Yamada Kuzashi

{Spoiler}{Extended Biography}Not much is known to the regular villagers about Yamada's youth. The Kuzashi were at odds with Konohagakure when he was born and because of this fact he wasn't admitted into the standard academy for shinobi training right away. Eventually though the lack of social contact started to bother his mother and it was during this period that he was sent to train with the other students.

Yamada's training on the Kuzashi compound had been vigorous so when he experienced the more casual approach the village took to training he managed to excel. Those who excel tend to stand out though. It was because of his obvious talent that he was segregated. Many of the children mocked him because of his bloodline; So many vulgar, hateful words. Traitor, murderer, coward. All of these not true but such was the fate of one who was different.

As he began to get on in the years of his youth and neared the end of his time at the academy he started to pick fights. So much pent up anger had been building that he couldn't help but release it every chance he got. He almost didn't graduate because of this. His instructors knew he had the skill to progress but his attitude was all wrong. Arrogance was the word they used. From what Yamada could tell it was a word often considered synonymous with the Kuzashi name. It wasn't until several years later did he realize that they weren't necessarily wrong about him.

Eventually Yamada did graduate though, at the top of his class no less and he was even considered one of the most talented shinobi from his own clan. He was often showered with praise which of course did not help his perception of himself. When he was placed on a team with two other Genin he was often criticized for his inability to trust his team mates. It was more than once that he would go off on his own to complete an objective, even without permission from his Jounin instructor. It could have been much more difficult for him but unbeknownst to him at the time someone was pulling the strings for him from behind the scenes. It had been a long time since the Kuzashi had a powerful shinobi high up in the village and there was a lot of pressure on the village leaders to make sure that Yamada grew to become powerful.

Over time Yamada started to develop a team mentality and it went so far that he even started to rely on his allies. This definitely did not happen overnight but he could honestly say now that it was faster than he ever thought it would happen. The complete change in his personality and outlook was reflected in the fact that the village elders began to pay more attention to him. It was during this time period that Yamada began to drift away from his clan. Not cutting ties at this point but the relationship was strained. There was strong disapproval for him becoming close with the regular shinobi in the village. There were times that he believed they only continued to communicate with him because he had awakened his Shakugan. This was rare among his generation. A lot of the kids on the compound had no desire to become truly strong like Yamada. Even fewer had the raw talent that Yamada possessed. It was this separation that caused the deep trench of animosity between him and his father.

Finally after many missions on his team and a few hardships between friends and family he was allowed to attempt the Chuunin exam. By this point he was leaps and bounds beyond the standard Genin rank. His sensei had spent many hours late at night honing his skills with Yamada and their team mates. Konohagakure was pleased that they would be participating because it would allow for a factor of intimidation against the other villages. The Kuzashi powers were known across most nations and they were revered. It was a good feeling but at the same time Yamada hated being painted with the same brush as the rest of his clan. His solace came from the fact that he knew in most cases he could back it up. What happened next proved that.

Yamada was pulled from the Chuunin exam shortly after it had begun. Even though he was still young at the time he was approached by the Hokage about joining ANBU. The benefits to such a promotion were vast. It was impossible for Yamada to say no. Training began immediately; Yamada was pulled out of the Chuunin exam under the ruse that something bad had happened to him and he would not be able to continue the test. His team mates accepted this and were allowed to continue on the condition that they didn’t tell any other Genin about what had happened. Their silence was easy to attain as neither of them wanted to be kicked out of the test that early in the running. Yamada knew his team mates and had told the Hokage that there was no way they would tell anyone what was going on.
Shortly after joining up with ANBU it became clear why so few people were allowed in. Yamada had always considered himself a pretty skilled shinobi but he wasn’t even able to lay a finger on some of the more experienced members. His skills began to increase at an alarming rate, impressing not only his superiors but the Hokage himself. He began experimenting with his Scorch release while in the field as an agent and found it to be an incredibly powerful means of attack. After he started to use it openly his ANBU comrades began to call him the Crimson Flame, derived from the colour of the attacks he employed. Shortly after mastering his new element he also began to notice a powerful new ability begin to form inside his Shakugan.

Despite his new bloodline based abilities it was during this time that his clan cut all ties with him. He was suspected of spying on his own family on behalf of the Hokage. Tensions rose and it was easier for Yamada to have no contact with his parents or extended family while working with ANBU. This suited him just fine since it seemed as though he was in a constant argument with his father about his own life. The ANBU become something of an escape for him. He spent all of his time out on missions either spying on other shinobi’s personal lives or ending them. It became something of a game to him. One he was particularly good at. He was well respected by his colleagues and feared by those who knew of him. In fact it wasn’t long at all before Yamada was able to lead his own team of ANBU agents. Because of their high skill level and his adept ability with his Kekkei Genkai they were often sent on some of the more difficult missions given to ANBU.

As time went on though he started to see how cold he’d become. At first it didn’t bother him. Not until one night while on a particularly unusual mission. His team had been tasked with spying on a shrine maiden at the edge of the Land of Fire. They had been given very little information about it but they were given explicit directions to do nothing but stand by and collect information unless enemy shinobi showed up. It appeared to his team as though she was selling information to the neighbouring Nations. This crime was of course punishable by death and Yamada had no problem with taking the life of a woman. They remained on surveillance for almost two whole weeks. Finally after they believed enough evidence had been gathered Yamada had decided it was time to execute this woman. The political process behind it would have given her plenty of time to flee and he knew that he would be forgiven for doing the difficult, but right thing.

What happened later that night would change his life forever. He descended alone on the shrine while his other colleagues stood by on guard. When he entered her dark bedroom she was still awake. She only had enough time to scream before he plunged his kunai deep into her chest. He looked at her through the slits in his mask as the life left her eyes. She spoke only two words before her passing.

“My baby.”

Yamada stepped away from the woman leaving the kunai where it had ripped into her flesh. She was clutching her stomach and he immediately felt what he could only assume was guilt. ANBU had conditioned all of the emotion out of him, or so he’d thought until that very moment. He fled the house, leaving the woman bleeding on the floor. Not a word was spoken between him and his team for the entire trip back to Konoha. What happened next though was the most difficult part of the story for Yamada. Upon returning to the village and informing the Hokage of their success they were immediately scolded. It had turned out that the woman was a spy for the Land of Fire. The man from the Hidden Sand whom she had been seeing every few days was her boyfriend. Or rather the man she had been collecting intel from.

Upon learning of the child Yamada and his team had been dispatched to watch over her in the event the Sand learned of her true identity. They had received a tip that they knew about the spy and were planning to assassinate her.

The Hokage decided to cover up the incident. A different team was sent to dispatch the man who had been sleeping with their agent. When explaining the situation to the Feudal Lord the Hokage informed him that his agents had believed she was planning to betray them and leave to the Land of Wind. This story was accepted and Yamada was assured that news of this failure would never get out. Not even his team knew the truth about who she was and none of them were stupid enough to ask Yamada about it.

It would be a very long time before Yamada could properly sleep through the night again. It was ultimately this incident that compelled him to leave ANBU and join the regular forces. The Hokage appointed him as a Jounin because of his outstanding service to the village during his time with his former team.

While acting as a Jounin he was sent on fewer missions and less of them tested his abilities. In his spare time he worked to repair the damage done between him and his clan. He even began working inside their compound by helping to train kids who showed promise with the clan’s Kekkei Genkai. He had all but mastered the Shakugan and was incredibly proficient with Shakuton. It wasn’t hard for them to accept him back with his abilities. It made them look powerful again and because he was now allowed to openly represent them he became a valued member of their community. He was given a house inside the compound again and was allowed to access all of their hidden records. Regardless of everything he did he never managed to fully repair the relationship between him and his father. Yamada had come to terms with this fact a long time ago so this hadn’t impacted him too badly. To this day they only speak when it is absolutely necessary.

Now it seems as though his life is back on track and he has started to get back to his old self.