Author's Games: Samurai

Clan 3: Kairi Saito

This was written by 

Name: Saito Kairi (SAY-toh ky-REE)

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Appearance: Kairi has short, thin black hair that is usually left hanging down (except when she is fighting, in which case it is pulled up in a tight bun). Her small, almond-shaped eyes are a shade of brown so dark that some would call them black. She has a petite stature, which means that she is sometimes overlooked when next to the other male samurai.

Weapon of choice: Katana

Personality: Kairi is closed off, not friendly towards anyone. She prefers to operate alone in everything, and she normally only speaks to give a sarcastic or witty remark. Before her brother died, she was more open and trusting, but now she's become simply a shell of her previous self.

Background: Kairi was raised alongside her younger sister Nohime and her older brother Tatsuoki. Their father, Saito Dosan, was the daimyo of the Saito clan, which meant that the children were raised in a very upper-class home. Kairi never had a very close relationship with Nohime, but she and Tatsuoki were good friends. As children, they were always seen together, roaming around the palace, exploring outdoors, or having imaginary fights with wooden katanas.

As the children grew older, they began to train in the art of the samurai. Tatsuoki, who excelled at the art of wielding a katana, quickly rose in rank to the top of the Saito clan's army. He became a general at the young age of eighteen, when Kairi was fourteen. She was very proud, but she was also fearful that his life would be taken in battle.

Then one day, the army of Oda Nobunaga attacked the western border of the clan. Tatsuoki's army fought hard, but they were quickly overrun by Oda's might. A large portion of the Saito clan's land was lost that day. Filled with disgrace, Tatsuoki committed seppuku.

When Kairi received the news, she was crestfallen. The exact thing she had feared would happen had indeed come to pass. Her parents and sister, however, were honored that their son and brother had died in such an honorable way. Kairi grew bitter towards them, and she began to tell herself that they hadn't really cared about her brother, but only his honor as a samurai. Before long, she pulled away from the rest of the world, becoming distant. She felt as if she would never come close to anyone ever again, or at least not in the way she had been with her brother. She swore vengeance on Oda Nobunaga, and promised herself that if she ever met him in battle, she would not rest until she had slit his throat.

Important side characters: Her father, Saito Dosan; her mother, Akechi Omi; her sister, Saito Nohime

What influences their decisions: Kairi is driven very much by revenge. If someone wrongs her, she will not stop until that person has paid for what they did. In any other situation, however, she is very tactical.

Belief: Kairi believes in vengeance. She wants those who have done wrong to pay for their crimes, especially those who have personally wronged her. She feels that the wicked must be punished.

Nobunaga Oda: "Hah! The Saito army was weak, and they were easily crushed. Your brother Tatsuoki should have been beheaded. Sepukku was too honorable a death for a weakling like him."

Mitsuhide Akechi: "I am truly sorry about your brother, but it is good that he died as true warrior should. Vengeance is a dangerous thing, but if you feel that it is necesary, then do not allow anything to stand in your path."

Hideyoshi Hashiba: "Losing a loved one is never easy. I am genuinely sorry about your brother's death. But revenge is never the answer, Saito-chan. Trying to seek it will only hurt you. Instead, live life with a smile on your face, like your brother would have wanted."

Magoichi Saika: "You won't need vengeance when you've been around me for a few days. Whattya say, gorgeous?"

Ishida Mitsunari: "Do not let anyone stray you from your path of revenge. I walk the same one, and like you, I will not let anyone stop me."

Fun Facts (she included these, but I couldn't resist sharing them with you guys) :

Saito Dosan, Tatsuoki, Nohime, and Akechi Omi were real people. I looked them up.
Tatsuoki was really defeated by Nobunaga (although I don't think he actually committed seppuku).
Nohime was actually married to Nobunaga, because Dosan was defeated by him in battle and was forced to have them marry (but I don't know how I would have made that work in the storyline, seeing as Nobunaga is already married in this version, so I left that out)