bane would be deployed as a solo unit by the Mizukage. Who knew that the casualty rate would be limited to the enemies side, so long as Bane went alone. This means that Bane is only able to team up with those capable of keeping up with him, often being those able to withstand simply being within his presence.
Bane has always commanded a menacing presence. Even as a child the natural killing intent he would excrete was enough to debilitate those within his proximity. This malice has only strengthened through decades of war and conflict. Now, a ferocity boils just beneath the surface of a cool exterior. Bane has harnessed his monstrous bloodlust and weaponized it, releasing it at his own discretion. Though his control of his killing intent has only made him more terrifying, as those who witness him feel the demonic presence of a raging beast, but see only a man, calm and silent.
While short of temper, his anger is always cold. Even while enraged his mind remains clear, his actions thought out. With his mind able to digest every bit of information, and come to a conclusion within fractions of a second. Bane’s patience becomes strained by the time consumption of unnecessary stupidity, and often times what seems like an act of violent impulse is in truth a calculated action. Due to this Bane has become known as an incredibly violent individual, slaying enemy and ally alike simply for their inconvenience to him. What’s more, Bane’s sense of loyalty is to his own ideal version of Kirigakure, rather than the actual village or any current Mizukage, leading him to defy orders or butcher his squad mates for their ineffectiveness. While his untamable nature has proved problematic for anyone trying to keep him under control, his efficiency as a shinobi, his mission success rates, and his victories in battle have often excused his actions, making him a necessary evil for Kirigakure. Particularly in times of war, Mizukage have used him like a wild hound on a short chain, just waiting for the chance to let him loose on their enemies.
Background[]
The product of violence and rape. Bane was born to a cruel and cursed life of hatred. His mother was Haneru Momochi (Haneru, 撥ねる, formal “Deny”, informal “Decapitate”, Momochi 桃地, “Peach Soil” ), a simple seamstress from a small village in the trees of the Land of Water’s Jukai Province. A fierce woman, she had never undertaken shinobi training, and had no real desire for violence, but when something precious to her was threatened, she had no hesitation to defend it. This was the case when her village was burnt to the ground, raided by an offshoot of the Kaguya Clan still loyal to their old barbaric ways. They referred to themselves as the True Kaguya, black of hair, tan of skin, unlike the pale skinned weaklings who relied on a kekkei genkai. The Kaguya survived off of raids and plunder, and this poor village was just one of their many stops. They raped and murdered, and set fire to Haneru’s village, and when she was the last one standing, still fighting, they decided not to kill, but to abduct and enslave her. She entered the private service of Bane’s father, Kukan Kaguya (Kukan, 躯幹, “Torso”, Kaguya 家具屋, “Kaguya”), the Chief Patriarch of the True Kaguya. A robust, cruel man, battle-loving and brash, who loved to dominate those weaker than him to boast his strength. It wasn’t long after Haneru’s abduction that she gave birth to Bane. Considered a bastard weakling, the infantine Bane was denied the symbol of the kaguya clan, and was forbidden to be given a name. He was only permitted to survive due to Haneru’s violent tendency to maim whoever tried to touch him. So the baby lived, and was used throughout the years to ensure Haneru’s compliance and keep the two in line. Bane suffered years of abuse at the hands of Kukan and his clan, until the day Kukan took it too far. The clan lord had gotten increasingly bold when it came to the torture he’d impose on Haneru and her son, and when Bane was merely six years old, his father threatened to kill him. Haneru intervened, fearing for the survival of her child she finally revolted against her captors, mauling two of the kaguya clansmen to death. Kukan quickly executed the woman, crushing her skull beneath his horrid fists.
As his mother’s blood splattered across Bane’s body, the boy snapped. A fiery rage was unleashed that to this day has still been unquenched. The boy became a demon, killing anyone he could see, butchering the Great Kukan’s clansmen until only he was left. Taking his mother’s needle, the demonic child lunged at his own father, stabbing into his chest a thousand times, a wound to the body for every one received by Bane over the years. The blood of his father was not equal to that of his mother’s, and the raging demon was not satisfied, fleeing into the woods of Jukai. For years, Bane would wonder Jukai a mess of bloodlust, a feral child with no link to humanity. He would butcher any who came across his path, so much so that the area of woods he patrolled soon became forbidden. Many a bandit or mercenary sought refuge within his woods, not believing the superstitions, and favoring its isolated nature. It was one such bandit that brought with him the tool that would change Bane’s life, and become his most prized possession, Nuibari. Having looted the blade off a corpse in some shinobi battlefield, this bandit had no idea the treasure he possessed. Neither did Bane, when he slit the man’s throat. However, now wielding one of the most powerful tools in the shinobi world, the feral Bane’s efficiency for death only increased. Rumors of a demon running through the woods with Nuibari caught wind, and found their way to Sam’e Narukagami, then the captain of the Seven Swordsmen, Sam’e had been tasked with retrieving each of the lost blades, and returning them to Kirigakure.
When he came across Bane he was shocked to say the least, expecting a demon he instead found a young boy, aged eleven, in torn and bloodied rags. When he looked the child in the eye however, he understood the present danger. The two battled, and the untamed ferocity of Bane, despite being unrefined, proved an immense challenge to the famous swordsman. The battle ended when Sam’e cut out the child's right eye, and Bane pierced Nuibari straight through the Swordsman’s chest. It was the first time Sam’e had ever been injured in combat, and so the great shinobi decided to let Bane keep Nuibari. Which until then the child had only referred to as the Giant Split-eyed Needle (弾機孔針, “Baneanahari”), bringing a chuckle from the Swordsman captain, and earning Bane his true name. Sam’e brought the feral child back to Kirigakure, to begin his path as a ninja. Eventually becoming one of the most dangerous shinobi, and the greatest wielder of Nuibari, in the history of the Land of Water.
Now, not a single bingo book in the shinobi world wants Bane captured alive. In times of war entire war parties and battle strategies are created around the single goal of engaging him. Even as advisor to the Mizukage, he was prohibited from entering another village as a precaution. All this is to say, the man is dangerous.
While Bane was a hunter-nin he had earned amonng missing-nin the moniker of Executioner (lit. 刑吏 “Keiri”). It was considered a death sentence to be hunted by him. So much so that funeral preparations were often made before the famous swordsman even set foot outside the village. When it was discovered that they were being hunted by the famous swordsman, the missing-nin would be branded as a Living Ghosts (lit. リビング ゴースト“Ribingu Goosuto”). The Mizukage of the past knew that to dispatch Bane was to condemn a man to death, and so would only dispatch him for high value targets. However, Bane found such great sport in hunting treacherous shinobi that he’d often hunt and slaughter as many as he could find on his way to his main target, regardless of their priority value, skill, or rank. His death toll became so extreme that the inhabitants of Kirigakure worried he may turn his attention inward, and purge the village of what he considered potential missing-nin. To this day his violent actions in the past continue to deter village members from defecting, out of fear for their lives. Even while he himself has gone missing, those who find the courage to betray their village live out the rest of their lives in fear that the Mist’s executioner may be on their trail.
As captain of the Seven Swordsmen Bane gained further international renown. When he became captain he had already served through two generations of swordsmen, and was a seasoned veteran by the time he took over the third. The iteration of Seven Swordsmen under his command continue to be known as the bloodiest in history. Bane was a ruthless leader, demanding his swordsmen have complete mastery over their blade, and absolute loyalty. If they could not meet his expectations he would execute them himself and withhold their blade until someone better could. With this method of leadership, Bane was constantly refining his swordsmen until eventually his squad consisted of the best possible wielders of their blade, with unquestionable loyalty to the their captain, and only their captain. This unnerved the Mizukage, as Bane alone could barely be controlled, let alone with a squadron of Kirigakure’s greatest warriors behind him. However, this was a time of war, and so once again Bane was deemed a necessary evil. His squad of swordsmen proved themselves time and time again, slaughtering any shinobi in the way of their mission. Their skill and loyalty in battle allowed for an efficiency never before seen by the swordsmen. Their mission success rate became invaluable to the Mizukage who feared them, and they found themselves being dispatched further and further into the war effort. Their reputation grew, and it was said that when the seven swordsmen arrive on the battlefield, that the battle was already over. However, after winning the war, their reputation only furthered the concern of the Mizukage, and so fearing a coup, he disbanded the swordsmen and sent Bane into forced exile, branded as retirement.
Retirement didn’t last long however, as Bane was summoned back to his bloody mist village by a new Mizukage. War was once again approaching, and this new Mizukage knew the hidden mist would need Bane. His blade was returned to him, and he was established as War Adviser, and Director of the Interrogation and Torture Division, Kirigakure’s primary information division. His time as a strategist won victory after victory for Kirigakure, his invasion plans proven victorious time and time again. However it was his time in the torture department that cemented Bane’s reputation as a ruthless man. Bane didn’t care about morality, ethics, laws, or peace treaties, he cared about a single thing, information. The Mizukage turned a blind eye to the swordsman’s practices, allowing him to work with impunity. Bane’s methods revolutionized the torture and interrogation department, rapidly obtaining information crucial to the war effort. Quickly word passed that Bane was able to pull information from anyone, and that death was favorable to being captured by his department. This furthered the unease and mistrust between the village elders and Bane. It didn’t help that in his crusade of torture Bane had abducted members of his own village suspected of withholding information. An action that, while controversial, did improve shinobi loyalty, accuracy of mission reports, and mission success rates.
After the war, the Land of Water set its sights on the Land of Sky. The Land of Sky was merely a valley filled with people who struggled to achieve their goals of rebuilding their once-famed floating temples and reaching the peak of their potential. The Mizukage and accompanying council at the time, saw a grand opportunity to attain the secrets of this country in exchange for help. However, Kirigakure easily overstepped their boundaries with the client nation. Their intention from the start was to conquer the nation and assimilate it into the Land of Water. However they knew that sending a public army would incite an international incident and reignite the war they had just fought to finish. So instead of an army of shinobi, they sent an army of one, Bane Anahari. The famous Hound of the Mist used his decades of experience as a swordsman, hunter-nin, interrogation and torturer, and tactician to discreetly assassinate key targets from the Land of Sky and implant agents favoring his own country. After two years, Bane had successfully conquered an entire nation, single handedly. To this day the people of the Sky Colony believe that the Land of Water is the only thing saving them from a horrible curse. However, after his mission was complete, the Land of Water initiated the second phase of their plan. As Bane’s ability was only the first factor as to why he was chosen. The second was that he was the perfect scapegoat. The Mizukage had always remained cautious of Bane, and the Land of Water knew that the other nations would ask questions in regards to their new colony, so it was decided that they would place blame on a single rogue shinobi, and Bane was sentenced to death. However on the night of his execution, Bane escaped, and to this day he remains the very thing he dedicated his life to hunting, a Missing-nin.
A figure of study in the Kirigakure Academy. When young students learn of the hunter-nin they learn of Bane and his record, his skill in tracking, and his developments in the field. When they learn of the Swordsmen they learn of Bane’s unsurpassed skill in the wielding of Nuibari, his time in the most brutal generation of swordsmen in history, and his command of the next generation. When they learn of the Kirigakure wars, they hear of the victories won by Kirihakure through Bane’s strategies, the battles won by Bane's indomitable will, and the monstrous acts he committed in the name of the mist. However, as the years go on, and the Mist Village moves further from its bloody moniker and closer to the name of peace, the history of Bane Anahari becomes taught less and less. Now he is more of an urban legend. A horror story told to children who misbehave, or the shinobi who joke of leaving the village. He remains an idol to those who still believe in the ways of the blood mist, and to those who truly appreciate the legendary seven swords. Hunter-nin search aimlessly in a continued mission, considered more a tradition than an actual mission, as more and more start to believe he never existed. However, those unlucky enough to cross his path, and those fools who think they can bring him down, they know that the Hound of the Mist continues to hunt.
Abilities[]
Chakra and Physical Prowess[]
Chakra Type[]
Malicious Chakra (意地悪 チャクラ , “Ijiwaru Chakra”). Bane’s most deadly trait is by far the potency of his killing intent. Stemming from the uncanny blood lust he displayed in his childhood, Bane’s killing intent was why he was recruited into becoming a shinobi of Kirigakure. Dedicating the entirety of his chunin years to an intense training regime in the pursuit of maintaining and eventually mastering his blood lust. The end of each training session required the intervention of the entire seven swordsmen to get control of the rampaging child. These sessions paid off, refining the seemingly untamable blood lust into a lethal killing intent. Bane is able to control the amount of killing intent he projects, with his natural state of being still remaining greater than most shinobi ever achieve. This means however, that he is capable of completely suppressing it in battle, throwing off his opponents and preventing any compromise of position. However it also means that Bane has weaponized it, able to release at will depending on the skill level of his opponent. A strong killing intent is capable of evoking images of death before a strike. Bane’s natural state evokes images of one’s own death simply from feeling the faintest of his presence. The closer to its source an opponent gets, the stronger the terror within them. With this he is capable of imposing great weight upon his opponents, and has been known to shatter buildings with the density of his intent alone. Every being, regardless of their bravery, has the primal need to survive, Bane’s intent triggers this primal necessity, causing the body to paralyze itself in fear.
Bane’s killing intent is such that it can’t help but leak into his chakra reserves. This has created a new type of chakra referred to as Malicious Chakra. While this form of chakra strikes terror into those who come into contact with it, its greatest strength is its capacity to overwhelm. Due to the overwhelming presence of the killing intent imbued into it, Bane’s chakra cannot be absorbed, converted, or tampered with. Any attempt to absorb Bane’s chakra results in a vivid hallucination of one’s own death, its effects feeling real, a pure shock of terror and adrenaline to the system shutting any function down. This has been tested ad nauseum on the chakra consuming Samehada, and on the draining techniques of his village. It is speculated that if an opponent was capable of overcoming this instant shutdown, that continuing to absorb the malicious chakra would result in death, the absorber's heart giving out to the stress. Furthermore this chakra when met with an equal force, can overwhelm another technique, consuming it in its power. This feature has proven useful when Bane’s jutsu has converged with their natural weakness affinity, or when an offensive attack connects with an equally defensive one, a slight edge that can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The final property of this chakra is that of an immunity. The remarkable power of the raging flame that is Bane’s killing intent prevents any corruption, simply burning away any foreign intrusion. This has proven a great defense to techniques that involve the degradation of one’s chakra, and have allowed Bane to continue fighting where others greater than him have fallen. The consequence of this malicious chakra is that it cannot be shared, preventing Bane from assisting his allies in combat or utilizing techniques requiring medicinal chakra.
Chakra Level and Control[]
To be a member of the seven swordsmen is to be one of the seven strongest shinobi in the Land of Water, capable of bringing down an entire nation. Bane has been a swordsman for four decades. This means that the man has a strength superior to three generations of shinobi. This shows in the sheer volume of his chakra. Through years of natural training, Bane has achieved a level of chakra befitting if not surpassing that of a kage. His chakra reserves are no longer a concern to him, as he is capable of completely transforming a battlefield at will, bringing forth elemental jutsu where no natural sources occur. Regularly in battle it can seem like the shinobi is running low on his reserves, only to rebound at a strength superior to when the fight began. This is due to Bane’s ability to suppress his own chakra, which he uses not only for stealth and deception, but also to limit his own usage, releasing his suppression when more chakra becomes necessary. It is through this method the shinobi has amassed such great reserves in the first place. Similar in style to taijutsu users who limit their own speed and strength through the use of weights, slowly improving both. On the rare occasion of a great battle, when his chakra begins to deplete, Bane is capable of replenishing his reserves through sheer force of will through the use of his Berserk technique. While in Berserk, Bane’s chakra strength and level becomes proportionate to the intensity of the battle, and it becomes possible for the shinobi’s completely depleted reserves to skyrocket to a level superior than when he first began. This supplies a seemingly limitless amount of chakra comparable to that of a biju, increasing his chakra level to Mammoth. However as is the case with Berserk, the higher in power he forces himself to go the greater the physical harm caused once the battle mode dispels. To prolong his chakra reserves in battle, Bane has trained since a young age in how to control his chakra for maximum efficiency. Now with four decades of experience, he is able to mold and manipulate chakra at even the most delicate and miniscule levels in order to create the most complex techniques. Befitting of a shinobi whose primary weapon is that of needles, Bane is capable of creating and manipulating jutsu smaller than the head of a pin. In truth, Bane has been known to cast a mist of microscopic needles, each needle no larger than a single cell, and manipulate wires just as thin, in order to completely bind and sew together an individual on a cellular level, a form of true paralysis. Furthermore Bane’s suiton jutsu greatly revolves around the manipulation of individual water molecules, as he is capable of pulling from, moving between, seeing through, or evaporating them individually from his environment. This requires a level of chakra control comparable to the highest of Medical ninja or Fuinjutsu experts, something that benefits him in the fields of both.
Chakra Sensory[]
An unparalleled tracker, it is said that once Bane is in pursuit of an enemy, there is no where in the world they can hide. Death no longer becomes a matter of if, but when. While he was a hunter-nin there was not a single target he could not track down. Having never lost his prey, Bane hunted down and executed over five hundred rouge ninja, and continues to hold the record for the most hunter-nin brought to justice. This has earned him his most famous moniker, admired by his allies, feared by those who’d flee him, he has become known as the Hound of the Mist (lit. 霧 の 猟犬, "Kiri no Ryouken").
Bane’s skill in sensing is the product of intense training, ninjutsu, and experience in the field. Having undergone swordsmen training as a child, Bane mastered the art of Silent Killing at a young age. Wishing to improve his skill in stealth, Bane prompted to simultaneously increase his skill in sensing, believing that in order to keenly avoid being sensed one must first have keen senses. Today Bane’s senses have reached the pinnacle of human ability, each individual sense falling under his absolute control. He is capable of hearing a single heartbeat, feeling the slightest of vibrations, tasting the air surrounding someone, smelling their scent, or seeing the most minute detail, from miles away. He is even capable of slowing his own perception of time, and enhancing the speed of his thought process, through the slowing of his heartbeat and manipulation of his adrenal glands, allowing him to strategically pick apart a battlefield in the middle of an engagement. However, knowing that by increasing his senses he also increases his chance of falling into a genjutsu, Bane has also learned to suppress his senses at will. To further his ability Bane has enhanced his sensing techniques with jutsu. Using his elemental affinities of wind and earth have given Bane a sixth sense, in the form of a constant field of sensing, allowing anything within his vicinity to be felt by him. The radius of this field can be increased or decreased at will, subject to the amount of chakra he wishes to expel. Due to the variations of size, it becomes impossible to tell where Bane’s field of vision ends, playing into the swordsman’s advantage. As for his water affinity, Bane is capable of using the water molecules prevalent in nature to increase his already powerful sight to remarkable distances. Coupled with the use of various sensing jutsu, Bane’s natural sensing ability is enough to rival any dojutsu wielder, a feat rarely achieved by shinobi.
Speed Level[]
Like any true wielder of Nuibari, Bane possesses immense speed. In the blink of an eye, Bane is capable of launching Nuibari through multiple rows of enemies, catching it mid flight, and adjusting its trajectory, creating a knot of corpses with seemingly a single throw. Even without ninja techniques Bane’s base reflexes are enough to allow him to outmaneuver most if not all opponents. This great speed coupled with his heightened perception allows Bane to function at a higher caliber than most shinobi, being able to strategize and execute a battle plan in an instant. With this level of efficiency Bane is capable of fighting with extreme precision, weaving through close quarter and point blank attacks with frightening accuracy, making it no wonder that Senbon are his preferred ninja tool, as he is able to calculate his attacks down to the very tip of a needle. Through the use of his immense speed Bane has been known to deploy afterimages in combat, often feigning a strike to force the opponent to counter in the wrong area, or thrusting with such speed that his blade appears to strike three points at once. Bane is capable of further enhancing his speed through the use of ninjutsu and space-time techniques. Deploying the highly coveted Water Flicker Technique to travel between water molecules, increasing velocity with each molecular water lense. At short range, this allows Bane to move in an instant, while at longer ranges it allows Bane to travel great distances with little cost. His speed has become a great factor in helping him avoid capture. As any hunter-nin capable of even locating him, circumnavigating his traps, and surviving long enough to close in on him, can simply be outran.
Physical Strength[]
Possessing a monstrous amount of strength, a direct hit from Bane is enough to end any fight. With only a single strike Bane can shatter bone and rupture organs. His blows connect with such speed and force that they generate a secondary pocket of air, exploding in a shock wave capable of striking through most defenses. With this a single hit becomes a four pronged assault. This barrage starts with the impact of the initial blow, then the organ rupturing shock-wave that follows it, before the pocket of air collapses exploding in a secondary wave of force, and ending in a deafening thunderous clap, the sound of sound itself catching up to the supersonic blow. With this feat of strength and speed a few punches becomes a barrage of force seemingly impossible to dodge or block. With this strength of body, Bane is capable of lifting gargantuan structures, leaping immense distances, and even emitting a roar so uproariously loud that it can shatter the eardrums of those near it, paralyzing their bodies, rendering them permanently deaf, and if they’re close enough, kill them. It is said that through his force of strength alone, Bane could kill a man simply by spitting through them.
Durability and Life Force[]
Perhaps Bane’s greatest defense is the durability of his body. Achieved through years of conditioning and experiments with both Nuibari and the titanic pressures of the Deep Sea, Bane has hardened his body to the point that only Nuibari itself can pierce it. Surpassing the durability of even the third raikage, Bane has become his own Strongest Shield (最強の盾, “Saikyō no Tate”), allowing him to withstand nearly any type of technique. Through this rigorous training Bane has made himself invulnerable to any physical form of attack, causing blades to snap and bones to break upon contact. What’s more, the invulnerability of his flesh extends inward, as the strength of his organs prevents internal damage from blunt force and vibration, and is rendered impervious to outside intrusion. Preventing them from falling to internal assaults such as poisons or specialized taijutsu. Bane has ensured that his mind become just as ironclad as his body. Wishing to know the full extent of his abilities, Bane subjected himself to every form of physical torture he was capable of committing, which as the former head of the Kirigakure Interrogation and Torture Division, was an exceptional amount. Through extensive torture and training Bane’s tolerance for pain has become immeasurable. Whilst subjecting himself to physical pain he also gave orders to endure mental torture through his Interrogation and Torture Division. There he conditioned his mind to completely dissociate from his body, circumventing the need for sleep and the feelings of pain or exhaustion. He was also able to develop a natural mental fortitude which he reinforced with numerous mind techniques and fuinjutsu formula, making his one the most secure minds in the world. With mind and body of steel the famous Bane Anahari has truly earned the title of The Indomitable (lit. 不屈, “Fukutsu”).
A powerful life force is perhaps the source of Bane’s power, a primal bestial instinct to survive, coupled with an insatiable appetite for violence and lust for blood. Bane’s life force is the true power behind his Berserk battle mode and Absolute Killing intent. Both of which are in truth simply the unchecked pure forms of his life force, as its force is so powerful that most of Bane’s shinobi training had gone towards simply keeping it under control. Through his life force Bane can cure his own wounds, replenish his chakra, and achieve impossible physical feats with his strength, stamina, and endurance. With purely his willpower Bane is even able to ignore otherwise lethal blows and battle on as if unscathed. The unnaturally monstroffic power of his life force is more akin to a Kekkei Genkai than anything that can be trained. Having wielded this force of survival since birth, it is only through the lack of documentation of his parentage that Bane’s life force hasn’t been classified as a kekkei genkai. While without a doubt this holds great advantage for Bane, it can often come at greater cost, it’s potency ruining his body, preventing him from using healing techniques, and harming those around him.
Stamina level and Recovery Rate[]
A true S-ranked Shinobi, Bane has a level of stamina superior to most kage. Capable of fighting hundreds if not thousands of shinobi at a single time, for days on end. During the events of the Kirigakure Kumogakure War, Bane and his squadron were assigned to defend one of the many islands separating the two great nations. It was a well known fact that if Kumogakure took the islands they would be able to invade Kirigakure, and win the war. Bane’s squadron were to hold their ground at any cost. Bombarded with wave after wave of Kumogakure Shinobi and Land of Lightning Troops, slowly the defense squadron fell, all members spare Bane himself. Bane continued to hold off enemy forces, facing 100,000 troops over the course of five days. During the course of these battles Kirigakure was able to secure an alliance with their enemy, and by the time the cease fire had been ordered, there were no Kumogakure troops left to pull back from the island. Kirigakure sent a force to retrieve the bodies, assuming both sides had killed each other in their conflict, given their lack of reports. When they arrived they found the corpses they expected, beneath what they didn't expect at all, a feral Bane seemingly stronger than before the war started, stained in the blood of his enemies and allies, seemingly devoid fo humanity. They were not prepared for a raging demon, and Bane turned on the very Kirigakure troops sent to retrieve him, completely wiping out their division. No further reinforcements were sent, as Kiri and Kumo both decided to let the swordsman rampage. Finally after another three days, Bane calmed down from his battle rage, and found his own way back to Kirigakure.
Achieving an advanced rate of recovery is a standard for the average shinobi, and is perhaps the only feature of Bane that can be considered average. Having completed all the necessary training to escalate one’s own healing, Bane’s factor is equivalent to the rate of most other Jōnin. While advanced, this is nowhere near the level of healing acquired by those born with special ability, or those who dedicate their lives to such pursuit. However in times of great battle Bane has been known to seemingly heal himself through willpower alone. Though this ability is linked to the power of his life force, and isn’t one he can replicate at will, making his base level rate of recovery simply advanced.
Battle Modes and Transformations[]
Berserk Mode[]
Berserk (lit. ベルセルク, “Beruseruku”) Though not a technical transformation, the drastic changes caused by its use have classified this as its own battle mode, known as Berserk. In truth, Berserk is simply Bane loosening his own restraints. The greater the battle, or the greater the damage inflicted, the more Bane releases his control of his blood lust. While in this mode, his strength, stamina, durability, and speed all increase proportionate to his blood lust. When truly enraged he is capable of shrugging off lethal blows, rapidly healing, and even increasing his own chakra reserves, through sheer force of will. The limits of this technique have been compared to that of the eight gates. However, there is cost, as Bane’s mind becomes greatly affected. The deeper into Berserk he goes the more focused on the battle he becomes. While this increases his senses and tactical input, it removes his care and attention from anything other than combat, and he has often gone so berserk that he has turned on his own allies. The more berserk Bane becomes the harder it is to regain control of his own blood lust, and he will continue to fight until there are no opponents left. In the past, during times of war, this has caused the great swordsman to battle for days on end, rampaging until both side’s forces lay at his feet.
Absolute Killing Intent[]
Absolute Killing Intent (lit. 純然 殺気, “Junzen Sakki”, VIZ; “Absolute Murderous Intent”)
By removing the limitations suppressing it, Bane’s Killing intent achieves an entirely new level of power. His bloodlust becomes completely untampered, forming into the physical manifestation of his killing intent. This intent takes the shape of a rampaging flaming skull. The form of death itself. Its fire is composed of pure malice so potent that it can stop a heart upon contact. The force of pressure of the fully released intent is greatly burdening, enough that it creates a crater wherever it forms. While the density of the aura is so great that no physical means seem to be able to penetrate it. Those exposed to this aura find themselves incapable of movement, their mind shocked into paralysis, as they continue to witness their own death within their heads. The closer to the manifestation they become, the greater its effects. In this way the killing intent takes on the properties of a genjutsu, locking its victim’s mind in a continued loop of their own death, while paralyzing their body through fear and physical pressure. This intent is capable of killing without the need to be touched, as overexposure to its effects will cause the heart to give out, a slow and painful way to die. While in this mode Bane’s attacks become covered in this ethereal flame, increasing their lethality ten fold. At will he is able to emit a seemingly undodgeable attack that appears different to each observer, in their mind this attack will always connect and result in their death, regardless of the truth, due to the effects of his killing intent. With this Bane is capable of hiding true attacks among fake ones, as well as launching simultaneous attacks to conceal the true assault, fooling his opponent's perception of reality by playing upon their primal fears.
When coupled with his Berserk Mode Bane becomes completely incapable of regaining control over his killing intent. Even with no opponents left to face, his absolute intent to kill only increases his bloodlust, causing him to seek out further battles. At this point intervention becomes impossible. Bane will continue on existing in this state until his body becomes physically incapable, completely depleted by exhaustion. Afterwards the shinobi falls into a coma like state, his level of recovery time proportionate to the amount of time spent in this mode. It is because of the combination of Berserk and Absolute Killing Intent shown on the battlefield that Bane has been referred to by many veterans of war as the Raging Demon (lit. 荒れ狂う 鬼, “Arekuruu Oni”)
Nature Transformation[]
Suiton[]
Suiton(水遁, “Water Release”, VIZ; “Water Style”), As a shinobi of the Land of Water it is only fitting that Bane’s primary elemental affinity be that of water itself. Bane’s mastery over his Suiton affinity is exceptional, to the point that unlike most users of suiton, Bane does not need a pre existing water source to pull from, and is able to produce massive quantities of water where none exist. Perhaps the greatest testament to his skill is his ability to pull moisture from his environment. When there is no body of water to be found, Bane is capable of pulling the moisture from his surroundings. Bane’s skill with this technique is such that he has been known to even pull from the pre-existing moisture found in living things, leaving them as withered husks. Bane refers to this ability as Evaporation Style (蒸着遁, “Jouchakuton”). Perhaps the greatest feat of this style is the ability to pull from the water used in other suiton techniques. By separating the water molecules from the foreign chakra, and then inserting his own chakra into the water, Bane is able to take control of, or completely evaporate, his opponent's water jutsu. With a majority of his opponents in the past being rogue-nin from the Land of Water, this style of suiton jutsu has been an effective trump card, as it makes water style completely useless against Bane. Originally, this style was created as one of Bane’s contingency plans in the event that any of his fellow swordsmen should go rouge, developed as a countermeasure to the master of suiton known as Sam’e. However now it serves as a regular fighting style, just another tool within Bane’s Arsenal. Embodying the namesake of his village, Bane’s most frequently used jutsu is that of the Hidden Mist Technique (霧隠れの術, “Kirigakure no Jutsu”). To further his capabilities Bane has expanded upon this jutsu and created an entire arsenal of Mist Techniques (霧術, “Kiri Jutsu”). Through the use of these techniques Bane’s indispersable mist can take on physical aspects to deal damage, deploy genjutsu, drain chakra, self replicate, heal, self expand, among a plethora of other possibilities. Bane uses his mist as if it were an entirely new affinity, with such techniques as Mist Clones (霧分身術, “KiriBunshinjutsu”), or Mist Prison (霧牢の術, “Kirikangoku no Jutsu”). Much more than a simple concealing jutsu, Bane’s mist has become an operating table, with him as the surgeon. It is rumored among the superstitious that Bane’s mist conceals the gates of hell, and that if you die within them your soul will continue to wander lost through the mist for the rest of eternity. This weaponized form of an otherwise simple jutsu have caused some to describe the swordsmen as Bane of the Deadly Mist (lit. 發條 の 致死霧, “Bane no Kirichishi”).
Fūton[]
Futon (風遁, “Wind Release”, VIZ; “Wind Style”), The secondary elemental nature of Bane, proven to be just as deadly as the first. In truth, Bane appreciates fūton more than suiton. He admires the stealth capabilities of the element, as fūton is silent, invisible, and holds an edge, much like Bane himself. Used in conjunction with the Hiding in Mist technique Bane is capable of sending out invisible barrages of blades, manipulating his wires and senbon from great distances, moving silently at high speeds, and controlling the silence of a battlefield. It is partially through the use of Fūton that Bane is able to fight at great distances. A common tactic used by the hunter-nin is to conceal himself while using his elemental wind affinity to trigger and manipulate traps and attacks previously set up for miles within his vicinity. By using wind release, Bane is able to project his senses across the wind, allowing his sensing techniques to cover expansive distances. Furthermore he is able to use the wind as a passive sensing technique by allowing his chakra to be carried with it, sensing what the wind touches, as well as any shifts in the air. Offensively Bane is able to manipulate wind with only the subtlest of movements, sending out throat-slicing blades invisible to the naked eye, silent to the ear, impossible to detect until it’s too late, or parrying sword strikes with a simple twitch of a finger.
Doton[]
Doton (土遁, “Earth Release”, VIZ “Earth Style”), It is an uncommon sight to see three elements within an average shinobi. However, Bane is no average shinobi. Achieving a third elemental affinity seemingly through force of will, Bane manifested Doton later in his shinobi career. While his technique knowledge isn’t as large as some of his other arsenals, his skill in the use of Earth Style is unquestioned. He remains capable of casting high level doton techniques, befitting any S-rank ninja. Primarily the hunter-nin uses this affinity for movement and capture. Using the earth around him like water Bane is capable of completely disappearing from the battlefield and relocating wherever he desires. Using this manipulation of earth in conjunction with his other elements allows complete control over a battlefield, as earth, wind, and water, are the only elements abundantly found in nature. Harnessing doton further allows Bane to increase the stealth of himself and his abilities. He has been known to hide complex traps within the earth, and conceal his own attacks through its use. With Doton Bane projects his senses into the earth, so that he can feel the vibrations within, in a similar manner to echolocation. Combining his doton and fūton techniques gives Bane a constant 360 view of his surroundings in all directions, the distance of which is regulated by the chakra he chooses to emit. Though primarily defensive, Bane has been known to use the earth element offensively as well. Generally using the affinity to capture and subdue his opponents, rather than the common practice of hurling rocks at them. Doton has seemed to increase the swordsman’s already immense strength and durability, as it is the only element with techniques dedicated to such traits. When analyzed, it becomes clear that the three elements manifesting themselves with Bane all represent an aspect of him. The strength and endurance of doton representing his body, the silent and lethal nature of fūton being his mind, and the fluid nature and endless capabilities of Suiton being that of his soul.
Ninjutsu[]
Kenjutsu and Bukijutsu[]
It is no surprise that a Legendary swordsman is famous for his skill in Kenjutsu. Capable of wielding all seven of Kirigakure’s legendary swords, there is no doubt that Bane’s mastery over kenjutsu has reached the pinnacle of human ability. Bane earned his fame through his ability to wield his own blade, the legendary long sword Nuibari, and has cemented his place as one of the greatest swordsmen in history, and the greatest wielder of Nuibari.
One of the Legendary Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, Nuibari has always been Bane’s most prized possession. The blade itself assumes the form of a narrow "longsword" (lit.長刀, “chōtō”) that greatly resembles a large needle, with a long length of thin wire-mirroring thread, tied through the eye located at the base of its hilt. This sword is said to possess the ability to pierce all and stitch it together The gift which earned Bane the title of The Piercing Blade (lit. ブレード の穿孔, “Bureedo no Senkou”), and gave the swordsman his place in history. Bane acquired the sword before he was a shinobi. When as a child he slaughtered the previous wielder after coming upon his camp site. The young Bane used Nuibari to rampage through the forest of his home province, before being stopped by Sam’e Narukagami. The great wielder of Samehada was incapable of separating the child from the sword, and so allowed Bane to keep the blade so long as he trained as a shinobi and controlled his bloodlust. Over the years Bane used the blade to cement his reputation as one of the bloodiest in swordsmen history. His skill with the longsword so perfect that he appeared born to wield it. Nuibari would be the crux of his fighting style, as he adapted wires and needles into his ninjutsu, his art for trap making became legendary. It is said that to fight Bane is difficult, to fight him on his own territory, impossible. The beast and the blade are inseparable, quite literally, with the summoning seal placed upon the bandaged palm of Bane’s right hand. This seal has been expanded upon and improved time and time again, bearing the work of several fuinjutsu experts, the entirety of the Kirigakure Barrier Division, prominent Swordsmen, the Ketsueki clan, and two Mizukage. One of which being Camilla Ketsueki, considered one of the greatest fuinjutsu experts in history, and the strongest blood writer of her clan. Each bit of tampering added something to this seal, improving on the strengths of others while counteracting the drawbacks. In truth, Bane allowed so many to experiment upon the seal so that the countermeasures placed by some were negated by others. Now this seal has become a sort of master key to unlocking Nuibari. The seal cannot be undone, nor the blade out summoned, even by the Mizukage’s scroll. Making Bane a liability to the village, and priority target to the world.
Bane’s speed and skill with a blade is unparalleled, easily wiping out a platoon of shinobi with only a single attack. As a child he went through a series of regular routines, hoping to increase his skill as a swordsman. To increase his speed, Bane practiced with Nuibari wherever he could see his own reflection, striking with the blade from dawn till dusk, until his hands bled. For years he practiced this exercise, continuing to thrust with nuibari, until the day he was capable of striking faster than his own reflection. Now Bane can thrust so quickly with nuibari that he is capable of striking multiple points in seemingly an instant, this allows for an almost undodgeable and certainly unpredictable thrust. However Nuibari is a two part weapon, both needle and thread, and so one must master not only the blade, but the wire as well. Having achieved the skill necessary to wield Nuibari’s blade, Bane began a similar practice with its wire. Each morning he would visit one of the many great lakes of Kirigakure. Starting at the shore of the Lake, Bane would summon Nuibari, and spin its wire around himself before entering the water. He would continue this seemingly odd practice for many years, spinning the wire around him as fast he could beneath the water’s surface. That was, until the day he was capable of crossing through the lake without getting a single drop of water on his being.Through the results of this training Bane is capable of using Nuibari’s wire with such speed that he can defend against otherwise all encompassing attacks. This extends to Bane’s Bukijutsu, and his favorite use of Iron Wire. With these Bane is capable killing an opponent without them even noticing. Often times he will be ambushed by shinobi, only for their heads to roll off moments later, seemingly without a single movement from Bane. Bane’s favorite tactic with these skills is to sever an opponent's limbs, and take joy in watching them fight before they realize what’s missing. There have been many encounters where an opponent moves to parry an attack, only to find that their arms are no longer there to parry with. Similarly Bane is capable of throwing Senbon with such speed and precision that he can stop an opponent’s heart or sever their vertebrae before they’ve even registered his movements.
However speed isn’t the only tactic Bane relies on. When it comes to Bukijutsu, Bane prefers preparation over haste. The Hound of the Mist is known for catching his prey in the ironwire and senbon traps he is famous for. For this reason Bane’s prefered battle setting is that of a forest. As he is capable of rigging an entire forest for the purpose of entrapment. Often The shinobi will fight multiple battles simply by hiding within the canopy of a tree, each twitch of a finger setting off a series of traps placed bellow. Due to this, fighting Bane on his own territory and surviving is considered immensely difficult, emerging victorious, impossible. However, preparation time isn’t always required for the legendary hunter-nin. Due to his heightened speed and perception, as well as his extraordinary mind for battle strategy, a primary focus of his bukijutsu style is to engage and distract his opponents as he sets up his own traps mid battle. What is misread as a missed shot or deflected projectile is likely to actually be the linchpin of a complex trap yet to be set off. With this style of fighting, opponents need not only be concerned with the engagements of now, but also steps ahead, to the battle yet to be fought.
Being the wielder of Nuibari it seems only fitting that Bane's primary projectile is senbon. They are an uncommon choice among shinobi, as despite being extremely accurate. they have very little killing power. Bane, being a user with proper medical knowledge however, can effectively use senbon in battle to incapacitate or even kill his target should he aim for vital spots. This comes from his extensive hunter-nin and ANBU training, where he has memorized all vital spots, pressure points. and tenketsu gates. and can use acupuncture to trigger them with senbon and manipulate them at will. Bane has developed a plethora of Senbon based techniques, from the manipulation of one's body structure. to even the control of the dead. all through the use of acupuncture. To supply himself with the large amount of senbon required in battle, Bane has developed his own technique. Known as the Needle Hell: Human Body Art (針地獄人体 技, lit “Hari Jigoku: Jintai Gi”).
Ninjutsu Genjutsu[]
Having trained with the seven strongest Shinobi of Kirigakure for over forty years, it is no wonder Bane has achieved a near mastery of his Ninjutsu. Capable of wiping out an entire village through suiton alone, Bane’s skill in ninjutsu is unquestionable. His arsenal of Jutsu is vast, desiring to have a technique for any situation he may encounter. If Bane falls into a situation where none of his jutsu can aid him, he will work to develop a new technique, which can often lead into an entirely new style of jutsu, as is the case with his Mist Techniques (霧術, “Kiri Jutsu”). Perhaps the greatest indication of Bane’s knowledge of Ninjutsu, is his ability to copy the original techniques of others. If Bane witnesses a technique being cast, his astounding perception coupled with his great mind make him capable of reverse engineering it, and given some time, casting it himself. With this, Bane is known to copy techniques he may need in the future, and some of Bane’s strongest techniques are in truth the former trump cards of past shinobi. It is perhaps due to this ability that Bane has become so proficient in suiton techniques, despite not working to continuously train his ninjutsu, having watched many a “Water Sage” come and go throughout his time.
When using Ninjutsu, Bane prefers subtlety over grandeur. Not one to cast giant orbs of destruction, Bane instead keeps his cards closer to his chest. Often using ninjutsu to cover his own bases in a fight, by controlling the battlefield through his opponent's senses and adding elements of uncertainty to any jutsu. Bane doesn’t cast jutsu simply to attack, each ability cast has its own purpose, its own place in the fight to come, even if this purpose isn’t immediately presented. Despite his grand strength and ability, Bane doesn’t try to overpower an opponent with his jutsu, but instead manipulate them one move at a time, until checkmate.
No where is this clearer than in his use of Genjutsu. Having faced the sharingan a thousand times, Bane knows that the more obvious the Genjutsu, the greater the opponent's ability to escape. Due to this, Bane weaves his Genjutsu silently into his techniques, often through the use of his hidden mist. With this genjutsu mist Bane is capable of making his opponent see endless mist, wander endlessly in circles, see visions of enemies within it, and anything else he really desires. Despite his ability to cast Genjutsu through his mist or even through sound itself, Bane isn’t fond of battling solely with the illusion style. He prefers instead to use it simply to disorient an opponent rather than attempt to control them. This subtle use of illusion serving not to redefine reality, but blur the line.
Taijutsu[]
Like water itself, Bane’s fighting style is fluid. Switching between the strong fist and gentle fist styles at will. Harnessing his strength and durability, Bane deploys the strong fist style. A manner of fighting which purpose is to inflict external damage and break bones, involves smashing his opponent, and is generally used only by extremely physically powerful and dominating shinobi. Through this style Bane strikes with his famous thunderous punches, their four pronged assault increasing the deadliness of each punch. Bane has used this style to completely decimate opponents in the past, once punching through a Rashōmon Gate with a single hit. With this style, even if an opponent was to successfully block a hit, the impact of the blunt force would be enough to travel through any outward defense and rupture organ and bones. When deployed defensively, Bane uses this style to overpower and overwhelm enemy attacks, breaking a punch with a strike of his own, or catching a strike by breaking through the bone.
Completely opposite to this, Bane has mastered a variation of the Gentle Fist Style. Though not wielding a Byakugan, Bane has memorized all three hundred and sixty one tenketsu nodes, as well as all pressure points essentially to the bodies function. This knowledge originally came from his medical training as a hunter-nin, and is often deployed through his use of senbon. However, by applying it to his taijutsu, and studying the information gathered by Kirigakure spies and the former wielders of Byakugan within the Land of Water, Bane was able to develop his own version of gentle fist. Like the original, this style inflicts internal damage through attacking the body's Chakra Pathway System, subsequently injuring organs which are closely intertwined with the area of the network which has been struck. To do this, Bane surgically injects a certain amount of his own chakra into the opponent's chakra pathway system, causing damage to surrounding organs due to their proximity to the chakra circulatory system. Even the slightest tap can cause severe internal damage, hence the name "gentle" fist. Bane is capable of striking down individual pressure points along with tenketsu gates, allowing him to surgically shut down the functions of enemy shinobi in a manner similar to the medical technique, Body Pathway Derangement. By doing this Bane removes his opponent's ability to cast ninjutsu, or even move his own body. This method is Bane’s prefered style of combat if fighting an opponent he wants to bring in alive. By combining these two styles, Bane fights with deadly strength and precision, able to cleave through an enemy's arm with a single strike and shut down their chakra in the process. His movements become impossible to read, their strength or speed unpredictable. By calculating his strikes ahead of time Bane is able to remove the build up of muscle, circumventing preparation time and moving straight into the strike. This works in a manner similar to the Acrobat style of Kumogakure, as its instant strikes remain undecipherable, preventing them from being read by adept taijutsu masters and dojutsu wielders.
Medical Ninjutsu[]
Though incapable of harnessing medical chakra, Bane’s knowledge of medicinal techniques is still extensive. From his ANBU and hunter-nin training, Bane possesses a very detailed knowledge of human physiology, trained to be able to effectively hit any key body points of his choosing to instantly kill or sedate a target. In terms of healing, Bane is more a field medic than any kind of doctor, applying archaic and sometimes barbaric methods to stabilize wounds until a real medical professional can tend to them. However, this field surgeon level of knowledge has assisted him countless times. In the event his opponent is capable of injuring him, Bane is able to use his needle and thread to close and stitch a wound, a skill so adept that it can even reattach limbs on the spot. It is no surprise then that a shinobi known for his needle and thread relies primarily on stitches and acupuncture for medical use. His knowledge of which is great enough that he can disable an opponent with acupuncture by hitting a precise point on the body with a senbon, to cause immediate death or a temporary appearance of such. A paralyzing technique often deployed by hunter-nin to take in their captives alive. Through Acupuncture, Bane is able to use his needles to distort his and other people's features and skeletal structure, though through great pain, and even manipulate the dead to some extent. When needles imbued with Bane’s chakra are thrust into a target's skull, they allow him to gain control over their mind, or to condition them into acting in a certain way. Perhaps his most impressive feat of medical prowess however, is his ability to, through the use of specialized needles and chakra, pierce through and sew together each individual cell of a person's body, binding them to themselves and rendering them incapable of any form of movement. A technique which he refers to as the Absolute Final Stich: Human Doll Technique ( lit. 純然 窮極 編み目人間的 偶人 術, “Junzen Kyuukyoku Amime: Hitorashii Guujin Jutsu”).
Fuinjutsu and Space Time techniques[]
Being a hunter-nin, Fūinjutsu has become indispensable to Bane. Using Fūinjutsu to seal away the bodies of rouge-nin, or summon tools and animals in the middle of the field, such as Bane's Ninja Hounds, or the giant Swordfish Ikkoku. As a swordsman Bane harnesses fūinjutsu to summon his legendary Nuibari. Having burnt a summoning seal into his right palm, the Kanji for “Needle”. In the past it was deemed necessary to seal away more of the legendary seven blades, in times where their future became uncertain. Due to this, Bane has the Kanji for “Splash” and the Kanji for “Twin” sealed into his tongue and left palm respectively, both summoning formulae for the legendary blastsword, Shibuki (飛沫, lit. “Splash”), and the famous twinsword, Hiramekarei (双刀, “Sōtō”).
Bane’s knowledge of Fūinjutsu really began to thrive when he took over as Director of Interrogation and Torture. Through his time there he has become skilled in the placing of Fūinjutsu on the brain and body to amplify or limit their potential. Each section of Bane’s brain has been marked with a fūinjutsu formula, allowing him to at will control individual portions of his brain. This allows him to disperse genjutsu, and work around mind altering techniques such as body pathway derangement. It also blesses him with a literal photographic memory, each memory recorded and sealed away. Bane also has such Fūinjutsu formula as a seal placed in his lungs, which recycles anything that enters them into oxygen, allowing him to sustain himself indefinitely on a single breath, and filter out any airborne toxins. As well as a seal placed within his kidney, which filters through and seals away any damaging substances, preventing him from being poisoned. Bane’s entire body has been marked in a similar fashion, each organ segmented and sealed to protect itself and increase its own efficiency. Now a rouge-nin himself, those who have seen Bane and survived can be marked by the fuinjutsu formula placed on their tongue, a cursed tongue eradication seal, preventing them from sharing his location to those who’d pursue him.
Unique Traits[]
Ocular Abilities[]
In truth Bane’s eye is not actually a genetic dōjutsu, in fact it is no bloodline limit at all, nor even a single ocular technique. Rather it is an amalgamation of several different techniques combined with the unique traits of the deadly swordsman, to form an eye as dangerous as any dōjutsu. It cannot be implanted, nor taught. As it requires the very soul of its wielder to function, the particular blend of hatred, genius, killing intent, and control, unique to Bane Anahari himself.
Known as the “Glare that can stop a Charging Rhino dead in its tracks”. Bane’s single black beady eye is the catalyst for a series of ocular jutsu that make it the single most lethal part of Bane’s body. Offensively, it is capable of taking control of an opponent's body through direct eye contact, given away by the iris and pupil shrinking and the veins in the sclera becoming more prominent. With a single glance it is able to physically restrain multiple opponents, as if the opponents had been tied in invisible steel ropes, debilitating his victims. It also holds the greatest gathering point of killing intent within its pupil, allowing him to project a concentrated dose of killing intent directly into an opponent. This killing intent opens a plethora of possibilities such as inducing crippling illusions of one’s own death, their worst fears, and their most traumatic memories. These offensive abilities have served him well time and time again when facing off against the sharingan wielding shinobi of the Uchiha clan. Working as a sort of quick draw duel between eye contact, hoping that by falling into their genjutsu, the eye contact made would be enough to kill or incapacitate the sharingan wielder before anything can truly be done.
Serving many defensive purposes as well. It has been conditioned and trained to counter genjutsu, allowing him to see through and negate them. When doing this, much like his other ocular techniques, Bane’s pupil constricts. This allows him to see through even the strongest genjutsu, as it was developed specifically to counteract the sharingan back when Bane was tasked with hunting down members of the Uchiha clan to procure their dojutsu for Kirigakure. A byproduct of this training is that Bane is capable of seeing remarkable long distances away through his natural perception. Usually this long distance vision requires on eye to shut in order to activate, however given the fact that Bane has only a single eye, this technique seems to always be in play. However, Bane can increase this distance to even higher levels, achieving a level of perception superior to most sensing jutsu. By dilating his pupil, Bane is able to track down enemies and see at increased distances via the reflection on tiny water droplets. Once he has his sight fixated on an opponent he is capable of tracking them for several dozen kilometers. This is done by using each molecule of water as an enhancing lens, each molecule enhancing his vision a further distance, much like that of a telescope. With this Bane is capable of scouting an area, or watching a battle transpire, from several dozen miles away. Also helping in the short range, Bane is able to enhance his already impeccable evasion-skills, or zoom into the most minuscule detail. However with this particular technique the dilation of the pupil causes the eye to increase its sensitivity to sudden blinding light, preventing him from continually using this technique passively. Bane’s eye also helps him to circumnavigate the muscle tension and buildup in combat. Primarily it processes the surrounding environment, taking in every speckle of information it can. The purpose since this technique's inception has always been to analyze the variables and allow Bane to prepare a battle strategy that best applies to the situation. When activating this particular technique, Bane’s eye will appear to go completely white for only the slightest fraction of a moment. In truth, it isn’t that his pupil has faded, but rather that his eye is moving at such speed to take in information that the pupil becomes impossible to track, blurring with movement until it turns white. This allows Bane to seemingly freeze time, through slowing his heart and increasing his adrenal glands, so that he can perceive in the slowest of motion. In this mode he will analyze chakra, muscle tension, elemental affinity, air pressure, wind, gravity, trajectory, distance, etc, taking in all data his eye can to create a strategy and adapt it on the spot, removing the preparation and wait time and allowing the user to instantly spring into a technique or action.
These ocular techniques have become the subject of many rumors and discussion. Some say that they when you look into Bane’s eye, you can see all the souls he’s killed trapped within, still screaming in agony and death, eternally suffering in the way they died. Others say that if you stare into it too long, you’ll join these tormented souls, becoming trapped within it yourself. This is all speculation of course, brought induced by the demon’s his killing intent. Despite their groundless claims, these people do have reason to fear, as the glare that can stop a charging rhino is only a single tool in the arsenal of a shinobi more demon than man.
Body Modification[]
In the tradition of all members of the Seven swordsmen, Bane has sharpened teeth. While most members have pointed teeth, Bane’s have been sharpened to an almost beastial nature. Seemingly formed naturally it’s likely these sharp teeth are the byproduct of his killing intent, having dealt with such obscene amounts of bloodlust since he was a young child. These teeth are no mere aesthetical choice however. In the past Bane has been known to utilize his teeth in combat. During his generation’s chunin exams, after Bane had killed all other contestants and was subdued by the proctor, he ripped the proctors throat out with his sharpened teeth. Once in battle he suffered great injury to both arms, and to the surprise of the enemy platoon, instead of disengaging, Bane rushed forward bearing his monstrous mandibles, and continued to butcher his way through their ranks with nothing but his teeth. Bane’s bite holds a fearsome strength, easily able to crush through bone and even steel. The swordsman’s jaw is double jointed, allowing him to dislocate or lock it at will. With this Bane is capable of biting through large objects, and clinging with such strength that his jaws cannot be separated by force. With this strength Bane has been known to bite through and devour bone. Once devouring his own genin’s spine in front of her squadmates, to instill fear into them after she claimed she was unfit to be a shinobi. Having once been paralyzed from the neck down, Bane used his monster strength and teeth to bite through the skull of his captor, crush it in his mouth, and spit the fragments out as projectiles through the heads of his remaining opponents. He has said that if an opponent wishes to subdue him, they must do so completely. If they don’t, and allow any part of him to function, then they will surely die.
Signature Technique[]
Silent Killing (無音殺人術, “Sairento Kiringu", lit. “Soundless Murder Technique”), The signature technique of any true legendary seven swordsmen. It is no surprise that, being considered one of the greatest swordsman to have lived, Bane has absolutely mastered the art of Silent Killing, so much so that he has been called Bane of the Silent Kill (lit. 發條 の 默 , “Bane no Sairento Korosu”). As the name suggests, this technique is simply a soundless method of killing an opponent, usually from behind with a blade. Additionally, because Bane moves silently, the attack cannot be anticipated and defended against. This technique allows Bane to kill his opponent so quickly, that they die before realizing it. To even be qualified as a swordsmen, one must master this technique to the point where they are even good enough to track and kill opponents through sound alone. Bane has far surpassed this, capable of hunting down opponents with any single one of his senses. So long as a single sense remains, there is nothing stopping Bane from locating his target. Due to Bane’s own remarkable sensory abilities only ever being developed for the single purpose of increasing his own stealth capabilities, Bane is a master at counteracting the silent killing technique. Knowing the technique in and out allows Bane to locate and sense any practitioners of it who are not up to his par. This has proved instrumental in hunting and executing those rogue-nin who have absconded with one of the Legendary blades. By knowing how to counter-sense Silent Killing, Bane knows how to increase its stealth tenfold, utilizing it to the point where even the most skilled sensor-nin are incapable of locating him until it was too late. This is done through multiple avenues. Firstly, through the hidden mist technique Bane renders dojutsu useless. Then, using the chakra suppression technique he completely removes any sign of his chakra to those sensitive enough to feel it. Applying the same principle to his immense life force and killing intent. Using his nature affinities, Bane masks any contact he makes with the environment, seemingly disappearing to those who rely on their elemental natures to sense. He slows his heartbeat to such a pace that it can make no noise, he uses the fuinjutsu in his lungs to recycle the same breath so he no longer breathes, he uses the protective suiton jutsu that comes from the natural oils covering the skin to suppress any indication of scent, and thus, he completely disappears. Capable of raining silent death down upon those who’d oppose him, Bane’s strikes can come from anywhere, killing opponents before they even realize they’re dead. When the mist drifts over squadrons of shinobi, there are no screams, only deafening silence, until the mist clears, and the squad lay dead. This silent death, seemingly coming from the cold grey mist, fading in and out of existence at will, has lead Bane to become a Ghost of Kirigakure (lit. 霊葉 の 霧隠, "Kirigakure no Youkai"), staining the white shroud of mist, blood red.
Stats[]
| Stage | Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part I | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3.5 | 36.5 |
Trivia[]
⦿Even without the use of ninja techniques, Bane is capable of holding his breath for an impressive fifteen minutes before resurfacing.
⦿Secretly a talented seamster, Bane learned the art as a child, and today uses it frequently to repair his own garments, which often become shredded during intense battles.
⦿Bane has never once spoken of his mother. With her identity a mystery to all but him, some speculate that perhaps her bloodline is the source of his intense killing intent.
⦿Bane’s genetics make him a candidate for potentially unlocking the Shikotsumyaku (屍骨脈, “Dead Bone Pulse”) though he has never shown interest in obtaining the ability.
Quotes[]
"My flesh is stronger than steel, my mind sharper."
“Get lost.”
“I’ll shatter you with a glance, and cut you in two with a blink.”
“I am but a tool, a piercing blade for the Bloody Mist.”
“You’re already dead. You’ll realize it soon.”
