Watanabe Itami

Personal Information
Watanabe Itami

Birthplace	Land of Wind
Date of Birth	December 14
Gender	Female
Age	30
Height	5'0 (152.4 cm)
Weight	…
Hair Color	White
Eye Color	Crimson
Blood Type	A
Kekkei Genkai	Dragonblooded
Clan	Watanabe
Affiliation	Sunagakure
Combat Information
Rank	Nidaime Kazekage
Position	Former Council Member
Elemental Affinity	Fire Earth Wind
Areas of Expertise	Taijutsu, Glassblowing and Smithing, Reptile Studies
Team	Team Sandwyrm
Favorite Jutsu
Death Roll

Itami is known as a local merchant that sells the curious glassware when she has the spare time. No one knows exactly where she came from within the Land of Wind. It is assumed that she came from an underdeveloped area and moved to Sunagakure where she would assist in it's development. She is more informally referred to as the Glass Lady. Even though she considers her glassblowing time as off-duty, people still manage to come to her with their problems which she readily assists with without complaint as it is one of the things she agreed to do being a member of the Council as well as out of generosity.

Background

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Itami hails from a subterranean world where her clan, the Watanabe thrive beneath the surface with many villages speckled across the underground land, each excelling in many trades and professions. Her roots are in the Hachiman branch, which are militaristic in nature. They have villages where large areas are dedicated to military academies and bases for those that seek to be enforcement for village protection or soldiers to defend the clan among other professions that include fighting of some form. It was in one of these villages that Itami was raised by her father Kin. Her mother, Tori visited sporadically, but for the most part was estranged as she had Itami's three other siblings to take care of.

Life was easygoing for Itami. She fared well despite living with her father as her only parent. He took care of her well and raised her to be a confident and generous individual as he'd always had a good heart. No doubt, some of her mother's traits sneaked in and made her a bit stubborn sometimes, though overall well mannered, open minded as well as calm and collected.

Listening to her father's stories of his time spent at the academy as well as his life as a soldier in general motivated her to seek to join one of the military academies. He happily introduced her to the one he attended and before long, she was accepted and became one of the family. She started off a bit rocky as she wasn't used to the rigid schedule and responsibilities that came with being a student there. Though, things eventually smoothed out when she gained trust and friendship in her peers, one of which she happened to be particularly close to, Muga, the son of Hachiman's Hetman or Branch Head. Though they never pursued a relationship, they were often teased about it. In truth, they weren't all that interested in one another, but were affectionate every so often.

After going through the academy and learning what she could from her instructors, she graduated and left the base. As an additional benefit, she was always welcome a position in the military should she ever seek a career in it. Itami, though she went to the academy to be an efficient fighter in different fields, had other interests in mind. She was a creative sort that enjoyed freedom, though she didn't express such all that well in society. She had to readjust to normal life from spending the majority of her early life in the academy. She'd eventually liven up, though she did manage to carry some leftovers from the academy with her such as the responsibility towards tasks.

She lived at home with her father for a time before she decided to find her own place and maybe get to know her mother more. So, she revealed to Kin that she'd probably be going away for a year to the village where her mother and sisters lived. They had a long discussion about it before she was let go. He wasn't disappointed with the decision more so than concerned she might have a hard time. He encouraged her to beat the odds and get to know her. She'd depart for the Fukurokuju village her mother resided in along with her sisters. Tori knew she was coming, so she made arrangements for Itami to stay at her home as well as welcome her with a celebratory night out in the village. Itami was worried, but it turned out that things worked out for the best, however she did find herself feeling angry sometimes, wondering why her mother never saw her much. Over the course of the year, the resentment grew as her questions were dodged. Eventually, questions would be unanswered altogether as Tori had a career to maintain and didn't have time for arguments. Itami's sisters attempted to reassure her that things would be alright, but she wasn't convinced.

In order to bide her time, she placed her creative talents to work and began to blow glass as a pastime to sell all manner of objects and make a bit of money to support herself. It was a great way for her to deal with issues between her and her mother, ultimately becoming an anti-stress regiment as well as a passion. She was largely successful in the short time she did business and ended up making it into a career. With time short and the year drawing up, she thought to at least establish a good relationship with her sisters before leaving.

Itami had a lot going for her and things were looking up, but would soon take a dive when she returned home to hear news that Muga had passed. He was sent out on a long term mission to scout for new territory, but passed early on in an ambush in uncharted lands. He fought bravely and his efforts saved the majority of his group, but came at a sacrifice to his life. She didn't know he hadn't any regrets. Irrational and deeply troubled, she went to the Hetman's home and addressed her. She was met with an indifferent attitude saturated with insults to Itami and the situation. A fight ensued, but was easily won by the Hetman, only adding to the pain Itami felt. Once more, she left and tried to work on her glassblowing, but didn't have the same passion so long as her mind was plagued with the loss of her friend. She decided that it was best for her to pack up and leave so that she could abandon her current life and start anew elsewhere.

She bounced around the different branches and their various villages, but nothing suited her. So, she made the decision to head to the surface. Now on the surface, she made herself well acquainted with the sands and the people that lived in them. She had a difficult time communicating with people initially, having known only her native tongue, but she came to understand in time. She had a few run ins with the war, finding herself placing what she learned in the academy to use in order to keep herself protected, but she didn't come out unscathed. Though, luck would have it that she arrived at the end of the war and things were soon to dwindle. She migrated with refugees and natives to the newly forming village of Sunagakure where she found a new home and new life. Placing her academy skills to work once more, she became a guardian of the village, rising in rank until she became a Jounin. In time, she began to learn the politics of the village and gain better understanding of the surface as well as its inhabitants enough to lend her abilities to the position of Council Member.

She holds the position to this day, continually placing her best effort into aiding and protecting the village.

Personality

Itami is confident and generous, easily able to donate herself as well as time to people. She enjoys life and loves being introduced to things that are unusual as she considers herself as such. Reasonably so, since she is not necessarily what can be considered human, but rather humanoid. In starting a new life on the surface, she has allowed herself to become less rigid and in turn, adopted a policy of laziness and relaxation. She's usually placid, but is able to be rattled depending on the content of different situations. Not without decency, she can be professional when the time comes for it and bounces to being well mannered and orderly, traits that show her military background most in the way she carries herself in this mode.

Her personality comes out most when she's glassblowing or being artistic in general, revealing a brighter and strong emotional side filled with joy and passion for her work, something that has been observed to be seen on her job on days she isn't away from the office and lounging in the sun.

Hobbies: Glassblowing, smithing, puzzle solving, sculpting, painting, drawing.
Likes: Eating, sleeping, catching lizards, collecting crystals.
Loves: Sun bathing, general conversation.
Dislikes: Cold weather, abstract art, close-mindedness
Loathes: Paperwork, manipulation, senseless destruction, instability

Appearance

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Itami has decided to abandon her mysteriousness, as it faded a while ago and she feels no need to hide behind anymore of her clan's more heavy garbs to adopt some of their lighter wear. More for village use, however still durable enough for desert travel and flexible enough for fighting. Of course, this means that her features are more fully revealed to those around her. It makes for a more personal experience for both her and the villagers she associates with.

Without the majority of her face hidden from view, she looks like any other normal person. Well, what could be considered normal. Her hair is powdered white in color with a natural sheen making it appear to be more like bleached silver in the sunlight. It is settled into a bob that is parted and curled lightly at her jawline while masking one half of her face leaving the other half visible. Her skintone is a dark tan and is quite healthy. A blemish marks her skin, but only by a minor amount. It is but a tiny mole that rests a few smidges away and a small pip below from the corner of her visible eye.

Just like her hair, her eyebrows are the same color, neatly placed on a round, yet slender slender head. Below them are almond shaped eyes, however what sets them apart from others are the iris and pupil. They look irregular in a sense. Ruby red irises with pupils ranging from wide ovals barely noticable to some as a normal eye, to thin, highly noticable slits depending on the amount of light they take in. It was something she hid before, but now tried to reveal. It was going to take some getting used to.

Settled in the middle of her face was a small nose and below it, a friendly smile situated upon her lips. She stands at a height of five feet. Not that tall and luckily, she has a form fitting of her height. Her figure is petite, from the shoulders held back in a confident, yet reserved manner, to her small feet that carry her with a relaxed gait. She adorned lighter garbs this time around. A stark white overtunic with long, loose sleeves and hood with a sand colored undertunic that hugged her form, the neckline revealing itself just above where the hood folds over at her collar bone. Matching, loose fitting pants starting from the waist end just below the calves where they are tucked neatly into a pair of sand colored short boots.

To finish is the more heavier part of the outfit and belts, however not as heavy as the previous garb, it is nothing but a sand hued cloak that wraps around her shoulders and cascades down to her left side, covering the whole of her left leg from front to back, ending at the line of her left boot. The whole of the outfit is then secured around her waist with a large white sash and accented with that of her clan's thinner brown sash spanning the middle of it's white counterpart. The sashes also serve the purpose of securing a tool belt for ninja tools and accessories.

Abilities

Taijutsu: Personal form of taijutsu (Lizard Taijutsu)
Glassblowing/Smithing: Well versed in the art of blowing glass and making glass weapons
Reptile Studies: Knowledge of reptiles in the Land of Wind

Mission Log

+ Show Missions

Desert Chronicle

+ Blackout

- Blackout

Time - 3:45 am

I'm not someone who often loses my temper, but when I do, it's not necessarily what one could call 'pretty'. I experience some of the worst conditions that come with a temper and I don't mean frazzled, I mean I begin to become a different person or thing, rather. I am what can be described as a monster when I'm angered. That monster just happened to be loosed on my assistant Imota…

At first, I thought I was well within reason to be angry with him and I was, but the way I lashed out at him was more than uncalled for. It was…unforgivable. Even still, I had the right to be angered. My authority was undermined and in the worst way. Perhaps I should be more detailed.

Night had fallen over Ayaash Battle Cove and the air was cool, skies clear. I invited one of our more peculiar visitors, Mika, to test her abilities and gather information. It was a chance for me to learn more about her clan and ultimately herself. I also thought to invite Keiji as well so that he could spectate and learn more from the test. Imota, I knew would be around as he often is by my side. However, this is one of the few times that I didn't need him to be around as this was my time to be alone, in a way.

The first part of the test was merely a greeting and not just any kind, no, I thought to greet her from the shadows. I was hiding and sought to sneak up on her as she had an odd ability to sense things around her using her nose. This may sound normal, but this particular sense allowed her to smell beyond that of normal means. Rambling aside, I was in hiding and wanted to test it. Yet, who should be around while I'm testing? None other than Imota, standing with me in my hiding spot and giving me directions on how to be more stealthy. The damage had been done and my intention to learn more about her ability was a failure. I was agitated, but not quite angered yet.

I spent the remainder of the test gauging Mika's physical prowess. Needless to say, she was quite powerful. She fought with some kind of energy that extended from her hands and feet in the form of claws. My arms were cut, left with scratch marks as I was foolish enough to attempt to block the attacks she made with them. I won't make such a mistake again. The battle continued with two powerful kicks delivered to me, the first I managed to defend against with earth caked over my body, but the second broke through. It was at this point that I declared the battle over since I thought I gathered enough information. Besides, since she's been around Suna, if there was anything more I needed to talk to her about, she was available.

Test done, I allowed her leave to return to the village, but Imota chimed in feeling that more testing needed to be done. I denied him saying that I gathered what I needed, but he felt that I was wrong. I felt a prick of irritation and denied him. He stood down and the girl left. Keiji remained, despite the battle being over. It was at this time that my assistant felt the need to speak to me regarding my methods, feeling that they were not efficient. He began to…scold me and felt that his logic dictated that I was wrong in every way. My method of information gathering, reconaissance and tracking… All were wrong were according to his logic.

I grew angered and told him of his flaws. One of which was him tracking me down to the Land of Fire while I was out on business. We happened to be in hostile territory and met up with a few combatants. His answer to the situation is to utilize a technique that creates a loud noise to escape that could have easily drawn attention to us and place us in more danger. Granted, I'm glad we were able to escape majorly unharmed save for a few injuries I sustained from a combatant, but even still that doesn't excuse what he did. Apparently, he didn't see that as a mistake and thought it to be well within reason since he was supposedly defending himself. In turn, he continued to scold me and all of it translated to me as, 'You don't know what you're doing.' I lost control…and I blacked out.

When I came to, I saw that I'd caused major damage to the boy. He sustained some burns, but most of his injuries were slashes where I cut him and punctures from biting as well as bruises from battering. That doesn't include the internal damage of broken bones. I couldn't believe what I'd done, but the evidence showed on my hands. I burned it out of my memory for the time being and delivered him to the hospital to recover. Over the course of the next day, pieces of the evening prior flashed in my mind, slowly leaking out of the barrier I placed around them. A talk with Keiji confirmed the damage I did, though much of it was still a blur, everything prior to my blackout was crystal clear.

I hope not to experience this again…

+ Making Amends

- Making Amends

11, October
Time: 7:04 pm

Since the battle at Ayaash, guilt gnawed at my mind and prevented me from seeking peace from what I did to Imota. I found myself bouncing back and forth between anger and concern, still disappointed in his verbal assault, though concerned about his well being all the same. In response, I gathered myself and thought to visit him in the hospital.

Fear replaced my previous emotions, plaguing me the closer I drew to the place. I wasn't sure of what to think or do when I arrived other than to see him and know if he was alright. I was in luck to find that Keiji was going to visit as well, so I thought that this wouldn't be as difficult as perceived. I tried to rest hopes on that and press on.

Once I arrived, I was screened and allowed access to the unit he occupied to visit him. What I saw when I went through the doors was disturbing. I was seeing the exact amount of damage I did to him, unable to remember the details from the night I fought him. The monster I let loose on him did exactly what was expected of it. The cuts were deeper than I thought as were the punctures. The damage to the inside of his body was unable to be seen without being close up, but the numerous bruises and wounds I left on him were much worse than I depicted. The hopes I tried to rest on were lost at this moment, draining from me like water slipping through sand. I wanted to think I had enough of a mind not to kill my assistant and I did, but this is close enough.

With Keiji in the unit with me, as we'd decided to go together, I felt a safety net was still in place, but it became clear that it was unraveling from the seams. Though the medical team did a good job of patching him up, there was nothing that couldn't stop him from awakening to see my face. It was as if a cruel joke was being played and I was made to suffer dearly for it. Soon the rest of the hospital would as well…

I quickly began to take my leave as Imota rose from the bed, wind swirling around him and making a slight mess of things. He awakened and the first person he saw was me. I didn't want any damages to be suffered from this situation, so my mind gave me the most obvious choice.

Moving through the doors out of the unit, my pace quickened, though not by much. I didn't want to make it seem like there was anything to worry about despite that there was much reason to worry. Imota wasn't too far behind with Keiji attempting to alter his path by speaking with him. I admit, I did let my own selfishness get in the way and left the boy to fend for himself, but I thought he might understand the predicament I was in. Before long, I was in the lobby of the hospital ready to open the doors and leave. Yet, something prevented me from going that extra step. It was because I grew angry again. Angry at the nonsense that was taking place between Imota and me. Standing at the door, I turned around and waited for him to come to me. This would initiate the start of our stand off.

Keiji and Imota eventually came down the stairs and into the lobby where Imota was still allowing his wind to explore the area around him. Keiji tried unsuccessfully to talk the boy down, but I was appreciative of his efforts. My assistant would come to stand in the middle of the lobby, still letting his wind fly about him without heed of others around. I told him to seal it so that it would no longer cause any damage, but he sought to challenge me and place blame on me that I was at fault for it. I returned it back to him and we began a volley of words about who was and wasn't responsible and then…his logic came out. He blatantly described me as inefficient. Anger reserved this time, I threw it out in bluffs against him while also speaking of his faults once more. Along with words from Keiji, our point was finally made…

His logic was wrong.

Imota's world began to cave in on him and his winds began to flare up, in response to his own logic betraying him and the bluffs I called. I told him to destroy the hospital and kill everyone inside. His solution was to instead attempt to kill himself and bring down the hospital with him. Acting quickly, I forced myself into my highest form and brought Keiji under my protection as the winds began to tear the hospital apart. Amidst the storm, I began to handseal and bring down my own winds to counter the effects of his twister that he unleashed, ultimately destroying it and sparing the hospital. When the storm calmed, I looked down to see the boy suffered at his own hands and was knocked unconscious by his jutsu as well as sustaining more damage to himself.

I picked him up between my claws and scolded him, but my words fell on deaf ears. I knew he wasn't going to hear me, but I thought to say them anyway before placing him back down in a small pile of rubble. A quick survey of the lobby revealed that it was going to take a few weeks and possibly longer to restore the damage as well as whatever was sustained in the other levels of the hospital.

For endangering lives, the village, and himself, Imota was considered a criminal and now…

He's incarcerated.

+ Winds of Change

+ Resignation...

- Resignation...

7 p.m. and I don't know where to begin.

I thought long and hard about this decision and needless to say, it was difficult. Knowing that what I was requesting was to separate myself from Sunagakure had my stomach churning constantly and mind spinning. It was always the smallest thought in the back of my mind, but it had only managed to grow over the course of time with the majority of the influence coming from Goh. This is not an attempt to backdoor him, but only to recognize his place in my decision making process. So…I did it. I requested to resign my position and granted leave from Sunagakure. I did not know how Sousa-sama would take it, but I should have known better having worked under him for so long. He's always so…methodical. His thinking is not like mine nor others, so his words, however mechanical they may have been, were rather comforting. Anything else coming from would have been troubling, but knowing that he was himself (as if he could be anyone else) made speaking with him less tense.

No, it was not easier, but the thickness of the air was cleared enough for me to be able to express myself in some way without losing my mind in the process. For that, I can be thankful to him for that. I still find myself wondering how he truly took my proposal, but feelings do not appear to be something he places out in the open often. That ability is something I both envy and grow frustrated with, but it serves him well. I wonder if I could manage to learn something from that. Is it all the science or has he always simply been that way? I could stand to look into some of the things he studies, but I'm uncertain if I will understand any of it. Oh well, I suppose I will in due time.

It is…still hard for me to accept the fact that I have resigned, but I believe Sunagakure is in good hands. It will always be in my heart and within my best interests at all times. I hope to achieve some good while I am gone in the hopes that it will benefit both me and my home.

+ Morning Wind

- Morning Wind

10:26 PM - 12/28/13 A.F. - Friday - Year of the Ox

I've noticed my tendency to begin writing at night. I don't write during the day because I am too busy and even into the evening hours, I find my work follows me home. There is a certain solitude to writing at night. It's quiet and I'm left to only me and my scattered thoughts. I have too much to write about and all of it wishes to spill out onto the paper.

Let's try to start from a beginning point…

After years of work placed into this village and the confidence to build up and inquire about the position, I now am seated as Nidaime Kazekage. For a while, I thought my work was fruitless and though I was more than overjoyed to serve my village as a Council Member, I found that there were days I grew disappointed, bitter, sour… Emotions I never showed to others while on duty. Being a Council Member was a great weight on my shoulders and there were times where I thought I was losing my humanity, succumbing to the beast within, but I managed to pull through with will I didn't know I had or was even capable of. I can now look back on my work and see that it was all to place me in the position I'm in now. To be of even greater service to Sunagakure and its inhabitants as well as visitors. I still find myself harboring feelings of resentment and frustrations, but… experience has taught me to let them go.

Now, I'm married. I'd have never thought that day would come and to be honest, no one else did either. I felt I was doomed to be alone forever. I could have grown content with that knowledge and understanding had it happened that way, but life had other plans if life equals family. My family, who I had not seen in what felt like ages came to see me. I was elated to see them, but like anything else from the past, their visit also brought back terrible memories and ones I never managed to consolidate. I wanted to hate my family and my mother especially, but we have since attempted to build better relationships with one another and leave the past where it should be. I cannot lie about the difficulties involved. I still have some unresolved issues with my family, but it is my hope that in time, we will all heal together. I no longer want to be a lifeless husk against them.

Speaking of a lifeless husk, there are some things that I can grow to be lifeless against. My village has suffered a number of times against attacks and a number of them were native in origin. It is heart breaking to think about, seeing my village torn apart from the inside out. I do not know what causes it, what sort of issues or conditions must be met for these attacks to happen, but I certainly feel lifeless against the attacks and those who initiate them. There is no need to promote the gift of life when met with the curse of death. They forfeited themselves to life when they sought to take it from others. I have since initiated a plan to have civilians trained in basic shinobi skills and combat so that they may be more effective in determining threats, both within and outside of their population. In a way, they are enabled to handle themselves and work as a community to maintain order and law. I know where flaws lie in this, but no plan is ever perfect and I can only hope that it runs smoothly enough.

I was once told that the morning wind represented new beginnings and change. I want that for Sunagakure, truly. It is a hope of mine. At this current time, we are enduring, but I believe in our village and the strength of the people within. We were bred in a harsh land; challenges were an every day experience. We have made it through every one, scathed, exhausted, beaten…but we have rebounded. We will persevere and claw our way back to the top.

Relations

+ Pit...

- Pendulum...

Name	Relationship	Notes
Kokoroe Sousa	Ally	A scientific mind who operates exactly the way he thinks. It's hard trying to identify with him sometimes as I don't share the same mind. With all his experimenting, I hardly have time to know him for who he is…but maybe I'm trying too hard. He hasn't shown much else outside of this experimental behavior. Still, I suppose I could stand to learn a thing or two. It wouldn't hurt to try to be a bit more methodical.
Kuroki Kuoroke	Ally	He's grumpy, but he prioritizes Suna's well being. That's something we can agree on. Lately, we've been agreeing a bit too much and this has left us somewhat uncomfortable. I suppose we took pride in our bouts of opposing opinions.

Name	Relationship	Notes
Shippodoku Keiji	Ally	An assassin. That's what he strives to be. He still has much to learn, but so far appears to be doing well at his job. He's usually very serious and doesn't seem to have a lick of humor to him. He does well as a shinobi, but might need to increase his skills with handling civilians…

Visitor	Visitor Relationship	Visitor Notes
More to come	They always do	Usually unstable

Memory	Status	Notes
goh	Memory	Someone I've known for a while now and am on very good terms with. I know I always feel comfortable around him and know he can feel the same about me. A wonderful soul, he always has good on his heart and fights with justice in mind and the well being of the people that surround him. His guild is evidence of this, after all. Being a friend to him lets me know that there's still hope that I can hold onto. Lately, I haven't been feeling very much of it…a light in the darkness, I suppose you could say.
daeshiro-maikeru	Memory	One headache in the form of a mercenary, as far as I know. He can be professional, but sometimes aggravating, obnoxious, disrespectful and any other negative terms that can describe him. Withstanding his company is difficult, but doable. Preferred? Not entirely
uesugi-mika	Memory	One of the more unusual individuals I've met. She has the characteristics of a cat. Being an ambassador must be a difficult job as I wouldn't quite label her a professional at it, but she tries, so I suppose. She has a voracious appetite which can sometimes go overboard.
Koudo	Memory	The man of many elements and quite jubilant. There's a certain boy that reminds me of this guy. Hm.
Tenjin Hibari	Memory	Resident gardener and herbologist. She produces the oddest things I've ever seen. I don't know what to make of them, but I do know what to make of her. She can be a bit self-centered, but in that way she's also independent and self-sufficient. Her work for Sunagakure and the Gardens has been helpful, especially to the medical shinobi.
Akiyama Chiyoko	Memory	An unusual one, but maybe just to me… She's nice, reserved and has a tendency to pick on children. I still have to figure her out, but from what I can tell she's alright in my book.
Hone Nai	Memory	Records Keeper for Sunagakure, now missing… I don't know how to describe what it was like working around him. He was quiet and kept to himself and the records unless there was some issue that showed up that needed addressing. Underneath all those wrappings, well…I haven't got a clue. I'd like to think there's more to him, but he doesn't let off much. Since he's been gone, things around the office just aren't the same.
Sasaki Imota	Memory	Stoic as stone, but shows humor sometimes. He's been my assistant and go to for personal issues. Even if he has trouble with his own emotions he tends to help me handle mine which is unusual, to say the least. I haven't seen him much lately and can only hope that he's okay. Perhaps he's been doing some studying. That tends to take up much of his time.
Rokudo	Memory	Reserved Watanabe male of the Dosojin Branch. Still need to learn more.
Amori	Memory	High energy puppeteer. She utilizes 'clockwork mechanisms' for puppets.
Risu	Memory	Not much I can say about her. She's mysterious and stole my wallet at one point… She appears to be bright and handles tasks well, but I've yet to see what more can come out of her. I know she has potential, but I do not know where it lies.
Sasaki Kazeodori	Memory	One of the few I find interesting; untainted? Unlike others, he doesn't show the hardened personality of shinobi and a bright light that stands out in the crowd of dimmed and flickering souls that are ninja.