Kakita Hideo

Kakita Hideo was a Crane Clan bushi and duelist.

Childhood
Hideo was a popular child because of his natural athletic ability. This lasted for many years until the other children began to grow jealous of his ability, and the fact that he never seemed to lose. Hideo was not particularly concerned. His parents had made arrangements for him to study at the finest Crane dojo in Tsuma, so convinced were they of their son's natural ability.

Appearance and Demeanor
Hideo was irritating and stunningly handsome at the same time. He was confident, athletic, and his natural charm and arrogance drove his foes to fury, forcing them to make mistakes which Hideo could then exploit to his own benefit. He had only been in a handful of duels, and never one to the death, but despite his youth. Hideo was already developing a reputation as a man to be feared within the duelist's circle.

Topaz Championship - 1168
In 1168 Hideo passed his gempukku and was a contender of the Topaz Championship. He met Kitsuki Taiko. It seemed that Taiko impressed him much more than he could publicly express. In fact, he began to love her.

Station
Hideo was stationed as Doji Ayano's yojimbo at Toshi Ranbo during the Phoenix occupation in 1169.

Negotiations
Ayano had been stonewalled by Bayushi Gihei regarding an agreement regarding gate fees for Scorpion merchants entering Heigen Toshi. Ayano tasked Hideo to act as a bodyguard of Asako Risa. The Phoenix was the bureaucrat of the judge Isawa Toshiji. Risa was in another blocked negotiation with the Mantis Yoritomo Heikichi, but the presence of a Kakita Duelist scaried the Mantis who quickly concluded the list. In return Toshiji gave Ayano a full set of travel papers to the Phoenix provinces, signed and sealed by him. Gihei had been tried unsuccessfully for weeks to obtain these travel papers, and after they were gifted by Ayano, the Scorpion turned and concluded the matter of Heigen Toshi the next day.

Emerald Championship
Less than a year after his gempukku, Hideo was invited to and succeeding in the initial rounds of the Test of the Emerald Champion in 1169. Hideo was defeated by Shosuro Jimen in the final round. He was not become ashamed of his performance, but rather his behavior in that round.

Yojimbo
Following his shameful defeat, Hideo traveled to Toshi Ranbo to research the lineage of a Scorpion in the Imperial Archives. There he met again Kitsuki Taiko, who was researching a Kitsune scroll without clear dating. Hideo determined that it was a request for aid sent by the Fox Clan. Hideo pointed a notation written in a Sparrow code used by other members of the Three Man Alliance. It indicated the scroll was written less than two weeks before the Battle of Toshi Ranbo. He offered to accompany Taiko to the Kitsune lands as her yojimbo, as a way to repair the failures his clan made to the Fox in the past.

Kitsune lands
Hideo escorted Taiko to the Kitsune lands as her yojimbo. In the Scorpion-fox border they were halted by Fox guards, who denying the entrance to their territory. Taiko saw several men lurking from the bushes, and they began to fire arrows to both groups. Hideo and the Kitsune killed two of the bandits, and the rest disappeared as smoke. Taiko used her healing knowledge to save Kitsune Hibume's life.

Prophet revealed
They met the Fox Clan Champion, Kitsune Ryukan, and the prophet Kitsune Narako. They told bandits had haunted the Kitsune Mori and tried to kidnap Narako several times. Taiko and Ryukan were able to figure out the bandit's equipment had the mon of the Sons of Winter bandit group on it, although they had supposedly been destroyed in Shinomen Mori ages ago. The prophet commanded Taiko and Hideo to be her yojimbo during the march toward the Jade Championship, or the Kitsune Mori would burn.

Hideo's Love
During the meeting Narako proved to Hideo she was a truly prophet when with only touching him, Narako was aware he loved Taiko but he concealed his feelings. Hideo stopped her before she revealed to the other assistants, including his love.

Kyuden Doji
Hideo was speaking with Doji Ayano and the Crane Clan Champion Doji Domotai in Kyuden Doji when they discovered that Kitsuki Orika, who was about to marry Kakita Matabei, had been murdered.

The Prophet
Hideo was one of several samurai who was key to protecting the prophet, Kitsune Narako. With the aid of Hiruma Aki, Yoritomo Saburo, Bayushi Eisaku, Utaku Kohana, and Kitsuki Taiko, he managed to help defeat the forces of the Shadow Dragon. He witnessed the prophecy predicting the War of Dark Fire and the coming of Kali-Ma.

Confronting Kali-Ma
When word reached Saburo about the assault on Kaiu Kabe, Hideo and the others headed west to uncover the truth behind the armies of the Destroyers. The party was joined by Akodo Shunori and Moto Juncheng at the wall, and Chuda Hiroe, in disguise as a simple ronin, agreed to guide them through the Shadowlands. With her help, the group was able to navigate to the very heart of the Destroyer army and were the first Rokugani to witness the power of Kali-Ma.

The group engaged Kali-Ma and her elite guard but were quickly overwhelmed. Chuda Hiroe was instantly killed, and Hiruma Aki died shortly afterwards. The rest of the group split into two teams. Yoritomo Saburo, Utaku Kohana, Akodo Shunori, and a reluctant Hideo escaped back to Rokugan to inform the Empire of the true power behind the Destroyer army. Originally, Hideo refused to go, but Eisaku knocked him unconscious and had the others carry him away. Hideo was furious about being seperated from Taiko, but he understood that he had a greater duty and joined the others in warning the Empire about Kali-Ma.