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| − | Yoshitsune is shinobi who often employs clones into his battles as he fights. The primary way Yoshitsune produces clones is through the widespread [[Shadow Clone Technique]], one of the most versatile techniques that exists within the world of shinobi. As a testament to his talent with the technique and for how long he has been using it, Yoshitsune is noted to have first learned the Shadow Clone Technique while he was in the {{nw|Iwagakure}} Academy. With this technique, Yoshitsune can create solid copies of himself with his {{nw|chakra}} evenly distributed between himself and all his clones. These clones can think and act independently from the original Yoshitsune, but as they are clones of him, of course, they act towards his objective as a common goal. While known for using a few clones often, Yoshitsune has been known to create many clones at once and has been seen projecting up to a hundred clones at once. However, in higher numbers such as this, Yoshitsune and his clones seem to be unable to access his {{nw|Dust Release}} {{nw|kekkei tōta}}. While shadow clones cannot normally be detected by mean of {{nw|dōjutsu}}, such as the [[Sharingan]] or the [[Byakugan]], Yoshitsune has gone the extra mile to perfect his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique as to fool even a great master of these dōjutsu, giving him a way to distract them as he launches a powerful attack |
+ | Yoshitsune is shinobi who often employs clones into his battles as he fights. The primary way Yoshitsune produces clones is through the widespread [[Shadow Clone Technique]], one of the most versatile techniques that exists within the world of shinobi. As a testament to his talent with the technique and for how long he has been using it, Yoshitsune is noted to have first learned the Shadow Clone Technique while he was in the {{nw|Iwagakure}} Academy. With this technique, Yoshitsune can create solid copies of himself with his {{nw|chakra}} evenly distributed between himself and all his clones. These clones can think and act independently from the original Yoshitsune, but as they are clones of him, of course, they act towards his objective as a common goal. While known for using a few clones often, Yoshitsune has been known to create many clones at once and has been seen projecting up to a hundred clones at once. However, in higher numbers such as this, Yoshitsune and his clones seem to be unable to access his {{nw|Dust Release}} {{nw|kekkei tōta}}. While shadow clones cannot normally be detected by mean of {{nw|dōjutsu}}, such as the [[Sharingan]] or the [[Byakugan]], Yoshitsune has gone the extra mile to perfect his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique as to fool even a great master of these dōjutsu, giving him a way to distract them as he launches a powerful attack. |
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| + | Yoshitsune often employs shadow clones in the creation of a very large, powerful version of the [[Earth Release: Golem Technique]], as to make it as fast as possible, and to continue combat as well so the golem can be created uninterrupted. Also, by using his highly efficient [[Dustless Bewildering Cover]], Yoshitsune can turn himself and his clones perfectly invisible and be able to mask his chakra signature with it and become as if he doesn't even exist. Yoshitsune's goal with this was to create a method of battle tactics similar to the mighty [[Limbo: Border Jail]] used by {{nw|Madara Uchiha}}. While his shadow clones could of course be dispersed by anyone should they strike them, it is simply challenging to land a hit on something perfectly camouflaged. Further, Yoshitsune can produce multiple clones, at least four along with himself, and stream all five basic {{nw|Nature Transformation|nature transformations}}. This can be done is several formations to attack his opponents, such as in a straight line as a walled attack, in a circle for a centralized attack, or from various heights and angles by attacking while [[Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique|flying]]. His shadow clones can also assist him in the usage of his [[Fire Release: Nine Tails of the Fox Technique]], as to make the control of all nine columns of fire easier. While his clones are strong, as to make them harder to destroy, Yoshitsune can increase their durability and density with the [[Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique]], making the clones last far longer than normal. |
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Yoshitsune can also merge his shadow clones with {{nw|Lightning Release|lightning}} chakra to create the [[Lightning Release: Shadow Clone Technique]]. It can work and act as a normal shadow clone; however, it will burst into a storm of lightning when injured to electrocute those nearby. As a result of this, Yoshitsune does not regain the chakra of this type of clone, making him consider the usage of these elemental clones more strategically than regular shadow clones. Yoshitsune has noted he uses them more often in water-rich areas, as to take advantage of the conductive nature of water for an attack with a larger radius of damage. |
Yoshitsune can also merge his shadow clones with {{nw|Lightning Release|lightning}} chakra to create the [[Lightning Release: Shadow Clone Technique]]. It can work and act as a normal shadow clone; however, it will burst into a storm of lightning when injured to electrocute those nearby. As a result of this, Yoshitsune does not regain the chakra of this type of clone, making him consider the usage of these elemental clones more strategically than regular shadow clones. Yoshitsune has noted he uses them more often in water-rich areas, as to take advantage of the conductive nature of water for an attack with a larger radius of damage. |
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Revision as of 15:24, 29 September 2021
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This article, Yoshitsune, is property of EmperorKamui. |
| This article is part of the Naruto Fanon Hall of Fame, in recognition to its stellar quality, detail, and creativity. |
Yoshitsune (義経, Yoshitsune) is a powerful shinobi of Iwagakure and was one of its most celebrated and premier jōnin, before his promotion to being the Tsuchikage. Being of Iwagakure, Yoshitsune was born lucky to be connected the bloodline of Mū, the Second Tsuchikage. However, Yoshitsune also bears the blood of the Senju clan due to a brief period of infighting within the clan during the founding of Konohagakure. Due to the miracle of these bloodlines crossing within his body, Yoshitsune possesses great abilities associated with both, owing to his great power and abilities on many accounts. Though he is still loyal to his home village of Iwagakure and is officially aligned with it, Yoshitsune took to wandering around the world to learn more of what it has to offer and to offer his services to those in need to maintain peace in the world of shinobi. This has given him a large presence in the shinobi nations and garnered him respect around the world.
Due to his distant relation to Mū, Yoshitsune was blessed with a skill more advanced than that of a kekkei genkai, as his blood contained the infamous kekkei tōta of the great and powerful Dust Release. As a result of the Senju blood coursing within him, Yoshitsune possesses an incredible life source, amazing reserves of chakra, and a powerful body. Yoshitsune also credits the Senju for his ability to access all five of the basic nature transformations, as the Senju are renowned for their connection to nature and have produced prime shinobi were able to achieve this feat. As a result, Yoshitsune is able to make stronger usage of Dust Release for longer periods of time than the likes of his predecessors in Mū and Ōnoki, as he has the chakra reserves to maintain it. Later in life, Yoshitsune would become a powerful sage by accessing the power of Sage Mode. This is a result of Yoshitsune stumbling across the Ryūchi Cave, during his travels across the world. Having proven himself worthy and powerful to the White Snake Sage, the serpent injected him with its venom. After many painful hours, Yoshitsune stood tall against the snake, having survived the venom. As a result, the serpents of the cave accepted Yoshitsune and trained him in the art of senjutsu. This would further awaken a powerful healing ability hidden deep within Yoshitsune's being.
Throughout the shinobi world, many have joked that Yoshitsune has as many talents as the number of petals of the blossoms on a cherry blossom tree, earning him the moniker of Thousand Cherry Blossoms (千本桜, Senbonzakura). Yoshitsune would eventually set out into the world as to not only give the world peace, brought also bring justice to those who disrupted the peace. As a result, Yoshitsune is generally accepted within the Five Great Shinobi Countries as a figure who will not bring harm to the villages. Further, due to his great power, defending of peace, and his willingness to kill for it, Yoshitsune became known to many as the Fierce Deity (鬼神, Kishin). In terms of his abilities themselves, Yoshitsune has become known as the Great Sage (大山, Daisen) for his mastery of Sage Mode, being able to access the form in mere seconds due to his grasp on controlling natural energy. Yoshitsune has also been called the Persistent Phoenix (執拗火の鳥, Shitsuyō Hinotori) for his strong, unwavering spirit and his powerful healing abilities. Finally, the title that Yoshitsune is most proud of is that of Yoshitsune of the Dust Release (塵遁の義土, Jinton no Yoshitsune), which denotes him for his high skill and mastery of the powerful kekkei tōta. More importantly, this honorable title was bestowed on Yoshitsune for having created multiple new Dust Release techniques and taking it away from the common Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique that the combined nature transformation was really known for, recreating it into a far more dynamic skill than it ever was before with its previous masters in Mū and Ōnoki. For his skill, power, personality, and charisma, many of Iwagakure have called for Yoshitsune to pick up the post of Tsuchikage one day, to which Yoshitsune is unsure of his ability to maintain, though he says he is open to it. This would eventually come to pass, with Yoshitsune becoming the Fifth Tsuchikage (五代目土影, Godaime Tsuchikage).
Background
Prelude to Birth
The Warring States Period was a long and painful time for many of the elder clans of shinobi. Many men, women, and children died during the course of this conflict. At the very forefront of the conflict were that of the Senju and Uchiha clans. As the most ancient clans of shinobi to walk the planet, their blood feud ran the deepest. That is, of course, until the truce between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, which ended much of their clans’ conflict, the conflict of the period, and led to the founding of Konohagakure. During this process, the village attempted to enter into alliances with other villages. One such instance was Madara attempting to force Iwagakure to become Konoha’s ally. However, in reality, this was a mission to subjugate Iwa to the rival village as a mere tool for Konoha. This would mark a hatred of the Uchiha clan and of Konoha within Iwa for many generations.
Sometime later, Madara began to fear for the fate of the Uchiha clan, fearing that they would be subjugated and, perhaps, exterminated under Tobirama Senju’s bias against the clan. While he was looked down on for attempting to gather the Uchiha to lead a coup and eventually entered into a self-exile, his fears were not unfounded. At least a few members called for the extermination of the Uchiha, fearing them from the Warring States Period and that Madara’s sentiments would eventually echo within them. Tobirama, even in his bias against the Uchiha, was not willing to exterminate the clan, as he felt they had a place and a purpose within the village due to his brother’s sentiments and the Konoha Military Police Force. As to quell the fears of the Uchiha that these sentiments would grow, the small band of war hawk Senju were exiled from the village.
While the scattering of the small band of Senju resulted in the deaths of a few due to rogue ninja, at least one member made his way to Iwagakure. Appealing to their hatred of Madara for his earlier attempt to subjugate the village, he was granted asylum within the village. Eventually, as he grew within the village and earn the people’s respect, he married into the family of the Second Tsuchikage, Mū. This would eventually attract a few more of the surviving wayward Senju, who would join the village as well as they began to settle down to avoid the harshness of the world outside the great shinobi villages. From this union of powerful bloodlines, Yoshitsune would eventually be born after multiple generations. While the power and abilities of this lineage would be passed down to Yoshitsune, he thankfully did not inherit his bloodthirsty biases.
Early Life
Despite not inheriting the hatred of his war hawk Senju ancestors, even as a newborn, doctors within Iwagakure examined the infant and deemed him to have a greater deal of chakra than that of the other infants within the hospital, and that his body was strong and healthy. This is like a result of his Senju heritage bering strong within his body, which would set high expectations for Yoshitsune’s much sooner than that of other parents. However, Yoshitsune’s parents never pushed the boy harder than he could actually work and loved him a great deal. This would mold Yoshitsune for his future as a strong, yet man.
Yoshitsune would grow up as a happy toddler and later child. He was cared for and treated well by his parents, as well as by the rest of the village due to his lineage connecting him to the great Mū. This was further supported by his Senju heritage, making him all the stronger as a result. Yoshitsune didn't allow his famous lineage to cloud his world view or turn him into an egotistical person, as he knew it would earn him nothing but hatred from the people of the village and that several had become legendarily strong without family lineages to help them along the way.
Around the house and with their neighbors, Yoshitsune was known to be a good, helpful boy with adults and a good sport in games with children, being fair and not cheating. He was also known for taking it easy with kids who were younger than him amongst parents and older siblings, making him fairly popular among the village. He is known to have enjoyed the game of hide-and-seek. Like any average child though, Yoshitsune looked up to and loved his parents. He held a strong desire to be like them as he grew up more and more, and strive to be a ninja, a shinobi, much like his father and mother. This was to do for them and the village what they did for him, protect and care for him. While his parents supported this dream, they were sure to tell him the hardships and struggles related to becoming a shinobi. Unwavered by this, Yoshitsune would be enrolled into Iwagakure's ninja academy.
Iwagakure Academy
While in the academy, Yoshitsune’s talent, skill, and overall brilliance was uncovered. The boy skyrocketed and became one of the best students in class, showing good skill in every area of being a shinobi as he was raised up. This quickly got Yoshitsune heralded as a prodigy among his peers, which pushed some away from him as they grew jealous of the boy. He excelled in most of the subjects, showing a special fondness for the history of Iwagakure and the shinobi world as a whole. However, Yoshitsune remained popular overall among his peers as a student and worked towards his goal.
During his time in the academy, many of his teachers attributed his talents and skill to being born of the Mū and the Senju clan’s lineage. While Yoshitsune proud of his ancestry, Yoshitsune disliked the idea of all of his abilities being contributed only to him being of a certain bloodline. He fully accepted that he was pushed along by his bloodline to some extent, but Yoshitsune refused to believe he himself wasn't the source of much of his own talent and abilities. Yoshitsune would voice this to his instructors, as well as act out by purposefully scoring lower on things he was good at until such conversations about him ceased, at least openly. This would also cause some teachers to label him as a brat, though others respected his grit and self-respect. Following this period, Yoshitsune resumed making the high scores he made before.
When he was in the academy, Yoshitsune would be trained in Earth Release by his father. As it was one of Yoshitsune's natural affinities and the nature transformation that Iwa was known for, Yoshitsune has plenty of help to draw from in this period. This would be a strong skill Yoshitsune would hold for the rest of his life, as well as show his advanced skill as many of the students at the time could not use any nature transformations. Yoshitsune would also show show strong skill in ninjutsu in general, being able to learn the Shadow Clone Technique relatively quickly in place of the generic Clone Technique. His only real fallback was that Yoshitsune did not appear to be good as casting genjutsu on others, but was capable of recognizing and breaking out of genjutsu placed on him. Quickly, Yoshitsune graduated the academy at the age of 8 years old to become a genin, and was registered as the Iwagakure shinobi with the ninja registration number of IW-11891. His proficiency soon caused the eyes of important shinobi within Iwagakure to look upon him that would one day lead to him gaining his ultimate power hidden deep within his blood.
Life as a Genin
As a graduate of the shinobi academy of Iwagakure, Yoshitsune would be placed on a team to go on various missions to continue to grow as a shinobi with actual fieldwork. Here Yoshitsune's quick thinking and talents came into fruition. Often, Yoshitsune’s talent could save the team before their jōnin-level sensei would have to interrupt on their behalf to make it complete. While on the team, he closely befriended his teammate named Ninigi (瓊瓊杵, Ninigi). Yoshitsune’s team proved to be strong a strong unit, as typical genin missions like retrieving lost pets or finding lost equipment soon proved to pose no challenge to them. One such mission included Yoshitsune being bitten by an angry dog several times, leading to Yoshitsune not caring for small dogs most of the time. As such, Yoshitsune and his team got to move up to higher ranking missions. However, taking care of large wild animals and younger rogue ninja, Yoshitsune and his team quickly showed the village their great skill as these missions flowed smoothly for them as well. All of this together made the group be called the strongest of the genin teams at the time.
This would lead to the team being sent on a mission to a small, isolated shinobi village just outside the borders of the Land of Earth. This was to get rid of a tyrannical leader who assumed control of the settlement. During this mission, shinobi from the village who were loyal to their tyrant would obscure the path for Yoshitsune’s team to attain success, and as such, battle began against the rival groups. During the battle, the minor village shinobi were pushed back, but one kunoichi continued to fight bravely to attain success for her home. Using one of his techniques, Yoshitsune struck the kunoichi in the head with the attack, and she dropped quickly to the ground. Yoshitsune, fearing that he may have just performed his first kill, ran to check the body as her team stopped in shock, but were continued to be attacked by Yoshitsune team. As he checked, Yoshitsune discovered the kunoichi was dead, killed by his attack on her. The saddened shinobi quickly shook off his melancholy, however, as to finish the mission objective. With him and his team winning, he returned home and performed minor missions for a while.
The disheartened Yoshitsune, one night, sat outside his home on a bench, thinking over the death of the kunoichi. Despite knowing what she represented, the taking of a life weighed heavily on the young Yoshitsune’s heart. Words from his parents that warned him of the hardships of being a shinobi flooded over him, and Yoshitsune wanted to end his career as a ninja and quit being a shinobi. Walking home from the Tsuchikage’s office, after reporting the details of the mission, was Yoshitsune’s sensei was returning home. The older man heard the crying of the young shinobi and walked over to him, sitting beside Yoshitsune. Listening to his words and feelings, the jōnin, Iwato (岩戸, Iwato), scolded him as a coward, which shocked Yoshitsune, before trying to calm him down. The man told Yoshitsune that killing is never pleasant for any shinobi, save for the truly insane ones, and that being a shinobi was to endure such pain and hardships for one's goals, love, and home. Iwato told Yoshitsune to, in the end, do what he wants; however, to quit would be cowardly and the loss of his talent would one day harm the village itself. Yoshitsune was told that the job of a shinobi to become a pillar of support for those who cannot support themselves and to protect those not strong enough to defend themselves. This encounter changed Yoshitsune, who decided to continue to be a shinobi and bear the pain to defend what he holds dear.
This would lead Yoshitsune to participating on more missions again, actively showing the various skills and abilities he had learned up to that point, as well as reveal his skill in Fire Release, which his father began to teach him as he believed Yoshitsune had inherited his Lava Release. While this would, ultimately, not be the case, Yoshitsune began to mix the new nature transformation into his fighting style as well, often using Earth Release to launch foes into the air and attack them with fire as they fell back to the ground. While he showed more abilities in Earth Release, his ability with Fire Release matched that of the other nature. Yoshitsune would also take on various missions, including escort missions for lower ranking figures as to protect them from whatever small threats may attack them.
Rising Through the Ranks
When the chūnin exams rolled around, Yoshitsune’s team entered. Yoshitsune and his team were able to do well on the test, with Yoshitsune being able to silently peer around the room for answers he could not get. While he was caught a couple of times, he was not caught the limit of five times, preventing him from being disqualified. Thanks to his sparse cheating and his excellence in school, as well as learning from his parents, Yoshitsune was able to pass the test in an acceptable manner and move on to the next part of the exam.
The second part of the exam included a capture the flag with a limit of an hour. Each team could feasibly pass through this part of the exam, it was mostly a manner of getting the flag. Many of the flags were placed upon stones that were made to fly and be controlled by several users of Earth Release. While one could jump from stone to stone and reach one of the flags, it was difficult due to the number, speed, and pattern the stones were moving in. There were genin among the group who were skilled enough to make their way up, reaching closer and closer to the flags, with some even being able to time their movements to successfully get them, showing their skill. Yoshitsune had made it up fairly high, but as he looked down, he saw several flags had been placed on the ground and on various buildings. Yoshitsune figured out that, while it did test for skill for getting the higher flags, it was also testing for the young ninja to be able to observe their surroundings. Yoshitsune took a dive from the stones, much to the dismay from his teammates, but was able to collect one of the easier to get ground flags. He then said aloud how people became so caught up with the display of the flying flags above them, they did not take the time to see if anything was closer and easier to get. As a result, Yoshitsune and his team moved on to the next part of the exam.
However, before the end of this round, a new generation of ninja from Konohagakure attacked the Iwagakure genin. This was because many of the teams disbursed over a large track of lands to avoid as much competition from other groups earlier on in the round. Figuring out who Yoshitsune was and his Senju lineage, the Konoha genin targeted him with their attacks and mocked him. They spoke of how he was the blood of a traitor and a monster, shocking the young Yoshitsune, as he had never heard any of this before due to his parents covering up the information from him. Yoshitsune froze up, unable to comprehend the situation for a moment. To try and stop they attackers, Yoshitsune’s other teammate tried to attack them, but the stronger Konoha-nin countered her attacks and knocked her out completely in the process. Ninigi, his trusted best friend, smacked Yoshitsune in a non-vital area his face, the pain from it awakening Yoshitsune up from his disillusionment just as the enemy ninja stabbed Ninigi. The stress of learning such a harsh reality of his family and seeing his teammate and best friend injured made Yoshitsune go on the attack. The Konoha-nin tried to place Yoshitsune in a genjutsu, but Yoshitsune was able to avoid being caught in it. Yoshitsune and Ninigi, despite his wound, then quickly defeated the three Konoha-nin, with Yoshitsune hitting one with a strange explosive force. In reality, this was him subconsciously awakening his Dust Release kekkei tōta for the first time in a simple display of it.
Shortly after this, Yoshitsune confronted his parents about his Senju ancestry. His parents told him they were not trying to hurt him or withhold information from him, they just didn’t want their son to inherit such cruel views in an era of peace and prosperity. Yoshitsune embraced the two, forgiving them and accepting the past and his ancestry is not of his control, but his future is. After this, with their approval, Yoshitsune’s went on to prove his abilities were great, defeating his various opponents with his abilities and talent, thus earning him the promotion to the rank of chūnin.
Yoshitsune became a chūnin at the age of 9 years old. The boy would continue to train and work hard, becoming stronger and stronger, but alas, more distant emotionally due to the killings he had to perform from time to time during his shinobi career, working up a large body count despite his young age. He would prove his talent and skill during this time, increasing his capabilities with skills such as his Earth Release and his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique. These two abilities would remain staples in his combat. A mere two years after becoming a chūnin, Yoshitsune was again promoted to the rank of being a jōnin, being one of the youngest jōnin in Iwagakure's history. By this time, his skill with Fire Release had grown more as well. Yoshitsune’s large amount of missions, successful missions at that, and his great skill as a shinobi, made it so many eyes were upon him.
One set of eyes in particular was a student of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, by the name of Saizō (才蔵, Saizō). By this point in his life, Saizō was growing elderly like his former master. The man was taught many things by Ōnoki, but above all was the great, revered power and the most infamous kekkei tōta, an ability more advanced than kekkei genkai, the Dust Release. Not wanting the secrets and power of the great bloodline selection to fade from this world should he pass, Saizō chose to pass it down to Yoshitsune by testing to see if he had inherited the bloodline from Mū. Yoshitsune was asked if he desired to learn it and advance his power to become stronger and greater than he ever was before, and he quickly decided to take on the task of learning to harness the power of Dust Release should it be discovered he could.
The Path of the Dust Release
Before he could learn Dust Release, however, Yoshitsune had to be able to learn how to use the Wind Release. As Yoshitsune already had Fire Release and Earth Release in his possession. This was from earth being Yoshitsune’s natural affinity and fire being taught to him by his father, who had an affinity of fire. Having quickly learned the art of fire, wind proved to be the first time Yoshitsune truly had to start from scratch outside of his comfort zone in learning how to use a nature transformation for combat. In reality, Yoshitsune also had a fire affinity and had just learned earth first, as it was more common within the village of Iwagakure. This proved to be a challenge of sorts for Yoshitsune, who had to let go of his accustomization to fire and earth to fully learn how to use wind. While this seemed simple, it proved hard for Yoshitsune as he was use to using his natural talents. Further, earth and fire were more aggressive, straight-forward elements while wind was more of a flowing power that is adaptive. As such, Saizō almost gave up on Yoshitsune. However, not wanting to stop, Yoshitsune move to catch the teacher caused him to let go, and his chakra cleanly split a leaf he was using as a focus. From there, the teacher's hope was restored and Yoshitsune was trained in the art of using Wind Release along with his Earth Release and Fire Release.
About a year later, once his usage of Wind Release was considered mastered and on par with his other nature transformations, Saizō moved on to the true aim of his training, the Dust Release. To begin this, Yoshitsune was taught the basic idea of advanced, combination nature transformation elements, such as Lava Release. After this, Saizō told Yoshitsune to use fire and wind techniques together, similar to Scorch Release. Confused, Yoshitsune did as he was instructed but wondered why he was instructed to do so. Yoshitsune was then told, that like Lava Release or Scorch Release, Dust Release was formed by merging chakra natures together. This included the Fire Release and Earth Release he had affinities for, but also with the Wind Release that Yoshitsune was told he held an affinity for, needing all three affinities in one to form the infamous Dust Release. As such, Yoshitsune was again told to use Fire Release and Wind Release at one, but this time, was told to use it slowly to feel the sensation of his chakra natures coming together to form a merged nature chakra, though not quite a true advanced one.
Once again, Yoshitsune complied and repeated this task many times for many days with his master. Finally, Saizō told Yoshitsune to try using that sensation as a basis to add the remaining chakra nature, earth, into that mix before wind-enhanced fire chakra was formed. This one done as Yoshitsune possessed his greatest skill in Earth Release, and as such Saizō thought it would be easier to add his strongest skill in last since his control over it was superior. Yoshitsune tried to do this many times, messing up the process multiple ways, from simply forming a massive fire ball and a column of stone separately to getting somewhat close to Dust Release, simply to have the ball of dust chakra explode into its separate elements. Yoshitsune practiced this attempt over, and over and over time got closer and closer to the ideal ratio of earth, fire, and wind chakra before finally using the power of Dust Release truly for the first time with intent to use it. It was for this that Yoshitsune was able to reestablish himself and end the depression he was feeling from the hardships he felt during his career. It was here that Yoshitsune was told he possessed a natural affinity for earth, fire, and wind, born from his genetic inheritance of the Dust Release. Yoshitsune would believe his hard time in learning wind stemmed from such a possibility of him having it and Dust Release never having been presented to him before, with him choosing the comfort of the abilities taught to him from an earlier age for a time. He also believed it was from him wanting to be thought of as his own shinobi, as opposed to simply Mū's family. This may have formed a mental block of sorts in Yoshitsune that would be resolved when he was finally able to be proud of his lineage and his own abilities simultaneously, allowing him to access his genetic skills fully as a result.
Yoshitsune by the time he had mastered the combined nature of Dust Release.
After mastering his Dust Release kekkei tōta and its signature technique, the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, Yoshitsune quickly recognized the limited and archaic nature of the Dust Release's application in combat. In Yoshitsune's view, simply forming shapes with explosive cores was not enough in the evolving battlefield of shinobi. A such, Yoshitsune took it upon himself to revolutionize the Dust Release kekkei tōta and reinvent it in a new light that would, hopefully, become its new path for years to come to maintain its status as one of the strongest nature transformations in the shinobi world.
This led to the creation of many techniques by Yoshitsune that made the Dust Release more versatile. This would range from enticing the fire and wind natures of the kekkei tōta, to creating a fog that causes great pain to those caught in it and the breakdown of techniques within it, to making it far more fluid and similar in nature to the Truth-Seeking Balls of Six Paths Senjutsu users, to simply a powerful beam of destructive, and to many others forms. As such, Yoshitsune advanced the Dust Release greatly by making it a far more feared and varied skilled than the beliefs attached to it from ever before. As a result of these feats and his talent, Yoshitsune earned the moniker Yoshitsune of the Dust Release (塵遁の義土, Jinton no Yoshitsune). It is this title, above all others he would ever hold, that Yoshitsune was the most proud of.
With this great power in his hands, Yoshitsune would to be considered one of the strongest shinobi in the history of Iwagakure, including the Tsuchikage and jinchūriki, after his various improvements to the skill. As a jōnin, Yoshitsune commanded much respect within the village. Due to his own skill, his poweful lineage, and the rare power he possessed, Yoshitsune became thought of as one of Iwa’s finest shinobi in recent years. Several pegged him as a potential Tsuchikage in the future, to which Yoshitsune was shocked and unsure how to respond. The position was never something he thought much about. While it was held by his idol in Mū, Yoshitsune wasn't sure if it was something that he wanted to pursue in favor of staying on the field. He was, however, not opposed to it should the need arise at some point. Yoshitsune would go on many missions from here, being feared internationally for his increased capabilities due to the nature of how he harnessed Dust Release and other skills.
Yoshitsune would continue to do missions during this time, leveraging his abilities with Dust Release to quickly deal with missions. At this point, Yoshitsune had grown to be a little more cocky. One such mission saw Yoshitsune set to guard the daimyō of the Land of Earth as he was being escorted to a meeting with the daimyō of the other nations, along with his friend and former teammate Ninigi. In this, a group of anarchist missing-nin attacked the daimyō as to end his perceived corrupt rule over the people of the nation. As they fought to defend the daimyō, Yoshitsune's cockiness led to him getting absorbed in the fight to show off his various new techniques. However, he did not pay enough attention to Ninigi, who was being overwhelmed by a larger number of foes. In this, Yoshitsune heard a scream of pain and saw Ninigi drop to the ground. In a rage, he quickly took out the remaining shinobi with his Dust Release and wnet to tend with his friend. Alas, Yoshitsune was too late and Ninigi knew his death was imminent. He told Yoshitsune to not hold feel guilty and to keep defending their village before passing. Yoshitsune would reexamine his life after this and would work towards regaining humbleness and humility.
Worldly Travels and Settling Down
Yoshitsune beginning his journey.
It was sometime after he mastered the powers of his Dust Release and Ninigi's passing that Yoshitsune decided he should go out into the world. This was to explore and learn from the world to improve himself and to help lead Iwagakure towards a brighter future. Yoshitsune also viewed it as a mission to rid himself of his arrogance and the guilt he felt over Ninigi's death. After convincing the elders of Iwa to approve of his travels by promising that he was not attempting to sever his allegiance to the village and vowing to return to the village from time to time, Yoshitsune would set off to travel the world. Yoshitsune did this as a means to see all of the shinobi villages, great and small, first hand and know their people. As he helped many small villages, he would stay with them for a time to learn of their nature and society. This would make Yoshitsune become a hero to many places as a result, with some of the smaller villages wanting Yoshitsune to train them in basic shinobi arts so that they could defend the settlements when he would ultimately leave. It was during this time that Yoshitsune realized he enjoyed the role of being a teacher.
Yoshitsune would also learn more skills from this time as well. This included his usage the Lightning Release and Water Release, making him one of the few shinobi to master all five of the basic nature transformations. Yoshitsune suspects this is due to his Senju heritage, as both Hashirama and Tobirama were also able to achieve this feat. Mū was also able to accomplish this, giving Yoshitsune a rich background of how he would be able to achieve this accomplishment. Yoshitsune noted that training for these two elements, while not as difficult as mastering the Dust Release, was more challenging than that of the elements he had in the form of Earth Release, Fire Release, and Wind Release. This was because Yoshitsune lacked the natural affinity for Lightning Release and Water Release that he possessed with the other three, due to his genetic abilities. Yoshitsune has said much of his training for Water Release happened on a large lake, walking on water all throughout the training. Yoshitsune has said this practice helped him understand controlling water better. As for Lightning Release, Yoshitsune has not ever insinuated any sort of special training for it like that of the Water Release, appearing to have learned it more traditionally during his travels. Yoshitsune has been noted to be able to produce water with his chakra, not needing an external source of water like many users of the nature do.
Yoshitsune would even learn how to fuse them in such a way as to recreate abilities typically exclusive to kekkei genkai, such as the Fusion: Frozen Breath of the North Technique to create a makeshift ice ability to freeze his targets in place. Yoshitsune has said that all the time he spent on learning to utilize his Dust Release helped him in the process of learning this technique and other similar abilities. Yoshitsune also furthered his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique, mixing it into his taijutsu more as to increase the ferocity of his assaults, basing this on accounts of how renowned hero Naruto Uzumaki used them in combat.
During his travels, Yoshitsune would eventually come across Ryūchi Cave. As if stumbling across it, Yoshitsune was resting outside its parameter when a large serpent was winding its way through the area. Curious, as the serpent was far larger than any that he had ever seen, Yoshitsune followed it. Entering it, his presence was quickly alerted to the serpents of the cave. Fighting the snakes off, Yoshitsune would begin to impress the snakes. Eventually, they would grant him the right to remain in the cave for a time, as they were impressed by his skill and his lack of greed for power. After passing their three trials, with Yoshitsune noticing them speaking of Iwagakure being his home when he never mentioned it or wore his headband, with him using his Earth Release to fill the furrows of a stone room in which he was told to fill the many grooves of the walls, and with him being injected with a hallucinatory venom that showed an Iwagakure in ruins and Yoshitsune saying the village of stones could be rebuilt a stone at a time, based on his belief of the Will of Stone. This showed Yoshitsune's awareness, his cunning, and his optimistic nature that would no longer fall into despair.
As he lived among them, Yoshitsune learned of the ability known as Sage Mode. This is the act of balancing his chakra with natural energy as to create senjutsu chakra. Desiring to learn it, the snakes proved to be difficult in that regard. As they had no inherent loyalties to each other, Yoshitsune had to prove his value to them. To meet this end, the White Snake Sage injected him with its venom. Yoshitsune would comment for the rest of his life that it was the most painful sensation he ever felt. Yoshitsune would endure the pain of the venom for hours on end, coming close to giving up and accepting death. However, Yoshitsune’s Senju heritage shone through in the end and saved him from dying in this fashion. His naturally strong body and large reserves of chakra ultimately adjusted to the venom, which was full of natural energy, and expelled the toxins. He arose with pigment on his face, showing the power of Sage Mode. The Power of the White Snake, known for its healing abilities, also awoke the power of the Regeneration Ability within Yoshitsune’s body, activating it from deep within his Senju blood. This made it so Yoshitsune could passively heal from wounds inflicted on him, not having to focus on using the chakra to repair his body. Instead, his chakra automatically tends to his wounds. For his ability to survive the venom, the snakes knew he was powerful and respected that. For them to agree to let him remain there and train among them, Yoshitsune was forced to fight several prominent snakes of the cave.
Though a long battle, as several of them appeared, Yoshitsune was able to defeat the many serpents. Yoshitsune would go on to spend at least two years within the cave with the serpents, mastering his Sage Mode more and more as to enter it more quickly. In this, he was subjected to harsh methods of training. One such example was being forced to scale a steep mountain with only his legs and without chaka, as to be able to feel more parts of his body to be able to fully use it. Yoshitsune would spend a great deal of time with the snakes to grasp gathering natural energy on his own, to which Yoshitsune describes as reaching out for a "sea of energy" with a "pond of chakra". As such, it was a hard task, though Yoshitsune would persevere and learn how to take merely what he needs to access the power of Sage Mode.
Yoshitsune would initially gather natural energy to create senjutsu chakra with his shadow clones, in a method much like that of how Naruto Uzumaki gathered energy for the form. This was viable for him due to his large amount of chakra from his Senju heritage. However, as he trained, Yoshitsune was able to enter the form in mere seconds by the time he left the cave and his reptilian companions. For the mastry of his Sage Mode, some would come to call Yoshitsune the Great Sage (大山, Daisen). He would eventually travel around the world to find other sage locations as to increase his understanding of senjutsu more. Yoshitsune would also go on to create a new technique to perfectly merge the power of his Dust Release and his Sage Mode, known as the Sage Art: Dust Release August Star of Heaven, which would be his ultimate display of power. With it, Yoshitsune could form a great volume of a senjutsu-enhanced dust chakra that could destroy anything on contact from a star-like structure, sometimes called his "halo" (頭光, zukō), that shines over the area it is formed in, becoming Yoshitsune's ultimate offense and defense in one. However, it is quite dangerous to use, so Yoshitsune only uses it if he feels he absolutely has to.
Yoshitsune’s travels led to him seeking to maintain the peace that the world was currently experiencing. He would help those in need, regardless of their village affiliation, so long as they were not hostile to him or the world at large. That is to say, he would side with those he felt were just in their causes. It is for his fierce defense of peace and willingness to kill to maintain it that Yoshitsune grew to become known as the Fierce Deity (鬼神, Kishin). Yoshitsune would maintain his promise to visit Iwagakure from time to time, with one such visit seeing him be rewarded with the coat traditionally worn by the elders and other important figures in Iwagakure. Yoshitsune would quickly add this item to his wardrobe and felt a strong pride in wearing it. His talent has earned him the praise of his village and others, and the scorn of missing-nin, enemies of Iwagakure, and those who seek to disrupt the balance of the world. Through all this, Yoshitsune continues to hone his skills and serve as a ninja for his village, for peace, and all who need his assistance. Yoshitsune also acknowledges that there is still a desire for him to become the Tsuchikage, which Yoshitsune considers more than he once did at least. Yoshitsune believe he could help bring more peace to the world if he entered the position, but is still unsure and not quite ready to give up his life of traveling the world. Yoshitsune also seems to seek a worthy student to take on and one day teach Dust Release, as to allow the art and his advancements to it to carry on into the next generations of shinobi. Beyond just this, Yoshitsune would take on Gitsuchi as a student. He would teach the young Fabrication many of his skills as they traveled, forming a father and son-like bond, with Yoshitsune eventually advocating for his citizenship in Iwagakure.
Yoshitsune shortly after becoming the Tsuchikage.
However, this would soon come to pass. In a world as chaotic as the lands of the shinobi, shinobi attempting to revive Uzushiogakure would attempt to capture Son Gokū as to use it to restore the once destroyed village. Together, Yoshitsune and Kurotsuchi went to check on the beast in its caves in the Land of Earth, as to make sure of the beast's continued freedom and safety. In this, they were ambushed by the Uzushio-nin and forced to fight back. In the resulting conflict, one of the rival shinobi perished. However, Kurotsuchi, in her strong will to protect Iwagakure and Son Gokū from a foreign threat, died in the battle as well from excessive injuries. Returning to the village with Son Gokū, who lost a tail in the conflict, Yoshitsune ordered for medical-nin to help heal the beast's wounds and provide it sanctuary as it recovered. In the fallout of Kurotsuchi's death, Yoshitsune would come to be Fifth Tsuchikage (五代目土影, Godaime Tsuchikage), as to continue her legacy and dreams.
Personality
Yoshitsune in his childhood was known to be a kind-hearted child and sympathetic with those around him. Yoshitsune was born to a good-natured family. He was raised in this environment and it reflects in him. Yoshitsune as a young man was noted to be kind and helpful of those around him, willing to help his parents out with any given task or to help those in need should he see it. When one of his friends was hurt, he would always visit them in the hospital or at their home to make sure they are okay and to cheer them up. Through his kindness, he often helped those around him with tasks out of the love of his heart, not doing so out of a sense of duty or feeling as if it was a chore. Whether this meant helping someone train in use of a certain technique, helping one improve their aim with weapon throwing, or simply helping one clean up a room or wash dishes, Yoshitsune did so gleefully as he simply wanted to help others. This has caused Yoshitsune to be popular among the older citizens of Iwagakure due to often helping them with tasks such as carrying their groceries or helping them water plants. This made him rather popular as it showed how he truly cared for others.
While he comes from a unique bloodline, crossing the lineages of the Second Tsuchikage Mū and the Senju clan, Yoshitsune never held this bloodline over the heads of others to try to force his opinions or beliefs. It is shown that Yoshitsune gets rather upset when his skill, abilities, and talented are attributed to his family as opposed to his own merits. This can be seen by him purposefully acting out as a child to disparage such claims about him. While this annoyed and angered many in the village, some found Yoshitsune's spunk and pride to be respectable to some extent in his actions to be recognized for himself rather than who he comes from. However, his may have proved to be detrimental to Yoshitsune for a time, resulting in a sort of mental block that slowed down his ability to harness the power of his third affinity in the Wind Release and the kekkei tōta of Dust Release. Eventually growing out of this, Yoshitsune would master these skills and become truly proud of his esteemed lineage. Furthermore, Yoshitsune does thank this lineage for the abilities that were passed down to him through the bloodlines he is associated with.
While he was kind, Yoshitsune was also quite competitive. As such, when playing with friends and others, he would often try to win and accidentally hurt others in the process. However, Yoshitsune was not above apologizing, often trying to do so face-to-face and offer to do things to win forgiveness; however, such actions were usually considered over the top and not needed for forgiveness. He was also rather cocky when it came to fighting against others, even going as far as to challenge jōnin despite their superior training and discipline, often leaving Yoshitsune being beaten embarrassingly fast. Despite this, Yoshitsune would take these moments to learn from the jōnin afterward and improve his technique more and more over time with this insight from many people, gaining respect from these jōnin who simply thought him to be a well meaning, but loudmouthed knucklehead. Yoshitsune was also considered to be very perceptive, able to break down what others felt by looking them over, and intuitive by feeling what is around him and gain a grasp of situations he found himself upon.
As he grew into being an actual shinobi, Yoshitsune wanted to use the powers and abilities to protect the ones he holds close to his heart and loves, as well as defend Iwagakure, the home he has known for all his life and loved as it nurtured him alongside his parents. The skill he possessed in the shinobi arts taught to him were top notch, and his teachers looks to him with pride and he showed more and more his status as a prodigy among his peers. While this may not have been a big deal to Yoshitsune, a few of his peers began to dislike the talented ninja-to-be and pushed him away. Overall, this would affect the young boy, as Yoshitsune did not understand their dislike for him, but clung to those who remained loyal to him and he continued to be loyal to those around him.
His time as a genin proved to make his life better. The more he worked, the more he became confident in himself and bonded with his friends and allies. Yoshitsune showed carefulness, to make sure his missions would go as smoothly as possible, though he spoke and appeared brash at times. He also showed care by actively trying to defend his teammates. Yoshitsune soon showed more desire to grow as he pushed for more challenges, showing him to be one not content with easy challenges and simplicity. While Yoshitsune knew the life of the shinobi would involve having to take the lives of others and kill, he knew not how early it would be. On one of his first missions, shinobi from a minor village attack Yoshitsune and his cell. While his team fought back, Yoshitsune ultimately got a killing blow off on a rival kunoichi that could have only been slightly older than him. Watching her fall, lifeless, Yoshitsune teared up realizing she was dead due to him, and that likely a family out there was or would be missing her. This experience traumatized the young shinobi, who began to distance himself from his true self and others for a short time. He would, however, carry on and form his nindō of bearing pain to protect love. During the chūnin exams, he would learn that his life in Iwa, though it had roots in a strong hatred from the warhawk Senju, he was still given a good life. He showed his willingness to receive guidance and wisdom though from his teachers, such as Saizō and Iwato, who led him back into feeling like he belonged and strengthened his resolve to become stronger for others.
As Yoshitsune grew older, his personality did not drastically change. While he got more mature with time, he never turned cold or callous towards others, he never grew a hatred for something so strong that it drove him more than anything else. As an adult, Yoshitsune maintains a caring nature for others, enjoys humor, and has at least some mischievousness to his nature. This can be seen with pranks he pulls on his former classmates within the village. However, when he is on a mission, Yoshitsune does know when to call it quits for such things and will act more seriously. This can be seen in him cutting down the humor and actively engaging in getting to the final goal of the mission. This does not, however, remove his normal personality fully. Yoshitsune often will engage with foes and compliment them or their abilities in the battle, which can sometimes confuse them into thinking Yoshitsune is mocking them. This has led to a few misinterpretations of Yoshitsune when others first meet him, though these are often cleared up fairly quickly as they get to know his true nature.
While it has been noted that Yoshitsune is kind towards others, he has been known to be rather blunt with some of his opinions and views. He will speak his mind on different subjects honestly, but he tries not to let his own opinions disallow others to have their own. That is to say, he is willing to argue but tries not to make it personal and will apologize if he feels he has said too much or gone too far. Though it has gotten him into a few rough spots, people know Yoshitsune is not one to lie and will be honest with people when they need it.
Above all other things, Yoshitsune is known for his inquisitive nature. Yoshitsune loves to learn and believes he can learn from various sources. This isn't just for physical training and combat, but for all areas of life. With this, Yoshitsune has been noted as a good listener, giving his full attention to whoever is speaking to him to learn what he can to deal with others in such situations and how he could apply such lessons to his own life to make him a better person. This has made Yoshitsune someone many will vent about to. His inquisitive nature has marked much of his shinobi career as well. It has actively led to him gaining his signature ability in Dust Release and found him a strong teacher in Saizō. It would also lead to him learning all of the nature transformations and how to harness the power of Sage Mode. However, his learning of Dust Release also led to Yoshitsune's cockiness resurfacing, causing him to be more self-absorbed and focused on himself in combat. This ultimately led to the death of his childhood friend Ninigi when they were on a mission together, devastating Yoshitsune. This would set Yoshitsune on a path to gain wisdom and to be able to forgive himself for his own faults and failures.
While he is not truly egotistical, at the very least not overly such, Yoshitsune often plays the role as to make those who truly know him laugh, as well as bother his enemies to make them angry and easier to manage in a battle. Further, Yoshitsune has also been known to compliment his foes, which some interpret as him mocking them. For this, at times he has been called rude and immature. Despite this, when the weight of a situation is evident, he shows how serious he can be, dropping his ego aside for as long as he needs to. The worse a battle would get, Yoshitsune would be forced to become what some consider a demon on the battlefield. He extends his true caring nature and friendship to shinobi of all of the major Five Great Shinobi Countries, from low-ranking to high-ranking, but still jokingly insults them. He even claims to go as far as allowing his total annihilation to defend the shinobi world he cares so much for.
Yoshitsune retains his ability to forgive most people, though can take time for this as well. Through his travels and seeing how much darkness is in the world, Yoshitsune's willingness to kill has gone up, often performing assassinations that he believes will help bring peace and justice to the world as much as he possibly can as he still believes in the concept. Yoshitsune's drive and will was also enough to impress the leaders of Ryūchi Cave allowing him to train in the area to increase his understanding of senjutsu, as well as being able to survive the Power of the White Snake.
His kindness, helpfulness, and inquisitiveness has led Yoshitsune to the path he currently walks. While maintaining his loyalties to Iwa, never truly even considering severing his bond with the village, Yoshitsune left the village on a pilgrimage. This journey was built on a few different goals. Yoshitsune’s desire to help others and bring peace to the world, which has been seen in his helping of several smaller villages to get rid of bandits, thieves, and missing-nin to bring them out of whatever chaos they were causing. This has led to many both in Iwa and out of the village to think of Yoshitsune as a hero and an upstanding person. His other goal was to learn of the world, which ties into his helping of several locations to know more of what physically exists in the world. It has also helped him to learn of different types of suffering as well. He is known to not falter in the face of adversity and to always get back up, no matter the blow given to him or hard hard he is hit. This part of his personality has made Yoshitsune become known as the Persistent Phoenix (執拗火の鳥, Shitsuyō Hinotori), along with his healing ability.
Yoshitsune does train to grow stronger and seeks methods to improve himself mentally and physically. This reflects in his everyday life, showing patience and wisdom from these endeavors. As stated before, Yoshitsune doesn't like letting his lineage define his abilities or life too much. Further, many in the village believe Yoshitsune would make a great Tsuchikage one day. However, Yoshitsune is unsure about holding this office as he isn't sure of his ability to lead an entire village. He also thought of himself as someone better on the field than calling the shots. Despite this, Yoshitsune says he would take the position if the people of the village truly wanted him to take it and if the village needed a new leader, showing Yoshitsune’s care for others being put above his own feelings. When Kurotsuchi died to protect Son Gokū from being captured by rival shinobi who threatened the peace of the world, Yoshitsune would live up to his word and become the Fifth Tsuchikage (五代目土影, Godaime Tsuchikage).
In his current age, Yoshitsune still possesses much of the kindness and charisma of his youth. Beyond this, he has returned to his more gentle, fun loving self, but maintains much wisdom from his long life and many journeys and is willing to share these experiences with those who would listen. Despite seeing much in his life, he retains his belief of most humans being able to maintain peace and harmony, and fights to defend it still from those who wish to harm it. Further, while he is often away, when Yoshitsune is in Iwa he often seeks to help the elderly with their chores when he can within the village, something he has done since childhood, and can be found helping around different retirement homes as well. Much like a teacher, Yoshitsune is also willing to help those with a vision similar to his own, helping them to grow into better versions of themselves as much as he possibly can. Yoshitsune has said the role of teaching is one of the things that brings him the greatest joy in life.
It is noted, Yoshitsune does possess a temper. While he can manage it for the most part after years of experience, Yoshitsune's anger can flare up. This is namely seen when he is facing against those who are excessively cruel, manipulative, or outright evil. In this, Yoshitsune spares no mercy or holds back. Those who have seen the wrath of Yoshitsune are shocked to see just how powerful and brutal he can be when he is pushed to the edge. It is in these moments that the Fierce Deity (鬼神, Kishin) moniker he has been given shows how accurate it is to his character, using his anger to destroy injustices in the world. In this, Yoshitsune tries to follow a code. If one's crimes are done to help others or they are truly remorseful, Yoshitsune is more than willing to help guide them to a more proper path. However, if one hurts others for their own gain or amusement, this is when Yoshitsune will give in to his temper and fight to the full extent of his power.
Appearance
Yoshitsune with his short hair and goatee.
Yoshitsune, much like the 'archaic' members of the Uchiha and Senju clans, bears the appearance of their noble birth coursing through his veins strongly. His formerly detached and cold persona immediately translates to the stance he takes in daily life: upright, but with a slight slouch to represent his detached state of mind. One particular portion of his appearance is his figure. He is relatively tall and holds a lean and trim figure, which, combined with the various experiences he has been through, is fairly muscular. This is combined with his spiky black hair that faces towards his right, obscuring a portion of his angular, handsome, face and strikingly cold black eyes, morphing into the image that can only be called Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune would also grow out his facial hair into a simple, sharp goatee eventually. He would often be found wearing a light brown kimono shirt with a dark sash or a long-sleeved black shirt with a v-neck, depending on if he was on a mission or not. When he began his journey outside of Iwagakure, he also had a brown cloak he would wear that had a hood on it. Along with this, Yoshitsune would black pants and wrappings on his legs and feet.
Yoshitsune's appearance with long hair and a beard.
Later on in his life, Yoshitsune's would let his hair grow out much longer, past his neck, and become upper back length, ending right above his shoulder blades. This would be primarily when he was training to master his usage of senjutsu. Yoshitsune’s primary clothing style is simple. Yoshitsune would also grow a beard, one he keeps stylized in a fashion somewhat like Asuma Sarutobi's. Yoshitsune also wears red and white short kimono that he keeps tied with a red sash possessing red magatama along the edges of the sleeve and on the bottom edge of the kimono. With this, he wears simple black pants and sandals. He later switches his kimono shirt to a short-sleeved variant of it, with the exception that no magatama were on it anywhere. He wears this shirt alongside the same black pants as before that he has been known to usually wear throughout all his major outfit variations. Yoshitsune was not known for wearing a headband during this time or at any point in his life.
Yoshitsune in his blue robes.
By the time he entered his forties, Yoshitsune’s black hair gained a few strains of gray from the stress he had endured in life and would cut short once again, preferring it that way as he believes long hair is too annoying to manage. He wears it slicked back, no longer the wild hair of his youthful days. His beard would follow suit, graying in some place, however, it also grew out into a fuller beard and mustache combination. Replacing his old clothes, Yoshitsune wears blue robes with dark pants. By this point, Yoshitsune's body has become more muscular and toned, from years of being an active shinobi, giving him a more impressive bearing. The definition of his arms, chest, abdominals, and legs makes Yoshitsune imposing to those who don't truly know his kind and caring nature. However, despite his age, several people have commented that Yoshitsune appears to have gotten more attractive as he has gotten older and is regarded as quite handsome by many.
At some point during his journeys, upon a temporary return to Iwagakure, Yoshitsune was granted a green and yellow coat with a red collar, similar to that of Ōnoki’s and other high ranking members of the village of Iwagakure. This marked a sign of deep respect and admiration the village had for Yoshitsune that he, likewise, returned. This would also mark the return of Yoshitsune to more traditional shinobi attire as well. He began wearing the coat immediately, switching out his blur robes for a flak jacket similar to that of Kakashi Hatake’s during his reign as Hokage, albeit adjusted to show Yoshitsune’s affiliation to Iwagakure instead. Underneath he would wear a form fitting, long-sleeved black shirt, along black pants and black sandals.
While Yoshitsune uses Sage Mode, his appearance does change slightly. He forms red markings on his face that match the pattern used by Hashirama Senju, in which red pigment forms around his eyes with two lines coming out from the bottom of each eye. The outer lines go towards his ears while the smaller, inner lines go toward his cheeks. A red circle with a red dot inside of it forms on his forehead as well, in a manner reminiscent of a representation of a third eye. Yoshitsune's eyes shift from their dark onyx color to a brilliant and powerful gold color. Finally, Yoshitsune also seems to be a bit more physically toned in this form, with his body's strong muscles appearing more refined.
Abilities
Yoshitsune's Earth Release: Golem Technique.
Owing to his unique lineage of coming from the bloodline of Mū and the Senju clan, Yoshitsune is noted to have large amounts of chakra, unique when compared to his father, mother, and others within Iwagakure. This chakra itself is also highly potent, giving it greater power when compared to many of his peers. With it, he can use multiple Dust Release techniques in a row without showing exhaustion, with Dust Release being known to be quite chakra taxing. This is because of his Senju heritage, who had inherited the strong "body" of the Sage of the Six Paths. From this lineage, he gained the powerful physical energy, stamina, and life force of the Senju clan, as well as a powerful healing ability. Due to his possession of large amounts of potent chakra, he is sometimes mistaken as the jinchūriki of one of the great and mighty tailed beasts, the legendary creatures of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's creation. Yoshitsune, as such, can combat one of these beasts into submission if he used all of his abilities, showing just how powerful he really is. When he corrects those who make this mistake, they are often shocked that such a chakra signature can exist outside of the greatest beings of the Warring States Period and of the jinchūriki, making it so many respect and fear the great power and potential that Yoshitsune wields. Some sensors have noted Yoshitsune large amounts of chakra is bright, yet frightening to feel from all the anguish Yoshitsune has felt over the years. Thanks to his strong chakra reserves and powerful body, Yoshitsune became able to learn and master the power of Sage Mode, done by balancing natural energy with his chakra to create and use senjutsu chakra. Aside from his strength, speed, stamina, and various other abilities being enhanced, it lets Yoshitsune manipulate pure natural energy and to control a massive construct of his Dust Release chakra. With his mastery of the Sage Mode, Yoshitsune has become known as the Great Sage (大山, Daisen) to many. Yoshitsune's chakra has been noted to be silver by those who can visualize it, as well as deep and strong.
Yoshitsune is a master of many techniques, many of which are feared nationally and has a highly advanced, expert-level usage with all of them. Further, to match his muscular frame, Yoshitsune is quite strong even without using chakra to enhance his physical attributes. Yoshitsune great physical strength impresses even great taijutsu specialists, as he is so well built despite not making taijutsu his greater focus in terms of combat, and can easily lift a large boulder with a single hand. Yoshitsune is also noted to be fast with hand seals, and can perform one-handed ones for events such as using the shapes of Dust Release to enhance his taijutsu. His overall large skill set, with powerful usage in each skill, has made it so he is considered one of the greatest shinobi to ever be born with Iwagakure and often thought to be the next in line to become the Tsuchikage. This would come to pass, with Yoshitsune becoming the Fifth Tsuchikage (五代目土影, Godaime Tsuchikage) after the death of Kurotsuchi in their combined efforts to protect Son Gokū from being captured by foreign shinobi. In this, Yoshitsune would quickly come to be recognized as the strongest Tsuchikage in the history of the village. Using his speed, agileness, great strength, one-handed seals, close combat skills, he can easily maim those who come at him from a variety of fronts with how varied his abilities are.
Yoshitsune, while possessing multiple skills, is far from being a master of none of them, and is greatly feared for his skill in all areas he works in, both mastered and simply skilled, which is why Yoshitsune is famously known as Thousand Cherry Blossoms (千本桜, Senbonzakura). Yoshitsune is often considered to be one of the strongest shinobi to ever come from Iwa, if not its strongest in general. Further, after all of his advancements made towards the Dust Release kekkei tōta, showing his skill with it and his intelligence, Yoshitsune became known by the honorable title of Yoshitsune of the Dust Release (塵遁の義土, Jinton no Yoshitsune). All of his abilities have solidified his possession of the title of Fierce Deity (鬼神, Kishin) in his pursuit of bringing peace and justice to the world, helping those who need his assistance and punishing those who abuse others and the world at large.
Ninjutsu
Yoshitsune's Dust Release: Voice of the God Realm Technique.
Like many shinobi who have come and gone, Yoshitsune possesses strong skill in ninja techniques, ninjutsu. This art, despite shining in his physical prowess, is considered by Yoshitsune and most others to be where he truly shines in combat. As previously stated, Yoshitsune has very high levels of extremely potent and dense chakra, partially due to his Senju heritage. With his great stamina and large reservoirs of chakra, it makes it so he can use many of his powers in succession without exhausting either himself or his chakra reserves. Also due to his Senju lineage, Yoshitsune possesses a power once held by Hashirama Senju in the form of a highly potent healing ability that allows him to heal his wounds rapidly, causing scratches and bruises to be erased from his flesh in mere seconds, and broken bones within minutes. Reforming limbs seems to be impossible; however, Yoshitsune can enable the process by entering Sage Mode, as the natural energy-enhanced chakra makes the healing process far stronger. This can still cost a fair bit of chakra to undergo, but Yoshitsune's large reserves allows him to do this without much issue. However, it does slow down his ability to fight while it reforms. Yoshitsune has said that the process of reforming a limb is quite painful. For this healing ability and him not faltering in the face of adversity, Yoshitsune has been called the Persistent Phoenix (執拗火の鳥, Shitsuyō Hinotori). However, Yoshitsune has noted he can not extend his healing abilities to others as it is an ability of his body, rather than a proper medical ninjutsu
Finally, Yoshitsune makes strong usage of the Dustless Bewildering Cover of the Second Mizukage Mū. With this technique, Yoshitsune directs his chakra in such a way that it acts as a mirror, reflecting light off himself as to become invisible to all. As the technique masks his scent and shadow, Yoshitsune simply continued to practice his usage of the technique until he could completely cover up his chakra signature. Yoshitsune often calls upon the power of his Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique to make himself lighter as to fly as well. Yoshitsune also makes usage of shadow clones with this technique so that if even one is discovered, another clone could strike while the enemy is occupied with the revealed Yoshitsune, be it himself or another clone in either situation. Yoshitsune can also use his Sage Mode in a manner similar to that of the Sensing Technique, which allows him to sense chakra natures from a great distance around him. Yoshitsune can also track specific chakra signatures as well. Such sensory abilities allow Yoshitsune to know if one is making usage of some ability that maybe be unnoticeable to the naked eye. He does this by momentarily moulding senjutsu chakra. Due to his many different ninjutsu-based techniques, Yoshitsune is known to be very well rounded in his skills but that is not to say that the great Yoshitsune lacks mastery in any of them. With his ability to access all of the basic nature transformations and his sheer ability to understand and comprehend, Yoshitsune has been described by many as being able to learn any ninjutsu if he set his mind to it, a testament to his skill in the art. What sets Yoshitsune truly apart is being born fairly skilled but still pushing forward to reach new strides.
Nature Transformation
Yoshitsune displaying his Earth Release.
Yoshitsune possesses all five of the basic nature transformations, a remarkable and rare trait in the shinobi world. Foremost among these five is the sacred Earth Release of the Land of Earth and Iwagakure. It is the basic chakra nature he uses most often as well, and possesses great skill with it as such. This indicates it may be his natural chakra affinity had he lacked his two advanced natures. One such technique he possesses in it is the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique. Within, he can rapidly increase the weight of things he touches, using it to strategically control battle. One such tactic is the ability to increase his own weight, which increases his strength as well. This, however, slows him down drastically, but he can counter this with is mastery of the Body Flicker Technique to be able to move at speeds slightly faster than his basic, normal speed. Yoshitsune can also use this technique to weigh down the target, and while their strength may be increased, he can again use his Body Flicker to outmaneuver them. If he increases the weight at an extremely rapid rate, the attack can petrify the foe, turning them into stone. This tactic is employed by Yoshitsune on quick assassinations. Contrary to this technique, Yoshitsune can also make usage of the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique. As the name would imply, it can be used to lighten different materials. This can be used to lighten the weight of incoming, solid attacks as to make them less effective or not very effective at all, depending on how much he can lighten them. This tactic isn't used as to avoid getting hurt per se, rather, it is used to dishearten the opponent to see their attack made useless. Like the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique, he can use this technique on himself. When he does this, he can grant himself the ability to move against gravity and fly. Likewise, he can apply it to his allies and allow them flight as well. However, this decreases his physical strength and often resorts to using non-physical attacks in flight. However, in a bind, he can rapidly increase his rate to restore his strength. Yoshitsune can further lessen the weight of his foes to a lesser degree than the flight variation as to weaken their physical strikes, making this effective when fighting taijutsu specialists. Yoshitsune also makes usage of the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique. With this, he armors his hand and arm with stones as to increase the blunt damage of his fist, and by increasing its weight, it will become that much greater. He can also fly with this technique, and increase its weight in the air to drop it from the sky to let it pick up speed from falling. Yoshitsune can make use of the Earth Release: Golem Technique. This technique creates a humanoid creature of stone with a large size. It can be made with earthen chakra creating the needed rocks, or with natural, pre-existing rock. Yoshitsune can form the golem rapidly, and like many of his techniques, he can increase its weight to give it even greater strength. By merging his created rock and natural rock, and given time to construct it, Yoshitsune can create a massive golem that is much larger than the armored form of Susanoo, but somewhat smaller than the as the Complete Body — Susanoo. This golem's strength is unrivaled by any other user of the Earth Release: Golem Technique and can be used to combat other chakra avatars and tailed beasts. Further, the extra stone on it forms armored areas for Yoshitsune to hide in while he lets the golem fight, providing a great defense. Yoshitsune often employs shadow clones to help in its creation. Yoshitsune can also lighten the golem and fly with it, before rapidly increasing its weight and dropping it on the area the enemy is in, using its massive size to crush all beneath it in a way similar to his usage of the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique, on a much more massive scale. Further, Yoshitsune can form individual parts of the golem to act as a quick attack or rapid defense. This is mainly done with forming the arms of the technique, allowing Yoshitsune to strike people with several disembodied arms of the golem technique at a time. Since Yoshitsune can also create stones with his earth chakra from his body, he can form these stone limbs from his body. With this, he can use them to grapple things and extend the reach of his physical attacks. Yoshitsune can also have the golem roll up into a ball, having it roll around and crush those under it with a fair deal of speed. With Earth Release, Yoshitsune swell chakra into his limbs to use the Earth Release: Earth Spear Grand Impalement Technique. To do so, Yoshitsune will strike the ground while he has the excess chakra flowing in his limbs. This causes the chakra to go into the earth, making several spear-like points rise from the earth with the hardness of diamonds. This can be used to skewer foes. Yoshitsune can further control the course the of spears if he feels the need to, using them to capture foes in a diamond prison. Yoshitsune can use waves of these spears to cause great damage, as though they were a horde of finely sharpened kunai. Yoshitsune can further use this technique through his Earth Release: Golem Technique, erupting massive spikes throughout the entirety of the golem to skewer those that come too close to it. Yoshitsune can manipulate this to give the golem two massive spikes coming out of its hands to act as swords or spears, weaponizing the golem even more so in the process. Yoshitsune can also use it through the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique as to give himself a blade that is sharper than diamond to fight with personally. Yoshitsune can use this in close-range combat to deal with sword users. Yoshitsune's final earth-based technique is the Earth Release: Sandwich Technique, in which he controls the earth to make to large stone formations rise up and slam together, crushing whatever is caught between them. Yoshitsune can use various sized stone for different effects, from small ones to catch limbs, to large ones to crush massive structures. It is a fairly fast technique, being able to crush those within the stones within seconds of the technique be initiated.
Yoshitsune streaming Fire Release chakra.
Further, Yoshitsune also possesses the Fire Release. While it is not used by Yoshitsune as much as he uses his more favored Earth Release, he still makes strong usage out of what he has available to him. One technique he commonly makes usage of and employs in combat is the Fire Release: Nine Tails of the Fox Technique. With this fairly complex technique, Yoshitsune kneads fire chakra within himself. He then releases the fire chakra from his body outwards, and the chakra shapes into multiple balls of fire that morph into several fiery fox heads. Yoshitsune then performs a simple a hand seal, and the fox heads will swarm forth and float around the target that Yoshitsune has chosen. However, only one is generally used to attack the target and this is far more as a distraction. While the heads themselves burn on when they initiate contact, its true power lies in that the demon heads will burst into large, burning columns as to consume the area with fire. Yoshitsune uses this to land the fiery fox heads in different areas to ignite said areas aflame as to block off routes the enemy can use to move about as to contain them within a reasonable distance from Yoshitsune. However, Yoshitsune can use the columns in combat. He can remotely control them to attack at foes, sweeping at them as though they were massive tails of fire. Aside from producing large, painful burns, this attacking style can be quite intimidating as the foes are blocked off and can be struck at any point if they venture within the range of the fire columns. Yoshitsune can place these strategically if he is in a large-scale fight as well, as to attack several foes at once. It is noted, however, that controlling too many of the columns simultaneous can be difficult. Despite this, shadow clones can be employed to assist Yoshitsune. The other fire technique Yoshitsune often makes use of is known as the Fire Release: Thousand Blooming Embers Technique. With this, Yoshitsune again kneads fire chakra within himself, and then spits it out as a ball of fire. The ball of fire bursts into an extreme number of embers quickly after it is fire. The embers can cause low amounts of damage to a foe and ignite their clothing to harm them, but this is not the primary aspect of the technique. The primary usage of this technique is to allow the embers to burst into light. The light put out by the embers can blind the foe, even more so to users using activated dōjutsu, as their eyes are more sensitive. The embers bursting into light also makes a loud popping noise in the process, which can further disorientate the foe. As this technique is used, Yoshitsune quickly distances himself from it as to not fall to its effects as well. He then will often use another technique quickly as to attack the foe more aggressively while they are occupied and stunned by the light and noise. Yoshitsune can also use this technique as a single, large fireball. This only produces one larger burst of sound and light, making it far less distracting and disorientating. However, this increases the power of the technique to at least be on par with the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, if not slightly weaker. He can fire multiple fireballs as well, and often uses shadow clones in a large group to make a large barrage of them to form a powerful wall of fire similar to the Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, possessing the same properties of being widespread and difficult to put out, but just simply made of multiple smaller attacks rather than a single large one. While this variation of the attack is not quite as powerful as the true Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, it still is a powerful offense and can also be used to form a curved wall of fire to add variation, which can be used to make evading it more difficult.
Outside of his powerful earth and fire chakra natures that he wields with great skill, Yoshitsune possesses another basic chakra nature. The other nature Yoshitsune bears and that was taught to him is the great Wind Release. Despite being learned later in his life compared to his first two elements, he uses the power of Wind Release proficiently and well in combat. Aside from techniques, Yoshitsune uses Wind Release to enhance the power of his fire techniques. Doing this, the fox heads of the Fire Release: Nine Tails of the Fox Technique bursts into larger, hotter flames, and his Fire Release: Thousand Blooming Embers Technique produces brighter, more blinding light. The popping sound also becomes louder as well. Yoshitsune can also use his Wind Release in simple gusts of air to push aside foes or objects in a simple, nameless display of the nature transformation. As for wind techniques, Yoshitsune makes usage of the Wind Release: Pressure Damage. With this technique, Yoshitsune compresses his wind chakra within himself, and keeps getting compressed to reach a higher density. Yoshitsune will then release the compressed wind into a swirling mass of tornado-like wind. It can be used to wipe a large group of enemies off their feet at once. Should Yoshitsune desire, especially when he is in more direct combat, he will compress the wind chakra in himself until the wind reaches its maximum possible compression. When releases, the resulting blast is much larger, and the wind cuts into the foe as it throws them, and can greatly damage the surroundings, such as destroying a large section of a forest or toppling buildings. Yoshitsune can also ignite the wind with his Fire Release to burn away the surroundings rapidly as the tornado-like burst of wind turns into a fiery storm. The technique is known as the Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. With is, Yoshitsune breaths in air. He will then rapidly compress the air with his wind chakra before firing the air back out. The wind takes on the shape of bullets as it is exhaled out of him. The wind bullets move rapidly and fly towards the enemy. With the power of Wind Release, the bullets of air can easily pierce into the flesh of their target and cause a fair amount of damage and bleeding. The bullets, depending on the power of the individual bullets, can also completely pierce entirely through the body of the enemy, causing greater damage and larger amounts of bleeding. The wind bullets can be ignited as well. The burning wind bullets carry the same piercing power as the regular technique, but can causing bad burning on the enemy as it pierces into or through the target, giving an even worse pain to those who are struck.
Yoshitsune can make usage of Lightning Release. He is able to merge it into his shadow clones to create the Lightning Release: Shadow Clone Technique. With this, he can use the clones to fight for him as normal; however, the clones will burst into electricity when injured or destroyed as to electrocute those nearby. As a result though, Yoshitsune does not regain the chakra when he does this. Another technique Yoshitsune often employs from his usage of Lightning Release is Lightning Release: Crimson Thunder Technique. With this, Yoshitsune can generate lightning with a crimson coloration in both of his hands, with which he can do various tasks. First and foremost, Yoshitsune can use it to enhance his taijutsu as the lightning chakra remains active until he no longer supplies it with chakra. Yoshitsune can use it to release a bolt or stream of crimson lightning from his hand to the target. This gives him a powerful and fast attack to use as it has no seals and can greatly shock the target. However, it can be used in other ways. Namely, Yoshitsune can keep the lightning in his hand and use it as a piercing technique. This not only gives is a strong usage in assassination, but also makes it very much like the Chidori. Yoshitsune can also use it to send smaller bolts of lightning in several directions or as a volley of senbon into a foe. Yoshitsune can also form a blade of red lightning with it, being able to use it as though he was using a sword. He could also extend the reach of the lightning chakra further for fast, spear-like thrusts into foes. This makes the technique hard to predict, as it has such a variety of uses. Those struck by the lightning often feel numbness in the afflicted areas. Yoshitsune's largest scale lightning technique is the Lightning Release: Whisper of the Gathering Clouds Technique, with which he kneads lightning chakra within his body before releasing it in a massive electrical burst of energy. The lightning branches out and forms a massive wall of lightning. The wall moves incredibly fast, destroying most of which is crosses over with incredible power. The wall itself takes multiple wind-users to stop. Despite not being one of his natural affinities, Yoshitsune is noted to use lightning in regular combat often and sometimes uses it more so than that of fire and wind.
Yoshitsune making usage of his Water Release.
Yoshitsune would later learn how to use Water Release. With the power of his Water Release, Yoshitsune can use the Dustless Bewildering Cover. This is a water-based enhancement of the Hiding with Camouflage Technique. With this technique, water-based chakra is used as a means to reflect the light that would normally make him visible and cause him physical form to fade out of existence. This makes him unable to be tracked by most common means including basic human abilities to chakra sensing and heightened senses, including sensing-abilities and dōjutsu, as his physical form, smell, sounds, and chakra signature fade with him. Any movement he does make that could show his presence, such as grass beneath his feet being bent and broken, could be fixed by using the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique to fly over it. Yoshitsune uses Water Release often through the incredibly powerful Water Release: Mare Nostrum Technique. With it, Yoshitsune can condense a large volume of water into a bolt. The bolt of water is then fired at a foe. It is used to catch the opponent off guard as Yoshitsune can release the chakra that was used to condense the water into the shape of the boltand cause it to explode into a powerful torrent of water that goes upwards and outwards rapidly. The sudden torrent of water is likely to drown the foe, as well as painfully force them aside by the power of the surging water. It can also be thrown for this effect. Yoshitsune then often uses a Lightning Release technique of some kind in the water. Yoshitsune has also been noted to be able to use Water Release without an external body of water to aid him, allowing him to use Water Release whenever and wherever he wants.
Yoshitsune also took time to learn Fusion Techniques (融合術, Yūgōjutsu) in Iwagakure. His basis for this was his familiarity with mixing chakra natures to get different results. This has allowed Yoshitsune to access abilities that are similar to that of kekkei genkai-based nature transformations. The main fusion technique that Yoshitsune has is known as Fusion: Geyser Golem Steam Burst Technique. With this, Yoshitsune creates his golem as normal. However, the arms of the golem will be made hollow. The hollow chambers on the golem will then be filled with water-based chakra or natural water. Yoshitsune will then flow fire-based chakra into the water-filled chambers to heat the water. Due to being encased in the arms of the golem, the heated water will begin to build up pressure until it is superheated. Yoshitsune will then have small holes appear in the golem's hands. The pressurized, superheated water will then release like a geyser. The boiling water and hot steam will be sprayed on to foes from any distance and be able to throw them aside and cause severe burns to form. Yoshitsune can also merge the power of wind and water to make a makeshift ice-based ability known as Fusion: Frozen Breath of the North Technique. With it, he can expel a cold fog that rapidly builds up into a large mass of ice. While it isn’t as powerful as the ice produced by the true Ice Release, Yoshitsune’s makeshift ice proves to be strong enough to hold physically strong opponents in place as the ice forms around them and to act as a quick surprise attack. However, using the technique while in Sage Mode makes the ice far stronger and more durable. Yoshitsune can also use it in tandem with the Water Release: Mare Nostrum Technique, rapidly freezing the water with it for a larger area of effect. Yoshitsune has said that this is one of his favorite techniques to use. Yoshitsune is capable of streaming all five elements at once, and with the usage of his shadow clones, Yoshitsune can use the streams in various formations to attack his opponents, such as in a straight line as a walled attack or in a circle for a centralized attack.
Yoshitsune using the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique in a spherical form.
Yoshitsune possesses one final chakra nature, the mighty Dust Release. This rare power merges all three of these natures: Earth Release, Fire Release, and Wind Release. Together, they form an ability of extreme power, usability, and variety in how it can be employed in combat. Some consider it to be the great and sacred power of Iwagakure. This is because it was wielded by the great Tsuchikage Mū, as well as his successor as the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. The secrets of this power were considered to be passed down to Yoshitsune when he showed mastery of his Earth Release and Fire Release from his affinities, general skill from all of his training, and finally possessing familial relation to Mū. Inheriting the power was known to be quite rare and often took some time to reveal itself, unlike that of many kekkei genkai. This sacred power truly was passed down to him once he revealed he had mastered the final requirement, power of his Wind Release. Being tested afterwards, it was revealed Yoshitsune had a natural affinity for all three of these natures, indicating he possessed the capability of using Dust Release. This indicated he had the power of the Dust Release kekkei tōta, a power that surpasses the greatness of a combined nature kekkei genkai. As Yoshitsune already was trained in merging his fire and wind chakra to greatly enhance the power of his fire techniques, the concept of merging the three chakra natures of earth, fire, and wind came to him fairly easy compared to other users of the power and failed attempts at gaining it by others. It is thanks to being a descendant of Mū that Yoshitsune had inherited the required genetic marker to merge these natures and to perform Dust Release. While it took him some time to master it, Yoshitsune quickly made it one of his most relied on abilities and molded it to his own liking. The first technique Yoshitsune gained from the infamous power of Dust Release is the most famous and iconic technique of Dust Release, the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique. With it, Yoshitsune focuses earth, fire, and wind chakra together to create dust chakra and form a glowing white sphere. The sphere of chakra is thrown forth of the selected target or targets. As it flies forth, a transparent layer of white chakra comes forth from it and captures the enemy within the shape that forms with the white sphere. The shape varies, with one of the more common ones Yoshitsune uses is the infamous cube-shaped variant. More often than not, however, Yoshitsune uses a sphere-shaped variant of the technique, out of his own personal preference. The walls of the of the shape that surround the white sphere core are extremely strong and can withstand extreme strength and attempts to escape. Yoshitsune can manipulate the size of the walls as well. Once the opponent is captured in the box, Yoshitsune can interrogate them, as being trapped can be quite intimidating. However, once he is done, or if he decides to just wipe them out, Yoshitsune can will the white sphere in the shape to explode violently, destroying all that is within the three-dimensional shape of the technique. The walls can withstand the burst and contains it, causing it to reduce all that is within it to minute particles, hence the name of Dust Release. The cone-shaped variation can be used as a destructive long-range projectile that can obliterate a large area of land. Further, Yoshitsune could use a cylinder variation of the technique, and expand it rapidly to attack with it, destroying massive structures with it, and can open up the shape to let the sphere within it burst and cause great damage. Yoshitsune also employs a variation of this without the core in taijutsu combat with the Dust Release: Heavenly Jeweled Spear Technique. As just making the shape is a lot less difficult that adding in the factor of the sphere, Yoshitsune can create them rapidly. As such, he can punch foes and have a dust cylinder form as he does it, using this method of attack in a manner reminiscent of the powerful Evening Elephant. He forms the empty cylinder with one-handed seals. This can also be done with the cone variant as to pierce into the target as though it were a spear. Furthermore, Yoshitsune can split any of the shapes open to use lesser attacks on a captured foe while interrogating them. Lastly, he can form a shape without an explosive core just to capture foes and crush them if he desires to do so, or use them to move about as platforms. Another of his techniques that he employs is the Dust Release: Sanction of the Ancient World Technique. He gathers the needed dust chakra into his fingertips and a white sphere of chakra forms before them. Then, in a fashion similar to the Storm Release: Laser Circus, he fires the sphere out as a laser. The laser is incredibly fast, and as such, the target must be incredibly fast as to evade being hit by the technique or to absorb it. As such, Yoshitsune often uses this technique as a long-range, sniper-like attack to kill from away, allowing him to either easily kill or greatly maim the target as a result. This technique causes extreme amounts of pain when it hits its target based on its composition. Further, Yoshitsune can use this technique through the explosive core of the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique as to harm those caught within if he wishes to keep them trapped, but not to kill or release them from the prison quite yet. Yoshitsune can also entice certain chakra natures in his Dust Release techniques. One such example is his usage of a technique known as the Dust Release: Primordial Flames Technique. After gathering his chakra to create Dust Release chakra, Yoshitsune forms the ordinary white chakra sphere used in the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique. Once this is done, however, Yoshitsune will entice the Fire Release chakra nature within the sphere. After this is done, glowing white flames erupt from the sphere, and then add more chakra to create a massive stream of glowing white flames. The white fire's most destructive aspect comes in the form that it has a rapid combustion rate, causing flaming bursts as it travels along its path, destroying all in its path, burning down everything molecule by molecule until nothing remains. The technique also rapidly boils water and can burn underneath water. However, it does not target body fluids like the Scorch Release, so it does not function as a way of killing specifically by desiccating the target. The great power of these flames often make it compared to the power of the great Amaterasu, but Yoshitsune himself points out it doesn't have the power to burn for long periods of times, burning out rather quickly. Yoshitsune may also use a smaller version of this technique to burn through some defenses, as Dust Release is effective at destroying chakra as well. Finally, another technique of Yoshitsune's that entices a specific chakra nature is one of his most trusted techniques of all, and it is the infamous Dust Release: Voice of the God Realm Technique. This technique entices the wind chakra nature of the Dust Release. By focusing dust chakra into his hand and bringing out the wind nature, glowing white wind will form around Yoshitsune's hands. As it continues to form, Yoshitsune will slash his arm in a chopping motion, and the gaseous dust chakra will form into a destructive crescent. Due to the dust nature, the crescent can cut perfectly and cleanly through wood, rock, metal, and even mighty chakra barriers or structures, rendering even the mighty defense of the Susanoo useless against the assault of this attack. Yoshitsune can slash his arms quickly to fire off more crescents, firing them off in rapid succession as to quickly and assuredly kill the target. The slashes can also be launched in many separate directions as to target multiple enemies or structures. Above all techniques Yoshitsune has, this one was designed to kill and to kill quickly. Yoshitsune also uses the Dust Release: Steam of the Yellow Springs Technique. With this, he again brings about the wind chakra of his Dust Release. Yoshitsune will then breath out a blanket of chakra chakra gas. This chakra gas causes great pain to those caught within it, as it is a dust technique and it aims to break down things on a molecular level. However, the aim of the technique is not to kill though it can in theory. Rather, this technique is used to destroy chakra and techniques. Techniques used within the gas cloud are attacked as foreign bodies of chakra and broken down. This weakens techniques greatly and can make them useless, or it can completely eradicate them. Yoshitsune often uses this as a starting move to slow down foes with the pain, as well as to make techniques weaker obviously. By relying on the fluidity of wind and fire chakra, Yoshitsune makes usage of a powerful technique known as the Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique. By using the fluid nature of both fire and wind, Yoshitsune can form a dust core. This dust core, however, is extremely malleable. Yoshitsune can use to form waves of attacks with its fluid nature, causing fast, powerful damage. However, it's main draw lies in that the core can be shaped into tools and given form by strengthening it with Earth Release. As such, Yoshitsune can form powerful swords with the attack that achieve an effect similar to a handheld Dust Release: Voice of the God Realm Technique, as well as various axes, spears, and other weapons. This lets Yoshitsune cut through just about anything it comes into contact with, including powerful structures of chakra, like the infamous Susanoo, with ease. Yoshitsune can also adjust the flow of his chakra into his constructed weapons, allowing him to adjust the length of the created weapon by adding or decreasing the amount of chakra he flows into the blade, making the slashing length of the construct unpredictable to the opponent. However, this function is primarily used for the sword and spear forms of the technique. Yoshitsune describes it as having a greater cutting power than that of wind-chakra, easily slicing through nearly anything. Further, those struck by it describe it as an intense heat, as it makes the struck area feel as though it had been set ablaze. Beyond this, Yoshitsune can create shields that defend him, as well as cause massive damage to those who strike the destructive barrier. The core can also be used to fire off smaller parts of it to be used as explosions, as well as using the entirety of the Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique's malleable core as an explosion should Yoshitsune require it to. Unlike the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, this explosive attack would lack the membrane to hold its power within. As a result, it relatively weaker in that regard. Regardless of this one downside, the Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique is one of Yoshitsune's must versatile and powerful attacks. Due to its properties, it has been compared to the legendary Truth-Seeking Ball ability on occasion. By merging Dust Release and Sage Mode, Yoshitsune can make usage of one last dust technique. Based on the principles of this Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique and the Dust Release Steam of the Yellow Springs Technique in one ability, Yoshitsune could form a massive sphere of dust chakra, referring to it as the star. From here, Yoshitsune can use the star and make it produce a fluid-like substance that he can freely manipulate. The fluid quickly and painfully breaks down anything it touches, both organic and inorganic, destroying them is the wide-spanning attack. Yoshitsune refuses to use it unless he absolutely has to, as it is taxing to use and tries to avoid annihilation on the scale that this technique causes. It is almost exclusively used for when Yoshitsune has to face a large group of enemies at once on his own. Yoshitsune was eventually able to merge the power of hist Dust Release with that of his Sage Mode as to create the Sage Art: Dust Release August Star of Heaven. This allows Yoshitsune to create a massive sphere of dust chakra. Following this, Yoshitsune can disperse tendril-like structures from the sphere resembling that of a liquid. From here, Yoshitsune can freely manipulate the destructive dust chakra in this state. The tendrils can quickly and painfully break down anything it makes contact with, both organic and inorganic, destroying them is the wide-spanning attack. It has been called Yoshitsune's "halo" (頭光, zukō) for its eerie glow and with how he generally appears in front of the structure as it forms. Due to its incredibly destructive and chakra taxing nature, Yoshitsune tries to avoid using it unless he absolutely has to. As such, it is easily Yoshitsune's most powerful technique. It is for his unrivaled skill in Dust Release and for his many advancements to the skill that Yoshitsune has become known as Yoshitsune of the Dust Release (塵遁の義土, Jinton no Yoshitsune).
As a member of the Senju clan, Yoshitsune can also use the Yang Release. Yoshitsune claims this nature is made apparent by his powerful life force, as Yang Release is associated with physical energy and the vitality of living things. Yoshitsune further believes this nature to be the fuel for his Regeneration Ability, using his yang-aligned chakra in a passive manner to repair damage done to his body without the need of his focusing to use it. However, Yoshitsune can increase the rate of his healing by increasing the output of his chakra for the ability in a non-passive manner, as well as it growing stronger when he is accessing the power of Sage Mode. While under the influence of Sage Mode, Yoshitsune can restore lost limbs; however, this does cost a fair bit of chakra to accomplish.
Bushinjutsu
Yoshitsune is shinobi who often employs clones into his battles as he fights. The primary way Yoshitsune produces clones is through the widespread Shadow Clone Technique, one of the most versatile techniques that exists within the world of shinobi. As a testament to his talent with the technique and for how long he has been using it, Yoshitsune is noted to have first learned the Shadow Clone Technique while he was in the Iwagakure Academy. With this technique, Yoshitsune can create solid copies of himself with his chakra evenly distributed between himself and all his clones. These clones can think and act independently from the original Yoshitsune, but as they are clones of him, of course, they act towards his objective as a common goal. While known for using a few clones often, Yoshitsune has been known to create many clones at once and has been seen projecting up to a hundred clones at once. However, in higher numbers such as this, Yoshitsune and his clones seem to be unable to access his Dust Release kekkei tōta. While shadow clones cannot normally be detected by mean of dōjutsu, such as the Sharingan or the Byakugan, Yoshitsune has gone the extra mile to perfect his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique as to fool even a great master of these dōjutsu, giving him a way to distract them as he launches a powerful attack.
Yoshitsune often employs shadow clones in the creation of a very large, powerful version of the Earth Release: Golem Technique, as to make it as fast as possible, and to continue combat as well so the golem can be created uninterrupted. Also, by using his highly efficient Dustless Bewildering Cover, Yoshitsune can turn himself and his clones perfectly invisible and be able to mask his chakra signature with it and become as if he doesn't even exist. Yoshitsune's goal with this was to create a method of battle tactics similar to the mighty Limbo: Border Jail used by Madara Uchiha. While his shadow clones could of course be dispersed by anyone should they strike them, it is simply challenging to land a hit on something perfectly camouflaged. Further, Yoshitsune can produce multiple clones, at least four along with himself, and stream all five basic nature transformations. This can be done is several formations to attack his opponents, such as in a straight line as a walled attack, in a circle for a centralized attack, or from various heights and angles by attacking while flying. His shadow clones can also assist him in the usage of his Fire Release: Nine Tails of the Fox Technique, as to make the control of all nine columns of fire easier. While his clones are strong, as to make them harder to destroy, Yoshitsune can increase their durability and density with the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique, making the clones last far longer than normal.
Yoshitsune can also merge his shadow clones with lightning chakra to create the Lightning Release: Shadow Clone Technique. It can work and act as a normal shadow clone; however, it will burst into a storm of lightning when injured to electrocute those nearby. As a result of this, Yoshitsune does not regain the chakra of this type of clone, making him consider the usage of these elemental clones more strategically than regular shadow clones. Yoshitsune has noted he uses them more often in water-rich areas, as to take advantage of the conductive nature of water for an attack with a larger radius of damage.
Yoshitsune would also employ his shadow clones to gather natural energy for entering Sage Mode when he was still new to the ability, being able to safely do so due to his large reserves of chakra thanks to being a member of the Senju clan. Yoshitsune would eventually cease this usage of his shadow clones when he became able to enter Sage Mode nearly instantly on his own, though he would still mix his shadow clones into his combat while in Sage Mode. With the enhancements of his Sage Mode, the strength of his clones would increase greatly as they reflect Yoshitsune's own power increase. Furthermore, the shadow clones became harder to dispel in general, due to the enhancements to durability that are associated with Sage Mode.
Senjutsu
Yoshitsune's eyes and facial markings while in Sage Mode.
Yoshitsune’s status as a member of the Senju clan, inheritors of the strong body and large reserves of chakra shared by the father and son pair of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and Asura Ōtsutsuki, made him a prime candidate to learn the power of harnessing natural energy to create senjutsu chakra and enter Sage Mode. This is done by creating senjutsu chakra within one's own body, should it be strong enough, by merging natural energy with their regular chakra. Yoshitsune was able to master the ability fairly quickly under the tutelage of the snakes of the Ryūchi Cave. Being injected with the Power of the White Snake, Yoshitsune survived the hours of pain the venom induced, thus proving himself to the snakes as worthy of learning Sage Mode as he rose up alive. This was during Yoshitsune’s pilgrimage to see what more he could learn from the world and to also find and visit as many sage locations as possible, as to learn the abilities of as many sage animals that would be willing to instruct him. Despite learning from the snakes, Yoshitsune's Sage Mode matches that of Hashirama Senju's form of it as red pigmentation forms around his eyes with lines reaching his ears and his cheeks, with a red dot and circle forming on his forehead. His eyes also turn into a golden color. Yoshitsune has concluded that it is perhaps due to his Senju heritage that this is the case, with their close connection to nature making it so the clan has a unique form for Sage Mode. Yoshitsune would first enter the form by having his shadow clones gather natural energy for him, which he could safely do due to his naturally high levels of chakra. However, Yoshitsune could eventually be able to enter the form nearly instantaneously. Further, his ability to collect natural energy so quickly allows Yoshitsune to stay in the form nearly indefinitely. It was with this that other sages would comment that Yoshitsune has a deep understanding and strong connection to the flow of natural energy in the world. His mastery of Sage Mode led to Yoshitsune being known as the Great Sage (大山, Daisen) to many.
Yoshitsune preparing the Sage Art: Dust Release August Star of Heaven.
With the power of Sage Mode, Yoshitsune’s strength, stamina, durability, speed, reflexes, are greatly heightened. Yoshitsune can contend with taijutsu specialists with this enhanced strength, as well as becoming blindingly fast with the enhanced Body Flicker Technique of Sage Mode. Sage Mode also increases the power of his techniques to a heightened state as well. One such technique, as to make a notable example, is the Fusion: Frozen Breath of the North Technique, in which the ice created by the technique is now considered on par with that of the traditional Ice Release. Further, Yoshitsune’s Regeneration Ability was awakened by his acquisition of Sage Mode and grows stronger while he is in the form. In Sage Mode, Yoshitsune is able to heal from wounds extremely quickly and is even able to regrow limbs within a few seconds. However, this actions comes at the cost of a fair bit of chakra. Despite this, as a Senju, Yoshitsune doesn't tend to be weakened by this unless he has to several times in one battle, though such an occurrence is incredibly rare. Within Sage Mode, Yoshitsune gains access to sensory abilities of a high caliber, allowing him to sense chakra natures from a great distance around him and to track specific chakra signatures as well. This also allows Yoshitsune to know if one is making usage of some ability that maybe be unnoticeable to the naked eye, such as extremely high-leveled genjutsu. Yoshitsune often enters Sage Mode briefly to track certain foes, or at least molds enough senjutsu chakra to achieve this action. One of Yoshitsune's unique Sage Mode techniques is that of the Sage Art: Authority of the Gods Subjugating the Heavens. With this, Yoshitsune is able to use the natural energy that shrouds him and release it in a destructive wave of power. In this, the natural energy rushes forward and destroys whatever is in its wake, or it can be released from all around Yoshitsune in a larger attack. This burst of energy can also deflect incoming attacks. Yoshitsune can said this technique is based on the principles of the legendary Shinra Tensei, as well as the Frog Kata he had encountered during his world travels. This technique is notable as it is pure natural energy, making it only able to be countered by other users of senjutsu chakra. Yoshitsune was also able to create the Sage Art: Dust Release August Star of Heaven. By merging Dust Release and Sage Mode, Yoshitsune could form a massive sphere of dust-based chakra. From here, Yoshitsune can disperse from it tendrils of a fluid-like substance that he can freely manipulate with his will. The fluid quickly and painfully breaks down anything it touches, both organic and inorganic, destroying them is the wide-spanning attack. As such, it becomes a powerful offense and defense simultaneous, as Yoshitsune can use it to form a shield of sorts around him to destroy incoming attacks and then use the technique to obliterate the foe unfortunate to attack Yoshitsune while he is using this technique. Yoshitsune refuses to use it unless he absolutely has to, as it is taxing to use and tries to avoid annihilation on the scale that this technique causes. As such, it is easily Yoshitsune's most powerful technique. Those who have seen Yoshitsune use this powerful technique have referred to it as Yoshitsune's "halo" (頭光, zukō).
Chakra and Physical Prowess
Yoshitsune visibly releasing his chakra.
Born of Senju descent and of Mū’s bloodline, Yoshitsune was blessed with strong reserves of chakra at his disposal. These massive reserves of chakra were accessible to him from an early age, giving him plenty of chakra to work with throughout his shinobi career and has proven to be his most reliable asset. Further, Yoshitsune personally possessed naturally dense and potent chakra, making his reserves all the more powerful. As such, Yoshitsune's chakra, in vastness, potency, and denseness, often gets him compared to that of the tailed beasts. As a result, Yoshitsune was able to make strides and advancements in the usage of Dust Release, as to make it a more dynamic and useful skill. This is because Dust Release is well-known for being very chakra taxing, making it so Yoshitsune and his large reserves were a perfect match for it. His prowess and control of chakra also makes it so Yoshitsune can use less chakra than others to mold the same techniques. It is for these two reasons that Yoshitsune became known as Yoshitsune of the Dust Release (塵遁の義土, Jinton no Yoshitsune). It also lets Yoshitsune use the Shadow Clone Technique to the degree he does, making several shadows quickly and safely as he chakra can be divided into very small parts without threatening him too much. This has made it so Yoshitsune can make at least a hundred shadow clones. However, the drawback of this is that Yoshitsune cannot gather enough chakra to be able to access his Dust Release and it mostly relegated to using taijutsu, making it so he rarely resorts to this overwhelming number of shadow clones. Further, his strong chakra reserves and strong body allowed Yoshitsune to merge natural energy into his chakra to produce the great senjutsu chakra and to enter Sage Mode. It is well noted that Yoshitsune can continue to use chakra for a whole day nonstop and still have chakra remaining. His skill and understanding of chakra has also lead to Yoshitsune being able to use all five basic nature transformations, alongside his Dust Release. His control of his chakra allows Yoshitsune to be able to use Water Release whenever and wherever he desires as he can create large volumes of water with his chakra, which is noted to be a rare feat by users of Water Release. His chakra control also lets Yoshitsune be able to use several of his techniques with fewer hand seals or none at all. Yoshitsune's powerful and dense chakra can visibly affect his surroundings, causing the ground, buildings, and other constructs around him to shake and for lesser beings to recoil in fear. This has also lead to Yoshitsune being able to use abilities that mimic abilities he lacks, such as the Fusion: Frozen Breath of the North Technique being much like that of the kekkei genkai of Ice Release. Yoshitsune's vast chakra has been noted to be a brilliant silver in color.
Yoshitsune is fairly skilled with taijutsu and hand-to-hand combat and has a powerful body from his Senju lineage. Yoshitsune at times is seen as preferring to use taijutsu in combat based on his various techniques that enhanced his physical attributes. Using is above average strength and great stamina, Yoshitsune can cause great physical damage. With his strength, Yoshitsune can move objects several times his size and weight, though around the size of three of himself is when he truly starts straining himself physically. He seems to focus on breaking the flesh and bones of his foes, in a manner similar to that of an unrefined Strong Fist. He most often aims for joints to disable more of the body at once. His great stamina also allows him to fight for days without succumbing to exhaustion, being seemingly perfectly fine even after battling a group of missing-nin, using a large amount of ninjutsu in the process as well. Using his basic speed, Yoshitsune is able to give a wide range of physical assaults with barrages of strong punches and powerful kicks. Yoshitsune's body is also quite durable, taking several attacks without showing too much wear and tear from it. Yoshitsune's body seems like it would be capable of surviving the Heavenly Transfer Technique. However, this is thanks to his powerful Senju body being repaired and enhanced by his Regeneration Ability and his Sage Mode, which together are capable of letting him survive the dangerous light speed transportation.
Yoshitsune also uses more unorthodox methods, such as slamming his head into foes with a powerful headbutt and then showing no noticeable pain after the fact on himself. Like Naruto Uzumaki, Yoshitsune also enhances his taijutsu through the usage of shadow clones, and creates deadly barrages of taijutsu by creating hundreds of shadow clones to attack the enemy from all sides nearly constantly, and combined with his large amount of chakra and control of it, Yoshitsune can use this method just as effectively. When combined with his Sage Mode, Yoshitsune physical abilities are increased massively, making his strength, speed, and durability increase massively, allowing Yoshitsune's physical body to become much more like a weapon, and oftentimes, he doesn't even truly need ninjutsu to devastate his foes. Yoshitsune seems to be fairly knowledgeable in single handed seals, which he uses often to use techniques more quickly or to use two separate techniques at once. Yoshitsune also possesses great natural speed and has shown himself to be able to only fall behind masters of the physical body and taijutsu in terms of non-chakra assisted speed. Yoshitsune further has a high tolerance for pain, not flinching when he was struck in the chest with a chakra-enhanced punch. Yoshitsune also survived three swords being stabbed into him, and finished his battle before seeking medical attention. To help him in combat, Yoshitsune has noted he still has perfect vision, which may be a gift from his healing ability.
Yoshitsune further enhances his taijutsu by using simple control of his Dust Release create the shape constructs in a technique known as the Dust Release: Heavenly Jeweled Spear Technique. This is most often seen by him punching a foe, and as he does he creates a cylindrical column that rapidly expands outwards from his fist to throw the foe and harm them great with the fast most, strong walls of the shape in a manner reminiscent of the Evening Elephant. Yoshitsune can also do this with a cone to stab through an enemy if he so desires to, piercing them with the fast moving and expansive cone. When doing this, he strikes with one arm while performing one-handed seals with the other hand. This is Yoshitsune's signature technique in many ways, due to its useful and adaptable nature.
Yoshitsune can also make usage of the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique. The added stones create more surface area that is stronger to makes strikes worse, as well as sharper rocks allowing his punches to more easily break the flesh of his enemies. He can also increase the density of the rocks to inflict even greater damage this way. This ability can also be applied to himself to some extent, making Yoshitsune stronger and more durable as he increases the density of his own body. However, Yoshitsune becomes slower as a result. This technique can also be used to petrify foes, making it so Yoshitsune has a reliable skill to slow or freeze foes in place if they are not expecting the technique to be used on them. Yoshitsune has also been seen manipulating the stony outgrowths of their body to some extent, such as them being torn off to form the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique. Yoshitsune can also lessen his own weight to take flight if he needs too. His agile nature makes this good for him, as he can weave in and out of attacks and do devastating attacks from the air. He can also rapidly regain his normal weight to drop down and resume ground-based combat, showing how easy it is to switch modes for him. Yoshitsune has shown that he can rapidly increase his weight to deliver a devastating blow and lighten it to be able to fly away from a counter attack.
Finally, Yoshitsune can use the Lightning Release: Crimson Thunder Technique, as to coat both of his arms in crimson-colored lightning. With this, all of his physical attacks now carry an electric charge, upgrading his fighting style to that of nintaijutsu, in a manner like that of a weaker Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Further, Yoshitsune can use this technique to pierce foes as an assassination move, similar to that if the Chidori. He can also rapidly fire bolts of lightning and senbon of lightning from his arms when using this technique, making his fighting style shift from close-range to mid-range on a whim and his style more unpredictable. By making the red lightning form into a blade, Yoshitsune can further enhance his physical prowess by allowing him to fight as though he had a sword, though simply just a weightless extension of himself.
Yoshitsune possesses great speed as well, which is greatly amplified by his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique. With this, he can rapidly move around the battlefield with blinding speeds and cause great mayhem. Yoshitsune has shown the ability to rapidly move his trajectory when using the ability, allowing him to make use of this speed in more dynamic ways than moving in a straight line. While initially he had to slow down to change his direction, Yoshitsune's lifelong and persistent usage of the technique has made it so he can transition into different directions without needing to slow down at first. In this, some compare Yoshitsune's usage of the Body Flicker Technique to a low-grade space–time ninjutsu. This was due to his ability to seemingly teleport across the battlefield at a moment's notice. He can also use the enhanced speed to increase the impact of his attacks, making it so his punches are able to cause more harm. As a swift and agile shinobi, Yoshitsune can use his great speed to silently sneak up upon a foe and take them out on the spot before they can react with any number of abilities, be it with his strength or some technique he can use. When combined with his Sage Mode, Yoshitsune becomes even faster as a result.
Life Force
As Yoshitsune was born from the lineage of the Senju clan, he was born with the powerful life force of Hagoromo and Asura Ōtsutsuki within him. With it, his body can handle stress greatly and it shown to function at full capacity even during long stretches of time without rest and great activity, as shown with Yoshitsune being able to fight with chakra and strong physical ability still after a whole day's worth of combat against powerful foes. This shows how his life force has had a powerful impact on his general stamina and abilities, as Yoshitsune, despite his age, is noted for being stronger and healthier than many shinobi who are much younger than him.
After training to use Sage Mode, the Regeneration Ability awakened within Yoshitsune from his brimming life force, much like that of Hashirama Senju. This gave Yoshitsune a passive healing ability that he does not need to focus on to activate, as the ability simply sends chakra to heal wounds without having to consciously activate. Yoshitsune can continue to heal and fight from physical wounds easily with this ability and shows a strong pain tolerance as well in this process. Scratches and cuts on Yoshitsune close within moments of being inflicted with this ability, while more serious wounds close after a brief period. However, Yoshitsune is only able to regrow limbs while in Sage Mode. This can cost him a fair bit of chakra to do still, as well as slowing down his combat in that period as well. In Sage Mode, unless one aims for his brain itself, Yoshitsune will likely be able to heal himself from most physical wounds. With his regenerative abilities and his powerful strength, Yoshitsune often allows himself to enter battle and take damage to gauge what he is truly upon against before he takes the conflict more seriously. Yoshitsune has stated that he can not use his healing abilities on others as it is an ability of his body, instead of being a true medical ninjutsu. For his healing abilities, as well as his unwavering spirit, Yoshitsune has been called the Persistent Phoenix (執拗火の鳥, Shitsuyō Hinotori).
If he should not fall to unnatural causes, Yoshitsune's life force should allow him to live an extremely long life. Yoshitsune even claims he could, in theory, still be fairly active when he is around the age at which Ōnoki finally passed away, which is an extraordinary claim as Ōnoki lived an extremely long life. It could be even longer due to possessing both his Senju life force and the power of his Dust Release, which is credited for having kept Ōnoki alive for so long due to its extreme power. This has made Yoshitsune all the more fearsome of a foe due to his refusal to be put down and almost grantees him an incredibly long time to influence the shinobi world.
Intelligence
Yoshitsune using his ingenuity to create a simple, impromptu shield with his Dust Release ability.
While being strong and fast is good for anyone locked in combat, intelligence is just as, if not more, important than either of these two things. According to Yoshitsune himself, intelligence often ends up being the deciding factor of any battle that one partakes in. Yoshitsune himself has keen senses and great awareness. As such, Yoshitsune uses these two things to get a feel for his surroundings and devise the best course of action and movement, and routes to escape should he decided to retreat and flee from combat or take cover and hide to devise a surprise attack on the foe. Yoshitsune also uses these to map out a skill set of his opponent in his head. To explain this, he will note the order of their attacks. Should he fight someone he uses multiple ninjutsu in a row, he will believe that that is their specialization and form a strategy to deal with them from there, or if they often fight close range with taijutsu or nintaijutsu to figure out how to best deal with them. For example, on ninjutsu specialists, he will often go in to close range combat with his great speed and strong body, Yoshitsune would close in on them and attack their hands and arms to try and disable their ability to form hand seals, further cutting them off from the ability to use ninjutsu and limit their options in taijutsu. Further, with a taijutsu specialist, Yoshitsune often makes usage of the Dust Release shapes he can form to obscure their path and maintain distance, or abandon fighting on the ground and attack from above by using the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique to grant himself the ability of flight. More so on ninjutsu, he will take note of the opponent's potential tendency to lean on a certain nature transformation as to get a feel for their skill set from there. Further using his skills in analyzing to break down a function of a specific technique or ability. For example, when fighting a shinobi from Konohagakure who used the Rasengan, Yoshitsune, not having seen it before, noted the spiraling chakra and spherical shape, as well as its handheld position, meant it was likely going to be a deadly close-range attack or a deadly thrown orb. After witnessing a tree be destroyed as he dropped to evade the attack, he noted his assumptions to be accurate before closing the gap to attack while the enemy was recovering. Yoshitsune also seems to be adept at figuring out if he is caught in a genjutsu or not, and will hurt himself with one of his techniques to escape it.
Yoshitsune is also good at deceiving his enemies. He does this by focusing on a certain skillset to make himself seem limited in combat, such as relying on a limited amount of his Wind Release abilities, before quickly and without warning switching into another skillset to catch the opponent off guard, such as rapidly using his long-range ninjutsu to attack a foe from afar if they build distance from him under the belief that his is a close-range combat specialist. He can also catch them with his Fire Release: Thousand Blooming Embers Technique to overload their visual and hearing senses to be able to pick them off with a long range technique while they are caught or recovering. He can also suddenly disappear and reappear with abilities such as the Body Flicker Technique and the Dustless Bewildering Cover, using these techniques to disorientate foes with his sudden change in placement or fading from their senses.
Yoshitsune's love for history has also made him read the histories of the great villages of Konohagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and of course his own home village of Iwagakure, as well as lesser villages like Otogakure, Takigakure, Uzushiogakure, and Amegakure, among others. He also holds strong knowledge of the great Land of Iron. Yoshitsune also took time to look into the history of Takigakure due to it being deemed worthy of containing a tailed beast, the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, in specific, in the past, as well as having been the home of the notorious shinobi Kakuzu with his infamous Earth Grudge Fear. This allows him to further have a prediction of potential skill sets his opponents might have based on their headbands or if they are missing-nin, though he doesn't let these predictions cloud his mind and is open to surprises in combat happening. This is also because Yoshitsune believes it is important to draw wisdom from many different places. Using this history in battle with a Hyūga clan member, he was able to discern the blind spot of the eye, giving him an advantage from that point on. Yoshitsune seeks to learn the origin of chakra, and seems to know the legend of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, very well and seems to know of the tailed beasts possessing individual names. As such, he tries to communicate with them when he comes across them out of respect and wonder.
Yoshitsune’s inquisitive nature has shaped much of his shinobi life. His desire to learn has often been described by many to be Yoshitsune’s strongest tool. This has caused Yoshitsune to learn the basics of each of the basic chakra natures at a fairly early age, though it would take more time for him to be able to perform them, let alone use them efficiently in combat or master them. It has led to Yoshitsune's many skills that has earned him the moniker of Thousand Cherry Blossoms (千本桜, Senbonzakura).
Creation and Conception
Yoshitsune, upon his initial creation, was a member of the Uchiha clan from a splinter group that was not in Konohagakure at the time of the Uchiha massacre. With this, he would possess the Sharingan and its many abilities, most notably the Genjutsu: Sharingan. He also possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, with which he possessed the techniques of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. Later, Yoshitsune would also gain the Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi technique as well, using it to amplify many of his pre-existing Fire Release techniques. Furthermore, Yoshitsune would eventually gain the power of Kamui, which would replace the previous abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan over time. Yoshitsune wielded the Rinnegan as well, which was revealed to be an evolution of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan fairly recently at that point. Finally, Yoshitsune wielded Wood Release. All in all, he was basically a heroic version of Madara Uchiha. Over time, Wood Release would be dropped from the character. Instead, Yoshitsune would become a user of Sage Mode and loose the Rinnegan for a time, though it would eventually be added back on to the character. Yoshitsune was initially from Konohagakure, after being transported their as a baby, but would become a missing-nin after learning more about the horrors of the massacre of the Uchiha clan. He would go on to create Gingagakure (銀河隠れの里, Gingagakure no Sato, Literally meaning: Village Hidden Among Galaxies), ruling it as it's Genkage (元影, Literally meaning: Origin Shadow). This would eventually be written off of Yoshitsune in the next phase of his development as a character as to make him a wandering ninja, in a manner much like that of Jiraiya. However, Yoshitsune would have no official ties to any village either.
As time progressed, Yoshitsune would become a jinchūriki for a clone of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, that was named Inari (稲荷, Inari). It also possessed fragments of chakra from the other tailed beasts, most notably Son Gokū. This was expressed by the fox possessing the power of Lava Release, in turn allowing Yoshitsune to access it. However, the beast did not express the Magnet Release of Shukaku or the Boil Release of Kokuō for any significant time, or the abilities of any of the other tailed beasts. During this time, Yoshitsune would drop the powers of the Sharingan and the Mangekyō Sharingan, focusing more so on the powers of the Rinnegan, the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and Sage Mode. However, the character did not really change much, as the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode effectively emulated the manner in which Yoshitsune used Susanoo. Further, the weaponry of Susanoo was effectively replaced by the power Truth-Seeking Balls, granted to Yoshitsune through the power of the Six Paths Sage Mode. For a while, these various powers would come off and on the character, through which Yoshitsune spent a significant time as just possessing the Rinnegan. During this time, Yoshitsune would make significant usage of Limbo: Border Jail and Amenotejikara. One such combination of these techniques saw the use of the invisible Limbo: Border Jail shadows to extend the range of Amenotejikara. Yoshitsune would also gain the Rinne Sharingan in this time, though at the time it was thought of as simply a special variant of the Rinnegan. With it, Yoshitsune gained access to various dimensions with the Amenominaka technique. For a time, Yoshitsune would have clones of the other eight tailed beasts that he could use as summonings, though they were generally stored in the various dimensions of Yoshitsune's Amenominaka. These would eventually be written out of existence, leading Yoshitsune back to just having Inari. For a short duration of time in this phase of the character, Yoshitsune possessed the Shikotsumyaku ability. Yoshitsune expressed this trait as a descendant of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. He also wielded Kubikiribōchō for some duration by means of collecting a fragment of the blade, which he had reforged with the power of the Black Receiver ability to effectively make the sword a giant Black Receiver.
This would finally lead into the last major evolution of the character of Yoshitsune, prior to the current rendition of the character that is. The character would eventually become a half-celestial being, half-human hybrid with the powers of the Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan with Kamui and Susanoo, the Rinnegan, the Rinne Sharingan, Six Paths Sage Mode, and the Truth-Seeking Balls. The Rinne Sharingan would become the conduit for all the different dōjutsu abilities exclusively, retaining the powers of its descendant eyes while being Yoshitsune's only accessible bloodline. This would also make the eye appear in both of his eyes, as opposed to forming as a third eye on his forehead. This was mostly just because the author did not like the aesthetic of the third eye. Yoshitsune did not possess the ability to use Yomotsu Hirasaka, but Kamui was used to effectively replace it. This essentially combined the power of Kamui and Amenominaka into one ability for him. Yoshitsune's Kamui dimension would become his central dimension, as well as having a volcanic dimension, a stormy dimension, and a pitch black dimension that only the Rinne Sharingan had perfect sight in. However, descendants of the eye had varying degrees of sight as well. Yoshitsune would also use God: Nativity of a World of Trees to effectively recreate the power of Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees, as well as to consume the chakra of those caught in the trees. Yoshitsune would eventually gain chakra from Kurama as well, as to regain access to the Tailed Beast Ball and have his Susanoo become the conduit for his tailed beast powers in a manner that appeared as a Susanoo-clad Tailed Beast Mode of Kurama in a silver colorization. This basically merged the two chakra constructs into one that was known as the Tailed Beast Susanoo (尾獣須佐能乎, Bijū Susanoo). More or less, Yoshitsune became a compound of ideas based on Madara, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, and Kaguya during this era.
While the author did enjoy this previous rendition of the character, he ultimately decided to replace it with this current version of Yoshitsune. This was because this version of the character, while still quite powerful, is far more reasonable than the prior variation. Further, it also reflects the author’s growing interest in the Dust Release kekkei tōta, which overtook his interest in the Uchiha clan and the abilities of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Initially, the Dust Release variant of Yoshitsune was going to be a separate page using the name Gitsuchi (義土, Gitsuchi). This was settled on by combining the first kanji of Yoshitsune (義, righteous) with that of the kanji for earth (土). This was to fit the common naming convention of Iwagakure. This would have allowed both versions of the character to exist as counterparts to one another in different universes, but was ultimately made into the single page of Yoshitsune as to disallow the Ōtsutsuki variant of Yoshitsune to overshadow the Dust Release variant of the character. With Dust Release, the author tried to solidify his concept of it over the course of three previous characters. The most notable one was Saizō Hattori (服部才蔵, Hattori Saizō), who is referenced in Yoshitsune's background as the man who taught Yoshitsune Dust Release. While they were enjoyed, to varying degrees, the author noted he never felt quite satisfied with them. He eventually came to realize that this was because he felt the previous rendition of Yoshitsune overshadowed them and any work he could do with other characters on the website. Yoshitsune's connection the the Senju clan was to maintain some level of connection to this history of the character, as well as reflect the author growing to prefer the Senju clan over the Uchiha clan. The naturally large reserves of chakra the Senju clan possess also worked well to justify how Yoshitsune could use Dust Release far more extensively and varied compared to that of Mū and Ōnoki. The author of Yoshitsune has stated that the main ability he misses from the prior rendition of the character is the Susanoo and its various applications, with Kamui as a close second. Several of Yoshitsune's techniques, such as the Fire Release: Nine Tails of the Fox Technique, are made to reference different abilities, techniques, and concepts he has possessed, used, or been based on at different points in his development as a character. While Yoshitsune author did say he still likes the half-alien version of Yoshitsune, he openly hates many of the ideas from the earlier versions of Yoshitsune. This primarily involves having clones of all the tailed beasts and his own village rather than abilities, though the author does admit to some level of embarrassment to the character having possessed most of the the major abilities from the Naruto franchise at different points
Yoshitsune, as he stands now, is the synthesization of several characters that the author had made previously as to make a character he is fully and completely proud of. Many of these prior characters are referenced in Yoshitsune's history as named characters for his growth within the universe of the series. Yoshitsune, in this rendition of the character, was also created to be an Iwagakure equivalent to that of Hashirama. This is represented by his Senju heritage, his possession of all five basic nature transformations, his Regeneration Ability, and his ability to access Sage Mode. However, as to represent Iwagakure more, Dust Release was used instead of Wood Release. This is also because the author hoped to take the ability of Dust Release and make it his own in a sense. This led to the author moving the skill away from contained explosions to make it a more dynamic and flexible ability. Despite being made to be the Iwagakure version of Hashirama, Yoshitsune is still fairly distinct from that of Hashirama. This is shown with his personality being quite different overall, as well as not possessing Yin Release or genjutsu. Further, the concept of reincarnation was never considered for Yoshitsune, as the author wanted his power to be of his own merit and not from having the spirit of some ancient, powerful entity dwelling within him. Aside from Hashirama, Yoshitsune also draws inspiration from various characters across different franchises. Such figures include Superman from DC Comics, Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the Assassin's Creed franchise, and Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, among others.
Ironically, despite Yoshitsune having specialized in Fire Release and Lightning Release in these earlier versions of the character, Earth Release has been a nature he has possessed nearly as frequently. This is due to Yoshitsune having once possessed the Lava Release and Wood Release kekkei genkai at different points, as well as currently wielding the Dust Release kekkei tōta. Further, he also possessed the Rinnegan and Rinne Sharingan to gain access to all of the basic nature transformations at various points in his history as a character, which also supports his frequent possession of Earth Release.
Trivia
- Yoshitsune's name translates to "righteous sutra" (義経). This is derived from Minamoto no Yoshitsune, one of the most famous samurai and military commanders from Japanese history.
- Yoshitsune’s moniker, Thousand Cherry Blossoms (千本桜, Senbonzakura), is a reference to Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, a popular Japanese kabuki play that features Yoshitsune. It was one of the first stories from Japan that Yoshitsune's author learned about that was not an anime or manga.
- Yoshitsune’s moniker of Fierce Deity (鬼神, Kishin) is a reference to wrathful deities, which are deities who defend enlightenment and destroy obstacles to it.
- Yoshitsune’s author has stated that Yoshitsune’s ideal Japanese voice actor would be Junichi Suwabe and that his ideal English voice actor would be Jensen Ackles.
- Yoshitsune shares his birthday, November 2, with his author.
- Yoshitsune enjoys various types of music, history, training, and being alone for periods of time for the purpose of relaxation.
- Yoshitsune enjoys singing to himself and out loud at times. He possesses a strong baritone voice and has a fairly large range of notes he can hit. Most who hear him sing note that he sounds quite good.
- Yoshitsune’s favorite foods are salmon sashimi and steak, as well as shrimp, potatoes, and mushrooms. As for sweeter foods, Yoshitsune is noted to like pineapple and cheesecake, though not together. Yoshitsune doesn't dislike many foods, but he is not a fan of pickled vegetables in general. Yoshitsune also enjoys drinking cold water, green tea, and fruit-flavored beverages. He also enjoys nigori sake, brandy, and whiskey quite a bit. However, Yoshitsune tends to avoid getting drunk. As one could tell, Yoshitsune has a wide array of tastes he favors.
- Yoshitsune is said to be afraid of centipedes, spiders, and wasps, finding them to be nuisances with painful bites, stings, and a gross number legs. As he has gotten older, he has tamed these fears to some extent, though he still dislikes these creatures.
- Yoshitsune greatly disliked the smell of cigarette smoke and would often put out the cigarettes of smokers around him due to this disdain as a younger man. As an adult, he has grown out of this rather rude habit.
- Yoshitsune doesn't seem to mind the smell of cigars. After becoming the Tsuchikage, Yoshitsune can sometimes be found smoking one to relieve stress from the important position. However, it is not known exactly when Yoshitsune developed this habit.
- Yoshitsune is known to have a strong disdain for Jashinism and its followers, viewing the faith as a means to justify senseless violence instead of being born from true religious obligation or piety.
- Yoshitsune has completed 1,587 official missions: 200 D-rank, 352 C-rank, 419 B-rank, 510 A-rank, and 106 S-rank.
- Yoshitsune’s favorite word is "future" (未来, mirai), as he wants to make the future better than the past has been. He also likes the word "faith" (信義, shingi), as he believes it is something people should hold in one another more as to help build the future into a better place.
- Yoshitsune wishes to battle Hashirama Senju, viewing him as one of the strongest and most admirable kage to ever live. Yoshitsune would also like to battle Mū and Ōnoki, as to show the two Tsuchikage how he has advanced the Dust Release.
- Beyond humanity, Yoshitsune would like to battle Kurama, as to see the power of the strongest tailed beast in action.
- Despite being descended from the Senju clan, Yoshitsune has never been referred to as Yoshitsune Senju (千手義経, Senju Yoshitsune). It has not been commented on if the Senju name would have been Yoshitsune's inherited family name or not, though it likely would have been due to the prominence of the clan in the series. Regardless, the author has stated he simply prefers the character to be a mononymous person.
- Yoshitsune was part of the initial Hall of Fame in 2017, but was removed due to massive revisions to the character in terms of history and abilities. He would later be voted back into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
Quotes
- "Immortality is a pathetic dream that the weak cling to in hopes of gaining respect and fear. The Sage of Six Paths, Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and Mū are all examples of this, death comes to even the most powerful of beings. Many supposed "immortals" have died time and time again. As shinobi, we fight, and we die to finally rest. In that rest, we watch our friends and family persevere and continue in life until they, like us, die and join us in rest. We continue watching their children, their children's children, and so on until a time finally comes were all this senseless violence stops on its own."
- "My story is just one of many, the world will not suffer if it ends too soon."
- "I am no wise sage who simply aspires for peace, I will help bring it into the world. However, as I walk the path of peace, I will walk it armed to protect it."
- "Sometimes I feel as if I live in a world made of cardboard, always taking care not to break something, to break someone undeserving of punishment. Never allowing myself to lose control even for a moment, or an innocent person could die. It is my burden to bear, to always hold myself back unless all the measures are made clear that I can finally go all out."
- "While I do what I do proudly, to create and preserve the peace of this world, I am merely a conduit for a dream that has existed since the dawn of this world. It is a dream that will outlive me."
- "I try to avoid basing everything off expectations. To do so would blind me from seeing something out of the ordinary and new before it is too late."
- "When you try to master something, you will either succeed or fail. However, in the attempt, you will find your true value."
- "Quitting out of fear for failing is in itself failure. Failure is only a beginning, you must try again. However, this time you know where to improve."
- "Life only possesses purpose when you give purpose to it."
- "Grow to truly understand something and to not just merely admire."
- "The only goal I carry in battle is to be able to see the morning of the next day."
- "Natural skills and learned skills are both important in combat. If one is born great but has learned nothing, one who has learned to gain the same skills and hone them can over take them. One born untalented, however, must quickly discover that fact if he does not wish to fall to the prodigies around him."
- "When a man is pushed to his absolute limits what does he do? He will charge in with every last bit of strength he has and tear down any wall that dares to stand in his way!"
- "There comes a time in life in which one will shape their life into whatever they wish it to be. The blood that flows in their veins, their environment, and many other factors can help the shaping of it, but in the end, it is the individual who fully crafts it. In the end, the strong will look on it proudly, maybe with some regrets, but still present it as theirs. The weak people are the ones who blame their life on outside events they could not respond to productively."
- "It is when we hit our lowest point that we are open to the greatest of changes."
- "Life is a grand mystery. No one holds its true meaning, you decide for yourself what it holds. More and more it confuses me and draws me forward, like a moth to the night sky's distant moon. It is amazing how lives can differ so greatly, even under similar situations. It shows the uniqueness of humanity. Most importantly, however, is how the light will keep shining upon new things to discover. Always look for that light and let it guide you forward."
- "True inner strength is from the hope you can give yourself."
- "Power comes in response to a need, not of desire."
- "Arrogance destroys the footholds of victory."
- "Pride is but a simple mask for shame, humility is what liberates you from the binds of it."