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"I'll carve my name into your skin... " |
 Kinudorei Kumoyuri
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Shichi Shizuken (茨値 眥柔菅, "Seven Quiet-Sword") is a kunoichi and Special Jonin of Konohagakure, as well as a naturalized member of the Kinudorei Jorōgumo clan. Unlike most Jonin, she excels in certain areas of the shinobi arts, but lacks the well-roundness of a normal Jonin; she might not be the best choice for every mission. Specifically, Shichi specializes in kenjutsu and paralysis techniques, however, she's most infamous for her Kinudorei Spider Senjutsu.
Listen to Shichi's theme while reading.
Personality[]
During her childhood, Shichi was a soft-spoken girl of few words; people usually had a difficult time hearing her, so she sometimes went unnoticed. In the present day, she's more talkative than she was during her childhood, however she's never been the most outgoing person and doesn't care for small-talk. She's still incredibly soft-spoken, although people can at least hear and understand her now; her words—calm and almost whisper-like—are delicate and soothing.
At first glance, Shichi appears to possess a meek, perhaps feeble, unassertive demeanor, however cognitively speaking, this couldn't be further from the truth. Despite her pleasant, dainty voice, Shichi is not shy at all and her words are sometimes compared to the thorns of a briar-bush. While she's most certainly not an out-going person, and absolutely more on the reserved side, she isn't afraid to voice her concerns, or to speak her mind. In fact, her cynical nature often finds her at odds with those whom she disagrees with. As a result, she might not be the easiest person to talk to, but she speaks as and when she sees fit.
If there's one thing Shichi's friends know about her, it's that she's likely one of the most manipulative and deceitful people they've ever met. She's typically seen as cold and condescending, yet sometimes also respectful and compassionate. This is likely due to her two-faced nature and one can never really be sure of her true intentions. Only those closest to her know what she's thinking and usually, it isn't good. Her patronizing attitude has landed her in trouble far too many times, and she has a strong tendency to talk down to others. She finds little excuse not to tool others, so long as she benefits in the end, and she's more than willing to throw away her pawns once their usefulness has expired; pulling strings is a specialty of hers. She's incredibly toxic to be around and doesn't care much for the feelings and well-being of others. She rarely ever passes up an opportunity to exploit the vulnerabilities of those around and any "help" she provides usually depends on what benefits her the most—what she gains. Not only is she a seemingly narcissistic egomaniac, but she's also stubborn and unforgiving. Within Konoha, she's universally considered to be a "total bitch."
Unsurprisingly, Shichi is quite selfish and self-centered; she prioritizes her own survival during missions, she's usually quite full of herself, and she also doesn't have much in terms of loyalty to her comrades or her village. Combined with her ties to the Silk Forest of Submission, it's no wonder why many in the Leaf do not fully trust Shichi.
Despite her toxic, supercilious nature, Shichi is oddly well-mannered. She doesn't speak out of turn, she usually keeps her composure most of the time, and the way she simply presents herself is actually quite refined. She's very disciplined in maintaining perfect posture, walking light and gracefully, and handling things with care. When she's seated on a chair, she crosses her legs to preserve her modesty, and when sitting on the floor, she remains in seiza position, reverse-tailor position, or side-saddled. Interestingly, her apparent politeness helps her in swaying the hearts of those around her. Rather than being turned off by her interrupting someone else, they actually tend to take her side, because the way she presents herself is usually better than the person she's trying to undermine.
When out on missions, the darkest parts of Shichi's personality begin to surface. Concerning her enemies, she takes no second chances. If she has been assigned a person to kill, then that person must die. There is no time for petty misunderstandings, talking problems out, or charity-work; she's seen too many good shinobi die, because they let their kind feelings cloud their judgment. Unfortunately, but deservedly-so, Shichi is seen as a merciless killer. Had The Foundation continued on after Danzo Shimura's death, Shichi would likely have been asked to join their ranks.
It's not that Shichi loves killing, or adventure, or even the thrill of a mission. In fact, she's rather indifferent towards loss of human life (which is still quite worrisome in its own regard). She simply can't afford to take chances. In her eyes, the world of ninja is built on deceit, lies, and manipulation, and if she is distracted, or loses focus for even a moment, then her adversaries will seize any opportunity to betray her (like her parents betrayed her). This is likely the reason why she herself acts in accordance to these principles: If she isn't the one getting ahead, she's the one falling behind. If she's the one who's fallen behind, she'll be the one who's left for dead. If she hesitates before a kill, or defies the orders given to her, it could very easily turn the situation into a life-threatening one.
While not considered an "intellectual genius," Shichi is still a very intelligent and capable young woman, possessing an above-average IQ and critical thinking skills. In particular, she's always been very creative with regards to how she must overcome obstacles that stand in her way. Thinking outside the box feels second nature to her and that is where her intelligence truly shows. It comes in handy not only during combat, but when she's also manipulating people. Personally, she believes that any obstacle can be overcome if it is met with creativity and fortitude. Ironically, fortitude is something she lacks when she's not feeling confident in her abilities.
Interestingly, when faced with death, Shichi proves to be quite the coward. She clearly displays her fear and desperation through facial expressions, voice changes (tone), trembling, sobbing, pleading, and begging for mercy. This is a huge change from her normal, high-and-mighty self. She often exhibits these behaviors when faced with death, pain, torture, embarrassment, or when she has been captured or defeated in battle. As she values her own life far more than her associates, she's quick to backstab and struggles with resisting the urge to sell out her comrades for her own survival. However, when all is said and done, if given the slightest window of opportunity, she won't hesitate to kill her opponent.
Shichi is infamously known for having no qualms about using her visual appeal and body on missions to gain information, seduce and poison targets, or to bribe her way out of tricky situations involving an opponent she cannot defeat. Whether it be a casual flirt, or an act of a more intimate and venereal nature, she won't let a powerful tool like the human body go unused. Outside of missions, she uses all the tools at her disposal to get what she wants. Many see her as nothing more than kunoichi scum, or a girl who plays around too much.
During sage transformation, Shichi's personality changes drastically. She evolves into that of a sadomasochist, and she begins to derive immense pleasure from the suffering of others, as well as herself. She becomes maniacal and incredibly prone to violence. She also becomes gleeful in the most sadistic sense of the word. She starts giggling and her body movements also reflect her personality change. The Kinudorei sage chakra gives her a passionate bloodlust and an insatiable desire to kill.
Intimately, Shichi is attracted to both men and women. If her partner is a man, she'd want him to be more dominant and be able to rein her in if she takes things too far, or loses her cool in public. She likes men who respect her combat skills, surpass her intelligence, and treat her like a lady. If her partner is a woman, she'd want her to be feminine and submissive like herself, yet a bit more controlling of her and able to punish her; a secret to most, Shichi is a slight masochist and being degraded or humiliated is a quick way to send her spiraling into heat. Ordinarily, while Shichi only looks out for herself, when it comes to those she truly cares for, she treats them as if they were more important to her than her own life. Those are the people she'd never sell out—never betray. They are the only exceptions and they are few in number.
In the whole world, there is one person above all that Shichi prizes most: Her jorōgumo mistress, the Silk Thread Empress, Manjushage. Even more than her lovers, Shichi worships Manjushage as the one she lusts after most strongly. To Shichi, Manjushage is the ideal—the very personification of perfection. To her, Manjushage is the most important person in her life; there is no individual more talented, beautiful, or as cunning as Manjushage. She loves Manjushage with all her heart, and yearns for her mistress' love and affection. Willing to do anything for her mistress, Shichi goes through great lengths to fulfill Manjushage's desires, serving as the spider Queen's servant and pawn. In doing so, she casts aside her loyalty to Konoha and the shinobi world.
Appearance[]
At 5'1", and weighing around 92.75 pounds, Shichi Shizuken is a girl of decently short statue, skinny physique, and fine features. A woman of delicate constitution, her lack of strength and physical frailty is quite apparent; she doesn't strike anyone as the kind of girl who resorts to overcoming her obstacles with sheer strength and raw power. If anything, her slender and dainty appearance conveys an impression of speed and dexterity. Such an assumption would be correct, as Shichi is quite the quick and agile kunoichi.
With a smooth, pale complexion, Shichi's milky-white, porcelain skin is soft and delicate; after acquiring spider senjutsu, her skin is cool to the touch, as if she were somehow ectothermic (cold-blooded). It has a certain lack of life, as if Shichi didn't get enough sunlight and stayed indoors too much. It glows beautifully in the moonlight, melting together with the soft, nocturnal rays, but come dawn and her skin, though beautiful, once again seems oddly devoid of vitality; some mock her for appearing "goth-like."
Similar to that of the notorious Uchiha's Sharingan, or that of the Yuhi clan's red-ringed eyes, Shichi's own eyes are characterized by that same infamous, crimson color. However, while some might mistake her for being an Uchiha at first, upon closer inspection they'll see that's not the case. To those who fear Shichi, her eyes remind them of blood and, considering her association with the spiders of the Silk Forest of Submission, they are considered to be those of a demon. Her eyes are condescending, but carry a tinge of blood-lust; such assumptions might be baseless, but that is the energy they give people.
Complimenting her crimson-red eyes, Shichi's black hair is another reason why she is often mistaken for an Uchiha. Her navel-length hair, which is silky smooth and well taken care of, is usually worn either loose, or in a twice-folded ponytail wrapped with her iconic red ribbon (this is her most common hairstyle). In all of her hairstyles, her bangs frame her face and she has a middle-parting which exposes a bit of her forehead.
Shichi's outfit is unique in that it's mostly made from Kinudorei Jorōgumo spider silk, which is incredibly light and durable; it has both the elasticity and strength of spider silk. Able to produce the spider silk needed through use of her senjutsu, she gives the materials needed to her local seamstress who sews her custom-ordered clothes. Shichi actually has several duplicates of her outfit waiting at home in her wardrobe. Notably, her color palette mirrors that of her eyes and hair, as well as her black-widow theme: black with crimson trim.
Her apparel consists of a revealing top that comes together near her bosom and exposes a fair amount of her back and midriff. The fabric loops behind her neck to hold the top up. Her ninja headband is wrapped around the outfit near her lower ribs and is actually sewn to the clothes itself; tying the headband's ends behind her back secures the whole outfit and prevents everything from moving around too much. Attached to the headband on either side of the knot are two slots for tiny, red, finger-sized scrolls. Located behind her back under the headband knot, but above her waistline is her trademark, crimson-colored, black-widow symbol. Below the symbol, the top splits off again, revealing the contour of her spine and bare upper waist.
Moving downwards, Shichi sports a short, but flexible skirt that reveals her legs; a few support bandages can be seen wrapping around the left side of her waist. On her upper right thigh, Shichi has a strap equipped with senbon and on her lower left leg, she wears a utility pouch which also sheathes a small Tantō. She often wears revealing, slightly heeled sandals on her feet although it's not too uncommon to see her in simple "flip-flop" sandals. On her left arm, Shichi wears a long finger-less glove that extends past the elbow; her being left-handed, this is the same hand she wields her sword with.
With regards to her primary weapon, Shichi carries her special chokutō (a single-edged straight sword) usually on her back or behind her waist. This chokutō, however, is no ordinary sword. Shichi used her skills in fuinjutsu to place a chakra absorption seal on the blade, so whenever it cuts, she replenishes her chakra reserves. Additionally, the blade stores chakra and because the chakra itself is still and unmoving, it can be converted into sage chakra and be consumed by Shichi in order for her to enter Spider Sage Mode (Rather than needing to use shadow clones or sit still). It should be noted that the particular sword sometimes changes. While most of the time it's a chokutō, sometimes it's a shikomizue, a katana, a ninjatō, or even a tang dao; regardless of which it is, the hand guard is usually quite small, minimalist, or flat-out non-existent.
When Shichi was poisoned and first given Manjushage's Juinjutsu, the curse mark appeared on the left side of her neck as a small, black widow symbol with two crimson-red tails. After surviving and learning how to control it, the curse mark relocated to her lower abdomen, taking on a black-crimson, more uterus-shaped design. This curse mark is concealed by Shichi's waist bandages. If she's not wearing her bandages, the mark is visible.
While in sage mode, Shichi undergoes a few transformations. Her hair becomes more course and rough and her ribbon usually comes undone. The whites of her eyes turn black and her red eyes become more constricted and sharp. Additionally, black and crimson-colored eyeliner appears around both eyes. Her also cheeks flush full of color, a sign of the vitality of the nature energy. With regards to her teeth, her upper canines also become pointier and sharper. The effects of the spider senjutsu isn't just physical though, and consequently, Shichi's personality becomes a bit more sadistic and irritable. If she's wearing her sandals, she'll usually kick them off or unbuckled them in order to expose her bare feet to surfaces. This allows her to stand on and run up walls without consuming chakra or needing to control it at the base of her feet. Additionally, she can now easily feel vibrations and chakra tremors in the ground, thus effectively granting her sensory type abilities.
Abilities[]
With regards to her abilities as a kunoichi, Shichi specializes in using Kenjutsu to strike down her adversaries, preferring close to medium distance engagements. In addition to kenjutsu, she's also proficient in Genjutsu, capable of Fūinjutsu, and endowed with the infamous Kinudorei Jorōgumo (Woman-Spider) iteration of Spider Senjutsu.
Unique Traits[]
Born with a naturally weak constitution, Shichi was very prone to sickness during her youth, often missing academy class or needing to turn down mission opportunities as a result of her ill health. Considering her body's poor durability, she's quite fragile, and thus, very susceptible to hard-hitting attack styles such as Strong Fist taijutsu. Unable to take a hit and lacking in physical strength, it's essential that Shichi relies on her superior speed and dexterity.
In addition to physical weakness, Shichi is also impaired by her severe lack of chakra and low stamina. Her base chakra reserves are so incredibly minuscule that she's unable to perform most ninjutsu, despite her rigorous training. Due to her weak constitution, her low stamina makes it difficult for her to participate in longer, more drawn out battles. As a result, Shichi uses her chakra sparingly and tries to end duels as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to avoid fatigue. She's also adapted her fighting style to accommodate for her inability to perform elemental ninjutsu.
Despite Shichi's unfortunate weaknesses, she has a natural aptitude for chakra control, allowing her to make the most of what little chakra she does have. Her chakra control skills are often compared to those of a gifted Medical-nin, however, she unfortunately lacks the chakra pool to actually perform Medical Ninjutsu. Still, her ability to expertly control her chakra allows her to use certain techniques she otherwise would be incapable of, usually in the form of Supplementary Genjutsu.
Bukijutsu[]
In order to compensate for her inability to perform most ninjutsu and strength-demanding taijutsu, Shichi focused most of her time and effort in honing her skills in the weapon arts. As a result, she is incredibly proficient in Kenjutsu, Tantōjutsu, and techniques involving Wire Strings. Kenjutsu in particular, is her specialty.
Kenjutsu[]
From a young age, Shichi had always excelled in the use of swords, quickly outpacing her peers in learning kenjutsu. However, it wasn't until she found her mistress, Manjushage, that she adopted the Kinudorei's signature blade form: Silk-Slave Sword Style. An offensive style of kenjutsu that prioritizes speed and dexterity over strength and raw power, the Silk-Slave Sword Style is a very acrobatic and nimble style of kenjutsu that focuses on stabbing and piercing, as well as slashing and cutting—it's not a strength-based style, and thus, not suited for hacking, or cleaving through dense objects.
Using the Silk-Slave Sword Style to her advantage, Shichi can often be seen dodging and evading incoming attacks in addition to parrying with her sword; she incorporates many different types of flips, kicks, spins, twirls, jumps, and rolls into the mix. Considering the nature and origin of this kenjutsu style, and its tendency to make use of an agreeable terrain, forests are the ideal locations for combat. Additionally, while Shichi primarily duels with a slightly-shorter-than-average, single-bladed sword (alternating between two-handed and one-handed fighting), she also uses dual-wielding extensively. When dual-wielding, she holds her Tantō in her offhand. It should be noted that Shichi is left-handed, and therefore, her offhand is her right hand.
Having mastered all four of the Silk-Slave Sword Style's techniques, Shichi is regarded as the Silk Forest of Submission's most talented kenjutsu specialist. Of the four, Spider-Lily is Shichi's signature move. Using the Body Flicker Technique many times in rapid succession, she makes a series of quick, consecutive dashes towards an opponent, slashing them once with each pass. After each pass, she ricochets off a nearby wall or surface, slashing her opponent again and again, repeating this process. Arguably her most devastating technique, she can wipe out a whole group of enemies within a few moments.
Another one of Shichi's techniques, Lascivious Laceration is a lethal spinning strike that targets a designated part of the body. Usually used to maim or debilitate an opponent, Shichi typically aims this particular attack at her opponents' muscles and tendons: Attacks usually come from above or below. The speed of this technique is noted to be significant, and the spinning motion painfully sears away flesh.
Shichi's third kenjutsu technique, Silk-Slave Slice is a quick and precise cut that has the potential to deal massive damage and slice through most objects. By coating her blade in a sizable amount of Kinudorei Sage Chakra for a brief moment, Shichi substantially increases the durability of her blade, as well as its sharpness. This enables her to slice through objects she ordinary would have no means of cutting through.
Shichi's fourth and final technique from the Silk-Slave Sword Style, Meteor Shower is a devastating technique that uses Flash and Circumlunar Slash. With this technique, Shichi leaps high into the air and quickly performs Flash three consecutive times, sending three quick discs of chakra hurling towards her target. On the third usage of Flash, she spins around, as she would while performing the Lascivious Laceration technique. Coming out of that spin, she unleashes a powerful Circumlunar Slash directed at her target; this sends a large, powerful disc of chakra at the enemy. Soon after, the young kunoichi lands on the ground. The three quick Flashes followed by the final Circumlunar Slash barrages the enemy with four lethal chakra discs in quick succession.
In addition to her Silk-Slave Sword Style techniques, as well as Flash and Circumlunar Slash, Shichi is also capable of performing Chakra Shockwave Slash: A technique that—through a slash from her sword—produces a chakra shockwave that cuts in all directions around her. Finally, Shichi sometimes thrusts the hilt of her sword into her opponents' bodies; this is typically used as a counterattack, or surprise attack.
Tantōjutsu[]
Aside from her sword, Shichi also carries a Tantō which she uses to perform Tantōjutsu. With just her Tantō alone, she's a proficient fighter, capable of holding her own against opponents with weapons possessing far greater reach. She's typically very acrobatic in her use of Tantōjutsu, preferring to remain mobile and unpredictable. It's not uncommon for Shichi to resort to using her Tantō in situations where there is little room to move; seeing as how a sword might be too long, her Tantō makes for an excellent close-quarters alternative.
While she can use her Tantō by itself, it's not uncommon for Shichi to equip it in her offhand when dual-wielding. With the shorter Tantō blade in her off-hand, and the sword's longer blade in her dominant hand, there is less risk for each blade getting caught on one another. Dual-wielding with her Tantō opens up a lot of different offensive and defensive opportunities, although it comes at the cost of weapon control and maneuverability.
Shurikenjutsu[]
Like most kunoichi, Shichi is capable of Shurikenjutsu, although she's slightly more adept than most shinobi. Because shurikenjutsu doesn't require chakra in order to perform, she's devoted time into learning certain, more complicated techniques in order to enhance her combat performance. Preferring to use Senbon and Wire Strings, her shurikenjutsu style focuses on precision hits targeting vitals, as well as immobilization.
One of the most basic shurikenjutsu techniques, the Manipulated Shuriken Technique allows Shichi to alter the path of a thrown shuriken, allowing her to glide it in any direction with simple movements from her arms, wrists, and fingertips. The shuriken—being connected with wire strings—don't require chakra in order to manipulate.
The bigger sister technique to the Manipulated Shuriken Technique, Manipulated Shuriken Wire Binding is one of Shichi's more often used shurikenjutsu. Using Shuriken with wire strings attached, the young kunoichi can set a trap for her opponents, binding them in wire strings with just the smallest trigger. It's a good technique for nonlethal immobilization of her opponents, follow-up attacks, and best of all, requires very little chakra.
Shichi's most common wire strings technique is Ninja Art: Spider Web, in which she fashions a web of wire strings to ensnare and entangle her opponents. On certain occasions, she's be known to flow her chakra into the wire strings in order to increase their sharpness, although she typically avoids doing so for the sake of chakra conservation. Instead, she makes a decisive kill with her sword, taking advantage of her opponent's inability to move.
Taijutsu[]
Due to Shichi's naturally weak body and her lack of physical strength, Taijutsu has always been one of her weak areas. While not necessarily weak to taijutsu users—considering that she's armed with a bladed weapon—it's unwise for her to willingly engage in taijutsu exchanges; during combat she needs to do everything she can to avoid letting a taijutsu-proficient opponent close the gap between them.
Shichi's own style of taijutsu mostly consists of acrobatic movements focused on dodging, evading, and outright avoiding hand-to-hand combat. Although she has inferior strength and durability, her superior speed keeps her nimble and light on her toes. When forced to rely on taijutsu, Shichi proves to be a dexterous and aerial fighter, performing airborne spins and kicks almost exclusively. Her legs help to keep her opponents at greater distance, and are far stronger than her arms; they also mix well with her acrobatic and quick movement style. The heels of her sandals are noted to be quite painful when they make contact.
Ninjutsu[]
Due to her low chakra reserves, Shichi is incapable of performing most Ninjutsu. However, her excellent chakra control enables her to make use of certain Genjutsu—particularly those of a supplementary nature. Additionally, she's also capable of occasionally using Fūinjutsu, although such techniques tend to drain most of her chakra upon use.
Genjutsu[]
Like many shinobi capable of performing genjutsu, Shichi is able to influence her enemies by distorting their sense of direction, manifesting illusory surroundings, and forcing them to witness horrifying mental images. However, she has also developed her own supplementary genjutsu: False Armament allows her to fabricate an intangible weapon of illusion; the goal of this technique is to appear armed and dangerous when she otherwise might not be.
Trained in genjutsu by the Kinudorei from the Silk Forest of Submission, Shichi learned a few other additional techniques. These three techniques became a staple of her fighting style, and she often incorporates them into her kenjutsu routine.
The first of the three genjutsu Shichi learned from the Kinudorei, the Spider Lily Pacification Technique conjures a sizable quantity of red spider lilies which sway gently in a soothing breeze, encouraging the victim to observe their beauty. If the victim looks at the spider lilies, they'll feel a compulsion to continue looking at them as a sudden feeling of calmness begins to take over. It pacifies them, draining their will to resist and diminishing their desire to fight or argue, making them more compliant to Shichi's demands and much easier to persuade. Even if the victim become aware that they are trapped in the genjutsu, they will be discouraged from breaking themselves free as a result of the overwhelming feeling of peace they are experiencing. The longer the victim continues to look at the spider lilies, the stronger the effects of the genjutsu will grow. It should be noted that, not only is this technique good for combat, but also for interrogation and other out-of-combat uses.
The second of the three genjutsu, Spider Thread Binding is a technique where Shichi manifests and controls illusory spider-silk threads in order to bind her opponent or manipulate their movement. The victim will be chased and attacked by the silk threads and, if caught, they'll be tied up in the silk and immobilized. However, breaking the genjutsu will result in the threads "being cut" and disappearing, releasing the victim from the paralysis.
The third and final genjutsu Shichi learned from the Kinudorei, the Helpless Maiden Technique conjures a "damsel in distress" scenario. Upon becoming caught in Shichi's genjutsu, the victim will see (or sometimes only hear) a woman who has landed herself in trouble. The illusory woman, usually Shichi herself (unless she decides to depict someone else), is typically found bound and gagged (or in some predicament) by the victim. The victim can touch, feel, see, and hear the "helpless maiden". Additionally, the illusory damsel can also move, speak, and act as any normal person would. This technique is a useful distraction tool, as well as a way of fooling an opponent into thinking Shichi has somehow been captured, defeated, or fallen for a trap.
In addition to being able to perform illusion-based techniques, Shichi is also able to counter most genjutsu by disrupting her chakra flow. Her natural aptitude for chakra control makes genjutsu disruption come easily to her, however, she is not immune to all forms of genjutsu. Certain techniques are difficult to break, or can be completely inescapable. For such techniques, Shichi is just as vulnerable as anyone else.
Fūinjutsu[]
Skilled in Fūinjutsu, Shichi is able to use the Enclosing and Unsealing techniques, allowing her to store objects in scrolls, paper slips, and other objects. She personally has two seals located under her outfit top, each of which contains a spare sword in the event she needs a backup. Additionally, behind her back and attached to her headband, are four, finger-sized scrolls which can be removed from their slots and used to unseal other items. The leftmost scroll contains wire strings and Rope, the left-middle one stores senbon and shuriken; the right-middle scroll contains vials of Poison, and the rightmost scroll stores Smoke Bombs.
One of the most important components of Shichi's fighting style—if not the most important—is her Chakra Draining Seal. Because of her incredibly poor chakra reserves, Shichi places a chakra draining seal on each of her swords, as well as her tantō. When she makes a cut—even if it's just a scratch—her sword drains the chakra of her foes, storing that chakra within the weapon itself. Shichi can then absorb that chakra from her sword, thereby replenishing her own reserves, allowing her to continue fighting and cast jutsu. If she chooses to instead, let a certain amount of that stored chakra distill for a short period of time, she can later absorb it in the form of Spider Senjutsu.
Invented by Shichi herself, Grounded Chain Paralysis is a chakra-taxing fūinjutsu which allows her to spring chakra paralysis chains up from a circular seal, binding her intended target. The seal can be placed on any relatively-flat surface that she can see and the chains will pursue their target up to 15 meters. The chains will bind her opponent, physically restricting them, but also sealing their chakra, rendering them unable to use ninjutsu.
An ability that requires senjutsu in order to use, Sage Art: Binding Silk Paralysis allows Shichi to seal her opponents away after capturing them with her spider silk.
Finally, Shichi learned the Evil Sealing Method from the legendary Jorōgumo, Manjushage. This fūinjutsu allows Shichi to suppress cursed seals. It's a difficult technique to perform, but she has been known to pull it off during times of need. However, it usually drains most of her chakra.
Senjutsu[]
When Shichi first attempted to use the Summoning Technique, she was summoned to the Silk Forest of Submission where she was captured and nearly killed by Manjushage, the Silk Thread Empress. After being poisoned and given Manjushage's Juinjutsu, Shichi managed to survive and overcome Manjushage's cursed seal, granting her Kinudorei status and the ability to harness the power of the Kinudorei branch of Spider Sage Mode.
With the power of Kinudorei Spider Sage Mode at her disposal, Shichi found herself possessing far greater potential than ever before. By distilling chakra in her sword, she could allow it to develop into senjutsu which she could absorb, thus replenishing her chakra reserves, and granting her temporary access to Kinudorei Spider Sage Mode abilities.
When Shichi enters spider sage mode, she's granted increased movement speed and dexterity; she'll seem lighter, more acrobatic, can jump much higher, and leap greater distances. She also moves much quieter, even at top speed.
If barefoot, Shichi will be able to walk, climb, or crawl up walls, trees, and other vertical surfaces without the need to use chakra, or control it at her feet. She'll also be able to feel both chakra and sound tremors in the ground, thereby classifying her as a Sensor Type. This allows her to locate things within a fairly large radius. It's great for tracking, anticipating surprise attacks, and fighting in the dark.
In addition to feeling tremors in the ground, Shichi will also be able to smell her target's blood from a short distance and can distinguish a person's elemental chakra affinity based on the scent—another useful sensor type ability. It should be noted that entering spider sage mode can cause her chakra control to grow unstable, although years of training have reduced this negative effect.
With the spider senjutsu chakra coursing through her, or simply being stored in her sword, Shichi can release said chakra and cover her blade with it, increasing it's sharpness and durability. This is seen in her Silk-Slave Slice technique. She can also hurl this potent, yet volatile, chakra in the form of chakra discs. This is seen in her use of Flash, Circumlunar Slash, and Meteor Shower (which incorporates the two prior jutsu).
The most common and most versatile spider senjutsu ability at Shichi's disposal, the Sage Art: Binding Silk Technique is a special technique that allows her to produce real spider silk threads from her hands, feet, mouth, knees, elbows, and lower back. The silk is incredibly strong, very sticky, and can be used to incapacitate targets, or lay silk thread traps. It can also be used to grapple, move, and reach objects. Additionally, it's incredibly difficult to cut and—if woven thin enough—can be quite difficult to see as well. It's weak against Fire Release ninjutsu that can burn away the threads, as well as ninjutsu sharp enough to cut through them. The jutsu, while often used as a simple mobility tool, is very effective at quickly tying up a target or wrapping up their body like a mummy, similar to the Spider Cocoon technique. It can stagger, restrict, immobilize, or even asphyxiate (suffocate) a target. One of Shichi's execution strategies is to bind a target in her spider silk, and then slide her sword in-between a gap in the silk.
Derived from the Binding Silk Technique, the Sage Art: Web Clone Technique allows Shichi to create tangible clones of herself made from her spider silk thread. The webbing is quite flexible, so the clones will not dissipate as easily as a normal clone. There have been instances where swords have been broken from hitting web clones to hard. Because the clones are made of spider silk, they are durable, and can repair themselves when injured, being able to stitch themselves back together. If a clone is close enough to an opponent, the webs can ensnare them and can even grab hold of a their weapons, limbs, and tools.
Finally, Sage Art: Binding Silk Paralysis is likely Shichi's most valuable technique, at least when considering her for a mission. Using her spider silk, she can bind her target; if she succeeds in completely mummifying them, then they will be sealed within the spider silk. This senjutsu technique is a fūinjutsu that works almost exactly like Sunagakure's Cloth Binding Technique, except that it uses spider silk as its medium instead of cloth.
General Skills[]
As one of the most basic ninjutsu that shinobi can learn, Shichi is very much capable of performing the Transformation Technique to change her appearance into that of another person or object. She doesn't use this technique too often, but this technique has come in handy in one or more occasions.
Another technique that Shichi uses, the Body Replacement Technique, has saved her life on more than a dozen accounts. After weaving the required handsigns, she swaps her body out with another object the instant the next attack hits her. A symbol of her ties to the Silk Forest of Submission, she prefers to swap herself out with either a whirlwind of red spider lilies, or a few sticky silk threads. This not only confuses her opponent, but the lilies don't actually stop the incoming attack's momentum and thus, a taijutsu attack may overextend and leave the attacker open to Shichi's counterattack. Likewise, the silk thread might cause an opponent or their weapon to become stuck.
Due to her low chakra reserves, Shichi is unable to perform the Shadow Clone Technique or any of it's elemental counterparts, however, she is capable of still performing the basic Clone Technique, which allows her to manifest intangible clones. The only alternative to this jutsu she has is her senjutsu web clone technique.
Like most shinobi, Shichi can use the Body Flicker Technique. She's a expert user of this technique, and is fast enough to create intangible afterimages of herself. These afterimages tend to confuse her opponents, allowing to gain the upper hand.
Similar to other skilled kunoichi, Shichi is capable of performing the Summoning Technique, although the size of the creature she can summon is severely limited due to her inadequate chakra reserves. However, her summon is quite small, and thus doesn't drain nearly as much chakra. Interestingly, Shichi's summon is a Jorōgumo (Woman-Spider) by the name of Shibara. Shibara, being a Jorōgumo, can take the form of a half-human/half-spider monster, or can shapeshift into a petite, human girl. She's capable of performing Spider Senjutsu, as well as medical ninjutsu; she is also proficient in the use of poison.
Assassination and nimble movement being one of her specialties, Shichi is a highly capable practitioner of Silent Killing, especially when she has undergone spider sage transformation. She moves soundlessly, remaining undetected, and targeting the vitals of her victim, killing them before they even realize they are dead.
Like many Kinudorei, Shichi is notorious for her Killing Intent. When she slips into spider sage mode, her blood-lust goes wild, and it can cause her enemies to witness horrifying images of themselves being slain by her. Even without spider sage mode, the cold-stare, serious face Shichi, can induce feelings of dread. Her focus on the mission at hand and unwillingness to talk or compromise makes her will to kill that much stronger.
Teamwork[]
Shichi has always struggled in the area of teamwork. She usually works solo, or with Shibara; anyone else either doesn't get along with her, or has incompatible abilities that would just get in the way. She also doesn't want herself to attack her allies when using spider sage mode, so keeping them out of the picture is usually best. However, over the years, Shichi has become much better at controlling her blood-lust while using Kinudorei chakra.
With regards to what Shichi does well concerning teamwork, she is an excellent tracker, and scouter, as well as a valuable paralysis expert. Her ability to immobilize, capture, or seal away targets is incredibly useful in the context of certain missions. Additionally, she has very good combat skills and can dish out alot of damage within a short time frame.
With regards to what Shichi does poorly concerning teamwork, she tends to be quite rude towards her comrades, and lacks physical durability, as well as stamina. However, if a more tanky shinobi is a member of the strike team, that shinobi can take some of the heat off of her, allowing her to avoid injury.
Statistics[]
| Databook | Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Kenjutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stats | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 28 |
Background[]
Origins[]
The last surviving members of an infamous Samurai clan from the Land of Iron, Shichi's parent's were on the run in fear for their lives; nowhere was safe. Not wishing their newborn daughter to share the same fate as them and their entire clan, they decided to leave Shichi in the care of a Konohagakure children's orphanage. During her time at the orphanage, Shichi was nicknamed "Uchiha" due to her crimson-red eyes which the civilians mistook for the Sharingan. When she came of age, she was enrolled in the ninja academy.
On her first day of class, Shichi, who's nickname had been legally voided due to the fact that she was not an Uchiha, was seated in seat number seven. Her instructor and fellow classmates didn't know what to call her, and so for the time being nicknamed her "Nana" (which means "seven"). One day during the first week of class, one of the boys in the class teased her for her gloomy and deathly appearance; jet-black hair, crimson-red eyes, and almost-sickly pale skin. He called her "Shichi", meaning "seven", except there was a play on words: "Shi" also means "death", and "Shichi" literally means "Place of Death". However, Shichi, not understanding the joke, took a liking to the name, as she found it phonetically pleasing. As a result, the name stuck.
Not long after Shichi had selected a name for herself (still not understanding what it meant), her classmates and instructors would soon notice how soft-spoken and quiet she was: While not necessarily shy, she didn't speak all too much. She excelled in her academics and received high marks, particularly in mathematics. During ninja training, her classmates and instructors noticed how well she used a bokken and they took interest in her apparent love for kenjutsu. As a result of her behavior, the nickname "Shizuken" started floating around; a mixture between "shizuka" for "quiet", and "ken" for "sword." It wasn't long after the creation of her nickname that academy instructors officially used it as her surname.
During her time at the academy, Shichi honed her kenjutsu skills and focused on her strengths instead of her weaknesses. She realized that, while she wasn't all that strong, she was quite fast and could end duels quickly if she kept her wits about her. She also began to notice that, unlike most of her classmates, she couldn't keep up with them in terms of stamina or endurance; whenever she had to run laps in the field or participate in a duel, she knew it was best for her to finish quickly before she became too fatigued. Additionally, during basic ninjutsu training, Shichi's instructors noted that she had abnormally low chakra reserves and, therefore, would be severely limited in the number of jutsu she could perform; the magnitude of her jutsu would likely be significantly less as well. One instructor even lent her a book to read on chakra control in the hopes that she could make the most of the little chakra she had.
For the remainder of her time at the academy, while other children would play with their friends or family, Shichi would practice her kenjutsu and chakra control skills, becoming able to fine-tune them to a point of such efficiency that her instructors considered her true chakra reserves to be almost that of her peers, so long as they were within the realm of smaller jutsu. She'd also dedicate hours a week simply to watching Genin and other shinobi train in the Konohagakure training grounds. There, she learned many things through simple observation and her own mimicry of others' skills and styles.
Without a proper parental figure in her life, Shichi was left without much guidance on how to treat others. Needing to fend for herself in what she saw as an unequal and cruel world, she adopted selfish and manipulative tendencies. Through observation, she learned what people of a variety of different ages, statuses, backgrounds wanted to hear, and began exploiting such things in order to get what she wanted. Rising to near top of her academy class, she commanded a feeling of fear and respect from her classmates. Although she wasn't as strong or as gifted as them, she was cunning and efficient, and used these traits to her advantage.
At the age of 9, Shichi was killed during Pain's Assault on Konoha. She was one of the few academy student's who failed to escape to shelter in time and was caught by the Preta Path. She was raised off the ground by her neck and strangled as she was interrogated, before eventually dying from asphyxiation. After Pain was defeated, Shichi was revived alongside all the other villagers killed during the assault. As a result of this traumatizing event, she frequently has nightmares where she relives that harrowing experience.
Genin[]
Graduating from the Ninja Academy at the early age of 10, Shichi was assigned to a three-man squad comprising of her, two other genin, and a special jonin instructor. Having shared the same classroom as her new teammates, Shichi was happy when she learned that she'd been grouped with Yua Sumire and Yui Sumire. Both Yua and Yui, who were identical twin sisters, rivaled Shichi during their academy days; the three were always somewhere near the top of their class academically, and Yua specifically had actually been elected the class representative. Additionally, both Yua and Yui were skilled ninja tool specialists, something they both had in common with Shichi.
Day one of learning who her new partners were, Shichi already realized that one of the reasons that all three them had been assigned to the same team was due to the fact that they all possessed skill and considerable potential in the weapon arts; while other teams would be comprised on mostly ninjutsu, taijutsu, and occasionally genjutsu users, their team would exclusively consist of weapon specialists. In other words, their team was not well-rounded at all—it was highly specialized. To further illustrate this fact, their sensei, Jun Fujita, revealed herself to be a former member of the Anbu Black Ops.
Like her new subordinates, Jun was also a weapons specialist; particularly, she specialized in the use of her Double-Bladed Naginata. A half-Hyuga, she possessed the Byakugan and used it in conjunction with her naginata; unlike most Hyuga Clan members, Jun wasn't gifted in the Gentle Fist art, nor did she have access to the main family's secret techniques. It was for these reasons that she chose to specialize in the weapon arts, combining her skill with a blade with her visual prowess. Her particular skill-set, as well as the circumstances surrounding her abilities, made her the ideal kunoichi to operate as Shichi's team's sensei. As a unit, they would be known as Team Ito.
Under Fujita sensei, Shichi and her teammates were instructed in the weapon arts, receiving advanced education in ninja-tool usage and human anatomy. Not only was emphasis placed on their martial abilities, but they were also taught to work as a team. Since they were objectively weak, they needed to work well together in order to be effective on missions. However, while Yui and Yua were excellent at teamwork, Shichi struggled with it. She tended to be quite rude towards her comrades, and wasn't afraid to use them as pawns to further her own goals. While Fujita sensei tried her best to teach her beloved student to be more compassionate, there was only so much she could do. Nevertheless, Team Ito did improve substantially, with each kunoichi figuring out their own approach to combat, and adopting their signature fighting style.
With two extra years to focus on training, by the time the rest of her academy class graduated, Shichi was able to compete with them on a more-even playing field. After a single year being a member of Team Ito, Shichi took the chunin exams with her teammates. All three girls managed to pass the written exam without the use of cheating, but failed the second exam mid-way through. A year later, at the age of 12, Shichi and her comrades once again took the chunin exams, but during the preliminaries, lost to some of their old classmates, who had just graduated and become genin. Despite their losses, the girls pushed through and tried yet again a few months later, however they were each defeated in the final exam and were denied their promotion to chunin. Finally, at the age of 13, Shichi took the exams yet again with her teammates. While Yui and Yua each made it to the final round and were forced to fight one another (in a duel that ended in a draw), Shichi herself was defeated via incapacitation in the semifinals by Yui. However, all three girls were subsequently promoted to the rank of chunin.
Chunin[]
As a chunin, Shichi continued to go on missions with Team Ito, although she was now permitted to take on missions independently. During this time, she surpassed both Yui and Yua's individual abilities, becoming the most proficient kunoichi of the bunch. However, combined, the whole of the twins was greater than the sum of their own parts; together, they could easily defeat Shichi. Despite this, Fujita sensei was still able to defeat all three of her pupils at once during sparing, although it was getting trickier to do so.
While a chunin, Shichi expanded on her reservoir of abilities, dabbling into Genjutsu and even elementary-level Fūinjutsu. She, of course, continued to hone and improve her kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu skills, becoming quite proficient in the use of Wire Strings. While she had sometimes taken on the role of scouter and tracker during her days as a genin, she was now far better at these skills and liked to set up wire string traps for her opponents.
One of the most important developments for Shichi during her time as a chunin, was her first kill. The genin of Team Ito never had to kill someone before, that is, until they became chunin and started taking on more serious missions. As Shichi and the rest of her team began delivering satisfactory results, they were sent on more and more missions that involved plenty of fighting. It wasn't long until Shichi was being assigned a regular stream of assassination missions.
Aside for missions that focused on killing, Shichi was also sent on many espionage missions. While she wasn't gifted with the best intelligence-gathering ninjutsu, there was one thing she did possess that few other kunoichi shared in common with her: Unlike her peers, she wasn't afraid to use her sexuality as a tool. This willingness enabled her to take on missions of a different nature, and to excel at them.
The Silk Forest of Submission[]
At some point towards the end of her time as a chunin, Shichi performed her first Summoning Technique, upon which she was teleported to a strange land in a faraway place. Appearing in a deathly forest of grey-colored wood, blood-red leaves, and spider silk, Shichi was soon captured by a Jorōgumo (Woman-Spider) by the name of Manjushage. Manjushage was the leader and Empress of her Kinudorei, her faction of Jorōgumo-extremeist renegades.
After losing the quick battle in a fight for her life against the spider Queen, Shichi was biten and poisioned by Manjushage, before being completely bound and immobilized in spider silk. However, the poison of Manjushage was special, as it resulted in a certain curse mark being bestowed around Shichi's bite mark. Essentially, if her body rejected the poison, she would melt into a consumable liquid and would serve as food for the great Manjushage. However, her body was miraculously able to survive the poision, and so the curse mark disappeared from the original bite mark, reappearing in a uterus-shaped form on her lower abdomen. As a result of the curse marks assimilation, Shichi's chakra was completely sealed, although she now possessed the innate ability to use senjutsu.
Unlike many individuals who survived the poison and achieved assimilation with Manjushage's curse mark, Shichi's body was able to control the power of the curse mark; those who couldn't were taken as personal slaves by Jorōgumo or imprisoned in The Farms, a terrible place where women were to live the rest of their days as nothing more than human cattle: Unable to use chakra, these women would have no means of defying their mistresses. However, unlike most women, Shichi burst out of her spider-silk cocoon, imbued with the full, untamed power of Kinudorei Spider Senjutsu. Once again, she engaged Manjushage in combat, but was ultimately defeated with little difficulty.
When Shichi woke up, she could barely remember the events that transpired after she'd been first poisioned; it all seemed like a fever dream. Greeting her was Manjushage and her daughter Shibara, who explained to her that she had passed the rite of passage, and was now considered a naturalized member of the Kinudorei clan. Essentially, women who survived the poison, overcame the chakra seal of the curse mark, and showed the ability to wield Kinudorei Senjutsu, were considered near-equal to Kinudorei Jorogumo and were given an opportunity to essentially join the family.
Unsure of what to make of her situation, Shichi struggled to come to terms with the ethics of Manjushage and her Kinudorei. However, after talking with Manjushage and Shibara for an extended period of time, she slowly became fully indoctinated in the spider witch's philosophy. Like Manjushage, Shichi began to see men as inferior to women and utterly redundant. She learned to believe that Jorōgumo were superior to humans, and that the enslavement of non-Jorōgumo in service to Jorōgumo was not only acceptable, but the natural order of things. She saw her meeting the Kinudorei as an awakening, and vowed her unwavering loyalty to Manjushage. She adopted Manjushage's politics, agreeing her mistress' adjoining of communist and fascist philosophies. By the end of her indoctrination, Shichi realized that she truly loved Manjushage more than any other being alive: If there was one person she'd give her life for—throw away everything else for—it was Manjushage.
Shichi worshipped Manjushage as the ultimate idol of her affection. She only saught her mistress' love and gratitude. She wanted to be the one her mistress loved. Shichi's life became centered around her desire of Manjushage; she had fallen so far in love with her mistress that she'd do anything for the great spider queen. She also developed feelings for Shibara who, for the most part, had been the one mentoring her in the use of Kinudori Senjutsu. As it turned out, the feelings were mutual, and the two girls began an unlikely romance that would blossom into a relationship of deep intamacy. However, Shichi still harbored her greatest feelings for Manjushage, and lusted after her mistress unequivically.
After an indoctrination process that spanned the course of several months, as well as the Kinudorei senjutsu training she recieved, Shichi was prepared to return to Konoha at long last, although she'd be returning a much different woman than she was from before. Her powers were far greater than they were when she had last been seen, and she as a person was incredibly different. Additionally, she carried in her heart direct orders from Manjushage: Infiltrate Konohagakure's HQ and retrieve information on the Five Great Nations. Manjushage had a plan in the works, and Shich was the perfect pawn. After making a summoning contract with Shibara, Shichi secured the young Jorōgumo as her person summon. However, unwilling to be parted from one another, Shichi and Shibara both travelled back to Konohagakure together.
Special Jonin[]
Shortly after turning 17, Shichi was promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin. Shibara had also been accepted as a citizen of Konohagakure and had achieved the rank of chunin. The skills of both women had increased dramatically since their first meeting. Shichi had become adept at using her Kinudori Senjutsu in combat, and had completely mastered her skills in Kenjutsu, developing her own fighting style that would reflect her status as Kinudori. Shibara, on the other hand, was naturally gifted in Kinudori Senjutsu, but continued her medical ninjutsu studies as a Konohagakure shinobi; she became an expert in poisons.
Although Shichi and Shibara swore their loyalty to Konohagakure, they continued to work for Manjushage, furthering the Thread Empress' goals. Additionally, while they're actions proved otherwise, many in the village were suspicious of the circumstances surrounding Shibara, although the truth of Manjushage's existence was never revealed. As a conseqience, few in the village trusted Shichi and Shibara, although the villagers eventually warmed up to Shibara (they still didn't like Shichi due to her personality).
When reporting to Manjushage, Shichi eagerly awaited her rewards, which were gifts of romance and sexual gratifications. However, when Shichi failed in her missions, or displeased her mistress, she was punished—something Manjushage knew Shichi also enjoyed (depending on the punishment). These punishments served as motivation for Shichi to succeed and only deepened her affection for her mistress. When Shichi failed miserably and genuinely angered Manjushage, she was sentenced to a short term in the farms, or temporarily demoted to the rank of slave to the Kinudorei.
Trivia[]
- Shichi Shizuken is roughly translated to "Seven Quietsword" with Shichi meaning "Seven" and Shizu coming from Shizuka to mean quiet. Ken means sword. Her friends thought of nicknaming her "Shi-chan", but decided to opt for "Chi-chan" as "Shi" literally means "death."
- It's likely that Shichi struggles with fear and cowardice due to her living alone and lack of proper parenting or socialization hen she was younger.
- Shichi strives to be the deadliest kenjutsu master while she serves as a kunoichi.
- It is rumored that her parents were renegades from the land of iron and that Shichi is the heiress of an extinct Samurai Clan.
- Shichi's favorite things to do are: reading, studying, honing her kenjutsu skills, shibari activities, and taking cold baths in the river on moonlit nights.
- Shichi is surprisingly a very intimate and venereal person and likes to make time for herself or her significant others.
- Shichi has always been physically attracted to both girls and boys, and does not find any preference in a monogamous or polygamic relationship.
- Shichi wishes to get married and (hopefully) start a family (adoption/Orochimaru is an option) after she finishes her work as an active kunoichi. She also wants to create a clan of Kenjutsu Specialists within konohagakure.
- Shichi is in a polygamic relationship with Shibara and her teammate Saki Shiroshinku. All three live together on a nice, secluded property they bought together with their combined funds. It's a traditional Japanese styled complex.
- Shichi's favorite foods are pork buns and pomegranate juice. Her least favorite food is brussel sprouts.
Reference[]
- Female Body Template:[1]
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- Shichi Representation Character: Kaguya Shinomiya.