Hiroki Yamamoto

""I do not know what waits ahead of me. These places... they terrify me, so many things that I can't even understand. But I know what I'm doing here, just as what oka-san told me to do before I left off the lab. Is time manipulated here too? Whatever it is, I will find my way, no matter how great of a distance must I search far and wide...""

- — Hiroki Yamamoto

Hiroki Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本博樹 Yamamoto Hiroki) is a young soldier who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army and is a side key character in Zombies. He is known to be as the soldier who crossed different dimensions all by himself. Yamamoto returns in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, in The Giant, Der Eisendrache, Zetsubou no Shima, Gorod Krovi, Revelations, and barely in the Blood of the Dead.

Yamamoto also appears in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, wherein he sided neither of Requiem or Omega, but mostly had fought off Omega and Colonel Lev Kravchenko.

Biography
""Hiroki Yamamoto, son of Hideomi Yamamoto from the Kempeitai, was a young man of the Japanese army bundled with clumsiness. Serving as a low-ranked soldier, Yamamoto's capabilities on firearms never met the expectations of his fellow soldiers whose ranks were higher than his, better known to be so cloddish that he ended up losing an eye which some have often looked down upon him even more.

The boy in truth has a hidden potential on the ravaging battlefield. Deep beneath his reputation from those who do not see him any good was surprisingly a versatility wielding his katana along with a deadly stealth that allowed him to close himself in for a kill. Soldiers who were with him on battle could no longer look at him in the eye, some believe this is nothing but just luck, but Yamamoto continued to prove his worth more than just naive-looking private. Despite he fell under the hands of the deadly mad scientists, he felt warmth under the care of Eliza whom he looked up to now as his mother figure, serving her just like how he does to the emperor.

The young warrior has sworn to carry out the orders of his mother figure as to show his deep loyalty, seeking for blood and flesh to shed upon his blade.Yamamoto is a warrior blossomed by the teachings of his mother to hunt and kill with all his might, though the nature that of a very little boy will always tie to his pure heart.""

- — Yamamoto's bio added with Map Pack 2 in Call of Duty: World at War

Overseeing the Rising Sun facility
On November 3rd, 1942, Private Hiroki Yamamoto was assigned and dispatched to inspect the work of the Group 935 and Division 9 at the said Rising Sun facility by the Emperor. While in there, he made documentations of his observance on their work through recorded tapes and journal entries that he gathered and hid so he can present what he has seen for the Emperor once he returns. Two days later, Captain Takeo Masaki was also dispatched to help him oversee the facility, but he had nonetheless kept to work all by himself to prove his independence as the Emperor's agent sent for inspection. On the night of June 14th, 1943, Yamamoto suddenly disappeared.

This had worried his Captain on where could he have end up to. Takeo still continued his objective on the facility and at the same time tried to search for Yamamoto far and wide, but there was no sign of the young man. On June 15, 1943, Takeo then reported to the Emperor all the work being done in the Rising Sun Facility was completely "unacceptable" and that Yamamoto whom he sent first for the overseeing went MIA.

Getting captured by Group 935
Starting on the night he was captured, Yamamoto was already taken as prisoner both by the Group 935 and Division 9. He did not know his capture was also a part by the orders of the Emperor. His rifle, supplies and even his katana were confiscated, neither was the boy being harmed by both research groups, only to have him be held captive on their hands until any further instructions. Division 9 possesses a tape of their interrogation towards Yamamoto after dosing him tranquilizers in case of "unexpected aggression due to the sudden happenings" wherein he barely talked. He seemingly offered himself on what they wanted to do with him.

Arriving in the Siberian facility
On August 3rd, 1943, Yamamoto was transported to the Siberian facility. There he was still detained, restrained and kept in high security, but he has remained perfectly healthy even starting his stay there as he was also expected to be transported again to another facility, which is Group 935's base near Breslau. The longer he stayed, the lower the security for him had gradually became. Because of his odd obedience, the scientists allowed Yamamoto to have and write on his journal entries, where he wrote that even if he doubted to return to the Emperor and hand over what he has seen since his dispatch, all he can do now is obey to who are handling him. To his surprise Yamamoto had found out his Captain Takeo Masaki was also captured and transported in the same facility as he was in, though he had shrug it off, hoping they wouldn't do too much harm on Takeo. To test his obedience and capabilities, Yamamoto was sent out on recons out in the Siberian facility with a few soldiers to accompany him and keep an eye on what he does the whole time.

Dr. Edward Richtofen and his assistant Eliza arrived in the Siberian facility on July 15th, 1945 so they can do further research on "live specimens". Eliza eventually caught attention to Yamamoto who was at that time guarding them as they work, stating that she knows he hides a "potential" and he is already "special" to her. The boy thought she was only saying that so and treating him differently was only out of pity, but he realized Eliza's words turned out to be sincere, leading him to grow a connection with her by looking up to the assistant as now his mother figure. Not so long after the Doctor's assistant took him as her own. Yamamoto offered himself in service for his mother and at the same time to be her protégé, saying he will do anything she orders him to do especially over what they work on. Before the three live specimens for experimentation were to be transported, he went nowhere but only to the side of his mother because of the sudden trust he had on her. Yamamoto's confiscated weapons and supplies were also returned to him. A short while after he slowly began to undergo training on recon and sniping with the supervision and teachings of Eliza, as he was then often sent out on recons on his own after Group 935 transferred the three live subjects for experimentation.

Taking part in Group 935
Even though he was still in training, Yamamoto was already involved assisting Richtofen and Eliza's experiments, more particularly back on the Siberian facility and during the absence of Maxis. He learned the proper usage of morphine and specific serums wherein he sometimes substituted his mother, though wasn't assigned to help over experimenting on Takeo because of his connection to him as his student. Asides being on living specimens, Yamamoto willingly participated himself on the experimenting of the teleportation devices by helping to improvise the teleporter's function when being used in the future, remarked to be having a good contribution in the "most little ways" as according to Richtofen.

Even until he began to work with the two scientists, Maxis still on the Kino facility didn't know of his involvement with any of the operations he took part on.

Journal entries


""November 4, 1942. It's my second day here on the swamps, the area remains quiet just like yesterday, but I know they're working on something inside. I'm capable enough to remain hidden by the trees. My rations are still sufficient. All I hear around here are the screeches and howling-like noises of creatures, the swamp water feels weird, and the whole place makes me feel so damp even with my uniform on. But I am fine. I must keep an eye on the Rising Sun facility for as much as I could, the Emperor must be pleased with what I can get from here and relay it to him.""

- — Hiroki Yamamoto