- Please note that this article, Kian Uchiha, contains spoilers to future events occurring in the series Naruto: Kōseiden. Read at your own risk.
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| “ | Man is what he wills himself to be. | ” |
—Jean-Paul Sartre | ||
Kian Uchiha (うちは煌, Uchiha Kian) is a Jōnin-class shinobi of Konohagakure, a former elite ANBU captain, and the newest leader of its infamous Uchiha clan. He is the son of renowned shinobi and former clan leader Seto Uchiha, widely agreed to have inherited his father’s talent, hailed as a prodigy and considered one of the most powerful shinobi ever produced by the village. Fittingly for a gifted shinobi of his heritage and bloodline, Kian is famous for his powerful, wicked eyes. Known far and wide as “Kian of the Sharingan” (写輪眼の煌, Sharingan no Kian), his prowess and skill with his clan’s haunting dōjutsu is undeniable, so great that it has permanently etched his name into the legendary history of the Uchiha clan. The clarity, strength, and perceptiveness of his eyes puts him in the same sentence as his clan's most feared, dangerous shinobi, his status only being enhanced upon his acquisition of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Perhaps what he is most known for, despite his incredible ocular talent, is his terrible, awe-inspiring power with Lightning Release ninjutsu. Nicknamed “Lightning Tamer” (稲妻の使い, Inazuma no Tsukai), he is a true master of his element, able to bend lightning to his will to a degree not thought possible by the overwhelming majority of those who share his affinity. Despite his youth, he has earned the right to be recognized as one of the most skillful, powerful wielders of lightning to ever live, feared and respected throughout the shinobi world for his capabilities. Upon the conclusion of the Great Shinobi Survival War, he amassed a reputation that borders on the mythological, being seen as something of a folk hero by the common person. It is fabled that where one finds the strongest thunderstorms, one will also find Kian Uchiha. Some tales even suggest that he is responsible for the most vigorous storms, and that thunder and lightning are simply an extension of his will.
Unlike many Uchiha, Kian won his struggle with evil and internal darkness, the depth of his character and the strength of his indomitable willpower enough to eventually overcome the clan’s Curse of Hatred. More than just that of a splendid shinobi and a war hero, his legacy ultimately is that of a friend, comrade, and good, loyal man, a true Konoha ninja that has learned to wholeheartedly believe in the Will of Fire. His instrumental role in preventing the Uchiha clan from once again marching to their downfall and his distinguished service in the war have resulted in many of his clansmen referring to him reverently as the “Hero of the Uchiha” (うちはの英雄, Uchiha no Eiyū). Kian, as the head of the Uchiha clan, is dedicated to the welfare of his clansmen and the village as a whole. Like his father before him, he is known as Konoha's quiet protector from behind the scenes, a watchful eye that is not afraid to leap into action when needed.
Background[]
"I was supposed to grow up to follow in my father’s footsteps, be groomed to take over the clan. For a time, that's how it was. My father started personally training me as soon as I was ready, and he pushed me hard, but I never complained or backed down. I knew he was only tough on me because he cared, he loved me enough to want to help me become the best version of myself that I could be. Looking back on it, I’m grateful I got to spend that time with him early on in my life, because now he’s gone and that’s time I’ll never get back." |
Where one life ends, another begins, they say. So it was with Kian’s birth, during the process of which his mother passed away. He came into the world celebrated nonetheless, the rightful heir to the proverbial throne of one of Konohagakure’s oldest and most powerful clans, the Uchiha. Despite the tragic circumstances around his birth, Kian was loved, and he was his father’s pride and joy: his only child, living, breathing proof of the love he had shared with the boy’s mother, and his heir. The only son of the clan’s leader, Seto Uchiha, was meant to take over when his father felt ready. To that end, he was trained thoroughly and intensely from the time he was able to hold a kunai. His father and the most talented elders of the Uchiha clan were effective, if harsh mentors. Despite the difficulty of the training, however, it brought out the best in Kian and made his talent evident. Kian was recognized as a prodigy of the Uchiha clan, a child with immense potential.
Even though the training regimen that he strictly adhered to under his father’s supervision was intense, the boy was still allowed to enjoy his earliest years. While it couldn’t be said that Kian had an idyllic childhood, by any means, as he had no mother, it certainly wasn’t bad. Kian’s father was as supportive, encouraging, and warm as he was tough, and he was always there for Kian, always putting in the effort to ensure that Kian was happy and healthy. It wasn't always just Kian and his father, however. From the time he was born, Kian was close to Minegumo Kurama and his mothers, one of whom had been on the same Genin team as his father, had fought alongside him in war, and was one of his closest friends. Kian and Minegumo grew similarly close, and the two ended becoming the best of friends, inseparable. Minegumo was the only kid Kian’s age that he could truly relate to, and when not training with his father, Kian spent all of his time with his best friend.
Until he was five years old, Konohagakure and the Uchiha clan were the foundations of Kian’s whole world, and he grew up fiercely proud of both clan and village. However, that foundation would be ripped from him when he was kidnapped returning home from his best friend’s house by elite shinobi from Amegakure, the abduction orchestrated in secret by his own uncle, Sakushi Uchiha. Kian was whisked away to Amegakure without a trace, an event that shook the Uchiha clan to its core; many amongst the clan were deeply perturbed that their leader’s child, the heir apparent, had disappeared so thoroughly. Naturally, as Konohagakure and the Uchiha clan scrambled to find any evidence at all as to Kian’s whereabouts, Amegakure’s higher-ups celebrated his arrival in private: they had succeeded in their aim of procuring for their village a weapon, a weapon who could one day awaken the notorious Sharingan. He was also now the village’s biggest secret, a potential diplomatic nightmare waiting to happen, even if Amegakure’s top decision makers viewed him and his potential to bear the Uchiha’s dōjutsu as well worth the risk.
Kian, upon his arrival to his new “home,” was assigned a caretaker named Hajime, a Jōnin of the village, to act as his surrogate parent. The boy’s memories were altered via genjutsu, causing him to forget his home, his clan, his friends, and worst of all, his actual father in favor of false recollections. This would be done on nearly a daily basis to ensure that Kian did not remember anything from his past life. Hajime was, at the least, an attentive, loving parent who did his best to nurture his phony son and care for him. Despite his progressing illness, he also went out of his way to immediately continue training the boy in the ninja arts, taking an interest in his development. Hajime oversaw Kian’s training until his body deteriorated to the point where he could hardly leave his bed. This decision paid dividends in the form of uncovering Kian’s natural talent. Beginning his training early helped accelerate Kian’s development as a shinobi; indeed, by the time he was six, the boy had mastered many basic shinobi techniques and had even progressed to the point where he could effectively utilize Lightning Release, which had turned out to be the boy’s affinity. Sadly (as far as young Kian was concerned, anyway), Hajime’s illness would cut his and Kian’s time together unfairly short. Not long after learning the basics of Lightning Release, Kian awoke one morning to find what he thought was the only father he had ever known dead, having passed quietly in the night. Alone, grieving, and unable to fend for himself properly, Kian found himself homeless, left to roam the streets and survive by any means necessary.
Naturally, with no other alternative but to steal necessities to live, the boy Uchiha became a crafty, expert thief. Each time he was caught and roughed up for his crimes, he learned, eventually becoming such a skilled pickpocket and shoplifter that he ceased getting caught at all after six months on the streets. Kian was, at least, able to find shelter after wandering for his first couple of days as a homeless child, sleeping in the empty alleyways or on rooftops. In the tallest clock tower in Amegakure, up in the rafters and behind the clock face itself, Kian established a sort of nest of blankets and pillows for himself so that he could sleep in safety. He would come and go as he pleased, roaming Amegakure and thieving and scavenging by day, retiring to the clock tower by night. Over time, he would grow accustomed to the ticking of the clock, finding it soothing. The warmth and dryness of the rafters were a respite from the cold, rainy weather that was so normal for the village. In a way, the clock tower became something of a home for Kian — something better than the alternative, at the very least. During the months immediately following Hajime’s death, the boy noticed a strange phenomenon: memories would come to him that felt as though they were from someone else’s life, a life that was centered in Konohagakure and belonged to a member of the Uchiha clan. Unbeknownst to him, this was merely a symptom of Hajime’s genjutsu slowly coming undone.
Kian survived entirely on his own for a year, with no friends or family to care for him. Over those lonely, miserable months, he was quickly introduced to the harsh realities of life as a “street rat.” He experienced no small amount of abuse — physical, emotional, sexual — at the hands of cruel, manipulative adults who took advantage of his vulnerability and desperate situation. With nobody to protect him or help him, Kian found himself swept up into a small band of fellow homeless individuals after making the mistake of covering for one of them, caught in the act of pickpocketing a man. The youngest of the group, which consisted of kids, teens, and adults alike, he was naïve enough to believe that they offered something like family. In actuality, they were nothing but a clique of criminals, and in short order, they had begun inducting Kian into their lifestyle of illegalities. Thanks to his ninja skills, he proved himself useful, becoming a favorite of the group’s mastermind, Zurui. None of the others were quite as talented at stealth, nor as sharp and observant as the boy who they joked could probably snatch the clothes off of a person’s back without them ever noticing.
At first, this gang seemed like nothing but a harmless, merry band of thieves simply working together to survive. In their lair, a decrepit, abandoned building near the outskirts of Amegakure, Kian thought he had found a certain camaraderie as they schemed and plotted ways to lift resources and belongings off of the village’s more fortunate citizens. He was expected to do no more than basic pickpocketing and shoplifting in the beginning, actions with which he had no qualms, having resorted to doing so of his own accord before ever entering the group’s fold. Zurui took care to keep a close eye on Kian and personally mentor him in the art of criminal activity. Before long, the young Uchiha found himself involved in progressively more questionable pursuits — burglarizing homes, selling drugs, robbing local banks and jewelry shops, anything to bring in money. Of course, it didn’t escape his notice that the spoils of these morally dubious “victories” went primarily to Zurui, but the rest of the gang seemed to accept this status quo. Perhaps it was out of fear or desperation; Kian never did come to an ironclad conclusion on the matter, nor did he have the energy to care much.
Two highly significant things happened not long after joining this motley crüe of destitute rejects. Firstly, Kian joined Amegakure’s Ninja Academy. Quickly asserting himself as the Academy’s top student, he began to turn heads, inspiring no shortage of jealousy and resentment among the classmates who shunned him for being a lowly street kid. With his natural gift for Lightning Release and the variety of skills he had learned from his “father,“ he was leaps and bounds ahead of the others, a true prodigy who learned and mastered concepts and techniques with ease. He didn’t mind his unpopularity so much; instead, he owned his status as a social pariah and a “villain,” working maniacally to improve himself to spite the rest of them. The growing chip on his shoulder made him hungry for success and driven to prove everyone wrong about him. Unfortunately for him, the more Kian developed and polished his skills as a ninja, the more Zurui and his gang came to rely on him to carry out their misdeeds. They considered him indispensable, and though Kian would’ve preferred to break away from them, he was too young and cowed by emotional manipulation to take the step of actually doing so.
Secondly, Kian met his first true friend, Isamu, in a chance encounter that would change his life for the better. The pair took to each other immediately, with Isamu becoming Kian’s lone confidante. He and Isamu began spending much of their free time together, training and studying and just talking. Kian even grew close to the rest of his new friend’s family. Their influence made Kian realize exactly how unhealthy his involvement in Zurui’s gang was and that they had been nothing like a family, after all, contrary to what Zurui insisted. Katashi, Isamu’s older brother, was someone that Kian particularly looked up to and bonded with. He grew to care for them quite a lot, and he appreciated everything they did for him. What meant the most to him was that they didn’t care that he was even poorer than they were; they saw him for who he was as a person and looked past his social status, never once judging him for it. Essentially, his new friend was a lifeline, and he was grateful for him in his way, even if he had trouble expressing that sentiment.
During his time as part of this gang of thieves, Kian honed his skills at stealth, tracking, espionage, and distraction. He was young, but a truly gifted thief that thoroughly impressed Zurui. It was for this reason that the boy was given a role of honor in carrying out Zurui’s most ambitious plan yet: robbing the house of the Land of Rain’s new daimyō, a wealthy man who was in possession of the world’s most expensive diamond. He himself was to be the one who swiped the precious crown jewel of the daimyō’s collection. Kian was manipulated with the promise that all proceeds from the theft would be used to eradicate homelessness in Amegakure, and so he agreed to go along with the heist against his better judgment. With his master thief on board with the plan, Zurui set things into motion. Kian, alongside other members of the gang, began keeping tabs on this daimyō. Disguising themselves as his guards, they carefully mapped out the layout of the wealthy man’s castle and took careful note of his security’s schedule: when their shifts started and ended, how frequently they rotated, how many guards were on hand in the castle at any given point, etc.
For the daimyō, mistrustful of shinobi, guarded his castle not with trained ninja, but common mercenaries. While such men and women were adequate protection against common bandits and thugs, they were no match for a shinobi. Kian may have only been a fledgling cadet, a student in the Academy, but his skill and knowledge with the basic ninja arts was such that he may as well have been considered a fully-fledged ninja. On the night of the heist, with thunder roaring loudly in protest and the rain humming soothingly in reassurance, Kian scaled the walls of the daimyō’s castle alone, according to the plan. With his knowledge of the fortress’s halls and the patrol habits of the guards, it was simple for the boy to enter completely undetected and make his way through to the daimyō’s sitting room where he kept his treasures, all the better to show them off to his affluent guests, business partners, and politicians. Despite his misgivings and his disillusionment with Zurui and his gang, Kian did what he’d been asked to do: he swiped the diamond. The young thief then fled the castle, disappearing into the night without a trace.
Once Kian reached the rendezvous point, instead of finding his comrades in larceny as he had expected, he found himself face to face with a squadron of Amegakure Chūnin waiting to apprehend him. Someone within their gang had leaked their plans at the last moment, and the fellow thieves that were supposed to have assisted Kian in his getaway had instead abandoned him. He was thus imprisoned for an entire fortnight before being brought to Amegakure’s council of elders and elite shinobi. Fortunately for Kian, his cooperation in naming Zurui and other members of his gang as accomplices in the crime gave the village’s higher ups an excuse not to punish him harshly, something that even Kian found strange. After all, ordinarily, he would have been expelled from Amegakure’s Ninja Academy at the minimum; he did not even have to face expulsion. Little did Kian know, at that point, that the leniency he was shown was solely due to the fact that the village refused to lose their secret weapon or hinder his development by denying him access to formal shinobi training.
Months passed as Kian continued to live in the rafters of the clock tower, surviving on a small weekly stipend arranged for him by the village elders and attending classes at the Academy. Though still extremely poor, Kian could afford to at least feed himself on the money he was given, so he gave up thievery altogether and focused solely on his goal of becoming a shinobi. He continued to have inexplicable memories surface, confusing him and steadily increasing in frequency. Against his better judgment, Kian did his best to ignore the feeling that the memories were supposed to mean something to him, that there was something he was missing, and go on with his life. He immersed himself in being busy, as running himself ragged meant less time for unwanted memories to bother him. For a time, this approach was successful, and despite being homeless and alone, he was doing better now that he was no longer beholden to Zurui and his gang of criminals. Eventually, however, it would cease to work, and Kian would be forced to confront the meaning behind all the memories that he couldn’t recognize.
When Kian turned eight, the illusion would finally be shattered. Having stayed late after class for extra shurikenjutsu practice, he ended up going back into the building to grab a book that he’d left behind. As he walked down the hallway to his classroom, he overheard his instructor talking to another of the Academy’s instructors about him, complaining that the village elders were possibly wrong about Kian’s ability to awaken the Sharingan. In that moment, as Kian puzzled over why his instructor would expect him to possess a Kekkei Genkai only passed down through Konohagakure’s Uchiha clan, the truth clicked: every unfamiliar memory that he had been experiencing was, in fact, his own. The carefully constructed illusion that had been his life shattered as more memories came back to him, overwhelming him with emotion. Kian ran, ran back to his hiding place in the rafters of Amegakure’s clock tower to lie on his makeshift bed, listening to seconds tick away in the darkness of the night as he contemplated what it all meant. He lied there for hours, staring into nothingness, going through the memories that had been set free from the depths of his mind.
For days, Kian found himself pondering what to do as he processed the life in Konohagakure that he had been taken from. He had recalled, at last, the night he had been kidnapped, and all he could feel was resentment towards Amegakure for their lies and for stealing him away from his home, his father, and his forgotten best friend. Going through the motions just to avoid drawing suspicion, Kian was careful to steal a detailed map of the continent from his classroom and plot his course back to Konohagakure. One week after discovering the truth, he packed what few belongings he owned and left Amegakure in the dead of night, quietly and leaving no trace behind, not even deigning to look back at his “home” of three years. Though it took him a few days of traveling an erratic, unexpected path to the village, Kian made his return to Konohagakure. Dirty, scraped, bruised, thirsty, and starving though he was, he was home at last. The village’s border patrol was quick to accost him, but when he identified himself, he was quickly whisked away to the Uchiha clan’s compound and reunited with the person he had most longed to see: his father, who was overjoyed beyond words at the safe return of his only son.
Settling back into life in Konohagakure, Kian enrolled in its Ninja Academy and spent his free time reconnecting with his father and with Minegumo. Much to his father’s delight, when it came to his training, he proved that he still had the work ethic and study habits to back his talent up. In only three days of training, he’d mastered the Uchiha clan’s signature ninjutsu, the Great Fireball Technique to earn his clan crest. He now truly grew at a rate far outpacing most shinobi children his age, standing tall above his peers. This gap would become more noticeable when he entered the Academy, as he would quickly establish himself as the top student, making the best grades across the board. He had become quiet and withdrawn, a rather shy child that didn’t bother his peers much or flaunt his skills, despite the popularity he could’ve achieved because of his talent. In fact, Kian would get slightly embarrassed when his classmates would praise him. Recognition from his teachers was one thing, but coming from the other kids, it made him feel self-conscious.
Recognition wasn't the only thing he got from his new classmates, however. Due to his talents, he also became the object of his classmates’ jealousy. He was the natural-born genius, the boy for whom everything seemed to come easily. As a result, while he gained some superficial popularity, he was also the student in his year with the biggest target on his back, with quite a few of his classmates yearning to usurp him as the top student. None of his classmates, however, had it out for him quite like Sora Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the son of the Uzumaki clan's leader. Sora resented Kian for being a threat to his popularity, for being just as talented as he was, and for his natural ‘coolness,’ seeing him as the fortunate heir of the Uchiha clan who had it made in life, without noticing the irony, for Sora himself was much the same. Kian, in turn, grew impatient with Sora's immaturity and spoiled personality, pointedly snubbing the boy and not acknowledging him as anything more than a nuisance, refusing to give Sora the satisfaction of reciprocating the budding rivalry.
On his tenth birthday, Kian’s life would change forever. It would be the last day that he ever saw his father alive. Upon returning home from the Academy, he was greeted by members of the Konoha Military Police Force who informed him that his father was dead. He had lost not one, but both of his parents, and the discovery crushed him. The Uchiha clan quickly scrambled to replace their fallen leader, eventually settling on Seto’s twin brother, Sakushi Uchiha, a talented and shrewd shinobi in his own right who was unanimously recognized as the strongest in the clan with Seto’s death. Sakushi ensured a speedy funeral procession for his predecessor, eager to move on from the tragedy. His haste, however, raised more than a few eyebrows within the clan. Officially, Seto Uchiha’s death was ruled a suicide. Whispers circulated the clan that this was impossible, that their leader would have never taken his own life. Few dared to openly question the circumstances around Seto’s death, including the man’s young son. The Uchiha clan’s mood shifted under Sakushi’s leadership, becoming more prideful and ruthless as they had been in the past, starting with the marginalization of Kian, the lone son of Seto and the rightful heir to the clan’s metaphorical throne.
Not for the first time in his life, Kian was essentially treated as if he didn’t exist, something that originated with and was encouraged by his own uncle. His status as a prodigy suddenly ceased to be discussed, and he was never treated with the same respect as the other full-fledged members of the Uchiha clan. Alone. The death of his father left him utterly, helplessly alone. Coping with grief and his newfound solitude, Kian became more serious and quiet than ever. He was slowly becoming more and more moody, withdrawn, sarcastic. Growing up, the Uchiha clan had meant everything to him and instilled him with a sense of pride. However, this pride was less compelling, with the clan doing everything it could to treat him like a nobody. Instead of wallowing in his situation, though, he applied himself more than ever in the Academy and his training. Kian was determined more than ever to make his father proud, and he decided that if the clan wished to ignore him, he would make it impossible to do so.
Around this time, Kian began to grow closer to Tatsuo Uchiha, a fellow clansmen and his second cousin four years his elder. Tatsuo, impressed with the boy’s development and disgusted with the way their clansmen treated him, took him under his wing and acted as an older brother figure for him. He would train with Kian, nag him about homework and taking care of himself, be there for the boy when he needed someone to talk to. The older Uchiha’s quirks and mannerisms would eventually rub off on the younger, such as Tatsuo’s tendency to be early to everything, certain taijutsu maneuvers, his habit of talking with his hands. Kian and Tatsuo became so close, in fact, that Tatsuo was the only person who would show up to congratulate him upon graduating from the Academy. This would be one of the bonds he’d forged that would come to shape Kian the most, not just as a shinobi, but as a human being. Gratitude is not a strong enough word to express how indebted Kian felt towards Tatsuo for saving him from loneliness after his father’s untimely demise.
Once Kian graduated and became a fully-fledged shinobi of the rank of Genin, he was assigned to a three-person unit, Team 13, under the supervision of his father’s best friend, Arata Sarutobi. Initially, Kian was hesitant to accept being part of a team and was reluctant to rely upon others. Over time, however, being assigned to his team was revealed to be one of the best things to ever to happen to him, and he would be the first to admit that he wouldn't change it for anything, that it made him better, both as a person and as a shinobi. Though he and Minegumo had already formed a powerful bond, the teammate that he had initially scorned, Hikari, became an equally cherished and important person in his life, and he considered his team his family. Under Arata’s watchful eye, Kian would grow stronger and stronger and become close with his teammates. As part of Team 13, the young Uchiha would take part in many perilous missions and experience many great adventures, traveling the shinobi world and meeting many people, developing his view of the world as he pursued greatness, always with the goal of vengeance in the back of his mind.
Personality[]
"The most meaningful thing that anyone can ask of themselves is, ‘who am I’? If you can’t answer that question, you have nothing, you are nothing. Knowing yourself is the only way to find any sort of happiness in this life." |
He’s the rightful leader of the Uchiha clan, his birthright denied to him. He’s a prodigy, considered one of the most gifted of his bloodline, and resented for it. He’s a full-fledged shinobi, but one that suffers from guilt when called upon to be callous or cruel. He’s an outcast, pushed away by his clanmates out of spite and jealously from his father’s successor. Kian is all this and more, but deep down, what he truly is is a troubled young man with a conscience and a strong moral compass. Compassion is the value that Kian holds most dear, and he is an incredibly empathetic person who is very capable of putting himself in another’s shoes. After all, he lost both of his parents as a child, didn’t he? He was the subject of ostracization and frequent insult when his father’s successor took control of the Uchiha clan. How could he not understand pain and suffering? For all that he has been through, somehow, someway, Kian has clung to the kind, gentle, caring person he is deep beneath the surface, refusing to let his inner turmoil and his agony define who he is, the way it has for so many Uchiha before him. Though darkness has always shrouded his life, light still shines brightly and persistently within him, continually fighting against the threat of being extinguished. That is how he chooses to define himself: as someone who will never let hope die. He strives to create a destiny for himself that diverges from the cursed fates of his clansmen.
From his life on the streets to his duties as a shinobi, Kian is best described as the consummate survivor. In his lifetime, Kian has gone from a homeless cast-off to a respected local prodigy to a hero renowned throughout the shinobi world. Bitterness and a struggle to repress his darkest urges characterized Kian for much of his life. Kian had difficulty coping with the poor hand dealt to him by life and, as such, came close to falling victim to his clan’s curse. The survivor that he is, he was able to overcome even the darkness in his own heart, making peace with all the various horrors he’d experienced since childhood and resolving to become more resilient than the trauma. He understands what it means to have more in common with rain falling from dark skies than with sunshine and is wiser, kinder, and stronger for it. He understands how it feels to long for a storm to pass, only to grow frustrated and relentless with each rumbling of thunder. He knows the desperate desire to see what lies behind the clouds. For him, finally experiencing friendship and love was enough to part the clouds in his mind and heart. Kian grew from a troubled child into a young man with a strong conscience, a powerful sense of loyalty, and the ability to love and empathize without reservation, even in the face of his fear of getting hurt again. To Kian, who has always had a rebellious, defiant streak, being defined by his misery and his worst traits is a fate on par with, if not worse than, death. Rightfully so, he wishes to be known for the good he has chosen to do in the world instead, the best parts of himself on which he consciously acts.
As a child, Kian was a cheerful, precocious, yet humble boy, modest despite being the son of the head of the Uchiha clan. He lacked confidence in himself and had exceptionally low self-esteem, his self-hatred persistently vexing him by whispering in his ear that it was likely he would always be stuck in his father’s shadow. Even though he was extremely young, he was painfully aware that everyone would continuously measure him against his father, that the only thing anyone in his clan would care about is how strong he could become. There was nobody in his life aside from his father and Minegumo's family that saw him for who he was; all they saw when they looked at him was the son of Seto Uchiha. Kian began to push himself to learn, under his father’s tutelage, the rudimentary skills required of a shinobi as soon as possible, before even being allowed to enter the Academy, because he was terrified of not being considered good enough. Not being good enough has always been his most profound, intimate fear that he has never really let go of, despite his best efforts. Fear, then, was both a liberator and an incarcerator for the young Uchiha, imprisoning him within his conscience, but also driving him to develop the tools needed to overcome such mental entrapment and let himself out of his metaphorical cell.
Overall, Kian was still generally “happy” even after being kidnapped, thanks to having his memories of his past life altered. At the very least, he was a calm, cool-headed, well-behaved child with exceptional manners who treated everyone around him kindly. He had a powerful bond with his fake father, looking up to him and aspiring to one day be as good a man as he was and as skilled as a shinobi. Things changed, however, when the man was diagnosed with a terminal illness for which there was no cure. With his “father” sick and ailing and barely able to leave his bed, the boy grew isolated. Kian began to resent feeling lonely, and even as a child, he felt guilt over his powerlessness to help his “father”. Unfortunately, young as he was, the boy didn’t yet possess the capacity to put his feelings into words properly; Kian couldn’t explain what he was thinking and feeling, so he pushed it all to the back of his mind and tried to carry on as usual. He did his best to act as though he was alright as if everything wasn’t overwhelming him. Most of the time, he was able to pull it off. Kian was able to get through his days without feeling too low, but on closer examination, one would’ve noticed that he held his head a little less high, that he spoke fewer words, that he smiled a bit less. It was his first encounter with depression, an issue that would continue to plague him for the rest of his life.
The death of his “father,” the only parent he thought the he had ever known, crushed Kian, even though he knew it was inevitable. Discovering Hajime’s body was highly traumatic for him, and it is something that has always stayed with him, seared forever into his mind. Losing Hajime made him colder, more jaded, and he began to withdraw from the world, barely displaying any emotion. Grief and loneliness made Kian far more cynical than he had been before his “father’s” death. He eschewed the innocence he’d held for most of his childhood and developed incredible willpower, his conviction so strong that the boy fully embraced dying to achieve his goals and protect what he cared about. Kian matured rapidly and became more independent than ever, recognizing that circumstance required him to grow up, even if he wasn’t ready to, even if it wasn’t fair to him. His ”father’s” death was the beginning of Kian’s metamorphosis into a survivor. With his “father” gone, Kian had nobody but himself to rely on, nobody to take care of him. Kian was further traumatized by being cruelly cast out into the streets to fend for himself, something he was by no means ready for, given his incredibly young age.
Living on the streets taught Kian many lessons, some of which were beneficial, some of which were dubious at best. He learned how to be resourceful, using the ninja skills his ”father” had taught him before his death to steal food successfully. The necessity of theft to live ingrained in him empathy for those who lacked money and a ‘survive at all costs’ mentality. Being homeless also made Kian vulnerable to various forms of abuse and manipulation. He learned very quickly not to trust anyone and that everyone could hurt him. If he was to make it, the only person he could consider trustworthy was himself. Kian also learned that there was nothing worse than showing weakness. To survive on the streets in a place like Amegakure, one had to be tough and know how to keep one’s cool. He initially struggled with this, but eventually, he hardened himself to that reality. During this time in his life, only one person proved to be dependable. After being homeless for a year, Kian met his “first” friend Isamu at the age of seven. For Kian, this was like a lifeline. Though he was unable to be taken in by Isamu’s family due to their own poverty, he at least had company, people that cared about him and helped him out as much as they could.
Entering the Academy was the first step towards Kian coming into his own. As a shinobi-in-training, he was suddenly part of the ultimate meritocracy. Their instructors would give them nothing, they had to earn everything, and no student was above another. Recognition would be fought for, not just handed to him because of his “father.” In this environment, he didn’t only perform well; he thrived, gaining some confidence for the first time. Standing heads and shoulders above his peers in their classes, he was even admired and respected, and part of him relished it. The harder he worked, the more intently he applied himself, the stronger Kian became, and the boy realized that if nothing else, he could rely on his dedication and talent to forge a path forward for himself. He trained and studied obsessively as a boy possessed, and his work ethic became legendary throughout the Academy. Kian’s incredible capacity and willingness to learn, both kinesthetically and visually, helped him become regarded as a prodigy. That diligence and obsessiveness never left him, even after he abandoned Amgegakure, which would later spur him to the lofty heights he now floats at, a quiet, but powerful storm cloud reaching ambitiously into the stratosphere.
When he discovered at the age of eight that he had been lied to his entire life, that he was, in truth, a descendant of the Uchiha clan, Kian’s entire sense of identity was shattered. It had been a quick logical leap from that tidbit, overheard in a private conversation between a high-ranking Amegakure shinobi and his Academy instructor, to the conclusion that he actually hailed from Konoha and was most likely the son of the infamous Seto Uchiha. Furious and embittered by this betrayal, Kian fled from the fake home that had never truly cared for him in the middle of night for Konoha. He found himself reunited with his birth family, which, while a welcome development, was also dizzying and confusing for the young boy. Having a real family was quite an adjustment for him. In Konoha, he had a father who actively sought to be there for him and guide him, a best friend with a family that was determined to dote on him, and clan full of people that respected him and encouraged him, viewing him as their future leader. At first, he couldn’t help but be guarded and distant with his father. Eventually, he began to slowly rebuild the bond with him.
Kian very quickly became acutely aware of the whispers that followed him throughout Konoha as closely as his own shadow, as well as the occasional look of pure, unadulterated disdain. Now and then, he caught the words “traitor,” “scum,” “future criminal,” and so forth. His heritage made him feared and distrusted by many, as plenty of people blamed the Uchiha clan for the suffering and trauma inflicted upon the entirety of the shinobi world by the Fourth Shinobi World War and for other problems that occurred afterward. Feeling ostracized over just descending from the Uchiha clan further pushed Kian to prove himself, and it became a major chip on his shoulder as a child. On top of feeling as though he had to live up to his parents’ impressive legacy, Kian also thought he had to struggle against the Uchiha’s reputation and prove his worth, showing the village that he wasn’t a future traitor or demon in the making. He wanted to make it abundantly clear that he was more than the evils committed by his clan members, that there was no need to treat him as a dangerous outcast. Unfortunately, though he excelled as a student in the Academy, he found himself unable to make friends. Most of his time was spent with his only friend or alone since he wasn’t permitted to form the bonds that his classmates had.
Acclimation to the traumas that he had endured growing up meant Kian was nothing close to a team player when he graduated at the top of his class. He felt somewhat resentful that he was to depend on others and trust his teammates. He preferred to work alone and had profound trust issues, never opening himself up to anyone. Of course, this was due to his harrowing experiences living on the rough, chaotic streets of Amegakure for so long. His teammates and his teacher gradually wore him down for a time, breaking through the emotional fortifications he built to hide behind. They became something of a surrogate family, and thanks to them, he understands what it means to be ready to sacrifice everything for another’s sake. Eventually, he learned to stop acting autonomously and freelancing, becoming quite skilled at seamlessly integrating himself into a unit and functioning as a part of a broader strategy. Indeed, he can cooperate with others with minimal communication, as he is quite perceptive and intuitive. Ultimately, however, he will always choose isolation and being and working alone if given a choice. From his teammates and his teacher, he learned the intrinsic value of friendship. While he is guarded and withdrawn, careful about bestowing his trust upon anyone, a friend he cherishes is a friend he will gladly die for without hesitation. Kian, then, puts a premium on loyalty, acquiescing to the notion that there is hardly a more laudable virtue. However, one of his weaknesses is that because Kian is so selective about who he trusts and relies upon, he tends to have too much faith when he does. The Uchiha is loyal to the point of being damn near myopic, much like his actual biological father, not always understanding when to rescind his loyalty or cut ties with someone.
With his accolades stacking up during his Academy and Genin years, Kian, by his graduation, had begun to develop the lethal character flaw that led to many of his ancestors’ demise: pride. He became subtly arrogant, like many Uchiha. The boy who was self-deprecating to the point of walking around with his head down began to hold his head up high and carry with himself with a subtle, unspoken pride. Despite his newfound faith in his talent and skill, he initially never succumbed to being reckless, always approaching his assignments with a cool head and wily pragmatism. However, even as he made a conscious effort to reign in his arrogance, he developed a habit of still coldly underestimating anyone he perceived as weaker than himself, proving that there are limits to his usual benevolent nature and modesty. The burgeoning Uchiha started to come into his own, forge his unique identity, and grow. He also began to develop his moral outlook on the world and grapple with the philosophical questions of life and a shinobi’s role. As the missions his team was given continued to grow exceedingly more dangerous and required more and more travel, Kian became more erudite, learning to question everything; this was quite the paradigm shift for him. In the past, he’d been passive and painfully shy, hiding behind his coldness and acting tough only when confronted, but that changed. Kian morphed into a more assertive, vocal boy, an introvert but one that possessed an aura of quiet determination. Gone was the pushover that he had been before entering the Academy, and in his place was someone barely recognizable. He became steadily more sarcastic and sharp-tongued, more expressive of his arrogance, and more willing to criticize and demean as he grew in confidence. Of course, he had always felt demeaned, hated, looked down on, and as he was starting to prove himself a capable young ninja, he acted increasingly more self-assured out of insecurity.
By the time he completed his Chūnin Exams and was promoted, Kian had survived many dangerous missions as a Konoha shinobi operating as part of Team 13. He had grown to genuinely care for his village, his teacher, his comrades. The Will of Fire had started to burn within him, illuminating the inner darkness, driving it back for a time, even making him question if seeking vengeance for his father’s death was worth it. Ultimately, however, his worst impulses won out, and he ended up confronting the man he suspected of murdering his father, Sakushi Uchiha. After suffering a crushing defeat at Sakushi’s hands and the disbanding of Team 13, Kian decided to take a position within Konoha’s ANBU Black Ops in hopes that it would push him to grow stronger. With both of his teammates leaving the village, Kian began to revert to his old, isolated self, focusing solely on his ANBU missions and training. His experiences carrying out the coldest, cruelest tasks the village had to offer would haunt him after he eventually left ANBU, forever casting a shadow on his heart. Those closest to him would notice that his time within the elite organization turned him into a more ruthless, calculating young man. As time passed and his duties as a Black Ops shinobi began to weigh on his psyche, Kian became increasingly driven to destroy Sakushi. Not long after his exit from the Black Ops, Kian sought out Sakushi’s amnesiac son Yuma Uchiha to learn the truth of what happened the day his father, Seto, died, and the confirmation that Sakushi did murder his father drove Kian over the edge. He started to become consumed with the idea of revenge, wanting to kill Sakushi in cold blood just as Sakushi has killed his father.
Not only did his darker impulses and his desire to seek revenge upon his uncle begin to take him over while he was a member of the Black Ops, Kian’s struggles with anxiety and rather significantly debilitating depression began to take a major turn for the worse, as his only real outlet was his training under Takuya Hatake in an attempt to further polish and develop his skills with Lightning Release ninjutsu. With Minegumo and Hikari both absent from Konoha and having gone down their own paths, Kian found himself once again mostly alone. As he sank deeper into depression and darkness, he grappled with suicidal thoughts and feelings, particularly after one of his missions with the ANBU resulted him in accidentally killing an eight-year-old child; this event almost triggered a completely psychological break in him, and it was what prompted to formally request reassignment from the ANBU. No longer surrounded by his closest friends, he began to cope more heavily with alcohol and marijuana, nearly becoming an alcoholic in the process. Kian felt isolated, though part of this was due to his own inability to reach out and be vulnerable with people he wasn’t exactly the closest to. Part of it was also due to his own stubborn insistence upon dealing with his issues by himself as much as possible, not wanting to be a burden on anyone or drag them down with him. The return of his teammates began to slowly pull him back out of the dark place he'd drifted into, but it was still obvious that a lot of his remaining childhood innocence had been stripped away from him during his time in the ANBU.
Though he had always been a compassionate, empathetic person by nature, his traumas caught up to him and began to warp Kian, twisting him into a boy who had quite the ruthless streak. Gone was the harmlessly broody, aloof Kian, and in his stead was an unstable boy who had been cruelly neglected, hated, and abused into being capable of murder while on missions. Pitifully, the more cold and ruthless he got, the more he came to hate himself, and the lower his self-worth became. Kian despised the person he was turning out to be, the monster he was starting to become. He coped by burying his feelings of guilt, anger, and fear beneath his newfound detachment. For a time, Kian’s detachment was an effective coping mechanism; it would help him get through the day without completely falling apart, if only barely. The boy also took to being downright reckless, a significant change from when he had first graduated, to the point of self-harming during his training, not caring about any injuries he sustained. For him, the pain was almost cathartic. It was his way of venting, pushing his body to its breaking point. At times, though, he would be unable to stop himself from lashing out, and his depressive episodes could be rather debilitating when he couldn’t force himself to carry on through them. He took to treating everyone around him with cool indifference that occasionally became outright contempt. The last bit of pleasantness and ability to relate to others had been all but extinguished in him.
Drinking regularly and smoking marijuana just as often became Kian’s new method to cope with the bleakness of his reality. Thirteen years old was when he first tried alcohol, and he found that he rather liked the sensation, feeling as though getting drunk was an escape. He didn’t have to feel anything when he was drunk. He wasn’t consumed by his anger and self-loathing when he was drunk. He didn’t have to confront his nightmares if he fell asleep when he was drunk. Of course, he understood that it wasn’t a healthy way to deal with his myriad of problems, but he also felt that nothing else was working for him. Nothing else seemed to numb him enough for everything to be bearable or help keep him calm when he was starting to get overwhelmed, so he continued to drink. Marijuana proved to be more effective for him than alcohol, as he discovered when he tried it for the first time. While it didn’t keep him from drinking, it at least had the benefit of not causing him headaches. He could also function more normally since marijuana impeded his mental faculties and motor skills less than alcohol. It became his go-to in his darkest moments, something to lift his mood significantly and let him self-medicate the depression. Somehow, on sheer willpower alone, the boy managed to regulate his alcohol intake enough not to become a severe alcoholic, but he did develop a moderate dependency. To go without it for more than a few days was very difficult for him; the same applied to marijuana. Eventually, this dependency would lessen when he learned to manage his traumas better.
A big factor in Kian’s ability to keep himself from caving in entirely to his dark side during this time in his life was his relationship with his teammate-turned-girlfriend, Hikari, who went from being just another stranger to him to the love of his life that he would do anything for, including going to hell and back.Th ough when they had first been assigned to the same team, he had initially viewed her as nothing special, they began to develop a true friendship to the point where Kian genuinely began to feel comfortable opening up to her about his past and confiding in her, realizing that of everyone close to him, she had a particular talent for understanding him and helping him clear his mind. He would come to be extremely grateful, too, for her refusal to ever give up on him or condemn him or judge him, even in his lowest moments. She proved to be able to get the best out of him, and Kian began to fall for her more and more the closer they got, despite his feelings for his other teammate, Minegumo. During their time as Genin under Arata Sarutobi’s tutelage, Kian’s feelings for Hikari would manifest both as intense protectiveness and as admiration, genuine respect and affection for the girl that he recognized as being similar to him in their lack of a happy upbringing or family that loved them. To him, she slowly became his source of strength, a light at the end of the tunnel that inspired him to push through the darkness and carry on. In return, Kian would quietly dedicate himself to making sure that Hikari felt truly heard and seen for who she was, that she was more than an emotionally neglected orphan. Before her departure from the Twelve Guardian Ninja, their romantic relationship became official, and Kian would come to credit her love for being the driving force behind him beginning to heal and process the trauma he’d endured throughout his life in a healthy manner.
Though Kian had slowly begun to emerge from his darkness, he still was determined to bring down and punish his uncle. Once more, he challenged the man who had usurped his father’s position as the head of the Uchiha clan, this time overpowering Sakushi and even severing his arm in the process. Hatred overwhelming him, Kian came close to fulfilling his desire and ending Sakushi’s life, but he could not bring himself to do it. For all his anger and sadness and loathing, he managed to, at the last moment, overcome it all and choose mercy. Deciding that killing Sakushi would make him unworthy of the legacy Seto had bequeathed to him, the faith Tatsuo had always had in him, and the love Minegumo had for him, Kian spared the man and, in doing so, broke the Curse of Hatred’s grip on him. From that moment on, Kian fully, wholeheartedly embraced Konoha’s Will of Fire and went on to take the reins of the Uchiha clan, becoming its youngest-ever leader. As a leader, he quickly proved himself decisive, clear-thinking, and fair-minded, managing eventually to win over even the hard-liners among the Uchiha who had supported Sakushi. Having earned justice for his father’s death and the backing of his clansmen, Kian found a new purpose, fully embracing his role and slowly starting to let go of all his rage and anguish. While he retained his aloof, sarcastic exterior, he began to allow more of his warmth and kindness to shine through.
When the Great War of Shinobi Survival broke out, the Hokage assigned Kian to the First Division, where he served with distinction. Experiencing the war turned Kian into a pacifist who desired nothing more than to protect the entire shinobi world, even at the cost of his own life. He even began to dream of one day becoming Hokage so that he could do everything in his power to safeguard Konoha’s well-being and prosperity and to influence the village’s relationship with the broader shinobi world. Kian endured trauma and suffering throughout the war, so much so that even years after its end, he still has nightmares about what the conflict put him through. After the war’s conclusion, Kian became quite a melancholy, world-weary young man, mature and wise far beyond his years. No longer would he be the lonely, vulnerable child or the sullen, angry teenager that had nearly become a murderer. In their stead was someone who understood what was important to him in life and exactly how far he would be willing to go to protect those things, someone who had learned that the only everlasting thing in life was the sorrow of the human condition. Kian, in many ways, turned out to be very much like Seto, the person to whom he had looked up the most. The son rejected darkness in favor of the light, as the father had before him, embracing wisdom, compassion, justice, love, and mercy rather than anger, spite, jealousy, loathing, and ruthlessness. While Kian would never claim to be a perfect person and would dedicate his life to bettering himself and overcoming his flaws, in the end, he defined himself by choosing to act on his best traits.
Appearance[]
"Ki’s like a wolf, ya know? He’s so intense and dangerous and beautiful to look at in his own way. He’s got that dark hair and those sharp eyes, and it’s like he’s looking right through you. He looks like a hunter who’s constantly watching his prey." |
As do most Uchiha clan members, Kian possesses the clan’s signature glittering, jewel-like eyes and shadowy midnight locks. If one were to ask girls around his age, they would describe him as “heart-achingly beautiful.” His facial structure very much resembles that of his father: high, defined cheekbones, a pointed chin, thin, arched eyebrows, and a subtly noticeable but not overwhelmingly strong jawline. When he was a young child, his hair was cut rather short and close-cropped, accentuating its natural spikiness. As he grew older, however, Kian let his hair grow out to the point that by the time he graduated from the Academy, it was chin-length and elegantly framed his face, featuring center-parted bangs. Even grown out, Kian’s hair has a certain spiky quality to it, especially in the back, and his hair is usually considered an unruly, albeit shiny and soft mess. By the beginning of Part II, Kian had allowed his hair to grow just past shoulder length in the back, to the point where he began to strike a close resemblance to his ancestor Izuna.
Kian’s eyes are heavily lidded, giving him the appearance of tiredness even if he is not necessarily tired in the least. Courtesy of his first skirmish with Sakushi Uchiha, next to Kian’s right eye is a vertical scar that stretches from right above his eyebrow to just over his right cheekbone, a permanent physical reminder of the struggles he has endured. The irides of his eyes are a deep, regal violet, recalling his mother’s features and differing from the typical onyx eyes seen in Uchiha, piercing and seemingly devoid of any emotion or warmth, reminiscent more of a pair of stunning gemstones than human irides. His lips are soft, heart-shaped, and of a light pink hue. It has been remarked that the corners of his lips have a sort of upward twitch, usually giving Kian the appearance of constantly smirking. Not long after joining the ANBU, Kian pierced his lip. Jewelry always adorns his lip piercing, either in the form of lip rings or studs, usually of a soft silver color. He also pierced his ears; his right ear features a pair of helix piercings, while his left ear has a single lobe piercing. Much like with his lip piercing, Kian keeps his ear piercings opened by consistently wearing earrings.
Pale and smooth, his porcelain complexion creates a rather striking contrast with his dark hair and eyes. Unsurprisingly for a shinobi, Kian’s physique is top-notch. He is lean and toned, his muscles incredibly well-defined, though his picturesque body is marred by scars accrued from battles he’s fought. Standing at only slightly above average height and being of a slighter build, Kian does not cut too imposing a figure based on size alone. What he lacks in height and bulk, however, he makes up for with proud, unyielding posture, carrying himself with regal poise and understated, quiet confidence. One look at him, and it is no surprise that he is the true heir to the Uchiha clan and the son of a famous, renowned shinobi. His intense, stern gaze only adds to this air of authority, as he can command a room with merely a pointed glance.
Initially during Part I, Kian favored wearing one of his clan’s traditional, short-sleeved, high-collared shirts; it was a deep, royal blue with lighter blue accents on the edges of the sleeves, and underneath it, he tended to wear a long sleeve shirt of a slightly lighter, almost greyish blue hue. Emblazoned on the back of the shirt was the Uchiha clan’s famed crest. He coupled this with a pair of black shorts that reached down to just above his knees. On his right thigh, he wore a shuriken holster. He also wore a black-clothed Konohagakure forehead protector passed down from his father and a pair of low-cut black zori, traditional shinobi sandals. After his battle with his uncle, the forehead protector was torn, scarred just like the young man who wears it, but Kian has always refused to part with it. Kian would always wrap his legs in bandages, from his ankle to about halfway up his shin, to stabilize his lower legs and prevent injury to them. On his arms, he wore a pair of black arm guards that tended to remain hidden by his long-sleeved undershirt. The young Uchiha would also sport two simple white straps across his torso, which held in place the sheath containing his tantō, allowing it to rest on his back.
Upon completion of the Shikkotsu Forest Arc, Kian began wearing a black, short-sleeved hooded shirt that bore the Uchiha clan crest upon the back. Kian also wore the same black Konohagakure forehead protector. Underneath this shirt, he would usually wear either mesh armor or a plain, v-neck white shirt. He also started to wear a different pair of white shorts, but continued wearing his black zori, as well as the shuriken holster on his right thigh. Kian swapped his old arm guards for a pair of sleek crimson fingerless gloves that extended to about halfway up his forearms. Though Kian would continue to bandage wrap his legs from time to time, usually for more strenuous, physical training sessions, he would also start to mainly wear a pair of long, crimson compression leg sleeves in the place of bandages. He continued to wear one of his white straps across his body in order to carry his blade on his back, though would occasionally replace it for an even simpler strap made of rope. When off-duty, Kian would frequently don a simple outfit consisting of a t-shirt and a dark grey windbreaker that bore a small Uchiha clan crest on the front and a larger crest on the back over black pants and his zori.
Upon joining the ANBU, he was branded on his right shoulder with the spiral tattoo unique to Konoha’s Black Ops and issued its standard uniform. Of course, his ANBU tattoo is not the only one he has; Kian’s body is a beautifully painted canvas, his torso and both of his arms covered in a dazzling array of designs and colors. When operating as part of the ANBU, Kian would don a black, high-neck sleeveless shirt and matching black uniform pants, over which he wore the ANBU’s grey flak jacket. He would also wear long black gloves that reached up to his bicep, accompanied by metal arm guards and high-cut black shinobi sandals. Frequently, Kian would opt to wear an unadorned, hooded black cloak over his ANBU uniform. Like all ANBU members, he wore a porcelain mask; his mask was fashioned to resemble a wolf, and it bore purple markings.
In Part II, after leaving ANBU and being promoted to Jōnin, he would forego the standard-issue Konoha shinobi uniform. Kian would instead opt for a high-collared royal blue and black sweatshirt. The exterior of the sweatshirt, front and back, is black from the collar on down to the shoulders, meeting at a point on the chest and back respectively, while the rest of the sweatshirt is royal blue in color. Kian’s sweatshirt also features drawstrings for the collar. On the back of his sweatshirt, a large Uchiha clan crest is proudly displayed, while the arms of the sweatshirt feature smaller crests. Underneath his sweatshirt, he wears a long-sleeved black shirt made of an extremely breathable material and a pair of form-fitting black pants. He also wears a black leather belt with silver fastenings haphazardly across his waist; it is usually crooked, as if it is hanging off of his frame. He continues to wear his shuriken holster on his right thigh. After receiving it as a gift from Tatsuo Uchiha, Kian began wearing his brother figure’s silver chain necklace. Choosing not to wear the usual sandals, Kian wears a pair of mid-cut black, open-heeled shinobi boots instead. In order to hold his sword sheath in place, Kian wears a black leather sling with silver fastenings that resembles the belt he wears. When on the battlefield for the Great Shinobi Survival War, Kian eschewed his usual garments, with the exception of the leather sling for his sword, for the standard Konoha shinobi uniform. The only other constant in his attire is his father’s old forehead protector, which he always wears.
Abilities[]
"He’s just like his father: innately gifted, remarkably dedicated, and quick to learn. Even amongst the members of the Uchiha clan, he’s impressive, a true prodigy." |
Kian’s innate talent as a shinobi has lead to him being considered a prodigy in the vein of his father, one of Konohagakure’s best and brightest before his death. As a student in the Academy, he was top of his class, achieving high marks across the board and impressing his instructors. Upon graduating and becoming a full-fledged shinobi, his skills begin to rapidly improve under his master, Arata Sarutobi’s, tutelage, especially after awakening his Sharingan. He began to specialize in Lightning Release ninjutsu at this time, having previously displayed high aptitude for it, mastering a handful of Lightning Release techniques at a young age. Since then, Kian’s prowess has manifested itself in his ability to effectively utilize high-level ninjutsu, such as the Chidori; this has allowed him to move up the shinobi ranks rather quickly, as he has been recognized as a member of Konohagakure’s ANBU since he was thirteen, and an elite Jōnin since he was sixteen. Over the course of his development, he has rapidly become more and more skilled, to the point where by the age of eighteen, he is a greater legend than even his father before him, having earned the fear and admiration of the entire shinobi world.
Chakra and Physical Prowess[]
As the latest reincarnation of Indra, a gifted member of the Uchiha clan, and the son of Konoha’s legendary Mirage Man, Kian has rather impressive reserves of extremely potent chakra. Kurama himself has compared the might of Kian’s chakra to other legendary Uchiha: awe-inspiring in its power, and overwhelming to behold. However, in the same breath, Kurama also noted that unlike his ancestors, Kian’s chakra is not dark or cold, and it is instead more akin to the warmth and brightness of a brilliant thunderbolt as it streaks across the sky. Kian is incredibly adept at controlling his chakra, as would be expected from one with a Lightning affinity. He is remarkably efficient and wastes no chakra in deploying his various techniques. This allows him to make full use of his absurdly high chakra reserves and continually use high-level techniques without much worry of exhaustion; he is thus able to participate in combat for long periods of time, even days on end. Kian’s skill at chakra control is such that he can learn extremely complicated, advanced ninjutsu despite his relatively young age. He is able to perform hand seals effortlessly, and at such a speed that they are almost imperceptible to the naked eye; furthermore, he is capable of weaving seals with only one hand, a product of his training as an ANBU. It has been noted that for many of his techniques involving his elemental affinity, he does not even need to rely on weaving hand seals.
Kian, since the beginning of Part II, has also displayed impressive ability as a sensor, to the point where he can accurately determine the location, formation, and number of enemies within a certain range, as well as roughly gauge each individual target’s strength. Initially, during the course of his time at the Academy and during his training as a Genin, he was not considered a sensory type, having displayed no particular aptitude for it. His gift with Lightning Release is the source of his ability to sense, which he developed during his time in the ANBU. In order to function as a sensor, Kian relies on tapping into the natural electromagnetic grid within a radius of up to a couple dozen kilometers. While not quite as pinpoint accurate or as far-reaching as sensory abilities like the Uzumaki clan’s Mind’s Eye of the Kagura or Minegumo’s sensory abilities, it is still rather sharp and accurate with an impressive range. Since Kian senses through the electromagnetic grid, he can sense disturbances that indicate that an individual within range is beginning to move, or is weaving their chakra. He can also detect changes in the environment through vibrations interrupting the usual flow of the grid and distinguish animals from humans. Kian’s sensory abilities allow him to get a rough understanding of the landscape and/or architecture within his range, as well. All in all, he developed into quite a capable sensor.
Though he is primarily reliant on ninjutsu, Kian is quite adept in taijutsu, as well, being capable of fending off multiple enemies at once. His natural speed and agility are considerable, enough so that his peers have recognized him as the fastest among them, even without his Omoikane. Kian is deceptively strong, being able to hold his own in hand-to-hand combat against larger opponents, to the point of being able to subdue his former teacher, Arata. His reaction time is second to none, especially when augmented by the Sharingan and his Lightning Release, which he can use to stimulate his reflexes and his overall speed. When mixing in the use of his time dōjutsu, Kian becomes one of the fastest shinobi in history, his speed said to be on par with the legendary Fourth Hokage, as well as his rival Sora Uzumaki. Kian’s taijutsu mostly focuses on swift movements, and he attacks in rapid succession. Never letting up, never relenting, simply bombarding his opponents with blow after blow when he chooses to utilize his physical prowess to the fullest. His hand-to-hand combat style, true to his heritage as an Uchiha, is characterized as being extremely free-flowing and acrobatic, often utilizing aerial attacks, striking while leaping towards an opponent, etc. Kian combines his impressive natural athleticism with the perception gifted him by his clan’s famous eyes to flawlessly counter an opponent’s attack, and this is the capacity in which he uses taijutsu most: simply countering his foes. When he does use taijutsu for counters, however, he frequently will press if he feels he has the advantage, unleashing an overwhelming offensive.
Ninjutsu[]
Kian is proficient in ninjutsu, and it is considered his area of expertise. As a master of the lightning nature transformation, his skill is considered second to none, and he is regarded as one of the best Lightning Release users of all time despite his young age. Perhaps most notably, he is also quite talented with his unique time ninjutsu. His ninjutsu arts make up the overwhelming majority of his arsenal, and as such, his fighting style hinges mostly upon them. The awakening of Omoikane allows him to base his style upon speed, as well, often using his incredible swiftness to ravage his opponent(s) with his electrifying Lightning Release techniques. Despite his rapid, aggressive combat style, he is quite cautious in his approach to his battles. He makes a conscious effort to conserve as much of his chakra as he can, and he is decidedly reserved when it comes to displaying his skill set. He never reveals more of his repertoire than he has to, and as such, it is very rare for his opponents to see him unleash anything but his most signature Lightning Release techniques, basic taijutsu and kenjutsu skills, and his Omoikane.
Bukijutsu[]
As an Uchiha who was taught to wield a kunai from the moment he could hold one, Kian is well-trained with a variety of weapons and ninja tools, and displays a considerable amount of skill with them. He is exceptional at the use of shurikenjutsu, throwing shuriken and kunai with deadly precision and lightning speed, thanks to his being blessed with incredible reflexes and hand-eye coordination. In fact, his throwing speed is far above the average, allowing him to barrage foes with accurate bombardments of projectiles, surprise them, intercept their own weapon strikes, etc. Complicated and/or moving targets also do not faze him, as he is quite skilled at using wire strings or deflecting projectile weapons off of each other to hit these sorts of targets.
Kenjutsu[]
Not long before graduating from Konohagakure’s Ninja Academy, Kian began really training in the art of kenjutsu, or swordsmanship. Given his speed, agility, and reflexes, lighter blades suit him best, and thus he wielded a tantō at first. With a blade in hand, he is breathtakingly skilled and fluid, possessing incredible footwork, technique, and form. Kian can wield a sword in either hand with roughly equal proficiency. He can also switch between wielding it backhanded or normally, even in the heat of battle. His talent is such that he can easily cut down multiple foes rather quickly, on top of using his blade defensively, intercepting incoming attacks, and holding his own against incredible swordsmen. During his training in preparation for the Chūnin Exams, Kian sought instruction in swordsmanship from Mika Fuyuzuki. Her assistance would result in Kian’s technique very closely resembling a hybrid of the style adopted by Konoha shinobi and that of the samurai; he has even mastered the use of Iaidō.
While Kian is mostly known for his use of a tantō, a short blade, or (during Part II) his Supervibrato Lightning Release Sword, the Uchiha is quite skilled at handling various swords with minimal drop-off in efficiency and skill, a mark of a true kenjutsu master. He can wield a chokutō, a katana, a wakizashi, and so on to an impressive effect. Kian can even adapt his style to whatever blade he is currently wielding, able to easily switch from the blinding speed and grace of his use of a tantō to an aggressive, wild, heavy-handed style with a heavier blade. His dexterity, skill, and strength are so great that he can even wield two blades of varying weights at once, a rare feat of swordsmanship that speaks to the talent Kian possesses. Mika Fuyuzuki has joked that “a blindfolded, one-armed Kian could thoroughly destroy most Konoha shinobi in a swordfight, and he could do it with any blade you give him.” Arata Sarutobi would go even further in his praise of his student’s abilities with a sword, stating that one would not find a more skilled kenjutsu master outside of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
During his training under Mika, Kian learned how to channel chakra through his blade. He proved to be so gifted at ninkenjutsu that when initially channeling chakra through his tantō, he subconsciously applied nature transformation, resulting in the blade crackling with electricity. With his lightning chakra enhancing his blade, Kian can cut or pierce through nearly any material put in front of him, even steel and chakra-based substances. Like the samurai, he can use chakra to extend the reach of his blade, launch energy projections, alter the shape of the weapon, etc. One of his most frequent uses of ninkenjutsu is using his blade to extend the range of his Chidori Sharp Spear, pushing it beyond its normal maximum reach.
Nature Transformation[]
Born into and raised by the Uchiha clan, Kian is well-versed in the principles of Fire Release, having mastered the Uchiha’s Great Fireball Technique at the age of six, years before becoming a Genin, greatly impressing Arata. He has learned the full gamut of the Uchiha’s fire techniques, able to coat fire around shuriken, direct flames along wire strings, and so on. Even though fire is not his elemental affinity, Kian’s use of the element is so powerful that he cannot only disperse most Water Release techniques with relative ease, it takes multiple powerful Water Release users to put out the flames he generates. Arata once noted that if Kian’s affinity had been fire, he would have had the potential to become one of the greatest masters of the element in many generations. Upon awakening the Rinnegan, he became capable of mastering all five basic nature transformations, something which would have otherwise been out of his reach, by his own admission. He is very competent with the fundamental principles of Wind, Water, and Earth Release, able to effortlessly use powerful, large-scale techniques of each of those three elements, though he would never be mistaken for wielding them on a prodigal level as he does his element of affinity.
Kian, despite his young age, is considered one of the most powerful Lightning Release users ever to grace the shinobi world, and far and away the most talented to ever originate from Konohagakure. His only competition for the crown, as it were, lies in the legends of Kumogakure. It is said that when Kian taps into his lightning chakra, one can feel the very vibrations beneath their feet, and their hair stands on edge as if to salute him. Getting too close to Kian when his lightning chakra is active is enough to feel sheer static course through your body. If you remain close, you will quickly be beset with numbness and potentially paralysis.
With his level of talent, lightning bends easily to his will. He can dominate a battlefield, generating terrifying thunderbolts to strike his foes. Kian is also so skilled with his element that he can manipulate the flow of other Lightning Release users’ lightning, redirecting it around himself to protect himself. He can also absorb such lightning, reflecting it at the user or simply manipulating it for the use of his own technique. It has also been documented that Kian’s lightning is so powerful that it can easily rip through other lightning techniques as if they were nothing.
As a naturally talented Lightning Release user with exceptional chakra control, Kian does not necessarily need to use hand seals. This allows him to use his less powerful lightning techniques rapidly, smoothly, and efficiently. With hand seals, he performs his more deadly, chakra-consuming techniques. Certainly, he could use them without hand seals, but he elects not to do this to ensure that his chakra usage is at maximum efficiency. Kian absolutely hates wasting chakra in battle, hence his dedication to developing his skill with his element and general chakra control.
Speaking of efficiency and minimal waste, Kian’s pinpoint control of his chakra also means that he has to use very little of it to generate his lightning techniques effectively. He can continually use large-scale Lightning Release techniques with minimal drains on his reserves, a frightening proposition given his destructive capabilities with the element. Placing a heavy emphasis on speed in his fighting style, it is no surprise that his use of Lightning Release is fast as, well, lightning. It takes him minimal time to gather the chakra necessary to use a technique, minimal time to release the technique, and minimal time for the lightning produced by said technique to overwhelm its target. All things considered, his use of lightning is among the fastest in shinobi history, an overlooked aspect as to why his Lightning Release is so deadly and hard to overcome.
Naturally, he wouldn’t have earned such acclaim with his element if his usage of it was strictly basic, though, of course, he understands the fundamentals rather thoroughly and has conquered them. Kian has, at this point, mastered the most complex intricacies of Lightning Release, altering its flow, changing its form, manipulating amperage and current. He can manipulate lightning into multiple forms, from basic thunderbolts to concentrated beams to pure static. In fact, he has mastered the principles of the element to such a high degree that he can control it down to the ionic level, manipulating polarity and electrical charges.
One usage of the element in which Kian particularly excels is the manipulation of natural lightning. Not only can he control it to the incredible extent to which he controls artificial, chakra-generated lightning, he can also absorb it, disperse it, amplify it, shift its form, etc. His unparalleled skill at manipulating natural lightning, which goes far beyond the basic summoning of lightning bolts, is the source of one of his monikers, “King of the Clouds” (雲の王, Kumo no Ō). Kian is also capable of generating mighty natural electric currents, over which he has total control. Furthermore, he can use his special technique to facilitate the use of natural lightning, removing all the build-up that most users of the element must commit to in order to take advantage of Lightning’s natural power. With little effort on his part, he can create raging thunderstorms, as well.
When it comes to altering the form of lightning, one of the foremost principles of wielding its power, there is nobody better than Kian. Lightning can take multiple forms, aside from generated electricity bolts, such as beams, flowing energy, shockwaves, static, etc. Kian has completely mastered the art of controlling lightning’s form and can even shift lightning between forms mid-current if he so pleases. This skill of form manipulation is a big key to the incredible versatility of Kian’s Lightning Release. He can apply the element’s ferocity in a myriad of different ways since, after all, each form of lightning comes with its own inherent principles and thus different capabilities to tap into. Generally, when using Lightning Release, the form is the first consideration that Kian mulls over since the form dictates what he can and cannot do with the lightning he generates.
Another important aspect of form, as it pertains to the Lightning Release, is what shape it takes. Kian has such total control over his lightning current that he can alter into whatever shape or form suits his fancy, a true testament to his innate talent with chakra control and the manipulation of its flow. Imagination is truly the only limit to the forms his lightning can take, as he can form practically anything, almost completely regardless of size or power, out of lightning and do it with the utmost efficiency, rarely wasting his chakra. Generally, Kian adapts the form of his lightning to match the situation at hand, whether that situation calls for a deadly spear projectile constructed from pure lightning, a resilient defensive barrier, or whatever else he can think of on the fly. He is in tune with his element to such a high degree that his creativity becomes perhaps the deadliest weapon in his impressive arsenal with this mastery of form.
Kian favors forms of lightning that are multi-purpose, adhering to the adage of “killing two birds with one stone” whenever possible. That being said, he primarily manipulates lightning into powerful spheres of energy that are capable of ripping through sturdy barriers and walls as if they were essentially nothing. He also will frequently form waves and pulses of incredible, flowing energy to deal out massive damage and destruction over large areas. In fact, Kian’s long-range forms of lightning are considered so deadly that should the shinobi world ever erupt into war once again, he has been designated in advance by the major shinobi villages as “flee-on-sight.”
Not only are Kian’s long-range forms of lightning exceptionally potent, he also has an astounding level of control over such lightning. From a distance, he can manipulate and shift lightning forms at will with minimal effort. An example of this would be condensing the electricity he formed into shockwaves into a single, colossal thunderbolt by dispersing the shockwaves and instantly repurposing the ions that constituted them. This ability also contributes to and helps facilitate his minimal waste style of combat.
Current is a major component of lightning and its natural qualities. As a master of lightning’s current, Kian can quite easily move any of the electric constructs he creates, alter their reach and/or form, douse a large area in electric energy, disperse generated electricity, etc. He can also increase/decrease the intensity of current at will, delivering a tiny spark or enough juice to fry a whole crowd of people within seconds. Being that current is one of the preeminent traits of electricity, it is logical that Kian mastered this aspect of Lightning Release first, before even mastering control over its form.
Following Ohm’s Law, the electrical current flowing within a circuit is proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. Thus, increasing voltage increases current, provided that the resistance either decreases or remains the same. One of the ways in which Kian is a master of electrical flow is his ability to overcome any natural environmental resistance, whether by sheer force of will in creating that much voltage or by his ability to alter the current in such a way as to minimize the impact of resistance. He can achieve such feats with little mental effort, but when he puts his mind to it, there is hardly a force in existence capable of generating as much electrical energy as he is. Furthermore, the minimization of resistance increases the power of the current. It also increases its speed, meaning that Kian’s lightning is so fast that its speed pressures even masters of the best space-time ninjutsu. Resistance is also an obstacle to the ease with which the current’s flow can be altered or otherwise manipulated; Kian is so skillful that for him, lightning seems to flow as easily and freely as a waterfall, nearly uninhibited. This is just one of the many ways in which he displays true mastery of the element’s core principles.
With the concentration of current and manipulation of form, Kian can easily wield lightning to cut through, slice, and pierce objects. He frequently uses this ability in conjunction with his supervibrato blade, which serves as a medium for the current, enhancing its cutting potential to allow him to slice right through steel, ice, earth, brick, stone, etc. Kian can also use the supervibrato blade to generate powerful shockwaves that shred through anything they come into contact with. When not using his sword, Kian can form his lightning into various blades, lances, and spears, with roughly the same cutting potential. To pierce, he will focus the current to a ’sharp’ point. There is hardly any material that could withstand the pure sharpness of his lightning, though himself he has noted that the most elite Earth users could potentially form barriers that are strong enough. Arata, who has no shortage of skill with Earth Release, has once stated that among all of the Lightning Release users he has encountered, the only one capable of generating lightning intense enough to slice and pierce through his defenses is Kian, a testament to the Uchiha’s mastery and power with his element.
Via the manipulation of frequency, Kian can increase or decrease the power of the current he generates at will. The greater the frequency, the faster the current travels, as well, which contributes to the speed of his lightning.
Kian is capable of generating and controlling plasma via ionization of the air. It is an easy task for him to manipulate the form, shape, and intensity of the plasma. He most frequently uses it to cause massive electrical damage or as a source of heat.
Intensity refers to the strength of an electrical current, and Kian has an incredible amount of control over his lightning’s intensity. He can regulate it at will for a variety of purposes, strengthening or weakening the current to suit his needs. By adjusting the strength of his chakra frequency’s resonation, he can control how intense the current will be and how powerful or weak the lightning he generates will be. The more energy Kian pours into utilizing high-frequency chakra vibrations, the more intense the electrical current. The reverse is also true: lower-frequency chakra vibrations result in lower intensity electrical currents. At the lowest intensities, his lightning is nothing more than a medium for sensory abilities or a benign numbing agent used to incapacitate someone or even relieve physical pain harmlessly. He uses low-intensity lightning when his objective is not to kill or seriously injure. However, at the highest intensities, its destructive power can be awe-inspiring, able to bring carnage down upon entire towns and small villages. Kian’s highest intensity lightning is easily capable of killing someone (multiple foes at once, in fact), overloading their bodies, and sending them into fatal cardiac arrest, if not just completely frying them or disrupting all of their internal organs at once. When faced with situations that require lethal force, Kian can oblige, unleashing the full intensity of his lightning upon whatever or whoever is standing in his way.
Discharge is defined as the speed of generation of current. Since Kian has complete control over the flow of the electrical currents he creates, he can also manipulate how swiftly or slowly they are formed. He can even determine how rapidly an electrical current acts, speeding up or slowing down existing currents. Kian can control the discharge of multiple currents at once, and he can control how long his lightning techniques last, in the interest of ensuring maximum efficiency.
With his exceptional chakra control and his talent for the element, Kian’s mastery of lightning extends to its building blocks. He can manipulate ions, atoms that carry a positive or negative charge. Charge is dictated by whether an atom possesses more protons or electrons. Those atoms that carry a positive charge are called cations, and those that carry a negative charge are called anions. Naturally occurring electricity is generated by the attractive forces between two oppositely charged ions. Understanding this principle allows Kian to very skillful manipulate naturally occurring lightning, as well as generate artificial lightning that behaves very, very similarly to natural lightning with minimal strain on himself and his chakra reserves. By forcing oppositely charged ions to aggregate, he can form thunderbolts or electrical discharges. By forcing oppositely charged ions apart, he can create a deadly electrical field. Since Kian’s artificial lightning very closely mimics the real thing, his Lightning Release techniques are just a hair slower than natural lightning, making them extremely, extremely difficult to dodge. Dodging Kian’s lightning is considered to be damn near impossible for any shinobi who does not possess the speed-amplifying Lightning Release Armor, or a space-time ninjutsu such as the Flying Thunder God Technique. Even then, it is still a unique challenge that requires the pinnacle of mastery to pull off.
Kian can manipulate an atom’s charge by using his chakra to control, create, and destroy protons, electrons, neutrinos, and positrons, a testament to his skill and precision at Lightning chakra control. It is the pinnacle of refinement, a true feat of mastery that even he cannot top. He can convert these particles to chakra by breaking them down further and using the remnants as a medium. This skill provides Kian with an interesting method of circumventing insulators. Normally, insulators function by restricting the movement of electrons throughout the material or substance. He can overcome this by using his chakra to generate moving electrons, and he can literally move existing electrons and positrons from atom to atom, subtly mimicking the natural creation of cations and anions. By generating these moving electrons within an insulator or by the use of positrons, Kian can still create an electrical current, even when the substance or material through which he is trying to flow lightning is not cooperative.
Once atoms are charged, Kian can move them close together and split them apart instantaneously to generate ridiculously powerful streams of lightning. He can use this skill to essentially create natural lightning in absence of any clouds, and while it allows him to conserve far more chakra than he would expend generating lightning artificially, it still requires him to expend more than chakra than he would otherwise. As such, he tends to just stick with conjuring his storm clouds and making use of natural lightning that way.
Static occurs when there is an imbalance in electrical charge. As Kian can manipulate electrical charges, down to the movement of electrons, protons, and positrons, he can also generate imbalances in charge, meaning he has full control over static electricity. While not an ability he tends to use frequently, he has developed a rather unique combat use for it, namely static hit. Static hit is an application of Kian’s ability to control static electricity that involves physical contact with a target, meaning taijutsu. It is predicated upon manipulating the charge of the opponent and their composition, or even an item on their person. Kian can, by making contact with his chakra, dictate the charge of his specific target, be it the opponent or something else, and make it positive or negative, forcing his own charge to represent an extreme of the opposite. Without any conscious effort on Kian’s part, what this does is cause the rapid formation and discharge of a powerful surge of lightning that occurs at the speed of, well, lightning. Conscious control is not needed for the lightning surge to be discharged, as this application of Lightning Release simply involves taking advantage of natural scientific principles, namely the strong attraction between oppositely charged ions. He can, of course, increase the intensity of this bolt to lethal levels, capable of killing a target.
As Kian can manipulate existing charges and generate charges, it follows logically that he can do the exact opposite. He can neutralize electrical charges by simply turning negative charges positive or vice versa, eliminating the attraction between protons and electrons that culminates in electricity or lightning. By neutralizing charges, not only can Kian interrupt a fellow Lightning Release user’s technique, preventing it from even forming, let alone damaging him, he can also disrupt natural lightning itself. It is a defensive mechanism that really showcases just how masterful the young Uchiha is with his element.
Understanding that his own mastery of Lightning Release does not exactly render him invincible against an enemy’s lightning, Kian made it a point to figure out ways to use his own skills with the element to protect himself against it. This way, he would be far less likely to get beat by his own tricks, so to speak, and he would be able to go toe to toe with other gifted masters of the Lightning Release. Some of his most effective counters against lightning include the generation of EMPs to interfere with natural and artificial (chakra-generated) magnetic fields and electric current, neutralization of charges, and so on.
Given that he can generate and control electrons, it would make sense that breaking down electrons is no large feat for Kian. Not only can he break down electrons, he can break them down into chakra, his own chakra that he can then utilize for the creation of his own lightning techniques. He can even use this lightning conversion to convert natural lightning into chakra. Making use of his exceptional chakra control, understanding of the flow of lightning, and his own internal of flow lightning-nature chakra, Kian can disrupt and then manipulate an opponent’s Lightning Release technique to redirect it as he pleases. He does this by adding electrons of his own generation or from the surrounding atmosphere into the enemy’s flow of lightning, altering the charges in order change the direction of the flow or nullify it altogether.
In summation, Kian’s usage of Lightning Release is potent in its raw strength, deadly in its refined versatility, and breathtaking in its skillfulness. He has adapted his element into numerous offensive, defensive, and supplementary uses, even creating a handful of powerful Lightning Release techniques of his own. While he is lauded for his gracefulness with a blade, the clarity of his Sharingan eyes, and the sharpness of his wit, it is his mastery over the principles of Lightning Release, and in particularly, his inherent gift at utilizing natural lightning, that truly make his name one to remember.
Genjutsu[]
As he is the only son of Seto Uchiha, Konoha’s infamous Mirage Man, one would be forgiven for expecting Kian to be just as skilled in the art of genjutsu as his father was. Growing up, Kian’s father, in preparation for passing down his techniques to his son, taught him much about the fundamentals and principles of genjutsu: their applications, the methods of using genjutsu and how they function, how to break out of genjutsu. Unfortunately, Seto would die before he had the chance to fully teach his son genjutsu, and Kian would simply gravitate towards a more physical style of combat despite his exceptional chakra control making him a natural candidate for genjutsu mastery. Even after awakening the Sharingan, Kian did not make conquering genjutsu a priority, instead opting to perfect his ability to counter it.
However, this is not to say that he doesn’t possess talent in the art of illusions, for he does. While Kian has not learned an extensive number of genjutsu, nor has he truly applied the natural talent that he has for it enough to be considered a master, he does wield the few genjutsu he has in his arsenal to impressive effect, particularly the illusory gifts of his Sharingan. The Uchiha is able to reliably snare opponents in his gaze, rendering them paralyzed or temporarily unconscious, wandering through their subconscious to extract information, removing from them the influence of previously cast genjutsu, and so on. Furthermore, he is capable of reversing any genjutsu in which he himself is ensnared back upon its original caster, as well as negating an opponent’s genjutsu entirely and layering his own upon it to completely disorient his foe and inflict mental anguish on them.
With his vast knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of both genjutsu and the Sharingan, Kian is more than capable of swiftly and thoroughly dissecting any genjutsu he is faced with and drawing conclusions as to how best to defeat it. Even other members of the Uchiha clan would be hard-pressed to trap Kian in an illusion. In fact, due to the perceptiveness and strength of his Sharingan, he has become particularly resistant to Sharingan-based genjutsu, to the point where even the powerful genjutsu master Sakushi Uchiha found himself struggling to ensnare Kian during their second confrontation. Part of this was due to the natural progression of Kian’s prowess with his Sharingan, while part of it was due to Kian having specifically trained with Minegumo for years.
Kian, in no small part, owes his almost completely illusion-proof status to Minegumo. From their Genin years on, the Uchiha has willingly served as a test subject for whatever new advanced genjutsu technique Minegumo masters or creates. Being exposed repeatedly to illusions cast by a true genjutsu genius allowed Kian to develop the fortitude, the understanding, and the poise to break out of, reverse, or negate extremely powerful genjutsu. Such is his skill at countering illusions that Minegumo himself has even stated that one of the only people alive throughout the entire shinobi world that he cannot mentally break is Kian Uchiha. Naturally, for lesser genjutsu users, even attempting to wage a battle of illusions against Kian is considered to be nearly suicidal.
Dōjutsu[]
Sharingan[]
Inheriting his clan’s legacy, Kian awakened his Sharingan during the course of a mission. At the age of ten years old, his team were dispatched to a noble forest brimming with natural energy at the direction of the Hokage. During the course of their assignment, Kian and his teammates, Minegumo and Hikari, fought shoulder to shoulder against a powerful shinobi with the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai. Holding their own admirably at first, they began to get overwhelmed, and their strange foe nearly landed a fatal blow on Kian, a blow which Minegumo intercepted. Loyalty to those he cares for and his protective nature provided the emotional trigger he needed to awaken the Sharingan, allowing his eyes to track the opponent’s movements and thus giving him the ability to suddenly keep pace against this foe and fight back much more effectively. Initially upon awakening the Sharingan, he possessed two tomoe in his left eye, and a single tomoe in his right eye. By the time he was a Chūnin candidate at the age of thirteen, Kian’s Sharingan had fully developed into the three tomoe form in both of his eyes. His overall prowess with his clan’s eyes has led to him being renowned as “Kian of the Sharingan” (写輪眼の煌, Sharingan no Kian).
From its initial awakening on, Kian has been able to awaken the dōjutsu at will, assimilating it into his fighting style. Kian’s Sharingan has been noted for its particularly clear, perceptive vision, with multiple Uchiha remarking that his “Eye of Insight” (洞察眼, Dōsatsugan) is nearly unparalleled in the clan’s history. His eyes are exceptional at tracking fast-moving objects or people, reading an opponent’s telegraphed movements even at the cellular level, and seeing the flow of chakra, down to being able to separate various layers of chakra flow. While he is more than capable of accurately reproducing an opponent’s movements and techniques via the Sharingan, Kian primarily uses its predictive abilities and visual clarity to support his naturally fast reflexes, as well as to dramatically increase his capacity for sight when moving at the high speeds that are the cornerstone of his identity as a shinobi. He uses the abilities of the “Eye of Insight” efficiently to dissect his opponent’s movements, and combined with Omoikane, initiate near-instantaneous counter attacks to ravage his opponents. His evasive capabilities are second to none, as he has the ability to not only bend time to his will but thanks to his eyes, predict incoming threats and thus react accordingly. It has been stated that due to the combination of the Sharingan and Omoikane, it is a massive feat to even be able to touch Kian in a fight. As his fighting style tends to revolve a fair amount around his Sharingan, Kian readily activates it when faced with a challenging foe, a rather speedy opponent in order to better track their movements, or when he wishes to finish a battle as quickly as he possibly can.
Kian is capable of aptly reading lips, and it is said that should he have the desire, he could be one of the most accomplished forgers in history due to the ability of his eyes to trace even the smallest details of handwriting. As part of Konoha’s ANBU Black Ops, his Sharingan was an invaluable investigative tool, capable of picking up small traces of chakra, dirt, blood, etc. If there is the slightest physical disturbance in an environment, Kian’s eyes will detect it. Ensnaring him in a trap out in the field is also extremely difficult for this reason, and he will often serve as the vanguard in travel formations on missions to scout ahead and ensure a safe path for his comrades. He is also extremely adept at detecting chakra barriers, as chakra-based disturbances to an environment register with his Sharingan, as well. Due to his skill with seeing chakra disturbances and the flow of chakra, he excels quite naturally at determining the presence of genjutsu. In fact, this ability, combined with his technical knowledge of genjutsu, means that he is incredibly hard to immerse in an illusion, and if he is immersed, he is very, very likely to simply dispel it once he catches on (rather quickly).
When it comes to the Sharingan’s other set of abilities, the “Eye of Hypnotism” (催眠眼, Saimingan), he is much less gifted. In fact, while his father was known for his incredible hypnotic capabilities via the Sharingan, being one of best illusionists in history, Kian is known throughout his clan for being rather underwhelming compared to Seto. Despite his lack of any prodigal talent with genjutsu, however, he is able to place opponents under Genjutsu: Sharingan, and his usage of the technique is actually surprisingly potent. He is able to temporarily mentally paralyze an opponent, creating an opening for himself, or render them unconscious if their willpower and mental resistance prove weak enough. Kian is able to use the Sharingan’s base genjutsu to temporarily enter another’s subconscious and to transmit information. He can also use this ability to dig through or share memories, dispel other genjutsu in a target, etc. Even the most illusory challenged Uchiha possesses basic hypnotic abilities, which he does. The power of suggestion is actually an ability he does have considerable talent with, given his analytical prowess. Using a combination of perfect mimicry, presentation of an idea (such as the use of a shared technique), and keen observational skills, Kian is able to thoroughly unsettle opponents by convincing them he is capable of divining the future with his eyes alone. He makes use of this tactic to give the opponent the feeling that he is in their heads, as well, dissecting their every thought and impulse, even knowing what they are going to say before they say it, even though the reality is they have fallen victim to the power of suggestion and are simply speaking words Kian planted in their minds.
Mangekyō Sharingan[]
Kian’s Mangekyō Sharingan pattern.
Kian awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan upon the presumed death of his older brother figure and close friend, Tatsuo Uchiha. The grief he felt was enough to trigger its unleashing, and on top of that, Kian in the moment felt intense regret for Tatsuo’s demise, having convinced himself that he could have saved him, only to be relieved when it turned out that Tatsuo had actually survived. He was well aware of the history of the Mangekyō, as well as the strain it levies on the eye; as such, he was conservative in his usage of its abilities, not wishing to lose his vision. Furthermore, Kian disliked the negative emotions that clouded his judgment when using the Mangekyō. He had a nearly adversarial relationship with the eye’s powers, respecting them but not necessarily willing to rely on them. Kian’s eyes had a distinctive four-point pattern. It has been noted that his eyes were particularly resistant to deterioration; he has theorized before that this is due to the fact that the Uchiha’s Curse of Hatred had little hold on him at the time he awakened the Mangekyō, and that other Uchiha have gone blind upon awakening the Mangekyō due not just to the toll it takes on the eyes, but their hatred. Kian’s eyes progress in power as a response to his strong sense of loyalty, feelings of love, and protectiveness. When something, or someone, that he wishes to protect is threatened, he is capable of achieving greater feats of ocular prowess. However, not bearing as much hatred as many of his ancestors have, this is the only method that has been proven to yield the result of advancing his Mangekyō abilities. No other emotion but his fierce protectiveness resonates strongly enough within him to cause the Mangekyō to respond.
Kian’s Mangekyō Sharingan grants him the ability to use Omoikane. A technique unique to his eyes alone, it allows him to enter different timestreams. His right eye allows him to enter a sped-up version of the timestream in which he exists, manipulating the perception of others around him to give Kian the appearance of unmatched speed rivaling even the Flying Thunder God Technique. The left eye, predictably, functions in an inverse manner, allowing Kian to enter into a much slower version of the timestream in which he exists to slow his perception of time to a crawl, giving him the ability to observe techniques in slow-motion and analyze them, buy extra time to dodge a potentially fatal blow, create an opening to time a counterattack against a particularly swift enemy, and so on. Both eyes combined give Kian the ability to essentially rewind time by entering a previous timestream, at the cost of an incredible amount of stamina, and his stated limit is ten minutes maximum from the second that he rewinds time. The ability of Kian’s combined eyes to rewind time is regarded as somewhat of an emergency measure, used only to protect the life of someone he cares about or to avoid imminent death. Initially, any use of Omoikane would cause his eye(s) to throb with intense, nearly debilitating pain; after obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the pain he experiences when using the technique is decreased significantly to a tolerable level. Even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, however, Omoikane continues to be a technique that requires a decent amount of chakra to utilize. As such, Kian prefers to keep his usage of the technique to as much of a minimum as he can, relying instead on the perceptive abilities of his base Sharingan and his already incredible speed, agility, and reflexes. He usually reserves Omoikane for desperate situations and for the most challenging opponents, but will occasionally give into impatience and use it to end a fight quickly if he is comfortable in his analysis of his opponent’s skills and senses no danger of drawback.
Kian’s Complete - Full Body Susanoo.
As is the case with any Uchiha that has awakened the Mangekyō in both eyes, Kian is capable of manifesting Susanoo, as well. He was capable of summoning a partial form of the ethereal warrior, as well as layering musculature and skin over its frame and even working up to a nearly full-body version, but did not manage to create its armor until he got the Eternal Mangekyō. Unlike the forms of Susanoo generated by his fellow clansmen, Kian’s Susanoo is limited in the weaponry it has at its disposal. In fact, the only weapon it has currently been shown to have in its possession is a chakra-constructed tantō: a shorter, lighter blade most useful for shallow blows dealt in rapid succession. Completely on brand for Kian, his Susanoo and its blade are formed entirely out of the Uchiha’s signature bright, golden lightning chakra. According to Sora Uzumaki, the crackling of lightning that emits from the spectral warrior created by Kian’s eyes is almost deafening. Initially, Kian was only capable of creating partial projections of Susanoo: an arm and ribcage, for example. His Susanoo progressed and became more complete as it responded to moments in which he was consumed by intense love and protectiveness. When Kian wished to fight for something dear to his heart, his Susanoo matched his determination. With the attainment of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he can create an armored, full-body, near-perfect Susanoo; upon awakening the Rinnegan, he can create the Complete - Full Body Susanoo. In its full-body form, Kian can use his lightning ninjutsu and ninkenjutsu in conjunction with Susanoo, the avatar greatly amplifying the scale of its wielder’s techniques. Anyone unlucky enough to come into physical contact with the chakra forming Kian’s Susanoo will very likely perish on the spot, the overwhelming lightning coursing through them and liquifying their organs.
Kian’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan pattern.
Kian underwent the procedure to replace his eyes with those of his deceased father, Seto Uchiha, after deciding that he would need to do so in order to defeat Sakushi. Performed by a cousin of Minegumo's, the procedure was successful and Kian recovered fully, his eyesight preserved. Acquiring the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan seemed to enhance Kian’s mastery of his eyes’ abilities, and served the added benefit of reducing the toll those abilities previously took on his chakra reserves and on his body. He went from being completely exhausted after a handful of uses of his Mangekyō to being able to use it repeatedly with no signs of tiring or strain. The transplanted eyes, of course, bear a pattern that resemble a cross between Kian’s Mangekyō and his father’s. Kian’s Eternal Mangekyō is a “straight tomoe” (直巴, Choku Tomoe) variety that enhances the fluidity of his movements when fighting.
Rinnegan[]
Kian’s Rinnegan.
After being gifted pure, undiluted Ōtsutsuki chakra, Kian awakened the Rinnegan in both of his eyes, triggered by the grief and anguish he experienced upon watching his mentor, Arata Sarutobi, die on the battlefield during the Great Shinobi Survival War. His innate control over the dōjutsu is enough to allow him to deactivate it and reactivate it at will; he can even toggle between the regular Sharingan, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and the Rinnegan. Kian’s Rinnegan is quite different in appearance to most known Rinnegan - it is a ripple of concentric circles surrounding the pupil - his Rinnegan is multicolored and exhibits shades of purple, light blue, and pink rather than just the typical light grey-purple color exhibited by his clansmen who had awakened the eye, Madara and Sasuke.
Kian’s Rinnegan is capable of accessing the Six Paths Technique, thus granting him access to the eye’s most notorious abilities. He can extract souls through the Human Path; he can mechanically alter his body via the Asura Path; he can summon creatures with the power of the Animal Path; he can call forth the King of Hell using the Naraka Path; he can absorb chakra through the Preta Path; and finally, he can manipulate forces of attraction and repulsion, courtesy of the Deva Path. Kian also has access to the abilities of the Outer Path, meaning he can use the Samara of Heavenly Life Technique. It also means that, in theory, he can create black receivers for modulating chakra to manipulate his own Six Paths of Pain. However, he considers the ability completely inhumane and unnatural, regarding it as expressly forbidden. Of the six paths and their unique skills, Kian favors the Preta Path’s powers above the others, using it to continually replenish his chakra throughout a battle, fueling his aggressive style. In large part, it is due to his mastery over the Preta Path that getting into a protracted fight with Kian is considered tantamount to begging for death.
Furthermore, on top of granting him the Six Paths Technique, Kian’s eyes bless him with other abilities, as well. His Rinnegan gives him the capability of mastering all five fundamental nature transformations, as well as the ability to master, essentially, any jutsu. Similar to the eyes of his ancestor, Sasuke, Kian’s Rinnegan also possesses keen pattern recognition skills, helping him analyze codes and the patterns they contain. With his eyes, he can decipher any writing placed in front of him.
Perhaps the most helpful, and unique, benefit that he obtains from his Rinnegan is the expansion of the timestream-manipulating abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan. With the power of the Rinnegan, Kian’s signature technique, Omoikane, evolves from small-scale manipulation of timestreams (“rewinding” time by up to ten minutes, entering a faster or slower timestream) to full-scale timestream shifting. Omoikane, when used by the Rinnegan, allows Kian to enter any existing timestream as much as he likes, within the constraints of his chakra reserves. With Omoikane’s expanded abilities, he can witness events as far back into the past as he wishes simply by being in the area in which the event occurred, and he can do the same for the future. However, he cannot physically engage with environments or people that exist outside his timestream, rendering him incapable of altering the past or the future. He can also enter a timestream that moves so slowly that time is essentially frozen. Normally, when used only with the Mangekyō, Omoikane’s ability to pull Kian into other timestreams is limited. With his right Mangekyō, Kian enters a faster timestream, and does the inverse with his left. When using the Rinnegan, he is not restricted in such a manner. He can freely enter any timestream he wishes using either eye.
Intelligence[]
A rather prominent trait of Kian’s that is frequently overlooked by those who do not know him well, most likely due to the flashy, ostentatious nature of his fighting style, is his high degree of keen intellect — his IQ is estimated to be in the 150-160 range, bolstering the claim that he is, in fact, a genius. His sheer intelligence is an indispensable asset to him, allowing him to quickly analyze situations and formulate tactics accordingly. He is a unique problem solver, a sound logician, and a skilled analyst. Kian is a methodical, tireless master of simply solving problems. He is quite adept at identifying a problem and pinpointing its root, or roots. Formulating effective solutions comes quite naturally to him, but this is and his high IQ are not the sole qualifiers for his ‘genius intellect’, of course. Kian is widely considered to have such high intelligence because of his capacity to determine the consequences of each of the solutions his brain conjures, and thus select the best out of the options he has laid out. This ability has led many to comment on his brilliance, and it has saved the lives of those who have been under his command numerous times. Logic, and thus, reason, are ever-present in Kian, and his reasoning skills measure out far above the norm. His logical nature serves him handily in a combat situation, helping him to stay calm enough to quickly comprehend and counter an opponent’s more complex techniques and maneuvers. Not only he is an excellent logical thinker, he is not strictly constrained by such a thought process, and it does not hamper his creativity in the slightest, proven best by his pursuit of artistic hobbies. Kian has the ability to think on the level of the abstract, able to understand tenets of philosophy and the subtleties of politics and diplomacy and form his own opinions and world view, independent of anyone else’s influence. He can hold his own in a debate as well as he can formulate battle tactics.
Strategy is one of Kian’s greatest skills, as he is able to formulate complex plans under intense pressure. With time and experience, he also became adept at formulating multiple backup plans, in the event that his primary plan fails. It is worth noting that his strategy formulating abilities are at their peak when he is given very little time to plan. Quick thinking and improvisation are his best assets when it comes to strategy, and few are capable of out-thinking him in the heat of battle. Given his fast-paced, aggressive battle style, his preference for observing as he goes and adapting on the fly suits him nicely, even if it results in him choosing risky, almost seemingly irresponsible approaches. While he can, of course, be the one to meticulously plan ahead of a mission or task and think through all the necessary things, such as potential dangers, which allies would be best suited to bring along, and so on, he truly shines under pressure and when thinking on his feet. Kian is, nonetheless, excellent at preparing ahead for battles and missions, able to make good determinations regarding logistics, the environment around him, his opponents’ numbers and skill level, etc. Part of what makes him such a dangerous ninja is his habit of disregarding his own safety in his strategies. If he has to take damage or accept injury in order to successfully pull off a plan, he will do so without hesitation. With his combination of knowledge regarding the shinobi arts and his own analytical skill, he is also very adept at deducing the mechanics, functions, and purposes of an enemy’s technique and deciding how best to counter it, use it against them, or otherwise neutralize it; Kian is capable of anticipating and analyzing an enemy’s strategy, as well, and is able to stay one step ahead. These particular traits make it very difficult to successfully pull off the same tactic or technique against him twice.
It was no surprise that when Kian graduated from the Academy, he did so with extremely high marks in all of his academic courses, outperforming all of his peers except for Kaiya Nara. Kian was such a bright, excellent student that he was able to effectively tutor his closest friend, Minegumo, helping Minegumo keep his grades up despite his struggles with dyslexia. He is also noted to be extremely book smart by his peers and instructors alike, and particularly talented when it comes to science and mathematics. Of all the branches of science taught at the Academy, Kian was especially fond of physics and chemistry. Through his academic courses, he exhibited a high capacity for short-term and long-term memory, easily committing material to memory even if he didn’t spend too much time reviewing it. While still a student in the Academy, Kian would grasp what was being taught quite easily and retain it, needing only to do his homework to reinforce his understanding of the material and never having to actually study for classes. He chose instead to rely on his memory and opted to focus on doing his own studying, as well as extra training with his father or, after his father’s death, on his own. Of course, his memory would come in handy for him as a shinobi, allowing him to memorize crucial information and instructions in situations where it could not be repeated and was only available to him once. Kian is a natural academic, essentially, and a very willing, self-motivated one, despite his dislike of a boring, stuffy classroom setting. Furthermore, Kian has a quiet passion for learning in his spare time, and when he is off-duty, he is primarily seen reading if he is not drawing or painting, constantly taking it upon himself to further his education and knowledge base apart from the ninja arts.
Kian is a rather swift learner, as mentioned, partially due to his intellectual brilliance, but his natural method of learning also deserves credit. It would be entirely accurate to call him a genius of audio/visual learning — particularly visual learning, in line with the greatest prodigies of the Uchiha clan. This gift, along with his commendable intellect, makes Kian very capable at grasping otherwise difficult to comprehend concepts. Perhaps the biggest testament to Kian’s auditory learning is his performance in the classroom as an Academy cadet. He managed to meander through his academics with minimal effort input, and he never once had to actually study. His teachers’ lectures were sufficient enough for him to learn; he could simply conceptualize everything being explained in the classroom based on lecture. Visual learning is perhaps the biggest asset to one through whom Uchiha blood courses. Kian is able to get a concise understanding of lofty concepts through simply observing with his eyes. The Sharingan is an intriguing component of Kian’s visual learning. It propels this innate talent to a higher level, due to the superhuman perception granted by this dōjutsu, the legacy of the Uchiha clan. The Sharingan’s ability to elevate its possessor’s eyesight to unbelievable clarity allows him to register more detail through his sense of vision, and thus it follows that the more detail Kian is able to observe, the more easily he is able to learn through his sense of sight. In battle, he applies this by quickly dissecting the mechanisms behind techniques exhibited by his enemies through observing the flow of their chakra and the hand seals that they weave; with his background knowledge, he can easily determine, for example, which element a technique is likely to be derived from just from the hand seals being weaved, even if he has not seen the specific technique before. He has noted that due to the Sharingan’s ability and his talent as a visual learner, his potential arsenal of techniques is quite extensive.
Stats[]
| Stage | Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part I | 3.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 26.5 |
| Part II | 5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 35.5 |
| Final | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 37 |
Part I[]
Prologue — Shikkotsu Forest[]
Upon graduating from the Academy, Kian is added to Team 13 under the leadership of Arata Sarutobi, his deceased father’s former teammate and best friend. Assigned to his squad is his own childhood best friend, Minegumo Kurama, and classmate Hikari Yakushi, an orphan with whom he had barely spoken during their Academy years. Kian reveals during their first meeting that his number one priority, his main goal, is to one day become the leader of the Uchiha clan. To test the skills and qualifications of his new students, Arata gives the three Konoha’s traditional bell test, but with a twist: each student and himself will be given one bell, and whichever of the three finishes with at least two bells will officially become Genin. Deciding that Hikari would be no better than a burden, Kian elects to team up against her with Minegumo, with the pair planning that one of them would take her bell, and the two of them would proceed to work together to take the bell from Arata. Failing in their attempt to take Hikari’s bell, Kian and Minegumo split up to pursue her. While the two are apart, each is subjected to a genjutsu cast by Arata that attacks their deepest insecurities, pitting them against each other and prompting them to fight when they cross each other’s paths. Kian succeeds in injuring Minegumo with the use of his clan’s Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique, while Minegumo returns the favor by activating his Kekkei Genkai and ensnaring Kian in his Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique. With Kian unable to free himself from Minegumo’s genjutsu, Hikari arrives and does so herself. Out of gratitude, Kian offers her his own bell, only for her to return it to him. Kian and Minegumo finally see through Arata’s deceptions and make up, accepting Hikari as their teammate in the process and formulating a plan with her to bring their new squad leader down. United as one, Kian, Minegumo, and Hikari put their scheme into action and begin to search for Arata.
With a combination of Kian’s skill at Fire Release and the use of explosive tags, the trio lure Arata into a trap, with Minegumo trapping him in genjutsu, faking his own demise at the hands of Kian. A battle ensues with Arata flooding the landscape, pressuring Kian, Minegumo, and Hikari effortlessly with high-level ninjutsu and taijutsu. Seeing an opportunity, Kian leaves distracting their sensei to Hikari and Minegumo, circling around behind him underwater. When the opening presents itself, Kian emerges from the water and attacks Arata with a combination of wired shuriken and Lightning Release, shocking himself in the process as an attempt to sacrifice himself to allow Hikari and Minegumo to pass. Kian and Minegumo succumb to their injuries, but when they come to, Arata explains that the point of the exercise was to foster teamwork and push each of them to overcome their own self-interest, and allows them all to pass. Later that evening, after the exam, Kian takes some time to sit at the pier and reflect on the events of the exam and its difficulty. He grapples with his guilt over having teamed up against his new teammate, Hikari, something that he recognizes that he should’ve never done and truly regrets, as well as his own shortcomings as a person. Kian decides that, to prevent himself from falling into even deeper loneliness, he will try his best to become a better person, someone that others actually appreciate being around. After a while, he is joined by Minegumo and Hikari. The trio discuss the exam, their excitement over having passed, and their respective roles in the team. Kian declares himself the ‘sword’ of the team, Minegumo the ‘arrow,’ and Hikari the ‘shield,’ a rather apt reflection of their different, unique personalities and individual skills. Having agreed to let bygones be bygones, Kian, Hikari, and Minegumo officially bury the hatchet and declare themselves not only comrades, but friends.
For their first couple of months of active duty as Genin, Kian, Hikari, and Minegumo mostly spend their time training, completing menial tasks and community in the form of D-rank missions under the supervision and guidance of Arata. On one such day, Team 13 is assigned to re-paint fences. Kian and Minegumo, feeling contemptuous of being assigned more of what they view as superfluous busywork, devise a plan to have the team’s work completed for them without them having to lift a finger. Lying in wait as Sora Uzumaki and Dan Hyūga carry out a prank on Ichiraku Ramen, Minegumo places the pair under genjutsu, with Kian and Hikari looking on. The trio take it upon themselves to relax while Dan and Sora paint fences, Kian reading a book, Minegumo working on a drawing, and Hikari sitting with them. Not long afterwards, Arata shows up with Tatsuo Uchiha and a newcomer from Kumogakure in tow. Frustrated, Arata commands Minegumo to undo the genjutsu, a command with which Minegumo complies. Immediately, Dan and Sora turn on Team 13, and an argument ensues during which Sora throws a paintbrush at Kian, accusing him of being the one to come up with the plan to make them do Team 13’s work. Dan further mocks Kian, as well his father’s alleged ‘suicide.’ Losing their tempers, Kian and Minegumo lunge at Dan, only to be forcibly restrained by Tatsuo and Arata, respectively; in the chaos, Hikari threatens Dan with a kunai knife and punches him in the face. When the dust settles, Arata introduces the unfamiliar boy as Chikara, an exchange student and new addition to their team, much to the chagrin of Minegumo, who proceeds to throw a fit. Much to Kian’s delight, Arata also announces that Team 13 has received its first C-rank mission: a trip to Shikkotsu Forest with the aim of gathering both special medicinal herbs and information on the neighboring Namekujira Village, home of powerful monks that specialize in healing.
Kian immediately heads home at the announcement of their new mission to pack, eager to make a good impression and be prepared. In his excitement, he barely sleeps that night and wakes up early the following early to a vicious thunderstorm, something he takes a foreboding omen. With his spare time, he drags himself through the storm to go and visit his father’s grave, where the grieving boy spends talking to his father, catching him up on his life, hoping that even in death, his father is watching over him. Having taken his time to go through his emotions, Kian heads to the designated meeting spot at the village gates, where he is promptly joined by Minegumo, Hikari, and Chikara. The Genin make small talk until Arata arrives, and they promptly head out on their mission. Along the way, Team 13 acquaints Chikara with some aspects of Konoha history until finally, they come upon an abandoned weapons factory. With the storm refusing to let up, Team 13 decides to seek shelter in the factory for the night. Kian and the rest of the team settle in to rest, discussing the exploits of Boruto Uzumaki and his defeat of Kara; Arata, the lone exception, takes up guard duty and watches over the factory. The next day, Team 13 arrives in the Land of Waves to catch a ferry south to their destination. Upon their arrival to the quaint island nation via the infamous Great Naruto Bridge, they take in the sights and discuss the tale of Team 7’s defeat of Zabuza Momochi, in particular the details surrounding Naruto Uzumaki tapping into the power of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox and Sasuke Uchiha awakening the Sharingan for the first time. Kian finds himself impatient, having not yet awakened the Sharingan himself, something that he is insecure about, considering the dōjutsu directly tied to his value as an Uchiha. He and his teammates commiserate together over the idea of one day becoming as powerful and legendary as the members of Team 7 themselves, an idea which motivates them.
On the ferry ride over to the continent bearing the Shikkotsu Forest, Kian sits by the window, mulling over everything that Team 13 had seen in the Land of Waves. Kian is particularly enamored by the allure of danger characteristic of ports, fascinated by the roguish nature of the place and the bright, colorful, exuberant culture. Also drawing his interest is a drug deal that he had witnessed, as well as a bar fight that he helped break up, the latter experience slightly amusing him. He is then distracted by his concern for Hikari, who experiences intense seasickness for the first time. Kian, Minegumo, and Arata quickly jump into action to help get Hikari situated, Minegumo putting her under gentle hypnosis to help her relax and fall asleep. Once Hikari is asleep, Kian and Chikara get into a conversation about each other’s clans. Kian, out of curiosity, asks Chikara to explain the history of the branch of the Hyūga clan that made its home in Kumogakure. Upon hearing the story, Kian then details, on being asked, the early history of the Uchiha. Kian explains to Chikara all about the truce between the Uchiha and the Senju that led to the foundation of Konohagakure, the clan being relegated to making up the Konoha Military Police Force, the village blaming the Uchiha for the Nine-Tails Attack, even telling him about the Uchiha Clan Downfall and the clan’s revival brought about by Sasuke Uchiha. To Kian’s surprise, Minegumo then joins the conversation and tells Chikara about his own clan, the Kurama. The conversation distracts Team 13 from the anticipation of continuing their journey until finally, Arata intervenes and orders Kian, Minegumo, and Chikara to sleep in preparation for their arrival on the continent the next morning. Without hesitation, the Genin obey their instructor and get ready for bed, brimming with excitement for the adventure that was waiting for them.
Kian and the rest of Team 13 arrive at Shikkotsu Forest. Faced with the task of finding Katsuyu, Chikara attempts to locate the aged, legendary slug with his Byakugan, only to be unsuccessful; Minegumo then uses his own sensory technique to find Katsuyu’s chakra signature. Taking this as a passive aggressive jab when coupled with snide comments from Minegumo, Chikara argues with Minegumo and then, having had enough, storms off by himself. Kian, deciding not to leave his new teammate completely on his own, goes after Chikara, whom he finds in the process of being kidnapped by a pair of unknown assailants. Using his Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to trigger Minegumo’s senses and call for backup, Kian attempts to prevent the enemy from taking Chikara, but to no avail; one of the kidnappers is able to escape with the unconscious Hyūga. The rest of the team arrives, Arata chasing after Chikara and Kian, Hikari, and Minegumo working together to fight against the remaining enemy, a possessor of the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai. Kian and his teammates put up a united front, fighting with full intensity in perfect sync, but their skills prove to be insufficient for taking down such a powerful foe. Despite their best efforts, Kian is faced with what could be a fatal blow, but Minegumo swaps places with him, taking the blow in Kian’s stead while his teammates look on, helpless. Kian, distraught and wrecked with grief over what he perceived as his best friend’s death, loses all hope and ceases to fight back. As he allows the enemy to advance upon him, Kian is snapped out of his shock by Hikari yelling to him; deciding to continue to fight in order to avenge Minegumo and protect Hikari, he kicks the man in the face, shattering his mask. Kian gets to his feet, and as he does, he realizes that he has finally, at long last, awakened his Sharingan for the first time in his newfound determination to protect his teammate.
Emboldened by the emergence of his Sharingan, Kian throws himself into the battle with the enemy dubbed as a ‘Collector’ with renewed vigor that is only further bolstered when he realizes that Minegumo is not, in fact, dead and is still alive. With his new dōjutsu, Kian finds himself able to read through the Collector’s movements and see through the weaknesses in his Crystal Release. Going on the offensive, he is able to deal some significant damage to his more powerful enemy: a cut on the torso from his sword, multiple burn wounds inflicted by Fire Release techniques, blunt force damage from taijutsu combos. During the battle, Kian, with his Sharingan, is able to notice that the Collector bears an interesting cursed seal on his shoulder and formulates the theory that the cursed seal is meant to suppress the victim’s personality, turning them into an emotionless, twisted, remorseless killing machine that is only able to focus on their objective. Eventually, despite giving his best effort and then some, sustaining multiple injuries including torn knee ligaments and a dislocated shoulder, Kian is unable to defeat the Collector or continue fighting. He passes out, but before losing consciousness, he draws his blade and threatens to ruin the Collector’s plans by committing suicide and ruining his own eyes, desperate to keep both Minegumo and Hikari safe. Despite failing to achieve an outright victory, however, Kian succeeds in buying him and his teammates enough time for Arata, who promptly dispatches the Collector via beheading, to return and rescue the trio. Kian’s limp form is carried off by one of Arata’s shadow clones to Namekujira Village, where he is healed up by the village’s leader and afforded an opportunity to rest. He awakens hours later in the leader’s home, disoriented and frustrated with his inability to defeat the Crystal Release foe that he’d gone up against. In his frustration, he reflects upon his desire to attain greater strength in order to eliminate his uncle.
Getting up and wandering his way out into the house’s garden, Kian’s anxieties are assuaged when he sees Minegumo, Hikari, and Arata sitting and eating with their hosts, conversing and safe. After sharing a hug with his teammates, Kian and the rest of Team 13 discuss Chikara’s kidnapping and make plans to heal up some more and then mount a rescue attempt, refusing to abandon Chikara to his fate. The next morning, Kian, Minegumo, and Hikari set out to explore the village, heading for the massive temple complex that it was built around. Kian and Minegumo have a run-in with the head priest, who expels them from the temple. The trio then return to Shikkotsu Forest to carry out the mission they were assigned, gathering enough herbs to meet their quota. As they work, Kian and Hikari briefly leave Minegumo to collect more jars in which to store herbs, and they discuss Kian’s father with him opening up about his suspicions that his father was killed by his uncle. Having completed their mission, the trio returns to Namekujira Village; the next day, they set out to explore the region, coming upon abandoned ruins that ignite their curiosity. Kian and his two teammates proceed to roam through the ruins, happening upon a clue regarding the village that had once stood there. Exploring further, Kian, Minegumo, and Hikari discover a cave entrance that leads to an old hydroelectric plant, populated by talking spiders. After obtaining more information from the spiders, the trio goes to leave, only to be attacked. Kian, as they flee, threads wire string through the cave interspersed with explosive tags, using his Fire Release to cause an explosion as they reach safety. The entrance to the cave collapses, cutting the spiders off from the outside world and preventing them from continuing to pursue the trio. Arata arrives, having finished scouting the enemy base that Chikara was spirited away to, collecting the Genin and returning to the village, where the team goes over their plan to rescue Chikara.
Kian and his team proceed to the enemy facility, infiltrating it and officially mounting a rescue attempt. Making their way through the compound, Kian and the rest of the team find Chikara, fresh from a victory over a handful of the facility’s security robots. After a tense moment between Kian, Minegumo, and Kian, the team sets traps and lies in wait as the Collector known as C898 closes in on them. The trap is successful, Kian able to strike the enemy with his Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique. On Arata’s orders, Kian and the other three Genin leave him to battle C858 by himself and go looking for the other Collector that Chikara had warned them was also roaming the facility. The quartet doesn’t manage to get far before a security fence separates them, leaving Kian and Hikari blocked off from Minegumo and Chikara. Deciding to find another way around to their friends, Kian and Hikari make way their way through the facility, fighting through more security robots and working their way through a laser grid with the help of Kian’s Sharingan. Eventually, Kian and Hikari come across Arata, successful in defeating C898, and the trio proceeds to make their way to Chikara and Minegumo, locked in battle with another Collector called C858, a possessor of the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai. Leaping into action, Kian and Hikari combine their skills to create an opening for Arata, who promptly takes the opportunity to attack and engage the enemy himself. The battle ends with Team 13 victorious, and as they escape the facility, Kian uses a combination of his Fire Release ninjutsu and explosive tags to blow it up, rendering it useless. With Chikara rescued and the enemy hideout destroyed, the team makes for Namekujira Village, discussing their feelings on the enemies they’d faced. The conversation results in an argument, one that causes Kian to lose his temper and punch Chikara in the stomach, indignant at the other boy’s attitude. Speeding up to get away from the rest of his team, Kian reflects on his past and his own emotions as Minegumo and Hikari hang back to talk about him and his tendency to push people away, Minegumo confessing that he wished Kian would open up to him more.
Once Team 13 reaches Namekujira Village once more, Kian’s bad mood persists; he isolates himself from their hosts and the rest of his team, emerging from his temporary bedroom only to make himself useful to their hosts, not wanting to be unhelpful. For a couple of days, this continues, until finally, Team 13 reaches the last night of their stay and prepares to journey home to Konoha. In the middle of the night, Kian leaves to wander around the village, despite a storm breaking out. He makes his way back to the temple, scaling up to the rooftop and sitting there in the rain, dwelling on memories from his time in Amegakure. In particular, he dwells on an incident in which he was attacked by a fellow street criminal, stabbed and left to die in an alleyway. Kian is not left alone with his memories and his hopelessness for long, however, as Minegumo and Hikari shortly join him, having grown concerned about his absence. Though initially frustrated by his best friend’s pushing, particularly riled up at Minegumo commenting that he didn’t need to make himself a martyr, Kian eventually opens up to them about some of his experiences in Amegakure, admitting to them that that was the root of his distance from them and his admittedly poor disposition. The trio converse for a while more, and then Kian is left to himself, staying out all night to contemplate. When morning finally comes, Kian returns to meet up with the rest of his team, pausing first to have a conversation with Hikari before proceeding to prank Minegumo by shocking him awake. In the resulting tussle between Kian and Minegumo, in which they wrestle and joke with one another, Hikari teases them by pointing out, in a roundabout way, their obvious attraction to each other, leaving Kian stunned. He proceeds to collect his things and meet up with Arata and their hosts, who, once everyone is all together, walk them to the village gates and see them off. Team 13 leaves to return home to Konoha, having successfully finished their first C-rank mission, one that had very quickly become more than they had initially bargained for.
Temple of Masks Arc[]
Upon returning to Konoha, following Team 13’s mission to Shikkotsu Forest, Kian spends a couple of days recuperating, training, and keeping mostly to himself. Walking through the Uchiha District, Kian reflects not only on his weakness in comparison to the enemies they’d faced on their mission, but also on his father and the state of the Uchiha clan, for which he blames his nefarious uncle, the very thought of whom makes him angry. He manages his frustration as he watches his clansmen snub him on his way back to his house, his determination to one day take leadership of the clan from his uncle renewed. Kian makes his way through to his garden, sitting and contemplating the willingness he’d had to die for his teammates, processing how much he truly cares for them. In a moment of dissociation, Kian catches sight of his own reflection and sees not himself staring back at him, but his father. Spooked, he retreats inside and busies himself with reading, only to be interrupted hours later by his teammates showing up at his door. Kian suggests, after Minegumo insists that it is a night for team building, that the trio have dinner at Ramen Ichiraku. They make their way to the restaurant, where Kian slips up and mentions Amegakure again. Kian is sent into an anxiety attack, completely shutting down and freezing up as he thinks of the village that had kidnapped him. While Minegumo and Hikari attempt to figure out what is wrong with Kian, the other patrons of the restaurant begin to stare at them, making Kian feel extremely embarrassed even after Minegumo is able to help snap him out of his meltdown. At that point, Arata joins them, informing each of them that he has arranged extra training session for each of them to help develop their skills. Kian finds out that he will be learning from Takuya Hatake, another old friend of his father’s. As the trio finish their meals, Arata leaves them in peace, paying their bill as a treat for their performance during the Shikkotsu Forest mission.
Seven months pass, and Kian joins his teammates as they all head for the Third Training Ground at Arata’s request under the pretext of meeting the members of Team 11 for a join training exercise. As they arrive, the trio are pelted with paint-filled water balloons, courtesy of a trap rigged by Sora Uzumaki, who is joined by Dan Hyūga as he laughs at the members of Team 13, much to the chagrin of their remaining teammate Shusei Inuzuka. In the middle of the ensuing chaos, Arata and Takuya both arrive, Arata taking the opportunity to use Water Release to wash the paint off of his students. In his irritation, Dan makes an insulting comment about Arata, to which Kian quickly takes exception and instigates a fight, punching Dan in the face. Despite the attempts of Minegumo, Sora, and Hikari to mitigate the impending confrontation, an enraged Kian attacks Dan with a combination of projectile weapons laced with wire strings and Fire Release, baiting Dan into deflecting the weapons into the water. In his anger, Kian uses Lightning Release: Thunderbolt to send electricity running down the wires and into the water, which rapidly conducts the electricity and electrifies the entirety of the water’s surface without regard for friend or foe. While Hikari, Sora, and Shusei are all able to mostly escape the electricity’s wrath, Minegumo requires rescuing by Dan, who takes the full brunt of the attack to deflect harm from Minegumo. In the aftermath, Kian is scolded harshly by Arata who threatens to have him reassigned to another team and then assaulted by Sora, whom he allows to hit him with no resistance, completely consumed by guilt. Watching on as Team 11 rallies around Dan, Minegumo also rushing to his side, Kian listens on as his best friend and crush fawns over Dan and Arata and Takuya express their disappointment in him. Overwhelmed, he flees the scene in tears, convinced that everyone he cares about hates him for what he’d done.
Hours later after the botched attempt at a joint training session, Kian decides to go looking for Minegumo, desperate to talk to him and wanting to apologize for his actions. As he searches, his insecurities taunt him and pour salt in his wounds, so that when he eventually finds Minegumo, he is already feeling insecure and vulnerable. Discovering that Minegumo is with Dan and Sora, Kian hides on a rooftop directly above the trio to wait for an opportunity to speak to Minegumo alone. Listening to them talk, hearing the things that are said about him, Kian grows progressively more upset until he eventually leaves, feeling unable to face Minegumo. He instead goes to look for Hikari, who he finds sitting at the pier, watching the sun set. Despite some mutual apprehension, Kian joins her, apologizing profusely and mentioning his desire to leave Konoha behind, feeling that both of his teammates would be better off without him. Kian and Hikari have a true heart-to-heart conversation in which he confides in her his deepest secret about what had happened to him in Amegakure, and she in turn reassures him that she doesn’t hate him. Kian then returns home, Hikari at his side, having agreed to let her stay the night with him in the Uchiha District. When they awaken the next morning, they eat a very quiet, subdued breakfast together and then busy themselves running errands before finally heading to Minegumo’s house. Upon arrival, they are greeted by Minegumo’s mother, Akigumo. To Kian’s surprise, Akigumo hugs him and comforts him instead of getting angry with him, even allowing him and Hikari to visit with Minegumo. After a tearful conversation in which both boys vent their feelings and discuss Kian’s wrongdoing, Kian and his best friend make up and agree to move past the incident, reaffirming their friendship and leaving Kian feeling overwhelming relief at his friends’ continued support and care.
Part II[]
Creation and Conception[]
As he is the representation of my love for the Uchiha clan, when I created Kian, I didn’t shy away from embracing the personality traits that the most important members of the clan shared: relentless determination, a cool intellect, and a dark side that must be constantly fought. He was very much inspired by the Uchiha that came before him: Sasuke, Itachi, Shisui, Obito, etc. Not Madara, though. I despise Madara. A large part of his origin story was actually inspired by a drunken viewing of the Lion King. Yes, child Kian is essentially child Simba. Yes, Seto is the Mufasa of the story. Yes, that makes Sakushi Scar. Deal with it (this is the part where the shades magically appear on my face to make me look cooler than I am). He is meant to be one of the protagonists of the massive alternate universe project, Naruto: Kōseiden, that Arthur and I have committed to developing and writing long-term. That said, while he is a protagonist, he is not meant to be the protagonist. Kian is meant to be human, a fundamentally good, but deeply flawed person that people can relate to, not some perfect, sunshiny hero nor some twisted, dark villain. I’ve always seen him as more of a shades-of-gray character, a borderline antihero with a moral compass who wants desperately to be a good man but isn’t always sure how to do that, but like most people who truly care about being decent, he eventually finds his way.
Speaking of Arthur, I feel the need to give him a huge shout-out. Kian would not be the character he is without Arthur putting up with talking through my endless headcanons, offering his own input and insights into the character, and most importantly, loving him despite him being a filthy Uchiha. Many thanks to Arthur for his assistance in shaping what is probably my favorite character that I have created. I also would be remiss if I neglected to appreciate the impact that his characters Minegumo and Hikari have on the development of Kian’s character. For many reasons, they both contribute to making him a better, more grounded person and an overall more interesting, likable, and relatable character. A lot of effort has gone into developing Kian within the context of his team, so the relationships he has with his teammates are vital.
I’m not the type to pontificate too much about how deep my writing is or talk about my profound thoughts surrounding the characters I create. I’ll keep those thoughts and feelings to myself unless you wish to talk to me about it one-on-one, but understand this: if you want to look for the depth behind Kian’s character, it’s there. He can represent for you as a reader whatever you want him to represent, but if you pay close attention, you’ll discern exactly what he represents for me, the author, beyond ’haha Uchiha swag’ and ’zappy boi go brrrr’, though admittedly, if those things are what you get out of him, then same. Uchiha swag, zappy boi go brrr. Forever.
Trivia[]
- Kian means ‘shine’.
- According to the databook(s):
- Kian’s hobbies are training, painting/drawing, and reading.
- Kian wishes to fight against one of the greatest Uchiha in history, his own father, Seto Uchiha.
- Kian’s favorite food is either different types of katsukarē or various preparations of fried rice mixed with meat and/or vegetables. He doesn’t have a particular least favorite.
- Kian has completed 43 official missions in total: 12 D-rank, 6 C-rank, 10 B-rank, 7 A-rank, 8 S-rank.
- Kian’s favorite word is “unbelievable” (嘘のよう, usonoyō).
- Kian is ambidextrous and cross-dominant, tending to favor his left, dominant hand for writing and wielding his sword, whilst favoring his right hand for punching, throwing projectiles, and using Chidori.
Quotes[]
- (To Minegumo and Hikari) “It’s more than that. The fan of the Uchiha is a symbol of the role we're meant to play in this village. We’re meant to be the ones who tend the flames of the Will of Fire, never letting it die down or go out. Part of the Will of Fire is protecting your comrades with your life. What I’m saying is…as your friend and comrade, I swear to both of you upon the honor of the crest on my back that I will protect you, no matter what, even at the cost of my life.”