Aburame Ritoshi

# Not Dead Yet

## How It Happened

Life doesn't start how anyone wants, what can be really wanted when first born? Ritoshi is the product of a small group of wannabe Aburame assassins for hire. The group hadn't even come up with a name to be called by, but these individuals sought to become some of the best, and that came with skill... and numbers. Ritoshi is the prodigy son of his fathers and mother who were regarded as some of the best of the group, his father being close to the people who founded the group. Adopting his Mothers red hair and his fathers Stoic attitude he was seen as the perfect candidate to lead the group to new highs, becoming feared throughout the Shinobi world.

## The Price of Ethics

The culture of this group consisted of discipline and loyalty, both of which were drilled into each member... young or experienced. Ritoshi of course was taught this young, and was expected to perform well across all fields, his father one of the leading examples of an assassin and his Mother the pinnicle of decisiveness, although Ritoshi did these tasks and passed, he majorly under performed to expectations.

## Friends

The group were only Aburame, consisting of 15 of them total, including 5 children soon to lead them to the top. Firstly, the individuals once learning discipline and loyalty, they are sent to the cave where they would be introduced to their Kikaichu, and will only use them for the rest of their life. Most children sent in by the age of 9 would quickly come out with their Kikaichu within the day, however Ritoshi was lost and spent 3 days within, having drilled in his mind he is the prodigy soon to lead the group he sought out the Kikaichu rumored to be the ones of extreme importance... A key to the top even. Ritoshi continued within the cave for these 3 days struggling to find them, all the while insect would reject him in his journey until he reached a dark moist section of the cave, venturing in he would find it to be layered with mass amounts of centipedes that would lay dormant until touched by the young Aburame, soon after they coated his body, fear taking him over he fell unconscious. waking up the next morning to find this section void of any life but his own, and all the lives now living within his skin. although they were presented as menacing, and disgusting creatures they proived to be his first friends, guiding him out of the cave all the while keeping him safe and guarded, Even when he was to be punished for taking far longer than the others the centipedes would protect him, and show the group he had achieved his goal in finding the fabled Kikaichu rumored to be that of legend.

## Living?

Ritoshi was at the top, although his skills needed heavy practice he was regarded as the future of the group... the one to lead them to the top who would be treated as royalty by all. Ritoshi entered further training that was to be higjhly honored for passing, although this training is only to take the humanity from soon to be assassins young, in return instruments of death are gained. The young assassins would be in this camp to train for 6 months where they would be taught how to control their emotions, no through meditation or techniques, but by assignment. All the while you were given tasks to carry out until you sat at your quarters for the of the day, expected to just think. Ritoshi left this training having failed multiple times, Ritoshi would carry his emotions over the days and try to express them further. He would be sent back twice as his reputation of being the next leader slowly fell from peoples minds.

## Redemption?

The people understood the difficulty of the training, and some even assisted Ritoshi to re-confirm he is the future of the group. Ritoshi was determined to finally put on show of his ability and finally be seen as more than passing, one worthy to lead a group. He was taught the signature method of assassination for the group, coating ones hand in their Kikaichu creating a deadly blade that would take many lives, leaving little trace of how. Ritoshi exceled at this, he manipulated his Centipedes without failure and it took him only 2 days to be able to eject the sharp chakra from them, where it took others months... although it was only the beginning, soon after Ritoshi would begin learning how to use poisons, an essential ability for the group, an ability they all had and excelled in. Ritoshi once again let them all down, it took 3 months for someone to gain an affinity for poisons... it took Ritoshi 1 year before they decided to move him on from poison, having tried all possibly tests to get him to be able to use it it only brought back the mindset that Ritoshi is and always will be a failure, having only excelled at one thing, and barely passing every other. He would exit the years worth of training after spending 2 years trying to master any of it. everyone had begun to give up on him, the superior tutors to teach the best left, as did the others over the long 2 years of failure and disappointment, all the while his parents wouldnt scold him, rather ignore him as they too did not know how to help him any further. The time came for a ceremony to congratulate the next generation, Ritoshi was allowed in through pity and his position of being the child of 2 of the best. Ritoshi watched as his peers passed him, what little people he had to call friends left him, as no one were ever truly friends, laving Ritoshi alone again.

## Life?

Ritoshi had no reason to become an assassin, he had no reason to be in the group, and barely a reason to keep pushing. With this realization he would leave a couple days before the ceremony while his parents were out and no one cared what he did... it was easy to run. Although no one was to leave, all were expected to stay and help build up numbers to make the groups name more fearsome. Ritoshi would escape to other places, stopping at small villages while being just 13, afraid he would tend to darkness and find comfort in the smallest things, like sleeping in a bush with his only friends, his centipedes. Eventually Ritoshi would catch wind of Konoha... looking for a new start Ritoshi fled there, where he would continue his usual watching of people, little talking, and always lost in his own thought and fear of failing again.

(W.I.P)