Name: Kumazawa
Toraji (Kumazawa-sama)
PMF: Subterfuge/ Sabotage
SMF: Strategic Field Commander
The last
of four sons of the politically powerful Kumazawa family, Toraji was
born into the intellectual "neo-dentouteki" generation, the epitome
of a century of reform by the "Anshin Ritsumei Kousei" ("Enlightenment
Rebirth") which sought to preserve the traditions of ancient Japan and
integrate them into the rapidly increasing realm of technology. Like
his elder brothers before him, Toraji showed extraordinary intelligence
at a very young age, mastering Japanese, Standard, and Canto-Mandarin
almost immediately and at the same time. Unlike his brothers, however,
Toraji also showed a shimmering yet tightly controlled violent rage
and a very personal level of honor which induced him into brutality
when provoked.
When Toraji
was a baby, his father, Zenriki, was elected the San'yokan of Tokyo
over the other candidates presented by the other powerful families,
giving him control of all Japanese territory and essentially making
him one of the most powerful people in the world. Zenriki fortified
the Ryuoujin parliament and reformed the Japanese government to make
it a modified socialist republic. Zenriki was continually elected after
his initial eight year term due to the remarkable economic success shown
during his tenure, as well as the voluntary secession of numerous previously
non-aligned states to Japan.
Due to
this, Toraji became an atypically quiet intellectual feared by his fellow
students and even teachers for his violent temper. Only at home was
he still shown compassion, amongst his powerful father, his caring mother,
and his brothers and sisters. Yet he still violently raged on even in
this sanctum of his supporters.
The turning
point of his life was at the age of nine. After a seemingly meaningless
argument, Toraji erupted into a frenzy and fought against two of his
brothers. The second youngest, Masaro, emerged from the fight with a
concussion and broken ribs. The middle child, Renjin, fought brutally
with Toraji and finally subdued him after a vicious fight. However,
Renjin collapsed and was hospitalized afterwards, as was Toraji. After
the incident, Toraji wept profusely for what he had done. His manner
was repentant, but it became apparent that his destructiveness would
only grow. Zenriki reluctantly decided to do something he wished he
could spare his dear Toraji and the family from, but the brutality displayed
by Toraji in the fight left it evident that if nothing was done, Toraji
would become a cruel murderer whose natural talents were wasted.
Toraji
was sent to a mountain monastery, run by an archaeic and arguably radical
group of "warrior" monks whose primary claim to respect was repelling
Chinese invaders in the moutains in 2050's during the brutal war between
Japan and China. The order's offered principles constituted controlling
rage by building it and releasing it when needed. The transfer to the
monastery was made discreetly and with no acknowledgement to the public.
Toraji was soon forgotten for the next seven years, but he would come
back and be remembered.
Toraji
was taught a neo-traditional style of combat, meshed with what some
called dangerous and eccentric philosophy about life. However, the training
did bring Toraji what Zenriki had hoped it would: discipline. Toraji
was taught how to control himself perfectly and efficiently, while at
the same time extensively studied the secrets of how a small group of
poorly armed and "untrained" monks were able to defeat superpower armies
again and again. The monks taught Toraji how to fight as they did, and
in doing so, played with a two-edged sword. Toraji would definitely
learn how to fight efficiently, but the ability to learn control was
a mere possibility; should he only learn the former, he would be as
dangerous as any assassin had ever been in Japan.
Toraji
returned at the age of sixteen, somewhat changed, but still with a sense
of undulating loyalty towards his father and a sense of servitude and
repentance towards his brothers. Gradually, life for the Kumazawa class
began to proceed on the normal course of a typical powerful family.
Two months
after Toraji returned, snipers attempted to assassinate Zenriki. Zenriki
was shot and nearly died; Toraji swore to use everything he had been
taught to find the cell that had preyed upon the San'yokan and announced
his mission to all of Japan and promised to return in a week.
At the
week's end, thirteen terrorists had been found at the entrance of the
capitol square in various forms of existence and non-existence. The
ensuing trials for the leaders were followed violently by the masses,
who demanded justice for the attempt to kill the San'yokan. Little realized
was the fact that Toraji never resurfaced at the week's end. The government
stated months later that Toraji had been killed in an explosion in the
Macao Province of Japan, though Zenriki and his family knew the truth.
Toraji
now works as part of the Japanese government's highly secretive, highly
lethal Kurenai gumi, known only slightly more in other countries than
in Japan, where the citizens have never seen any mention of the group
anywhere. Toraji's close ties with the San'yokan allow him to carry
out highly secretive missions, and he already has; the only reason Toraji
is not recognized as the best assassin and spy in the world is because
he has never been caught.