Ito Takeshi [Finished]

The Basics

Name:
Ito Takeshi[Family, Given]

Gender:
Male

Age:
Appears in his early 20's. Died at age 19. Been dead for 180 years.

Appearance

Hair Color:
Brown

Hair Style:
Takeshi doesn't bother much with his hair, keeping it trimmed just enough to not interfere with him. Besides that, it does its own thing most of the time.

Eye Color:
Brown

Features:
Takeshi has soft spoken features, which suits him just fine; if you placed him in a crowd you probably wouldn’t pick him out.

Build:
Athletic and slim.

Zanpaku-tou

Zanpaku-tou Spirit
Zanpaku-tou Name
Houou (Phoenix)

Zanpaku-tou Spirit Appearance:
Houou either takes the form of a large phoenix or a young woman with red hair and dressed in an orange kimono. Her eyes are a deep green coloration, and her hair is long, reaching the small of her back easily.

Zanpaku-tou Personality:
Houou acts as the voice of impulse between her and Takeshi. When he would rather retreat from a fight she wishes to press forward. When he wishes to nap she wishes to train. While impulsive, she is not brash and will not push Takeshi if it is obvious that he is not in the mood or if the situation is not beneficial to get inolved in.

Inner World:


Shikai
Unreleased Appearance:
Houou, unreleased

Release Command:
"Set the heavens ablaze, Houou!"

Shikai Appearance:


Shikai Abilities:
Fire Immunity
Upon releasing Houou to it's released state, Takeshi acquires an immunity to fire keeping him from being burned by his own zanpaku-tou or other sources of it such as kidou or abilities.
(As this would apply to a relatively small section of attacks on the site, I didn't think this was too overpowered. If there are disputes, I've got no problem modifying it/toning it down)

Flame Jet
This actually refers to Houou's release, which spews a jet of flames in the direction the blade was facing. This can incinerate weaker beings, and is Takeshi's preferred method of dealing with a fight if he must release his blade. However, this only has the strength of any of his other attacks, and can only be used upon the swords release, meaning he'd have to reseal his zanpaku-tou to use the attack again.

Heated Blade
The blade of Houou is actually solidified flames, and as such is incredibly hot. It is capable of setting flammable things such as clothing alight, though such flames could be blown out by a stronger or equal opponent without much issue if it is capable of overcoming the enemies reiatsu in the first place; as with all attacks it follows the normal rules of combat in that if Takeshi's reiatsu isn't on par or greater than his opponents the attack fails.

Flame Wave
Houou's only actual ranged ability; the blade temporarily un-solidifies, and with a swing a wave of devouring flames are released in the direction of the swing. It takes a few moments for the flames to solidify again, meaning Takeshi is unable to block physical blows with the blade during that time.


Bankai
[As I don't believe I'll have access to this, this area has been left blank.]

Digging Deeper:

Personality:
Takeshi is an outgoing person, amiable towards everyone who isn’t trying to cause him undo harm or stress. He prefers friendly banter and interaction to any form of aggression, though he has been known to incite such reactions through his joking nature. He doesn’t like to see negative emotions in his friends of comrades, and has made himself the butt of many jokes for the sake of a laugh or a smile. His easy going nature and willingness to take a fall for something has lead him to take a back seat when it comes to divisional rankings; something he doesn’t particularly care about in the first place. This has led some to believe him a weak and unmotivated individual; a clown and not much else.

This is a false assessment of Takeshi. Behind the unassuming look and demeanor is a driven individual, with an opinionate view on strength and its usefulness. Takeshi isn’t interested in rank, status, or reputation; he seeks power for his friends and comrades in arms. He has little interest in his ranking within the division or within the Gotei as a whole, because he has no interest in being tied down by that same ranking. While he is generally an open minded individual, he possess a strong opinion on where and how the strength of the members of the Gotei 13 should be used and where they actually are, and that has put him at odds with Soul Society as a whole. Where others would seek rank and flaunt power whenever they got the chance, Takeshi prefers to conceal his strength so that he may continue to accompany his friends on their missions and ensure their safety. He uses his own strength only when he absolutely must.

As stated before, Takeshi appears unmotivated to many of those around him, particularly in his own division and by those of the lower or unseated populations. Takeshi is a driven individual, training relentlessly out of sight of those from his division while others train and show off in plain view. He is keenly intelligent, and knows when to use his strength and when to retreat or to back down from a subject. He is more concerned for the well being of others than himself, and has covered retreats of operations from stronger opponents than the missions originally planned for when it has been necessary. While he does try to hide his strength, once revealed he makes no attempt to make himself appear weaker; he simply would prefer it if he wasn’t forced to take a promotion. He also understands the duties of the higher ranked officers, however, and knows that if it comes down to it his conscious will make him step up to take a position if it desperately needs filled. Driven, outgoing, open-minded, intelligent, and helpful are a few words that accurately describe Takeshi.

Background:
Life: January 6th, 2201 – March 16th, 2220
Takeshi’s life, while short, was not that out of ordinary in the grand scheme of things. He was born into an upper-middle class family, the first of two children, and would play the role of older brother to his younger sister, Mai. His father worked for a large corporation while his mother stayed home with Takeshi, and later with Mai. Takeshi was three when his sister was born, and his heart was instantly captured by her smile. He attended school and got high marks. He made a lot of friends and generally got along with everyone. Life was good.

Things got tougher; around the age of fifteen to be exact. His father’s company was bout out by a larger, more powerful corporation, and his father ended up as victim of the new corporation’s budget cuts. His father was forced to start the job search over once more, and his mother had to pick up a job waiting tables. This left Takeshi to look after his sister while keeping up with school. He didn’t mind; things were tough. It was that simple. If the most he could contribute was continuing to do well in school and keeping his sister out of trouble, then that was what he would do. He dropped out of the kendo club he had joined so he could be free to pick Mai up from school, but brought her along with him to hang with his friends. They all loved Mai as it was, as did everyone, so it was all good. And thus, the world continued to spin.

It’s funny how things work out. Over the next three years things would start to look up for the Ito family. Takeshi’s father would eventually tire of the job hunter and instead create his own company, which took off shortly after it started. This allowed Takeshi’s mother to quit her job, not that she did since at this point both children were grown enough to watch after themselves. Mai had shown that she, like he parents and brother before her, was quite intelligent and earned good marks in school. Takeshi was at the end of his high school career by now, had a great many friends, and a girlfriend his family actually approved of. Things, had drastically improved since three years prior. Takeshi had been accepted to a nearby university, and would graduate in high standing in his class. Things were finally good once more. He played the role of overprotective brother when Mai got her first boyfriend, though in the end he “allowed” Mai to continue dating him, no doubt in thanks partly to Takeshi’s own girlfriend, who now acted more like a sister to Mai than a brother’s girlfriend. In only a short year, however, things would take a drastic change.

Death: March 16th, 2220
Early spring brought with it record rainfall. The rivers that had been corralled, tamed, and directed through the city threatened to break their banks and flood the streets with fast moving water. On this particular day the rain had actually let up, but the winds ripped through the town in gusts. Takeshi was home, since he had not scheduled classes on this day. So, he sat and enjoyed the luxury that was TV, something he didn’t get a chance to watch much anymore since he had started school. It was shortly after 3:00PM when his phone rang, and Mai’s voice chimed from the other end.
”Hey brother~” she cooed.
”What are you after this time?”
”What makes you think I’m after anything!?” she asked incredulously, though a pout was clearly audible.
”You only ever start out a conversation like that when you’re after something, Mai,” he said with a smirk.
”Anyway~” she said innocently. ”Think you can come pick me up?”
”Wasn’t Tsuna supposed to walk you back home?”
”Something came up. He had to go with his parents for something.”

Takeshi was walking down the road with his hand shoved into his pockets before he really knew what was going on. Not that he cared much at that point; it wasn’t like he was doing much of anything at the time. Besides, he didn’t really want his sister walking home along in this kind of weather. He pulled his coat closer around him as a gust of wind kicked up, sending leaves and trash flying up around him. The sooner he picked up Mai, the sooner he could get home where it was warm. Unfortunately, his parents had taken the car for some kind of meeting; otherwise this would have been much quicker, and simpler. That was just how things worked out he supposed as he crossed the large bridge in the town. He looked down at the fast moving river below, the color of mud with debris breaking the surface from time to time. He continued along.

He met Mai outside her school, and the pair of them started back towards home.
”How was school?” he asked.
”It was alright; a lot of gossip going around about some new kid at school. Apparently he’s kinda cute.”
Takeshi gave a chuckle. ”Looking for greener pastures already are we?”
Mai looked at him with mock surprise, and slapped him on the arm.
”How dare you insinuate such things!”
The pair shared a laugh as they continued walking, coming to the large bridge once more.
”No…just the rumor that’s going around is all. He can’t be cuter than Tsuna though.”
Takeshi gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, but held his tongue.
”So…hey, you remember that I’ve got a recital in a few days, right?” she asked, nerves making their way into her voice.
”Course I do. I’ve been planning on going for like a week now.” he reassured her, and he saw a smile spread across her face once more.

A sudden gust of wind roared up, but above that there was the screech of tires. Takeshi looked to the right, and saw a car careening towards the pair of them, the windshield obscured by refuse. He yelled out for Mai to look out, and pushed her out of the way. She had already stumbled back as her foot caught on something, and a gust of wind roared up. The car hit the railing just behind where Takeshi was, barely missing the young man. However, his attention was on his sister, who had flipped over the railing of the bridge and was plummeting towards the murky waters below.
”Mai!” Takeshi yelled out, and vaulted the railing, diving into the fast moving current after her.

The driver saw all of this, and dialed the emergency services. Meanwhile, both teenagers had been picked up by the current, and were being swept down river. It was taking a great deal of effort just for Takeshi to stay afloat, and his eyes scanned the river’s surface for signs of his sister. Above them, there was the crack of thunders like the roar of a predator, close and hungry. Mai’s form broke the surface as she gasped for air. Takeshi stopped fighting the current and rushed forward, wrapping an arm around Mai. Somewhere in the distance sirens rang out like bells. He started pulling her towards the nearest bank, ignoring the rocks and branches that the stream had picked up.

The cold water was sapping his energy, the strong current was forcing him to use a great deal of energy, and debris was beginning to make his body ache. He reached out and grabbed a hold of a log that was embedded in the riverbank, holding himself and Mai fast against raging current. He pulled himself up enough to see the bank, where the emergency crews were already trying to get down to the pair. Takeshi pulled Mai up towards the log, helping her to get a hand on the embedded log. Just as she got a firm hold though, something large slammed into Takeshi; a submerged tree trunk that had been washed up by the river slammed into his lower body, peeling him off the log entirely and dragging him down under the water and with the current.

Takeshi’s body was recovered farther down the river, where it had washed into something of a pond; nothing more than a lag in the fast moving current. It was concluded that he must have been knocked unconscious from the blow and drowned as a result. Takeshi’s family was heart-broken, though it was Mai that took it the worst. Though none of them knew it, Takeshi had not left them completely. His worry for the well being of his family and his sister anchored his soul to the human realm, and so he would remain, watching over his sister and family for years to come.

The Pulse Years: 2220 – 2225
For these five years, Takeshi followed his sister around and fretted about the actions she took. Being a ghost, there was not a great deal he could physically do, however, and so it was mostly just a time for him to stress. It was during this time that he was introduced to Hollows, the beings that fed on ghosts like him. He was crafty, and managed to keep out of the way of these hungering beasts though he had more than a few close calls. In the end, however, his soul found rest when Mai picked her life back up after his own death and began down the road of success. Takeshi’s old girlfriend had stayed in contact with the family, an adopted daughter of sorts, and helped Mai out a great deal. Tsuna, Mai’s boyfriends, proved to be a level headed boy with his mind set on success like Mai. She would be alright without him, and that thought was enough to finally ease Takeshi to the point that his soul passed on. He left the human world, at last, with a smile, and entered a new world all together.

Rukongai: 2225 – 2228
Takeshi awoke on the outskirts of Rukongai proper, unsure of where exactly he had just ended up. His clothing was changed, no longer the coat and pants he had died in but an older garb similar to that of everyone else he saw. He learned quickly, though questions and his own intellect where he was and how things worked, and he made his way into the inner districts of Rukongai, not interested in the rough outskirts where he had found himself. He hooked up with a house that was like all the others, and began to work for his new living. This was, most certainly, not what he had been expecting when he had passed on. Things ran very differently than he had expected and was used to, but Takeshi adapted as everyone must to the hardships and eases of Rukongai.

There was a nagging feeling, however, at the back of Takeshi’s mind that he could not escape. Hunger. It was subtle at first, something easily ignored. But as time went on and the months passed, it began to grow. It wasn’t only a physical hunger; it was something more. Something he had never felt while he was alive and could not now put a finger on. He questioned others about it, and they lead him to the answer; power. He apparently possessed spiritual power, like the Shinigami; the black clothed warriors that patrolled the streets of Rukongai from time to time and who seemed to be in charge of everything in general in this afterlife. He kept this in mind, but was not ready to leave his new found friends and “family” at the drop of a hat; it simply wasn’t the kind of person Takeshi was. In time, he would though, as his friend’s urged him to. He requested an audience, and before he really knew what was going on he had been enrolled in the Shinigami academy. A new adventure had he found.

The Shinigami Academy: 2228 – 2234
The six years at the Shinigami academy weren’t anything out of the ordinary. Takeshi did in death as he did in life, and received high marks in most of his classes. He grasped the concepts of Kidou quickly, and picked up Zanjutsu without much difficulty. Hoho wasn’t that difficult either, but for some reason his Hakudo lingered behind, though it wasn’t enough to stop him from graduating the academy in high standing. It was during this time that he made many of the friends he still has, and as they choose divisions he choose one that would allow him to see most of his friends on a regular basis. Before he had even exited the academy he had already decided that he had little interest in the ranking system of the Gotei 13; unlike many others he had no motivation to be a lieutenant to some specific captain or to help lead a division; those were things he would do if he had too. He was more interested in fulfilling the essential shinigami missions; hollow cleansing, konsos, and spirit regulation. He was simply more interested in doing more good than advancing himself along the divisional ladders. This did not stem his hunger for power, however; to accomplish these goals and help his friends, he would need all the power he could acquire, and so began his voracious learning and relentless training.

The Gotei 13 2234 – Present
Oddly enough, Takeshi didn’t stay in a single division very long. He moved around the divisions some, before finally settling in his current one. In addition to the friends he had already made, he was looking to make more; friends who were strong enough he could spar with and who would keep his own strength a secret. He wanted to, if he could, avoid being pushed up the ranks too much so that he was more or less free to join in on any missions his friends would be going on. Soul Society kept tabs on its stronger members, and kept them on leashes to ensure their usefulness. However, its more common foot soldiers actually had more room to work with, and that was something that Takeshi found he liked. Over the centuries, he had never ceased his training, and has grown a lot, though he had tried to hide this point from his superiors with varying amounts of success. However, it’s hard to do so when your friends are pushing you to take a promotion, for your own sake.

Over the centuries, Takeshi has gone on many missions, and has proven himself a capable fighter, whether he likes it or not. His skills have only improved, though his skill in Hakudo is still lacking more than he would like. The workings of the upper castes of the Shinigami hierarchy are as much a mystery to him as to any other, though he could venture a few guesses. Through these missions and his relentless training, he had learned the name of his Zanpaku-tou, which may only have given him a headache as Houou is an impulsive one and doesn’t particularly approve of his rather laid back attitude or choice of holding back to assess the situation. However, she is also supremely confident in her own power and his, and it proves to be a motivation more often than not.

((I skimped on the end of the bio; it was taking too long and I don’t think people want to be stuck reading 8 pages of history xP))

Roleplay Sample

Takeshi cursed lightly under his breath as he rushed after the Hell’s Butterfly. It figured that the one day he wasn’t going to accompany his friends on a mission they’d be attacked by a strong Hollow. He had been hanging with a friend from the 12th Division who had been keeping an eye on the operation when things had gone tits up. He had taken off when he found that out, ignoring the calls to stop when he had ran thru the Senkai Gate towards the human world. At that point he didn’t care what happened to him; his friends were in danger, and that was a more immediate concern of his than the trouble he’d get into for taking off without permission.

He exited the gate at the scene of the fight, and grimaced immediately. There were bodies of several shinigami strewn about. He felt a flare of reiatsu nearby, and shunpo’d off in its direction, landing on top of a building and finding the scene he was looking for. Several Shinigami were squared off with a huge hollow, muscles bulging as he pulled a punch back to strike out. Takeshi held out his hand, and released a shakkaho that impacted with the creature’s arm and threw off its attack, though it didn’t seem to physically harm the being.
”Fall back!” Takeshi called out, and fired another kidou blast at the creature’s mask; the hollow easily blocked the attack by simply raising an arm. Takeshi jumped down from the building, drawing his blade as he did so.
”Come on ugly! You and me,” Takeshi called out, and shunpo’d away when the creature attacked.
”Oops. Looks like I hit a sore spot.”

Takeshi continued to move about, taunting the slow hollow and giving his friends time to fall back, and collect the wounded that managed to remain alive this long. Whether the hollow was just playing slow or not, Takeshi didn’t wait to find out. As soon as the other Shinigami were far enough out of the way, he Shunpo’d in for the kill, releasing a full strength Shakkaho as a distraction before appearing behind the hollows, point the blade of his sword at the creature.
”Set the heavens ablaze, Houou!”
There was a flash of reiatsu and fire as his blade was unleased, and the flames washed over the creature’s head, incinerating the mask. Takeshi landed, resealing his sword before someone got back to notice it released, and sheathed it once more. He looked back in the direction of the Senkai Gate.
”Welp…time to face the music.”

Skill Levels

General Skills

• Durability: Adept
  
• General Speed: Adept
  
• Strength: Beginner
  
• Weapon Skill: Advanced
  

Racial Skills

• Hoho: Adept
  
• Kidou: Adept
  
• Zanjutsu: Advanced
  
• Hakuda: Beginner