Ritsuryō Senju

Ritsuryō Senju (千手 律令, Senju Ritsuryou) is the Leader of the during the Clan Wars with the  and the. Son of the late leader Battōri Senju and his wife Hotaru Senju, Ritsuryō would take the position as Leader of the Senju after his fathers death on the battlefield. A firm believer in the, Ritsuryō seeks to teach the world that peace can truly be achieved through love and not overcoming a foe through might.

A master in his field of technique, Ritsuryō is often associated with the title The Earth Warder (土 監房, Tsuchi kanbō). His chief rival and leader of the Uchiha Clan is the feared Ryun Uchiha.

Appearance
Ritsuryō is a tall man with long black hair worn in a pony-tail and solid black eyes. He wears a black kosode and hakama parted down the middle along with a brown haori over this. He wears black arm bands with metal plating along the top side. Metal plates are sewn onto the sides of his haori, acting as a shield attached directly to him. He is often seen with a katana sheathed at his side and a kusarigama at the other side of his waist.

Personality
Ritsuryō is a natural born leader and has shown to perfectly balance both rational and logical thinking into every situation. He is enticed by the complexities in life and is focused on maintaining the proper fundamentals for his clan mates to follow. He isn't one to anger quickly, unless it involves those he holds dear being mercilessly hurt or killed. His ability to fully rationalize any situation leaves Ritsuryō not making enemies for no reason. As it has shown in the past, Ritsuryō is willing to make allies out of any other clan who seeks such bounds, but will not hesitate to fight against those who are against his peoples moral beliefs. Some believe that Ritsuryō is harsh in this aspect, but it has been under his guidance that the Senju have flourished. Ritsuryō carries over this aspect with people, being very patient and understanding of any peoples beliefs. In some cases, such as the Uchiha Clan, Ritsuryō is opposed to every aspect of their beliefs.

While Ritsuryō has shown to be a rational man, his killing intent on the battlefield is often associated with words like "monstrous", "demonic" and even "heart-stopping". His respectful nature doesn't come between his lifestyle as a shinobi, as he must also strike fear into his enemies to take a role as a Clan Leader. He finds that battling cannot be without passion and often entices his combatants to "fight as if they too followed the Will of Fire", normally angering them more the encouraging them. While he does enjoy the sport of battling, he isn't one to be inclined towards meaningless bloodshed. In the case with War, if he is hired to do a job he will do it to the fullest, but even the most far fetched of requests can lead to Ritsuryō declining. It should be noted that Ritsuryō has gone against this belief on more then one occasion when the Uchiha Clan was hired by the opposing country, homage to his standing with said clan.

History
Son of Battōri Senju and Hotaru Senju, his father once lead the Senju Clan with pride and the utmost skill. Over the decades of his reign, he was able to out match several of the Uchiha opposition as well as make many alliances over the years. His father was said to be the strongest leader in history, mastering the art of the “Technique of God” known as Path of the Monk: Thousand Hands Spiritual Destruction. This technique earned a name for Battōri and lead to him becoming one of the most feared shinobi in all of the Lands. Towards the highlight of his leading of the Senju, Battōri and his wife Hotaru gave birth to a son and a daughter. The son’s name was Ritsuryō and the daughter’s name was Hana.

As the children of the Head of the Clan, Ritsuryō and Hana were destined for greatness. While Battōri sought for his children to not experience the harsh warfare that he had faced in his youth, this dream quickly deteriorated. In a battle with the Uchiha clan, both Hotaru and still young Hana were killed by a merciless Uchiha. This drove Battōri off the edge and caused him to go all out on the Uchiha in that battle. Watching his father become enveloped by his rage, Ritsuryō for the first time experienced what bloodshed was actually like. As a teenager, Ritsuryō was forced to raise himself as his father was constantly busy and his mother had passed. Wanting to go join his fellow clan members and to fight alongside side them in the field, he trained vigorously. His chakra nature, being Earth, Ritsuryō had mastered the ability to overwhelm his opponents while keeping his defenses up. His abilities far surpassing that of his brethren, despite his young age, he urged Battōri to let him go out to battle. Not wanting to lose his son like he lost his wife and daughter, he refused Ritsuryō’s offer as he would one day lead the clan. Angered by his father’s decision, the disgruntled Ritsuryō would run away into the forests. Amidst the forest Ritsuryō would reflect on his father’s decision. Unsure of why his father refused to let a shinobi who was of age to go out to war, Ritsuryō vented his anger by destroying several trees.

These actions did not come without punishment. Members of a bandit clan were a few yards away and heard the action. Heading out, Ritsuryō was faced with combating several dozen armed warriors. Combating them head on, Ritsuryō was able to push several back and utilized his earth techniques to take several of them out. Soon overwhelmed, Ritsuryō saw his short life flash before his eyes. Just as a sword was swung as his head, he heard a chime. From behind, dozens of golden chakra hands flew forward, gripping the bandits in each hand. Tossing the bandits away, an orb of fire appeared in the sky and a rain of fire poured down onto the bandits. Burned alive, Ritsuryō turned to see his father standing with his eyes tearing.

Helping his son up, Battōri told Ritsuryō that he “Couldn’t stand to watch another loved one die…” Ritsuryō took this to heart and told his father that “That’s why you need to let me fight or our fellow clan members will all die”. To Ritsuryō, these were words to convince his father let go, but to Battōri this was more. In his eyes, it was the moment that Ritsuryō had inherited the Will of Fire. This moment would forever change Ritsuryō and would cause him to heavily follow the Will of Fire.

Years later, another battle would ensue and Battōri would lose his life. As a result, Ritsuryō would take up the title as Head of the Senju Clan. Seeking to instill his father’s teachings and beliefs along with his own style, Ritsuryō would proudly lead his people. Ritsuryō would gain the moniker “The Earth Warder” for his mastery of the Earth nature and fearsomeness on the battlefield.

Abilities
As the Head of the Senju clan, Ritsuryō has proven to be the strongest amongst his people. Since the Senju clan is one of the three major clans, this places Ritsuryō as one of the strongest current shinobi in the world. His skills allow him to keep up with that of even Ryun Uchiha, one of the few to actually achieve the "Eternal". Being of Senju descent, Ritsuryō has mastered the field of ninjutsu to the point where he has gained a name for himself.

Another important note is his leadership skills, capable of leading the to War with precise and masterful expertise. His keen intellect and precise thinking allow him to outwit most other strategist, save the few from the and  clans.

Chakra Nature(s)
During his time In-Training with the Senju clan, Ritsuryō had learned that his Affinity would be for the Earth-nature. From his youth, Ritsuryō proved to be a master of manipulating the earth below his feet primarily for offensive and defensive use. Several Earth-natured techniques he has created have become the foundation to several other techniques used by shinobi and kunoichi to future generations. His signature technique the Earth Release: Rock Garden has shown to warp the entire battlefield to his liking, giving Ritsuryō the upper hand in nearly any situation.

Ritsuryō has shown to have proficiency in the Water-nature, combining it with his Earth-nature to overwhelm his opponents in new and unique ways.

Kusarigamajutsu
A master in utilizing a kusarigama in battle, Ritsuryō has shown to work it like an extension to his own arm. Its build allows Ritsuryō to keep distance with his foes then deal fatal damage if the enemy gets to close. On multiple occasions, Ritsuryō has gone toe to toe with powerful Uchiha with his kusarigama alone, homage to his prowess with it.

Behind the Scenes
Ritsuryō was made with in mind as they both were; Masters of their respective chakra-nature,  prominent members of the Senju clan as well as firm believers in the Will of Fire and the idea of self-sacrifice.

Ritsuryō is named after the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan.