Kyouhai Suzumori [APPROVED: 1-3++]

Name: Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori
Titles: None at present
Gender: Male
Appearance Age: Kyouhai appears to be 25 years old.
Age: Kyouhai is 1,400 years old. He lived in Japan during the very beginning of samurai times.
Affiliation/Rank: Kyouhai is affiliated with Soul Society. He is a part of the 7th Division.

Appearance Description: Kyouhai is an average height man, at 5 feet and 10 inches tall. He weighs 170 pounds. Kyouhai's weight comes from his muscle mass, which is well-defined and gives him the appearance of a bodybuilder. Kyouhai's skin is light in color. He has brown hair with just a little bit of red in it. Kyouhai likes to be neat, so he keeps his hair well combed, even if it grows long. Kyouhai cuts his hair as often as possible to keep it neat. His eyes are a strange, bright lime-green color that doesn't really go with the rest of him.

Kyouhai's body is covered in scars and tattoos of different sorts. Kyouhai's time in Rukongai was rough, so he got into a lot of fights and whatnot there. This resulted in scars of many shapes and sizes across his body. More recent scars on his body come from Hollows or other enemies he's fought as a Shinigami. A few of these really stand out. There is one right across his throat that looks as if his throat was slit. This was, in fact, what happened. However, the cut didn't go deep enough to hit the trachea or major arteries, so Kyouhai survived. Two others are an X shaped scar across his chest from an encounter with an Arrancar, and a shiny, quarter-sized circular mark on his sternum. The X scar came from a dual sword slash, and the circular mark was from a low-level rogue Shinigami who tried to run Kyouhai through with his Shikai, which took the form of a spear.

Finally, there is Kyouhai's style of dress. In Soul Society, Kyouhai wears a Shihakusho uniform like everyone else. His is a sleeveless version of that uniform. It has a built-in strap for Kyouhai to carry his sword. Kyouhai's zanpaku-to is a bit unique being a nodachi instead of a normal katana, and he has to carry it sheathed diagonally across his back. This is why he needs the strap on his uniform. The strap is cyan in color and loops fully around Kyouhai's body diagonally. The sheath, attached to the strap, is wooden and wrapped in cyan cloth. On missions involving wearing a Gigai, Kyouhai dresses in what humans would consider 'gangster clothing'. This involves baggy jeans or basketball shorts, and button up shirts or T-shirts in bright colors, and Converse shoes, also in bright colors. It could also mean wearing a baseball cap and/or a gold chain.

Appearance Picture: No picture... I hope this doesn't/isn't going to hurt tiering later.
_________________________________



Personality: There are two main sides to Kyouhai's personality: Positive and Negative. There are also other side traits that don't really fit in either category. The positive side of Kyoutai is the only one seen by most people in Soul Society. Kyoutai's negative side comes out when Kyoutai is around a person considered an enemy to Soul Society, or if he is angered.

On the positive side, Kyoutai is kind, helpful, laid-back and relaxed, a good friend, and has a good sense of humor.

Kyouhai really can't find it in himself to be mean to anyone when he's in a good mood. If a sentient being were to start a fight with Kyouhai while he was in a good mood, he would be slow to begin and feel bad about hurting them. Hollows, of course, are another story. Also, if the person were to hurt him, it would bring out his negative side, which is bad for anyone who finds themself up against Kyouhai in battle.

He is always willing to help someone with whatever problems they might have, and even in battle. If Kyouhai considers someone a friend, he will stick by them in any situation, even a fight to the death. The best part of this is that Kyouhai considers anyone who he meets that leaves him with a good first impression to be a friend. He's saved the lives of people he's only met once before.

Kyouhai is also very laid-back and not serious in most situations. While this annoys his superiors, it makes him more fun to be around than the average Shinigami. He has quite a few friends in Seiretei, even some from outside the 7th Division because of this attitude. He even has a few friends from the 11th Division who saw him fight on a mission once and respected him for his attitude and his fighting prowess. Because being laid-back works for him but annoys his superiors, Kyouhai's view on it is "That's who I am and it ain't gonna change. If the Captain and Seat Officers don't like it, they can fuck off." Harsh, but the message is clear.

Kyouhai has a good sense of humor. He makes up good jokes and pranks, and he takes even the most cruel pranks well, always seeing the funny side. Kyouhai has really always been like this. A joke or prank, no matter how offensive, damaging, or embarrassing, has never angered Kyouhai. Of course, like was mentioned before, Kyouhai tends to annoy his superiors to no end. He's even played pranks on a few of the Seated Officers before. Of course, they all knew it was him, and he had to face the consequences. Even so, he didn't change.

On his negative side, Kyouhai can be cruel, vulgar, blood-thirsty, and destructive. This side, however, only really comes out against someone considered an enemy to Soul Society or when Kyouhai is angered. It takes quite a bit to anger a guy like Kyouhai, however.

When angered, Kyouhai will use foul language a lot. He's cussed out a Seat Officer once and fellow Shinigami countless times when angry. This gets him punished, and he usually regrets it afterwards since most people know him as a laid-back, chill guy. An outburst like that, he knows, could damage his reputation and cause him to lose friends. Also, of course, Kyouhai got in trouble the one time he lost his cool at his superior.

In battle against an enemy of Soul Society, Kyouhai becomes cruel, blood-thirsty, and destructive, yet another part of the negative side of Kyouhai's personality.

Once, during the war against Aizen and Hueco Mundo, he killed an Arrancar in the World of the Living and left its mangled body out in the street and put its head on a stick a few feet away. Behavior like this shocks a lot of people, especially those who believe in respecting a defeated enemy. People could also think of him as a sadist or a creep, or even mentally insane if he is seen doing things like that.

Kyouhai can be seen as blood-thirsty and destructive in battle. This is because he goes all out in battle against an opponent who he considers an enemy of Soul Society. Kyouhai sees nothing during battle but the best way to bring about his opponent's destruction. While members of 11th Division that Kyouhai knows respect him for this trait, everyone else he knows doesn't like it. One Shinigami he knows even told Kyouhai that he was scared of him after seeing him become 'savage' in battle. He also once accidentally destroyed two houses and totaled five cars while fighting an Arrancar in the World of the Living during the war with Aizen, hence why people think he's destructive at times.

Other 'side traits', so to speak, that Kyouhai has are serious loyalty to Soul Society, being stubborn in terms of change, and a sense of honor in the context of Japan in the 11th century.

Kyouhai would never think of betraying Soul Society ever, for any reason. He hates all traitors, and even anyone who thinks or speaks once of betraying the Gotei 13. By extension, Kyouhai hates any Vizards or Ziamichi that left the Gotei 13 because of the fact that they were Vizards or Ziamichi. If a Vizard or Ziamichi were to remain in Seiretei and stay loyal to the Gotei 13, Kyouhai would actually respect them quite a bit. He also hates anyone considered to be an enemy of Soul Society such as Hollows or Arrancar. Meeting a traitor or enemy will bring out the negative side of Kyouhai's personality.

Kyouhai is stubborn in terms of changing anything about himself. For example, as mentioned before, Kyouhai's superiors absolutely hate his attitude. They have talked to him about it one on one several times. However, he stubbornly refuses to change. Basically, his view is "That's who I am and you're going to like it!".

Finally, Kyouhai is considered honorable in the context of 11th century Japan. He is kind to others, especially women and children. Kyouhai never runs from a fight or surrenders. He is also very loyal to whoever he is serving. In this case, that is the cause of Kyouhai's extreme loyalty to Seiretei and the Gotei 13.

Likes: Kyouhai likes peace, order, organization, and just kicking back. In terms of people, Kyouhai likes laid-back and relaxed people with a good sense of humor. He likes peace, order, and organization because it just helps him function better when there is structure. One could say that Kyouhai is very much OCD. At the same time, he is very laid-back and not serious about stuff that he maybe should be. This is why he likes just kicking back. Kyouhai has always had lots of friends, and he loves just hanging out and talking to them. Of course, there being peace and order helps with this, that being another reason why Kyouhai likes peace and order.

Dislikes: Kyouhai hates stuff like fighting, war, and disorganization. He also really doesn't like work. In terms of people, Kyouhai dislikes those who are uptight, serious, and strict. He especially hates when people can't take a joke. Kyouhai really can't function well if there isn't structure. He is also annoyed if there is something serious going on that prevents him from kicking back and chillin'. Kyouhai never became a Seat Officer in the past even when he got a chance to because he hates extra work.
_________________________________



History:

Arc 1: Sapporo's Most Hated

Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori was born in Sapporo, Japan. He was born in the year 1013, on May 17th of that year, to be exact. Kyouhai was born into a rather poor family that served the daimyo, or lord of the city of Sapporo. The Suzumori family had worked this way as peasants for generations, pretty much since the founding of the city in its present form, somewhere around the year 800. As such, Kyouhai was born into a poor family and was expected to do menial labor in the kitchens or fields of the daimyo.

Kyouhai was very strange at birth. Although both his parents were entirely Japanese, Kyouhai did not look Japanese at all. This was due to a DNA mutation, but such things were not knwn in the year 1013. To start off, his hair was the most strange brown-red color. It almost looked unnaturally dyed. To make matters worse, Kyouhai's eyes were the most unusual lime-green color. From the beginning, even Kyouhai's parents disliked him. He looked too much like a gaijin, or foreigner. Also, this was Japan in the year 1013. Strangely colored eyes attracted a lot of negative superstitious attention. Kyouhai certainly didn't have the best life the way things stood.

Even worse for Kyouhai, it was found from a young age that he absolutely hated work of any sort. The Suzumori family was a peasant family. Kyouhai was expected to serve the daimyo, and he hated work. This, Kyouhai's parents decided, was unacceptable. They decided almost right way that they were going to have to coerce him into working. As such, Kyouhai got beaten on an almost daily basis starting around age 3. What were his parents going to do, they wondered, when Kyouhai turned five and had to start working in the daimyo's palace?

Two years passed until that day. To his parents, however, it might as well have been two days. Suddenly, their son had to go work just like them, and his attitude toward work had not improved at all. Even as Kyouhai walked to work on his first day, his parents were extremely nervous. They didn't see him again until that night. When Kyouhai came home that night, he had been beaten, and there were bruises all over. Of course, Kyouhai had been lazy and not done his share of the work. The beating had, of course, been his punishment for slacking off.

As Kyouhai grew older, his attitude only got worse. Also, he had begun to fight back when the cruel work supervisors had tried to beat him. Kyouhai was now 13 years old, a time in a person's life known for being incredibly troublesome. He was beginning to have independent thoughts, many of which were leading him to bad things. In addition, Kyouhai was a known member of a group of people who went around making trouble in Sapporo. It was probably the closest thing to a gang that was seen in Sapporo during the 11th century. It was only a matter of time until something went incredibly wrong.

Luckily for Kyouhai, he went two years without any serious incidents. He stopped showing up for his servant work at age 14 to be a full time member of his group, which was now openly calling itself a criminal organization. This type of life was dangerous, but Kyouhai was actually able to sustain himself with it. The money came mostly from extortion or sales of forbidden items. Kyouhai was able to no longer worry about where his next meal was coming from like he did before he joined this group. More than that, he actually enjoyed the lifestyle of being a criminal. Little did he know that this was all about to end...

Nobody can be successful in any business, especially crime, without having rivals pop up eventually. This was what happened to Kyouhai and his group a few days after Kyouhai turned 15. A new group popped up and started challenging them. Very soon, the fights began. At first, they were just public brawls or fist fights. But, very soon, things got out of hand. One day, a member of Kyouhai's group stabbed a member of the other group with a wakizashi, or a Japanese short sword. The man died, and, soon after that, the killer was arrested and executed. The daimyo had hoped to make an example of the man and end gang activity in Sapporo, but things only got worse.

Soon, Kyouhai found himself in a public fight for his group. But this was most certainly no fistfight. Both men were carrying wakizashi, and they immediately drew them to start off the fight. Soon, they were violently trading blows. The other man was more skilled with his blade, but Kyouhai was stronger. He soon overpowered the man and stabbed him in the throat. The man gasped and fell back. He tried to shout something, but it sounded gurgly through the blood flowing out of severed arteries into his lungs. Soon, the man crashed to the ground and lay still.

Kyouhai stood there for a few moments, stunned. He stared at the bloody weapon in his hands. Had he really just killed someone? Kyouhai might have stood there in shock an hour, but he was snapped out of it by one of his friends yelling "What the hell are you doing, Kyouhai?!? The guards are going to be here any second! You'll be executed if they get you! Come on, let's go!" Kyouhai, still in shock, turned and ran, the bloody wakizashi still in his hands.

Kyouhai had made a horrible mistake. The man he had killed was a member of an influential, wealthy family very close to the daimyo. Even worse, this had been in broad daylight. There were dozens of witnesses who were all able to describe Kyouhai, and it wasn't long until half of Sapporo's samurai were out actively searching for him. Kyouhai heard of this, and he made plans to sneak out of Sapporo by night and head to Wakkanai or Asahikawa, one of the nearby cities in which he was not yet wanted. Indeed, in that year, 1028, there was little to no communication between cities in Japan. Therefore, Kyouhai figured, he would be safe outside of Sapporo.

Kyouhai almost made it. He had snuck down to the main gate out of the city. He knew it would be closed, but the wall wasn't hard to climb. It was only 25 feet high and had plenty of handholds and footholds. Just as Kyouhai set his foot against the rough stone of the wall, a night watchman holding a torch in one hand and his sword in the other appeared. He had backup, two samurai with drawn katana swords in full armor. The watchman stepped forward, now reading from a scroll in his hand. By the light of the torch, Kyouhai could read the header at the top of the paper, written in large, black Kana characters. It said 'Arrest Warrant.' "Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori." began the watchman. "I am placing you under arrest, by order of the daimyo of this city, His Excellency Kosuke Shinamura Takazami Tachibana the First, on charges of murder and participation in organized crime. We are authorized to kill you if you resist." said the watchman.

Kyouhai almost laughed out loud. Did this guy really expect that Kyouhai was so stupid as to not realize that he would most likely be executed anyways? "Fuck you, night watchman-san." began Kyouhai, using the Japanese honorific -san sarcastically. "Do you really think I'm going to just go quietly and sit in prison for a year or two until Tachibana-sama decides to execute me?" asked Kyouhai, using the honorific sarcastically again. With that, he drew his wakizashi and prepared to face his death in whatever form it might come in.

The two samurai may have looked intimidating, but they were both, in fact, only 16 years old and very new to their job. They were surprised that this guy was daring to resist when he was outnumbered three to one. Kyouhai used this to his advantage. He charged forward and stabbed the night watchman in the center of his chest, taking him out of the fight instantly. For good measure, Kyouhai ripped the arrest warrant in two and threw it down.

With that, both samurai regained their senses. They both attacked Kyouhai at the same time. To their surprise, Kyouhai, who was both experienced with the use of a sword and full of adrenaline, fended both of them off easily at first. However, like anyone would, Kyouhai soon grew fatigued. As if that wasn't bad enough, the sound of the fighting had attracted more experienced samurai, one of which took over for the young, inexperienced fighters.

Already tired, Kyouhai couldn't hold off the experienced, strong veteran samurai for long. For Kyouhai, death came quickly. He heard the grating sound of metal, first, as the well-made katana of the samurai cut through the lower quality steel of Kyouhai's blade. Then there was the sensation of a white-hot flame punching through Kyouhai's heart. Kyouhai had, of course, just been run through by the veteran samurai. There were a few moments of confusion. Kyouhai tried to say something, but only blood came from his mouth. And then, just like that, there was blackness and then nothing.

Arc 2: Heaven or Hell?

Kyouhai was surprised to find that he could open his eyes again. He slowly sat up and looked at his surroundings. At the same time, memories were coming back of the stuff that had happened not too long ago. "Wasn't I run through with a katana earlier? How am I even alive? Am I alive?" wondered Kyouhai. He felt his chest and found no wound. There wasn't even a scar. Looking at where he was, it seemed that he was, in fact, alive, Kyouhai was in some small shack, much like the one he had lived in in Sapporo. He was dressed in a plain white kimono, and his sword was gone. This certainly didn't seem like Heaven or Hell. "What in Izanami's name is going on here...?" wondered Kyouhai. Was he in prison? Where was he? That remained to be seen.

Kyouhai walked over to the door. He was able to open the door, so that ruled out the possibility of him being in prison. Kyouhai walked out of the door and found himself in one of the poorest sections of town he'd ever been in before. It was far worse than the slums of Sapporo where Kyouhai had lived before. It certainly wasn't Heaven. Yet, it didn't really seem like Hell either. But just where was it? Kyouhai just needed to find out.

Over the next few days, Kyouhai got out and talked to people. He soon made a large group of friends, all about his age, or, at least, had died at his age. Kyouhai also learned about his current situation. He was, in fact, dead. The place he was in now was known as Rukongai. Rukongai was divided into four main sections: North, South, East, and West. These were each further divided into eighty sub-sections called districts. The districts were numbered from 1 to 80 depending on distance from Seiretei, the place where the Shinigami lived. 1 was the nearest and 80 was the farthest. Kyouhai quickly learned that he was in Eastern Rukongai, district 78.

Kyouhai also learned about the world he had been thrown into. He was a regular human soul. However, he kept the need to eat food after death, which meant that he had spiritual power and could become a Shinigami. Shinigami were the beings that lived in Seiretei. They had much better lives than anyone who lived in Rukongai. It was almost like they were nobility or something. Kyouhai also learned about beings called Hollows. They were pretty much monsters, and they ate souls to sustain themselves. Occasionally, one would turn up in a far-out Rukongai district like this one. It was the job of the Shinigami to kill these Hollows.

For many years, several centuries, in fact, Kyouhai and his friends lived in Rukongai. It was certainly a tough existence, but it was also a fun one. True, there were fights sometimes, and they often had to steal if they wanted to eat, but there was so much positive to make up for the negative. Often, they could just hang out and talk. It wasn't bad and Kyouhai wouldn't have minded if he could have stayed this way forever. Little did he know how his life was about to go in an entirely different direction...

One afternoon, Kyouhai and his friends were walking the streets of District 78 of Eastern Rukongai, when they felt a short burst of Reiatsu and heard a loud roar. "Hollow!" yelled one of Kyouhai's friends. "Let's go see!" said another. THe group hurried in the direction of the Hollow.

When they arrived, the creature was tearing open a house and eating its inhabitants. Kyouhai quickly sized up the Hollow. It was about nine feet tall with blue skin. The creature walked on two legs. It had two huge, curving white blades for arms and a straight, pointed white blade on the end of its tail. "How long do Shinigami take to get to District 78?" asked Kyohai. "45 minutes to an hour..." began one of his friends. He never got to finish. Kyouhai had already decided what he was going to do. He stepped forward.

"Hey, Hollow!" yelled Kyouhai. "Come pick on someone who can fight back!" he yelled. The Hollow turned around and slashed at Kyouhai, who reached out and grabbed the Hollow's left blade-arm. The Hollow tried the same thing with his right arm, which Kyouhai grabbed as well. But he had forgotten about the Hollow's tail. Now, that blade came at him. He jumped back, but the blade stabbed half an inch into Kyouhai's stomach.

Now, Kyouhai's Reiatsu finally started to present itself. A lime-green mist-like energy began to rise from Kyouhai's body. At the same time, the Hollow let out a roar and lunged forward. Suddenly, Kyouhai knew exactly what he was doing. His Reiatsu flared up, like a halo of lime-green flame around his body. Then, it hardened into a single ball around his fist. Kyouhai leapt, using Shunpo without even knowing it. He released the blast of energy, shattering the Hollow's mask and killing it. Even as this happened, a shocked Shinigami rushed around the corner.

The last thing Kyouhai heard before he blacked out was the Shinigami calling for something called Fourth Division. As Kyoutai blacked out in exhaustion, he realized he had no idea what was going to happen to him. "At least I saved those people..." he thought before slipping into unconsciousness.

Arc 3: The Pure Warrior (-in Training)

Kyouhai woke up in a room full of white beds and doctors. There was a design on the wall, a sort of diamond with the Japanese number 4 in the center. A doctor in a black kimono with a sword at his side was bending over Kyouhai. As soon as he was fully awake, Kyouhai asked "Where am I?" to which the doctor responded "You are in the hospital section of the Fourth Division, part of Seiretei, if you must know." Kyouhai soon learned that he had used up all of his energy with whatever it was that he had used to defeat the Hollow earlier. That was why he had passed out. Kyouhai had been out for two days. Also, the doctor had explained, Kyouhai had shown that he had above average Reiatsu, and he was going to be enrolled in the Shinareijutsuin, or the Shinigami Academy.

So it happened that, about a week later, Kyouhai found himself learning how to be a Shinigami. The teachers at the Academy taught everything from how to resonate with one's Zanpaku-to, a very special weapon that was actually more a spirit than a sword, to how to use Kidō to the best thing to do when a Gillian-class Hollow turns up and gets ready to shoot a Cero at you. The students all got to carry swords. These were called Asauchi. They were like Zanpaku-to, but they had no name and no special powers.

All in all, Kyouhai did not find the classes at the Shinigami Academy to be extremely hard. He was best at Zanjutsu, or the art of using a sword, and Kidō, or Shinigami magic. Kidō allowed really anything from putting a shield in front of oneself to blasting flames at the opponent. It all depended on how you used it. Kidō is devided into two 'schools', so to speak: Hadō, or destructive Kidō, and Bakudo, or defensive and binding Kidō. Being one for offensive techniques, Kyouhai was better at Hadō than he was at Bakudo.

Kyouhai's worse subjects at the Shinigami Academy were Hakuda, or unarmed cobalt, much like martial arts, as a matter of fact, and Shunpo, or the high-speed movement technique used by Shinigami. A master of Shunpo might move so fast that he can't be seen, but Kyouhai's Shunpo never really got much better than it was on the day he used it by accident fighting that Hollow in Rukongai. However, he worked hard at these classes and managed to bring himself 'up to par', so to speak.


Finally, the end of Kyouhai's time at the Academy drew near. About a year before graduation, students got to travel to World of the Living to fight fake Hollows as practice. To Kyouhai's surprise, the place that the students practiced that year was his old hometown of Sapporo, Japan. However, much had changed since Kyouhai was there last. It was no longer 1028, but 1840, over 800 years later. Only then did Kyouhai truly get a sense of how much time he'd wasted in Rukongai.

The practice Hollow-fighting went by without much event, other than a person in Kyouhai's group turning around and smacking his face right into a brick wall by accident near the end of the exercise because he was so tired and wasn't looking where he was going. However, this was all about to turn into a life-or-death situation.

As he was waiting to enter the Senkaimon back to Seiretei, Kyouhai saw a huge crack open up in the sky in front of him. From class, Kyouhai knew that this was called a Garganta. It could only mean one thing. Hollows were coming over from Hueco Mundo, the world where they lived. Suddenly, not just one, but three large Hollows appeared, even as the 'crack' in the sky slammed shut. Kyouhai and several other students drew their swords, and a fight began.

Kyouhai wasn't sure how long he fought for. All he knew was that, by the time he was done, he had probably used every skill he'd learned in the Academy and he'd been cut up quite bait. Just as Kyouhai dispatched the Hollow that he'd been fighting, Shinigami from Seiretei appeared and safely got everyone back to Soul Society. A crisis had been narrowly averted.

Not much else happened in Kyouhai's time at the Academy. Finally, the day that Kyouhai had been waiting for came. He was to get his own Zanpaku-to and learn its name. He was to enter his inner world, and go through whatever trial his spirit set for him in order to learn his or her name. Some, Kyouhai had learned, put you through logic problems. Some fought you, while others just gave you their name. Nervously, Kyouhai wondered what type of spirit his would be.

At the first sight of his inner world, Kyouhai lost any thought that his trial by his Zanpaku-to spirit was going to be easy. This world was barren. These was no life anywhere. Just black sand and rock. The sky was filled with thick, evil-looking black clouds, and lightning flashed everywhere, but there was no rain. Kyouhai, if he knew anything of space travel, would have thought he was on the planet Venus.

He couldn't see his spirit anywhere, so he decided it was time to look for him. There was an unsurmountable cliff of black rock behind him, and the jagged spires of huge mountains on either side, so it seemed that the only way to go was forward. Kyouhai began walking. After about a mile, everything suddenly changed. It was as if he had stepped into a different world. Here, flowering plants grew, and there was running water everywhere. It was like a paradise in the middle of Hell.

Soon, Kyouhai came to a lake so huge that the other side was not visible. Maybe it was even an ocean. Not so far from shore, Kyouhai saw an island. Standing on it was a man in a white kimono and carrying a sheathed katana. Kyouhai knew that other beings couldn't get into his inner world, so this had to be his Zanpaku-to spirit. Kyouhai swam out to the island. This took about twenty minutes, and the water was icy cold. His body was numb when he pulled himself out of the water and onto dry land. Somehow, however, he dried out and warmed up almost instantly. "Inner world logic-defying random shit..." figured Kyouhai.

"Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori" began the spirit. "That's me." said Kyouhai. "Well, I see you found your way here. Now, why have you come?" asked the spirit. "I need to know your name. What is it?" asked Kyouhai. Silence. Then, the spirit began to laugh. "Can't be good..." thought Kyouhai. It turned out that he was right. "Sorry, but I ain't gonna just give you my name, that would be too easy." said the spirit. Kyouhai already knew what was coming, even before the spirit said it. His hand went to the hilt of his Asauchi sword. With some luck, this would be the last time he'd have to use it. "Defeat me in battle, Kyouhai. That's the only way you can use my power!" said the spirit.

The battle with the Zanpaku-to spirit was long, and it was one of the worst fights Kyouhai had ever been in or even seen. He was one the losing side this time, too. His body didn't have cuts in the skin, it was like just cuts with some skin in between. There were also burns, from some sort of lightning-based power the spirit had been using. Just as Kyouhai was about to give up, he felt something. It was the biggest adrenaline surge he'd ever had. Suddenly, the pain didn't matter. He jumped up and fought, finally pushing the spirit back.

As it happened, the spirit never told Kyouhai his name. The name just flasked through Kyouhai's head. It was one single word, one thought in half a second. "Kyokuryuu." was the word. With a yell, Kyouhai slammed Kyokuryuu against the wall. "This is over, Kyokuruu." said Kyouhai. Kyokuryuu smiled and said "Good job. That is my name. I will always be there when you need my help."

There were a few moments of blackness, and then Kyouhai was back in Seiretei. Next to him was a huge nodachi sword in a cyan sheath. "My Zanpaku-to..." said Kyouhai with relief and happiness as he picked up the weapon and strapped it across his back. Kyouhai had finally become a Shinigami. One chapter of his life was over, and another was about to begin.

Arc 4: The Pure Warrior (no longer in training)

Soon, Kyouhai graduated from the Shinareijutsuin. He had successfully gotten his Zanpaku-to and achieved Shikai. After a little practice with his weapon, Kyouhai discovered it was a lightning-element Zanpaku-to. After learning some of its basic techniques, Kyouhai was ready to go join a division. He decided on the 7th Division since it was one of the divisions where Kyouhai could just be himself. The captain, he zoo found, was a huge man by the name of Sajin Komamura who wore a huge helmet on his head and never really said much. 7th wasn't all 'tough' like 11th or super loyal like 2nd or 6th. Put simply, it was perfect for Kyouhai.

So it was that Kyouhai began his time as a Shinigami in the 7th Division. He was well-liked by his comrades, and, after a few Hollow-killing missions, he was also well-respected. Everything seemed to be going well for Kyouhai. He now truly understood what he was missing out on when he was wasting 800 years of his life in Rukongai. This sense of mission and camaraderie was what he needed in his life. Also, Kyouhai's OCD side was satisfied that things in Seiretei are usually nice and orderly. Things went very well for him.

After about 100 years, Kyouhai became strong enough that he was offered a Seat Officer position. However, he turned it down since he didn't want to have to deal with all the work. His excuse was that he didn't think he was powerful enough, and his superiors accepted it. As much as Kyouhai's attitude annoyed his superiors, they respected him for the fact that he could get serious when he needed to. However, at this point, Kyouhai was pretty much tricking them. From this day forward, he decided to hide his power so that he didn't have to be put in a position where he had to do a lot of work.

Soon after this, Kyouhai got his first taste of chaos in Soul Society. Several ryoka, or invaders, had breached the Seiretei and were causing trouble. They were apparently here to rescue someone named Rukia Kuchiki, who was scheduled to be executed soon. The situation got worse, and, soon, one of the ryoka, a Substitute Shinigami named Ichigo Kurosaki, had defeated the 11th Division's captain. Soon, the 12th Division captain was injured severely as well. Things were certainly not going well.

To make matters worse, 11th Division began to aid the ryoka. Soon, Shinigami were fighting each other. Kyouhai saw plenty of the action and got himself injured, as well. He was there on the Sokyoku hill when it all ended. Kyouhai was one of the few who saw Captains Ichimaru, Aizen, and Tousen, of the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Divisions, respectively, disappear into Hueco Mundo.

For a short time after this, there was peace. Peace was just the thing that Kyouhai needed. For, now, he was at such a level of strength that he could start thinking about Bankai. More than that, all he needed to do was summon his spirit to this world and get Bankai somehow. Kyouhai wanted Bankai very badly. He wanted, more than anything, to be useful to Soul Society. So, he began to train.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, even though it was just a few weeks, Kyouhai was ready. He had just gained the ability to summon his Zanpaku-to spirit. One day, he did just that.

"So, you want Bankai, huh?" asked Kyokuryuu. "Yes." was Kyouhai's reply. "Very well." began Kyokuryuu. "You have to overcome a personal weakness of yours. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but you'd better figure it out before I kill you!" said Kyokuryuu. With that, he rushed at Kyouhai. "Not again..." thought Kyouhai. Now, once again, the Zanpaku-to and the Shinigami began to fight. Kyouhai could feel himself being overpowered even from the first clash of the two's swords.

The battle went on for at least five hours. Kyouhai was damaged even more than he had been in his Shikai fight, and his sword had been broken. Suddenly, Kyouhai realized what his weakness was. He needed to trust his Zanpaku-to spirit, Kyokuruu, more. He had only seen the spirit lunge at him, but he hadn't seen Kyokuryuu actually strike him. That part he had assumed would happen out of simple distrust. Kyouhai closed his eyes and dropped the broken remains of his sword. He stood there with his arms spread out.

Kyokuryuu's blade punched through Kyouhai, but there was no pain. In surprise, he saw his wounds closing. It felt like strength was flowing into him. "You figured it out." said Kyokuryuu." "You didn't trust me enough before. Now that you do, you are able to resonate with me to the degree of someone who has Bankai." Kyokuryuu pulled his blade out of Kyouhai's body, and his wound disappeared. "You have proven yourself worthy once again." said Kyoukuryuu even as he began to fade, going back to the inner world where he belonged. With that, the spirit disappeared. Kyouhai had gained the use of his Bankai, and he was just in time, too.

That was when the traitor captains, allied with Hueco Mundo, waged war on Soul Society. Kyouhai had plenty of opportunities over the course of these events to practice with his Bankai, but he didn't Kyouhai knew that it might be dangerous to use Bankai if he hadn't sufficiently trained himself it its use yet.

As always, Kyouhai kept his power hidden and did what he had to do. Kyouhai managed to get through the incident with Hueco Mundo still alive, and yet, there was still so much to do before he could be satisfied with himself.

Arc 5: The New Age

After the Hueco Mundo and Aizen incident ended, Kyouhai finally had peace and was able to train himself in the use of Bankai. Finally, Kyouhai knew, order had returned to Seiretei. Still, he wished he had been there to see the final battle in Karakura Town in the World of the Living. However, he had been one of the Shinigami left behind in Soul Society in case the Arrancar invaded while the captains were gone. Nothing ended up happening, and Kyouhai ended up being bored.

Now, however, Kyouhai was focusing on himself. He was, with the help of Kyokuryuu, training in the use of his Bankai. Kyouhai spent a very long time doing this. There were plenty of stories about people who died using Bankai before they were ready, and he certainly didn't want the next one of these to be called "The Tragedy of Kyouhai Suzumori" or something. That was why Kyouhai trained hard. Of course, since he was hiding his power, Kyouhai's training was in secret.

Kyouhai ended up spending 395 years training with his Bankai before Kyokuryuu thought he was ready to use it in battle. Kyouhai was glad this was over since it had been a lot of work, and that was something that Kyouhai hated. He really hoped it ended up being worth it.

Just a few months ago, Kyouhai was on a mission to a place called Los Angeles in the World of the Living. He was sent to find the source of a strange Reiatsu signature. Kyouhai ended up finding a woman who was a member of the Iramasha clan. The two nearly fought, but Kyouhai managed to defuse the situation before anyone got hurt or killed.

Those two beings ended up hanging out on the streets of LA and talking for a few hours. Kyouhai learned a lot that he hadn't known before. There were, apparently, more races beyond those that Kyouhai already knew. The Iramasha clan, to start, was their own race. There were also beings called Kyoukuryuteshi, Ziamichi, and even more. Kyouhai thanked the Iramasha for what she had told him, but he had to make a full report on what had happened to Soul Society, and he couldn't be sure of what they might decide to do.

Currently, Kyouhai is an un-seated member of the 7th Division. He has Bankai and quite a bit of power, but he suppresses it around everyone else. As such, he is indistinguishable from the normal rank and file Shinigami. But how long can Kyouhai keep his secret?
_________________________________



Reiatsu Color: Kyouhai's Reiatsu is a bright lime green color.

Zanpakutô Spirit Name: Kyokuryuu

Zanpakutô Spirit Appearance: Kyokuryuu is Kyouhai's Zanpaku-to Spirit. He takes the form of a normal man. Kyoukuryuu is about 6 feet tall. He has skin that is a little bit darker than Kyoutai's, shoulder-length black hair, and brown eyes.

Kyokuryuu's clothing takes two different forms. When he's just talking to Kyouhai, he wears a normal white kimono tied about the waist with a black obi sash. If he has to fight Kyouhai for any reason, like he did during Shikai training and again during Bankai training, Kyoukuryuu wears a full suit of golden samurai armor. Kyokuryuu can change his clothing with just a snap of his fingers.

Kyokuryuu carries a sword at all times. When he is not in battle, this takes the form of a sheathed katana sword. The sword has a three foot long steel blade, a rectangular golden tsuba, and a black two-handed hilt. The pommel is gold and has Kyokuryuu's name engraved in tiny Japanese Kana characters. The sword's sheath is made of plain, un-painted wood, also with Kyokuryuu's name engraved on it in the same characters. In battle, this weapon becomes a huge nodachi, rather like Kyouhai's sword is in sealed form. This nodachi has a two-handed golden hilt, a golden rectangular tsuba, and a five foot long golden blade. This blade is four inches wide at every point except for the tip.

In terms of personality, Kyokuryuu is the exact opposite of Kyouhai. Where Kyouhai is laid-back, for example, Kyokuryuu is serious and uptight. This often leads to conflict between the two, and a fight whenever the two are training together, such as when Kyouhai went for Shikai and Bankai. It also prevents them from resonating with each other as well as they maybe should at times.

Inner World: Kyokuryuu's inner world could, at first sight, be described as evil-looking. Upon first arriving there, one ends up in a barren, black desert. The rocks and even the sand are black, and there are no plants. Black clouds block out the sky and the sun, and yet there is no rain here. However, after walking about a mile, one comes to a completely different section of this world. There is a huge, circular break in the clouds that the sun can shine through. This area is full of life and colorful, with flowering plants and clear, cold running water. In an island in the middle of one lake, Kyokuryuu can be found. This island is the site of many encounters between Kyouhai and his Zanpaku-to.

Sealed Zanpakutô Apperance : In its dealed form, Kyokuryuu is a nodachi. It has a two-handed golden hilt with a black pommel. The tsuba, or cross-guard, is a rectangle of black iron. The blade is one of regular steel. It is four and a half feet long and about three and a half inches wide. This weapon is kept, as described before, in a cyan-colored sheath strapped to Kyouhai's back.

Sealed Zanpakutô Abilities: In sealed form, Kyouhai can only use one of Kyokuryuu's most basic abilities. Over all, Kyokuryuu uses lightning and electricity fr its techniques. However, when sealed, the ability is far more basic. Kyouhai can only release and manipulate a golden, Reiatsu-like energy with his sealed weapon. This has basic offensive and defensive abilities. It can be formed into a blade-like shape, for example, and fired at the opponent to deal damage in the form of cutting trauma. Or, in defense, Kyouhai can form the energy into a sort of shield of Reiatsu in front of him.

Release: The release phrase for Kyuhai's Shikai is "Wash away all opposition in the unstoppable golden tide, Kyokuryuu!"

Shikai Description: In Shikai form, Kyokuryuu changes quite a bit. It actually grows a little smaller in physical size when released in Shikai form. The nodaci becomes two leaf-shaped blades strapped to Kyouhai's wrists. The straps holding them there appear to be bands of lightning, but they are really just colored Reishi. Each blade is two feet long, and six inches in width at their widest point. The blades are golden in color.

Shikai Abilities: In Shikai state, the ability of Kyokuryuu is first seen as more than the use of just energy. Besides the obvious melee fighting capabilities of the blades, which are almost a part of Kyouhai himself, being strapped to his wrists in Shikai state, Kyouhai now has the ability to manipulate lightning or electricity for use in attacks or even defensive techniques. All of these require charging of various length depending on how much energy Kyouhai needs for a specific technique. In Shikai state, Kyouhai's abilities have an average range of about 500 meters to 1 kilometer. Needless to say, this has a wide variety of uses. The lightning can even be converted into Reiatsu that Kyouhai can hold in reserve for use later. One could spend 30,000 words or so describing the uses of an incredibly diverse ability like this.

There is, of course, a basic use of firing off blasts of lightning bolts at the opponent. This would cause puncture-like trauma and burns. It could also cause electrocution, which can damage other parts of the body, including internal organs and parts of the nervous system. A weaker shock could be used to temporarily stun an opponent who Kyouhai does not wish to kill or seriously injure for whatever reason. Kyouhai can change the strength of the shock he hits the foe with at will.

Kyouhai's blades are made of metal, which is known to conduct electricity. Because of this, he can have his blades charged with electricity that is not visible to the opponent, much like electricity flowing through a metal wire isn't detectable by vision. Since his weapons are often charged to a high voltage, however, one close by can hear the hum of the charge flowing through the metal. This can be used in a surprise strike that will not only cut the opponent, but electrocute them as well. With a quick touch, he can stun an opponent. However, this can be dangerous to Kyouhai. The Reishi straps insulate him from the electricity, but he cannot touch any other part of his blades while they are charged, or else he will be shocked.

The use described above can be used in another way, with the same danger to Kyouhai, although slightly augmented by the fact that more electricity is involved here. Kyouhai can charge his conductive blades to their maximum capacity with electricity if he so chooses. When he does this, the halo of crackling electricity is easily visible around the weapons. He can then fire three leaf-shaped projectiles of electricity from each one. These do quite a bit of harm since they explode on contact, not to mention the resulting burns and electrocution. He can also use blasts of other types, or even release all the pent-up energy at once. Besides the danger of Kyouhai accidentally shocking himself, Kyouhai must fire the blasts immediately after they are ready or risk melting his blades, which are made of a gold-iron alloy. Gold melts a bit more easily than other metals.

Kyouhai can use this lightning manipulation defensively as well, but not quite as well as his offensive uses. Mostly, Kyouhai uses a shield of lighting in front of himself to stop an attack. He can also form a bubble of lightning in front of himself if he wants to defend against an attack coming from all directions.

Bankai Description: The name of Kyouhai's Bankai is Kamirashii Kyokuryuu. He releases it by saying "Bankai! Kamirashii Kyokuryuu!" This gives both Kyouhai and his sword a full appearance makeover. Kyouhai's shihakusho transforms into a kimono that appears to be made of golden fabric, tied about the waist with what looks like an obi sash made of lightning. He also gets two wings of lightning that seem to sprout out of his back. These are for appearance effect only, Kyouhai is not able to fly in Bankai. Kyouhai's sword becomes a Japanese spear made entirely of Reishi that looks somewhat like lightning. He also gets a golden round-shield to help defend himself.

Bankai Abilities: In Bankai form, Kyouhai's ability increases, along with the general size, scope, and usefulness of his lightning manipulation power. In other words, his powers are even more numerous and diverse than they were in Shikai state. The techniques in Bankai mostly require charging, though some use existing electricity and thus require little or no charging. The ability to turn lightning into Reiatsu reserves still exists in Bankai, but extends to natural electricity as well. The range of his powers in a Bankai state is about 5 miles. Kyouhai can sometimes be in danger from the use of his powers due to their nature as well. Mostly, this danger comes when he tries to manipulate natural lightning. There is a very real danger of him being hit by lightning if he messes up.

To start off, the basic uses of electricity that Kyouhai had in Shikai are kept in Bankai with the exception of one. Since he no longer has metal blades, the power revolving around the blades on his wrists is no longer available in Bankai. Instead, it becomes a defensive power centered around the metal round-shield he has in this state. The shield can be charged and used to foil attacks. If the opponent is using Hakuda and touches the shield, they could be electrocuted. The rest of Kyouhai's Shikai powers remain, but they are greatly increased in power. Also, they can be powered by natural lightning or even free electrons floating around the atmosphere if Kyouhai is in danger or doesn't have time to charge for some reason or other. This can obviate the need for a charge time on most techniques.

Kyouhai gains a few more further uses of his power in the Bankai state. One of these is that he is able to couple his Zanpaku-to ability with his Hakuda skill, usually to a quite devastating result in the eyes of the opponent. Kyouhai is able to surround his body with a halo of high-voltage electricity. This, obviously, makes it dangerous for someone not insulated against electric shock to strike at Kyouhai. It also allows Kyouhai to add electrocution to whatever damage his Hakuda strike ends up doing. He can also discharge this halo in the form of an attack if he needs to. He can't keep the halo around him for very long since it's an immense drain on his Reiatsu.

Another power Kyouhai gains is the ability to complement his Shunpo with his Zanpaku-to ability. This provides a great boost of speed, but it can be inconvenient since Kyouhai's position is announced by a flash of lightning when he arrives at his destination. Kyouhai can only do this a few times in a battle since it, too, drains quite a bit of Reiatsu.

Finally, Kyouhai can form weapons with lightning or other electricity. They usually look similar to the glowing, yellow Japanese spear that he is holding immediately after releasing his Bankai. They can be any sort of bladed weapon, really, but they are most often katana swords. Each katana is a basic katana with a two handed hilt, a rectangular tsuba, and a three and a half foot long blade. The weapons can cut, but they also burn and electrocute their victims as well. A drawback here is that Kyouhai can't hold the weapons for too long because they can burn his hands badly.
_________________________________



PhatomTech: Kyouhai does not have Phantom Tech. This is because he is somewhat of a purist and prefers to rely only on himself, not some computer.

Phantom Tech Abilities: N/A

Phantom Tech Powers: N/A
_________________________________



General Skills

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

Racial Skills

• Hoho: Adept
  
• Kidō: Adept
  
• Zanjutsu: Advanced
  
• Hakuda: Advanced
  

_________________________________



Roleplay Sample:

Today was an important day for anyone who was in their last year of instruction at the Shinareijutsuin, also known as the Shinigami Academy. Today was the day when graduating students would be going for Shikai. To do this, it was necessary for the students to go into their inner worlds and get the name of their Zanpaku-to spirit. The students were all nervous, since failing to get Shikai was one of the worst things that could happen to a prospective Shinigami. For once, not a single student talked or laughed on their way to the place where they would be going for Shikai.

One member of this mass of nervous students was a young man named Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori. He was on his way to try for Shikai, just like everyone else he was with now. Just like them, he was extremely nervous. If anything were to go wrong, Kyouhai would be incredibly embarrassed, not to mention that he would never become a Shinigami. "I hope this goes well... I really couldn't stand it if I came so far only to fail now..." thought Kyouhai as he arrived at the place he was supposed to be.

As Kyouhai sat in the floor and prepared to enter his inner world, he wondered what ind of spirit his Zanpaku-to was going to be. In the Academy, Kyouhai had learned that some Zanpaku-to put you through trials to learn their name. These could be anything from a complex logic problem to a fight to the death. Some of them just told you their name. While this was convenient, it also usually meant that they were weak and wouldn't be much use in battle. "I wonder what mine will be like..." thought Kyouhai.

From the second Kyouhai saw his inner world, he had a feeling that his Zanpaku-to certainly wasn't going to be one of the nicer or easier ones. Put simply, the inner world looked like Hell. It was completely barren. The rocks and sand were black, and no plants grew. The sky was filled with thick black clouds. Bolts of lightning flashed in the sky and thunder rumbled, but no rain fell. Kyouhai took a quick look around and didn't see his Zanpaku-to spirit anywhere. He was going to have to look for the spirit.

A quick look around showed that the way back behind Kyouhai was blocked with an insurmountable precipice of smooth, black rock hundreds of feet high that stretched for miles in each direction. Jagged spires of mountains of similar height and composition stood to either side of the path, also blocking the way. That being known, Kyouhai realized that the only way to go was forward. He began to walk. The area was dry and hot like a desert, and Kyouhai soon found himself dehydrated.

After about a mile or so of walking, everything changed. Kyouhai found himself in a completely different area. Here, there were plenty of colorful flowering plants. There were also clear skies and a bright sun. Cool, clear running water was everywhere. "Thank God!" exclaimed Kyouhai as he walked over to the stream to drink the cool water. He was dehydrate almost to the point of collapse. The water was drinkable and tasted fine, proving that this was not just a mirage or something created by the barren, hellish desert. "How can this spot of paradise exist in the middle of Hell?" Kyouhai wondered.

Finally, Kyouhai came to the shores of what seemed like a freshwater ocean. Maybe 200 or 300 meters from shore, Kyouhai could see an island. Also, he could just marely see the form of a man on the island. Since Kyouhai knew it was impossible for other beings to get to his inner world, he knew this must be his Zanpaku-to spirit. Kyouhai dove into the water. He gasped. It was icy cold! However, he continued to swim.

Soon, Kyouhai reached the island, by now numb with cold. However, when he pulld himself from the water, he dried out instantly, and his feeling returned just as fast. The man, who Kyouhai could now see was dressed in a white kimono tied with a black obi sash and carrying a sheathed sword, turned around and spoke. "Kyouhai Harukaze Suzumori." he said. "That's me." replied Kyoutai. "Welcome." began the Zanpaku-to. "Why have you come here?" asked the spirit. "I have to find your name. So what is it?" asked Kyouhai.

The spirit began to laugh. "Can't be good..." thought a now somewhat uneasy Kyouhai. "I really hope you don't think I'm going to just give you my name... That would be way too easy, and I wouldn't be able to see how strong, how worthy, you are." said the spirit. Kyouhai knew what was coming next, even before the spirit spoke. He hand tightened around the hilt of the Asauchi sword at his hip. With some good luck, Kyouhai wouldn't be using this weapon again after today. Eying Kyouhai's hand, the spirit said "I see you have figured out what I was thinking. That's what we call Zanpaku-to resonance! Anyways, you will have to beat me in a fight." said the Zanpaku-to.

The Zanpaku-to snapped his fingers. Kyouhai was expecting an attack, so he was rather surprised when the result of the Zanpaku-to's action was that his clothes and weapon changed. Now, the spirit was in golden samurai armor and gripping a rather intimidating black and gold nodachi sword. Kyouhai, in response, drew his own weapon. It looked rather small and pitiful next to his Zanpaku-to's nodachi. "I'm ready for you, Zanpaku-to!" said Kyouhai. "Then let's go, Shinigami!" said the spirit. He lunged forward and stuck at Kyouhai's chest with his blade.

Kyouhai parried expertly, but the sheer weight of his opponent's nodachi was pushing him back. Kyouhai was fighting very hard to overcome the weight difference between his blade and the Zanpaku-to's, but it seemed like he was going to fail. It wasn't long before the first blood of the fight was drawn. The Zanpaku-to's nodachi cut deeply into Kyouhai's left shoulder, severing the tendon there and making Kyouhai's entire left arm useless. "Shit..." muttered Kyouhai under his breath as blood flowed from his wound. Now he had only one hand to wield his weapon with, and this against an opponent with a heavy nodachi! Kyouhai gritted his teeth and then continued to fight.

Now, it was even worse. The nodachi ripped into Kyouhai's body again and again, and blood soaked into his Academy uniform. To make matters worse, the Zanpaku-to was unharmed! Put simply, Kyouhai was getting his ass whooped. It was time to turn things around. Jumping back, Kyouhai thrust out his palm and yelled "Hadō number thirty-three: Sokatsui!!". He had no time for an incantation, so this was the best he could do. A blast of blue flame shot at the spirit, but he fired a blast of golden light at the Kidō and dissipated it. Then, the spirit lunged forward to strike again.

That was when Kyouhai was saved. A single word flashed through his head. "Kyokuryuu!" was that word. Kyouhai had what h needed. He threw aside his sword, and then grabbed the Zanpaku-to by his shoulders and slammed him against the rock wall, sending the nodachi spinning away. "It's over, Kyokuryuu!" said Kyouhai. Kyokuryuu, for that was the Zanpaku-to's name, smiled. "Good job, Kyouhai. That is my name. I suppose it came into your head." said Kyokuryuu. "Let me explain. The real trial there was not, as you may have thought, a fight to the death. It was actually a test to see how determined you were. The way you fought showed me that. I, Kyokuryuu, will be honored to serve as your Zanpaku-to as long as you live." said the Zanpaku-to.

With that, he waved his hand, and Kyouhai was back in Seiretei, completely unhurt. Next to Kyouhai, on the floor, was a nodachi much like the one Kyokuryuu had been holding. It was in a sheath wrapped in cyan cloth. There was a strap to hold the huge weapon to Kyouhai's body, also cyan in color. "My Zanpaku-to..." said Kyouhai in a mixture of relief and happiness. He had none it. After so long, Kyouhai Suzumori was a Shinigami warrior.