Shiroki Sakanade; Squad 3 Captain (Regrade)(Finished)

[Library Record Requested. Clearance level: Librarian. Subject Status: Active]

Name: Shiroki Sakanade (白黄逆撫)
Aliases: The Getaway Kid, the Untouchable, Hellhound of Inuzuri
English Translation: Shiro=white, Ki=yellow, Sakanade=Backward/counter strike
Species: Werewolf
Race: Shinigami
Gender: Male
Date of Birth:  21 July 0210AD (roughly Yaoyoi period of Ancient Japan)
Appearance Age: 7
Actual Age: 1700? (exact age unknown)
Organization and Rank: Gotei 13; Captain of 3rd Division

Height: 3'8" (115cm), give or take ears.
Weight: 35lb (16kg)
Hair color: Rich yellow (on head, back, limbs) and white (throat, underbelly) fur
Eye color: white sclera, light blue iris
General Appearance: Appearance resembles that of an anthropomorphic canine. Rather than wolf, his features are sharper and more resemble that of a fox or jackal’s. He does not posses the usual imposing stature or girth typical to the average Werewolf, appearing undersized and frail even compared to peers of his apparent 'age'. Physical appearances don't concern him so he comes across as scruffy more often than not. His outward impression blends all archetypical traits of child and puppy alike, making him a frequent target of unsolicited hugs and cheek pinches. He has been described as ‘cute’ on first impression and has been known to exploit this to gain advantage: turning on the puppy charm to sneak an extra dessert in the Officers’ Mess or convincing squad mates to help with his paperwork for example.  

Shiroki finds the Shihakusho uniform stifling and useless, so is often seen wearing his haori without the upper garment underneath if he thinks he can get away with it. His haori is of the long-sleeved variety and is ill-fitting due to his dimunitive stature, nearly trailing over the ground. Its inner lining is the default mint-green, and it has been modified to accomodate a hood within the lining of its collar large enough to hide its owners ears. Three horizontal lines framed inside a diamond adorns the white surface of its back. Shiroki tends to wear it draped casually around him like a cloak without actually putting his arms in the sleeves, or have it tied around his middle as kids sometimes do. He does not wear the usual socks and tabi, preferring to go barefoot. What may have once been a friendship bracelet but is now little more than a threadbare loop of string hangs loose from his left wrist.

Eyes: Shiroki has blue eyes, which are striking and somewhat unusual among his clan. They give off an impression of wariness at most times, often darting from side to side and scanning their surroundings. Taken together with his outward appearance, Shiroki tends to appear shifty or guilty even when he hasn’t done anything wrong, but he notices most things so is hard to catch off guard. In conversation they can turn distant as Shiro’s attention wanders, trying to track everything at once

Fur: Shiroki’s fur is overall a blend of light orange and yellow, a rich honey shade that lightens gradually to white on his underside (from chin to belly). In lieu of hair, his fur is longer and forms a messy fringe on his head, which he has a habit of brushing out of his eyes. It is soft to the touch, medium length coat gradually shortening to downy white peachfuzz on his front.

Ears: His ears are noticeably large and take up a sizeable portion of his head, resembling that of a fennec fox. They are dexterous, often seen twitching independently of each other as Shiro registers his environment. His hearing is keen and he is able to filter between various sounds or conversations happening at the same time, capable of eavesdropping on targets from a safe distance.

Miscellaneous: Shiroki appears small for his age. He is thinner than average and comes across as a starving stray from the Rukongai, ribs clearly outlined below the skin. His size and stature allow him to fit into and gain entry into areas that most others find impassible. Despite his nondescript appearance his presence generates a vague aura of menace and unease.


Expression: To strangers who don’t encounter him often, Shiroki comes across as run-of-the-mill gutter trash and might be mistaken as someone who strolled into Sereitei by mistake. He avoids eye contact on principal and so may appear distracted when talking directly to someone. At first impression he seems a friendly sort and is rarely seen without a smile on his face. Closer scrutiny however, tends to leave an observer feeling slightly chilled for reasons not easily explained. Members of Squad 3 have compared it to that of a piranha or some equally dangerous predator hungry for blood, and it is unanimously agreed that nothing good can come when the captain's grin is aimed in one's general direction.

Mannerisms: Shiroki subconsciously mirrors the mannerisms of those he interacts with, having few of his own. Doing so appears to give him a slight edge into understanding their thought processes.

On his own he is prone to be jumpy and restless, fidgeting at times when having to stay in one spot. Squad members have learnt it is unwise to surprise him; as even a friendly tap on the shoulder can have an extreme and unpredictable effect. He has an unconscious habit of brushing his fringe away from his eyes.

Shiroki is rarely seen in social gatherings; mainly because his idea of 'fun' tends to be different from the average person's. Instead he often goes on lonely walks in the Rukon when not on duty. Squad members know enough to be on guard against sudden unpredictable bouts of mischief and pranks.
Larger gatherings bother him; mostly because all those conversation at once is hard on his hearing. He finds it difficult to maintain eye contact or fully engage with those he talks to; being assaulted by so many other distractions. This can give the impression that he has a tendency to daydream and stare into space during conversation when actually he is paying attention to several things at once. It was this trait that allowed him to coast through his time in the Academy, surprising lecturers who assumed he was not paying attention

Voice: Shiroki is soft spoken and is rarely heard shouting.


Redeeming Qualities:
Loyalty – Like other members of his clan Shiroki is loyal to those he acknowledges as master, willing to go to all lengths to guard them and fulfil their wishes. This loyalty supersedes his own self-preservation, and he will go to his death if need be in such a situation. He is careful about making promises, but once having sworn his service he will continue to serve until his final breath.

Ruthless/Efficient – The Hellhound of Inuzuri did not earn his title lightly. Shiroki possesses a keen, analytical mind that borders on Machiavellism...which he turns solely to the task of accomplishing his objectives. Be it victory in battle or the fulfilment of some less direct scheme; he will usually see the direct line linking point A to point B and waste no time in following it...regardless of any person or thing that stands in his way.

Fair - A childhood in the Rukon tends to instill in people the desire for fairness. Shiroki treats with people equally and gives an unseated recruit the same amount of consideration he would reserve for the Captain Commander. He does not dismiss concerns out of hand, regardless of the source.

Negative Qualities:

Cowardice – Shiroki is no hero. He knows that physically he is smaller and weaker than many others. Therefore, when faced with unequal conflict his instinct is always towards avoidance. He will try defusing it if possible (surrender to opponent) or run away from combat if it is not. In group fights he is the one who volunteers to go fetch reinforcements, since this takes him away from actual fighting. Though these are lessons learnt from his time in Inuzuri, they give him a bad impression to peers.

Mistrust – Shiroki does not trust anyone completely, not even himself. He separates personal from squad life and guards his secrets fiercely. Even when working as a team, it is clear that he does not believe in his partners’ ability/intention to watch his back. If driven to that option, he would save himself at cost of others.

Cruel – Shiroki manifests a savage streak rivaling members from the 11th Division. Unlike the 11th however, his passion is not for the thrill of battle but the damage he might inflict in the process. He does not share their ideal of ‘honorable’ combat and will strike a helpless foe without a second thought, often taking his time prolonging the outcome for longer than necessary. To those he considers enemies he shows no mercy and delights in spilling of blood

Playful - Innocuous on its own, when paired with the above trait this quality takes a less innocent turn. His nature ranges between occasional irresponsibility (procrastinating paperwork for fun) to restless curiosity (what happens if I do this).  Fellow squad members quickly learn to be on the lookout for potential pranks or traps left lying about, not all of them harmless in execution.

Vengeful - He is prone to holding a grudge and is not the sort to forgive or forget, sometimes even nursing such grudges for years without anyone else being aware of it. When angered he is cold, levelheaded and ruthless; willing to postpone vengeance until it can be used with greatest effect. Having no illusion about his physical capabilities, Shiroki is a careful planner who thinks ahead rather than rushing into problems and solving them by brute force.

Likes: Shiroki enjoys cloudgazing and sneaking into places he is not supposed to be as a challenge

Cloudgazing – On his off days Shiro can be found around the highest point of Seretei watching clouds go by. He likes doing this by day or night, feeling the breath of the wind through his fur. At times he blends this with his other pastime and tries to reach the highest point he can, sneaking through restricted areas in the process. One of the places he frequents most is Sokyoku Hill.

Ear Skritches - Like canine contemporaries Shiroki likes being scratched behind the ears. Being on the receiving end can send him into paroxysms of ecstasy. This is a little known fact however.

Parkour – Or at least his interpretation of it; which boils down to getting into places he shouldn't.

Dislikes: Being caught or surprised; sweets, loud noises (pop songs)

Being Caught – This occupies the top spot in Shiro’s list of dislikes. He hates being caught red handed at anything he shouldn’t be doing, and makes avoiding such an outcome his priority. This has been a defining trait of his since early childhood, and both his knack for as well as determination to avoid trouble has resulted in people calling him the Getaway Kid. The name was not given as a compliment, as there are many who disapprove of his lacking honor in such matters. Shiroki also hates being pinned or restrained in the literal sense; even if it is a friendly hug. He is a firm believer of personal space, and heaven help anyone who tries to lift him by the scruff of his neck.

Sweets – Shiroki dislikes sweet things; chocolate in particular as he has a hazy memory of an older relative telling him that it is poison to their kind. He avoids anything sweet; fruits included. Ironically though, he tends to accumulate sweets as people insist on giving them to him for some reason he cannot understand. But since it would be rude to refuse a gift, he stores them in the squad pantry for others to help themselves, or otherwise gives them away to kids in the Rukongai.

Loud noises – Due to his keen hearing many sounds are amplified from Shiroki’s perspective and painful on the eardrums. These include, but are not limited to: explosions, celebrations, the Captain-Commander when in a rage, and most fearsome of all—pop songs. He once had the misfortune of hearing one when somebody brought it back from the World of the Living; and its forced rhymes, off-key rhythms and inexplicable melding of Japanese with English into a form unrecognizable as either has mentally scarred him ever since. Simply mentioning ‘J-pop’ in his hearing can make him run for the hills.

Alcohol - Shiroki avoids going near any type of stimulant or alcohol entirely. Those from his Academy days will know him as a complete teetotaler, quite unable to handle his liquor. He was drunk once when fellow classmates spiked his drink at the Academy and did not care for the result, so has taken pains to avoid repeating such an experience.

Goals:

Short-term Goals: kill or be killed

Long-term Goals: To achieve full mastery of Bankai; repay debts of loyalty; finalize methods to counter those he considers 'potentially-dangerous' in Seireitei (everyone)

General Personality:
Subject is cold. Aloof and practical, he prioritizes survival and does not shy from doing what is needed to get by—at the cost of honor or meaningless ideals. His observation skills are considered second to none, and he relies heavily on them to read situations to avoid trouble. To Shiroki, nobody can be trusted. Viewing existance as a game with only one winner, he is always on guard against attack and prepares contingency plans for unlikely scenarios. His paranoia borders on near-extreme levels, and it is uncertain if he even trusts himself. He prefers controlling his emotions instead of being distracted by them, using them as tools.

It is no secret that Shiroki favors the Art of War’s 36th stratagem; which is to run. This has earned him a less-than-positive regard for being over-cautious and cowardly; someone who will abandon his team in crisis if given the opportunity. While there is some truth in that, it is more accurate to say he dislikes any kind of conflict and will sensibly back down if that were an option. He has a pessimistic outlook and is of the opinion that anything bad that can happen will usually happen, so tries to take precautions against this. He is not one to display emotion naturally, though he can understand and ‘fake’ such reactions enough to get by in social situations. Socializing does not interest him, as he has a short attention span and gets bored easily by long conversation

Subject is curious with a penchant for mischief, such as listening in and gaining information from those silly enough to ignore his presence. He guards such information obtained seriously, saving it for situations where he will have need of it. Over time he has accumulated quite a store of potential blackmail material on his fellow Shinigami but has thus far showed no intention of releasing it. There are unfounded rumors that Shiro also devotes himself to finding ways of countering those around him as a precaution, allies and enemies alike. Those who know him well will not consider this a totally ridiculous rumor—in fact it is true to some extent; Shiroki does indeed amuse himself finding ways to ‘counter’ his allies in a fight though for now much of these methods are still very theoretical as he does not possess the means/strength to actually carry them out, especially against high level combatants like Captains.

Something Special: Being a member of the wolf Clan has afforded Shiroki a keen sense of hearing and smell, both of which tied in well with his former role as a member of the Retrieval Unit. He has built on these strengths by developing his sense of reiatsu, and is able to identify one person from another from differences in spirit energy alone. His time with Retrieval has also taught him how to track others by following reishii trails to their source, and detect his quarry even if they conceal their spiritual pressure. Once he has obtained a sample of his target’s scent and reiatsu, there is nothing Shiroki cannot track.

Combat

General Fighting Style:

Shiroki lacks the size and build for most forms of traditional combat, causing him to place reliance on his agility to avoid and overwhelm opponents by landing shallow numerous cuts as opposed to one strong strike. His fighting style borrows heavily from Omnitsukido methods of deception and assassination, favoring planned strikes at vulnerable locations to weaken an opponent over the combat’s duration. Shiroki makes it a point to be familiar with anatomy, using that knowledge to hamstring and target vital areas. He saves his energy reserves, keeping his sword in sealed form and its release as his trump card.

His combat style is noticeably savage in action. Ruthless is perhaps the better term since he takes no chances—going so far as to incapacitate or slay an already defeated opponent. In his philosophy there is no winner or loser in combat, fighting is perpetual until somebody removes another’s ability to retaliate. Even a surrendering foe might strike if given a chance, and so he does not allow such a chance. Those who watch him in combat though might feel unsettled by the change in his usually blank expressions; he seems to come alive and almost enjoy the act of inflicting pain; if not the combat itself. Although he does not go ‘berserk’ as some of the 11th would, his offensive is at times more terrifying in its cold efficiency, leaving enemies to slowly bleed out from multiple wounds.  He has on occasion been reprimanded by superiors for taking it too far and ‘toying’ with his prey in Hollow encounters.

Shiroki is proficient with using the tonfa as he prefers not resorting to release where possible. In sealed state he adopts a one-handed martial form, blocking strikes with the baton in his dominant hand while pairing his defense with sneakily cast kido from his free hand. After the initial clash he falls into the comfortable pattern of assaulting opponents with kido, while using his weapon only to parry or feint. He is fond of forcing opponents into a sabre-lock, getting them in close before following up with hado cast at point-blank range when they are unable to respond. Against those who favor fighting from distance, Shiroki takes the offensive by trying to pin them down using bakudo before going in for the kill. Overall he is a conservative fighter who likes holding advantages in reserve and stays in close range to maximize the accuracy and power of his kido.

In practice spars or when facing opponents around his level tier or lower, Shiroki waits for them to strike first so he can gauge their styles and abilities. He resorts to shikai release to buy time if outmatched or outnumbered, attacking from a distance at range until reinforcements can arrive. Until then he employs flashy, attention-grabbing tactics; hoping to cause enough collateral damage to draw allies attention while keeping opponents off balance and distracted.

If facing a clearly superior foe Captain tier or greater without time to prepare, Shiroki wastes no time and activates his strongest release straight away, aiming to end the fight before it can begin. If escape is possible he stalls for time, relying on defensive techniques and distractions until there is an opportunity for retreat. Otherwise, he abandons defense and switches entirely to offense when retreat is no longer an option, adopting reckless kamikaze tactics to try and take his enemy down along with him. For him to resort to such lengths the situation must be dire—e.g the collapse of his Division; death of Squad Captain or being trapped in a battle to the death with no escape.

Nonetheless Shiroki prefers to enter combat on his own terms whenever possible so he can set up terrain and opponent to his advantage. In battle he systematically engages weaker combatants first and removes them as distractions before moving onto stronger enemies. In the fight itself, he draws on information obtained via earlier eavesdropping and the various ‘counters’ he has prepared in place against that particular opponent. Should no counter exist, he applies a similar template intended for another target and adjusts it accordingly. While he prefers this fact remain secret, Shiroki has worked out elaborate ways to neutralize most of his Division and even a few of the weaker Captains. Most; if not all, of these methods require considerable resources and a great amount of time to set up, so they aren’t options that he can use immediately without preparation.    

Strengths: Hohō, Sensing, Reiryoku/Reiatsu Control

Hohō Expert – While not officially a member of the punishment force, Shiroki is well versed at most forms of Hohō and Shunpo, having an appreciation for their use in avoiding harm. While he has yet to acquire Mastery and be known as a God of Flash, his application is at a higher level than his peers

Sensing Master (Reikaku) – Shiroki has a natural aptitude for perceiving and identifying others from trace amounts of reiatsu, sounds and scents surrounding him. He has been acknowledged for mastering this field and has never been known to go astray when locked onto his prey. His reputation is such that in some cases refugees have surrendered on learning that the Hellhound of Inuzuri is on their tail.

Reiryoku/Reiatsu Control – Somewhat related to his application of Sensing; although he does not possess high reserves of reiryoku Shiroki has demonstrated competence at controlling and using what he has to work with for maximum effect.

Weaknesses: Strength, Hakuda, Durability

Strength – Having little regard for displays of physical power, this has always been among Shiroki’s main weaknesses. In a pure contest of strength he is very much below average compared to many of his peers, and he is unable to execute Menos or Huge Hollows with a single blow. He makes up for this deficiency by being faster and landing many strikes before opponents can recover.

Hakuda – Simply put, Shiroki is terrible at weaponless hand to hand combat and his punches have about as much stopping power as a wet noodle. If unable to use a weapon for whatever reason, he focuses mainly on dodging opponent strikes while pursuing kido or other avenues of retreat.

Durability – Being limited in size and build; Shiroki is not well suited to taking most forms of damage. Unfortunately, he appears aware of this and expresses little interest in getting beat up to improve durability further. His penchant for retreat means he lacks experience in taking hits.


Zanpakutō Name: Inukaze (犬風)
Zanpakutō Name Translation: Roughly ‘Hound of Wind’

Sealed Zanpakutō: Inukaze appears as an unthreatening tonfa (wooden T baton designed to guard the lower arm) in its sealed state, about the size of a wakizashi in length. It comprises of two poles attached at a perpendicular angle and can be wielded in a regular or reverse-grip. It has a cylindrical sheath to accommodate it, but no guard. The baton is much worn and nicked along its blocking edge, showing signs of previous use.

Appearance:

Release Phrase: Fetch (phrase accompanied by clacking Inukaze’s baton against its sheath)

Shikai Appearance: Inukaze’s sheath merges with and becomes a matching tonfa baton to be wielded in Shiroki’s off-hand. Both batons gain a metallic bladed edge, their hilts linked by an extendable chain which allows either baton to be hurled at distant enemies before being reeled in as a ranged attack.

Appearance:

Shikai Ability: Inukaze is able to transport anything it marks to its owner's location. The targeted item is wrenched from its former location and yanked through the air following the shortest direct line between it and Inukaze. It continues on this path regardless of obstacles in its way until either reaching Inukaze's wielder or being obliterated entirely (e.g from collision with obstacles between item and target). Her range is limited to a hundred dagger lengths in shikai (30m or 32 yards).  

Bankai Name: Meinu no tate (Shield of the she-wolf/hound)

Bankai Appearance: Inukaze becomes a bone no thicker than a pencil and 13 inches long, wielded as a stick.

Appearance:

Bankai Ability: The true form of Inukaze manifests a spiritual air guardian (similar to Kokujo Tengen Myo) to protect and empower Shiroki’s own attacks in combat. This guardian takes the form of a giant wolf, and Shiroki may choose to hide or show its appearance to opponents as he wishes. While in Bankai, the guardian’s presence extends Inukaze’s previous range by 20 feet, allowing its wielder to make melee attacks at range. Standard attacks made appear in the form of claw scratches from a giant paw (one downward slash might result in 3 parallel scratches instead of one). Targeting the guardian spirit itself has no effect as it is only solid when striking, and attacks made against it do not damage Shiroki himself.  

Spirit Appearance: Inukaze manifests as a she-wolf in both shikai (werewolf child) and bankai (giant feral wolf) forms, with white fur and red eyes. Scuffed shackles with short lengths of shattered chains still attached encircle her wrists and ankles, with another chain functioning as collar around her neck. In both forms she is gaunt and scrawny, with a wild light in crazed eyes: the archetype of an abused prisoner. Arrows, swords and spears are buried in her body and she sports an impressive collection of scars, bleeding from many deep wounds. Shiroki and Inukaze are the same height and build in her Shikai manifestation, but he only reaches up to her ankles at full height when confronting her in Bankai form  

Spirit Personality: Like any mother wolf. Inukaze’s only desire is to see her cubs grow stronger. To this end, she pushes and tests their limits—sometimes in extreme ways. As part of Shiroki, she represents the passion, impulse and instinct he keeps barely restrained. Inukaze’s moods are erratic, swinging from overprotectiveness to hostility in an instant; lashing out at the chains of reason that hold her bound. Her fights with Shiroki in their inner world have contributed much to improving his defense and avoidance; which he developed to evade her reach. Ironically, Inukaze is unsatisfied as this was not her intent; her actions meant to push her wielder to fight offensively rather than defensively. Sword and wielder revisit this old argument on many occasions, with Inukaze trying to convince Shiroki that sometimes one must take the initiative instead of waiting for an opening. To drive him towards such a conclusion she is often openly hostile to him; seeking to overwhelm him in a flurry of frenzied attacks to force some manner of retaliation against her. She also guards her techniques fiercely and will only yield them if her wielder proves worthiness by matching her in battle.

Inner World: A bleak underground dungeon heavy with the scent of blood. Empty chains lie discarded on the floor and rattle from overhead. The air is stale and oppressive with no visible way out. Fires in coal pits and wall sconces cast an ominous light over instruments of suffering. These represent Shiroki’s inner state and depending on his mood may flare up to illuminate more of the dungeon or dim down to nothingness in the coals. Under normal circumstances the inner dungeon is in use to confine shady manifestations representing Shiroki’s psyche and broken commitments upon its machines. Each ‘prisoner’ is a fragment of doubt or emotion he keeps locked away in himself, or else the weight of his sworn loyalties given physical form. In times of despair or turmoil however, the dungeon structure is overturned with inmates running amok and stalking throughout its halls to prey on each other as well as Shiroki himself.


Subject was born Obata Umezawa during the tribal chaos characterizing the Yayoi era of Wa (the location that would later be known as Japan). The Umezawa clan were zealous vassals of Himiko and accompanied their sorceress-queen on many military expeditions against her rivals in Tokugawa. Although loyal to a fault, the Umezawa did not follow the code of the Samurai, usually functioning as diplomats and double-agents to achieve their ends. Obata was born into such a life; raised to profess fealty to Himiko regardless of the cost, and taught to hold a sword as soon as he could walk. His father was a scout for Himiko's army and his mother was a camp follower, so they were rarely around.

Childhood
Obata was raised together with the servant children by camp followers in Himiko's baggage train, meeting his father during the short durations of camp leave after scouting expeditions. His father’s military superior was a friend of the family, and arranged for Obata to have swordplay lessons from a young age in addition to his other schooling. Although not nobility, this arrangement allowed him to mingle with kids from the upper crust from time to time as classmates in fencing lessons. It was here that Obata learnt of the divide separating the lower from higher caste, as well as the experience of betrayal for the first time: when a shameful secret told in confidence to the Katsuyori (little Prince) became camp gossip much to his dismay. From then on he held little delusion about his status, keeping himself aloof from others and not revealing anything more than what was necessary.

Death
Reliance on no one but himself would later prove his undoing, when he gave the Master of Rice the slip and snuck in together with some noble children onto the baggage train just as it was about to leave for the Front. The stowaways were discovered soon enough, sending the witch-queen into a rage at how her heir had been placed in jeopardy. When interrogated by the lord’s retainers, none of the noble stowaways dared to speak and Obata was left to shoulder the blame for their ill-advised venture. Here the philosophies drummed into him proved his end, prompting him to lie and accept responsibility for the incident—the last loyal act a retainer would do for his 'prince'. He was executed by Himiko's order and buried in an unmarked grave along the wayside before the age of ten.

Hollowfication
It did not take the boy long to realize he was dead. The chain linking him to Himiko's tent for one; was an immediate giveaway. Unlike the normal Plus souls that lingered after death it was neither grudge nor unfinished business that stayed this spectre. As a child, Obata was too young to connect his death to Himiko or bear any kind of emotion other than fear at his slaying. Nor was his immature soul stained enough with the usual regrets that would prevent him from passing on. Therefore, it must be surmised that it was loyalty, and loyalty alone; to the Katsuyori that resulted in his current situation--unable to move on until he discovered what would befall his partner in crime.
Nor did he have long to wait. In the months that followed his death he would see Himiko's dominion crumble and civil war consume the remnants as Obata's angry parents incited a rebellion against their sorceress-queen following their offspring's death. The resulting conflict tore apart all that Himiko had built, leaving Obata's spirit to watch helplessly as rebels stormed the tents and overthrew their former leader...murdering her daughter--HIS Katsuyori--in the process.
That was the final straw. Desperate and furious at his own powerlessness to defend Himiko's daughter from harm, the spirit that was Obata tore recklessly at its soul chain and accelerated the onset of Encroachment--thus catalyzing his conversion into a Hollow. Instead of the human form he once possessed, the reborn Hollow was entirely animalistic in appearance and resembled a vulpine hound: hairless, but with chitinous plating that ripped its way from under the flesh where bone should be. Contrary to typical Hollow 'habits', for some reason the beast did not immediately run amock preying upon the camp survivors. It merely vanished, and little was heard of it for a time...

Rampage and First Contact
Peace was short lived. Rumors began to surface telling of 'monsters' in the abandoned clearing that once housed Himiko's camp. People venturing into that deserted area started to disappear, and superstitious parents began cautioning their children of Bogeymen who lurked within its confines. Strange noises that bore passing similarity to children at play--laughing, sing-song rhymes and running feet--would be heard between the hours of the Rat and Ox (12am to 1am) without fail. Witnesses abroad at that time swore blind that they saw haunting lights in the fields, and a few reported being chased by ghostly kids wearing animal masks. In time, the superstitious peasants cordoned off the location...and began sending regular sacrifices culled from their own number in the vain hope that the monsters would not emerge from their lair to wreck havoc elsewhere. Years passed in this fashion, until the increasing body count finally prompted the Gotei to take notice.
The threat assessment as judged by experts in 12th had been 'Mild', one that could easily be dealt with by a group of advanced Academy students. The Hollow(s)--if there were even more than one--was said to rarely venture from its territory, presenting only a threat to trespassers entering their area. Barring a few 'sacrifices' volunteered by the overly eager villagers, the beast(s) had killed few others...with many of its victims seeming to have died of fright rather than actual injuries to their person. Therefore, a group of 6th year students--with the promising heir to the Baozhai among them--had been dispatched to deal with these low ranking nuisances.
It became clear that the strike force was out of their depth upon arrival when they were confronted by an unnatural silence. The Hollow that emerged from it proved an easy target for the 6th years, but worse was to follow. Its appearance had only been a feint, allowing two much larger Hollows to flank and ambush the strike team while they focused upon the fodder. Reports from the skirmish suggested that the pair were curiously matched: one Hollow had a distinctly cat-like appearance, while its partner resembled a dog or fox. Nor were they strangers to group combat; from the way these mindless beasts fought as a single unit and supported each other it was clear that they worked in a team. Their combined assault eventually forced the young Baozhai to sound a retreat, allowing the injured members of their number to retreat.
Observer reports suggest that the battle lasted for hours before the promising Baozhai heir finally obtained the upper hand, with victory coming at considerable cost. Whilst focusing on the feline Hollow, Baozhai had left her flank open to an attack from its partner--earning a vicious scar from canine claws. With additional support from other rallying students they were able to dispatch both Hollows after a difficult battle...the canine creature dissipating while a Hell Gate emerged to claim its feline counterpart.

Rukongai
Subject awoke to find himself in the Rukongai, with few memories about his past life and no idea where he was. Furthermore, his time as a Hollow had imposed a Change—resulting in a form that represented his bestiality in its former incarnation. Lacking memory of his past self or name, villagers took to calling him ‘little Shiro’ (白)or ‘Ki’ (黄)after the colours of white and yellow in his fur; both of which he decided to combine into his new name. Shunned by the human inhabitants due to his appearance, he joined others of his kind in the Rukon district of Inuzuri consisting of a few street urchins under the protection of an elder Wolf they called Oji-san. As the smallest of the pack, Shiroki was the runt of the litter, a tagalong trying to catch up to his older and larger ‘siblings’. Together they made a living of sorts as beggars and pickpockets, preying on unlucky villagers.

Sereitei
Such a lifestyle was not without risks. Shiroki’s pack was arrested by the local magistrates after a pickpocketing spree went awry, a development he blamed himself for since he was the weakest and slowest. His pack had to slow down to accommodate him; and might have evaded capture otherwise. Gaining awareness of his role as the weakest link in the chain; Shiroki vowed to himself he would become stronger so as not to burden his new family. This resolution would have to wait however, with their being put in the stocks and mistreated as an example to other troublemakers. As reparation, Shiroki was sent into indentured servitude to repay his victim and taken on as an unpaid servant. Like many Inuzuri residents, his new owner was a hard taskmaster; using him as a beast of burden and occasional participant in illegal cockfights between strays. From such encounters Shiroki learnt his limits and how to outlast a much stronger foe.
His rescue came at the hand of a Shinigami who broke up the illegal arena and sent Shiroki’s owner running. His chains were struck off as an afterthought and Shiroki swore a life debt to his rescuer despite not knowing her name. From then on he made it a point to learn everything about the Shinigami, wishing to become one so as to grow stronger and be less of a burden to those around him. Following his salvation, he took to wearing a knotted string around one wrist as a reminder of the shackle he escaped and the debt owed to his rescuer. What he had learnt so far already suggested that he could be a potential candidate for the Academy, since unlike other Rukon residents he needed to sustain himself with food. As a show of support, a couple of his pack siblings made the trip with him to apply but it was evident that the officials did not take a bunch of little kids seriously. Even so, Shiroki was determined not to take ‘no’ for an answer, planting himself before the Seretei gate long after his friends got bored and wandered off. Impressed by the cub’s stubbornness if nothing else, the official eventually let him apply.


Zanpakuto
The truth behind Shiroki's 'unique' Asauchi is no rags-to-riches fantasy. Some shinigami are drawn to a particular asauchi that will later become the vessel of their sealed zanpakuto. At times, a person may think to judge another's character or personality from the sealed weapons they carry. This is not always the case. Sometimes a decision is made because there is no alternative at all.
This was certainly the case when Shiroki first entered the Academy. Being the only werewolf student at the time of the Choosing, he was naturally scorned and dismissed by the other enlistees who were all from respectable families. One of the ringleader students concocted what would at the time be a cruel joke, convincing the others to snatch and choose the 'best' Asauchi from those made available--leaving Shiroki with only a wooden tonfa baton by the time it was his turn. "A stick's the only weapon for a dog," went the claim...although at that time nobody had any idea how true that would be...

Academy
Shiroki’s appearance made him an unusual sight in the Academy’s halls. He had to put up with his share of racial slurs about slipping standards and how ‘just anybody’ could become a student these days. He soon found it wiser to ignore the hecklers and let people assume what they wanted, rather than pick a fight. It was during his tenure that fellow students began calling him the Getaway Kid, derived from his near-uncanny tendency to flee at the first sign of trouble. Due to his size limitations, he gravitated more towards Kido rather than Zanjutsu as most would. Although he showed talent in those areas, he was never known to participate in any sparring matches friendly or otherwise with fellow students

Graduation
Prodigies are less common in real life than they are in stories. It would take Shiroki several attempts before he finally graduated from the Academy, especially since he was content to bide his time and did not seem to be in any hurry to move along. Due to this less-than-stellar report, he did not have many opportunities open to him in the squads and instead accepted an interim low posting to Squad 5 while moonlighting as a Teacher's Assistant in the Academy. While he did not show any outstanding talent at zanjutsu in school, his kido work was passable enough to qualify for one of the openings. In this capacity Shiroki found himself acquainted with 5th Division officer Ma'kine and would sometimes tag along after the latter to assist with her occasional Academy lectures.

Squad 5; Unseated
Exposure to Ma'kine and her trademark dagger style reawakened a young cadet to the idea that one need not be limited by the unimpressiveness or size of their zanpakuto. Shiroki took to watching how Ma'kine applied herself and her dagger, in time applying these observations to the creation of his own 'spell-sword' combat style. Being in the Kido Corps opened his perspectives to the applicaations of Kido and he found that not only was it possible to simultaneously wield kido in one paw and sword in the other--this setup was also extremely intuitive. The Academy instructors who had advocated separation between kido and zanjutsu had been wrong all this time! From that discovery onward Shiroki would dedicate himself to the mastery of this new combat form, gaining yet another alias from his peers: Sakanade--as he came to be called in testament to his vicious counterattacks.

Shikai
Shiroki uncovered his Shikai and learnt his blade’s name on a konso expedition as chaperone much later after events returned to their status quo. His own konso field trip as a student had gone smoothly, and there was nothing to indicate that this latest one would be any different now that he was an actual shinigami. The instructions had been simple: make sure the class stays together, let everyone have a go at purifying the souls, and then see them back safely. What they had not counted on was the appearance of a random Hollow pack in the middle of the excursion. Following protocol, Shiroki erected a bakudo barrier around his students as an interim measure while requesting backup assistance. The desperation of combat eventually awakened awareness of his zanpakuto's name and he was able to turn the tables on the Hollow...but not before it seized an Academy student as hostage before making its escape. Backup squads would later find his class short of one member and their chaperone strangely quiet; only giving details of the attack in brief terms. Shiroki declined following them back through the Senkaimon, declaring only that he would 'catch up later' without giving any indication of what he planned to do.

Otokoyo
Failure in his duty to keep the class safe hit Shiroki hard. Although not strictly his fault, he felt that by doing so he had let Ma'kine down. And so he resolved to track the errant Hollow back to its lair to extract bloody vengeance at the very least, if nothing else could be done. This he did so through the use of Tenteikuura and his own species tracking abilities. Accounts are hazy regarding what later ensued, but Shiroki showed up later at the Academy stained in blood and the missing student in tow. Neither of them spoke much about that encounter, but it marked the turning point for what would later be Shiroki's true calling: membership in 2nd Squad's Retrieval Unit.  

Transfer (2nd Division; 10th seat)
Word of this feat spread throughout the Academy and even to the Gotei itself. At Ma'kine's suggestion, Shiroki sat for his qualifying exams in Zanjutsu as part of his application to join the 2nd Squad's Stealth Corps. The years of practical experience in this area allowed him to develop control over his own spiritual signature; so as to hide his reiatsu and avoid being detected. He was not particulary ambitious, showing no interest in advancement or the extra responsibility it would entail. For the most part he was content contributing to his legend as 2nd Division's Hellhound, an operative who never lost track of the trail and almost always succeeded in retrieving suspects alive.  In time the mention of his name could convince a few to surrender without need for a chase.

Hunt for the Hybrid
Shiroki played a minor role as one of the detachment assigned to Baozhai in the year 1250. Although beginning with a promising start, the trail went cold towards the end and the team were obliged to return empty handed. It was one of the few occasions where the Hellhound lost his quarry.

Lieutenant
Following a fairly successful career, Shiroki rose quickly in the ranks and became one of the possible candidates for Squad Lieutenant. The nomination from their Detention Unit's head made obtaining that role a cinch, placing him in charge over the Retrieval unit as a whole. While able to delegate, he still found time to go on hunts himself; especially those needing a personal touch.

Quincy War and Aftermath
Skirmish with the Quincy faction did not leave the Academy entirely untouched, and Shiroki got his first impression of the enemy from posters and war materials disseminated by the Seretei public relations sector. Till then, he had never fully grasped that the faction was real; much less an actual threat. Listening to fellow colleagues gossip about them also tinted his bias and made him join the general consensus that they had a snowball's chance in Hell in pulling off any kind of invasion. And so, like most of the community, he was caught by surprise when it actually happened. Who would've thought guys in white capes could be so persistent?
Things came to a boil when Academy instructors were conscripted to stand against the new threat, leaving several teaching posts unoccupied. As one of Ma'kine's Corps during this time, Shiroki stepped in as an interim Kido tutor to fill the role for those dispatched to the Front. All field expeditions were suspended for the duration of the conflict, and a curfew imposed upon students for their safety. No attacks had directly targeted the Seretei as of yet, but they were taking no chances. It was a tense period, but one in which Shiroki found that he could teach or lead if he put his mind to it.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief along with his upper classmates when the war showed signs of dying down in 1705. It was during this time that the Academy received a surprise visit from the Captain-Commander of that period; the first time Shiro had ever seen that imposing presence in person. The encounter was a relatively short one, involving a speech which started as a general welcome address by the Commander to all Academy students wishing them luck in future careers; before taking a sinister turn. While refraining from 'hate-speech', the Commander then broached the subject of their losses against the Quincy, emphasizing that such an affront could not be tolerated until the Enemy was completely eradicated and no longer a threat. Such views had been aired before by Shiro's classmates and a few of his own instructors, so the message of it was one that stayed with him long after their special guest speaker departed.

Bankai and Civil War
For some, the best kind of weapon is one you need never use. This is certainly the case for Shiroki and Bankai.  Records suggest that Shiroki's first acquisition of Bankai to be somewhere towards the end of the Gotei Civil War. While answering directly to 2nd's Captain and not to either side, Shiroki's sympathies lay with the former administration and he played a significant role in the resurgents' siege upon the Spirit Arts Academy. Previous experience as a Teaching Assistant had left him emotional attachment to the school, so it was not so much a surprise when he chose to defend it against 'Lanying's' forces. Whether Shiroki was aware of the attack being a ruse or not is never explicitly stated, but he was able to organize an exodus of students and hold his own against the invaders. Only an urgent direct summons from 2nd Squad itself could recall the Lieutenant from his post.  Much later, he would discover that his decision to pursue duty came at a costly price: some of the refugees had been wounded in the Academy's mass exodus and a number were dead.
Eyewitness accounts from the scene liken the Lieutenant's defense of his barracks to a force of destruction that indiscriminately lay waste to anything in his path, allies and enemies alike. Inukaze drank its fill of souls, and in her satisfaction of the wanton carnage is said to have bestowed upon her wielder its true name--a secret she had witheld through the century past. Suffice to say that none of Lanying's diversionary forces succeeded in claiming the 2nd Division barracks from the Hellhound that day.
In one fel swoop, Lanying Baozhai's coalition had managed to deny the former Commander one of his few remaining assets. It is unknown if history would be rewritten if Baozhai had not launched an attack on 2nd Squad as a distraction, removing its Lieutenant from the equation. But most agree that if Shiroki had been among the defenders of 1st Division at the time of attack, the casualty count could have been much greater. With the Commander overthrown, the surviving loyalists were obliged to stand down and surrender.

Reparation
When fighting subsided Shiroki willingly gave himself up to the new administration, admitting his role in the Academy defense and the 2nd Squad standoff. His willingness to cooperate earned him a reduced penalty. He was assigned to join the Sereitei cleanup crews and Squad 4 relief teams to assist in picking up the pieces now that things were returning to normal. During this time Shiroki stepped down as Lieutenant of Second Squad but retained his position as head of the Retrieval Unit.  

Extermination of Quincy Leadership
Perhaps the Hellhound of Inuzuri's finest, understated achievement is his contribution as a member of the Onmitsukido strike team dispatched by the new Captain Commander to nullify existing remnants of Quincy leadership in 1824AD. As one of the newly minted Minazukin, Shiroki and Inukaze systematically cut a bloody swath through the Reich's hierarchy and returned with a tribute of trophy crosses to lay at Lany's feet. None of his original team had survived the infiltration and he had more than a likely chance of joining them, seeing as how the assassination was top secret and could afford no witnesses...not even the assassins themselves. By right Commander Baozhai ought to have cut this one remaining thread now that his purpose was fulfilled. But instead in recognition for his contributions and efforts Shiroki was formally offered the position of Captain, neatly resolving the issue entirely as only Captains were to have knowledge of the Quincy assassination.

Captaincy
Shiroki has been lying low since being assigned to 3rd Squad as its Captain ever since. Few know of his history or where he hails from since he was away from the Gotei on Quincy 'business' prior to receiving his new posting. All that they know is that he was previously of 2nd Division and a member of the Onmitsukido. His former squad members in 2nd would know more, of course. But they aren't telling.

Major Events Timeline:
July 21st 200AD – Birth as a human in the Yayoi period of Wa (which later will become ancient Japan)
May 12th 209AD—Death
Unknown Date; 210AD--Rebirth as a Hollow
August 9th 212AD--Reunited with Cat; reign of terror on an unnamed forested clearing in Ancient Japan commences
March  220AD--Purified by Lanying Baozhai; but managed to get a lucky scratch beforehand
March 220AD--Awakens as a soul in the Inuzari District of Western Rukongai as a werewolf
Unknown 500AD--Enslaved to participate in cockfights
Unknown 700AD--Freed by unknown Shinigami. Inspired to join the Spirit Arts Academy
July 21st 702AD--First enrollment as Academy Student
July 21st 708AD--Re enlistment as Academy Student
July 21st 714AD--3rd Re-enlistment into Academy
June 20th 720AD--Accepted into 5th Division as an unseated officer; becomes a Teaching Assistant at the Academy
Unknown 770AD--After years of observing Ma'kine, creates a new combat style that pairs weapon with kido
January 16th 820AD--When chaperoning a random Academy field trip, acquires Shikai during a Hollow attack on his students
January 30th 820AD--Returns to Seiretei with missing student hostage after tracking down and dispatching the Hollow
November 23rd 1025AD--Transferred to 2nd Division; 10th Seat, Retrieval Unit
December  3rd 1250AD--Hunt for the Hybrid
March 15 1251--Hunting party returns empty handed
21/7/1572 – Lieutenant of 2nd Squad
July 8 1687 - Quincy War
12/3/1705 - Captain Commander's speech; rallies
5/6/1709 - Mini revolt on Academy grounds
August 1712 -- Siege on Squad 2 Barracks. Many AWC members die. Bankai obtained
30/10/1712 - Loss; relegated to cleanup crew. Resigns as Lieutenant of 2nd, but remains in Retrieval
November 1829AD -- Participates in the Quincy Assassination following 5 years of war
December 25, 1900 -- Returns from the Assassination as one of the survivors
16/1/1901 - Captain of Squad 3
1945AD -- World War 2 (Limited involvement)
2019-- **
**
Checksum Error
Unauthorized User
[This Archive has performed an Illegal Operation and will be shut down]

Roleplaying Sample:

"Again,” the old man folded his arms in a posture of supreme indifference, plain asauchi hanging at rest from his obi to the side. His every attitude spoke of calm; of boundless serenity, the living embodiment of a placid lake lapping idly on the shore.

That was; of course, if one was willing to overlook the wide swath of devastation that characterized his surroundings: tatami mats scattered this way and that over charred and splintered floorboards; paper screens ripped from their door moorings and calligraphy scrolls that once bore maxims from Sun-Tzi’s Art of War little more than tattered banners flapping in the breeze. Valuable scrolls expounding the styles and forms of combat lay piled in a sorry heap near the shattered remains of the shelf they once lay, half hiding the battered figure underneath. It was small, not very much larger than the scroll pile; but otherwise looked none worse for the wear in spite of its unceremonious passage. A furry yellow arm impatiently shoved tattered papers to one side as its owner gained his feet, awkwardly stepping out from the wreckage to regard the other with tired incredulity on his vulpine features. “You destroyed the whole dojo,”

“I believe that was you,” replied the elder, not missing a beat. “Launching Sōkatsui was your idea, was it not? An impressive display; if rather limited. You demonstrate a grasp of the fundamentals but not the limitations of the form, Shiro-kun,”

“And I assume you will enlighten me, Katsuma-sensei?” Even standing at his full height, the student Shiroki came no higher than his teacher’s waist. He was dressed in what amounted to half an Academy uniform, retaining only the red hakama that marked him as a member of the advanced class.

“The backlash impact of your kido would have been lessened had you worn the upper kosobe,” Katsuma observed wryly, casting an eye over dark patches of scorch marks marring the yellow and white fur on Shiro’s chest. “Our uniforms are there for a reason, you know,”

“Fur doesn’t mix with flame. Had I done so, the hado would have set my sleeves on fire, followed by the rest of me. As sensei is surely aware,” The pup swept back his fringe as he huffed out a sigh. “Alright, out with it. Where did I go wrong? I know you’re dying to tell me,”

“If you haven’t figured it out already, telling you would be pointless Shiro-kun,” Katsuma subtly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had not gone so far as to draw his asauchi, but even that small movement spoke volumes; prompting Shiroki to anxiously adopt a generic defensive stance—one hand tightening in a reverse grip on his reliable tonfa baton; its blocking edge facing Katsuma to deflect any potential strike. “A little jumpy, are we? Again,”

“To Mugen with that, Sensei,” Shiroki replied, trying hard to regulate his breathing to its normal level; one that wouldn’t cause his heart to burst in his skinny chest. “I am NOT attacking you again. Not after last time, and the time before that,”

Katsuma spread both arms wide, adopting a manner of sincere surprise. “Then how do you expect to learn, Shiro-kun?”

“Learning is one thing. Getting myself killed because I don’t know my limits is another. It is one of the first lessons the Academy teaches: to know oneself. And I know I cannot hope to lay a claw on you at my current level, sensei,” he kept a wary eye on his teacher, ready to move as soon as that deceptively harmless asauchi twitched in its sheath.

“You parrot the teachings, but you do not understand,” Katsuma shook his head with the weary air of one revisiting a frequent argument. “In other context you would be correct, Shiro-kun. But this is a school. It is a place to learn. If you cannot be safe here, where else will you be?” The elderly instructor sighed. “I assure you, killing one’s students is neither part of class curriculum nor encouraged by the Academy directors,”

“I have not seen enough of people to be entirely certain of that,” something flickered in the cub’s eyes before they returned to their normal impassive blue. “Sensei,”

“Such wariness in one so young… What then? Are you going to spend this session waiting until I attack you? How will that benefit you?”

“It will allow me to counter your strike if I can, to dodge if I cannot. It will place my sensei at a temporary disadvantage, as you cannot easily change the direction of your charge and attack once you gain momentum. And—“

“…and it will make it appear to any watching observer that I am the aggressor, yourself the victim; and therefore in need of aid while I am to be the target of censure,” Katsuma observed idly.

“That…that was never my intent,”

“You may lie to me, boy; but never to yourself. Your arguments make sense to you, which is why you find refuge in them. But what will you do when you find a situation beyond control. What if you can’t afford to let an enemy make the first move? What then?” The growing spiritual pressure was sufficient indication that his instructor was losing patience. “We are not here to train your defense, Shiro-kun. There would be little point in it, as we already know its worth. We are here,” in a motion almost too fast to see, Katsuma drew his blade—not the training asauchi; but his actual zanpakuto from its cane sheath. “…to develop your attack. Banka—“

“Fetch, Inukaze!”

Spiritual pressure levels skyrocketed as debris exploded around the pair, enveloping both in a temporary fog. When it lifted, Shiroki held the off-hand tonfa of his shikai release in his left hand and its linking chain in his right. Both batons had developed nasty bladed edges; one of which hooked around Katsuma’s own zanpakuto, interrupting its release.

“Better,” acknowledged his teacher, a shadow of a smile settling on his features. “The puppy has claws. I wondered what I had to do to drag that out of you,”

Shiroki made no reply, concentrating only on the instructor’s hands and their relation to either of his swords. They stood frozen in that manner for several moments, neither side making any movement to engage.

“This is not our first encounter, Shiro-kun. We clashed just now, and also before that. What have you learned?”
“The first time? Not to let you get a word in, sensei. You used a Bakudo #61 and then hit me in the head,” Shiroki avoided the urge to rub that spot in particular. He had been struck with the hilt, not the blade—but it still made his ears ring.

“And what if I had skipped the incantation? What then?”

“I thought of that. So the second time I fired first, before you could,”

“Sōkatsui, yes. And what did you learn?”

The cub hung his head, both ears drooping. “It never reached you. I couldn’t get through,”

“It is not your technique,” Katsuma admitted at last. “That was adequate. What you forgot was simple physics. For a force to act in one direction, there must be a power behind to lend it momentum and focus. Your hado was complete; but you did not have the strength to thrust it outward, so its recoil sent you flying instead of your opponent.”

“Like a…firework cannon,” understanding dawned on fox features

“Exactly so,” Katsuma accepted the analogy, declining to ask where his student had been acquainted with a rocket launcher in the first place. Years of teaching had taught him that much tact, at least. “There are few of your classmates who have your…stature; so this is a difficulty that will trouble them little, if at all. But where they can fire off hado incantations with little regard for their own location and stance, you cannot. You must be aware of your surroundings before you cast, and only do so if you are certain of having firm footing to avoid being thrown back. That is one lesson. But what is the other?”

“Sensei?”

“In the first match, you waited for my attack and gave me the opportunity. In the second, you attempted hado but were unsuccessful. Did you expect to succeed?”

“…no. I knew you would use a barrier. Maybe even Dankū. But the explosion and smoke produced would hide me, give me an opening to—“

“By which time you might be dead, were this a real battle,” Katsuma pointed out. “You speak of the smoke lending you an opening. But not only does it hide you from me, it also hides me from you. I could have been doing anything during those seconds of cover; none of which helping your advantage,” the aura of his teacher’s spiritual pressure shifted into a flavor Shiroki recognized as exasperation. “In the first bout, you waited while I struck. In the second, you struck first, a little harder but still not hard enough. Not because you were unable to, but because you chose not to. And in the third, the only way I could force a shikai from you is by threatening to blow up this Academy itself. Do you not notice the pattern here? In every encounter it is clear that you hold something back, allowing yourself to escalate from defense to first strike to shikai. You keep something in reserve for ‘next time’. Even now I don’t think what you showed me in shikai was your true potential. You still have techniques you’re keeping to yourself. Am I wrong?”

Shiroki weighed his options, deciding it would be wiser to keep his mouth shut.

“This is not a game, nor one of those world-of-the-living Anime things that you youngsters like so much. If you lose, you will not always find a wise old teacher or enter some secret-training-phase that will prepare you for Round Two. Sometimes there is no Round Two. Sometimes the hero dies in the end. It is useless to save some ‘ultimate attack’ for next time, and get killed in the process,”

Even if Shiroki wanted to say something in his defense, he could not. It would be impossible to stop Katsuma-sensei once he had built up this much steam. He settled for looking appropriately contrite, head downcast at his paws.

“Your problem,” noted Katsuma. “Is that you assume there WILL be a next time, and that you will need to save power for then. What if you are wrong? What if there is no ‘next time’? However good you are at Shunpo, there are some battles that won’t allow you to run away. No. When facing an opponent who is beyond you, nothing short of full force will suffice. Do not aim to distract them, or run away from them. Aim to obliterate them, and that might catch them off guard, if you’re lucky. Then you can run away,” The old teacher tilted his head to appraise his student quizzically. “I admit that in all my years I have rarely encountered a student like you. Most of your classmates are hotheads who will happily run headlong at a Menos and proudly use their shikai release at every small opportunity. It is; regrettably, a habit few people grow out of. I know Captains who go into Bankai to move furniture or settle petty disputes, for example. This might actually be the first time I have had to counsel someone to be less cautious; that it is not defense that is lacking,”

“Well, some defense is lacking—or my own hado wouldn’t have sent me flying to the other end of the room,”

Katsuma raised an eyebrow in amusement but declined to comment. “Hopefully you managed to learn something today,”

“Would you like to see for yourself?” one casual tug had the bladed baton unhook its target and return to an awaiting hand. He could see the expressions changing on his tutor’s face: surprise, approval, honest curiosity and then sudden savage glee. If he had ever doubted it, he did so no longer—there was indeed a reason why Katsuma was dreaded amongst his classes as the Demon Lecturer.

“Thought you’d never ask, Shiro-kun,” this time he did not need supernatural reflexes to see his instructor’s hand move lazily for his sword hilt. Not the hilt of his training asauchi of course; because that would be too easy—but the bloodthirsty hilt of his actual zanpakuto itself.

What had he got himself into?

Approved for Advanced Captain tier.

Just need one more approval.

Seconded.

7 skills. Base rank at Expert and 1 point from Species Bonus to Reiatsu Perception

Spirit Combat: Grandmaster (Species Bonus)
Armed Combat: Advanced
Hado: Expert
Bakudo: Master
Reiatsu Perception: Grandmaster
Hoho: Master

Racial Techniques

Empty Cicaeda: creation of after image that appears to take damage (Unlocked at Officer tier)

Kendo: Allows +1 to Armed Combat at the cost of being unable to use Kido or Shunpo (unlocked at adv Lt tier)

Otokoyo (オトコヨ) ("Man Hunt"): Shiroki is able to distinguish and identify individuals by their reiatsu as well as by scent and voice. Most creatures leave reiatsu traces behind them as they move from place to place; using the Otokoyo technique a practitioner may follow these trails to their source. It is considered superior to scent tracking since reiatsu traces do not diffuse in the wind, nor can they be lost when the trail crosses a body of water. However, Otokoyo is less useful against creatures with the ability to alter/modify their own reiatsu signanture--such as other masters of reiatsu perception.

Kakurenbo (カクレンボ ) ("Hide and Seek"): The inverse of Otokoyo; this technique allows the user to consciously hide or conceal their spiritual pressure should they choose to. It is taught as part of the curriculum in the Spirit Arts Academy, and nearly every seated Shinigami has some rudimentary knowledge of this technique. Captains of the Gotei normally make it a habit to maintain Kakurenbo perpetually out of common courtesy, so as not to cause lesser Shinigami discomfort. Few however bother enough to develop this ability further, most settling for merely 'muffling' their reiatsu to a convenient level. As a grandmaster of Reiatsu Perception, Shiroki is able to adjust the output of his spiritual pressure to any level he desires from nonexistent to full exposure--in so doing exert some control over the effect he has on others and his surroundings as a result.

Hōka (烽火) (Signal Flare): Another standard Spirit Arts Academy technique, Hōka employs the principles of Kakurenbo to allow a user to discharge their spiritual pressure in a sudden torrent to affect those in the vicinity be they enemies or allies alike. Every Shinigami from Recruit to Captain Commander is capable of doing Hōka, though results of course differ depending on the power of the user. Lower-ranked Shinigami often use Hōka to signal colleagues, draw attention to a specific area or request reinforcements. Users possessing stronger reiatsu are able to use Hōka as an offensive technique to stun, disorient, paralyze or intimidate an opponent. The reiatsu is often discharged in a manner befitting its user's personality and in Shiroki's case Hōka takes the form of an four-legged beast with both canine and feline features. Just as with the Kakurenbo technique above, Shiroki has greater control over his Hōka output compared to most Shinigami and can regulate its intensity as he chooses.

Ejiki (餌食; Prey): This is simply a variant of Hōka, concentrated to affect only a single target. It is functionally identical in execution and effect as the original above, with the only difference being that Hōka is a wide-area burst of spirit pressure that does not discriminate; whereas Ejiki is a guided release of reiatsu aimed to affect only specific individuals. Using Ejiki, Shiroki is able to concentrate killing intent on lone opponents he has singled out to be prey and focus the weight of his reiatsu upon them to sap conviction and resolve. Victims of this assault must resist similar effects as the parent-technique Hōka (paralysis, fear, disorientation) together with phantom pain--which some describe as a 'feeling of being stabbed' even though no actual physical harm is inflicted.

Kageokuri (影送り, Shadow Sending): High level exponents of Reiatsu Perception are able to divide and disperse their reiatsu signature to temporarily create one or more Reiatsu Clones in combat to confuse or harry an opponent. This technique is a more specialized variant of the Empty Cicaeda used by Seated Officers(see previous post). It shares the functional purpose of creating an after-image which appears to take damage, except for the image being composed of directed reiatsu rather than being from an after-effect of the user's speed. Kageokuri can therefore be maintained for longer than Empty Cicaeda, since the user does not need to be constantly moving at Shunpo speeds to create the after-image effect. The 'clones' appear real to another's reishii senses but are not able to actually inflict damage. They can be positioned (teleported etc) and dismissed as the user desires, without the need for hand gestures. Grandmasters of Reiatsu Perception typically can concentrate enough to maintain/maneuvre up to 10 independent clones at once, with the strain increasing with each existing clone. Casting Kageokuri is a standard action that requires one round and can provoke attacks of opportunity; with the user being unable to use Kido or other Techniques at the same time. Attempting to do so (e.g using protective Kido to defend from enemy attack while casting Kageokuri) cancels the cast and forces the practitioner to start again from scratch. The Kageokuri effect persists for (11-X) rounds, where X is the number of clones greater than 1. E.g Shiroki can maintain one clone for 11 rounds, 2 clones for 10 rounds...and the maximum limit of 10 clones for 1 round. The user is able to summon more clones in between rounds, so long as the total does not exceed the maximum limit and they are willing to spend 1 round summoning them.

Limitations and Restrictions:

Tagu (タグ; Tag): A secondary variant of Kageokuri (see above post); Tagu is a technique that allows the user to purposely imbue a specific area with their reiatsu trace temporarily. Normally, this is an unconscious act that happens without a person's notice. Spiritually Aware individuals like Shinigami, Hollows, Quincies etc all leave traces of their reiatsu in locations they have been, with the trace being stronger in recently/commonly frequented areas. With Tagu, however, a person deliberately creates a 'Trace' (by standing about, discharging energy into the area etc) that is later employed to suit their purpose. Shiroki is able to directly mark objects and people with his reiatsu trace, making them targets of his Shikai's Fetch ability--which normally draws targets to his reiatsu signature. In this way, he can 'Throw' fetch-projectiles such as boulders/buildings etc that would normally be drawn to him at a designated marked 'target' instead. Using Tagu in this fashion is a standard action requiring concentration that leaves Shiroki open to attacks of opportunity and requires he be in touch-range of the target. He has to spend a round to 'mark' the target and any interruptions will require him to start over. Once the target has been marked, it will stay marked for 2 rounds before the effect fades. Shiroki can only mark one such target to be the Receiver of Fetch at a time.

Fetch (取): This is Shiroki's base Shikai ability which allows him to retrieve any object his shikai touches. Physical weight or mass does not determine what can be Fetched and what cannot; the ability applies just as readily to objects such as buildings many times Shiroki's size. All objects Fetched are phased from their former origin and drawn through the air in a straight line to Shiroki's location via homing in on his reiatsu signature. Objects are Fetched as 'wholes' and not as parts--if the Shikai touches the wall of a building the entire building will be Fetched, not just its wall. There is a systematic 'logic' which determines how Inukaze decides what is 'whole' and what is just a 'part'. Touching the wall of a building fetches the whole building, whereas touching a section of Broken Wall (assuming the 'break' is clean), fetches only the broken 'chunk' since it is considered a separate entity from the original wall. If the item to be Fetched is rooted/melded with another separate item in some way (e.g a stone half buried in the earth), the object is phased briefly to part it from its moorings before it is Fetched. In this manner he can pull even objects with sturdy foundations such as buildings. In Shikai form, Inukaze can mark up to five targets for Fetch later, but they have to be retrieved in sequence.

Kossetsu (骨折; Fracture): Shiroki launches Inukaze at his opponent from a distance with enough force to pierce them through, marking both the enemy as a 'whole' as well as any organs/bone/etc his shikai touches on its way through. He compounds the damage of that first strike by yanking his blade back the way it came (sending opponent stumbling), then following up with Fetch, Flash-Step and Fetch again to both drag the opponent violently to him (1st Fetch) before ripping out their bone/innard (2nd Fetch to his new location). It was the brutality of this particular maneuvre that cemented his name as Hellhound of Inuzuri.

Yūrei (幽霊; Wraith): Shiroki can make use of Fetch's brief phasing effect by marking himself as a Fetch target. This creates a paradox when the shikai attempts to Fetch him to/from his own location, causing him to become intangible for a split second. Though it has to be exactly timed for damaging encounters, it serves as a handy 'get-out-of-jail' card to help him avoid traps or attacks. The phasing causes lingering disorientation however, and so cannot be used too freely. It has a cooldown of 3 posts before he can attempt using it again, regardless of whether he actually avoids an attack with it or not.

Hakushu (拍手; Clap): Shiroki Fetches the very air from a location by lashing out with Inukaze, causing a brief vacuum pocket that violently draws in the surrounding air to occupy the empty space. Objects and opponents in the vicinity of the vacuum pocket are subjected to pressure from the surroundings weighing down on them, resulting in a temporary Stun effect as they try to recover.


Sakanade (逆撫; Counter-attack): His namesake Technique; Shiroki blocks an opponent attack with his weapon, trapping them in sabre lock and luring the target close enough to fire off kido at point blank range with his free hand.

This space reserved

Pending