Ichimaru Den

*"To defeat the enemy one must trick the enemy. Never assume that your better than they are. Always assume the enemy is more physical than you. Assume they have more Chakra, and assume if they get their stratagem off your dead. When you work under these terms you will never be caught off guard by the enemy. Leave arrogance and assumption to the enemy. We will win with pragmatism and tactics."* **Den**to her Ninja Underlings.

## Introduction

Ichimaru Den, second in command of the Shita-kiri Suzume (舌切り雀, shita-kiri suzume, Tongue-Cut **Sparrow**), is a member of the uzumaki clan and carries on their tradition of seals. Den has a reputation in her band for her skill in infiltration, and her strange choice of weapon of a bow. However she carries herself in battle with skill and unorthodox tactics.

## Appearance

Den has long red hair, and periwinkle eyes. She can always be seen with her bow or a dagger.

### Personality

Den is the calm type. She rarely gets angry, and goes out of her way to make sure she does not get angry. She tries to keep a leveled head in battle and in life. Calm for her is the golden rule. She understands that if she starts to freak out the others will freak out as well. Den grew up a mercenary daughter, and has seen war since she was a small child. As a result she is calm on the battlefield and rarely gets emotional.

Den however has a hatred from Amegakure and Sunagakure. She hates Sunagakure because they made her flee her home as a child, and she watched her parents battle them. She seen the scars left by their invasion on the Land of Rives, and knows the horrors they left behind. She hates Amegakure because they killed her Father and her Mother. They also forced her to flee her home, and she watched as they tore it down.

Den takes to anger like a fish to water. She soaks in it, swims in it, but never lets it drown her. She bottles it up and uses it as motivation for her next task. For her anger is a tool. However it should be noted that she can become very emotional when she thinks about her parents and Amegakure. She is not afraid to cry and to share her pain with her sisters.

Den is protective of her Sisters in her ban. She will defend them when they are wronged and investigate any guy they are dating. She sees herself as a older sister and it is her job to look out for them. Even when they are older than she is. She enjoys cooking, and often cooks for the ban. She also likes to teach, and teaches the young Kunoichi often to make sure their skills match the standard.

## Abilities and Powers

### Physical Abilities

* Above Average Strength
* Enhanced Durability
* Superhuman Endurance
* Enhanced Speed
* Superhuman Reflexes
* Superhuman Senses
* Enhanced Flexibility
* Extremely High Chakra

### Fūinjutsu

Explosive Tag Creation - Capable of creating explosive tags with ink and paper.

Chakra Draining Seal - Seal capable of draining chakra from a target.

Contract Seal - A seal that removes the control of a summoner from their summon. It does not give the user control of the summon however.

Five Elements Seal - A seal that can disrupt a opponents use of chakra. If applied to a even number seal it will disrupt it as well.

Four Symbols Seal - seal's formula to an object or a human's body, sealing a large enemy or an evil spirit within them. If two Four Symbols Seal are used, a stronger seal is created; this is called the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.

Sealing Release = A jutsu that can break seals on a target.

Sealing Tag Barrier - A barrier ninjutsu that involves the usage of several sealing tags being concealed beneath the surface. Once anybody steps onto the area, the tag will activate, releasing several thin threads that wrap around the target and restrain.

Sealing Technique: Spirit Sealing - Seals the spirit of a human inside of a scroll, aka anti ghost.

Uzumaki Sealing Technique - After doing the hand seals the user slams their hand into the ground. The seal forms from their hand and seals who or what under it inside of the seal itself.

Barrier Releasing Technique - The user places four tags marked "Release" in a diamond formation on a barrier. After performing the hand seals, the technique will break the barrier. It takes time and concentration to break stronger barriers.

Reverse Summoning Seal - A seal that allows the user to summon themselves when the seal activates or is broken.

### Ninjtusu

Arrow Creation Jutsu - Allows the user to create 20 chakra arrows. These arrows can be infused with ones nature to give them element.

Chakra Arrow String - A Jutsu that allows the user to create a bow and arrow string from Chakra. It acts like a normal arrow string. The draw strength however has to be set before the jutsu is finished.

Replacement Jutsu - Replace self with Log

Summoning Jutsu - Allows the user to summon a Ninja beast. In Den case it summons a bakeneko.

Chakra Hook - A jutsu that makes a grappling hook out of chakra. Due to it's make up it is uncuttable, but to Chakra blade weapons.

### NinKyūdō

NinKyūdō is the art of using Ninjutus thought a bow. The style combines archery with Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, and Genjutus. Den uses Chakra metal tip arrows allowing her to express her release when firing. At the same time she can also seal her Fuinjutsu in her arrows allowing her to perform them at a distance. However due to the requirements of some of them she is unable to use them in her arrows.

Arrow of Sealing - Arrow of sealing is a Ninkyudo. The user performs the hands signs for the Uzumaki sealing technique and then draw back on their bow. They let lose the arrow. It hits a target, and the Uzumaki seal spreads from the arrow instead of he users hand sealing target.

Chakra Drain Arrow - The user shoots a target with a arrow marked with the Chakra drain seal. Upon contact the seal transfers from the arrow to the target. It will then begin to drain out their chakra at a high rate till they run out of chakra.

Solar Shot Arrow - Fire Release - User performs hand signs and fires a arrow at a target or in the air. The arrow explodes into a bright light blinding the target and filling the area with it. It can be used as a flair in battle to light up a area, or as a flash bang.

Solar Burning Arrow - Fire Release - Genjutsu - The user performs the hand signs and shoots the arrow. It flies, a explodes with a loud boom in light. That light carries with it a Genjutus. Everyone who sees the light comes under it's effect. The targets suddenly think they are on fire. From their point of view they catch a flame and they burn. They feel the flames, the heat, the sound, and they think they are covered in flames.

Arrow Summoning Shot - The user shoots a arrow into the air. It then explodes releasing the seal. A rain of arrows then rain down on the target.

Tar Shot - The user shoots a arrow. In flight it explodes into black tar and covers the target or the area. This tar is sticky and will cling to the target, and bind them to their surroundings. The tar is also extremely flammable.

Punching glove Arrow - A Ninjutsu technique where the user shoots a arrow. It's arrow head explodes into a fist and punches the enemy.

### Feats

* Capable of Shooting arrows with her feet
* Capable of shooting the wings off a fly.

### Backstory

Den was born to two missing nin from Amegakure. Ichimaru kaki was her father, and Uzumaki Kame, her mother. The two of them grew up in Amegakure under the rule of Honzo. Kaki himself saw the battle between the Sanin and Honzo and strived to be a great ninja. However the Ichimaru clan and the Uzumaki that lived in the village, suffered greatly under Honzo's rule. The size of the Ichimaru made them suspicious to Honoz, and the Uzumaki were never trusted for their past relationships with Konohagakure.

Eventually kaki and Kame got married, and began to talk about kids. However they decided they did not want to raise their kids in Amegakure. The two abandon the village together and moved to the Land of Rivers. There they start up a mercenary band and build Fort Ichimaru. They begin teaching recruits ninjutsu. After a while the two feel secure enough in their new home, and Kame becomes pregnant, and gives birth to their daughter Ichimaru Den in the 86th Year after Hashirama's birth. Then the Sand Nation attacks.

This plunges the entire area into war. Fort Ichimaru stands firm during the beginning of the war. Kaki and Kame work together side by side to defend their home. When Konohagakure comes to aid it seemed like the war was going to turn in their favor. However that changes when Sasori arrived. With his hundred puppets. Unable to hold back the storm Kaki and Kame retreat abandoning their home. They fall back to the Land of Fire, and begin to rebuild up their mercenary force. When Sasori is called back to the land of sand the next year Kaki and Kame take the opportunity to strike back. They join Konohagakure in their attacks in the land of rivers. They besiege Fort Ichimaru and take back their home.

Den was forced to grow up fast due to the war. At the age of five she had already learned the art of Fūinjutsu, by creating explosive tags for the mercenaries. After the war there was talks from her parents about returning home to Amegakure now that Honzo was dead. However the talks ended shortly after they realized how chaotic the region was. Instead they sold their services to local villages exterminating bandits that popped up from the war, and taking whatever jobs they could fine. It was in this time period that Den learned the use of the bow, and gained most of her training.

In the year 101 after the Death of Hashirama things went south for Den and her family. Their success as mercenaries caught the attention of Hojo Yakumo and Meji Sadaharu. The two remembered the run away Uzumaki and the Ichimaru. Joining together the two jonin began to has a plot. They systematically killed all the mercenaries working at Fort Ichimaru, droping their numbers dangerously low. They then attacked the fort together and slaughtered everyone inside. Realizing who they were up against Kiki and Kame convinced their daughter to leave thought a secret escape tunnel. The two of them faced their doom they same way they lived, together.

For the second time in her life Den was forced to flee her home. Thought, she did not remember the first, the thought of it stung. She began to wonder the Land of Rivers, with noting more than her parents teaching. She began to take odd jobs on the side, and teamed up with another well renown mercenary nin, Kiago Oichi. The two worked together side by side on many missions, and formed a friendship. Den eventually joined her band of Kunoichi, and soon rose to be the second in command. The move to Hot Water Country was her idea, and the alliance that formed after was championed by her.