Post by Kuwabara Kiyoshi on Jul 4, 2011 20:25:15 GMT -5
Name: Kuwabara Kiyoshi
Alias: Raitei (Lightning Emperor or Lightning Lord)
Age: 227 – Early to Mid Thirties
Gender: Male
Birthday: 15th June
Height: 6'2”
Weight: 175Ibs
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde
Division: Juubantai (Tenth Division)
Rank: Taichou (Captain)
Constitution
-Strength: 15
-Endurance: 15
Dexterity
-Agility: 20
-Accuracy: 15
Zanjustu
-Attack: 25
-Defense: 10
Kidou
-Hadou: 10
-Bakudou: 25
Perception
-Intelligence: 15
-Willpower: 15
Presence
-Charisma: 15
-Leadership: 20
Appearance:
Kiyoshi is fairly tall man, standing 6'2” though not of a particularly broad build his highly defined musculature and loose fitting Shiakusho tend to make him look bigger than he actually is. His face has a sleek but stocky quality to it, with most of his features tapering almost to a point before rounding out. His jaw is lined by a short layer of 'perma-stubble' which he keeps at a consistent length. He grew this only after becoming a Captain to (as he put it) 'look more leader-like.' His blonde hair too is kept short and spiked save for the few strands he leaves to fall loose over and around his forehead.
He wears a Shihakusho and haori both of the long sleeved variety, though he has taken to wearing both in a 'ronin' style, with his left arm withdrawn from the sleeve and resting in the left half of his uniform as if cradled in a sling. (He only took to wearing it in this style after his Captain's death.) He wears an additional blue obi sash over his haori to stop it falling loose whenever he casts off the left side of his uniform to fight and it is on this sash rather than the standard which he wears his Zanpakutou. (The only instance in which he is usually seen wearing his left sleeve is at Captain's meeting and even then only at the insistence of his Fukutaichou who had much more tolerance for the pomp and manners of the officer class.) For the sake of manoeuvrability he opts always for the split or 'horse riding' hakama and wears standard white tabi and straw sandals.
The haori he wears is the same one which was worn by his predecessor Captain Tachibana and so it had sustained battle damage even before he took it on. With the hem and cuffs both being torn and frayed, it might look old and pitiable, but he wears and maintains it with pride. Beneath his uniform and rarely seen, he wears a black armband on his upper left arm, a symbol that he still mourns for the man who taught him so much about leadership.
It's not like Kiyoshi's even in immaculate condition himself, as well as having several fairly insubstantial scars he bears a pentagonal one on his left shoulder blade which is an exit wound from one of Yabusame Yukihiko's spirit arrows. His only other prominent scar runs from his right shoulder, down the front of his torso and ends a little way above his hip.
Personality:
Kiyoshi is usually informal and amiable to most anybody, even if they are the enemy, even conversational in the midst of battle so long as he isn't fighting seriously. To look at him from day to day one would find it difficult to associate him with the sort of explosive power and brilliant combat ability which earned him the nickname Raitei. He is more often than not a sympathetic, approachable and wonderfully gentle man... if a little scatterbrained. Though he tends to the emotional needs of his subordinates with the care of a concerned elder brother and keeps divisional discipline reasonably tight his record with paperwork is absolutely appalling. He wont even pick up a pen unless someone nags him for at least a whole day.
Aside from his highly refined battle instincts Kiyoshi is known for his horrific temper, though he does not explode with rage as one might expect of such a reputation. Rather he efficiently and almost clinically extracts satisfaction from those who've really truly angered him. That in itself isn't at all easy to do and the only real way to draw such a response from him any more is through his subordinates whom he considers to be a kind of extended family. The only other possible route would be to bring up his deceased sibling, but not many people are left alive with sufficient knowledge to really get under his skin.
His confrontations with the Quincy were instrumental in changing his mind and making him more aggressive. Whereas once he was a timid young man who might've preferred not to cause harm or rock the boat he is now a hardened career soldier who simply gets the job done no matter how many corpses he has to step over to get his objective. That said, he is no butcher, he might only ever give the enemy one chance to withdraw but it's still a chance and more than they'd ever get from most other Captains.
As an officer he has a sustained open door policy, he tries his utmost to be everyone's friend. While he doesn't always succeed he expects a professional attitude and for his orders to be obeyed regardless of personal feeling. A strange case in that he prefers to consult rather than command, hoping that in doing so he can better allow his subordinates to distinguish themselves. Then again he knows full well that there's only so much seated officers can handle without their Captain. In such cases in and out of battle he displays no hesitance in stepping in and wont take no for an answer so long as he thinks his attention is warranted.
Such attitudes tend to see him viewed as soft and lazy, with some even going so far as to think of him as being dimwitted. He has become both softer and lazier as he's aged, acquiring a sentimental weakness for children and animals as well as a profound phobia of anything that feels like office work, but dimwitted? Never. That being the case he still allows people to go on thinking that. After all he's far too lazy these days to be arguing with whipper snappers over proper officer etiquette.
Strengths: Kiyoshi's most obvious strength is his Zanpakutou's explosive attack power, supplemented well by his own speed and offensive prowess. Though he might not be the most bookish or intelligent of the Captaincy he is no fool, he has always been highly regarded for his superb battle instincts and personal intuition. The binding spells he picked up in the 5th are also one of his great strengths, a quick way to gain an advantageous footing on an enemy, or to patch his somewhat lax defence. Having initially been a part of the 2nd and its Onmitsukido both his Hoho and Hakuda abilities are above the average for a Captain, though not being particularly outstanding for the rank. As a leader he is tough but fair, a genuinely caring superior who tends to garner respect and is more than capable in leading his subordinates against the enemy. This is not only because he has the authority or trust granted by the respect he works hard to earn, but also because as a career soldier he has an intimate understanding of battle and how it affects a person's mindset.
Weaknesses: His high attack potential often masks or renders it entirely moot in cases where he's able to overpower an enemy, but Kiyoshi has a below average defensive capability. Though it is partially supplemented by his speed and ability with Bakudo the fact remains. When up against an enemy capable of fighting on a similar footing he finds it very difficult to take the initiative again once pushed onto the defensive. The overpowering nature of his Zanpakutou is balanced somewhat by its Bankai overriding his judgement and causing him to be much more aggressive, making him increasingly vulnerable to defensive and tactical fighters the longer he maintains it. Combat aside he cares deeply for his comrades and subordinates, even acknowledging the cost of war he'll do just about anything in his power to see his Division (and to a lesser extent the others) safe and well. Perhaps his greatest weakness, if it could be called that, is that he is not nearly so specialised as other combatants might be.
Sealed Zanpakutō:
In its sealed form Raijuu appears as a katana with an approximate blade length of 33 inches. The blade itself has the appearance of one forged in the 'Soshu Kitae' style as it displays silvery 'hard steel' on all sides of the blade, polished up to a mirror sheen. The blade's hilt is lengthened from that of an ordinary katana to better accommodate a two-handed grip and sports a dark blue handle wrapping with a golden cap at its end. This colour scheme is mimicked in the scabbard which is a matching blue adorned with thick golden bands at equal intervals along its length and sporting a similar cap which mirrors that of the hilt at its end. The tsuba is a golden octagon bearing semicircular cut outs from its left, right, top and bottom sides. Below that the habaki (the device which locks the blade into the scabbard) appears as a golden thunderbolt that proceeds about an inch down the blade, growing steadily less raised from the blade's surface until being almost flat at its end.
Zanpakutō Spirit:
Raiju is not usually anthropomorphic like many other Zanpakutou spirits, rather it is the lightning and thunder of the heavens themselves. His inner world consists of a vast grassy plain with a circular paved over clearing in the centre which is split down its middle, presumably the result of a lightning strike. The sky overhead is continually blotted by thunderclouds though they do not seem to stop light from reaching the ground other than when Raiju becomes angry, casting a shadow over the entire plain as lightning forks down to pound the earth. When he speaks the roll of thunder can be heard and the sky flashes with lightning.
When the spirit does choose to take corporeal form it is that of a large, muscular blonde man not dissimilar to Kiyoshi himself. Raijuu however is much taller, standing nearly seven foot with a much broader frame and longer hair which falls around his shoulders, stiffened somewhat by the electricity which courses throughout his body. His back and shoulders are latticed with scars as though he'd been flogged and his arms are equally littered with scars which look like those from the claws and teeth of wild animals. He wears a dark blue split hakama which is torn and ragged along the bottom edge and aside from this wears no other item of clothing.
Contrasting quite strongly with the normally laid back Kiyoshi, Raijuu is the intense and passionate culmination of his wielder's primal emotions. As such he is direct and to the point, often giving his wielder a hard time for being soft or indecisive. There is of course a positive flipside to this in that the spirit encourages him to be open and to speak his mind.
Bankai
While Kiyoshi is in Bankai his inner world plays host to the wild spirit known as Jyuoh Raijin. A pale figure who towers over Kiyoshi, scantily clad in a red rag about his hips and torso which flows as if in the wind even while he's standing still. In each hand he carries what appears to be a beater and is followed everywhere by the ring of drums each marked with three tomoe which float behind him. With wild spiked hair and a painted face he presents quite the imposing image and has the personality to back it up with.
Like Raiju, Jyuoh Raijin is the cultivation of his wielder's most primal and base thoughts, but magnified many times. He has no patience, no social graces and no restraint. He's wild. A living force of nature who lives only to fulfil his desires, his chief desire being to fight.
Shikai Incantation: Sakeru (Burst) Raijuu (Thunder Beast)
Shikai Category: Elemental
Shikai Range: Short Range
Shikai Description: In its Shikai form Raiju's hilt and guard remain much the same (though the decorative habaki disappears) but the change in the blade is drastic indeed. No longer that of a katana, the sword is straight, broad at its base and tapering inward at a steady incline along its length. Overall it looks something like an inflated European longsword but for one key difference. Where the fuller of the blade ought to start there is a gap, running right down the length of the blade, giving it the appearance of a giant tuning fork. Arcs of electricity occasionally run up and down between the two sections of the blade, particularly when Kiyoshi is about to fire off his Shuurai attack.
Technique Name: Douteki Kirikae (Kinetic Conversion)
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close
Technique Description: As the name suggests this ability allows Raiju to absorb energy from a physical impact or friction between the blade and spiritually imbued weapon such as a Zanpakutou. It does not detract in any way from the energy of an attack or enhance Kiyoshi's ability to block said. Due to its unusual form, whenever Raiju is struck or dragged against an object comprised of concentrated spirit particles it vibrates with a high pitched hum. As the blade vibrates, the resultant kinetic energy is transformed to electrical energy meant to power up Kiyoshi's elemental abilities.
The additional charge is also carried over when entering Bankai, but is more easily exhausted by its more advanced techniques. In its Shikai state the ability is somewhat unrefined and about a third of all converted kinetic energy is lost before Raiju is able to absorb it. Additionally there is no method of storage for the electrical charge, which is held only for a short while after the blade stops vibrating. Fighting against an opponent of equal or greater power, Raiju would require one or two consecutive strikes to reach its full power at which point its electrical attack would be approximately 1.5 times stronger than normal.
Technique Name: Denkai (Electric Field)
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Short
Technique Description: With the utterance of the attack name, Raiju releases a short but powerful burst of electricity in all directions around Kiyoshi. Though not intended to be damaging, the electrical charge is sufficient to momentarily stun an opponent upon entering their body. When backed up with an additional charge from Douteki Kirikae it can also cause a more lasting numbness (anything from 1-3 posts) at and around its point of entry.
Technique Name: Shuurai (Lightning Strike)
Technique Category: Offensive
Technique Range: Mid-Long Range
Technique Description: The ability to project lightning from the blade of his sword, by sweeping Raiju through the air Kiyoshi is able to produce arcs of electricity which rapidly fly towards his opponent. The attack can also be discharged through water or any other conductor by touching the weapon's point to it. This conductivity does not seem to apply to substances infused with spiritual energy such as Zanpakutou and soul synthesised silver. While Raiju is carrying a full electrical charge produced by Douteki Kirikae, Shuurai's strength is magnified by a rough factor of 1.5 times its base strength.
Bankai Name: Jyuoh Raijin (Beast King Thunder God)
Bankai Ctegory: Colossal Extension Release
Bankai Description:
The most obvious change when Kiyoshi initiates his Bankai is the metal ring floating behind him, easily five foot in diameter it holds nine wooden drums equally spaced around its circumference. Each drum is marked with three tomoe arranged in a mitsudomoe formation. As the ring gathers power (via Douteki Kirikae) the symbols begin to rotate as the drums are wreathed in lightning, giving off an audible drumming sound which becomes quicker and louder the more power is stored in the ring. The charge stored within the drums can either be used to further empower his Tenmou Shuurai attack, or can be stored up to release Jyuoh Raijin's true power. Once the entire ring is full the entire construct spins in the opposing direction to the drum symbols. At this point the whole ring begins to exude electricity, becoming a huge halo of lightning behind him. Kiyoshi himself begins to give off tiny arcs of electricity, while his hair stiffens and sweeps backward, held in place by static. His eyes shift slightly from their normal colour to a shining electric blue. It is in this 'fully charged' state that Jyuoh Raijin is at its absolute peak of power.
However, this increase in power comes at a cost. As the charge stored in Jyuoh Raijin becomes greater, Kiyoshi becomes progressively less rational and more aggressive. This rage reaches its peak once the ring is fully charged, leaving barely anything of the amiable and gentle Captain's persona behind. Because of that fact, Kiyoshi is generally quite shy about his Bankai, saying that it doesn't really suit him and uses it very sparingly. There are very few people left alive who have seen it, most notable being those present for his Captain Qualification Exam and fewer still who know what happens when it charges up completely.
Bankai Abilities:
Technique Name: Douteki Kirikae (Kinetic Conversion)
Technique Category: Utility
Technique Range: Close
Technique Description: In Bankai, Douteki Kirikae is much more efficient. Offering a near perfect conversion rate between kinetic and electrical energies, allowing Kiyoshi to gather more power in a shorter space of time. Not only this, but the ring of drums which floats behind him allows Kiyoshi to store accumulated power, meaning he doesn't have to use it up before his sword stops vibrating from impact. In this form the ability also serves a secondary purpose, to overload the storage ring with power in order to achieve Jyuoh Raijin's second phase, Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin. Because of its near perfect conversion rate, crossing weapons with someone of Captain rank even once would be enough to fill one drum with energy, for someone of Vice-Captain Rank it would take one or two and anyone below that rank would require three or four to fill even one vessel.
Put shortly, dependant on the power of his opponent it could take Kiyoshi anything from nine to a full thirty-six strikes to fully charge for Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin. Obviously though, fighting anyone below a Vice-Captain level would be unlikely to warrant Bankai, let alone Kyoumon.
Technique Name: Tenmou Shuurai (Heavenly Vengeance Lightning Strike)
Technique Category: Offensive
Technique Range: Mid-Long
Technique Description: A more powerful version of its Shikai counterpart, Tenmou Shuurai is able to fire longer and broader arcs of electricity which cannot be properly regulated. In this state every stroke is meant to kill because, as Kiyoshi puts it, 'Jyuoh Raijin has no concept of what holding back is.' Additionally, when Kiyoshi has an electrical charge stored in his Bankai's drums he can augment the attack, doubling its power by using up one full drum's worth of electricity. While Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin is active the attack's strength is tripled from its base.
Technique Name: Daidenkai (Great Electric Field)
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Short-Mid
Technique Description: An enhanced form of Denkai, Daidenkai also projects a short burst of electricity around Kiyoshi designed to stun enemies in the vicinity. The difference is that Daidenkai's field is much wider and is able to inflict lasting paralysis on any body part it touches by default. (Paralysis will last for anything from 1-3 posts, when 'overloaded' by Douteki Kirikae this becomes 2-4 and while using Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin it is invariably 4 posts.)
Technique Name: Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin (Beast King Thunder God Running Wild)
Technique Category: Utility
Technique Range: Close
Technique Description: The 'second stage' of Kiyoshi's Bankai in which it reaches its full power and can access its most powerful techniques. Once Kiyoshi has managed to fill his drums with power by using Douteki Kirikae, the ring begins to rotate while giving off a powerful charge of electricity and reiatsu which gives it the appearance of a halo of electricity. This acts as a sort of dynamo, creating a near inexhaustible supply of electricity which can be used to enhance Tenmou Shuurai and Daidenkai. While Kiyoshi maintains this form his electrical attacks are tripled in power from their default strength in Bankai.
In this state the spirit of Jyuoh Raijin is fully awakened and holds almost full sway over Kiyoshi's mind, while this gives him an unprecedented boost in power and ferocity it all but robs him of his rational mindset. Due to these factors it is dangerous to use Kyoumon Jyuoh Raijin against multiple adversaries, but more than ideal for personal combat as Kiyoshi has learned through much practice to channel his rage against one specific target.
Technique Name: Raijin no Yari (Thunder God's Spear)
Technique Category: Offensive
Technique Range: Long
Technique Description: The final technique of Jyuoh Raijin, only usable while it is in its Kyoumon state. Raijin no Yari as its name suggests is a one shot desperation technique which calls down a bolt of lightning from the heavens to strike Kiyoshi's enemy. As one would expect this causes severe if not lethal damage, but comes with a risk all its own. Once this technique has been used, Kiyoshi's Bankai will immediately disperse along with all his collected power, completely resealing Raiju to its base form. The backlash of this incredibly potent technique leaves Kiyoshi all but immobile for a minimum of two days and unable to perform Bankai for an additional day after.
History:
Life and Death
Kiyoshi was born in the islands of Okinawa, the child of a poor fishing village he was none the less happy and most importantly healthy throughout his short but undoubtedly sweet life. Seven years, that was all he got, but it was seven years with a full stomach and a loving family, more than many get. It had been a clear day when Kiyoshi was wandering about the island, but nature is treacherous and wilful, even more so close to the sea. Before the young boy knew what was going on the sky was swept over with clouds and the peal of thunder roared above like an awakened beast.
Not knowing what to do he huddled beneath the nearest tree and stayed there, hoping to wait out the storm. He wasn't to be that lucky. A bolt of lightning struck the tree under which he hid, severing one of its branches which fell atop the boy, killing him instantly. As a spirit he would remained tied to the site of his death, unable to break away his Chain of fate from the ruined and burned tree stump. He watched in horror as his father came to collect his own mangled body, weeping as he carried it away, he watched his mother come back every few days and lay fresh flowers down. He watched the local children play on the beach nearby and the small sturdy fishing boats bob out into the open ocean, all the time he would claw at the ground, trying to pull himself away from that terrible lonely spot. The chain though, did not give, it held strong and always the result was the same, always he would lie beneath the burned branches defeated.
It might have been weeks, months or years for all he knew, everyday was exactly the same, he would struggle and then he'd fail. Then, however long after his death it was, something changed and he was no longer alone. The man who'd come to visit him said that he was a Shinigami, which obviously frightened the younger soul at first, but he instantly brightened up when the stranger cut the chain holding him from the tree. Before sending him on the Shinigami allowed him to visit his parents house, where he saw they'd had themselves another child, a daughter. Seeing that they'd moved on made him angry at first, but at the same time happy and he moved on the Soul Society in good spirits.
Rukongai
With his life over and his soul sent on, Kiyoshi found himself in Rukongai in the middle of a thunderstorm of all things, though he did not recall the manner of his death it seemed to have triggered in him a profound fear of thunder and lightning. Not knowing where he was he fled inside the nearest structure, a broken down old barn and cowered there until he was happened upon by someone else fleeing the storm, someone who would drastically alter the course of his life for good. The boy he sheltered in that barn with was an older boy named Kenji, who took pity on Kiyoshi and thereafter looked out for him as though they were brothers. Having observed on several occasions how afraid Kiyoshi was of thunder storms, Kenji gave him the surname Kuwabara and took it himself, saying that in this way as long as they were together the lightning would never hit them.
'Kuwabara, Kuwabara...'
The brothers made their living mostly through pickpocketing, as many of the orphans in the Rukon did, they would stay in one area until they became known as a nuisance before moving on before anyone had chance to act against them or run them out personally and things continued in this fashion year after year. Admittedly after a couple of years it became more difficult for them to move around without running into a market stall owner that knew them, but still there were plenty of bystanders who didn't. There was one overriding problem for the boys though and that was that the bad weather which had hung over their first meeting dogged them throughout all of their travels. More often than not they spent their nights huddled up under whatever cover they could find, Kiyoshi shivering at each peal of thunder.
That was when the nightmares started.
Though they did not confess to each other at the time, both of them were having very similar dreams. For Kiyoshi it was always the same, he was standing in the middle of a grassy plain with the most fearsome storm he had ever seen raging overhead and above the clamour and crash of thunder, a powerful voice straining to be heard. For Kenji, he was standing in the desert during a sandstorm with a voice howling at him over the wind. They were both having the dreams and both thought them to be connected to the weather which seemed to follow them at every turn.
Meanwhile, the Twelfth Division of the Gotei Thirteen had been commissioned to find the root of the bizarre storms which had plagued Rukongai with a steadily increasing ferocity. Thus when the boys were out one day trying to earn their crust (or preferably steal someone else's) they were accosted by members of the Twelfth who sensed a strong reiatsu emanating from both of them. Crafty and nimble as the little urchins were they could not evade trained troops for long and found themselves held at the pleasure of the then Captain Nakatomi.
She told them quite plainly that they had two options, remain in isolation where their developing powers could be contained, or stay together and train to become full fledged Shinigami. Obviously their choice was a no-brainer for them both and later that year the Kuwabara brothers found themselves attending the Shino Academy.
Academy Days
Despite the fact that they went into the Academy with the initial plan of stealing everything that wasn't nailed down and then making a break for it, the brothers took well to the tuition they received at the Academy. They took even better to the free food and after a month or two of gorging decided it was in their best interest to stay. The training gave them direction the like of which they'd never known and eventually they grew to enjoy it thoroughly, even then excelling individually and as a team. Kiyoshi in particular found an innate knack for Zanjutsu and an aggression which he had hitherto been entirely unaware he could muster.
All through their training they stuck together, if anything growing closer as they strove to outdo the students around them, their skill at Zanjutsu and Hakuda saw them scouted early by the 2nd Division, though Kiyoshi suspects that the then Captain's spouse, the very same woman who'd nabbed them in the first place had something to do with this.
Upon graduation there were places in both the 2nd and its special branch the Onmitsukido for the both of them, which they happily accepted, glad to work under such a close relation of the woman who'd opened the door to the Academy for them.
Seecond Division – Fourth Seat
'At first I thought we were fighting for justice...'
As a part of the Onmitsukido, Kiyoshi and Kenji continued to act as a sort of tag team, operating under the masked aliases of 'Raijin' and 'Fuujin' respectively. They made a name for themselves running Black Ops against the Quincy in the Living World and quickly climbed the ranks, both quickly mastering their recurring nightmares and taming the elemental forces which formed their Shikai. The Quincy grew to fear their combined fighting technique and even grudgingly respect them for it. Eventually the Quincy could tolerate them no longer and after feeding false information to Seireitei they were able to isolate and ambush the brothers in the Living World. Even out manned and outmanoeuvred the two fought on, adamant that if they weren't going to get out alive they were going to take plenty of the enemy with them.
In the end it was Kenji who fell first, dead in an instant from an arrow launched from far into the Quincy ranks, alone and with little chance of survival he threw himself at the offending archer, cutting through anyone who got in his way. The source of the attack turned out to be the commanding officer of the attack and thinking that he already had the Shinigami beat by killing his partner he agreed to fight him fairly. The two pushed one another to a stalemate which was only broken when reinforcements arrived from Soul Society, the Quincy fled with Kiyoshi right on their heels, but he was eventually restrained from his pursuit by his fellow Shinigami.
Tenth Division – Third Seat
'Then I thought we were fighting for revenge...'
It was decided that with his partner deceased and his mental state severely shaken as the result of his sibling's death that Kiyoshi was no longer fit for service in such a high tension environment as the Second Division. After Kenji's military funeral, Kiyoshi was stripped of his commission and forced to take an extended sabbatical before undergoing a further mental evaluation, only then being placed with the Tenth Division under Captain Tachibana Kaito as Third Seat. During Tachibana's initial evaluation of his new officer's abilities he noticed that his offence was a great deal keener than he defence. Being that he'd previously been part of an assassination unit and had worked closely with a partner who was sure to watch his back this was not altogether unusual, but the Captain knew that it was likely to be what got him killed. So as a measure against such an untimely demise, Kaito offered to teach him Bakudou as a means to 'gloss over' that deficiency as it were.
He also took the chance to get to know the quiet and generally closed off Kiyoshi a little better, which the younger Shinigami was somewhat taken aback by having come out of the generally secretive 2nd Division. In response Tachibana gave one of his lessons on leadership which Kiyoshi would take most to heart. 'We have two ears, but only one mouth,' he said, 'so a good leader listens twice as much as he shouts.' Kiyoshi warmed to Tachibana and his hands on approach quickly, eventually even talking through Kenji's death with him.
Though in the time he had been off active duty the Shinigami and Quincy had declared a ceasefire, relations inevitably soured and it wasn't long before open hostilities broke out again. While posted to the front he distinguished himself by leading charge after charge on the assembled Quincy, pushing them back further and further until reinforcements arrived, even encircled by a greater force he refused to give in and fought his way out. It was said at the time that there was no one else beneath the rank of Captain who could rival Kiyoshi. Obviously that didn't go over too well with the Vice Captains, but if any of them had grievances they were never made public, new found amiability notwithstanding Kiyoshi had already gained a reputation for having a foul temper.
Though he won several commendations in his time fighting the Quincy, Kiyoshi was soon to be disgraced by the very man who had robbed him of his sibling. The Quincy in question, Yabusame Yukihiko, lured Kiyoshi out from his post and again disgraced him with defeat. Though it was Yukihiko's plan that his comrades would overrun Kiyoshi's position while the Third Seat was distracted, he had not accounted for the intervention of Captain Tachibana who held the Shinigami battle line near single handed. Leaving the beaten Third Seat barely alive, Yukihiko told him that even though he'd initially hunted him down for killing his son, the fact that 'Fuujin' was already dead rendered him clearly useless. Following the incident Kiyoshi barely avoided court martial and only because of his Captain's support. (As well as a fair degree of leniency with the truth.) Though he might have kept his rank, Kiyoshi was well and truly disgraced in light of his actions and he knew the only way to restore his name would be to kill Yabusame Yukihiko.
'...finally I realised we were just fighting... I was ashamed.'
In aid of this goal he took on a role away from the front lines to facilitate a more intense training regimen, he knew he would have to intensify his efforts a hundredfold if he was to obtain what he had only dreamed of up until that point, what he would need to beat Yabusame Yukihiko. Opinion at the time was that Kiyoshi had reacted so badly to his defeat that he'd lost his fighting edge, but he knew he was doing the right thing. It took years upon years for Kiyoshi to attain and as the situation on the front worsened the temptation was to abandon his pursuits so he could return to fighting. He knew though that if he did he would only die and so he continued on until at last he reached a breakthrough and unleashed his Bankai, Jyuoh Raijin.
It had been years since Kiyoshi had seen live combat on any grand scale, but his return to front line fighting was received by those who had served with him before with great relief. Though it was clear to all that he had gotten much stronger in his absence, it was only Captain Tachibana who seemed to have any real inclination about just how strong. Until he saw Yabusame Yukihiko again Kiyoshi elected to keep his Bankai hidden from everyone, less than two years after he came back to the front he would get his chance, though his enemy was now an ageing man past his prime as a Quincy. Once they'd finally managed to get alone to fight one another Kiyoshi voiced his disappointment at not being able to fight him as he was, to which Yukihiko responded that he was still close enough to his prime to finish the Shinigami off.
True enough the ageing Quincy was nowhere near to over the hill and with Kiyoshi still in Shikai he had the 3rd Seat resolutely on the back foot, but once he released his Bankai they were able to fight on an even footing. Yukihiko observed that though Kiyoshi had attained such a level his Bankai was still immature and that he been any younger he'd have been able to overcome it, as it was each man managed to injure the other and still they kept at it step for step.
They continued fighting until at last the battle around them had come to a head and the Quincy were forced to retreat, both Yukihiko and Kiyoshi were heavily wounded, but it was the old Quincy who would succumb to his wounds soon after and the Shinigami who'd survive.
Vice-Captain
When the news had broken about Kiyoshi's fight with Yukihiko and the latter's death the Captain-Commander came to the conclusion that while Kiyoshi had achieved Bankai he was not yet ready to ascend to Captaincy as he lacked the proper leadership capabilities. As such he was placed in the Tenth's newly vacant Vice-Captain spot. The idea was that he would be able to continue learning the necessary skills of command from Tachibana while refining his Bankai at the same time. It was around this time that those veterans who had been most awed but Kiyoshi and his burgeoning power would give him the name Raitei. One that would be uttered with equal parts fear and respect in the Gotei for decades to come.
While he did grow progressively more powerful and was able to partially tame the wild fury which fuelled his Bankai, what Kiyoshi really revelled in was learning the art of leadership from a man whom he greatly admired. Though he came on in both aspects by leaps and bounds, he made no bid for his own command. The Tenth had become his home, it was where he and his Zanpakutou belonged as far as he was concerned and no one ever pressured him to advance in the ranks.
With Quincy numbers depleted the Shinigami were more and more often forced into the Living World and Arrancar sightings were becoming more and more frequent, it was around this time that the Tenth would take on its duties as a naval detachment and Kiyoshi was an instrumental force in helping to deal with those Hollow with water based powers. By the time Zenkai Taiyou had become their Third Seat the Division was riding high on momentum and glory. It was for this reason that they were chosen for a mission to the Living World which would unfortunately prove to be the end of both.
Captain
While Tachibana was on a special dispatch to the Human World, Kiyoshi was left in effective command of the Tenth Division and while the Captain did return it was not in the manner which anyone wished. Kiyoshi was awoken in the dead of night and brought to the Fourth Division where Tachibana was being debriefed by the Captain-Commander. Kiyoshi never even saw him again before he passed, dead from his wounds. The Captain-Commander offered few words of consolation, but told Kiyoshi to prepare for Captaincy. In that moment he was overcome with grief as he knew it could only mean that Tachibana was dead.
Shortly after the ill fated mission Kiyoshi organised and held Captain Tachibana's military funeral before somewhat reluctantly ascending to the rank of Captain via the aptitude test a few days later. Though he's quite honestly still adjusting to the responsibility (and the paperwork) he has instigated a recruitment drive to try and replace the Shinigami lost along with their former Captain.
RP Sample:
{Set during 'How the tides have changed,' couldn't help myself.}
The sound of pen scratchings would not be taken as a peculiar occurrence in any Division's office, but if anyone had elected to visit upon the shared office space of the top two seated officers of the 10th Division that morning, they might have taken it as peculiar indeed to see just whose pen was scratching. Something was making Kiyoshi feel tense, nervous, fundamentally unhappy and if anything was going to make him feel tense, nervous and unhappy it'd be something to do with paperwork. That train of reasoning had led him to the not inconsiderable backlog of admin he'd allowed to accumulate over the past month or so, there must have been something he had forgotten, something urgent. With a sigh he moved the latest sheaf of papers he'd been flicking through over to one side of the desk. That doesn't need to go in until the fifteenth... I'll deal with it on the fourteenth. Hm? Nah, that couldn't be it.
He looked up from his desk to the small potted cactus sitting on its corner, the one his Division had clubbed together for as a present to commemorate his Captaincy. A present that wouldn't die immediately when he forgot to water it. Nice bunch, thoughtful. Hm, I'm gonna have to remind Tai-chan to find you a bigger pot, especially if you're ever gonna flower. Wait... was that it? Looking up from his cactus to the calendar on the wall by the door, more specifically the day he'd crossed off as he'd come in the morning, he could do it today, it was as good as any other and he probably wouldn't get a chance to do it after this big Captain's meeting that was gonna be coming up. Sure has got old man Nakatomi tied up in one big tense knot. No surprise there. Idly his left hand dipped beneath the folds of his uniform to run down the scar on his right shoulder. To the bone... I was lucky to be alive.
Rising from his chair he paused at the corner of his desk and bent down towards the cactus. 'I'll be dealing with you later.' All of a sudden he was glad that there was no one else around for the first time that day... the implications of one of his subordinates seeing him conversing with a small potted cactus were unpleasant at best. Not something he wanted to happen in the first few months of his command. Standing back up he shoved his left arm into the sleeve of his uniform properly, there were only two occasions he wore it in such a way any more. The first was a Captain's meeting...
-
...and the other was this. As he knelt down before the grave Kiyoshi removed his sword from his waist, he bowed his head low, offering the sheathed blade up as though in submission before laying it at the foot of the grave. After that he removed the now withered flowers from over the grave, replacing them with a fresh bouquet he'd bought on the way. 'Bet you'd thought I'd forget, huh Tachibana-taichou?' Crossing his legs he sat before the grave and smiled warmly. 'Nothing much to report in, Tai-chan seems to be doing alright as Fukutaichou, everybody's safe just so you know... but then there's this human thing.' He paused, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly and glancing from side to side.
'Ah, would you look at me, talking to cacti and now grave markers.' His eyes slid over to his left, he could have sworn he sensed, yeah that was her alright. He stood and bowed before tucking his Zanpakutou back into his obi. 'I gotta go visit Kenji before I go, but I'll try and come back before the Captain's meeting.' He took the withered flowers, winking to the grave marker with a cheeky little smile. 'I'll get rid of these for you, don't get up.'
A little gallows humour went a long way and it helped knowing that of all people it would have made his old Captain laugh. It seemed as though it was indeed this Captain's meeting weighing so heavy on his thoughts and talking about it, even talking to someone who couldn't talk back was a good vent. He was still jumpy about the whole thing, knowing almost certainly that it was something to do with why Tachibana had to die. All of them were overdue their answers and it looked as though they were closer to getting them. Without another word he started off back the way he'd come, masking his reiatsu so Taiyou would be none the wiser.
Final Acceptance: Cocked, locked and ready to rock! xD
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