Junai Kuromura

Junai as a child was studious. He was as adventurous as Kotori was, and the twins did go everywhere together - mostly at her behest. It was obvious Junai was talented, skilled, ready to be a shinobi - however Yoshika and Arashi didn’t want to give Kotori a complex by separating them based on skill, so they didn’t let Junai graduate early. It was simply the start of a seed that would grow and grow, believing the village, his family, his sister would hold him back from true power and knowledge.

As a Genin Team, of course he was put together with her. And Sanjirou Fukui, someone they had made friends with in class. It’s true at this age, Junai does like them. He loves his sister at this time, even if it feels cracked. Sanjirou is amusing. They make friendship bracelets for each other (which Junai does find highkey embarrassing).

He worked hard under Kimihiro-Sensei. Unlike Sanjirou and Kotori, he thrived under tough talk and being pushed to his limit. Kimihiro taught him how to have a thick skin, and it’s true that Kimihiro might have been one of the few to let Junai see his true potential: seeing how far ahead he was of his teammates, he sometimes worked with him solo to help teach him jutsu and techniques that were too advanced for Kotori and Sanji at the time. Unfortunately, during the Kyuubi attack on the village, Kimihiro became disabled and could no longer act as their sensei.

The bloodshed of the Third War and the Kyuubi Attack affected him more than he ever could admit: he wants to be able to protect himself from atrocities. He wants to commit the atrocities and survive. He wants his mother to stop asking him when he’ll do something great like his brothers (and she only asks because she can see that he’s talented).

The moment Junai becomes a chunin, he feels like he can breathe a bit better. He still has to work on Team Kimi but he is noticeably getting taken away more and more to be used on high-stake missions. He graduates to a Jonin far earlier, leaving Sanji and Kotori behind. He stops hanging out with them as much, drowning himself in learning, and training, and realising that the village surely won’t let him gain all the knowledge he thinks he requires: they’re stifling. Banning jutsus, keeping secrets… It’s ridiculous.

Daichi is approached asking if Junai would make a good fit for ANBU. Daichi, who has always had a bit of a suspicion of Junai, decided that having him around such pertinent information was a bad choice, and that he wouldn’t trust Junai in ANBU (and he wouldn’t trust Danzo to break Junai the way he thinks he could).

Junai finds out - attesting to his abilities - and confronts Daichi. This only confirms Daichi’s concern however; why anyone would want to so willingly become ANBU like this is beyond him (as someone who is now an ANBU Commander). And it’s true, Junai did want to become ANBU for the access to information, and potential team up with Danzo and what he hears goes on in the shadows.

Some might have found it odd, when Junai started suddenly having friends. He would hang out with jonin Kotori had never met: clearly some ANBU, some part of the interrogation team that she rarely crossed paths with. From 18 onwards, Junai started planning his exit, setting out resources in the surrounding Lands for himself and his new group, Ījisu. He makes connections with mercenaries in the Land of Reeds. It’s coming to fruition.

His defection happened just before dawn. He and a few dozen shinobi and civilians left, though Kotori caught up to him with Sanji and Emiko Hyuuga. He allows it, willing to prove that he’s beyond Konoha and Kotori in terms of power, and wants to shine more. Kotori insists he isn’t like that - he’s not one to abandon his family for power. He has his friendship bracelet still, after all. And Junai thanks her for the reminder, and rips it off. They fight, and Junai has always been more powerful than Kotori, taking her down easily, because he doesn’t have that voice telling him to hold back because she’s family. Because he doesn’t love her. He breaks her leg, wounds her, bruises her, rips her apart until Arashi appears. Easily chasing Junai away, saving Kotori just in time.

The Ījisu act as a mercenary group at first, making their home in a village in The Land of Reeds, Katsuura. Very quickly they take over the town entirely; Junai using his more charismatic players to convince the civilians of a coup. Practically overnight, their loyalty changes from their mayor to Junai. And within a matter of six months Ījisu have a base of operations. They expand the village, promising to protect its civilians for now.

Junai teases Kotori with his existence. His people track her - sometimes he does it himself - when she’s out of the village. Her spiral into hatred and madness is amusing, and he does it simply to try and break the family apart, to prove that family means nothing. Junai continues to learn,and grow, allying briefly with Orochimaru, and then the Akatsuki under the guise of loyalty. Junai is able to keep his cards close to his chest, however meddling with the Akatsuki puts him on Obito’s radar.

As the years go, Junai realises he’s respected by his troupe, even at his young age. He’s stronger, he’s building jutsu, he’s powerful. But he’s aimless. Refusing to acknowledge that it’s because he should never have left Konoha (because really, having family that trust you and love you will always trump being the most powerful, but alone), he feels lost. He starts to accept more offensive, brutal mercenary missions for his people. He starts to demand a collapse of the shinobi lifestyle altogether: what good has it brought? It has stifled learning, it has stifled power, and people (daimyo) think they can be used as chess pieces.

During Shippuden, Junai in an attempt to feel something, and potentially losing his sanity, decides to attack Konoha. It is successful in the same way the Chunin Crush was - he gets so close, though Kotori confronts him and with Naruto’s help, he is defeated. Forced to take his life, Kotori comes to terms with the idea that Junai was no longer the person she grew up with, and was too far lost for redemption.

Unfortunately, he is brought back during the Fourth War by Kabuto, and fought his family once more - without restrictions again, he is far more brutal, and manages to take out his brother Manabu, his sister Hiyori and their father Arashi. Proving that even in death, Junai is simply, not a good person.