Tsunugi

**Tsunugi** (千手柱間 "Horn-Sprouting Bud God") is the Second-Generation Shinto Primordial God of Nature, Spiritual Energy, Life, Rejuvination and Shinobi. He is considered the second 'Founder of Japan', building up on the fundamental establishements of his brother Kuninotokotachi. Unlike him, he focused on specific groups which were later referred to as clans and Damiyo Kingdoms, or Hidden Villages.

His influence was small, but crucial for many supernatural organizations, some which have gone extinct, while others (like the Five Principal Clans) still remain powerful to this day. The names of his two sons and their children were lost to history as they died during the First Sino-Japanese Divine War.

He is the third oldest son of Amenominakanushi and Benzaiten (and Bishamonten). and the younger brother of Kuninotokotachi, Toyokumono, Uhijini, Suhijini as well as the twin brother and husband of Ikugui. He was the older brother of Otonoji, Otonobe, Omodaru, Ayaka Shikone, Nihilion and Nihil. He had a son with Ikugui named Jurojin.

## Appearance

Tsunugi was a tall man with tanned skin and dark eyes. He had waist-length black hair typically styled in a centre-parted fringe that framed his face. He often wore the standard shinobi dress of his era, consisting of dark red armour worn over a simple black suit with sandals. This armour was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body; each collar of his shoulder guards bore the Shinto symbol. Prior to Five Principal Clan's formation he wore a white-coloured cloth bearing his clan's symbol on his forehead, which he later replaced with the village's forehead protector.

Upon becoming Founder of Five Principal Clan, Tsunugi tended to wear the traditional Priest attire consisting of the customary maroon and white hat and haori over a full-length maroon and white gown, along with a simple red headband. Otherwise, he wore a light-brown, short-sleeved, kimono shirt with mesh armour underneath, held closed by a red sash, and navy blue pants. In his Five Principal Clan portrait, he is seen wearing a kerchief.

As a child, Tsunugi's hair was more bowl-cut in style, hanging around his face. His usual attire consisted of a dark kimono shirt, a short light green jacket with darker green linings, a white scarf around his neck, traditional pinstriped kimono pants of his clan, and a dark green sash around his waist.

## Personality

Tsunugi was an excitable man with a boisterous personality. He loved meeting new people, having friendly competitions, and gambling. Headstrong and often impulsive, it fell to others – such as his sister, Ayaka Shikone – to be more responsible or realistic about things that Tsunugi had gotten carried away with. When taken down in this way, or even when simply presented with information that troubled him, Tsunugi could do a near-immediate about-face, going from laughing to sulking. These moping periods were typically brief though, and he'd quickly go back to his usual high-spirited nature. Later generations upon meeting him, tended to remark that neither extremes of his personality were very fitting for a man called the "God of Shinobi".

Despite the first impression he may give, Tsunugi was capable of being serious when it came to matters that were important to him. He spent years opposing the practice of sending children to war and dreamed of a shinobi system where a child could be around others his or her age, never needing to "grow up" prematurely on the battlefield. To that end he became very devoted to Five Principal Clan upon its foundation, as it was the realisation of his dream for peaceful childhoods. He wanted the rest of the village to cherish what Five Principal Clan represented just as much as he did, encouraging them to regard every villager as part of one large family that should always look out for each other. As Founder, his job was to protect that family at all costs, even if that cost was his life. This philosophy, known as the "Will of Fire", would become a cornerstone of Five Principal Clan's teachings for decades after his death.

The Will of Fire is demonstrative of Tsunugi's general optimism when it came to other people; he believed a village-first loyalty would naturally break down the mentality that shinobi had to look out for their clans. Tsunugi lived by this philosophy long before Five Principal Clan's founding, having no qualms about killing himself if it meant peace between the Himejima, Nakiri, Kushihashi, Shinra and Doumon clans. In fact, his entire goal of gaining more power was to have enough just to stop violence. One example of this was he believed if the two most powerful clans during the Warring States Period were to join forces, there would be no other shinobi clan to stand against them and would stop selling their services, effectively ending the Warring States Period.

He always saw the best in others, either trusting that they acted in good faith or that they could, through non-violent means, be reasoned with. He was humble, not above lowering his head to his fellow village heads or claiming inferiority to those he'd never met but whose actions he approved of. If nothing else, Tsunugi was kind, placing the needs of others before his own: he was even willing to take his own life if it would help create a world where his friends and family wouldn't need to die unnecessarily.

It was on these points that Ayaka disagreed with Tsunugi most ardently, as Ayaka felt that Tsunugi should have a greater value of himself and a greater suspicion of others. It was, similarly, on these points that Tsunugi was at his most forceful, asserting his views over Ayaka's; Ayaka often disagreed which led to unecessary fighting, forcing Tsunugi to not attend Takamagahara often.

## History

Tsunugi was born after Kuninotokotachi, Toyokumono, Uhijini and Suhijini and at the same time as his twin sister/future wife Ikugui. Growing up, he very much enjoyed the small games he, Omodaru and Benzaiten would play together. He also took Amenominakanushi and Amenotokotachi's lessons about divine duties at heart, even though he found most of them boring. He and Ayaka Shikone often argued about him going out to befriend one of the Second-Generation Primordial Gods who had similar hobbies as he.

When Tsunugi and his chinese friend met one day, the latter's two older siblings decided to set up an ambush for Tsunugi and capture him for interrogation, under Tian's order. Suhijini and Ayaka happened to also be inspecting the two from afar and so they reacted quickly. While Suhijini defended her younger brother, Ayaka stayed and killed the siblings after going berserk upon receiving some major injuries. After this event, Tsunugi ran away to explore other pantheons and learn about them.

During his adventures, he was mentored, challenged and defeated by a fine number of beings. These experiences helped him mature as much as possible, though he still had that childish side of him that loved to play games with his mother and younger brother. A bit later he was also joined by Ikugui who wanted to be near him.

The two came back to join the First Sino-Japanese Divine War along with their children and grandchildren. The great war between the two rivalling pantheons resulted in many casualties for both sides, among them was his former best friend who he had to kill himself and all of his biological legacy. In the aftermath of the war, all the Kamiyonanayo were in a state of depression and had suicidal thoughts (except Uhijini and Suhijini), while the seeds of malice and hatred were sprouting in Ayaka's heart. Though hard, Tsunugi stated optimistic for his siblings and decided to help out however he could. He found joy in fathering and mentoring many of the mortals on Ashihara, passing down the knowledge of the primeval Kami to them.

He founded ancestral clans such as the Fujiwara, Tonobu and Abe Clans. He also established an order of 'proto-shinobi', special agents that could enact through effective and simple means (it should be noted that Tsunugi's proto-shinobi bare almost no resemblance to future more well known shinobi). Some of the other clans began fighting for recognition, so to appease the main five contenders, Tsunugi organized them into a group of principal clans and gave them a detailed guide on how to capture the five legendary beasts that roamed the spiritual grounds. However, an agent of the Yamikami burnt half of the scoll-guides, impeding the Five Principal Clans until much later on.

**Tsunugi** answered his brother's call and went to fight with the Yamikami. Though he fell in battle after taking the brunt of the attacks of four Yamikami at once, he managed to take out the former sub-leader who was the reanimated corpse of his best friend. Using Advanced Sage Arts, Tsunugi sealed his best friend inside himself and sacrificed himself to distract most of the Yamikami from Kuninotokotachi and Toyokumono.

The ancestors of the Five Principal Clans built wooden Buddha-like statues in **Tsunugi**'s image in an act of respect for his passing.

## Powers and Abilities

**Immense Strength**: Tsunugi was famed as the strongest shinobi and one of the strongest in history, reputed as a God of Shinobi. Through his unique powers, Tsunugi had been able to subdue and capture eight of the nine free-roaming beasts on his own. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Xinwangmu proclaimed that the man's might as a ninja was so vast that it was held in a fantasy light similar to the Kotoamatsukami, stating that only a few deities of his generation came close to matching or surpassing him. Even when only able to use 3/4ths of his power, his aura was comperable to that of Rhea, another Second-Generation Deity of Nature, whom he saw as a great rival. He was also shown to be able to fight with an avatar of Gaia who had 1/4th of her power and eventually defeat her with combination of skill and power. Later, he was able to overwhelm two Yamikami at once and only began losing after two more joined them and also because he was caught off guard when one of them managed to pin down and destroy his wife.

**Immense Speed**: Tsunugi was also a speedy combatant, able to keep up with and easily maneveur around other shinobi and Damiyo. The First Elder Heads of the Five Principal Clans once saw him crossing every inch of Ashihara twenty times in less than two minutes. He was also shown to be able to keep up with the likes of Rhea, Ana and an avatar of Gaia.

**Immense Durability**: Tsunugi was resiliant enough to take on attacks that could normally inflict severe wounds on Chief God-Class beings as stated by Rhea. Also, Ana's blessings made him even more resistant to various types of damage, including demonic, dark, etc. In order to be killed, the four Yamikami that were attacking them had exhausted half of their energy, which shows that he was an extremely durable deity.

**Master Combatant**: As the God of Shinobi and Founder of Clans, Tsunugi was a naturally-affilated genius of fighting who could overwhelm mortal martial artists with ease and keep gods on his level on their toes. He invented the prototype versions of several early martial arts from Japan. Using divine power and a combination of techniques, Tsunugi was able to twist and crush one of Rhea's arms. He also had no problems utilizing weapons during combat.

**Expert Magician**: Tsunugi was pretty competent in using various types of Magic thanks to Ana's training. He only displayed the ability to enchant and disenchant magic from objects and concepts.

**Senjutsu Master**: Tsunugi was arguably the best user of Senjutsu who ever lived, right under his father. He had his sage arts perfected to the point where he could make his own transformations and constructions out of it.

* **Sage Mode**: Because of his large chakra reserves, Tsunugi could use senjutsu and enter Sage Mode — a feat he could perform instantaneously. In this mode, he gains red (black in the anime) markings around and under his eyes as well in the middle of his forehead. While it is not known where he learned it, Tsunugi proved formidable in its usage, riding about on his wood techniques as a means to be mobile in battle while maintaining the stillness of one's self needed to continue building up natural energy to keep this mode activated. Tsunugi could perform powerful seals to bind targets, even those as large as the Ten-Tails. The power of Sage Mode would also greatly augment his Wood Release, causing his constructs to be become considerably larger and more dangerous, as seen with his largest creation, the Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands: by using it to deliver an enormous barrage of punches, it could strip Susanoo from the Nine-Tails plus was chiefly responsible for the formation of the Valley of the End.

* **Wood Manipulation**: Tsunugi was proficient in all five basic nature transformations, along with Ki and Kai Release. He was most famous for his use of Wood Release, a combination of earth and water-natured chakra, creating wood and plants from the ground or his very being of various sizes and shapes that he manipulated to his purposes. This ability was apparently exclusive to him as no one else has naturally acquired this power; any replications are noticeably pale in comparison to Tsunugi's capabilities.

Tsunugi could completely change the landscape with his constructs. He also had more ingenious usages such as making wood clones that are nearly indistinguishable from himself. He could make flowering trees whose pollen rendered opponents unconscious, protective structures able to withstand Tailed Beast Balls, giant hands to apprehend large targets, as well as a giant humanoid creature able to clash with Madara's Complete Body — Susanoo. In the anime, his precision and dexterity with his Wood Release could wield and launch his various weapons from afar, allowing him to attack from multiple angles.

Tsunugi's Wood Release also granted him a method of subduing and controlling the tailed beasts. By making direct hand contact or channelling it through his Wood Release, Tsunugi could use the Hokage-Style Sixty-Year-Old Technique — Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands to put the beast to sleep. He acquired several tailed beasts in this way and was able to maintain control over all of them at the same time. Likewise, he could create wood dragons to wrap around any targets and absorb their chakra. It was by this power that he earned fame as one of few people who could completely control a tailed beast.

* **Poisonous Blossoms**: Tsunugi summons an abundant number of blooming tree stalks which sprout awesome pinkish-red blossoms, which release a deadly poisonous that can harm even divinities.
* **Wooden Dragon Counter-Attack**: Upon being attacked from an aerial position, Tsunugi would put his hands on the ground and summon two large dragons comprised of divine-energy infused wood. This was seen against his best friend, biting off his Spirit Armor.
	+ **Wooden Golem**: Tsunugi could also preform a more advanced version of this attack by summoning a gigantic golem of divine wood with one wooden dragon growing out of its navel. Its physical power was huge and could injure a Yamikami.

* **Wooden Release: 100 Bodhisattva Strikes**: Tsunugi summons a hundred-meter tall Bodhisattva statue with peacock tail and hundreds of extra hands. Firing down from above, Tsunugi bombards his opponents relentlessly until they are beaten or stop his statue's movements.

**Plant Manipulation**: Tsunugi could create, shape and manipulate plants, including wood, vines, plants, moss, and parts of the plants, such as leaves, seeds, roots, fruits and flowers. He could cause plants to grow, move/attack or even rise from the soil and "walk", mutate plants by rearranging DNA structure and revive withered or dead plants.

**Plant Growth**: Tsunugi can influence and accelerate the growth of plants causing flowers and other plants to bloom instantaneously, causing them to mature with supernatural speed, grow to unusual size, and produce in abundance. Tsunugi can cause plants to grow from seeds to mature plants in moments, cause them to flower and produce fruits, seeds, etc. outside season, cause a cut plant to grow roots and other similar feats.

**Bio-Life-Force Manipulation**: Tsunugi can channel their bio-energy field to create, control, and manipulate the force of life. It is the metaphysical/supernatural concept of energy.

**Chlorokinetic Constructs**: Tsunugi can change plants, flowers, trees, vines, etc., into tools, objects, weapons and other items, create semi-living constructs and/or create structures of varying permanence.

**Sealing Technique**: Tsunugi knew many things about sealing. His knowledge was passed down to Five Principal Clans who used it later to seal five legendary beasts.

## Equipment

**Many Unnamed Tools**: Tsunugi used many unspecified tools in battle which assisted him in small ways, such as the summoning scoll helping traverse some disntaces faster.

## Gallery

Tsunugi*Tsunugi attacks Rhea**Tsunugi activates Sage Mode**Tsunugi's Divine Energy**Tsunugi uses Wooden Dragon**Tsunugi blocks an attack from his best friend**Tsunugi and his best friend clashing**Tsunugi displays Wooden Release**Tsunugi kills his best friend**Tsunugi and best friend clash with their strongest techniques**Tsunugi summons Hundred Hands Statue**Tsunugi's One Hundred Bodhisattva vs Xinwangmu's Buddha*

## Trivia

* His appearance is based on Hashirama Senju from *Naruto: Shippuden*.