Post by Seimenk on Aug 30, 2009 10:20:43 GMT -5
Name: Nobufusa Baba
Age: 501
Gender: Male
Personality:
Objects under any continuous effect by the Shikai's powers will be emblazoned with the glowing chinese characters for "Fail".
[/blockquote]Bankai Description:
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Kumatsume no Messatsu Ganzan Ryozan Ha ( Destructive Mountain Splitting Wave of Bear Claws)
This special technique converts Haha Kuma Hageshii's powerful reiatsu into a ranged attack. Drawing the claw back, Haha Kuma Hageshii's blades flare with an intensely bright white before the blades emit three powerful streams of reishi that can extend 300 ft (approx. 100yds). Slashing, the user swings the beams in 180 degree horizontal sweep. The beams spread is not very wide, but they are very long giving them the potential to hit many targets provided the spread of enemies was dense enough. The streams move as fast as the weilder can swing their fist, but it takes about 6 seconds to gather the necessary energy.
This desperate attack is reishi exhaustive, and so intensive that is can only be used once within any one 24 period. After being performed Haha Kuma loses its destructive white aura and signature growl when swung, as well as access to its strength multiplication and Nurikabe. Afterwards its damage is no greater than that of its original sealed state, and its reach is much less by very nature of its form. It is capable of reverting back to its shikai state, but cannot regain use of any of its bankai abilities until it spends 24 hours in its sealed state. If any of the blades are missing, its power is lessened by 1/3 for each one.
The techniques name implies it is capable of doing its namesake, but this is actually a great exaggeration as most flashy names tend to be. The beams are strong, but they are too weak, and too brief in duration to melt through such an immense amount of material. Albeit, one could certainly sweep it across a peaks face and leave a 1ft wide, 15ft deep mark. Whether that counts as 'splitting' or not is up to interpetation.
[/blockquote]Skill Level: Kidou: Advanced
Skill Level: Swordsmanship: Intermediate
Skill Level: Shunpou: Intermediate
Skill Level: Hand-to-hand: Advanced
History/Background:
Age: 501
Gender: Male
Personality:
Nobufusa is efficient, practical, prepared, and disciplined; never one to panic nor anger easily. He has never been seen to raise his voice by his comrades, except to call anothers attention in the street or on the battlefield. Should tensions rise between squadmates or between different squads, he tries to act as a voice of reason, as much in the interest of others as his own friends. He is quiet, reserved, and gravely serious following a philosophy of 'forethought in all things', and a belief that if one is always serious, one will always be taken seriously.Appearance:
He also believes that Shinigami should conduct and carry themselves in a certain way in all the things they do. He advises younger Shinigami to keep their uniform neat, free of dust from the street, and without tears from battle. When he sees them loafing around outside or just wandering around town, he reminds them "Walk and even sit with purpose. Let us not be thought vagrants." In his mind, even if a Shinigami were in truth lost, they should never appear to wander aimlessly. To Nobufusa, members of the Goetei 13 and their associated organizations ought to be a source confidence, security, and pride for the people of Rukongai. If they do not show confidence in the way they carry themselves , how can the people confide in them? If they fight amongst themselves, how can the people feel safe? If they are sloppy, should the people not be embarrassed to live under them?
He invests neither his time nor emotions in that which he believes cannot change. In his mind when tragedy or disaster strikes, one must move on rather than dwelling on it, and try focus on how to prevent it from happening again. If an event or consequence of an event is truly unavoidable, one must simply gracefully endure whatever hardship it brings.
Perhaps a flaw in his behavior, is the fact that he can be indecisive when put on the spot to make sudden judgments. He prefers to take the time to weigh all options, taking into consideration all repercussions, and consequences. His decisions are well thought out, but making them can take considerable time. Though his speech is terse and to the point, he is never rude. Despite this, the former combined with his tough appearance and deep, raspy voice can make him seem mean, unfriendly, or even scary to those that dont know him well.
Though he is very stern, he is not without his recreational and creative pursuits. His discipline carries over into his artform. He demonstrates considerable skill and coordination as a percussionist in a Taiko ensemble called "Amefurikozo" (Rain Child), one of many which perform at annual festivals. He was once offered the chance to teach an academy class part time. While he had the technical ability in the art, as well as the patience for teaching, he did not believe academy students would find study under him very enjoyable and so he respectfully declined. His careful planning and consideration lends itself to games like Go and Shogi, which he plays with squadmates who can tolerate his long turns.
Fighting Style:
Nobufusa adheres to a defensive fighting style that focuses on using grappling and submission techniques. He almost never unsheathes his Zanpakuto for use in its sealed state, preferring hand to hand. When he must stop a sword however, he is known to use his sheathed Zanpakuto to block. He carries it in his belt sash with a braided cord binding the hilt to the scabbard, so as to ensure it's drawn scabbard and all.
Nobufusa is a tall, very muscular, dark skinned man. He has a clean shaven chiseled face and a bald head, which only makes his thick eyebrows seem even bushier. He has a large nose which is distinctly reddish, standing out from the rest of his face. Over his left eye he wears a metal patch affixed to his face by three black piercings in his eye brow. He wears only the standard Shinigami uniform with no personal embellishments. What is notable about his dress habits, is that he keeps his uniform meticulously neat.Zanpakuto Spirit:
In his gigai he wears Timberlands, brown slacks, and an olive green shirt with a red-brown tie. Over this he wears a tan leather trenchcoat. His eyepatch is absent, replaced by armless pince-nez sunglasses. His Deirenshiki is clipped to a black leather belt has a buckle embossed with the letters 'DNB'*; it seems to be a newer model as its paired with what appears to be synced with a wireless earphone device he wears on the left side. He keeps a Chikkan memory modification device and Soul Candy in a breast pocket.
[*According to him it stands for 'Drum 'n Bass' ]
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 210 lbs
Hair: None
Eye Color: Amber
Add. Info
- He doesnt shave his head, but rather lost his hair early.
-He is not actually blind in his left eye, nor is it missing. Furthermore, the patch is capable of being flipped up 90 degrees. He wears it in the name of being prepared for anything. The metal patch protects that eye from damage, and should he be blinded by flash or some substance, he could uncover it and still have one good eye.
-He is Left handed
- When releasing enough reiatsu, it manifests in the shape of a heart; not merely a heart shape, but a full, anatomically accurate organ circulating with reishi particles and pulsing with reiatsu.
-[OOC: His theme is 'Take Sword pt. II' by RZA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAtwnA4Xia8&feature=related ]
Haha Kuma (Bear Mother)Sealed Zanpakuto:
Inner World- Nobufusa's inner world appears as a cavern with seemingly endless dark passages. Most of these passages however are blocked by iron bars twisted into corkscrew like shapes, many of which are badly bent. The passages that arent blocked lead to various 'rooms' or larger spaces, some as big as the average sitting room, others as large as truly massive meeting halls. Though the passages are dark, the rooms are lit by patches of bioluminescent fungi. The only being that appears to dwell here is Haha Kuma. He once asked her if this inner world was a prison, to which she only replied "Child...stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Every man lives with the notion they are separate, disconnected from all other things in this universe, when in reality they are apart of them. As a result, they make their own illusion of isolation without walls or bars at all." Although she is never in the same room, Nobufusa always manages to find her. She is often found smoking a pipe, or sitting by a large pot stewing strange things, over a heatless strontium red fire.
Spirit Appearance- Haha Kuma appears as a zaftig woman with dark colored ankle length hair, that has long since matted into dread locks. Her eyes are amber colored, albeit there is a scar over the left one which is always closed. She wears a reddish-brown bear skin robe that trails on the ground , the head of which forms the hood. Around her neck are a several necklaces of wooden beads and animal teeth. She lets her hair hang outside the robe, thrown over her right shoulder, where it wraps around her waist once and appears to tie the robe shut. The left sleeve is cut short, revealing most of a forearm and a hand with many rings, and long black nails. In contrast, the right sleeve appears to be full length, but ends in an inhuman hand that can only be likened to a bear paw, which is missing a digit. Where the 'sleeve' ought to end and the paw to begin is undeterminable, leading one to wonder if it is really a robe at all. Only her head, neck, upper chest, and lower left arm are entirely certain to be human. All of which save her face are covered in tattoos reminiscent of the (pacific) Northwest Coast art style. Nobufusa has never seen her legs and she does not leave any tracks on the dusty cavern floor.
Outside of the Inner World, Haha Kuma manifests as a bear mask of plain wood with a red nose. It has a simple eye painted on the right of its face, that has a doll like head of an old woman with white hair where its left eye should be.
Spirit Personality- Haha Kuma is a kind and caring, if enigmatic spirit. Whenever Nobufusa sees her, the first thing she does is ask him how he has been. Nobufusa would usually respond to most people with "Just fine." and that seems to satisfy them. Haha Kuma however, will never accept this, and forces him to speak at (what is for him) great length. When Nobufusa first met her She made it clear to him that she would only protect him with her Shikai powers as long as he didnot stain her sealed form with blood, and only having kept this promise for 100 years would she allow him her full powers. Though his century oath is long since over, he has continued to keep the promise as best he can, as it seems she has a particular dislike for blood and will only taste it in the name of protecting someone when there is no other way. She refers to Nobufusa as 'Child', and everyone else as "that child, -insert name". Although she appears no older than Nobufusa himself, he has come to accept that she is from times immemorial , and refers to her has 'grandma', only using her true name when using his Shikai.
It appears as a 4.5ft long katana. Its saya (scabbard) is a washed out maroon or burgundy, decorated with a stylized floral-like pattern composed of hexagons with diamonds inside them in alternating red/white and red/black. The tsuba (guard) has a copper alloy finish with a marbleized red patina. It would be "U" shaped except that instead of being flat on the side opposite the curve it has a jagged "MM" like bite taken out of it that gives it three triangular points. The hilt is covered in a deep red leather, with a lighter maroon diamond pattern that runs its length on both sides. Inside each diamond on the hilt, has a small blue circle. The blade has a beautiful, if rarely seen horimono, or engraving that depicts a family of five bears drawn with a single line on both sides.Shikai Description:
Command- Endure For Your Children, Haha Kuma!Shikai Abilities:
The sword save the hilt dissolves into motes of red reishi that cling to the weilders body, absorbing their clothing and transforming into a red armor. This armor appears to be made of metal plates covered in red leather, the edges of which are smoke gray. It includes a breastplate that protects the chest, back, and waist; bracers that protect the backs of the forearms and the backs of the hands; and shoulder guards made of strips of riveted metal with a finish similar to the tsuba. Except for the shoulder guards, all of the former is reinforced with a patchwork pattern of leather squares under which are additional metal plates. The wielder also gains white hakama which are tucked into red knee high boots.
This armor is not created by the Zanpakuto, nor is it the users hardened reiatsu like that of Hierro, but is in fact the released form of Haha Kuma. This defensive type Zanpakuto provides excellent protection from slashing and piercing damage. Hale and hard, breaking or scarring it is about as difficult as doing so to any Zanpakuto. It cannot burn, and does not conduct heat well.
Its glaring flaw however, lies in its lack of coverage. It does not protect the head, neck, upper arms, inside of the forearms, palms, sides of the torso, or below the waist. Furthermore kinetic energy still transfers to through the armor. A powerful enough impact can still bruise or even break bones as with a bulletproof vest, and the wearer can still be thrown from impacts which even if they dont injure themselves may cause injury from landing or subsequent collision. It does not totally well against burst damage, or any damage which may flow around or engulf the wearer; such as explosions, wide beam attacks (i.e many cero), flowing or spraying liquids or energies (i.e. flamethrowers, water, acids, gasses); wide projectile or spread shot attacks or those of high volume (i.e. Quincy arrow fire which can number well over 100 projectiles). Nonetheless, having the armor in any of these situations would still be preferable to not.
The Zanpakuto cannot regenerate or restore itself in this form. If it reverts back to its sealed state, its condition will reflect the damage it took. The only fast way to restore itself is to change into its next form, Bankai. However, if it has sustained damage enough to actually be penetrated or badly scarred, its user may or may not actually be in the condition to do so.
Beyond its innate material qualities the armor does not have any special abilities.
Gokumonken (Prison Gate Sword)[/li][li]
After activation, the bladeless hilt is normally carried tsuba up in a belt sash. But by pointing it at the desired target, the user can use the Gokumonken ability in two ways.
Sealing
-lock/unlock any mundane locks at a distance of 20 meters (be they visible or not, the user need only be aware they are there) as well as open/close any visble mundane doors, gates, lids, etc of inanimate things that are capable of being physically open or closed at will as if by telekinesis. This power does not have any appreciable strength versus an opposing force (say a person trying to resist), and exerts only enough force to make the objects involved move, and only if unimpeded.
By maintaining concentration on any (1) visible closed thing however, they may actively hold it shut and resist any opposing forces. Used in this way, they exert a force equal to up to 5x their normal physical strength. Anyone physically touching the thing under this power experiences intense burning at the site of contact, though no actual heat is emitted, nor physical injury incurred. This does not stop the door or lid of the closed thing from being destroyed. This requires a special chant* which must be said with a specific rhythm, and must be performed continuously without interruption.
Warding
-Place a ward on any lock filling the lock with a destructive reishi that will cause any mundane, inanimate key, object, or substance inserted into or onto it vaporize into foul smelling red smoke. This does not stop the door from being destroyed or taken from the hinges. This ward is capable of lasting 7 days before dissipating. Doing so requires the same chant* as the above, but it is performed only 7 times and with a rythm that changes each time in a very specific way.
Objects under any continuous effect by the Shikai's powers will be emblazoned with the glowing chinese characters for "Fail".
[/blockquote]Bankai Description:
Haha Kuma Hageshii (Bear Mother Enraged)Bankai Abilities:
Haha Kuma's hilt, and all of the armor save the right bracer disperses into motes of red reishi, leaving the user barechested. The user retains the hakama and boots. The right bracer then absorbs this energy while simultaneously emitting an extreme spiritual pressure, as a claw addition to the bracer materializes from now sparkling magnesium white reiatsu. The bracer briefly gains a white and black symbol on it in the same shape as the original sword's tsuba, which then morphs into a more detailed three clawed paw in a Northwest Coast art style. It has three 1ft long, 1in thick blades; It appears that it once had four, but the fourth has been snapped off leaving only jagged a 1/4in of metal. Any damages it may have sustained in its Shikai form will not be apparent in this form, nor when it reverts back from bankai to its sealed state (only if it wasn't damaged in bankai). In this form, Haha Kuma gains a new name, Haha Kuma Hageshii.
The blades rarely ever actually connect with any mundane material, as the 1/2in zone of intense reiatsu around them does all the parrying and cutting unless met with a strong opposing reistsu. While its cutting power is excellent, it uses up significant reishi. Nobufusa laments its energy inefficiency, as he is only average in weapon combat, and so if used against any skilled swordsman they could parry him enough to exhaust him easily. Instead, for the majority of the duration a battle he prefers to use its special ability to convert it into a more stable form that bleeds far less power, and provides excellent defense at the price of having a much weaker offense. For offense he will rely as before on his hand to hand proficiency, which gains a 5x strength increase, using its base weapon form only to finish the fight when the enemy is worn down or subdued.
Its Shikai abilities can be used as normal, substituting ones right fist for the swords hilt.
Nurikabe (Impedance)[/li][li]
This ability is named for a yokai or spirit, from Japanese folklore that manifests as a wall that impedes or misdirects walking travelers at night. Thrusting Haha Kuma Hageshii forward, 1 or all 3 of the blades can glow with white reishi and launch like a projectile, before coming to a sudden stop mid air and expanding into a metallic structure which is 5ft wide on a side and 20ft long (tall if verticle), and 1ft thick. Each is likened to a 3 dimensional rhombus with two sides missing. Each has two "<>" shaped faces. Their exterior and interior surfaces are glassy, smooth and featureless. Some have described them as looking lke strange boats or crystal troughs. If damaged, they are revealed to be of a dull gray, dusty matter under the surface more likened to stone.
They can levitate and move according to the users will, up to a distance of 100 meters (300ft) away. While moving them the user cannot also cast Kidou or attack, albeit they can do either one while the structures are still and anchored in space. They move relatively fast and can be used as an effective means of travel, each capable of comfortably seating 6 people. Aligned across from one another, they can form a 15ft x 20ft barrier or shield slightly reminicsent of a section of corrogated* wall, as well as be used as individual shields or to provide cover for others.
Coming together as a hollow hexagonal cylinder they can be used to provide a subject with 100% coverage from all directions (albeit at the total loss of all visibility), or to imprison a subject inside. Combined in this way, they can also be used offensively as a giant battering ram. They can also be used in this fashion individually which makes the ramming attack faster, but they have considerably more heft when used together.
The structures are not indestructible, but breaking them would take tremendous force. However, far weaker than the structures themselves, is the reishi bonds that keep them in place when they try to resist an opposing force. Rather than be shattered, they are much easier to and much more likely to be dispersed or blown away. It does not necessarily require a single massive attack to do this, as every impact against them must be resisted by the reishi bonds that anchor them in space. A rapid, continuous stream of weaker attacks without pause will eventually cause their anchoring to break, knocking them askew. Generating and repairing or refreshing these bonds expends energy. An extended battle will eventually begin to tire him, and over time the shields become easier to push aside.
If any of them were in fact to be actually be destroyed or broken, they could not be regenerated except by spending a long period of time in the shikai form. For each of the structures destroyed, the shikai form will appear to be missing 1/3 of its length. Likewise, if an attack were to scar the shields, they could not repair themselves except by spending time in their sealed state -in which the blade would reflect equivalent damage.
At any time 1 or all 3 of them can be returned to their blade state as a part of the claw.
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Kumatsume no Messatsu Ganzan Ryozan Ha ( Destructive Mountain Splitting Wave of Bear Claws)
This special technique converts Haha Kuma Hageshii's powerful reiatsu into a ranged attack. Drawing the claw back, Haha Kuma Hageshii's blades flare with an intensely bright white before the blades emit three powerful streams of reishi that can extend 300 ft (approx. 100yds). Slashing, the user swings the beams in 180 degree horizontal sweep. The beams spread is not very wide, but they are very long giving them the potential to hit many targets provided the spread of enemies was dense enough. The streams move as fast as the weilder can swing their fist, but it takes about 6 seconds to gather the necessary energy.
This desperate attack is reishi exhaustive, and so intensive that is can only be used once within any one 24 period. After being performed Haha Kuma loses its destructive white aura and signature growl when swung, as well as access to its strength multiplication and Nurikabe. Afterwards its damage is no greater than that of its original sealed state, and its reach is much less by very nature of its form. It is capable of reverting back to its shikai state, but cannot regain use of any of its bankai abilities until it spends 24 hours in its sealed state. If any of the blades are missing, its power is lessened by 1/3 for each one.
The techniques name implies it is capable of doing its namesake, but this is actually a great exaggeration as most flashy names tend to be. The beams are strong, but they are too weak, and too brief in duration to melt through such an immense amount of material. Albeit, one could certainly sweep it across a peaks face and leave a 1ft wide, 15ft deep mark. Whether that counts as 'splitting' or not is up to interpetation.
[/blockquote]Skill Level: Kidou: Advanced
Skill Level: Swordsmanship: Intermediate
Skill Level: Shunpou: Intermediate
Skill Level: Hand-to-hand: Advanced
History/Background:
Nobufusa Baba first arrived in Rukongai at the age of nine, in District 80 East. Thrust into a land of confusion and lawlessness, he was forced to survive for the first 3 years on his own. For a few years after that, he was in the care of a pair of 'sisters', okama who ran a brothel out of their large home whom he grew to call 'oneesan'. During that time, Nobufusa became close friends with two orphaned boys. The first was the son of a battlecry. Born from hanged woman in a rare posthumous birth, he was the result of an execution of couple whom had failed to pay protection money. The second was the son of a poor merchant, whose wife died through his birth. His father saw him as responsible and never forgave him for his 'murder'. Seeking to make quick money, his father tried to sell him to a pederast sword for hire. His father explained this to him as an 'apprenticeship', saying that he would live with and study under the man. The boy left with the man to his apartment. That evening when he realized what was really going on, and what the man wanted from him, he managed to kill him with a knife the mercenary had carelessly left on a nightstand. Escaping, he was unable to return father or his home and forced to live on the streets for several years.RP Sample:
Together, the three of them worked running errands, as well as attracting and entertaining customers with music. For a several years, things were 'good'. At least until the rise of the Royal Purple Dragons. A newly formed crime syndicate, they began aggressive expansion, assimilating all others and their assets or slaughtering them. One night, they arrived with their leader at the sisters establishment, explaining that only the Royal Purple Dragon Crime Syndicate could run prostitution in the area now. The sisters would have to pay a large percentage of their profits close up shop. When the sisters tried to negotiate the amount, their leader brought them, the patrons, and all of the women to their knees with what he called his 'reiatsu'. Apparently he had learned to control a small amount of spiritual power, which was almost god like against those who had none at all. In his own words, " It wouldnt even matter if you had a hundred armed men, no one can cut me." This was the first time Nobufusa had ever witnessed spiritual power, or heard of such a thing. Pinning them this way, the leader's men beheaded the sisters in front of him and his friends, and then through what seemed magic the place suddenly combusted. The leader held them this way for several minutes as the building began to burn, before releasing them, sending people running for their lives, screaming and trampling one another as they tried to escape the inferno.
Nobufusa and his two friends were among those that made it out unharmed. Having lost their refuge and fearing living under the syndicate, they fled into nearby District 79 East. Nobufusa suggested they make new lives for themselves, perhaps as musicians. What else could they do? However, one of the other two had a different idea. In their mind even if they made a living in 79 East, they would still be subject to the same problems as before, the same things would happen over and over again. Everywhere the picture was the same, except the people involved had different last names. What would be the point in starting over if things didn't change? Nothing would happen unless someone made it happen. There was no real government, no real law enforcement to keep crime at bay. And more important than all the day to day petty crimes, were the organized crime and gang violence. Ordinary people fended for themselves, but if they were organized they could break up the syndicates. Furthermore, he reasoned that if the leader of the Royal Purple Dragons had obtained that kind of power, they could too.
Nobufusa was skeptical, but he thought his idealistic friend had a point. The three of them went to work. Firstly, they began physical training; running, lifting with makeshift weights, and taking jobs as porters or any other job that required intense physical labor. Secondly, they increased their fighting proficiency; they had all been in their share of streetfights, but only by necessity. They spent their evenings watching public fighting events from larger tournaments to back alley competitions. They learned what they could from what they saw, consulted others, and entered low level amateur competitions to test their skills. Watching and participating in these tournaments, they met other men who felt the same way as them and began training with them. From those who knew amongst them, they learned some degree of swordsmanship as well as how to stop swords and knives unarmed, and how to disarm people of them. Calling themselves "Shiraha Dori (White Feather Defense)" after a technique of the former, they were ready.
Finally, they went to work. Some days, some nights, they worked as a 'Private Security Company' offering protection to businesses. Other nights, the feathers became truly bloody. They conducted 'raids'; simply coming in through the doors and windows, they attacked what they learned to be spots frequented by certain gangs, and later hide outs of larger criminal organizations. They began with 20, but soon grew to maintain a membership of over 150. They became known, and in some circles feared in the underworld. Sometimes they defended with swords, but the majority of the time they never carried swords at all, and they always killed with their bare hands. They didn't become violent immediately. Those that would submit to what they viewed as order were given a chance, and could simply disband their gangs and even gain membership within Shiraha Dori. Those that would not, were utterly destroyed in ways that few thought possible with empty hands. Over the course of 200 years Shiraha Dori came to be in charge of keeping some sense of order, as the outer districts were still the outer districts. In exchange, people of the communities they protected donated money to support their members lives and their activities. And the Royal Purple Dragon crime syndicate? By this time they had become so powerful as to be involved most all illegal activity in 80 East. They had so much power, so much money, and they wanted more. They set their sights on expanding into district 79 East. And Shiraha Dori didn't just make to defend themselves and the people in their communities, the went to war.
For a few years afterward, nearly every incident of major violence was between the two groups. While Shiraha Dori tried to appeal to communities that had been long under the Royal Purple Dragons criminal activities; the Royal Purple Dragons tried to appeal to appeal to those of the underworld who were in hiding, were former gang leaders, or were still active but had sharply scaled back their operations. "Let's wind the clock back a century two. These wannabes and watchmen wouldn't dare cross any of you.", their leader professed, " I mean...what happened? Did your balls drop off? I know what to do It's simple. Destroy the Shiraha Dori. "
While their leader possessed some kind of spiritual power, he was still just one man. Nonetheless, he began to play in increasingly important role on the 'battefield'. Whereas before demonstrations of his ability were few and far between, they became ever more common. Word of him and the Royal Purple Dragon crime syndicate finally reached the seiretei. Not long afterward, the far away organization that Nobufusa had heard of but never seen, dispatched an agent. Dressed in black, a woman carrying a sword walked right into a massive brawl that was sure to become a massacre. She walked with complete confidence, entirely unfazed by the incredible violence around her. She didn't have any trouble finding their leader, who was at the middle of it all, fighting dozens of men at a time. She asked his name, and he tried to crush her under his force of will...to no effect at all. With an esoteric turn of phrase she called forth what to Nobufusa looked like the fires of doomsday, leaving half of the Royal Purple Dragons leader on the ground and the rest ashes in the wind. Seeing this, the Royal Purple Dragons dispersed in every direction, leaving Shiraha Dori victorious. The day was theirs.
She stopped by Nobufusa and his friends, heads of Shiraha Dori. She informed them that the Seiretei wasn't interested in their little street war, as nothing that had happened had escalated to any sort of terrorist action nor was any attempt to overthrow the soul society. However, the man that was leading the Royal Purple Dragons was a former student of the Shinoreijutsuin, or Spiritual Arts academy. This was the school that trained those known as Shinigami. He had developed his skills and passed with high marks, but suddenly dropped out in his last year, and disappeared. The reality was that he had come from District 80 East. Rather than be subordinate in one of the 13 Court Guard Squads, he decided to return to 80 East. They would have punished him for misusing the academy's arts sooner, but he had managed to avoid drawing their attention until now. Before she took her leave, she addressed one other thing, specifically concerning Nobufusa.
" Its obvious, even with a cursory glance, your spiritual power. Watching you fight...I could see you hit too hard, even for someone of your build and you move too fast to be maneuvering with anything less than rudimentary Shunpo. You have some natural ability. You could continue trying to eke out a living here, never knowing your true worth. Or do you feel like you were meant for something better, something special? I can tell you can settle for less than an ordinary life,, you'd settle for a peaceful one. But you wont find it here, not even if you kept fighting for a thousand years. And certainly not like this. The only place you will find it is in an inner district, or within the walls of the Seiretei. You know, that half of a man on the ground? He used to think something like you guys too. He used to want to be something like you are now. But you cant change this place, you cant change some things. Even if it looks like you're doing something, you're not really doing anything at all. It's sad, I know. Truth...truth is hard. If you really want to make one life better, know that under these circumstances it can only be your own. Think about applying at the academy. And dont ever think about trying to use what you learn this way. Think about it..."
With those words, the Shinigami was gone. And another 50 years would go by before he thought on them again.
One evening, he came in late for a meeting and was shocked to see an elderly man he knew being savagely beaten. They were the owner of a carpentry business he was familiar with. Retaining his calm, he asked what the man had done. " He don't pay his 'taxes'. He's gonna pay what he owe.", one of his friends explained, "It ain' like he poor, cause I know he dropped big money -well, what's 'big money' 'round here sendin' his kid to school. It ain' like we can just patrol a lil' less round his area, 'n let some punk rob his house. We're in the big leagues now Baba-kun. We're big dogs now. And bein' big dogs, we keep other big dogs out, see? Just by bein' who and what, and where we are, we keep boys like the Royal Purple Dragons and other scum away. Everybody owes us for that, even if we didn' patrol no more -they'd still owe us for just bein' around. We're good at bein' at the top, and bein' real badasses, and ya dont do nothin' ya good at for free. Know what I mean? 'Sides, theres other things to talk about. We're big, like I said. And recently, it looks like somma our sets wanna break away, do they own shit. Money's not commin' in like it use to. We're gonna have to step up collection to keep'em with us, or else show'em what happens when you try to quit on us. You feel me Baba-kun? "
Nobufusa couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Was this really, the idealist whose ideas had been the catalyst for starting all this? They were just another gang, another syndicate now. Had it come to this? Had they become what they had sought to abolish? And now it seemed they wouldn't last another twenty years. What hope was there that he could reform the group when they were on the verge of coming apart, dividing into factions? Those gangs would fight, and things would become exactly as they had before. It was just a cycle, nothing was permanent, all was fleeting and temporary. Everything except the Seiretei, which had endured for millennia. Later that evening, Nobufusa began his journey west, for the Seiretei.
-----
Nobufusa passed the academy entrance examinations with flying colors, and was placed in the first class. During his academy years he underwent formal hand to hand training for the first time. He learned quickly, and became adept, combining his streetfighting instincts with tried and true techniques. Furthermore, he also grew especially skillful in Kidou. As an extracurricular, Nobufusa explored his interest in music. Though he had not actually been in a band for more than 150 years, it felt comfortable and familiar, and he showed natural talent.
During his senior year at the academy he had considered applying for the Onmitsukido. Albeit he was not the fastest, it seemed that they would be a good fit for him because of his hand to hand abilities. Then there was always the Kidou Corps to think about, he thought he might be successful there. His ideas on both changed when he learned the name of his Zanpakuto and became aware of the spirit within. The Kidou Corps were certainly out, as they rarely ever used their Zanpakuto and he couldn't think of ignoring them when he had just reached a new level of communication. Haha Kuma promised to lend her powers to him, but only as long as kept the promise that he would not dirty her blade with blood for at least 100 years. Being primarily an assassination and execution squad, that would not be easy to do. He could always kill with his hands, but he felt that if Haha Kuma wanted to be free of blood for at least a century, perhaps he ought to do so as well? It seemed it would be refreshing after living through a violent and bloody two and a half centuries, all for a dream of peace that never came. Releasing her for the first time, he discovered she was a defensive Zanpakuto. Considering her abilities and his own, he decided to adjust his style accordingly.
Nobufusa took a job in the Onmitsukido's detention unit, a way putting his hand to hand skills to use without actually having to kill anyone. Her served as part of the detention unit for 50 years, before he transfered into a more general position in Squad 2 of the Gotei 13. He wanted Haha Kuma to experience and explore her abilities as much as he did. Unsatisfied with just using them in practice, he wanted to work as a field agent in the Earth realm. He served as part of 2nd Division for a full century as something of a security expert during which he achieved Bankai, before making his last transfer into 5th Division where he would remain until the present. Squad 5 didn't have any real official specialization, but most of their membership was very skilled in Kidou and they were known for messengers. Nobufusa felt that as apart of Squad 5 he would be able to learn from his comrades as well as practice the Kidou arts without taking specialization to the extreme as the Kidou Corps. Furthermore, while he was only average in Shunpo, he felt Haha Kuma's defensive abilities would be useful in keeping him and others alive while moving vital information or items safe during transportation across the battlefield.
"...Desolation.", Nobufusa remarked. It was the one word that came out of his mouth when one of his squadmates asked if he was aware of recent events. The return of a traitor who should have been dead, the return of Yamamoto who should have also been dead, and the fates of what was surely several hundred million of Rukongai residents. The word said it all, it described perfectly the state of affairs. The fire blast had destroyed all of the outer districts, even reaching some of the middle districts. It was as though a great fiery flood swept over a field , or better yet, that the Seiretei was but a boulder in a deep river and the Rukongai residences but insignificant little stones to be washed away. It says a lot about the power of a river when even the boulder that resists it is worn away. The expanding air and vast reiatsu had blown down the supposedly impregnable Seiretei gates and set fires to the interior.
It was the dark night of the new moon, smoke and cloud covering the stars. There was no want of light however, there was plenty from the fires that still burned. He breathed deep, and was pleased to smell only smoke and none of that foul fragrance, the stench of burning flesh. The destruction had been complete. As the pair passed walked over the doors and around the ruins of the archway, they witnessed crying children, wailing women, and moaning men. They were the walking wounded of all ages, the scattered souls that had escaped the hellzone. Even as the pair watched, some collapsed right in front of them, becoming bodies wasted on the shores of the Seiretei. So many had perished, and yet there were still too many of them for 4th Division to treat them all. All were ashen, gray ghosts and sooty specters. The remains of their homes, their friends, and their families, all was affixed to their skin. Nobufusa was sure it burned, as much inside as without. If his life had gone a little bit differently, he would have been amongst them. Or maybe he wouldn't have made it out at all.
"But, Baba-kun...dont you wanna...here ab-nevermind." His squadmate knew he understood at least the gist of things. And if he didn't hear it from them, the exact details of recent events would echo from the lips of every inhabitant of the Seiretei, both before and the inevitable official announcement. Then there would be the endless speculation. 'If he could bring back Yamamoto, why not others?'; 'Was that his bankai or only his shikai'?, 'Couldn't he have finished us of?' For Nobufusa, all of these speculations were utterly irrelevant. They concerned only the past, and not the future, they were all the wrong questions. This kind of mass destruction was what the human world feared most. What had come to pass was an atrocity, a veritable genocide of souls. But even then, dwelling on this event would not raise the fallen.
[glow=red,2,300]"Child...who has done this thing?"[/glow] , a disembodied voice said, not in his ears but his mind. A ghostly spirit mask manifested itself before them, though only he could see. Unpainted except for its nose and one eye, it took the form of a bear with an elderly woman's head fused with its other eye socket. The white hair of the doll like head floated as if in a constant breeze, or as if it were alive itself. The lips did not move when it spoke, but the eyes and empty space of the mouth did flicker as if there were candles behind them. [glow=red,2,300]"I feel the absence of so many children."[/glow]
"...Sosuke Aizen.", he answered. Once, the name had very different connotations. Now, it felt like a curse or some foul turn of phrase. He never personally knew him, but he had been in the man's caligraphy class and even now was still a member of his squad. He did not seem like an evil, or twisted man. "...Cruel deciever." He started to wonder if things would be different had someone killed the man, anyone, for any reason. But before he could go any further down that road, he quickly banished the thoughts from his mind.
"Yeah, I know, right? After this...", his squadmate began. He had not actually spoken to them, but rather his Zanpakuto spirit, Haha Kuma. He didn't bother to make this known, politely allowing them to continue instead of interrupting, albeit it took them a few moments to get started again. "After this, what'll everyone think of us?", they asked, becomming excited, "I m-mean, he's like a g-goddamn stain on our goddamn division! I wont be surprised when p-people s-start asking for t-transfers, you know Midori is already moving to squad six, and whose g-gonna join? At least squad 3rd Division has a cap-"
"-Look.", he rasped, cutting them off with single word, perhaps more swiftly than even a sword stroke. Although he did not turn his head, his eyes moved from left right taking in the peoples faces. Tucking a thumb into his belt, he gestured with a subtle sweeping motion of an index finger. "They watch us.", he whispered. Indeed, they were watched, by all that could raise their gaze from the ground, or lift their heads from the shoulders of those nearest them. Right now, the people were looking to them for strength. In the midst of such disorder, the Shinigami were symbols of law and order. They were the only reminders that such a concept even existed. One did not need to brave dangers, fell dozens of foes, or wield frightening power to seem heroic. "...Gather yourself.", he said. "For them.", he added, making it seem less a command, and more a request. If there was ever a time the people needed heroes, that time was now.
