Tsuji, Shinnosuke
Summary
Tsuji Shinnosuke, known to Kenichi as "Shaggy Hair," is an eighteen-year-old Dou who practices Katsujin Ken and the ancient martial art of Koppou. He first appears in Battle 24 as a rival to Kisara, frequently arguing with other members to prove his superiority. Although his repertoire of techniques is limited, his extensive combat experience without a defined style allowed him to hold his own against Kenichi in their initial encounter. Tsuji originally dreamed of leading a gang more powerful than Ragnarok, but Kenichi shattered that ambition. After losing most of his followers to Kenichi’s unintentional sneak attack, Tsuji’s anger softened when his remaining two subordinates revealed they stayed loyal because he was their friend. This shift earned him a measure of respect for Kenichi, prompting him to warn his rival about Takeda’s impending punishment by Ragnarok and the threat of Hermit. Seeking to improve, Tsuji retreated to the mountains where he trained under a large, elderly master who wore a bear skin over his head. The master agreed to teach him Koppou on the condition that Tsuji leave the mountains upon completing his training. Tsuji returned to find that Ragnarok had disbanded and its headquarters was now held by the Shinpaku Alliance. With his original goal void, he sought out Kenichi for a rematch at Ryozanpaku. During their fight, Tsuji displayed significant skill growth, though his punches remained slow enough for Kenichi to dodge. He ultimately secured a victory through an opportunistic strike when Kenichi looked away, mirroring the manner in which he had previously been defeated. Tsji then fled, refusing a second match and declaring he would cherish the victory for the rest of his life. Akisame notes that Tsuji’s style is potentially over a thousand years old and centers on the Kanji 昒, which signifies the talent to understand clever techniques quickly in modern Japanese and "core" in ancient Japanese. The distinction among practitioners lay in their grasp of this core concept. Tsuji’s application of Koppou differed from that of regular styles.
