Kumori Clan

The Kumori Clan
[Clan Location] Universal
[Bloodline Name & Type]
[Current Clan Leader] The Kumori do not have and have never had a Clan Leader for historical reasons. In fact, most of them are unaware of the existence of others of their kind because they are not bound by biological family bonds.

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Clan History/Description


The Kumori instances aren't exactly a family. The best way to describe them would be calling their kind a species of sorts. Their origins are traced back to a place where time, space and even existence itself all have a very different meaning than the one we're all used to. One could call it another dimension, in simpler terms. But truly even the Kumori themselves know very little of this place, to which they call the Void. Here they dwell eternally, seeking a purpose. They cannot choose to die, but they cannot choose to live either.
The ceasing of existence is also barred from their choices. Their only choice is to wait, patiently wait. Here they tend to enter a sort of sleep, a slumber from which there seems to be no possible awakening.

Until... until something calls to them. Is it a whisper, a scream? Is it a call to arms to a bloody battle, or the sweet voice of their loved ones calling them from afar? Perhaps something more similar to your mother calling you down for lunch on a lazy Sunday.
It's hard to tell, each Kumori gives a different explanation and feels a different call. A different meaning. Perhaps they were called by a bitterly defeated human to exact revenge on its enemies. It could also be that they were called by the desperate voice of he who is about to lose a loved one. Whatever it is, whatever it calls them, it's a powerful emotion. And in the Void, where Nothing rules, that call becomes their reason for existing. Their purpose. It gives meaning to their lives and awakens them from their slumber. They then begin to open their eyes. They realize the vacuum around them. And they feel nauseous as it pushes them. The feeling of sickness becomes unbearable. It's not a motion sickness, but that which comes from being motionless. How can we do nothing when one calls us with such passion?! they ask. And they get angry. They lash out at the Void, realizing it's nothing but a cage. And once they do, the Void swallows them. And brings them somewhere else, where they emerge alone and having left every other Kumori behind.

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This is how a Kumori is brought upon the world. For you see, originally they are not human. Not even creatures of this land. They did not go through evolution in the same sense that every other living creature on this planet did. And yet, they arrive at the world very much like a newborn baby human arrives- weak, and confused. But while under normal circumstances there are people aiding a newborn baby, helping him or her to adapt and learn so he can grow into a healthy adult...the Kumori rarely ever get that chance. They are born as shadows. This is the first and earliest stage of their life on this land and shall be referred to as the Prime State of Shadow from now forth.

A Kumori in the Prime State of Shadow at this point does not hear, does not see, does not feel in the normal way. They sense all of this through chakra. Through a complex chakra sensing technique, the Kumori roams the land taking in all the scents, feelings, sights and tastes it manages to grasp. At this point they are also msitaken for spirits and/or supernatural creatures. It is not uncommon for a "baby" Kumori to be responsible for the haunted reputation of a place. Throughout history, Kumori creatures have taken residence on abandoned buildings or houses in villages, becoming a common sight and often being either feared or adored. Some would bask in the offerings brought in by the common people, tasting the food and materials but never consuming anything. Others would wander with curiosity as the people in that place tried to kill or seal them away without success. But because when a Kumori is brought upon this world it has no sense of Good and Evil, no sense of moral, and no common sense either, they usually do not understand the attitude of people towards them. They do not know Fear, Love, Life or even Death. A Kumori in the Prime State of Shadow cannot be killed or sealed away, because it possesses no Life. Because of the same reason, it can not physically interact with the world, instead only being able to sense it and be a presence in it.

This can go on for many years, centuries, possibly even millenniums. It is uncertain on how long Kumoris can remain in this state, but eventually another stage of their life arrives. It is, however, commonly believed that the way a Kumori experiences this stage in their lives strongly influences how they will grow in later stages and what powers and even personalities they'll have.

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At some point, it is assumed the Kumori will have experienced everything it can experience in the Primal State of Shadow. But this stage limits them in a way that doesn't allow them to feel, sense and comprehend some emotions such as fear or hope. But it allows them to feel other things such as joy and, most important of all, curiosity. And it is curiosity that leads them to doing a dreadful thing. Just like they didn't know Joy before leaving the Void, the Kumori will not know Death before leaving the Primal State of Shadow. They do not know what it is, and experience a terrifying compulsion to find out about it. Ultimately, it drives their Shadow mad, and makes it roam the world at incredible speeds in search of a way to leave their shadow form and gain a real presence in the world. A way to become a creature.

And they find it on a newborn baby. Because humans are the most complex creatures emotion wise, a Kumori will be naturally drawn to possess one of them. Babies are the most vulnerable ones and as such are the most common targets. Upon possessing a baby, they effectively kill the human soul that inhabits its body and take over, becoming human. They do not kill the soul in a common way, they absorb it and change it, creating a mixture of Soul and Shadow that becomes their body's "Soul". To this new type of soul, we call "Echo". In this sense, we can say every Kumori is born out of murder. A human whose soul has been "tainted" cannot be brought back through Edo Tensei and will be forever lost. The way the possession occurs can vary immensely, from the Shadow entering the baby to a lightning bolt striking down a human. It depends very much on the way the Kumori lived its Primal State of Shadow stage.
Note: This should be obvious, but no PC's soul can be taken over by a Kumori in the PSS. This is merely part of the Clan's History and a trait that explains how they come upon a body, and cannot be used to cheaply kill someone.
Additionally, if you want to take over NPC's under the control of a PC, you need their permission.
You also can't take over an NPC who outranks you (e.g. you can't take over a Jõnin if you're registering as a Genin level character.)
Ideally, you'll want to register a Kumori character that is already at this stage and already has a body and explain how you came upon such body in your character's history.

At this point, because they're experiencing Life, the Kumori is now perfectly able to experience Fear and Death. The Pandora's box has been opened, and there is now no way to turn back and escape the clutches of this part of the world. They are doomed to go through the full experience of Life, just like their Shadows wished.

A Kumori will have very little to no memories at all of the Primal State of Shadow stage. Because they had no brain at that point and were incapable of forming them. But it is not uncommon for a Kumori to feel like he or she has "Been here before" or "Tasted his before", even tho they can't quite place where or how in their mind. They will, however, always be aware of what they actually are.

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A Kumori may lead a perfectly regular human life. At some point, however, and because they have an Echo and not a regular Soul, the Kumori's body will stop ageing. This can happen at anytime between the ages of 5 and 80 years old. They become unable to die of natural causes or even starvation, and they can technically live forever in this way. At this point, they also gain access to their Bloodline Abilities.
This state does not prevent them from being killed, however. While they are immune to natural diseases, the Kumori *can* be killed by most common methods. While they do possess some jusu that allows them to regenerate wounds to a certain degree, they are not immune to damage. Kumori feel pain, fear, and can experience death. A stab to the heart will kill them in the same way that it kills a regular human. Same goes for decapitation, loss of limbs, etc. In general, any physical hit that would kill or injure a regular human will kill or injure a Kumori with the same level of constitution. This includes poisons. They are only immune to dying of natural causes (Old age and diseases).

What does happen to a Kumori when they finally experience Death however, is unknown. It is known they cannot be brought back by the use of the Edo Tensei technique. But whether that's because Edo Tensei is designed to bring back Souls and not Echos, or because Echos simply do not go to the same place as Souls, it is unknown. There aren't any cases of Kumori returning from the dead registered, and it is commonly believed that they simply cease to exist or return to the Void to never leave again.



Clan/Bloodline Traits & Characteristics

Because of how they are brought to the world, the Kumori tend to use black clothing. But this isn't an obligation, not a rule that they follow. Because the Clan isn't organized in a hierarchy like most other clans, there aren't really that many traits. However one shoul note that the Kumori have their crest engraved in their minds from the moment they are born into this land, and will recognize it always.

Bloodline Description & Abilities


This Path refers to the Kumori's ability to "Become One with the Shadows". But what does this mean? Does it mean the Kumori can go back to the Primal State of Shadow after all? The answer is no. Although it is commonly accepted that this power is granted to the Kumori by their PSS stage of life, the "Shadow" they become at this point is completely different.

Through unknown means, the Kumori is able to absorb every single type of light that comes into contact with their body. This means that, while this ability is active, the Kumori reflect effectively no light at all. They become a true shadow, of the darkest possible shade in existence.

This means that while their outline and color are perfectly visible, their actual form may not be. In order to better illustrate this effect, I present the following example:

Spoiler:

This effect does not apply to the Kumori's ocular globes, but in this state the Kumori's eyes can see through the palpebrae if their eyes are closed.
The Kumori, while utilizing this ability, may manipulate their shape to a certain extent. While they cannot gain more mass with this passive ability, they can change their body shape by "transferring" mass from one place to another in their bodies or even changing their body shape while maintaining the same mass. For example, a Kumori is able to triple or quadruple the size of their heads by making everything from the neck down a lot smaller, leading to a sort of ridiculous sight. Unlike the Akimichi, who can re-size their bodies to huge size and gain mass and weight through their Hidden Jutsu, the Kumori can merely change shapes and re-allocate their mass, while their weight remains the same.

It is important to note that while in Body Shape Manipulation mode, the Kumori's body will also change internally. This means that their arms might turn to spikes, or that they can turn into a shadow dog with the same mass as their original body. No extra abilities may be gained through this technique however, such as "Better sense of smell because dog nose" or "I now run faster because I'm a shadow cheetah." This is SHAPE transformation, their bodies' shape changes but not their physical prowess. If you were an "average agility" human, you'll be an average agility cheetah. Some *specific* jutsus may give boosts but those need to be registered and approved, as the passive ability by definition grants none.

The color absorb takes no amount of chakra to sustain.
The body shape manipulation takes a D-rank amount of chakra to sustain (unless specific jutsu are used involving this ability, making their cost the "upkeep" for that post).
While the color absorb must be active in order to use body shape manipulation, the contrary isn't true. Color absorb may be active solo.

FAQ:

1. "Could a Sharingan distinguish the facial expression or shapes of a Kumori using this ability?"
   
   The short answer is no. Like regular eyes, the Sharingan would be able to distinguish the outline. The Sharingan grants its user the ability to have  keener sight and even predict the opponents next move. But the problem here is that's nothing to see. A Kumori in this state is basically a black spot with the outline of a body. The Sharingan will still be able to track the spot wherever it moves, or even copy jutsu cast by the Kumori if the handseals are visible from a reasonable angle or the jutsu requires none. But inside the outline of the body, the Uchiha eye will see nothing simply because there's nothing to be seen. Under regular conditions the Sharingan takes information (reflected light from the opponent's body that enters the eye) and processes it at a superior level, being capable of inferring much more information from the light it gathered. In this case, however, there is simply no light to be gathered.
   On the other hand, the Byakugan is much more capable of discerning what a Kumori is doing because they can see the actual tenketsu, and while the Kumori's body may be a perfect shadow, a Hyuuga will be able to discern the Shadow's movements by looking at the skeletal tenketsu.
   
   
2. How quick is the transformation?
   For speed purposes, this ability is considered to be a "body" ability. To a Kumori, changing their form is as natural as raising an arm of throwing a punch. As such, the speed at which they do this is determined by their Coordination tier, as this is considered "The Speed of the body in relation to itself".
   
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3. Can they absorb punches and stabs?
   Absorb? No. However, if their stats are high enough they may dodge, divert or block such incoming attacks in the same way a regular taijutsu user would. The only difference is that a Kumori can take advantage of his/her ability and possibly have an easier time dodging/blocking these attacks. Eg. A fist may "phase through" them if they take the shape of a donut around it and allow it to pass through the hole. Ultimately it all comes down to "Is the Kumori fast enough to make this move?". It's important to note that regardless of any shape manipulation, if a knife touches a Kumori's body it is still just touching a body and will most likely cut it. Their ability is limited to shape manipulation, it grants no direct constitution boost.
   
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4. Can they have things phase through them by growing other parts and moving things that come into contact with what would have been them, Kamui-style?
   Technically, yes. But not quite like Kamui. As explained above, the Kumori may re-allocate their mass in order to dodge an attack in the same way one would move an arm out of a blade's way. The main difference between this and Kamui is that this isn't instantaneous. Kumori can only do this as fast as their coordination allows them to. Additionally, the Kumori user cannot separate his body from itself. To illustrate the difference, let's take Krillin's Destructo Disk as an example:
   
   -If a Kamui user is attacked by a Destructo Disk, the only thing they have to do is see the body and activate the jutsu almost instantaneously. At this point, it doesn't matter if the disk's diameter is enough to separate the whole body or not because the user sent the part that would be cut off to another dimension. The attack is dodged.
   
   -If a Kumori is attacked by the Destructo Disk, on the other hand,  they have to see the attack coming and be fast enough to dodge it (coordination wise). Additionally, they need to rearrange their bodies in a way so that they don't separate in two regardless of the disk's diameter. Additionally, their bodies are always susceptible to other types of effects from these attacks. If the destructo disk was a fireball instead, the Kumori would still be burned from being in close proximity to it.
   
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5. Can they make themselves 1mm tall and dodge almost anything s'ept explosions/groundattacks?
   They can neither reduce nor raise their mass. If they become 1mm tall they would have to spread out their mass to create a large 1mm tall puddle, I guess o.o' This would leave them very vulnerable to explosions. This shape ability isn't a good strategy against wide natured attacks. We also have to use common sense here, a Kumori obviously can't reduce its height so much that the puddle would cover a football field... I trust we can all be reasonable.
   

Bloodline Limits:

The Kumori's Path of Shadow passive body shape manipulation ability is limited by the fact that a Kumori cannot gain nor lose mass through this technique. While some specific jutsus may bend this rule a little at a higher chakra cost, this ability is not supposed to be used as a cheap Akimichi rip-off. The Kumori are not granted the ability to gain weight and mass. Additionally, the body shape transformation does not make then immune to heat, or cold, and they cannot physically separate their bodies (eg have an arm detached from their body). Additionally, changing one's shape may bring on serious disadvantages. For example, if one makes their torse thinner to dodge a blade, they also make the torso a lot more vulnerable to physical impact. Also, the biggest problem of turning your body into a perfect shadow is commonly known amongst the Kumori as "Fucking Naras, man."

Bloodline Limits & Drawbacks

Clan Techniques

Name: Paragon of Hope
Rank: A-rank.  C-rank or A-rank cost.
Range: Close
Type: Ijutsu
Sub-type: Supplementary
Elemental Affinity:  Chiton
Notation:  Bloodline
Handsigns: Tiger (can be half tiger depending on the casting process but both hands are usually busy.)
Description: Using Zen Chi, the user guides a constant stream of blood bornt from chakra focused on the palm of their hand into a person who may be bleeding out. This blood will act as regular blood and will prevent the affected person from
dying of a bleed out no matter how serious the wound.
Drawbacks: While this technique prevents a bleedout from happening, it is not a magical "Now I don't die" kind of jutsu. It merely prevents a bleed out from being the cause of dead, but if for example your head has been crushed, you might have a more serious problem.
If the person is standing still, the upkeep cost is a C-ranked amount of chakra. But if they are moving or move their position during that post, their heart will beat faster and more blood will be required. This turns the upkeep cost up to A-rank. (Let's be reasonable here, moving an arm isn't enough to required an A-ranked amount of chakra for example, while jumping or running will.)


Name: Genesis
Rank: A-rank. S-rank cost
Range: Self
Type: Ninjutsu
Sub-type: Supplementary
Elemental Affinity:  Chiton
Notation:  Bloodline
Handsigns: Tiger (can be half tiger if the user is lacking an arm, or none if there are no arms.)
Description: Using Zen Chi, the user is able to restore one of their lost limbs while in "Shadow Mode". The blood will be expelled from the mouth, connect with the body and turn into shadow. From then on, the shadow will take the form of the limb and by the time the user returns to the regular human condition their limb will have been restored.
Drawbacks: This jutsu takes a significant amount of time to perform (2 posts) and requires the user to be still, so it makes it impractical to be used in combat. Additionally, even if the limb is restored during a fight, the user's Coordination with that limb will suffer a full tier debuff to Coordination while in that fight.
For obvious, reasons, a head cannot be restored.