Zansuru

**Zansūru** (ザンスール, *Viz:* Zansul) was the Director (所長, *Shochō*) of the Astronomy Research Institute. After falling to his death, he was resurrected by the Mysterious Force into a Spirit.

## Background

Zansūru had long been an ally of the Prime Minister, who assisted the monarch of the Land of Redaku in leading the country. An archaeologist by training, Zansūru spent many years studying at the Astronomy Research Institute, becoming an expert in the dinosaur fossils commonly excavated from the earth surrounding the Institute. From careful study of the Institute's archives, Zansūru was also able to learn how to revive the dead. By using this technique to revive dinosaurs, Zansūru believed a powerful army could be created to benefit the Prime Minister, and incidentally the rest of Redaku.

But to be able to revive the dinosaurs required a great deal of chakra, something only a shinobi would possess. So the Prime Minister recruited Jiji to their cause, offering to let Jiji settle down with his secret lover, Margo, in exchange for a year spent helping Zansūru. Jiji accepted these terms. The first of the dinosaurs to be revived, who would come to be called Menō, was a success. Jiji granted control of Menō to Zansūru, who used Menō to maintain order among the prisoners being used to excavate additional dinosaur fossils. When a new fossil would be found, Zansūru stored it in a secret chamber only accessible from his office; he also raised chickens there, which were to be used as sacrifices for the revived dinosaurs.

As the year of Jiji's service was about to finish, Zansūru had not yet accumulated enough fossils for use in the Prime Minister's army, and in fact had made no efforts to revive additional dinosaurs other than Menō. In order to keep Jiji's cooperation, Zansūru lied to him that Margo - with whom Jiji had been out of contact - had died, a casualty of an unspecified pandemic; he requested the Prime Minister send Jiji a falsified death certificate as proof. Jiji was devastated by the news and lost his will to live. Zansūru proposed using the same technique that revived the dinosaurs to in turn revive Margo: if Jiji would continue lending assistance until the army of dinosaurs was fully assembled, then Zansūru would track down Margo's body so Jiji could revive her. Jiji accepted these terms.

Zansūru rarely ventured away from the Astronomy Research Institute, too intent on seeing his task, and thus the Prime Minister's aspirations, completed. Conditions among the Institute's prisoners steadily declined, as Zansūru had no concern for their well-being beyond their role in furthering his own purposes.

## Personality

Zansūru was a very calm and level-headed man, able to keep his emotions in check. While initially appearing to be a fair individual, ordering his guards to not reprimand Sasuke Uchiha for engaging in a fight since the other prisoners had targeted him first, Zansūru was actually quite unconcerned for his prisoners's safety. He was satisfied when the other prisoners witnessed Menō publicly executing two prisoners who tried to escape, knowing it would only motivate them to obey. When Sasuke attempted to place him under genjutsu, Zansūru focused all of his time and attention in tormenting Sasuke, allowing his guards to physically reprimand him for the slightest act of wrongdoing.

Zansūru was fiercely loyal to the Prime Minister of the Land of Redaku, making it his priority to assist him in gaining complete control over the country. When coming across anyone who threatened the Prime Minister's plans, Zansūru would do everything in his power to eliminate them. His loyalty caused him to try and complete the Prime Minister's plans even after the latter had been arrested, believing he was the only one capable of following in his friend's footsteps and completing his plan. As such, Zansūru was perfectly capable of utilising under-handed tactics, such as lying to Jiji about his fiancée's death and using the pretence of promising to "reviving" her once Jiji aided him with his plans.

When backed against a corner, Zansūru lost all composure and level-headedness, instead adopting a more angry and reckless demeanour, such as when Sasuke began overwhelming the dinosaurs and was close to targeting him. Zansūru frantically ordered the dinosaur that carried him to focus on Sasuke, and as Zansūru was not its original summoner, the creature dropped Zansūru, only able follow one command at a time, and Zansūru fell to his death, all the while screaming out in fear.