Ningyō

Kugutsu has a Chūnin level skill as a Kunoichi, though is a samurai by birth and suffers from a serious mental disorder. Kugutsu often is taken over by her most dominant personality "Ningyō" rather than being her true self, but does not suffer from amnesia when this personality is in control.

editNingyō
Doll (人形, Ningyō) The Living Doll (Iki-ningyō 生人形) The Division (Bunretsu 分裂) Kugutsu (Marionette 傀儡)
Personal
Birthdate	August 5
Gender	Female
Age	19
Height	152.4
Weight	44.5
Blood type	AB
Kekkei Genkai	Dragon Life Reincarnation
Classification	Sensor "Geisha-Nin" is not in the list (ANBU, Cooking-nin, Daimyō, Hunter-nin, Jinchūriki, Medical-nin, Missing-nin, Ninja monk, S-rank, Sage, ...) of allowed values for the "Classification" property. Geisha-Nin
Occupation	Samurai Toxicologist Parasitologist Geisha
Affiliation	"Nomadic" is not in the list (Allied Shinobi Forces, Akatsuki, Root) of allowed values for the "Loyalty" property. Nomadic "Tetsu no Kuni" is not in the list (Allied Shinobi Forces, Akatsuki, Root) of allowed values for the "Loyalty" property. Tetsu no Kuni ((Former))
Rank
Ninja Rank	Unranked
Ninja Registration	865521
Unique Traits Iaidō Proficient Advanced Iaijutsu Skilled in Toxicology and Parasitology Skilled with a Variety of Weapons Advanced in the Art of Performance
Jutsu General Techniques Body Replacement Technique Clone Technique Generic Sealing Technique Summoning Technique (Tse Tse Fly) Shadow Clone Technique Chakra Sensing Technique Chakra Transfer Technique Chakra Suppression Technique Chakra Hair Trap (Petals) Dragon Life Reincarnation Samurai Saber Technique Dance of the Crescent Moon Rupture Flash Iai Beheading Dancing Blade Risk Moonlight Chakra Shockwave Slash Instant Dome Method Formation Barrier Encampment Method Four Violet Flames Formation Destructive Barrier Formation Sealed Bomb Square Release Unsealing Technique Enclosing Technique Fūinjutsu Techniques Sealing Tag Barrier Medical Ninjutsu Techniques Poison Mist Bukijutsu Techniques Manipulated Shuriken Technique Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creation Exploding Dragon Strike Summoning: Iron Protection Wall Prepared Needle Shot Binding Meteor Heavenly Chain Disaster Twin Rising Dragons Blizzard Technique Heavenly Chain Disaster Unsealing Technique: Shuriken
Tools Weapons Katana Explosive Tag Shuriken Flash Bomb Sand Poison Sealing Tag Wrist-Mounted Senbon Launcher Various Weaponry Sealed Away Other Bag of Sweet Pea Petals

The Multiple Sides of Kugutsu

With Ningyō as the dominant personality, Kugutsu becomes far more withdrawn and polite. The Ningyō personality is essentially quiet, reserved, and timid, though is very kind and considerate of others. This version of her deceased sister has altered itself over the years, the 'face' growing as Kugutsu's mind believes she would have once she were older. Ningyō is studious and hard-working, but very weak in terms of personality; when the change occurs, it is easy to identify Ningyō from Kugutsu due to the obvious differences in the two. Ningyō is unaware that Kugutsu is 'inside' her, believing that her sibling is back in Tetsu no Kuni with her aging father and mother; Ningyō is completely void of any knowledge about her supposed losses. This personality is also very easily flustered, stumbling over her words if embarrassed or startled.

Kugutsu is another story entirely. Once in charge of her body, she is aware of Ningyō, but not the other personalities. This true self is serious and cold, a very striking difference in comparison with her sibling. She is studious and hard-working like her sister, but has the tendency to act irrationally when angry, such as shown when she was younger and became a Geisha on a whim. Kugutsu, however, does have redeeming qualities, such as being the epitome of poise and grace due to her training as a "Geisha-nin," as her co-workers called it. She exudes an air of melancholy and intelligence in spite of her splitting psyche. Kugutsu tends to have psychotic breaks every once in a while, acting out violently and with purpose when this does occur; it appears to stem from another underlying personality that hasn't entirely manifested yet. These episodes normally follow arguments or times of stress, in which Kugutsu will quite literally lash out and kill anything nearby. She is always apologetic afterwards, yet can't control these urges at all. She is rarely openly kind to someone, preferring to show her warmth in gestures, such as the occasional compliment or caring for someone when they are injured; the latter is infrequent and she will often deny that she is kind. The woman does not openly talk about her past or herself, and if asked about her brush with death she wouldn't recall it very well. The night is actually a blur to her at nineteen, even though it occurred only four years prior, because the memory has actually been transferred almost entirely to a third personality, the remainder of the memory being made hazy by the attempted development of a fourth face. When she smiles, however, it is hard to imagine that she is a broken doll. Kugutsu, though quiet and serious, does seem to have a love for performing dance; getting lost in music seems to calm whatever rage bubbles inside her unknowingly. Whenever she suffers from a mental collapse, she will grab whatever is nearby to kill something or someone with; whether it be a brick, a piece of glass, or her own sword, she plans to spill blood. The odd thing about her breaks is that they are infrequent and do not last long in comparison to normal personalities. Having an air of apathy and a phlegmatic disposition in general, Kugutsu appears to be the type for leadership, yet is more prone to lurking behind others. She could be taught to lead, and be good at such, but is not at that level yet.

The third and most recessive personality is the 'mother personality,' which is also a compensation for Kugutsu losing her mother that night. This 'individual' is warm and friendly, harboring most of the intolerable images from when Kugutsu was fifteen. When she appears, it is hard to separate her from Ningyō, who shares many of the same personality traits. This woman, deemed Aoi, has a fear of blood that actually paralyzes her; she becomes sick and very agitated at the sight of any sort of blood, even the most minor of cuts will alarm her. Aoi finds violence pointless, thinking it doesn't solve anything, but does understand that some have to fight for what they want in life. When she appears, she seems lost and confused, not knowing why she's so far from home and recognizing that she has to return home for funeral arrangements. She will become sad if asked about the funeral, claiming both of her daughters died for reasons she can't remember.

The fourth personality has yet to fully surface, though brief glimpses of it are usually seen when Kugutsu is truly agitated, whether by fear or by anger. This personality doesn't really have a name or a true self yet, simply known for being extremely violent an ill-tempered. It is apparently unpredictable in what it will do. This personality blurs the remaining memories of the blood-filled night for Kugutsu, yet remembers them clearly itself.

Haunted by her counterparts

Blooming Lilly

She lives up to her name, as she truly resembles a life-size doll. The woman, upon first glance, appears very ethereal, and her beauty contributes to this factor greatly. With raven tresses and enchanting robin egg blue colored eyes that are slightly slanted, Kugetsu is an exquisite woman to behold, being in a category of her own in feminine grace and softness. She has a soft, fair complexion with sweet, gentle smiles and long eyelashes; according to appearance alone, one would believe her to be royalty. She normally dons darkly colored kimonos that reach to her ankles, whose patterns vary. Her main attire consists of a black, single long sleeved kimono with her left arm being covered by the kimono sleeve entirely and the other being sleeveless. This sleeveless arm does have armored mesh on it, which is worn as a t-shirt, even showing somewhat around her chest. The kimono reaches to her mid-thighs and is held together by a black obi and there is a pouch that rests in her rear that is a dark gray so that it keeps out of her way when fighting. There is more armored mesh around her right knee as well, and finally, her hair is pulled neatly in to a ponytail. Albeit not a shinobi, Ningyō does find that their black sandals of ankle height to be extremely useful for someone of her type that moves around a lot during battle.

When not traveling, her outside attire will normally shift to a navy blue, shin-length kimono with baggy sleeves that reach her elbows. She has an intricately designed, crimson obi that is tied in a large bow at the back, and her feet are often bare. Her hair is usually down during these times as well and it reaches to her mid-back while her bangs, shorter than the rest of her raven locks, hide her forehead and occasionally brush her eyelashes. Her ever faithful sword remains at her side on the left hip and she also carries a large white scroll that sits horizontal on her lower back. This scroll apparently contains a large variety of weaponry.

Background

Flourishing Blossoms

Twin Dolls: Ningyo and Kugutsu

Ningyō and Kugutsu were born as identical twin sisters, Kugutsu being the elder by only ten minutes, though they both weighed the same and were identical in length as well. This peculiar fact about the puzzled doctors and their parents, but seeing as they were healthy and crying loudly there was no reason to be alarmed. The duo grew up in the cold, mountainous Tetsu no Kuni with their mother and father, both of whom adored their girls and wanted only for them to grow up and be strong women of the sword. Their father was a tad harsh on them at times, but otherwise their life was idyllic. The twins were closer than most siblings, and it seemed they shared a bond very few could understand; they rarely, if ever, fought or bickered in any manner, were always courteous and kind to one another, were always seen by one another's side, and seemed to know each other's deepest secrets. Kugutsu was protective and almost possessive of the younger, threatening to slice the throats of any who talked badly about Ningyō, and yet the younger of the duo rarely spoke up even when her sibling's integrity was in question. Both knew, however, the other's true self and could never doubt each other.

As the years went on, the twins grew closer and eventually rarely talked with anyone but one another, yet they were growing into two beautiful swordswomen that were quite the talk of the small village they resided in. The youngest had made a friend during the duo's time in training, whose name was Kurai, but Kugutsu did not share the relationship with him that Ningyō did; instead, she had a one-sided rivalry. Ningyō and her elder sibling had planned to leave and travel the world together for awhile so that they could discover what the rest of society was like. They had made many plans and promised one another they would be together always once they returned to the village so they could run the family's training facility for aspiring samurai. That dream, however, would be brought the an abrupt end.

Kurai had been in an intense rivalry that blossomed into some sort of affection for the elder sister, Kugutsu, but Ningyō held strong feelings for him instead. A triangle had formed and without any of them realizing it, this formation would bring an end to a happy picture. Ningyō had often saved Kurai from being dealt a death-blow from Kugutsu, though it is uncertain if Kugutsu ever actually intended on killing him.

Wilted Flower

Death of Ningyō

The day of their departure was to be a happy occasion: rise at dawn, eat well, and depart. Things, though, did not go as planned, for in the middle of the night an enraged individual was on the prowl; the young man Kurai had an episode after being wounded fatally (or so it was believed) earlier that evening by a ruthless Kugutsu, who had deemed him a menace and a threat not only to herself and her village, but to her younger sibling that had developed strong feelings for the 'half-breed'. Ningyō was often in the shadow of her older and talented sibling, even in regards to romance; Kugutsu had no real interest in love, but she had somehow garnered the attention of Kurai and found it annoying that he completely disregarded her younger sibling's feelings, thus she had decided to inevitably remove him. He had slain their mother first, who had accidentally stumbled upon the man creeping into their house in the dead of night. Her blood stained the light colored flooring of the house crimson, but she had never gotten time to make a sound other than the gurgle of air attempting to escape the hole in her throat where blood had begun to pool and spill out of. He started next for the twins' room, which was located in the middle of the house and opposite of their parents' bedroom. Once inside, both young women sound asleep, he struck down the youngest sibling first: Ningyō. Kugutsu was unsure how exactly her sibling had perished in the arms of the monster now within their bed chambers, but her earth shattering scream had forced her from a deep slumber. Kugutsu was horrified at seeing her lovely younger sibling lying limp in the creature's arms, her then cold, dead eyes having locked with her elder sister's own before she had passed on. The horror and dismay, anguish and rage that built up her the fifteen year old's heart seemed to hold her there, petrified and unable to even move. Her father, too, had heard the terror-filled screams of the young daughter, and he had planned to rush to her aid, though was stalled by the sight of his wife in a bloody heap near the front door, which had been opened and now ushered in the cold night air and snow. His own voice was choked back as he leaned down and out for her terrified face, so as to cup her cheek in his hand, which was a striking difference in temperature when compared to her almost frozen countenance.

His hesitance brought trouble to Kugutsu, who was still frozen with shock on her pallet and could only seem to watch as the murderer merely remained in his spot as well, staring at her first, then her deceased sibling. It would not be long before her father joined them within the room, having hardened his heart so that he may face the fact that his wife was dead, though he was not prepared for the death of his youngest daughter. The moonlight illuminated the room and danced eerily off the red pool of blood soaking through the sheets of Ningyō's pallet, her face devoid of fear and pain. The man lunged at the attacker, though somehow his blows never landed a fatal hit, thus this humanoid creature escaped and further shattered the psyche of Kugutsu.

Subversive Sister

Sitting there in the darkened room, neither father nor daughter could really process all that had occurred that night; they both had lost their loved ones, but neither could find comforting words for the other since the monster was still loose. The silence grew deafening for a time before Gorou informed his remaining daughter that her mother had also passed on, yet Kugutsu did not want to hear it. She attempted to revive her sibling with a Kekkei Genkai both herself and her sister had developed, but she was stopped by her father with an explanation that bringing Ningyō back to not only her mother dead, but her sister as well would crush her spirit; he claimed that she was the only one of the two strong enough to press onward. The fifteen year old swordswoman was furious with her father, claiming that it was terrible of him to think her sister was weak in any way, an thus she began to lash out in the most unusual way.

After the funeral, Kugutsu put away her sword for what she thought would be forever, vowing to never pick it up again an to destroy her father's work the minute he died. This broke the aging man's heart, but he knew that one day she would understand. Nevertheless, he was disappointed in her as she began to practice the lifestyle of a Geisha, which were, at the time, scorned by the people in the village due to their sometimes lewd practices.

Geisha

This continued on for two years, her performances becoming something of an attraction within the town, though she was too young to actually be advancing on, especially with the watchful eyes of her father lurking about. Though he could not stop her from rebelling, he could keep others from putting their hands on her and he did so at all costs. Kugutsu began to realize the toll her actions were taking on her father's waning health, as well as the business he had built up on his own. She was getting older, therefore wiser to her own actions, thus began to feel horrible for her subversive actions against the man that had stopped her from taking her own life to revive a sibling that may have very well done the same in return.

But, in those two years the broken psyche of the young woman had fractured into separate entities, the image of her mother and sister being painted by them. She was not the same and she somehow knew that. By age seventeen, she had began experiencing blackouts at random intervals, found things moved around her room that she never recalled moving, and been greeted by people she never remembered meeting. It was a strange feeling, believing that she no longer knew herself or had no control over her body, so it was time to set out and gather herself.

Faceless Watchers

Kugutsu departed from her home, having picked up her sword again after two long years, and promised to return after she had made herself a better person and swordswoman. In truth, she was seeking to learn about the sides of herself she never knew existed, but she never got the chance to realize that. Upon exiting the mountains, Kugutsu was pushed back and replaced by her sister's integrated personality, leaving her true self completely masked and unaware while "Ningyō" has been parading around with her body, acting just as her deceased sibling would. Shy and submissive, this version of Kugutsu traveled for many miles, even stayed in Yukigakure for a time and became their Toxicologist. All the while, Kugutsu was steadily leaking in to the Ningyō personality, knowing what this alternative 'person' was doing and saying. The shy sister Kugutsu had created in her mind to replace what was lost had steadily become altered, and right before her eyes no less. Kugutsu became aware of this false Ningyō after she had left Yukigakure, giving the excuse that she wished to better her swordsmanship within the walls of allies. She was both excited and annoyed that somehow her 'sister' had 'possessed' her body; to this day she is still unaware that it is her mind playing tricks on her.

Kugutsu is currently in Kirigakure awaiting the possible teachings from a member of the Seven Swordsmen. Even now she is unaware that her actions so many years ago were what caused the death of her beloved sister, and she is also ignorant to the identity of the person that murdered her sister in cold blood; should she ever realize either, it may break her entirely.

Endlessly Falling

The Tse Tse Fly

The Tse Tse Fly contract was signed by 'Ningyō,' though Kugutsu is capable of summoning them just as easily since they share the same body.

Durable, blood-sucking, and swift despite its large size, the Tse Tse Fly summoned by Ningyō is a formidable little beast. They are robust, sparsely bristled flies that are usually larger than their relative, the housefly. They range from 6 to 16 mm (0.2 to 0.6 inch) in length. Tsetses are rather drab in appearance, with colour varying from yellowish brown to dark brown, and with a gray thorax that often has dark markings. The abdomen may be banded. The females are more uncommon than males, but females attack larger animals than their counterparts, yet both drink their own weight in blood. Their bite is painful, but if that doesn't deter anyone from coming near them, this species summoned by Ningyō is prone to carrying a disease known for killing thousands every year. One bite causes a parasite to be injected in to the bloodstream, thus infecting the clean host. The disease starts off mild, something like a cold, but the longer it goes without treatment, the harder the parasite is to kill. Without treatment, it can and will kill its host.

The Tse Tse fly is mainly used for reconnaissance and swarming. Their swarms can be massive, which proves that they have swift breeding and hatching periods to keep up there numbers. The sleeping sickness they garner is actually gained from sucking the blood of an infected animal or person, and it is not genetically transferred. They harbor a strain of the virus known as Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which is known for killing people within months after the initial infection. Death is slow and painful, sometimes leading up to full on organ failure. One of the symptoms of the second phase includes confusion and disorientation, making common sense decisions harder to make, and even making the decision to go to the doctor is difficult to come to.

With enough of them, they can suck the victim dry of all blood, so their swarms are very important in order for them to be deadly.

Kenjutsu

Kugutsu with her Katana

Ningyō/Kugutsu, born in the land of Samurai, was trained from an early age in their ways. She's particularly swift and elegant in her attacks while also being very agile and flexible. Her abilities are ones that should be noted above all else, for she practices two types only: Iaijutsu and Iaidō. She's proficient in both, though is nothing in comparison to some; however, because Kenjutsu is her primary fighting style, she surpasses normal expectations for a petite, almost fragile appearing, eighteen year old. Her attacks are always well-timed and she will often utilize defensive or counter measures to ensure a win rather than blindly attacking someone. She prefers defense seeing as she doesn't have the upper body strength to deliver very strong blows, but always aims for the head of whoever she fights; if she means to kill, it will be swift at the very least.

Her lower body is particularly powerful, as her legs support her weight in her stances, thus she has an easier time maneuvering around the battlefield. Being light on her feet holds many advantages seeing as she can't deliver very powerful blows, and can easily be overpowered by others in strength; since she can't muscle her way through an attack, she has to parry and dodge, which requires her to be swift. Ningyō's reflexes also depend on her ability to quickly and easily remove her swords from its sheath to strike any incoming objects; both of her styles depend heavily on this manner of drawing out her blade, so she can't afford to be slow.

One technique in particular forces her to be fast or be blocked, though when she uses all of her possible speed to utilize this technique, she can be quite hard to dodge, especially when coupled with the Body Flicker Technique. She's certainly nothing to underestimate when using her sword, but it definitely isn't her strength which makes her fearsome. Despite her small body, she is fast, thus keeping up with her swordplay can prove difficult for even the most trained eyes, other than those who own Dōjutsu.

Kugutsu is equally proficient with a Katana, though is physically stronger than Ningyō ever was; however, she is definitely no brute in regards to strength, so still stays close to defensive maneuvers rather than offensive ones.

Poisons and Parasites

Kugutsu is unaware of poisons and such properties as that, being merely a swordswoman, but Ningyō is perfectly capable of the following:

Ningyō is gradually coming to learn of parasites and toxins found on the earth, and is fascinated by the two different worlds. Albeit creepy-crawling, insect-like creatures aren't exactly her forte, the young woman knows they could be of use to her, and finds their life-cycles very interesting. Poisons, on the other hand, she finds practical and genius; simply putting a dab of a potent toxin on her sword could ensure a win for her if she can hold out long enough for the symptoms of the poison or toxin to take effect. In any case, she finds that both fields could make for some practical uses in the future if she wished to truly delve in to the subject. Seeing as both parasites and poisons are widely spread throughout the world, the possibilities appear endless, as does the reading on each type. Some of them have very little on them, so she is skeptical of their usage, but does a lot of research on them.

Furthering her poison studies, Ningyō has found an alternative use for the Poison Mist by instead adjusting her chakra to form a liquid, which she can then spit from her mouth; open wounds stand a greater chance of being infected, but other uses could easily include contamination of a water source.

Bukijutsu

Kugutsu, just like Ningyō, is also capable of Bukijutsu, both having similar ideas about waning to increase their skills, yet retain their Kenjutsu upbringing.

Ningyō has steadily increased in abilities within this field. Her accuracy and skills with weaponry have become above average in terms of ability, but sorely lack in variety. Though she has become very capable of wielding multiple weapons with ease, she still has a long ways to go before she can claim any sort of title such as 'weapons expert'. She's become deadly with even a simple kunai, though still prefers not to resort to her projectiles until she has run out of options with her katana. Now on her back is a large scroll filled with many different weapons, any number of them could be summoned by her to attack with singularly, or they could all be propelled towards to opponent at once. Kugutsu shares all of the same abilities when fighting.