Saito Takeshi

A high ranking enforcer with the Minamoto yakuza family, Saito Takeshi nevertheless has found himself laying low in the American Midwest along with the rest of his pack. Despite his seperation from his Japanese lodge-mates, Takeshi tries to see the best in their new home, most notably St. Louis' highly belligerent Pure population. A Rahu of the Lodge of Garm, he looks forward to testing himself against the champions of the Anshega, and his eventual glorious death in battle. Until then, Takeshi serves as self-appointed protector of his pack, watching over the less bloody-minded yakuza like a big brother.

Appearance
Standing at six feet, Takeshi is exceptionally tall for a Japanese man, and his height is buoyed by copious amounts of lean muscle. Rarely seen without a tailored American suit, Takeshi's extensive tattoos are still occasionally visible, either when he removes his jacket before teaching an underling a lesson, or when he shifts into Gauru. These tattoos glow softly when his spirit brands are displayed, creating the illusion of stained glass upon his skin.

Personality
Takeshi is exceptionally polite most of the time, especially when interacting with friends and packmates, as well as with those he considers prey. This is offset somewhat by his straightforward personality, which occasionally leads to him posing questions far more bluntly than his packmates would prefer. When dealing with human yakuza and their marks, however, his personality changes dramatically: He acts much more boisterously, playing into the stereotype of a common street thug. How much of this is an act for his human underlings and how much is his true personality bleeding through the cracks imposed by his Tribe and pack is unclear.

Background
Saito Takeshi was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, and fell in with the Yakuza from a young age. He initially acted as a courier, but as Takeshi matured his natural size lent him to less subtle work as muscle on one of the family's protection rackets. His First Change occurred doing a gang war, and led to the death of several rival Yakuza. While his friends remembered little of it, they still attributed the brutal murders to him and began to utilize him when they needed to send a message. This did not last long, however, as other Uratha in the area discovered the freshly minted Rahu and inducted him into their own Yakuza family, bullying Takeshi's former allies into submission. Takeshi's natural talent for violence and devotion to the family earned him a respected place as a bodyguard to the leaders of the crime syndicate.

Deed Names

 * Paints-Glass-With-Blood