Hattori Hanzou

Hattori Hanzou (服部 半蔵) is a character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. A ninja from the pure line of the Hattori clan, he hid his status and went to Academy City. Initially a member of Komaba Ritoku's Skill-Out, he becomes its leader after the death of Ritoku and the abdication of Hamazura Shiage.

Etymology
was the name of a famous ninja from the ; the fact that Hanzou comes from a ninja family is an obvious reference to that, as noted by even Hamazura Shiage.

Appearance
Hattori Hanzou is the agile type of fighter and not very big. He usually wears black clothes decorated with white cross patterns.

Personality
Despite being a ninja descendant, Hanzou looks and acts like a typical delinquent, willing to beat weak people if it gives them easy money. In spite of this, he is very loyal to his group as well as the people in it. He is the one willing enough to take control of the remnants of Komaba Ritoku's Skill-Out after he died and after Shiage abdicated his position and runs it according to how Ritoku would have run it. He is also reasonable and kind to the people he knows, understanding Shiage's reasoning for leaving Skill-Out, and even helping him from thugs. Another example is him sparing Kuruwa despite going against the tenets of being a ninja as well as trying to cover her after she removed her clothes as courtesy for her.

As a ninja descendant, he strictly adheres to the tenets of a ninja being in a supporting role and hide in the shadows, though this seemingly doesn't influence his role as a Skill-Out.

Background
Hanzou is a descendant of the pure Hattori line. In spite of this, he supposedly left when offered the place of becoming the head of the family and strike back at the Koga ninjas. Though through Kuruwa's reactions to Shiage's wild mass guessing of Hanzou's status, Hanzou is likely part of some conspiracy involving "some ninja faction that's going to plunge Hanzou into some kind of miracle battle".

He later arrives in Academy City, hide his status, though not his name, and somehow ends up in Skill-Out. The very act that he is in Skill-Out, a group of armed Level 0s, suggests that he went through the Power Curriculum Program as well.

Battle Royale Arc
According to Shiage, Hanzou may have been trying to ATM machines again when he was around the area he found Shiage being beaten down by a thug. Hanzou calls out to him and tosses a pipe for him to fight back. As Shiage is too preoccupied with beating up the thug who attacked him, Hanzou was forced to even the odds some more, throwing a brick at one of them who had brought out his hammer. He then proceeds to run away with Shiage afterwards. Hanzou berates Shiage for being hung up with victory over the thug to the point that he could've been killed. After checking that no one was following them, Shiage asks Hanzou why he saved him despite running out of Skill-Out. Hanzou points out that isn't something for him to say, as Skill-Out doesn't bear a grudge against him. He tells Shiage on how they don't think their fall was his fault and that no matter who was their leader at that time they would've still fallen. Shiage could not respond but Hanzou keeps on speaking, saying that though it was fun with Ritoku and him with all their little plans, it wasn't at all a nice path to make him want to cling to it. Shiage agrees that it was a terrible life they had but it was at least fun. With that, Hanzou asks what he is going to do now. Shiage says he doesn't know as he thinks that hsi situation will be the same no matter where he ends up in, even if he goes back to Skill-Out, and that there is no value in going back to it. Hearing this as Shiage started to walk away, Hanzou takes a small handgun from his pocket and tossed it to Shiage, saying that he needs it. Shiage points out that it was a lady's handgun, though Hanzou says that it doesn't matter as a weapon that's a little hard to use is perfect. Shiage then puts away the gun and leaves the alleyway they were in without looking back at Hanzou.

Hanzou was monitoring radio channels during Shiage's battle with Mugino Shizuri in a botanical ethanol fuel plant in School District 3 and meets up with him right after he defeats her. Hanzou appears and calls out to him, saying on how he heard of Shiage's victory over a Level 5 all on his own. Although Shiage is surprised on he could've known, he remembers the handgun and says to Hanzou on how it came in handy. Hanzou praises Shiage for defeating a Level 5 using the handgun as he took out two cigarettes for the both of them. Hanzou says that with that kind of accomplishment no one will reject Shiage now, despite the fact that were not many people who hated him in the first place. Hanzou then tells Shiage to come back to Skill-Out as there are people waiting for him there. Shiage however apologizes, saying with a smile on how he has something he has to do. Hanzou clicks his tongue and remarks on Shiage makes him jealous, but accepts his explanation, not pressing Shiage any further. Hanzou tells Shiage on how he'll now be consolidating Skill-Out for the moment, until Shiage decides to return to them after he is done with what he has to do. With that, they bumped fists and parted ways once again.

Freshmen Arc
Hanzou spend the majority of the volume protecting Fremea from the Freshmen alongside Shiage.

Magic God Othinus Arc
In the final recreation of the world by Othinus created specifically to break Touma's spirit, known as the Version_Omega world in-text, where several characters from the original world have been "saved" or have not experienced great tragedy, Ritoku survives and has somehow become part of ITEM as a subordinate. Hamazura Shiage, Hattori Hanzou, Komaba Ritoku, and Fremea Seivelun are first sighted by Kamijou Touma entering a family restaurant where ITEM is in, apparently late. Here, Saiai asks why they are late and why their efficiency is dropping as they gained more subordinates. Shiage blames Hanzou for the shortcut they took, but Hanzou says it is because Ritoku could not leave a vending machine with a roulette alone. Frenda, who is alive in this reality, wonders how Fremea could be so attached to a macho man like him.

Magic God Invasion Arc
Both Hanzou and Kuruwa are on the same subway train as Akikawa Mie during her adventures with the Liquid Diamond. Due to High Priest's rampage in School District 5, the train comes to halt, surprising the already fearful Mie. Mie bumps into some people as the train comes to a stop, which includes Hanzou and Kuruwa. Kuruwa accuses Hanzou of being a pervert, believing him to have molested Mie, which he denies. Kuruwa doesn't believe him, and says that she will train him for losing control, much to his chagrin. As they argue Mie leaves the train on her own determined to get the Liquid Diamond to her mother.

Both Hanzou and Kuruwa end up where Mie is after finally delivering the Liquid Diamond to her mother and father. When Kenzan Shouji pulled out a gun (stolen from Shiosai) to force Mie to give the Liquid Diamond to him, despite the presence of a crowd, Hanzou and Kuruwa draw out their weapons. However, Shouji's friend, Higata Akio, tries to incapacitate him, though it is the subsequent attack of Shiosai and Mie's father that knocks him out. After seeing the matter all settled, Hanzou and Kuruwa hide their weapons again as their "jobs" have been taken away from them, though Kuruwa is relieved they don't have to do anything.

The Third Friday of January
Shiage, an apparently new member of Komaba Ritoku's Skill-Out, joins him and Hattori Hanzou to steal an entire ATM using his construction equipment knowledge. Shiage asks how they gather money from before, to which Hanzou says that they steal something and then run, leading to Shiage to say that their style is lame. Hanzou says that it would be easy for them to drag a weak-looking person into a back alley and beat the money out of them but says Ritoku is against letting people lay a hand on fragile girls. Shiage asks about Ritoku, to which Hanzou recalls of that scene in an elementary school where Ritoku sent a man with a bow gun who invaded the school flying 5 meters with just his fist. Hanzou declares that when it comes to little girls Ritoku is really shy. They later find Ritoku looking at online store for an XL-sized Santa outfit and white beard. Hattori then says that he remembers what the girl (probably Fremea) said to Ritoku, and that is she asked if Santa Claus really existed. Ritoku then becomes embarrassed.

As they try to check up the ATM, Ritoku calls his attention to a thing he has found, a GPS transmitter. At that moment, Anti-Skill cars drive behind them, and a barricade robot appears ahead of them. Shiage then decides to break through the barrier, forcing the pursuing cars to slam the breaks due to the debris that it caused by destroying the barrier.

Yomikawa Aiho, whose vehicle was used as part of the barricade, manages to jump out of the way as Shiage, Ritoku, and Hanzou manage to get away with their stolen ATM after smashing through the barricade. Their recklessness makes Aiho interested of them. As they drive off and try to get as far away as possible, they find Yomikawa Aiho uses a Fukuoka Fireworks Manufacturing large specialized transport truck catch up to them from a side street, slamming into the station wagon. Shiage lets their station wagon slide as so not to lose control. After he regains control of the vehicle he speeds off again. They later see that she has passed off the vehicle as an Anti-Skill vehicle by attaching red lights on top and uses a megaphone to ordering them to stop.

Hanzou tries to shoot at her, but she uses the truck to pin the station wagon on a guard rail. As it could not handle the force, the rail breaks apart with the station wagon and transport vehicle, sending them into an uninhabited warehouse. After striking the inner wall of the warehouse, the truck becomes stuck and couldn't move anymore. Aiho is later given a three-shot at by Hanzou, who says that it is powerful and cool to fire a bunch of bullets at once. Hearing their argument, Aiho determines that her opponents are all idiots. Suddenly, either due to the crash, the gunshots, or both, the truck's transport of soccer ball-sized fireworks falls out all over the warehouse. Moreover, Hanzou's haphazard firing had hit some sort of electrical wire which in turn has come into contact with some leaking gasoline from the truck. Seeing this, Aiho flees.

This was apparently all set-up by Shiage, who had Hanzou fire at the truck's fuel tank. The three then find that Aiho is running away, to which Shiage says that he wants to capture her and show her up. Ritoku responds that they will do no sexual crimes, though Shiage says he knows and changes the subject to the ATM. As Shiage tries to go back to the station wagon, something hit his toes. Much to their horror, they find one of the soccer ball-sized fireworks spheres on the ground and that the truck they hit is from Fukuoka Fireworks Manufacturing. With a flash from the electric wires that has been severed, the fireworks explode. Aiho later comes and arrest the three after escaping the explosion.

In their cell, they are ignored by their fellow inmates due to how they looked all covered in soot. Shiage complains that though stealing an ATM is bad, Aiho is worse as all the cash in the ATM had been burned up. Ritoku comments that Aiho would likely make things more peaceful if she lets criminals go, and calls her a horrible Anti-Skill and an idiot, though somehow appends at the end that he hates large breasts. Shiage tries to justify to Ritoku that Aiho isn't a fragile girl and then makes lewd gestures regarding what he will do to her. However, Hanzou has yet to speak, as he just sits in the corner of the cell with his arms around his knees and not moving. He then apologizes to Shiage and Ritoku, saying that he has fallen in love with Yomikawa Aiho.

The First Friday of October
On the ground level of School District 22 amongst the wind turbines, Kuruwa finally catches up to Hanzou. He complains on how he went out of his way to hide his status in the city and yet she still spent half a year running after him. He then asks why she is so intent in hunting him down, to which Kuruwa says that is all to revive the pure line of the Hattori and the Iga. Hattori sighs at her explanation, and says that ninja were originally bandits that were hired by a powerful military, and that these ninja lines she says only came out later, and states that anybody can become a ninja.

Hanzou tells that "pure lines" like the Iga and the Hanzou do not work for the ninja as they are used for supporting roles and are supposed to be hidden, lest they are attacked. Kuruwa responds by saying that ninjas are afraid of influential people. However, she says that the age where they can move one more efficiently has come. Hearing this, Hanzou thinks that Kuruwa is an idiot but still understood her feeings. Hanzou gives her some advice on what a ninja truly is, continuing on from his previous reference that ninjas are of supporting roles. With this, Kuruwa concludes that Hanzou refuses to understand, to which Hanzou says she isn't putting that much effort in convincing him.

Hearing this, Kuruwa decides to convince him by force and make him surrender in order to make him part of the Hattori revival. Seeing how extreme she would go to, Hanzou jokes that Kuruwa would probably be willing to bear his children to arrival the line, to which Kuruwa admits she would. Hanzou then asks if she is going to pull out a gun, but since she remembers Shiage's lecture says that guns are too comples and unreliable. Here, she shows Hanzou a kusarigama, releasing the chain that she wrapped around her body. It was sickle with connected to the chain. Hanzou says that the weapon isn't a ninja weapon as it stands out to much.

Before she can respond, Hanzou charges toward Kuruwa with his uchine, a true ninja weapon. With him already in range, Kuruwa is forced to use the chain of the kusarigama wrapped around her hand as defense. In spite of this, Hanzou isn't fighting seriously as ninjas always does the killing blow, and if they fail they must retreat. Hanzou's protracting the battle annoys Kuruwa. She then swings the chain, forcing Hanzou to swing his head to avoid it allowing for Kuruwa to make an opening allowing for Kuruwa to hide behind one of the wind turbine's pillars. Still, Hanzou charged forward before Kuruwa can make an effort to compose herself. Swinging around the pillar, the momentum allows Hanzou to attack her from the side, stabbing her and tearing her yukata. However, he later discovers that Kuruwa has abandoned her yukata and is now in her underwear, and allows her to attack him from the other side of the pillar with the swing of the kusarigama. Hanzou tries to concentrate on the sound of the chain in order to time his dodge but Kuruwa mimicks the sound and traps Hanzou.

Kuruwa, who now believes that she has trapped and is certain that Hanzou will be beaten after releasing the chain, is saddened by Hanzou being easily defeated. Still, with a grit of her teeth, she watches as the chain tries to wrap around Hanzou's arm. However, she discovers that it slips right pass his arm as it seemed to move in an unnatural angle. Here, Kuruwa discovers that Hanzou has taken out his arm from his sleeve. With this, Hanzou once again charges to the unprepared Kuruwa who was caught off guard by the momentum of her chain. Seeing how Hanzou can defeat her, Kuruwa smiles and compliments Hanzou as she is struck down by his fist.

Hanzou was lenient with her as he chose to use his fist instead of the uchine. Regardless, Hanzou has won against Kuruwa. He however is in dismay that Kuruwa was happy in him beating her. After complaining of the turn of events, he goes to pick up Kuruwa's yukata, not wanting her to stay half-naked. However, while doing so he finds a piece of paper, a small report regarding a list of Gemstones. Here, Hanzou presumes that Kuruwa may have been trying to create a new ninja group with them. Hanzou then wonders how Kuruwa has come upon a classified Academy City document regarding Gemstones. Knowing her limited skills and abilities, Hanzou theorizes that someone prepared a list for Kuruwa and wanted for her to do something. Here he wonders who that person was and waht they were after. Hanzou then crumples the report in his hands.

Abilities
As a member of Skill-Out, Hanzou prefers to make use of a handgun with dealing with enemies, and as with how these things go would rather gang up on a weaker opponent, as he states to Shiage when discussing on how they steal money. However, as a ninja, he is very skilled. Following the pragmatic tenets of the ninjas, he uses trickery and deception to beat opponents. As a ninja he prefers to use to kill opponents in the first strike, and if that fails would rather flee, though he is skilled enough to hold himself back.

He prefers to use a weapon that can easily be concealed like the Uchine (打ち根). The Uchine is an extremely short arrow only about 15 centimeters long. It is used for stabbing and not throwing, and is mostly used for assassinations. In spite of the short range of the weapon, Hanzou's ninja kills allow him to compensate for its drawbacks.

Design evolution
Hanzou's design remains static throughout the entire series. Haimura designed his clothes to look somewhat like a modern ninja outfit.

Quotes

 * (After being captured by Aiho, from Index Volume SS2): "I think I'm in love."
 * (To Kuruwa, ibid): "Look, let me give you a tip: learn to be like a weed, think like a poisonous insect, and honor your own supporting role. Weeds are everywhere, we will never be rid of poisonous insects, and the supporting roles blend into the background. Taking all of that together and condensing it gives you the essence of what a ninja is."