Sunshine Applications (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sunshineapps) wrote2015-03-03 11:25 pm
sunshineapps) wrote2015-03-03 11:25 pm
Entry tags:
Pengin Maniwa
Name: Pengin Maniwa
Canon: Katanagatari
Character Journal:fateruination
Gender: Male
Age: 10 (Because canon likes to be vague or non answerable with ages and I like the thought of a precious little child.)
Birthday: January 8th
Village Affiliation: Uzushiogakure
Rank: Either Genin or Academy Student (I am uncertain which to actually put due to circumstances and information I am reading and am flexible enough to go either way considering his age and canon capabilities in regards to being capable of already graduating from the academy. I would prefer Genin, but if mods believe it would be best to maintain him as a student for a short while I understand and will shift accordingly to such a decision.)
Canon History:
That was a MISTAKE
There it is, the plot. That is it. That is the horrible soul destroying plot. However, for one to understand this saying one must actually follow the story of the downfall of the Maniwa Ninja Corps.
Starting hundreds of years before the actual story starts, when Japan was divided and at war, a young man roamed the world looking to create the greatest swords. Along his way he met the man who would create a sword art that uses no swords at all. A truly unfortunate meeting far into the future. A future known as the Edo period...
In the Edo era of this fictional history of Japan, a female strategist by the name of Togame decides to go on a quest with a swordsman (Shichika), that doesn't use a sword, in order to collect twelve blades that are said to defy the very physics of the world and bring them to the Shogunate for some reason only she truly knows. This has to be mentioned as it basically is the first MISTAKE of this series in regards to the plot. What this has to do with Pengin revolves around the fact that pre-canon Togame had attempted to use the Maniwa Ninja Corps in her earlier attempts to collect the twelve deviant blades of Kiki Shikizaki. (This man deserves an entire section to himself to show just how much he ruins everything.) The transaction, alliance, contract, whatever was involved sorta implodes somehow and the Maniwa ninjas who were directly involved in this with Togame decide that if they are going to get betrayed they'll do the betraying first.
This betrayal also has the wide and very negative consequence of pretty much putting the entire village on the hit list of the Shogunate since, well, they betrayed Togame who is technically working in the interest of the government and people in power sorta look down on that. Especially, if it is a ninja village doing the betraying because ninjas. Due to this, the leaders of Maniwa decide that the best way to not only earn enough money to keep their village alive, as well as bargain their way off the wanted list is to also go after the 12 blades as well. It will be a bit before how horrible an idea this is will be noticed.
The ones who decided, or chosen as it's not really clear, to undertake this task are the twelve heads of Maniwa. (Basically the elite of the elite of the village with Houou as the most elite and leader of them all.) Considering one of the blades is already in the hands of Kōmori of the beast squad; the efforts are placed on finding the other eleven blades, as well as keeping track of the movements of Togame.
So confident are they in their abilities it is decided that while Pengin, likely along side Kawauso of the beast clan, are out gathering information about the location and capabilities of the other eleven swords Kōmori decides to shadow Togame as she goes to acquire her sword/new pawn. This quickly devolves into disaster as Kōmori is cut down by Shichika and his sword is taken. Pengin though not seen in canon is obviously working furiously alongside Kawauso to collect information and help predict where Togame and Shichika will next head in regards to their sword collecting. Because it is still early on and the Maniwa just see the loss of one of their own and their only sword as just a setback they can overcome.
Half a year, several attempts to get ahead of Togame, and one failed kidnapping attempt of Nanami to use against Shichika and Togame (Shichika's elder sister, who is pretty much god tier skill wise and should never be messed with.) the Maniwa heads are reduced to half of their numbers. This information has the surviving heads scrambling to find a way to salvage their situation while mourning their losses. The salvaging of the situation is brought about by Houou making a temporary alliance of avoiding one another with Togame so as to give them breathing room and a chance to gain some swords to help bargain with Togame at a later date. Only they are not given much time to breathe and regroup with this alliance, as Kyoken of the beast squad takes the news of so many of them dead in a very aggressively angry way and takes off to find Togame and Shichika to avenge their fallen brethren.
Because this show has pretty much decided that the Maniwa are to never have happiness, the attempt fails and Kyoken is defeated/slain. Houou in an attempt to stop it (and failing because he didn't get there in time because this plot hates the Maniwa) instead scrambles to make certain the alliance remains intact and sacrifices a willing Kawauso as a sign of penance for Kyoken's breach in the alliance.
The Maniwa Heads are now down to four.
While Pengin, Houou, and Oshidori go after one sword Houou sends the last member, Umigame, to go after a different sword. The remaining three find out later that Umigame never made it and was slain. There is debate that it may have been Togame and Shichika only for them to be found by another pawn/player in this sword hunt. Emonzaemon, the servant of a Princess Hitei who likely did not take their new alliance with Togame well admits to being the one to kill Umigami and that he is there to assassinate Houou. Oshidori stays behind to fight Emonzaemon and allow her fellow Maniwa to escape.
Only two Maniwa remain.
Oshidori, though dying in her fight against Emonzaemon, manage to buy Houou and Pengin enough time to flee and head towards the last area that Umigame had been headed and the sword in that area. While doing so Houou speaks about how once this is over he'll step down and pretty much insinuates that he hopes to elevate Pengin as leader and 'allow the new generation to lead' while also making it seem like he'll likely be executed or such due to his leadership in this quest decimating the heads of the Maniwa corps. This wish in a way is also why when Emonzaemon catches up to the two Houou tells Pengin to remain back and live, especially as Pengin's special ability won't work well in the wide open space they are currently in. During the fight and Houou insinuating that there had been some sort of close relationship of a sort between himself and Emonzaemon, Pengin notices that both are pretty much evenly matched using nothing more then their own skills and basic ninja weaponry. Thus, young Pengin in his wish to help Houou win throws the deviant blade called Dokuto Mekki. Which unsheathes itself before landing in Houou's hand. This turns out to be a horrible mistake for everyone, as Mekki is the most poisonous and evil of the twelve swords and also houses a piece of its creator's soul within it. All this combined causes Houou to go berserk and land a wound on Emonzaemon, who flees, and causes Houou to turn on Pengin. Slashing him across the chest before leaving him to bleed in the middle of the road where he is later found by Togame and Shichika.
Delirious and in pain Pengin manages to tell them about Houou and begs them to save Houou from the poison of the blade before passing out in a feverish sleep.
When Pengin awakens and is aware enough, he finds himself alone and is confused over the fact that the supposedly cold hearted and calculating strategist Togame had left him alive and intact. His moment of confusion is forced away as he quickly prepares to leave and go after Houou himself. He is stopped from his goal by Emonzaemon appearing while looking for Togame and Shichika. During this, Emonzaemon admits that he can not allow Pengin to live and attacks. Pengin manages to use his skills to fend him off for a while, but soon he is no match for the man and his use of Ento Ju, yet another one of the deviant blades (though this one looks like a pair of guns, but then again Kiki sorta didn't believe in following standard shapes when it came to his swords.)
Pengin begs to be allowed to live, but his pleas are ignored. He dies not knowing that he likely died around the same time as the leader he looked up to. He was likely the last or second to last to die and thus the entire Maniwa corps ceases to exist as Houou being possessed by Kiki had massacred their village while awaiting Togame and Shichika.
All of this death happening because the fortune teller who created the very swords the Maniwa had pinned their hopes on had foresaw them and decided that to change history they had to be wiped out. It was truly a mistake for the Maniwa to even hear about the 12 Deviant Blades of Kiki Shikizaki.
Canon Abilities/Powers:
Due to the set up of Pengin's canon he has the normal 'ninja' skills that one automatically expects when they think of ninjas in an anime. The being able to move at speeds normal people can't (Along with the silly hands held out behind them like wings as they run), popping up from seemingly nowhere and disappearing just as quickly, using projectiles like shurikens and throwing knives, and all that jazz.
Pengin's main abilities lie in networking and intelligence gathering. (Even though you don't actually see him in canon do any of this stuff and only hear him give info when asked for it.) One can infer that due to his small size and age that he uses such to his advantage as being able to hide and use spaces that his taller comrades would not be able to use to keep out of sight is a boon. Thus, one can also infer that if this was a D&D campaign he would have a lot of his points in stealth skills and his agility stat since you don't exactly want a loud and clumsy person doing your spying for you. Also, within this whole scope one has to also point out how he is the youngest of the twelve heads which are hinted at to be considered the elites of their village that he has to have a bit of cunning and likely a bit of a little prodigy in order to be acknowledged when compared to older and more experienced ninjas within his village.
Then again, one could also make an argument that he was tapped for his position not for his mental prowess but for his Ninpo (Ninja Skill). A skill that even Houou has admitted may one day surpass his own abilities and be the new ability for others to fear once it reaches its full potential.
That skill being spoken about is plainly called Fate Ruination (or Probability Manipulation depending on which translation you follow) the definition most agree on in describing this ability is basically: "Pengin defies Fate enough to increase his 'luck' to such proportions that he can survive things that other people would be unable to." In canon this is shown as Emonzaemon attempts to shoot Pengin only for every bullet to miss him. From what canon states this ability works 100% against projectiles but it's unsaid but inferred that close range attacks are not as affected or not affected at all by his manipulation of his luck. Likely going back into how he is still in the realizing his potential stage and thus is not a perfected technique yet, and thus can become a world ruining skill if he was given the time and experience to expand on the skill.
Along side this skill Pengin also uses a small bouncing ball weapon called Juukyuu within enclosed spaces. Using it's rubber like properties and his Fate Ruination ability to make certain Juukyuu does not hit him he allows the ball to bounce within the room and gain momentum and strike his enemies to slowly whittle them down as the impacts get harsher and harsher and harder to avoid as Pengin's luck makes it doubly so that the enemy will get hit on a ricochet of Juukyuu. It seems like an almost perfect attack but as canon proves this is a wrong assumption due to his newness to his abilities. For while being caught in this attack Emonzaemon shoots Ento Ju in random directions and multiple times in hopes of the bullets ricocheting off Juukyuu will eventually become too much for Pengin's luck to keep at bay. It is unknown if it was due to Pengin's inexperience and age as the main factor of failure or if the fact that he was up against one of Kiki's deviant blades that caused his defeat. Perhaps even both were the cause.
Appearance:
Pengin is about 3' in height, pale skinned, with large yellow eyes. His hair is kept in a very close buzz cut. His hair is two toned with the middle part being a brown color and the sides white with a black dot in the middle of the white. He also seems to have a permanent blush on his still with baby fat cheeks, and a button nose.
The design and coloration of his uniform is liken to that of an emperor penguin due to the splashes of yellow amidst the black and white. His hat looks like the head of a penguin with ear flaps that resemble penguin wings. He wears a fluffy white neck warmer/scruff and a black with a splash of yellow that looks a bit like a classic Japanese garb top that goes into very balloon like pants and tiny black boots. He also has arm warmers to make it look like he has wings and black gloves.
Personality:
Houou once said that Pengin has so much potential in regards to his power as a ninja that he had to develop a very non ninja like personality to cope with it.
Pengin is a very meek and quiet person and that first impression is pretty much the overall impression of him. He tends to flinch or startle when he is spoken to or acknowledged. Especially if he is not expecting it. He also has a bit of a stuttering problem when he speaks and rarely can go a full sentence without this being apparent. However, in certain situations or when he becomes fully focused on what he needs to do the stutter does leave. Making it to where one can guess that it is a nervous habit due to his shy nature and unwillingness to really be in the center of anyone's attention.
Despite his shy nature he's not really antisocial and instead just prefers to allow others to be at the forefront and in the spotlight. Though, many could argue that he's pretty much just a nervous wreck and tiny little ball of social anxiety when it comes to interacting with other people. Even those he knows and trusts are treated to his stuttering and shivering in their presence. His heart is in the right place at least and if you can get him focused on something he has opinions on he may even speak in a more forceful manner then his meek stammering.
Even with his social awkwardness, Pengin also tries his best to do what needs to be done in a quick and efficient manner, even becoming down and sorrowful if his information gathering does not go as quickly or the way he had hoped when someone does use him. So he likely has some professional pride mixed with his own personal happiness in doing a job correctly. Pengin also devotes himself fully to someone or something if he does give his loyalty. As seen with his willingness to help and please Houou in every instance presented to him. Even if that help may not be the best idea at the time. Though he doesn't really seem to have a temper or such (Which just means if he ever does reach that breaking point it will likely be a horrifying sight to behold) it is noted that Pengin will do anything for those that are friend and family. Doubly so if it is for any of his fellow Maniwa (Especially Houou) who pretty much are the only family he really and truly knows.
Being a bit of a prodigy it is also easy to forget that despite being prepared to live a ninja life Pengin is still a ten year old child who likely never really got into any true combat or such and thus has the emotional and coping skills that only a ten year old with little experience in regards to the actual gritty and dark side of the ninja life would have. This could be a potential pitfall if he freezes or is unable to deal as quickly as needed when a mission does go south or he faces the death of teammates or his own death. Something only time and experience can fix and change in the long run.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
+Higher then normal intelligence for a child
+Due to his specialization is able to make connection and leaps of logic to figure out how two seemingly random pieces of information are in fact vital to know.
+His Fate Ruination ability makes it nigh impossible for him to be attacked by long range weaponry.
+Quick and silent while also being able to get into places taller and larger ninjas are unable to get into.
+His sneaking stat is clearly pumped full of points.
+Juukyuu will ruin your day if you let him catch you with it, I feel bad for any trees that get in the way as they are going down.
+He is naturally adorable and his meekness would make it easy to use to his advantage against anyone that doesn't know or realize what he is.
+His loyalty and dedication is unquestioned when it is given.
+He makes attachments easily.
-His age and thus lack of life experience can work against him as he does not have the honed instincts someone who is older then him would have.
-His meekness can cause a lot of grief if he is needed to be taken seriously by those who do not know him personally and thus looked down on a lot.
-He's pretty much a hit and run type and would be horrible in a straight up brute force sort of fight.
-Fate Ruination has a lot of exploitable flaws in its current state that can only be fixed through time and effort.
-His strength stat was clearly the low priority stat though it could be salvaged as he grows older.
-Juukyuu is very terrain specific due to needing to bounce/ricochet off of things and thus is nerfed in any field of battle that is a wide open space.
-His loyalty will likely get him killed one day because it is very absolute.
-He gains attachments too easily.
Sunshine Abilities/Powers:
Bloodline Limit: Fate Ruination- Through the manipulation of his chakra Pengin manages to cause an effect that makes all projectiles miss him completely and thus create a defense against any and all long range attacks that a person can not control while it is in flight. This creates a bit of a problem for anyone who relies on kunai, explosive tags, darts, throwing knives, etc. as their man way to attack since they will fail against him. It has no effect or very little effect on close combat or weapons like whips and wire that can be manipulated by the wielder to correct its trajectory mid-flight.
Due to the nature of his Bloodline Pengin has a large, though likely not a monstrous size, chakra reserve because of the fact that Fate Ruination has to be able to last for long periods of time and has to be capable of holding a large amount of flying objects within its grasp at any given moment. (After all being able to dodge that which no one else can dodge loses its edge if you can only target one projectile at a time.) He also is working on honing his water affinity mostly in part because of the nature and quirks of the Maniwa clan in regards to their whole animal motif and being assigned to the fish squad. Though his water affinity is worked on with the same dedication as any other project he sets for himself or is given by someone he respects, it is actually Fuinjutsu that he seems to have the most passion for as his mind is able to shine in regards to the effort and complexity that such techniques need to work correctly. The practical applications of knowing how to create personal seals is also a high motivator for him as well considering where his strengths really lie.
For despite his Bloodline ability and the nightmare potential it has if he strives to perfect it, Pengin prefers the more non-combat aspect of being a shinobi. Intelligence gathering is his forte and he does everything to make himself the best choice in that area. As such stealth, memorization, cunning, camouflage, code making and breaking, eavesdropping, and even some thievery are his greater strengths. His small size and quick feet also give him a boost in regards to agility and making it harder for an enemy to hit him.
Inverse of this Pengin's physical prowess suffers due to his focus on mental disciplines. Being as small as he is he has next to no reach with any weapon and thus close and mid-range combat is pretty much only in dire situations or if he is certain he can get a critical hit via ambush or sneak attack. Instead Pengin prefers trap making, and projectile weaponry that allows him to keep distance between himself and his enemy. Taking this into account and his Bloodline limit Pengin also has an odd metal ball that doesn't seem to follow natural laws of physics when he throws it. For despite its density and smoothness Juukyuu has almost rubber like properties in regards to its bouncing and ricocheting abilities. The momentum of its bouncing starts out slow and easy to dodge, which would put most people off their guard if they are arrogant or dimwitted enough to not realize that as the with each consecutive bounce Juukyuu becomes faster and stronger. Soon reaching a momentum that starts to bruise skin, then even begin to cut skin, and if allowed all the way up to being capable of shattering bones if it connects. A very slow and painful way to go and works as a very good distraction tactic as an enemy has to devote time to dodging or deflecting Juukyuu while Pengin just has to have his Bloodline active to remain unharmed by his own weapon.
Sunshine History:
The Maniwa were an odd sort of clan, as they had formed through the collection of random people who did not really fit in their own place of birth. Thus, it began life as a civilian group that traveled from one place to another. Taking odd jobs and some of its members even learning to do street performances to help support the small and mobile clan. This misfit and nomadic nature also made it a bit hard to pin point just when exactly the clan had been created or what the exact purpose its existence was meant to have.
All that is really known for certain by those who actually care to hear about the little clan is that they took the taunts of being a pack of mongrels to heart and made it into their pride. Going so far as to base their aesthetics and hierarchy around animals and how to group said animals. A quirk that has become so ingrained within the clan that it's not even given a second thought to any born into the folds of the Maniwa. Especially when clan kin began to develop bloodline limits unique to the individual and integrating into the clan itself and into future generations.
Which is what made them decide to settle down finally and seek a permanent home. Seeing the efforts of a certain Uzumaki in rebuilding her village made the leaders of Maniwa seek the new Uzushio out as a potential place to call home.
The Maniwa, even as they settled and integrated into their new village, still retain a them and us mentality that keeps them from fully seeing themselves as just Uzushio. The loyalty to the village is not in question, but it is not all that odd to see those of Maniwa clump together more easily then seeing them mingle with the rest of the village.
This is the atmosphere and family that Pengin is born into.
Being young and born into this slightly paranoid and over protective clan, he and all other children born to the clan after their settling into a permanent village and home were mostly kept among the clan building. Most never really leaving until they are deemed ready to attempt the Academy if they wish to become a shinobi, or are old enough to apprentice to whatever civilian job they wish to follow. Pengin, despite his personality making many not really think he would follow such, decided early on he wanted to become a shinobi and put forth all of his effort in order to graduate with a high enough standing to not shame his clan.
Despite the rough start that anyone who went from knowing everyone in an enclosed living space to being thrust out into the village proper and into the shinobi training regime, Pengin managed to keep afloat and do reasonably well. Even if his physical capabilities were something that would need a lot of work on to not be too much of an embarrassment to anyone watching. At least he was capable enough to pass his tests and sparring sessions relatively okay.
Prose sample: Test Drive Meme Link
Missive Sample:
MISSIVE 1: Intel Gathering Example
In regards to the information and if it is falsified or exaggerated facts in regards to potential theft of artifacts of Konoha by former Uzushio residents.
Original 'clue' of this plot found by Genin of Uzushiogakure on the day of in a missive carried by a a suppose bandit of unspecified origins.
Following trail of Bandit known as "A" within this report brought current seeker team into the city of of where it was found that money had been exchanged for said missive from, as quoted by a local fruit seller who witnessed the exchange, "A shady fellow who kept his face hidden and always seemed to be skulking like some thief in the alleyways." A had apparently been told to meet said person via a locally known drug dealer who has managed to keep from being arrested via crooked back door dealings that have been given in another report in the event the village decides to request aide in regards to this problem.
The drug dealer had learned of this deal and the specifications of the multiple (the request of extra teams to follow the leads in regards to other bandits carrying such missives around in timely manner had been sent upon learning of such.) persons in which to illicit the aide of via monetary gain. The drug dealer has been uncooperative in divulging upon where the original transaction of this entire paper trail had begun and is currently being persuaded by those with C rank clearance and will be referred to in regards to the questioning within a separate missive.
A secondary avenue of information collection in regards to this was found within overhearing grumblings of discontent among a few bar patrons who have been marked by fellow villagers as 'not being overly fond of the truce between the various nations with hidden villages.' a discontent that seems to stem from the fact many of the malcontents had used the unease of civilians not truly knowing if it would be safe to travel and not end up collateral within a ninja skirmish. (It may be of advice to look closer at mercenaries that are not of shinobi origin to see if the lack of such tension may make them wish to fabricate tensions in order to acquire jobs that have become scarce.)
This avenue of finding the source of this ploy will be further investigated and missives sent to coordinate efforts with other hidden villages in regards to this plot is being advised as it could easily be far more widespread and diverse then what is initially being found.
There is hope that soon the reasoning behind attempting such tension between Uzushio and Konoha will be realized. Current theory is that this missive was a test run in order to see pattern and distribution rates in regards to it's spread and the timing before it would reach a stopgap via shinobi intervention.
A new missive with updates shall be sent within two weeks of this current missive being read.
MISSIVE 2: Personal Example
[There is a few small inkblots at the start of the missive that likely were caused by a nervous tapping of fingers upon the writing instrument or false starts. When the actual note begins the penmanship is uniformed and neat until one notices the slight wavers and tremors in the script that no amount of training can fully hide. Though for a shaky hand it's not as obvious as it could be.]
Konayuki-san,
I hope that you have arrived safely and have found the person you are looking for is in good health. While writing this I am about to head to the next place on my list before heading home.
[There is another small blotch before a new line is started as if Pengin had paused and reconsidered what he was about to say.]
Maybe, if it's not too much trouble I could visit shortly before I go back. That is if it is alright with your new guardian.
[There are a few thin lines of ink over the last sentence as if he had debated blotting it out and stopped at the last minute.]
If you want we could at least write to one another now and again and if you are ever in Uzushiogakure you could [There is an ink blot hiding what had first been written here.]come and visit me meet some of my clan that you might get along with.
Regards,
Pengin Maniwa
Canon: Katanagatari
Character Journal:
fateruinationGender: Male
Age: 10 (Because canon likes to be vague or non answerable with ages and I like the thought of a precious little child.)
Birthday: January 8th
Village Affiliation: Uzushiogakure
Rank: Either Genin or Academy Student (I am uncertain which to actually put due to circumstances and information I am reading and am flexible enough to go either way considering his age and canon capabilities in regards to being capable of already graduating from the academy. I would prefer Genin, but if mods believe it would be best to maintain him as a student for a short while I understand and will shift accordingly to such a decision.)
Canon History:
There it is, the plot. That is it. That is the horrible soul destroying plot. However, for one to understand this saying one must actually follow the story of the downfall of the Maniwa Ninja Corps.
Starting hundreds of years before the actual story starts, when Japan was divided and at war, a young man roamed the world looking to create the greatest swords. Along his way he met the man who would create a sword art that uses no swords at all. A truly unfortunate meeting far into the future. A future known as the Edo period...
In the Edo era of this fictional history of Japan, a female strategist by the name of Togame decides to go on a quest with a swordsman (Shichika), that doesn't use a sword, in order to collect twelve blades that are said to defy the very physics of the world and bring them to the Shogunate for some reason only she truly knows. This has to be mentioned as it basically is the first MISTAKE of this series in regards to the plot. What this has to do with Pengin revolves around the fact that pre-canon Togame had attempted to use the Maniwa Ninja Corps in her earlier attempts to collect the twelve deviant blades of Kiki Shikizaki. (This man deserves an entire section to himself to show just how much he ruins everything.) The transaction, alliance, contract, whatever was involved sorta implodes somehow and the Maniwa ninjas who were directly involved in this with Togame decide that if they are going to get betrayed they'll do the betraying first.
This betrayal also has the wide and very negative consequence of pretty much putting the entire village on the hit list of the Shogunate since, well, they betrayed Togame who is technically working in the interest of the government and people in power sorta look down on that. Especially, if it is a ninja village doing the betraying because ninjas. Due to this, the leaders of Maniwa decide that the best way to not only earn enough money to keep their village alive, as well as bargain their way off the wanted list is to also go after the 12 blades as well. It will be a bit before how horrible an idea this is will be noticed.
The ones who decided, or chosen as it's not really clear, to undertake this task are the twelve heads of Maniwa. (Basically the elite of the elite of the village with Houou as the most elite and leader of them all.) Considering one of the blades is already in the hands of Kōmori of the beast squad; the efforts are placed on finding the other eleven blades, as well as keeping track of the movements of Togame.
So confident are they in their abilities it is decided that while Pengin, likely along side Kawauso of the beast clan, are out gathering information about the location and capabilities of the other eleven swords Kōmori decides to shadow Togame as she goes to acquire her sword/new pawn. This quickly devolves into disaster as Kōmori is cut down by Shichika and his sword is taken. Pengin though not seen in canon is obviously working furiously alongside Kawauso to collect information and help predict where Togame and Shichika will next head in regards to their sword collecting. Because it is still early on and the Maniwa just see the loss of one of their own and their only sword as just a setback they can overcome.
Half a year, several attempts to get ahead of Togame, and one failed kidnapping attempt of Nanami to use against Shichika and Togame (Shichika's elder sister, who is pretty much god tier skill wise and should never be messed with.) the Maniwa heads are reduced to half of their numbers. This information has the surviving heads scrambling to find a way to salvage their situation while mourning their losses. The salvaging of the situation is brought about by Houou making a temporary alliance of avoiding one another with Togame so as to give them breathing room and a chance to gain some swords to help bargain with Togame at a later date. Only they are not given much time to breathe and regroup with this alliance, as Kyoken of the beast squad takes the news of so many of them dead in a very aggressively angry way and takes off to find Togame and Shichika to avenge their fallen brethren.
Because this show has pretty much decided that the Maniwa are to never have happiness, the attempt fails and Kyoken is defeated/slain. Houou in an attempt to stop it (and failing because he didn't get there in time because this plot hates the Maniwa) instead scrambles to make certain the alliance remains intact and sacrifices a willing Kawauso as a sign of penance for Kyoken's breach in the alliance.
The Maniwa Heads are now down to four.
While Pengin, Houou, and Oshidori go after one sword Houou sends the last member, Umigame, to go after a different sword. The remaining three find out later that Umigame never made it and was slain. There is debate that it may have been Togame and Shichika only for them to be found by another pawn/player in this sword hunt. Emonzaemon, the servant of a Princess Hitei who likely did not take their new alliance with Togame well admits to being the one to kill Umigami and that he is there to assassinate Houou. Oshidori stays behind to fight Emonzaemon and allow her fellow Maniwa to escape.
Only two Maniwa remain.
Oshidori, though dying in her fight against Emonzaemon, manage to buy Houou and Pengin enough time to flee and head towards the last area that Umigame had been headed and the sword in that area. While doing so Houou speaks about how once this is over he'll step down and pretty much insinuates that he hopes to elevate Pengin as leader and 'allow the new generation to lead' while also making it seem like he'll likely be executed or such due to his leadership in this quest decimating the heads of the Maniwa corps. This wish in a way is also why when Emonzaemon catches up to the two Houou tells Pengin to remain back and live, especially as Pengin's special ability won't work well in the wide open space they are currently in. During the fight and Houou insinuating that there had been some sort of close relationship of a sort between himself and Emonzaemon, Pengin notices that both are pretty much evenly matched using nothing more then their own skills and basic ninja weaponry. Thus, young Pengin in his wish to help Houou win throws the deviant blade called Dokuto Mekki. Which unsheathes itself before landing in Houou's hand. This turns out to be a horrible mistake for everyone, as Mekki is the most poisonous and evil of the twelve swords and also houses a piece of its creator's soul within it. All this combined causes Houou to go berserk and land a wound on Emonzaemon, who flees, and causes Houou to turn on Pengin. Slashing him across the chest before leaving him to bleed in the middle of the road where he is later found by Togame and Shichika.
Delirious and in pain Pengin manages to tell them about Houou and begs them to save Houou from the poison of the blade before passing out in a feverish sleep.
When Pengin awakens and is aware enough, he finds himself alone and is confused over the fact that the supposedly cold hearted and calculating strategist Togame had left him alive and intact. His moment of confusion is forced away as he quickly prepares to leave and go after Houou himself. He is stopped from his goal by Emonzaemon appearing while looking for Togame and Shichika. During this, Emonzaemon admits that he can not allow Pengin to live and attacks. Pengin manages to use his skills to fend him off for a while, but soon he is no match for the man and his use of Ento Ju, yet another one of the deviant blades (though this one looks like a pair of guns, but then again Kiki sorta didn't believe in following standard shapes when it came to his swords.)
Pengin begs to be allowed to live, but his pleas are ignored. He dies not knowing that he likely died around the same time as the leader he looked up to. He was likely the last or second to last to die and thus the entire Maniwa corps ceases to exist as Houou being possessed by Kiki had massacred their village while awaiting Togame and Shichika.
All of this death happening because the fortune teller who created the very swords the Maniwa had pinned their hopes on had foresaw them and decided that to change history they had to be wiped out. It was truly a mistake for the Maniwa to even hear about the 12 Deviant Blades of Kiki Shikizaki.
Canon Abilities/Powers:
Due to the set up of Pengin's canon he has the normal 'ninja' skills that one automatically expects when they think of ninjas in an anime. The being able to move at speeds normal people can't (Along with the silly hands held out behind them like wings as they run), popping up from seemingly nowhere and disappearing just as quickly, using projectiles like shurikens and throwing knives, and all that jazz.
Pengin's main abilities lie in networking and intelligence gathering. (Even though you don't actually see him in canon do any of this stuff and only hear him give info when asked for it.) One can infer that due to his small size and age that he uses such to his advantage as being able to hide and use spaces that his taller comrades would not be able to use to keep out of sight is a boon. Thus, one can also infer that if this was a D&D campaign he would have a lot of his points in stealth skills and his agility stat since you don't exactly want a loud and clumsy person doing your spying for you. Also, within this whole scope one has to also point out how he is the youngest of the twelve heads which are hinted at to be considered the elites of their village that he has to have a bit of cunning and likely a bit of a little prodigy in order to be acknowledged when compared to older and more experienced ninjas within his village.
Then again, one could also make an argument that he was tapped for his position not for his mental prowess but for his Ninpo (Ninja Skill). A skill that even Houou has admitted may one day surpass his own abilities and be the new ability for others to fear once it reaches its full potential.
That skill being spoken about is plainly called Fate Ruination (or Probability Manipulation depending on which translation you follow) the definition most agree on in describing this ability is basically: "Pengin defies Fate enough to increase his 'luck' to such proportions that he can survive things that other people would be unable to." In canon this is shown as Emonzaemon attempts to shoot Pengin only for every bullet to miss him. From what canon states this ability works 100% against projectiles but it's unsaid but inferred that close range attacks are not as affected or not affected at all by his manipulation of his luck. Likely going back into how he is still in the realizing his potential stage and thus is not a perfected technique yet, and thus can become a world ruining skill if he was given the time and experience to expand on the skill.
Along side this skill Pengin also uses a small bouncing ball weapon called Juukyuu within enclosed spaces. Using it's rubber like properties and his Fate Ruination ability to make certain Juukyuu does not hit him he allows the ball to bounce within the room and gain momentum and strike his enemies to slowly whittle them down as the impacts get harsher and harsher and harder to avoid as Pengin's luck makes it doubly so that the enemy will get hit on a ricochet of Juukyuu. It seems like an almost perfect attack but as canon proves this is a wrong assumption due to his newness to his abilities. For while being caught in this attack Emonzaemon shoots Ento Ju in random directions and multiple times in hopes of the bullets ricocheting off Juukyuu will eventually become too much for Pengin's luck to keep at bay. It is unknown if it was due to Pengin's inexperience and age as the main factor of failure or if the fact that he was up against one of Kiki's deviant blades that caused his defeat. Perhaps even both were the cause.
Appearance:
Pengin is about 3' in height, pale skinned, with large yellow eyes. His hair is kept in a very close buzz cut. His hair is two toned with the middle part being a brown color and the sides white with a black dot in the middle of the white. He also seems to have a permanent blush on his still with baby fat cheeks, and a button nose.
The design and coloration of his uniform is liken to that of an emperor penguin due to the splashes of yellow amidst the black and white. His hat looks like the head of a penguin with ear flaps that resemble penguin wings. He wears a fluffy white neck warmer/scruff and a black with a splash of yellow that looks a bit like a classic Japanese garb top that goes into very balloon like pants and tiny black boots. He also has arm warmers to make it look like he has wings and black gloves.
Personality:
Houou once said that Pengin has so much potential in regards to his power as a ninja that he had to develop a very non ninja like personality to cope with it.
Pengin is a very meek and quiet person and that first impression is pretty much the overall impression of him. He tends to flinch or startle when he is spoken to or acknowledged. Especially if he is not expecting it. He also has a bit of a stuttering problem when he speaks and rarely can go a full sentence without this being apparent. However, in certain situations or when he becomes fully focused on what he needs to do the stutter does leave. Making it to where one can guess that it is a nervous habit due to his shy nature and unwillingness to really be in the center of anyone's attention.
Despite his shy nature he's not really antisocial and instead just prefers to allow others to be at the forefront and in the spotlight. Though, many could argue that he's pretty much just a nervous wreck and tiny little ball of social anxiety when it comes to interacting with other people. Even those he knows and trusts are treated to his stuttering and shivering in their presence. His heart is in the right place at least and if you can get him focused on something he has opinions on he may even speak in a more forceful manner then his meek stammering.
Even with his social awkwardness, Pengin also tries his best to do what needs to be done in a quick and efficient manner, even becoming down and sorrowful if his information gathering does not go as quickly or the way he had hoped when someone does use him. So he likely has some professional pride mixed with his own personal happiness in doing a job correctly. Pengin also devotes himself fully to someone or something if he does give his loyalty. As seen with his willingness to help and please Houou in every instance presented to him. Even if that help may not be the best idea at the time. Though he doesn't really seem to have a temper or such (Which just means if he ever does reach that breaking point it will likely be a horrifying sight to behold) it is noted that Pengin will do anything for those that are friend and family. Doubly so if it is for any of his fellow Maniwa (Especially Houou) who pretty much are the only family he really and truly knows.
Being a bit of a prodigy it is also easy to forget that despite being prepared to live a ninja life Pengin is still a ten year old child who likely never really got into any true combat or such and thus has the emotional and coping skills that only a ten year old with little experience in regards to the actual gritty and dark side of the ninja life would have. This could be a potential pitfall if he freezes or is unable to deal as quickly as needed when a mission does go south or he faces the death of teammates or his own death. Something only time and experience can fix and change in the long run.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
+Higher then normal intelligence for a child
+Due to his specialization is able to make connection and leaps of logic to figure out how two seemingly random pieces of information are in fact vital to know.
+His Fate Ruination ability makes it nigh impossible for him to be attacked by long range weaponry.
+Quick and silent while also being able to get into places taller and larger ninjas are unable to get into.
+His sneaking stat is clearly pumped full of points.
+Juukyuu will ruin your day if you let him catch you with it, I feel bad for any trees that get in the way as they are going down.
+He is naturally adorable and his meekness would make it easy to use to his advantage against anyone that doesn't know or realize what he is.
+His loyalty and dedication is unquestioned when it is given.
+He makes attachments easily.
-His age and thus lack of life experience can work against him as he does not have the honed instincts someone who is older then him would have.
-His meekness can cause a lot of grief if he is needed to be taken seriously by those who do not know him personally and thus looked down on a lot.
-He's pretty much a hit and run type and would be horrible in a straight up brute force sort of fight.
-Fate Ruination has a lot of exploitable flaws in its current state that can only be fixed through time and effort.
-His strength stat was clearly the low priority stat though it could be salvaged as he grows older.
-Juukyuu is very terrain specific due to needing to bounce/ricochet off of things and thus is nerfed in any field of battle that is a wide open space.
-His loyalty will likely get him killed one day because it is very absolute.
-He gains attachments too easily.
Sunshine Abilities/Powers:
Bloodline Limit: Fate Ruination- Through the manipulation of his chakra Pengin manages to cause an effect that makes all projectiles miss him completely and thus create a defense against any and all long range attacks that a person can not control while it is in flight. This creates a bit of a problem for anyone who relies on kunai, explosive tags, darts, throwing knives, etc. as their man way to attack since they will fail against him. It has no effect or very little effect on close combat or weapons like whips and wire that can be manipulated by the wielder to correct its trajectory mid-flight.
Due to the nature of his Bloodline Pengin has a large, though likely not a monstrous size, chakra reserve because of the fact that Fate Ruination has to be able to last for long periods of time and has to be capable of holding a large amount of flying objects within its grasp at any given moment. (After all being able to dodge that which no one else can dodge loses its edge if you can only target one projectile at a time.) He also is working on honing his water affinity mostly in part because of the nature and quirks of the Maniwa clan in regards to their whole animal motif and being assigned to the fish squad. Though his water affinity is worked on with the same dedication as any other project he sets for himself or is given by someone he respects, it is actually Fuinjutsu that he seems to have the most passion for as his mind is able to shine in regards to the effort and complexity that such techniques need to work correctly. The practical applications of knowing how to create personal seals is also a high motivator for him as well considering where his strengths really lie.
For despite his Bloodline ability and the nightmare potential it has if he strives to perfect it, Pengin prefers the more non-combat aspect of being a shinobi. Intelligence gathering is his forte and he does everything to make himself the best choice in that area. As such stealth, memorization, cunning, camouflage, code making and breaking, eavesdropping, and even some thievery are his greater strengths. His small size and quick feet also give him a boost in regards to agility and making it harder for an enemy to hit him.
Inverse of this Pengin's physical prowess suffers due to his focus on mental disciplines. Being as small as he is he has next to no reach with any weapon and thus close and mid-range combat is pretty much only in dire situations or if he is certain he can get a critical hit via ambush or sneak attack. Instead Pengin prefers trap making, and projectile weaponry that allows him to keep distance between himself and his enemy. Taking this into account and his Bloodline limit Pengin also has an odd metal ball that doesn't seem to follow natural laws of physics when he throws it. For despite its density and smoothness Juukyuu has almost rubber like properties in regards to its bouncing and ricocheting abilities. The momentum of its bouncing starts out slow and easy to dodge, which would put most people off their guard if they are arrogant or dimwitted enough to not realize that as the with each consecutive bounce Juukyuu becomes faster and stronger. Soon reaching a momentum that starts to bruise skin, then even begin to cut skin, and if allowed all the way up to being capable of shattering bones if it connects. A very slow and painful way to go and works as a very good distraction tactic as an enemy has to devote time to dodging or deflecting Juukyuu while Pengin just has to have his Bloodline active to remain unharmed by his own weapon.
Sunshine History:
The Maniwa were an odd sort of clan, as they had formed through the collection of random people who did not really fit in their own place of birth. Thus, it began life as a civilian group that traveled from one place to another. Taking odd jobs and some of its members even learning to do street performances to help support the small and mobile clan. This misfit and nomadic nature also made it a bit hard to pin point just when exactly the clan had been created or what the exact purpose its existence was meant to have.
All that is really known for certain by those who actually care to hear about the little clan is that they took the taunts of being a pack of mongrels to heart and made it into their pride. Going so far as to base their aesthetics and hierarchy around animals and how to group said animals. A quirk that has become so ingrained within the clan that it's not even given a second thought to any born into the folds of the Maniwa. Especially when clan kin began to develop bloodline limits unique to the individual and integrating into the clan itself and into future generations.
Which is what made them decide to settle down finally and seek a permanent home. Seeing the efforts of a certain Uzumaki in rebuilding her village made the leaders of Maniwa seek the new Uzushio out as a potential place to call home.
The Maniwa, even as they settled and integrated into their new village, still retain a them and us mentality that keeps them from fully seeing themselves as just Uzushio. The loyalty to the village is not in question, but it is not all that odd to see those of Maniwa clump together more easily then seeing them mingle with the rest of the village.
This is the atmosphere and family that Pengin is born into.
Being young and born into this slightly paranoid and over protective clan, he and all other children born to the clan after their settling into a permanent village and home were mostly kept among the clan building. Most never really leaving until they are deemed ready to attempt the Academy if they wish to become a shinobi, or are old enough to apprentice to whatever civilian job they wish to follow. Pengin, despite his personality making many not really think he would follow such, decided early on he wanted to become a shinobi and put forth all of his effort in order to graduate with a high enough standing to not shame his clan.
Despite the rough start that anyone who went from knowing everyone in an enclosed living space to being thrust out into the village proper and into the shinobi training regime, Pengin managed to keep afloat and do reasonably well. Even if his physical capabilities were something that would need a lot of work on to not be too much of an embarrassment to anyone watching. At least he was capable enough to pass his tests and sparring sessions relatively okay.
Prose sample: Test Drive Meme Link
Missive Sample:
In regards to the information and if it is falsified or exaggerated facts in regards to potential theft of artifacts of Konoha by former Uzushio residents.
Original 'clue' of this plot found by Genin
Following trail of Bandit known as "A" within this report brought current seeker team into the city of
The drug dealer had learned of this deal and the specifications of the multiple (the request of extra teams to follow the leads in regards to other bandits carrying such missives around in timely manner had been sent upon learning of such.) persons in which to illicit the aide of via monetary gain. The drug dealer has been uncooperative in divulging upon where the original transaction of this entire paper trail had begun and is currently being persuaded by those with C rank clearance and will be referred to in regards to the questioning within a separate missive.
A secondary avenue of information collection in regards to this was found within overhearing grumblings of discontent among a few bar patrons who have been marked by fellow villagers as 'not being overly fond of the truce between the various nations with hidden villages.' a discontent that seems to stem from the fact many of the malcontents had used the unease of civilians not truly knowing if it would be safe to travel and not end up collateral within a ninja skirmish. (It may be of advice to look closer at mercenaries that are not of shinobi origin to see if the lack of such tension may make them wish to fabricate tensions in order to acquire jobs that have become scarce.)
This avenue of finding the source of this ploy will be further investigated and missives sent to coordinate efforts with other hidden villages in regards to this plot is being advised as it could easily be far more widespread and diverse then what is initially being found.
There is hope that soon the reasoning behind attempting such tension between Uzushio and Konoha will be realized. Current theory is that this missive was a test run in order to see pattern and distribution rates in regards to it's spread and the timing before it would reach a stopgap via shinobi intervention.
A new missive with updates shall be sent within two weeks of this current missive being read.
[There is a few small inkblots at the start of the missive that likely were caused by a nervous tapping of fingers upon the writing instrument or false starts. When the actual note begins the penmanship is uniformed and neat until one notices the slight wavers and tremors in the script that no amount of training can fully hide. Though for a shaky hand it's not as obvious as it could be.]
Konayuki-san,
I hope that you have arrived safely and have found the person you are looking for is in good health. While writing this I am about to head to the next place on my list before heading home.
[There is another small blotch before a new line is started as if Pengin had paused and reconsidered what he was about to say.]
Maybe, if it's not too much trouble I could visit shortly before I go back. That is if it is alright with your new guardian.
[There are a few thin lines of ink over the last sentence as if he had debated blotting it out and stopped at the last minute.]
If you want we could at least write to one another now and again and if you are ever in Uzushiogakure you could [There is an ink blot hiding what had first been written here.]
Regards,
Pengin Maniwa