Naotora Takeda

"I hate to do this, but... this time i'll be taking... Your precious first triumph!"

- Chapter 04

Naotora Takeda is one of the Five Grand Generals of Hi no Moto and the Captain of the Takeda Bushi. He is one of the first Five Grand Generals to meet Musashi and Kojiro from the beginning in Tatsuyama Mine.

Appearance
Naotora is a tall, muscular man, with short spiky blue hair like beast ear, and golden eyes. He has a scar on his left cheek. He wears what looks like a light blue traditional samurai armor with a white cape.

Personality
He is a very charismatic man, meaning he is easily able to bring people over to his side with his sense of honor and how he cares for the people of Hi no Moto. He also has a rather mischievous side, often taking any chance he can to play small jokes on Musashi.

Unlike other Bushi, he does not seem rooted in tradition, deciding that Uesugi was a bit too strict when it came to blood relations among Bushi. Likewise, he does not revere the Obsidian Goddess as a necessary entity and likens her more to a person the world could do without; however, the reason for this has not been explained properly yet.

He carries a vendetta against the Obsidian Brotherhood for causing a slaughter in his clan 10 years ago. It is noted he especially blames Shiro, as he was the one present during the tragedy.

History
Little is known about his past. However, it was stated he knew the other four Great Generals, as all five of them were friends in childhood.

During the Awaji Island Recapture, he was stated to have honed his sword skills in order to defeat Shiro Inukai. Naotora remembers seeing Shiro around 10 years ago, saying that he recalled a warrior surrounded by a white aura reveling in the massacre of his brothers being feasted on by hoards of demons. After creating an elemental blade and breaking Shiro's Kitetsuto, Naotora gets an injury on his arm that he calls a "Dark Depravity Curse". He believes it's because he was fighting a bit recklessly.

Tatsuyama Town Arc
Takeda Bushi arrive at Tatsuyama Town to fight the Kishin. Naotora tells Musashi and Kojiro to back off as its dangerous, but Musashi believes they have already defeated the Kishin. Naotora then laughs and points out that the Kishin is regenerating. Naotora joins his Bushi at their camp. Seeing Musashi still struggling, he tells Shunrai to pull him to them, where Naotora tells him he can't win alone. Musashi refuses to give up without trying and heads back into action, with Naotora commenting that he is a Bushi if there is something he is willing to risk his life to protect.

Musashi fails to cut the Kishin's core horn and is about to die, but Naotora comes and slashes the horn, killing the Kishin. Naotora then apologizes to Musashi for taking his first prize. Naotora then tells the town that they will be slaying all kishin and freeing everyone, but the Kishin worshippers point out its been 150 years and the Kishin are now stronger. Naotora tells them that its may be impossible dream of his, but they pass it to those that come after them, and each time they inherit the Bushi dream they become stronger. Naotora believes its his generation that will finally be able to defeat the Kishin. Naotora then again apologizes to Musashi and Kojiro for taking their first prize. Musashi is pissed and yells that they stole their first prize. As consolation prize, Naotora gives Musashi a crystal for not being able to defeat the Kishin, which only pisses Musashi more. That night, Musashi returns to Naotora having figured what the ultimate Bushi goal is and Naotora's - to unify the country. And as no one has done is so far, he will be taking on that dream.

Awaji Island Recapture Operation Arc
Naotora arrives at the Harima port, but jokes and teases Musashi that he doesn't remember him. As Kanetatsu Naoe explains Musashi and his friends are outsiders, Naotora states they are his subordinates. Naotora meets with Tatsuomi Uesugi. Kanetatsu mentions that there were three outsiders and Tatsuomi orders to kill them, as unity of blood is everything for them. Naotora explains they are his subordinates, his older brother's second cousins. Tatsuomi then agrees to spare them. Naotora wonders why he called for him as he doesn't work for him. Tatsuomi believes that Naotora will want to help him slaying the Kishin of Awaji.

Tatsuomi informs Naotora that the Obsidian Goddess has been found. He also suspects an infiltrator, who will try to take out the Uesugi when they face Yamata no Orochi. He send out Kuroko to look for the infiltrators and once she finds them, they will move. Surprised by the news, Naotora decide to leave, stating they will need more allies.

Naotora and his Bushi return to find the Uesugi under attack and join the fight, facing Shiro Inukai, who supposedly took out Tatsuomi. As Shiro and Seiroku escape, Kuroko forms a plan to defeat Orochi, save Tatsuomi and defeat the Obsidian Eight. Naotora disagrees with it, wanting to focus only on saving Tatsuomi or he won't be joining them. However, the next day, during the battle, Naotora's band joins them, revealing that Kuroko asked him to disagree with her, to make the enemy think they won't be fighting. However, as the enemy knew of the plan, Shiro transfer bombs meant for the mine, over Naotora's ships, but they survive them as Kuroko guesses that would happen.

The Takeda Bushi arrive as backup to Musashi's group. They create a barrier around Shiro and Naotora decides to fight him. Seeing Shiro's ring, Naotora feels they have met ten years ago, but Shiro states he won't remember something that old. Shiro wishes to leave and head for the goddess, however, Naotora states the goddess is better dead as it constantly causes the bushi to fight among them. Upset, Shiro decides to take Naotora's bait and uses Void, creating a square full of deep sea water and explaining that he tends to do that or puts them in a lava, when he doesn't want to even touch his opponents with his sword. Naotora slashes the square in two, freeing himself and wondering if that is all Shiro can do. He guesses he is the one that hunts for swords and explains that he doesn't hate oni as he seems them as natural disasters, but he dislikes people like Shiro, who take advantage of the state of the world to cause chaos. The two start fighting and as Naotora launches his attack, Shiro opens a small window, redirecting the attack behind Naotora. As his attacks doesn't match any color, Shiro reveals that his color is white.

Shiro states that Naotora is the most common color, weaker than the red and lacks unique abilities like yellow and green, which is why he finds fighting blue bushi boring. Naotora states he will show him that blue bushi can be the strongest. Shiro decides to get serious and transfers large amount of lava above Naotora, but using water, he hardest it. Naotora creates a large fire and water tiger and attacks Shiro, who notes that those powers should belong to a Kishin and that all of the ore in the mine is reacting to him, letting him act like a Kishin. Shiro guesses he used the same power to escape his water prison and Naotora confirms it. However, Shiro easily defeats the tigers. He decides to move somewhere they won't be interrupted and transfers him and Naotora elsewhere.

Shiro wonders why Naotora bothered to create this technique as control over fire and water can't cut a Kishin's horn. Naotora confirms that he won't be able to defeat him if he fights like a Kishin. He then starts gathering fire and water at his hand, creating a small black ball. Naotora explains he never used this technique in front of his comrades and he didn't want to wipe them out. He then turns it into a small blade and explains that its not a power he created to kill Kishin. He remembers a battlefield long ago, where someone with Shiro's color had obliterated his brother's. Naotora had created that technique for the Obsidian Eight. Shiro finds it interest and wonders if he could, but before he could even finish his sentence, Naotora passes by him and cuts him. Shiro is surprised and in that moment, crystals come out from him and he explodes. Naotora's Bushi hear the explosion and then see Naotora walking towards them and surround him in happiness. Naotora states he couldn't finish Shiro, but shattered his Kitetsu Blade, so he is out of the battle. Aoshi notices Naotora's right hand looking strange and Naotora explains its a price he paid and won't be able to use blade energy for a while. Aoshi wonders what really happened between him and Shiro, but Naotora refuses to say.

Equipment

 * Blue Wing Breaker (青羽々斬):

Abilities
Blue Sword Soul: He possesses one of the most common soul colors, blue. He is able to unleash a multitude of strikes in a single swing using Blue Wing Breaker, producing many more than a basic blue Bushi such as Kojiro.

Naotora has honed his sword skills as a Blue Bushi to the highest degree, able to concentrate elemental properties and condense them into a small cosmic blade.

Firstly, he is able to control water and fire alike, bending them to his will even when brought forth by the special distortion caused by Shiro. It can be said that attacks involving both are ineffective against him, as neither a downpour of lava or even being submerged in a cube of water was able to harm him. He is able to mold these elements into two large tigers to strike at his opponents.

The ultimate reason as to why Naotora learned these techniques was to combat the Obsidian Brotherhood. By condensing both fire and water, the opposing elements create a contradiction on a subatomic level. This creates a cosmic knife (which was able to destroy Shiro’s kitetsuto in one hit). The only time such a feat was shown prior was when the Obsidian Goddess overloaded a kitetsuto during her fight with Shiro.

Etymology
His name and character are most likely a reference to Shingen Takeda and his descendant, given the structure of Orient's story. Fittingly, he also has many tiger motifs, as a reference to Shingen Takeda's nickname.


 * The name Naotora means "still, further/furthermore/more/still more, yet, greater, less" (尚) (nao) and "tiger" (虎) (tora).
 * Naotora's surname Takeda means "military, martial" (武) (take) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta/da).

Trivia

 * Naotora ranked 7th place in the manga's 1st Character Popularity Poll.
 * It is still unknown how his left cheek was injured.
 * Naotora's birthday is the Japanese national cat day.

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