OOC; Profile
Character: Shindara (Also known as Shindara the Undying and formerly known as Sarutobi Sasuke)
Series/Fandom: Samurai Deeper Kyo (manga)
Original or Template version: Original
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Sexuality: Bisexual
Housing: Doctor Street, Labarum House, Upper Cove
Marks: None
Link to picture/PB of character: With robe - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/IrkenJac/kyo07_d136.jpg / Without robe - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/IrkenJac/kyo26_115.jpg
Appearance: One glance at Shindara would make you wonder if the man has ever eaten a bite of food in his life. He's a very skinny man, an almost clear definition of what you would call a stick. Since he's so very skinny and he tends to stick out like a sore thumb, he tends to wear a lot of dark clothing that covers his entire body all the way from his neck down to his feet. The outfit he usually wears is a long, black flowing robe or cloak that obscures just how skinny the man really is. Also being worn round his neck and shoulders as a part of the black robe is a huge amount of white fluff with some black feathers sticking out here and there.
Under his robe is a whole different story all together. He wears very tight black leather pants which are circled with a belt, as well as black knee-high boots on his feet that look to be made of hard leather. His skin though is what is most interesting. Every inch of his flesh is covered in tattoos and various markings. Most aren't discernible, in a language never taught to humans or in obscure symbols. The only most obvious mark is the one on his left cheek. A fancy 'God' with a cross between the 'o' is written there that symbolizes his ability to regenerate his flesh and not die much like a god.
His hair is black and also very long, much lower than his shoulders. It's usually messy as if it screams to be brushed out by anyone who would want to. Otherwise, his long hair is all that is normal about the man. Especially even with his very skinny, muscular body he is a very powerful looking foe to want to mess with.
Personality: Generally, Shindara always seems to have a bored demeanor no matter what is happening around him. He tends to make it seem like he just doesn't care. So, even though he does always look bored, he is actually paying quite a lot of attention and cares about what goes on. He just doesn't want you to know that he is interested. It probably comes from being a ninja and usually being in the shadows. Like his expression he tends to keep his emotions to himself and only tells his feelings through words which he puts a lot of thought into before saying. Otherwise he is rather laid back, calm, and doesn't fly off the handle or attack for no reason. He usually just hangs out on the sidelines and watches instead of speaking up, though he does put up his own comments every once in awhile so he isn't completely quiet.
Even with all of that the most curious part of his personality is his loyalty. Shindara has always been loyal for those he was working under even though a first look at him would make you wonder if he cared about anyone. While his loyalty for Yukimura is the most strong it is also a very shaky loyalty as he had betrayed Yukimura and the rest of the Ten so he could be able to protect them even when those betrayed had no idea about this.
Shindara is actually a very intelligent man filled with very high level skills of the ninja. He knows what's going on around him even when he seems to not be paying attention at all. He also doesn't like getting riled up though it's known to happen only when Yukimura tends to be involved and presses at Shindara to return to the Sanada. While he is loyal to the Sanada in his own way he doesn't want to be trapped inside of the tiny Sanada box.
He also seems to have a rather darkened outlook in life because of the Mibu and their experiments on him that made him immortal. He believes even when Yukimura asks for Shindara to come back to the Ten that he doesn't deserve to be with them in his lifetime. They have far surpassed him in strength and he is only a lone inhuman man now. Right before his end he was wishing to still be with the Sanada even after death though he would still not be able to be with them.
Abilities/Strengths: Shindara is considered a Ninja Master which is the highest class of ninja a human can achieve. With that title he has a high mastery of the ninja arts which include various skills. He can wield a ninja sword, he is able to hide in the shadows easily, he can sneak around enemies without them noticing him until he wants to be seen and he can control the elements. With Hishigi's experiments on Shindara he becomes 'Shindara the Undying' and with the markings inflicted on his body he can spontaneously heal any wounds upon on his body quickly as long as they aren't completely fatal, in example if he is sliced completely in half he wouldn't be able to regenerate fast enough. He can take a lot of damage otherwise and with the black magic of Hishigi he can also summon lower level Mibu monsters to fight for him. This ability though is probably not possible in Template much like Axel couldn't summon Nobodies to aid him.
Weaknesses: Shindara of course has a few weaknesses even though he is called 'Shindara the Undying.' While he does have spontaneous healing with his body when it is stabbed, cut, or shot at, he still has a limit. He can heal fast but if he gets a quick succession of cuts at once with a very fast speed his body cannot heal all of them at once and as fast as if it was one cut. He also has a weakness for having a shaky loyalty for Yukimura which in return makes his life harder for himself as well as Yukimura and the Ten. He may be protecting them without them knowing but they still try to kill him if he gets in the way of their plans, or he tries to kill them for the same reason. Otherwise his lack of caring outwardly tends to turn people off from him and dislike his personality or they simply distrust him.
History: Shindara, formerly known as Sarutobi Sasuke, was once the leader of the Sanada Jyuuyuushi (Ten Braves). They are the ones who have sworn to protect Sanada Yukimura with their lives. Since Shindara was the leader of the Ten he trained them all what he knew about being a ninja to protect the Sanada. He taught them well since the myth came to be that each had the power of 1,000 men. Shindara though was still more powerful than they were since he was a Ninja Master over his pupils. He had the power over the elements as well as various other abilities he could not teach them because of his skill level. He was very loyal to Yukimura and the rest of the Ten, none of them having any doubts that he would ever betray them. Unfortunately, after being informed of Yukimura's premature death and his failure to seize hold of the country through the Taishirou Tokito's predictions, Shindara left the Sanada Jyuuyuushi one night when he had an argument with Yukimura and joined the Mibu Clan.
With the Mibu Clan he was taken in by Hishigi of the Taishirou (Four Elders). Hishigi put Shindara through all kinds of experiments. The results of all of those was that Hishigi modified Shindara's body so he can regenerate instantaneously. It is shown in the form of many tattoos on his body and Yukimura even once called it black magic. Either way because of his ability to regenerate quickly and efficiently he is given the name 'Shindara the Undying' for killing him is a challenge when he simply just heals any injury. Shindara later, under the Mibu's orders, than joins the Jyūnishinshō.
The Jyūnishinshō are the twelve warriors that swore to protect Oda Nobunaga, at all costs. The Mibu Clan wants Oda Nobunaga to be resurrected and back to being shogun so they could control Japan easily from the shadows once more instead of having to show themselves or giving Japan up to Tokugawa Ieyasu. To resurrect Nobunaga they have to steal Onime no Kyo's real body from its prison deep in the Sea of Trees. Shindara is usually seen with Bikara and Antera who, with Shindara, kidnap Shiina Yuya to keep Kyo under control as well as distract him from finding his real body before they do. A huge battle in the Sea of Trees happens though Shindara is not involved in it. Instead Akira joins the small group and they find Kyo's body in the ice. That is when Akira turns on them, stabs Bikara, then freezes Shindara and Antera in ice. He leaves Yuya behind, and Shindara, as he's frozen, tells her to flee after him. Instead Yuya grabs a rock and breaks Shindara and Antera out to Shindara's shock. Once freed they go to find where Akira went. There they find the main group where Kyo is fighting Nobunaga. Shindara speaks with Yukimura and Sasuke, then they watch as Nobunaga is defeated by Kyo. When no one is watching Kotaro of the Jyūnishinshō appears, immobilizes the main group of heros, and the remaining Jyūnishinshō leave with Nobunaga's head.
Later Shindara goes alone to speak with Yukimura as to why he allowed Shindara and the others to leave with Nobunaga's head when Kyo had chopped it off. The younger Sasuke is there with Yukimura as well and he realizes once Saizo appears that Shindara is the former Sarutobi Sasuke. Shindara just speaks with Yukimura about how Nobunaga is still alive and waiting now for Kyo's real body. Yukimura explains he wanted Nobunaga to live in the first place since they both had a common enemy: Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kyo and the others then appear and Kyo says he'll always be there to kill Nobunaga. Shindara just stares at him before telling Kyo a message from Nobunaga which is that the Mibu Clan wants to remove Kyo. Kyo gets enraged but Shindara vanishes into the darkness before more can happen.
The main group goes through various adventures and Shindara stays protecting Antera as well as Nobunaga. They are then separate until Shindara meets Yukimura and Saizo in the Mibu Clan since Yukimura has joined them to protect the Sanada by betraying the rest of the main group, the younger Sasuke included. Shindara tells him he will keep his eye on him but Yukimura isn't worried and heads off with Saizo. Later Shindara is with one of the demon Jyūnishinshō who are always hungry, Haira. He fights with Botenmaru while Shindara, Yukimura, Saizo and Kyo watch. Once Haira is defeated by Botenmaru, Yukimura moves to challenge Kyo but Shindara intervenes, wanting Yukimura to fight him first. The two fight, hearts are wrenched and Yukimura tries to gain back Shindara's loyalty to the Sanada. Yukimura opens his heart and Shindara instead gets enraged, kicking Yukimura in the head and then moving to gut him. One of the Ten, Kosuke, jumps in the way right at the nick of time and takes the hit for Yukimura. Now that both are distracted, Yukimura cares for Kosuke's stab wound through her shoulder and she tries to snap Shindara out of being the enemy of the Sanada as well. She tells Yukimura that Shindara isn't a traitor, that he had betrayed them to protect them from the Mibu Clan. Shindara reveals what had been predicted to him about Yukimura's premature death. Yukimura simply laughs and says that he had been given more years to live than he had expected. Shindara is shocked but says nothing.
As Kosuke is cared for, two more of the Jyuuyuushi appear to challenge Shindara. Those are Kamanosuke and Jinpachi. Shindara summons lower class Mibu to fight them and it looks like the two of the Ten are eaten but really they had gotten out of the way right before the Mibu attacked. They easily destroy the lower Mibu and then go right for Shindara. Saizo also gets into the fight and the three try to stop Shindara from hurting Yukimura. Shindara though puts up a damn good fight against all three of his past pupils - Saying they can never beat their master. He uses flames to cause all three to collapse. Still they are strong willed and stay in front of Yukimura, not allowing Shindara to kill him. After Saizo's heart felt speech on the importance of Yukimura to all of the Ten, Shindara moves to kill him but Yukimura finally snaps. Before Shindara can kill Saizo, Yukimura gets in the way and the two begin fighting once more as the Jyuuyuushi, still badly injured from their fight with Shindara, watch closely. Now that Yukimura is serious the fight is brutal, Shindara even setting Yukimura aflame. It doesn't even tickle the enraged samurai though who comes right out and chops Shindara's flesh up until so much of him is cut his body can not regenerate fast enough. He collapses.
Yukimura once again offers to allow Shindara back into the Ten realizing his shaky loyalty to him. Shindara says no, that he would never want to rejoin such trash like they are. He gets up even as deep inside of himself he wants more than anything to join the Sanada again. He just feels he has no right to be with a clan so strong now since he left them those many years ago. Even as he tells lies to the Sanada all he can think about is how proud he is of them as he leaves before Yukimura can talk him into rejoining the Sanada. No matter what he was just a traitor. He could never walk with them again though his heart always would.
More events happen with the main group as it gets even bigger with more members but Shindara is not seen again until the younger Sarutobi Sasuke is in peril. He is attacked by many Mibu creations like himself and they climb all over him to kill him, the floor collapsing below him as they all fall to their deaths. Somehow though Sasuke awakens to realize he is still alive. When he looks around himself he finds Shindara laying on the floor. They meet and finally talk face to face for the first and last time. Shindara is disappointed when he reveals he has a few ripped apart files in his hand. They are the remains of Hishigi's Reports and most had just been destroyed. He gives them to Sasuke. Shindara sets his hand on Sasuke as they trade more words, and Sasuke moves to get up, saying that Yukimura would want him at his side, only to realize to his horror that Shindara would not be coming with them. The man is completely missing his lower half, nothing but blood remaining as he bleeds to death.
Shindara tells Sasuke to go to Yukimura, that Yukimura would always need him at his side no matter if he was a human or an experiment of the Mibu Clan. They say a rather teary goodbye and then Shindara finally dies. His last words to Sasuke being that if he could he would gladly protect and walk with the Sanada, especially Yukimura, even in his death.