Bakuton (Bloodline)

## The Great Sculptors

This is the earth application of Bakuton (Explosion Release) using exploding clay for artistic expression. The clan originated from Iwagakure as the Tsuchikage's trusted masters of the forbidden explosive clay technique. The central philosophy of the clan is that true art is the moment in which an object that has form is destroyed. Clansmen are traditionally masterful sculptors who slavishly create beautiful pottery and immaculate statues of clay only to immediately destroy them in a grand display and start a new piece. The rationale for this is to avoid resting on their laurels knowing that their creations are as ephemeral as their own mortality and to continue striving to become even greater artists. They have traditionally viewed the Ignition Release application of Bakuton as brutish and deny any association with them. The Ignition Release would use their taijutsu to destroy their creations prior to their proper artistic moment for destruction causing deep loathing between the clans.

## Exploding Clay Traits

* Must have the earth element.
* The user is immune to their own explosions except for C0.
* Clay lacks the elemental weakness to lightning and the advantage to water.
* The Explosive Clay Art is the official name of this kekkei genkai. While it does fit under Bakuton as a category (formerly clay method), users rely on the doton element to utilize it and thus do not have access to the katon-based Ignition Release version without an implant. The opposite is also true.

## Exploding Clay Abilities

Note: These are not bloodline attributes and are automatically obtained if the requirements are met.

* **A Grand Display |** To access this all-powerful ability, the Bakuton user must be full-blooded (non-implant). Once per battle, the Bakuton user may divide one ranked clay creation into a maximum of [5] pieces. When divided, the clay pieces create separate explosions of equal power and ignore the ninjutsu splitting rule. This means that [1] A-Rank clay piece can be split into up to [5] A-Rank pieces without losing their power. These explosions can retain overwhelming qualities. The highest rank of clay creation this ability applies to is up to 2 ranks below your body rank at a minimum of E and a maximum of A. For example, an A-Rank creation if S+ body rank and a D-Rank creation if B body rank.

* **Artistic Creativity |** Explosive clay artists are renowned for their ability to integrate explosive clay into a variety of forms of artistic expression. If the explosive clay user has a fine arts shinobi class then they gain [1] custom technique per body rank (6 at S+) dedicated to integrating clay with their class's art. The classes that apply are puppeteer (puppetry arts), performer (performing arts), and scholar (calligraphy arts). This only applies to one class so if you have multiple creative classes then you must choose one of them.

## Bloodline Attributes

**▱▰▱ Art is an Explosion! |** The user is able to use A Grand Display twice per battle rather than once. Additionally, the user's clay gains an elemental advantage to water like all doton but without the lightning weakness.

**▱▰▱ Ephemeral Arts |** The clansman receives the Artistic Creativity ability to apply exploding clay to their shinobi class's aesthetic without puppeteer, performer, and scholar classes. However, if the clansman is of those classes but has this PA then they receive [2] custom techniques per body rank (12 at S+) rather than [1]. This only applies to one class so if you have multiple creative classes then you must choose one of them.

**▱▰▱ Grand Illumination |** The explosive radius of any exploding clay technique is doubled and explosive techniques apply tiered burning status by rank. Additionally, the user receives [5] ninjutsu per body rank dedicated to doton and an additional 200 chakra.

## The Explosive Clay Art

**▰ Explosive Release: Clay Molding [ Bakuton: Kurei Seikei ] | Rank X**

This technique is the basis for the Explosive Clay Art. It allows its users to feed their explosive chakra into the clay figures they create with their doton nature release and the ground. By applying a hand to the soil the user can create the finest clay for their techniques. With an E-Rank amount of chakra they can create a glob of clay the size of a rock, double that amount at D-Rank, and so on. Alternatively, the user can have clay mending mouths on their palms or chest to apply explosive chakra to their clay but this is not required. The clay can be molded into any creation and detonated at the strength of the amount of chakra applied making this technique highly versatile. Creating clay and applying explosive chakra does not cost an action but detonating your creations do as an offensive action.

**▰ Explosive Release: Explosive Bullets [ Bakuton: Baku Tama ] | Rank E**

The user molds five small pellets with their explosive clay into their hands and keeps them at the ready. At any time for a supplementary E rank amount of stamina these can be thrown. Each individual pellet explodes with a high velocity, causing tier one burns for each pellet and creating a concussive blast that throws anything directly impacted by the target up to twenty feet. When impacted by more than one pellet at once, the concussive knock back is extended by ten feet per pellet and causes tier one trauma.

**▰ C1 | Rank D**

One of the most basic and versatile forms of explosive clay. The user creates small animated dolls, often resembling animals. Depending on the variation created, they will retain the abilities of the creatures they were modeled after. ( For example, those resembling birds can still fly, spiders can crawl and climb, etc. ) This feature combined with their minor yet still effective explosive power, makes them excellent for all sorts of operations. Can create anything up to the size of a crow with this level of the technique. Can create a grouping of three creations, and they all detonate at once. Each individual clay creation creates a thirty foot concussive explosion that causes tier one burns and trauma, knocking targets to the ground if unguarded. Creation itself does not consume a combat action but detonation consumes an offensive action. Clay creations act with a basic sentience, seeking out specific targets that they are commanded to attack upon creation and require.

**▰ Explosive Release: Grenade Belt [ Bakuton: Tekidan Sanjaku ] | Rank X**

The user creates a three-foot length whip of clay with one easily gripped end. Although it can be hidden around the battlefield to be used as a sort of landmine, the whip is more commonly tossed at the desired target. If contact is properly made, the whip will wrap around the target and explode. Does not take an action to create but does consume an offensive action to detonate. This whip can apply the grappling status spiritually and requires an equal rank amount of chakra expended to break free. This technique causes a tiered amount of burn and trauma, ignoring armor and treating armor techniques as two ranks lower. If successful, the opponent suffers a 1 point reduction in agility and endurance when used at C rank or below while B rank and above inflicts 2 points of endurance and agility loss for the remainder of combat.

**▰ Explosive Release: Suicide Bombing Clone [ Bakuton: Jibaku Bunshin ] | Rank A**

The user forms a handseal and creates a clone made entirely out of explosive clay completely disguising itself as the user. The clone explodes under several conditions. The clone must either be physically contacted or stricken by a technique of it's own rank or higher, triggered by a hand sign, or remains active for six posts. The clone's primary objective is to get as close to a target as possible before detonating. When exploding, target(s) within five feet suffer tier three burns and trauma while being thrown back one hundred feet. If the target does not use an activation with a technique to catch themselves, they take tier three trauma on landing. Those unguarded within range suffer disorientating effects for five posts, reducing an activation while negating the agility stat for the remainder of combat.

**▰ C2 | Rank A**

The user creates a large flying creature, usually a dragon, but this animated clay creation's design is limited only to the artist's imagination. The dragon can spit out smaller clay figures that attack the opponent like guided missiles. These independent missile-like creatures take the form of a greatly reduced version of the larger dragon that created them, however, despite this decrease in size they are still relatively larger than a normal person. Each is capable of tracking their intended target and producing a significant explosion proportional to size upon contact but as they emerge, they consume a substantial amount of clay from the original dragon, initially extracting it from the creature's tail. This ultimately limits the number that each C2 "Dragon" is capable of creating, before clay must be sacrificed from more vital areas, such as the body or wings. Takes two activations to be created, but the dragon immediately comes to life and is useable. Material detracted for the use of missiles is limited to 10 total, before the creation is no more. Use of the Exploding Landmine jutsu detracts 1 from the total, as do dragonic creations. The missiles track a target at A ranked speed, and also consume one from the total. As with the landmines, these projectiles themselves are capable of being set off for one activation and will otherwise simply act as homing bombs. Creating and firing missiles from the dragon's body does not consume an action. Individual missiles are B-Rank in power and are capable of creating fifty foot explosions causing tier four trauma and burns. The dragon itself is capable of four times that area if detonated and removes all effects of enemy techniques that treat techniques as a rank higher.

**▰ Explosive Release: Exploding Landmine [ Bakuton: Kibaku Jirai ] | Rank A**

The large creature from the C2 technique can also produce clay mines at the expense of clay, that take the form of small spherical creatures, which can be subsequently manipulated to force opponents to fight in a limited space by burrowing them into the ground. When this tactic is combined with the previously mentioned missiles from the C2 creature, it can confine the enemies' movements to such an extent, that they are forced to suffer an explosion. C2 must be learned prior to this jutsu. The number of mines created per usage is 10, & must come from the C2 creature. The Dragon can drop these mines without taking an action, but detonating the group of ten does take one. The explosives are 50 feet in width, causing tier three burns and trauma. Anyone directly stepping on the landmine has all armor they are wearing shattered and useless for the remainder of combat, treating armor techniques and barriers as two ranks lower.

**▰ C3 | Rank S**

The user creates an extremely powerful large scale bomb as a non-animated clay creation that can be prepared in advance and is highly portable, being no larger than a basketball. Once activated, the bomb instantaneously increases its proportions before being subsequently dropped, consuming all offensive activations during a post to use. The following post, the bomb detonates upon impacting the ground and creates an fiery concussive explosion that causes tier four burns, burning, and trauma, destroying and launching everything in it's radius five hundred feet from it's immediate explosion, negating all stats. The shock wave created from this explosion creates a subsequent pressure wave in four topics surrounding this one, dealing everything a B rank amount of concussive force.

**▰ C4 | Rank S**

The user creates a giant clay doll the size of a bijuu. When it ruptures, a cloud of microscopic bombs are released. Impossible to be seen by a standard human eye, the bombs will enter the bloodstream of anyone who inhales them. Once there, the countless micro-bombs explode at the user's command, causing the victims' bodies to disintegrate at the cellular level; destroying nearly all, if not the entire body. Requires all activations in a post to set up. The technique once it takes effect requires an immediate visit to the emergency room or an S-Rank or above Iryojutsu technique to heal.

**▰ Explosive Release: Carpet Bombing [ Bakuton: Jūtan Bakugeki ] | Rank S+**

The user creates a dozen aerial winged bombs to completely bombard and decimate a single area. Each flying bomb causes tier four burns and burning and is animated (usually in the form of a bird) and is capable of a 50-foot radius concussive blast once they slam into the ground This devastating technique is particularly useful for destroying many enemy targets like an army on a battlefield. The scorched earth technique is capable of destroying a single topic and causing massive devastation to the area. This leaves a fifty foot deep crater that runs the length of the collective explosions, treating structures as C Rank during collision.

**▰ C0 | Rank S+**

The highest form of the Explosive Clay Art, the Ultimate Art, C0 is a suicide technique used as a last resort. The user reveals a mouth on their chest, which is stitched up. After undoing the stitches, the user feeds it a large ball of clay. The mouth on the chest has a direct connection to the heart so a large amount of chakra is built up. It then kneads chakra directly from the meridians of the heart and keeps doing it without interruption until the moment of the explosion. The user's explosive chakra then manifests itself in the veins, flowing through the body. These "veins" then condense into a sphere that slowly cracks open and detonates, producing a unique explosion that covers a six mile radius. Takes 2 complete posts for the sphere to be shaped from the eaten materials, with the next post emitting the explosion. Contact a moderator for the amount of damage that will be done, and where it will be located. Typically this explosion will consume ten topics but it depends on the location and requires moderator contact. The user will be consumed by this explosion.