Saizō Hattori

**Saizō Hattori** (服部才蔵, *Hattori Saizō*) is a famed shinobi from Iwagakure. Descended from Mū, Saizō was blessed with strong skill and became someone of focus in Iwagakure's academy. Saizō raw skill, talent, and heavy potential caught the eye of Ōnoki, who passed down to Saizō the secrets of the infamous skill more advanced than kekkei genkai, the infamous kekkei tōta of the great and powerful Dust Release. With this power being possible within his blood and in his hand, Saizō became known as the best of the current generation of Iwagakure shinobi and one of the best shinobi in the village's history in general due to his advanced usage of his Dust Release. This further made him a prime candidate for being the successor of the Tsuchikage position and, despite being unsure about taking the office and the responsibility at first, Saizō would become the **Fifth Tsuchikage** (五代目土影, *Godaime Tsuchikage*).

Aside from his own feared name bearing great fame in the shinobi world, Saizō is known by a large set of monikers as well to add more to his infamy. As a powerful warrior with great ferocity on the battlefield, he became known as the **Red Lion** (赤獅, *Akashi*), for his red cloak and for the king of beasts. As such, when his name is heard to be on mission, many retreat in fear of battling the red beast due to his well known destructive power. Saizō is also known for creating multiple Dust Release techniques and taking it away from the common Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique the combined nature transformation in really known for and recreating it into a far more dynamic skill than it ever was before with its previous masters of Ōnoki and Mū, earning him the honorable name **Saizō of the Dust Release** (塵遁の才蔵, *Jinton no Saizō*). Along with being Mū's descendant, Saizō is also the father of Shizuka Hattori.

## Abilities

Despite being of a fairly young clan compared to many of the other clans in existence, Saizō was able to overcome being of supposedly weaker blood and become an excellent and powerful shinobi. Saizō is noted to have large amounts of chakra, unique when compared to his father and mother, and the chakra itself is also highly potent, giving it greater power when compared to many of his peers. With it, he can use multiple Dust Release techniques in a row without showing exhaustion, with Dust Release being known to be quite chakra taxing. Due to his possession of large amounts of potent chakra, he is sometimes mistaken as the jinchūriki of one of the great and mighty tailed beasts, the legendary beasts of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's creation. When he corrects those who makes this mistake, they are often shocked that such a chakra signature can exist outside of the greatest clans of the Warring States Period, making it so many respect and fear the great power and potential that Saizō wields. Some sensors have noted Saizō large amounts of chakra is bright, yet frightening to feel from all the anguish Saizō has felt over the years. Saizō is a master of many techniques, many of which are feared nationally and has a highly advanced, expert-level usage with all of them. Further, to match his muscular frame, Saizō is quite strong even without using chakra to enhance his physical attributes. Saizō great physical strength impresses even great taijutsu specialists, as he is so well built despite not making taijutsu his greater focus in terms of combat, and can easily lift a large boulder with a single hand. Saizō is further adept in the skill of fighting with a chakra blade in the shape of a large knife. Using his speed, agileness, and close combat skills, he can easily maim those who he chooses to raise the small blade against, even overtaking great sword wielders with the knife. Saizō is also noted to be fast with hand seals, and can perform one handed ones for events such as using the shapes of Dust Release to enhance his taijutsu. His overall large skill set, with powerful usage in each skill, has made it so he is considered one of the greatest shinobi to ever be born with Iwagakure and often thought to be the next in line to become the Tsuchikage. This would ultimately come true when he was promoted to becoming the **Fifth Tsuchikage** (五代目土影, *Godaime Tsuchikage*).

### Ninjutsu

Like many shinobi who have come and gone, Saizō possesses strong skill in ninja techniques, ninjutsu. This art, despite shining in his physical prowess, is consider by himself and most others to be where he truly shines. In combat. With his great stamina and large reservoirs of chakra make it so he can use many power in succession without exhausting either himself or his chakra reserves. Another technique that Saizō employs that falls under being a ninjutsu-based skill is the Flying Swallow. By using his knife, Saizō flows chakra into the blade. The chakra forms along the blade and in essence lengthens the blade to make it more proficient in making contact with its target, cutting them greatly. Saizō can adjust the length of the chakra blade by adding or decreasing the amount of chakra he flows into the blade, making the slashing length of the knife unpredictable to the opponent. While the cutting power of the pure chakra in great enough to cut through stone, Saizō can further enhance it with wind-chakra. Saizō can also use the fire to make a burning blade that can sever and burn, or use wind and fire together to make a much hotter, cutting flame along the knife. Finally, Saizō makes strong usage of the Dustless Bewildering Cover, much like his ancestor, the Second Tsuchikage Mū. With this technique, Saizō directs his chakra in such a way that it acts as a mirror, reflecting light off himself as to become invisible to all. As the technique masks his scent and shadow, Saizō simply continued to practice his usage of the technique until he could completely cover up his chakra signature. Saizō also makes usage of shadow clones with this technique so that if even one is discovered, another clone could strike while the enemy is occupied with the revealed Saizō, be it himself or another clone in either situation. Saizō can also use the Sensing Technique to track and hunt specific chakra signatures, and is a fairly adept sensor type ninja. Saizō can also call upon the power of his Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique to make himself lighter to achieve flight. Due to his many different ninjutsu-based techniques, Saizō is known to be very well rounded in his skills but that is not to say that the great Saizō lacks mastery in any of them. What sets Saizō truly apart is being born fairly skilled but still pushing forward to reach new strides.

#### Nature Transformation

Saizō possesses the sacred Earth Release of the Land of Earth and Iwagakure. It is the basic chakra nature he uses most often was well, and possesses great skill with it as such. This indicates it may be his natural chakra affinity had he lacked his two advanced natures. One such technique he possesses in it is the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique. Within, he can rapidly increase the weight of things he touches, using it to strategically control battle. One such tactic is the ability to increase his own weight, which increases his strength as well. This, however, slows him down drastically, but he can counter this with is mastery of the Body Flicker Technique to be able to move at speeds slightly faster than his basic, normal speed. Saizō can also use this technique to weigh down the target, and while their strength may be increased, he can again use his Body Flicker to outmaneuver them. If he increases the weight at an extremely rapid rate, the attack can petrify the foe, turning them into stone. This tactic is employed by Saizō on quick assassinations. Contrary to this technique, Saizō can also make usage of the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique. As the name would imply, it can be used to lighten material. This can be used to lighten the weight of incoming, solid attacks as to make them less effective or not very effective at all, depending on how much he can lighten it. This tactic isn't used as to avoid getting hurt per se, rather, it is used to dishearten the opponent to see their attack made useless. Like the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique, he can use this technique on himself. When he does this, he can grant himself the ability to move against gravity and fly. Likewise, he can apply it to his allies and allow them flight as well. However, this decreases his physical strength and often resorts to using non-physical attacks in flight. However, in a bind, he can rapidly increase his rate to restore his strength. Saizō can also lessen the weight of his foes to a lesser degree than the flight variation as to weaken their physical strikes, making this effective when fighting taijutsu specialists. Saizō also makes usage of the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique. With this, he armors his hand and arm with stones as to increase the blunt damage of his fist, and by increasing its weight, it will become that much greater. He can also fly with this technique, and increase its weight in the air to drop it from the sky to let it pick up speed from falling. Saizō can make use of the Earth Release: Golem Technique. This technique creates a humanoid creature of stone with a large size. It can be made with earthen chakra creating the needed rocks, or with natural, pre-existing rock. Saizō can form the golem rapidly, and like many of his techniques, he can increase its weight to give it even greater strength. By merging his created rock and natural rock, and given time to construct it, Saizō can create a massive golem that is much larger than the armored form of Susanoo, but somewhat smaller than the as the Complete Body — Susanoo. This one's strength is unrivalled by any other user of the Earth Release: Golem Technique, the extra stone on it forms armored areas for Saizō to hide in while he lets the golem fight, providing a great defense. Saizō often employs shadow clones to help in its creation. Saizō can also lighten the golem and fly with it, before rapidly increasing its weight and dropping it on the area the enemy is in, using its massive size to crush all beneath it in a way similar to his usage of the Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique, on a much more massive scale. Saizō's final earth-based technique is the Earth Release: Sandwich Technique, in which he controls the earth to make to large stone formations rise up and slam together, crushing whatever is caught between them. Saizō can use various sized stone for different effects, from small ones to catch limbs, to large ones to crush massive structures. Also using his power over Earth Release, he can use his earthen chakra to form a fairly sized rock or use a naturally occurring rock to form a Third Eye, which is not an Earth Release-based skill normally, but through Saizō usage of it with his ash, it gains the Earth Release property. By using his chakra to control the eye made of volcanic ash and connecting the chakra to his optic nerve, it truly gains all the functionality of a third eye. The third eye of stone is used for reconnaissance by Saizō, scoping out the location of his mission before he strikes, hiding the eye or dispersing it to hide it from the enemy. However, to use it, he must cover one of his eyes.

Further, Saizō also possesses the Fire Release. While it is not used by Saizō as much as he uses his more favored Earth Release, he still makes strong usage out of what he has available to him. One technique he commonly makes usage of and employs in combat is the Fire Release: Demon Lantern. With this fairly complex technique, Saizō kneads fire chakra within himself. He then releases the fire chakra from his body outwards, and the chakra shapes into multiple balls of fire that morph into several demonic-looking heads. Saizō then performs a simple a hand seal, and the demon heads will swarm forth and attack the target Saizō has chosen. While the heads themselves burn on when they initiate contact, its true power lies in that the demon heads will burst into a large flame as to consume the target with fire. Saizō can also control the demon heads to attack multiple targets or to land in different areas to ignite said areas aflame as to harm multiple people or block off routes the enemy can use to move about as to contain them within a reasonable distance from the man known as the **Red Lion** (赤獅, *Akashi*). The other fire technique Saizō often makes use of is known as the Fire Release: Thousand Blooming Embers Technique. With this, Saizō again kneads fire chakra within himself, and then spits it out as a ball of fire. The ball of fire bursts into an extreme number of embers quickly after it is fire. The embers can cause low amounts of damage to a foe and ignite their clothing to harm them, but this is not the primary aspect of the technique. The primary usage of this technique is to allow the embers to burst into light. The light put out by the embers can blind the foe, even more so to users using activated dōjutsu, as their eyes are more sensitive. The embers bursting into light also makes a loud popping noise in the process, which can further disorientate the foe. As this technique is used, Saizō quickly distances himself from it as to not fall to its effects as well. He then will often use another technique quickly as to attack the foe more aggressively while they are occupied and stunned by the light and noise. Saizō can also use this technique as a single, large fireball. This only produces one larger burst of sound and light, making it far less distracting and disorientating. However, this increases the power of the technique to at least be on par with the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

Outside of his powerful earth and fire chakra natures that he wields with great skill, Saizō possesses another basic chakra nature. The other nature Saizō bears and that was taught to him is the great Wind Release. Despite being learned later in his life, he uses the power of Wind Release proficiently and well in combat. Aside from techniques, Saizō uses Wind Release to enhance the power of his fire techniques. Doing this, the Fire Release: Demon Lantern demon heads bursts into larger, hotter flames, and his Fire Release: Thousand Blooming Embers Technique produces brighter, more blinding light. The popping sound also becomes louder as well. As for wind techniques, Saizō makes usage of the Wind Release: Pressure Damage. With this technique, Saizō compresses his wind chakra within himself, and keeps getting compressed to reach a higher density. Saizō will then release the compressed wind into a swirling mass of tornado-like wind. It can be used to wipe a large group of enemies off their feet at once. Should Saizō desire, especially when he is in more direct combat, he will compress the wind chakra in himself until the wind reaches its maximum possible compression. When releases, the resulting blast is much larger, and the wind cuts into the foe as it throws them, and can greatly damage the surroundings, such as destroying a large section of a forest or toppling buildings. Saizō can also ignite the wind with his Fire Release to burn away the surroundings rapidly as the tornado-like burst of wind turns into a fiery storm. Saizō also makes usage of a more direct wind technique that isn't originally focused on knocking over the enemies. The technique is known as the Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. With is, Saizō breaths in air. He will then rapidly compress the air with his wind chakra before firing the air back out. The wind takes on the shape of bullets as it is exhaled out of him. The wind bullets move rapidly and fly towards the enemy. With the power of Wind Release, the bullets of air can easily pierce into the flesh of their target and cause a fair amount of damage and bleeding. The bullets, depending on the power of the individual bullets, can also completely pierce entirely through the body of the enemy, causing greater damage and larger amounts of bleeding. The bullets can be ignited as well. The burning wind bullets carry the same piercing power as the regular technique, but can causing bad burning on the enemy as it pierces into or through the target, giving an even worse pain to those who are struck.

Saizō possesses one final chakra nature. The secrets of this power that some consider sacred within the village of Iwagakure were considered to be passed down to Saizō when he showed mastery of his Earth Release and Fire Release from his affinities and family training. This sacred power truly was passed down to him once he revealed he had mastered the final requirement, power of his Wind Release as an affinity as well. The power itself merges all three of these natures: Earth Release, Fire Release, and Wind Release to form an ability of extreme power, usability, and variety in how it can be employed in combat. The great power of Iwagakure, wielded by the great Tsuchikage Mū, as well as his successor as the Tsuchikage and in the sacred power Ōnoki, the mighty Dust Release. The power of Dust Release surpasses the greatness of a kekkei genkai, and is known as a kekkei tōta. As Saizō already was trained in merging his fire and wind chakra to greatly enhance the power of his fire techniques, the concept of merging the three chakra natures of earth, fire, and wind came to him fairly easy compared to other users of the power and failed attempts at gaining it by others. While it took him time to master it, Saizō quickly made it one of his most relied on abilities. The first technique Saizō gained from the infamous power of Dust Release is the most famous and iconic technique of Dust Release, the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique. With it, Saizō focuses earth, fire, and wind chakra together to create dust chakra and form a glowing white sphere. The sphere of chakra is thrown forth of the selected target or targets. As it flies forth, a transparent layer of white chakra comes forth from it and captures the enemy within the shape that forms with the white sphere. The shape varies, with one of the more common ones Saizō uses is the infamous cube-shaped variant, as well as using a sphere-shaped variant of his own accord. The walls of the of the shape that surround the white sphere core are extremely strong and can withstand extreme strength and attempts to escape. Saizō can manipulate the size of the walls as well. Once the opponent is captured in the box, Saizō can interrogate them as being trapped can be quite intimidating. However, once he is done, or if he decides to just wipe them out, Saizō can will the white sphere in the shape to explode violently, destroy all that is within the three-dimensional shape of the technique as the walls can withstand the burst and reduce them to ash, hence the name of Dust Release. The cone-shaped variation can be used as a destructive long-range projectile that can obliterate a large area of land. Further, Saizō could use a cylinder variation of the technique, and expand it rapidly to attack with it, destroying massive structures with it, and can open up the shape to let the sphere within it burst and cause great damage. Saizō also employs a variation of this without the core in taijutsu. As just making the shape is a lot less difficult that adding in the factor of the sphere, Saizō can create them rapidly. As such, he can punch foes and have a dust cylinder form as he does it, using this method of attack in a manner reminiscent of the powerful Evening Elephant. He forms the empty cylinder with one handed seals. Furthermore, Saizō can split any of the shapes open to use lesser attacks on a captured foe while interrogating them. Lastly, he can form a shape without an explosive core just to capture foes and crush them if he desires to do so, or use them to move about as platforms. Another of his techniques that he employs is the Dust Release: Fang of the Ancient World Technique. He gathers the needed dust chakra into his fingertips and a white sphere of chakra forms before them. Then, in a fashion similar to the Storm Release: Laser Circus, he fires the sphere out as a laser. The laser is incredibly fast, and as such, the target must be incredibly fast as to evade being hit by the technique or to absorb it. As such, Saizō often uses this technique as a long-range, sniper-like attack to kill from away, and uses his Third Eye technique to help him aim it better to either kill or greatly maim. This technique causes extreme amounts of pain when it hits its target based on its composition. Further, Saizō can use this technique through the explosive core of the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique as to harm those caught within if he wishes to keep them trapped, to harm them, but not to kill them quite yet or release them. Saizō can also entice certain chakra natures in his Dust Release techniques. One such example is his usage of a technique known as the Dust Release: Primordial Flames Technique. After gathering his chakra to create Dust Release chakra, Saizō forms the ordinary white chakra sphere used in the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique. Once this is done, however, Saizō will entice the Fire Release chakra nature within the sphere. After this is done, glowing white flames erupt from the sphere, and then add more chakra to create a massive stream of glowing white flames. The white fire's most destructive aspect comes in the form that it has a rapid combustion rate, causing flaming bursts as it travels along its path, destroying all in its path, burning down everything molecule by molecule until nothing remains. The technique also rapidly boils water, but it does not target body fluids like the Scorch Release, so does not function as a way of killing specifically by desiccating them. The great power of these flames often make it compared to the power of Amaterasu, but Saizō himself points out it doesn't have the power to burn for long periods of times, burning out rather quickly. Saizō may also use a smaller version of this technique to burn through some defenses, as Dust Release is effective at destroying chakra as well. Finally, another technique of Saizō's that entices a specific chakra nature is one of his most trusted techniques of all, and it is the infamous Dust Release: Voice of the God Realm Technique. This technique entices the wind chakra nature of the Dust Release. By focusing dust chakra into his hand and bringing out the wind nature, glowing white wind will form around Saizō's hands. As it continues to form, Saizō will slash his arm in a chop, and the gaseous dude chakra will form into a destructive crescent. Due to the dust nature, the crescent can cut perfectly and cleanly through wood, rock, metal, and even mighty chakra barriers or structures, rendering even the mighty defense of the Susanoo useless against the assault of this attack. Saizō can slash his arms quickly to fire off more crescents, firing them off in rapid succession as to quickly and assuredly kill the target. The slashes can also be launched in many separate directions as to target multiple enemies or structures. Above all techniques Saizō has, this one was designed to kill and to kill quickly. Saizō also uses the Dust Release: Steam of the Yellow Springs Technique. With this, he again brings about the wind chakra of his Dust Release. Saizō will then breath out a blanket of chakra chakra gas. This chakra gas causes great pain to those caught within it, as it is a dust technique and it aims to break down things on a molecular level. However, the aim of the technique is not to kill though it can in theory. Rather, this technique is used to destroy chakra and techniques. Techniques used within the gas cloud are attacked as foreign bodies of chakra and broken down. This weakens techniques greatly and can make them useless, or it can completely eradicate them. Saizō often uses this as a starting move to slow down foes with the pain, as well as to make techniques weaker obviously. By relying on the fluidity of wind and fire chakra, Saizō makes usage of a powerful technique known as the Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique. By using the fluid natures of fire and wind, Saizō can form a dust core. This dust core, however, is extremely malleable. Saizō can use to form waves of attacks with its fluid nature, causing fast, powerful damage. However, it's main draw lies in that the core can be shaped into tools and given form by strengthening it with Earth Release. As such, Saizō can form powerful swords with the attack that achieve an effect similar to a handheld Dust Release: Voice of the God Realm Technique, as well as various axes, spears, and other weapons. This lets Saizō cut through just about anything it comes into contact with, including powerful structures of chakra like the infamous Susanoo with ease. Further, Saizō can create shields that defend him well and cause massive damage to those who strike it. Saizō can also use it to create a chakra arm of sorts to fight with. The core can also be used to fire off smaller parts of it to be used as explosions, as well as using the entire Dust Release: Cup of Wrath Technique malleable core as an explosion should Saizō require it to, and rapidly forms a shape to hold it. As such, this is one of Saizō's must versatile attacks, and it often gets compared to the legendary Truth-Seeking Ball ability.

Saizō would later learn how to use Water Release. With the power of his Water Release, Saizō can use the Dustless Bewildering Cover. This is a water-based enhancement of the Hiding with Camouflage Technique. With this technique, water-based chakra is used as a means to reflect the light that would normally make him visible and cause him physical form to fade out of existence. This makes him unable to be tracked by most common means including basic human abilities to chakra sensing and heightened senses, including sensing-abilites and dōjutsu, as his physical form, smell, sounds, and chakra signature fade with him. Any movement he does make that could show his presence, such as grass beneath his feet being bent and broken, could be fixed by using the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique to fly over it. Saizō also took time to learn **Fusion Techniques** (融合術, *Yūgōjutsu*) in Iwagakure. His basis for this was his familiarity with mixing chakra natures to get different results. This has allowed Saizō to access abilities that are similar to that of kekkei genkai-based nature transformations. The main fusion technique that Saizō has is known as Fusion: Geyser Golem Steam Burst Technique. With this, Saizō creates his golem as normal. However, the arms of the golem will be made hollow. The hollow chambers on the golem will then be filled with water-based chakra or natural water. Saizō will then flow fire-based chakra into the water-filled chambers to heat the water. Due to being incased in the arms of the golem, the heated water will begin to build up pressure until it is superheated. Saizō will then have small holes appear in the golem's hands. The pressurized, superheated water will then release like a geyser. The boiling water and hot steam will be sprayed on to foes from any distance and be able to throw them aside and cause severe burns to form.

#### Bushinjutsu

Saizō is a man who employs clones into battle as he fights. The primary way Saizō produces clones is the widespread Shadow Clone Technique, one of the most versatile techniques that exists within the world of shinobi. With this technique, Saizō can create solid copies of himself with his chakra evenly distributed between himself and all his clones. These clones can think and act independently from the original Saizō, but as they are clones of him of course, act towards his common goal. While known for using a few, Saizō has been known to create many clones at once, and has been seen projecting up to two hundred clones at once, though in higher numbers such as this he and his clones seem to be unable to access his Dust Release kekkei tōta. While shadow clones cannot normally be detected by mean of dōjutsu, such as the Sharingan or the Byakugan, Saizō has gone the extra mile to perfect his usage of the Shadow Clone Technique as to fool even a great master of these dōjutsu, giving him a way to distract them as he launches a powerful attack. Saizō often employs shadow clones in the creation of a very large, powerful version of the Earth Release: Golem Technique, as to make it as fast as possible, and to continue combat as well so the golem can be created uninterrupted. Also, by using his highly efficient Dustless Bewildering Cover, Saizō can turn himself and his clones perfectly invisible and be able to mask his chakra signature with it and become as if he doesn't even exist. Saizō's goal with this was to create a method of battle tactics similar to the mighty Limbo: Border Jail used by Madara Uchiha. While his shadow clones could of course be dispersed by anyone should they strike them, it is simply challenging to land a hit on something perfectly camouflaged. Further, Saizō can produce multiple clones, at least four along with himself, and stream all five basic nature transformations. Saizō also uses the Shadow Clone Technique on his knife in a manner similar to the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, however, he does not throw the knife to create clones of it. Rather, Saizō produces clones of the knife in his hands and is able to throw them individually, often with Flying Swallow with a Wind Release aspect added in to give the knives even greater cutting ability. As it is known with the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, the cloned knives are nothing to scoff at, as shadow cloned tools are superior to shadow clones of living creatures and organic materials. The cloned knives can also be manipulated to change into clones of Saizō, should he desire it, as to be able to attack his opponent from behind if one of his cloned knives misses, making for a good suprise attack.

#### Bukijutsu

Alongside his powerful usage of ninjutsu and his great physical prowess and taijutsu, Saizō always carries a blade with him. The blade itself is actually a chakra blade and takes on the shape of a knife. The knife shape resembles that of a bowie knife with a hole in it towards the upper spine of the chakra blade. As a swift and agile shinobi, the knife is befitting a shinobi of Saizō style. Using his agility, Saizō can quickly and silently sneak up upon a foe and execute them on the spot with the blade. No wasting chakra and not revealing his location by the enemy’s scream as he covers their mouth, simply taking down a target as to make his mission that much easier. While it is best to use the knife this way, Saizō can bring the blade into combat as well. With the agility he has, Saizō can weave in and out of fists and rivalling blades, and counter with the knife in accurate and deadly attacks, having one time cut the fingers from a man holding a fully-sized sword.

However, should he meet a swordsman of such a caliber as to render Saizō blade useless, he can call upon ninjutsu. To do this, he often relies on a single technique: the Flying Swallow. As the knife is a chakra blade at its core, it was designed to be used with chakra flow. With the addition of chakra, the knife of the blade is blade more dangerous of course, but that is not all there is too it. The chakra itself forms off the tip of the blade into a sharpened state, effectively lengthening the blade of the knife. Further, Saizō can control the length of the added chakra length to make it longer or shorter on a whim. This makes Saizō attacks highly, if not entirely, unpredictable to the opponent, as he can rapidly change the length. Saizō can easily cut stone with this technique and damage blades. By using Flying Swallow with his wind-based chakra, the blade becomes that much deadlier with it sharpness. With it, Saizō can put large gashes through thick metal doors and cut them open forcefully. This can cut into some chakra-based structures as well. Saizō can also use his fire-based chakra with the Flying Swallow. This effectively turns his knife into a burning sword of fire. As he cuts with the blade, he can inflict great burns as well. Like this other fire techniques, Saizō can enhance his Fire Release Flying Swallow by also flowing in his Wind Release chakra. This increases the heat of the fire and gives it a wind-like cutting ability. The effect of this also causes the blade to cauterize wounds. As a user of the Shadow Clone Technique, Saizō applies this to his knife as well. By cloning only the blade, Saizō can recreate the blade just once as to dual wield his knives. The cloned knife has all the same power as the regular blade as clones of inanimate objects are of a superior quality to that of clones of animate objects. He can also produce a group of knife to throw them simply, and he possesses great, deadly accuracy when doing so despite the shape of his blades being unsuited for being thrown.

### Chakra and Physical Prowess

Saizō is noted for having strong reserves of chakra, having been mistaken as a jinchūriki at least at one point for this. His level of chakra, as well as its density, allow him ample control of his abilities, especially the chakra-taxing Dust Release. Even Saizō is from this level of chakra that he can so efficiently and effectively control this genetic ability of his, as well as improve it in his own machinations. It is for these reasons that Saizō is not only considered to have surpassed both Mū and Ōnoki in Dust Release, but even gain the title of **Saizō of the Dust Release** (塵遁の才蔵, *Jinton no Saizō*). His reserves allow him to use many higher-ranking abilities back to back without too much issue. Further, his great amount of dense chakra allows him to use minimal chakra for several powerful attacks.

Saizō is a skilled user of taijutsu and hand-to-hand combat. Saizō at times is seen as preferring to use taijutsu in combat based on his various techniques that enhanced his physical attributes. Saizō is known to be very skilled and strong in the use of taijutsu, due to his great strength and stamina. With his strength, Saizō could, with a single hand, lift a massive weight that was designed for two hands, though he showed this was straining him greatly while he did it, indicating his strength is not as great as the legendary Fourth Raikage A or the Fifth Hokage Tsunade. His great stamina, his chakra, also allows him to fight for hours without succumbing to exhaustion, being seemingly perfectly fine even after battling a group of rogue shinobi, known as missing-nin for over seven hours, using many techniques and physical assaults in the process. Using his superior levels of speed, Saizō has shown a wide range of physical assaults with barrages of strong punches and powerful kicks. He also uses more unorthodox methods, such as slamming his head into foes with a powerful headbutt, despite this tactic hurting most of those who use it as well. Along with sheer strength, his endurance allows him to maintain powerful strikes, punches, and hits with little to now weakening even after a long period of time. Saizō can also enhance the strength of his attacked by using the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique to increase the weight of his strikes. Saizō further seems to focus on hitting joints to disable foes, and is not above breaking a foe's bone in an area to defeat them. Like Naruto Uzumaki, Saizō also enhances his taijutsu through the usage of shadow clones, and creates deadly barrages of taijutsu by creating two hundred shadow clones to attack the enemy from all sides nearly constantly. Saizō further has a high tolerance for pain. Saizō also survived three swords being stabbed into him, and finished his battle before seeking medical attention. Saizō further enhances his taijutsu by using simple Dust Release to create shapes. This is most often seen by him punching a foe, and as he does he creates a cylindrical column that rapidly expands outwards from his fist to throw the foe and harm them great with the fast most, strong walls of the shape in a manner reminiscent of the Evening Elephant. Saizō can also do this with a cone to stab through an enemy if he so desires to. When doing this, he strikes with one arm while performing one handed seals with the other hand. He possesses great speed as well, which is greatly amplified by his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, as well as the ability to fly with the Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique.

## Trivia

* Saizō's given name translates to "possessing genius" (才蔵). His family name, Hattori, translates to something along the lines of "clothing guild" (服部).
	+ Saizō's name is derived from two famous ninjas from legend and history. His given name comes from Kirigakure Saizō, while his family name comes from Hattori Hanzō.
* Saizō's author has stated that Saizō’s ideal Japanese voice actor would be Tomokazu Seki and that his ideal English voice actor would be Roger Craig Smith.
* Saizō enjoys various types of music, hunting, history, training, and being alone for periods of time.
* Saizō's favorite food is shrimp and steak, as well as mushrooms. Saizō doesn't dislike many foods, but is not a fan of pickled vegetables in general. Saizō also enjoys drinking water, green tea, and fruit-flavored beverages. He also enjoys whiskey.
* Saizō dislikes both centipedes and wasps, finding them to be a nuisance. This dislike, however, is just a tamed version of his childhood fear of the two of these creatures. This further extends to spiders, to a lesser degree.
* Saizō greatly hates the smell of cigarette smoke and as a younger man would often put out the cigarettes of smokers around him due to this. As an adult, he has grown out of this rather rude habit.
* Saizō has completed 1,081 official missions: 151 D-rank, 153 C-rank, 421 B-rank, 253 A-rank, and 103 S-rank.
* Saizō's favorite word is "competence" (応答能, *ōtōnō*), as he despises not being confident or effective in one's tasks.
* Saizō wishes to fight his ancestor, Mū.
	+ Saizō has a stronger interest in Mū as the man has a very similar skill set to his and is, in Saizō's opinion, the strongest Tsuchikage in the village's history thus far.
* Saizō was initially planned to possess the Lava Release kekkei genkai, however, this was dropped as to focus more on the character's Dust Release.