Zenkai, Kaizen

[Zenkai Kaizen]

~"There's more to being a shinigami than just carrying out a mission."~

Name: Zenkai, Kaizen
Kaizen:philosophy of continual improvement, that every process can and should be continually evaluated and improved in terms of time required.

Age: 382

Visual Age: 22

Gender: Male

Birthday: July 15

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 187 lbs

Eye color: Blue

Hair color: Brown

Division 3rd Division {San-Bantai}

Rank Fuku-Taichou/Vice-Captain

~Stats~[/color]


Constitution
-Strength: 10
(Although quite muscular, his upper body strength is lacking when compared to some shinigami. Due to his insomnia, he is rarely at full strength which cause his muscles to work at a lesser capactiy. He relies mostly on his zanpaku-to and high speed to deal the damage.)
-Endurance: 17
(In the name of curiosity, Kaizen has been known to take a beating to figure out his opponents. As such, he can carry out a battle longer than most if necessary.)

Dexterity
-Agility: 30
-Accuracy: 20
(The roots of his high-speed combat style and the essence of his attacks. Practically a master in this field, his movements are instinctive and smooth. Velocity, acceleration, and swiftness are almost unrivaled in this field. It would be ill-advised to remove your eyes off the battlefield for a second.)

Zanjustu
-Attack: 15
(Rapid and powerful attacks are the base of his nature. Reinforced with speed, his attacks are as lethal as they are fast. His zanpaku-to is pure offense, aiming to weaken the opponent before his strikes. Highly efficient with a blade, offensive attacks are to be treated with caution.)
-Defense: 10
(Despite high-speed's combat ability to evade efficiently and manuever with little effort, the vary essence of offensive attacks leaves him vulnerable in close-range combat. Protection is sub-par as the best method of defense for him is to evade.)

Kidou
-Hadou: 15
(Kaizen is somewhat well trained in Kidou, but with an increase proficiency in hadou, he is capable of striking more aggressively to damage or disable his opponents.)
-Bakudou: 5
(Kaizen's lack of focus on Bakudou have led him to have little skill in this section of demon arts.)

Perception
-Intelligence: 23
(Interpreting and deciphering attacks, data, and situations are the main strengths of his strategies. Knowledge of his opponent's battle tactics can be deciphered quickly, allowing him to create a counter-strategy in seconds or beforehand. Of course, his offensive strategies are not always fully planned out.)
-Concentration: 15


Presence
-Charisma: 15
(Although Kaizen is well known to be a creeper and has a tendency to have a slap across his face, Kaizen can be quite friendly when necessary and normally gains somebody's trust.)
-Leadership: 25
(With the knowledge Kaizen has gained about his allies, he can use this information to assign those in which areas they are most proficient at. Due to his natural behavior, intelligence, and reputation, Kaizen has little problem getting attention drawn towards him when something needs to be said. Whether or not that's a good thing is a matter of opinion.)


Appearance:

~"Gotta' look presentable no matter where you go."~

The first notable thing about Kaizen is his height, as he stands well above the average height at 6' 2". His body structure does well to compliment his height, as he has a slightly athletic built. His calves and hamstring are well-defined and the pinnacle of his muscularity. His biceps and chest area are quite average, as he only has a four-pack (though he claims he's working on a six-pack.) Despite his muscularity, he still remains a 'slim' shape. His skin tone is a caramel/cardboard color, which oddly compliments his brown hair and wolf-like blue eyes (a bloodline trait within the Zenkai family). His eyes tend to portray a friendly and calm aura, leading people astray from his inquisitive nature.

His hair is medium length and the stands of hair are mostly facing down. The back part of his hair reaches about halfway on his neck, and two strands of hair stand up on the back part of his head. It seems that no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to get them to stay down. His hair seems to remain the same, although it can be quite messy after a night's sleep or an afternoon nap.

Similar to most shinigami in the Gotei-13, Kaizen wears the traditional shinigami clothing. Although, he feels that traditional shinigami clothes are absurd, his uniform has gone through slight modifications. His usual outfit consist of a white T-shirt, located over the t-shirt is the traditional kosode top, except the sleeves have been cut off. The traditional hakami can be found as his bottom clothing, with a white sash keeping the clothing together. Over his shirt and pants he wears a short-sleeve black high-collared cloak. A silver chain on the top part of the cloak (below the neck), attaches the two edges of the cloak. One part of his outfit that stands out is a black spiked 'collar' that can be found around his neck, which is only visible from the front, when his cloak is on.

His gigai represents more of a laid back style, as he has relatively relaxed clothing. His outfit consist of loose baggy jeans and a white large T-shirt. He wears a blue collared jacket with gray sleeves and has the words "FILA" on the left side where the heart is. He wears black vans as shoes the majority of the time since they are quite comfortable. The black 'collar' still reminds around his neck in gigai form.


Personality:

~"Enjoy life, don't let it control you. Bend it to your will, then reap the benefits."~

Friendly and energetic. These are some of the words that can describe Kaizen in more ways than one. He lives his life the way he wants to as he tends to enjoy each day not wanting to "waste it." He is often seen running around Seireitei as he gets his daily exercise, as well as doing random things such as investigating, collecting data, or looking for new creative things to do.

A friend to all, Kaizen is never one to decline friendship to somebody. Ally or foe, he always does the most he can to gain a person's trust or at least their compliance. He treats everybody with respect, using honorifics for those who he doesn't know that well. Even if he dislikes a person, he will still treat them friendly, but at the same time, will use words to strike at them or sometimes insult them indirectly.

Constantly seen with a grin or a smile on his face, there isn't a person in the soul society or Heuco Mundo who is safe from having a brief talk with Kaizen. Of course, this tends to get him in trouble from time to time as he tends to procrastinate on some of his objectives due to constant conversations. Kaizen tends to keep his anger, sadness, and other emotions like those on the inside, only expressing them to those close to him. Although he tends to get more annoyed than angry, he will usually go for walks to calm himself down or begin reading.

Curiosity, is perhaps the most noticeable part of his persona. His curiosity has no bounds as he tends to investigate everything that he can. Constantly asking questions to find out information, and using "why" as one of his favorite words in a sentence. His friendly and outgoing persona gives him an advantage as he uses this to pry deeper for information to gain more knowledge and data. Eager to learn, Kaizen can be seen reading book after book on his free time or snooping around Seireitei looking for new information to find. This has it problems as Kaizen tends to be labeled as a creeper, mainly by women, unfortunately.

Decades of investigation and process has led Kaizen to be quite the adept thinker. Capable of processing information rapidly, his skill in deciphering clues and riddles are impressive. His knowledge ranges from a variety of subjects that he has learned from each division, books, and the real world, but is not that in-dept as somebody who specializes in that field. He values the truth and is always determined to get honesty out of anybody. His natural curiosity has led him to have an intense data file of everybody in Seireitei, hollows and arrancars, and beings in the human world. This file is accessible to captains and high-ranking members in the third division. Kaizen keeps a separate file for himself, for his own personal knowledge.


Kaizen believes greatly in the duties of the Shinigami, feeling that duties are above the law. Although he follows the law to the best of his ability, in certain situations he is willing to bend the law if it gets in the way of a shinigami's duties or true justice. The safety of his division members come are top priority, thus he is willing to sacrifice the mission or himself in order to ensure the safety of his division.

Perhaps a lesser known quality of Kaizen, is his lust for battle. Although he prefers to just have friendly spars, Kaizen has constantly been on the front line of battle. His curiosity seeps into his battles as he tries to push his opponent's to their limit, just to see the full potentials of their ability. Battles are like investigations, the more you research, the more interesting they become. Whether his opponent lives or dies, that just depends on Kaizen's mood and the situation. Though, he prefers to let people live, rather than killing them.



Strengths:

~"Everybody has their strengths, but what makes them unique is how those strengths are used."~

Within the soul lies strength, within curiosity lies knowledge. Perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to rapidly process information and decipher it. Thus giving him an edge in battle as he quickly seeks the pattern or method behind his enemy's attacks or battle strategies, if he hasn't researched it before. Offensive in style and nature, problems are solved quite rapidly, or at least are dealt with immediately. A more in-depth knowledge of the world, literature, and society, Kaizen has created unique ways to find the information he seeks.

His friendly and social attitude has added to his methods, and has also gain him a position as a leader. Capable of intimidating through reasoning, he gains popularity through his mannerisms. A strong willed individual, Kaizen will do as much possible to get what he needs done, even if it requires sacrifices. Distractions are futile when it comes to his work, as he focuses on one task only making him an efficient worker. As a side note, be cautious of his speed.

Weaknesses:

~"We all have weaknesses, you just gotta' know how to overcome them."~

The greatest strength is also an dreadful weakness. Though his deductive/processing skills are superb, the thinking process is a flaw. As he ponders for a solution to the dilemma or figuring out the method behind an attack, his thoughts leave his body open as they distract him for a few seconds allowing his opponents to sneak in an attack. In conjunction with his relatively poor defense with a blade, it has devastating effects that can cause critical injuries. His inquisitive mind has sometimes lead to his own set of problems, putting him in troublesome situations that he intended not to get involved in.

The deductive and processing mind of a soul has more than one downfall. Constantly thinking leaves little room for sleep, thus making Kaizen an insomniac. Being well rested is a myth in his life, sometimes resulting in passing out during various task and missions. Insomnia plays a critical role in battles, resulting in his muscles becoming exhausted in a short amount of time, thus slightly limiting his combat time and abilities. Various solutions have been tried to remedy his insomnia, but each solution resulted in either only 1-2 hours of sleep or had no effect at all.

His carefree attitude, friendliness and lack of trust has made some of his actions seem like insults. When confronted with a story of sadness or one which requires sympathy, his facial expression does not show it. There are some which take that into offense, and usually ends up with a hand across his face or an angered soul storming away. Indubitably this causes a dilemma forcing him to go out of his way to apologize and re-establish friendship.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

Zanpakutō Name: Ookakiba ("Wolf Fang")

~"Well it's you and me now, Ookakiba. So let's enjoy the time we got."~

Sealed Zanpakutō

Ookakiba is similar to most zanpaku-to. A basic katana in size and shape, it is kept in a pristine condition. The zanpaku-to is 42 inches in length and weighs aproximately 20 poundsThe blade itself is coated in a special gloss that gives in a metallic black shine. For those who come face to face with the blade, they are able to see their own reflection, unfortunately the next thing they see is their doom. The handle of the blade is wrapped in yellow and black cloth that interchange colors in horizontal layers. A gold tip is found at the hilt of the zanpaku-to as decoration, with a small wolf design imprinted on the tip. The guard of the blade takes a circular form around the blade, with the inner design spiraling from the outside to the inside. The guard is gold in color.

Zanpakutō Spirit:

~"I swear, sometimes I wonder if you weren't dropped on your head as a child."~

Ookakiba manifest itself as an average sized gray wolf. His fur is dark gray and has a soft and fuzzy texture. The eyes of Ookakiba are hazel in color, but have the attribute to change to white or black from time to time. A black collar is attached around the spirit's neck similar in design to the one around Kaizen's neck. A strange feature about the spirit is a black eye patch which can be found over his left eye. It is unclear whether the spirit has an eye behind the patch or wears it for his own pleasure, but Kaizen has been unable to receive an answer from the spirit.

The spirit appears to be a very calm and cool headed figure. He doesn't do much except for lay down on the gold pillar in the middle and rest. Despite this calm appearance, the zanpaku-to spirit is cold in terms of attitude. Ookakiba is very harsh when it comes to criticizing Kaizen, pointing out the majority of his flaws. Although he gives advice to the shinigami from time to time, the spirit tends to speak aggressively, seeming to be angry quite often. Frequently both master and zanpaku-to get into arguments, but despite how serious things get the two always seem to get along just fine and eventually come to a mutual agreement.

The spirit itself has high values for order and responsibility. He tends to chastise Kaizen for creating a mess while searching for things or causing slightly cause during battles or his interrogations. He tends to scowl when Kaizen leaves work for others to do, telling him that he should do it himself. This normally ends by Kaizen shrugging it off or telling Ookakiba to "chillax". Despite their differences, Kaizen has learned a lot from the spirit and both constantly learn new things about each other as the days go on.

The inner world of Kaizen is quite unexpected by him. Although he imagined more of a tropical paradise, his inner world takes the form of a barren land. Snow covers the outer edges of the inner world extending all the way to the horizon. Dark gray clouds cover the sky as lightning crackles in the clouds. Gold pillars that rise to a vertical height of 10 feet tall are scattered throughout the area, some slanted due to erosion. A place which has been designated as the center of the inner world is a circle 200 foot in diameter. Sand covers the ground of the circle and where the sand meets the snow, four pillars stand, each at a different end of the circle. These pillars intersect perpendicular forming a cross if a line was drawn connecting the pillars.

In the center of the circle of sand is where the spirit Ookakiba can be found. A smaller three feet tall and six feet wide gold pillar is found at the center, the top slightly eroded due to the weather. Imprints of plants can be found on the top of the golden pillar, which signifies that there was plant life in his inner world at one time. Although, Ookakiba denies that there ever was plant life seeing that there is no rain or water found in the inner world. It does snow occasionally when Kaizen is upset or depressed.


Shikai Incantation:

Ichiya no Shouryou. Ookami hoe koe mangetsu

"Night of Hunting. Wolves howl at the full moon."

Shikai Category

Summon

Shikai Description:

As the zanpaku-to is released from its sheath, Kaizen holds it outward with the tip of the blade facing the left. The blade itself is perpendicular to the ground, as reiatsu circulates around it. A green light begins to engulf the zanpaku-to slowly as it travels from the hilt towards the tip. Kaizen swings his arm outward as the green light flickers away and reiatsu particles are spread throughout the area. The blade itself burst into reiatsu particles which gather just to the right of Kaizen.

Interesting enough the reiatsu that was released compiles with reiatsu to form a wolf. The wolf is almost identical to the real animal, as they posses the same features. The wolf's fur is black, with a green outline that covers the body. The eyes of the wolf are green and the wolf stands about a few inches above its real world counterpart. A spike collar can be found on the wolf's neck.

The wolf is controlled by Kaizen mentally, as a result limits his movement slightly so he can focus on controlling the wolves. The wolf can be destroyed easily with kido and blade attacks, but attacks with a blade tend to require 2-3 strikes. Once the wolf is destroyed, Kaizen can reform the wolf, but requires some reiatsu.

Shikai Abilities

Ashi Ga Tsuku (Track)

The capability to track and hunt its prey for distances, is a well known aspect of a wolf. Similar to its real life counterpart, this wolf is able to track beings (other than shinigami) down by scent and reiatsu. The only limitation is that Kaizen, must be within a 100 foot distance at all time in order for the wolf to be able to track (and it has to be controlled by Kaizen).

Bikou Kiba (Shadow Fang)

The lethal ability of the shikai and perhaps the more well known aspect. When one can not take down its prey through shear strength, it must use tactics, and that is the basic behind this ability. Using the shadows around it, the wolf is able to disappear into them and travel around within the shadows. To those able to catch a glimpse when the wolf disappears, it seems like it dissolves into the shadows.

The wolf can emerge from the shadows at anytime, allowing it to strike, and then disappear again. Of course, it has its limitations. The wolf can only hide in the shadows up to 150 feet from Kaizen, and when traveling through the shadows, a thin green silhouette forms that allows one to track the wolf through the shadows. The wolf is only able to enter the shadows 10 times upon release, and if there is a break within the shadow, the must emerge in order to hide within the shadows once more. One should note that this wolf is able to track its prey through the shadows.

~History~

[/color][/center]

~"The past is something you learn from. The present is where you gather data and prepare for the future."~

Chapter 1: Life and Death~

Brought into this earth underneath a bright light, why? Why did that light have to be so damn bright? Strange people speaking in what seemed to be like tongues, and a yell echoed through the area. A figure covered in blood yelled out to the sky, a call for freedom. On this cloudy day Zenkai, Kaizen was born. The records show a long list of travel for his family as they bounced from place to place. They were merchants, sold goods for gold, and exchanged indentured servants and slaves for products. The life of a nomad some would call it, but alas they were a few of the uprising middle class in Asia and Europe.

His travels led him to different places, viewing different wonders of the world, and experiencing different cultures. It is here, one might say, where his curiosity peaked. The common children's question of 'why' constantly escaped his mouth, demanding a justification for each reason. He was seen as a burden by his parents, an eager child by various traders, and an annoyance by soldiers. His literacy skill was incredible for a child his age, as he read books that were considered 'high-level' or meant for older children. Kaizen became accustomed to the way of living the life of a trader, and with the development of improved technology, the merchant class became a great value to society.

His mind sought the truth in everything, as he began his studies in Europe. The catholic priest of the old sentenced him to hell for questioning the workings of the pope. Nobles and kings requested him to leave their site and some accused him for treason for questioning the workings of the monarchy, and for providing a more efficient way of government. It was his near escape from the French Monarchy that led him to continue his life as his parents did. He gathered his goods, along with his canine companion and set out to the Eastern world.

He was among the well literate, well-known for his books on the Asian world and the culture of the Middle East. His knowledge of language was vast, and he managed to earn a wealthy profit by trading for countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Unfortunately, curiosity killed the cat, or in this case, the human. After his return from the New World Colonies, Kaizen made his way to Japan. His research started in the lower sections of the asian island, documenting and learning the language of the natives. He was welcomed as a friend by a family who agreed to share their custom with him. In return he was forced into a marriage with their daughter, who became Zenkai, Ishima.

His research continued for seven years, as he documented the life of the samurai, shogun, and the writings of japanese. His popularity grew as he wrote books detailing the life of European culture in comparison to Japanese culture, obviously favoring the japanese. His fame received the attention of the Emperor. Kaizen had unwillingly questioned the emperor to harshly, as the last sentence escaped his mouth, he was suspected of treason. Kaizen called out against the emperor, stating that he had done nothing wrong, and the justice system was corrupt. Darkness would overtake his mind and vision as a silver blade pierced the curiosity of his bleeding heart.

Even in death, curiosity never seems to fade away. His knowledge sought to comprehend this strange existence that seemed to prove the theory of an afterlife correct. As the sun rose and the moon set, it was a battle for survival. Footstep after footstep, he ran from these savage creatures that he would later learn they were hollows. His inquisitive mind continued to entice them, seeking out to see the true potential of what the creatures truly were capable of. His data collection would soon come to an end as he the hilt of a blade from those dressed in black stamped his forehead. His journey would continue in a place known as the Soul Society.


Chapter 2: The state of curiosity~

His mind would regain its awareness as he awoke in a district of Rukongai. It was a strange place indeed, filled with new, strange people. In truth this was a ghetto, but it was a haven for him. Filled with different places for exploration, different culture, and had the strangest of people. At a young age his curiosity was strong and it would lead him in the rest of his life.

His first investigation began as a simple task to get to know his surroundings. Intrigued by the people, he spent his days as a youth question shopkeepers and merchants. There would days where he would sit down and observed as the citizens of Rukongai walked by, seeing what they were doing, and why. His intriguing mind lead him to being chased away by shopkeepers, which developed his speed, as he asked to many questions and spent hours sneaking through the back, as he observed every item in the shop.

Over the years his talent in observation and data collection grew as he made a specific document on each sector of Rukongai using spare sheets of paper which he found. The sun settled across the Rukongai horizon as a new objective appeared on his checklist. The stone walls of Seireitei appeared as a tease, his mind commanding to see what went on inside the walls. Unfortunately, the gates were heavily guarded and unless you were a shinigami, it would be highly impossible to enter. At least, for now.

Curiosity tends to lead you to new discoveries, it also brings a new adventure to everyday lives. There's a saying sometimes that in life, when you try something new, luck tends to award you victory. The again, sometimes you just have to be in the right place, at the right time. The gargantuan gates of seireitei, opened up to its inhabitants, and as that one second moment where backs where turned, Kaizen snuck in.

Paradise. That was one word that could describe the essence of the soul society. Beauty in buildings, atmosphere, and people, it was the palace amongst palace. Kaizen wandered around aimlessly as he engorged himself in the multitude of information he heard and the shinigami who lived there. Unfortunately, his stroll was cut short as a few low-seated shinigami spotted him. His feet hit the ground as he made a life dash towards the nearest building, instinct took over. His impressive running speed for a young age allowed him to enter a building unnoticed as he slid and hid underneath a mahogany desk.

It would be a few minutes later where a shinigami would enter and discover the curious boy hiding. It was strange to find a boy from Rukongai hiding under his desk, this was quite unusual. Alas, the shinigami sensed reiatsu leaking from the boy, and an unusual curiosity as Kaizen asked question after question about the man. The shinigami laughed it off as he ruffled the young rukongai's boy hair. Surprisingly it would be two days that Kaizen would stay under the man's watch, as he learned about the shinigami and seireitei. It was then that the man who had taken him in, gave Kaizen a white and red uniform. The boy was going to the Shinigami academy.

Chapter 3: From Academy to Marigold of Despair~

The second place of haven for Kaizen, it was perhaps one of the first places he truly enjoyed. His early time at the academy was spent with constant literature and notes. He took interest in each subject, question the teacher more and more, sometimes being asked to shut up or keep quiet. Amongst fellow shinigami. some liked him, others detested him. He made a small group of friends, but he was a friendly shinigami, always talking with others and finding out information.

His curiosity was beginning to rise as he spent hours upon hours researching and studying more about the life and ways of the shinigami. It was during this time he developed a connection with his zanpaku-to spirit, a black wolf. It took great tolerance for the spirit, as he suffered multitudes of question from Kaizen, and it continued on, day after day. Eventually, the question would cease as Kaizen found interest in other subjects, and the wolf refused to speak to Kaizen until he stopped.

Kaizen spent the majority of his time gathering information through observing, hacking the cameras in the academy, and reading books. It was also in the academy, where he met his first hollow. Somebody had released hollows throughout the academy, and he had been one of the first ones to arrive on the scene. The battle was intense, and in the end, Kaizen suffered his first defeat and gained a few burn scars.

Unfortunately, his troubles just began as a few days later, Kaizen was sentenced to be in jail for two weeks, due to hacking the school's camera and for the destruction of the academy walls (even though it wasn't his fault). Thankfully, the third division captain helped reduced his sentence, as Kaizen spent a week in Jail and his graduation was delayed by a year.

The week in jail was torture for the young shinigami, but it was then when he had an epiphany. He wanted to find more information on that hollow who had defeated him, also he wanted to know about everything in the world, and that was when he made his choice. In order to accomplish his goals he would have to stop fooling around and make it to the top, and become captain.

After his release, Kaizen spent the next few years studying and training his abilities. His free time was spent reading books from the library and observing people, as well as any information he could acquire from his captain or those who were willing to give him information. After a few years, Kaizen finally graduated the academy being one of the top 5 in his class.

The sun rose of the horizon as he found his way into the 3rd division, under the captain who had given him the uniform earlier. It was awkward at first as a shocked Kaizen, could only blink in amazement, but soon the two got along. As a 3rd seat, Kaizen would soon begin his routinely paperwork and duties.

Chapter 4: Despair~

The wind blew as the mid-day sun reached the skies of seireitei. Life for the 3rd division 3rd seat had begun quite well for his expectations, and his curiosity was able to be put the test. He began to research the other divisions, their past history, and what each division specialized in. It was during this time where he began an intensive data collection on every member of the Gotei 13. Of course, due to his rank this information was vague. His relationship with his girlfriend increased as they entered their 2 year anniversary, and he received a cloak as his gift.

His skills with his zanpaku-to increased as he achieved shikai, and advanced even further in his skills. Kaizen wondered why Ookakiba had taken forever to tell him his name, and the spirit simply replied that: "It wasn't worth his time before." Kaizen's speed and strength was impressive at the time, rivaling top vice-captains.

Devastation and chaos would soon ensue as the world around him would grow dark. His trust of people would become limited, as the dark clouds hovered above his head. Rain fell from the sky in Karakura town as the team began their mission. It was a team of four which included two other shinigami, one being a vice-captain, his girlfriend, and himself. Their mission: to gather information on the recent arrancar attacks and figure out who was the cause of this. Their investigation came close, as they managed to track down one of the arrancar involved. The dawn of death would soon arrive for the arrancar as Kaizen went in to end its life with a killing blow, but the sound of screams pierced the sky stop him in his tracks.

As he turned around he watched in shock and horror as blood spilled onto the floors, two shinigamis lifeless, and blood on the blade of the one he loved. Instinct filled his mind as he clenched the blade in his hand, his reiatsu increasing. The one he loved, the one he trusted with his life, betrayed them. A short battle ensued, as sparks flew, and blades clashed. The strike of a blade through the heart ended the battle as Kaizen stood, tears ran down his cheeks. Perhaps this was a greater pain than death itself, but he did what he had to do.

It was hours later where he reported to the soul society what had occurred. Although, his story was believed, he was placed in jail for a few weeks, until the investigation was resolved. Sleep was rare, as he spent countless nights staring at the ceiling. It would be a few weeks later when the 3rd division taichou visited Kaizen and a discussion occurred between the two as they sat and talked, one could say it was a bonding between taichou and division members. It would be two months later where Kaizen would be released, with his name cleared.

Destroyed, shattered, but not broken, Kaizen resumed his position in the 3rd division. His friendly spirit had remained, but his trust had dissipated. His curiosity took him to new bounds as he continued to research outside knowledge and divisions. He was promoted to Fuku-taichou (Vice captain) and with the help of his taichou, allowed him to update the roster of Gotei 13 shinigami to become larger and more intensive. He also kept a secret roster for himself, updating it constantly with new information.

Peace returned to the atmosphere as decades past and seasons came and gone. Once again though, the peace that once stood would now be destroyed. The stability in the 3rd division would change as the morning brought sad news; the 3rd division taichou was dead. It was unbelievable to Kaizen at first, and almost destroyed his mentality. His presence was made known as he demanded to know how his taichou had died, but information was classified. Kaizen continued to spent days searching for a response, but this case was an unsolved mystery. It was due to his friend Keta, where he was able to come to terms his captain's death. His rank involved power, and with power came the courage to guide. Temporary command of the 3rd division was his, till they found a new captain.

Chapter 5: Rise of the Fang~

As the years went by Kaizen trained as hard as he could to achieve Bankai in order to fill the spot left by their dead captain. As the years went by, his information database grew, with new and upcoming developments. His skills as a shinigami improved as he increased in shunpo distance and offensive swordsmanship. After 15 years of training, he spent seven days in isolation.

The seven days were long and tedious, as his zanpaku-to had manifested itself and the training for bankai began. He would soon appear in the 4th division quarters being treated for his wounds as he smiled the whole time (as a nurse reported). It was later where he announced that he achieved bankai and was one step closer from reaching his goal of being promoted.

Although his promotion as not yet arrived, Kaizen continues to train towards becoming captain. With the achievement of his bankai, Kaizen looks forward to the day he finally takes over the 3rd division.

RP Sample:

A calm wind blew as his clothes ruffled in the wind, the chain making a soft sound as it hit his shirt. His wolf-like blue eyes glanced out to the horizon as he placed a hand onto his zanpaku-to. It was a long day after patrolling Karakura town and he needed some rest. He had only gotten three hours of sleep last night-a gift from his insomnia. Kaizen chuckled to himself as stood up slowly and glanced downwards at the ninth division headquarters. This division was his life now and quite frankly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Of course, lately it had seemed quite empty. The void that the 3rd division captain had left was slowly being closed, but there were times where he missed the busy moments and definitively missed the chats. He hadn't heard much about the other members of his division or if they were even around. That was something he would have to do.

"I wonder why its so quiet today?"

He stated to himself calmly as within seconds he flickered and appeared on the ground scanning around. The lack of sleep was truly a devastating consequence as he sensed a yawn escape his mouth. Perhaps, a nap would be beneficial at the moment...then again he had other stuff to do. Sleep was for the lazy, and he had to maintain a productive day today. He'd sleep in tomorrow after he did a few things first, although he did need somebody to deliver paperwork. He sighed as he shrugged the thought off and continued to his office.

Perhaps once he delivered the paperwork himself, he'd stop by the 8th division and see if anything interesting was occurring. Yea, that's what he'd do. Kaizen smiled as he walked calmly to his office, with a plan in mind, this day would end perfectly.

Final Acceptance: Read the rules!!!! You have one more step to complete before you are able to post on the site.

[Darake Kitoushi]

Heya my loverly!

Okay I just have a few things. I'm gonna let Kitoushi check out your Bankai cause, you know, he is much better at that stuff than I am. Hahahaha

Only two thing I would like to see.

1. We did so much RPing on the other site I would love to see you mention something. Especially considering you were one of the only ones to do jail time. Maybe the jail time gave you the desire to really follow the rules and take the mantle of Captain because you were a precocious student. Also mentioning the night we let out the hollow would be worth a mention.

2. How did you become Captain? Did the other Captains vote for you? Did you perform your Bankai in front of the CC? Are you a newer Captain? Also I am pretty sure Byakuya said it takes 10 years to master Bankai and considering we don't have a set time between our time jump change it to 10 just to be safe. (Nothing big really)

Okay that's it for me, my dear.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

Added that hollow night and academy jail time, which gave him the determination to be a 'good' student XD. Nothing like jail time to give you a new direction in life lol. Also, changed up his promotion to captain to make it clearer.

So everything's been fixed ^_^. Also, he's a new captain.

[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

• Until you get more experience with the character, I think vice is a good place for you. I simply don't get the feeling that your character has been though these experiences that make the person into a captain. This can be something me make a priority in the new plotline.

• Within some description of your personality, your stepping on the toes of the 9th division. Your job is information on the enemy and human worlds. Leave the paranoia of traitors and investigations to the 9th.

• Currently your zanpakutou has the advantages of a poison type and a summon type. Gotta be one or the other.

• I think this dividing wolf bankai is way to close to approaching Stark territory and the myth of a hydra.

• Why would a wolf have tetrodotoxin? Leave that for the characters who actually take inspiration from those particular animals.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

• I don't really see how there's not enough experience, but I'm fine with moving my character to vice-captain.
  
• Alright I'll remove the paranoia stuff.
  
• Now why does it have to be one or the other? I mean, look at Mayuri, he has both a summon and a poison bankai, if I recall correctly. Technically, my bankai is just a larger version of my shikai.
  
• As for the whole Stark issue, I disagree with that. Stark summons a ton of wolves at first and just has them charge, bite, and explode, and when they're cut, they just reform. My bankai starts at 3 and goes up to 42, and stays at 42 (a hydra keeps going and going). The reason being for that, is that there's 42 teeth in a wolf, hence applying to the zanpaku-to's name, 'Wolf Fang.' Although, yes there is some similarities, its a completely different ability. I've had this aspect of the bankai, way before Stark's wolf thing came out.
  
• Alright, removed the TTX part, and leaving one ability for now till I can think up something else.
  

[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

• I wasn't really very clear when I spoke about the experience. What I mean is that there is a certain psychological commonality among each of the captains. They are each very unique, yet there are events that they have gone through cultivate a particular methodology in their behavior. I just don't see it in Kaizen yet and usually this is not something that can automatically be done. I think there are still many ways we can help you to connect with your character and put him through these trials to develop into this figure.

• Mayuri's bankai is certainly both a poison and summon, but bankai follow a different set of classification than shikai. At the shikai stage we haven't seen any that bleed over into two areas to my knowledge. Having a summon type is already a very rare and powerful ability, to add the power of a poison type to that is devastating. Keep in mind how much more capable this summon is over holding a weapon in hand, it would make the poison type much weaker than combining summon and poison. At the shikai stage having to fight two opponents is very difficult and to add poison into the equation makes it very powerful, nor does it really fit into bleach.

• I certainly don't think you copied Stark. Your ability is far different than his, but thematically it creates a very similar visceral effect. Even though you start with one, it will quickly multiply and create this very similar feeling as his power. Just because it limits at 42 doesn't mean it has the same similarity to a hydra, we certainly wouldn't allow an infinite creation of those either. Even though what these wolves do are different, the end results is still giant pack of wolves like Stark. I wouldn't like the idea of any power coming thematically to close to what's presented in the canon, much less a shinigami to arrancar translation.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

• Ah, ok well that's fine, I don't mind rping it out till I become captain.
  
  
• I thought you were referring to bankai, with the dual poison/summon. True, but the poison itself is just a side effect of the summon. I mean, Unohana's summon thing has a medical effect to it (albeit specialized to her division). At the same time, you're not really fighting against two people since it does take effort to control the summon, leaving the user utterly defenseless and without a blade. Though, I changed it to remove the poison stuff and placed something else.
  
  
• Yes, you could look at it that the overall picture is a giant pack of wolves, but at the same time, a lot of people's bankai and shikai can be similarly compared to main cannon characters as being thematically close. I mean, stark starts out large and just keeps sending them at you until there's no tomorrow. The ability I had was simply starts out small, and grows big, then stops. I do understand where you're coming from, but at the same time, if I were to read this, I wouldn't automatically relate it to stark. It's different enough that they're both separate categories (would it make a difference if I used squirrels instead of wolves? ). Aside from that, I've changed it completely to where there are no more multiplying wolves and left it at 6 wolves, creating a smaller pack.
  

[Darake Kitoushi]

For your shikai and Bankai I would think it would be better is you have one wolf. In my opinion I think the multiple thing does kinda tread on stark a bit.

My thought is this... maybe in your shikai you have this amazing wolf summon that is badass and then for your Bankai you could both have a physical change. Like maybe he could become this massive Dire Wolf and you could maybe get a wolf mantle (similar to Renji's ape mantle but way cooler!) and maybe you gain a wolfish appearance... maybe some cool wolfy fangs... glowing eyes... and then he can gain a darkness/poison-like effect. Rather then it being TTX. Or even a shadow effect... I mean you can work with this so well!! The shadow would work well with the investigation part of your charatcer... as he would need to hide in shadows and watch people. Just a thought! <3

fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/158/7/3/Darcia_from_Wolf__s_Rain_by_BlackMysticA.jpg

^Idea for Dire wolf... maybe whatever you like.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

Darcia! What an also of a dude XD. Anyways, got a new ability up, let's see how this one works out. Also, I'm keeping bankai at two wolves, I know multiple wolves is kinda threading on stark, but wolves hunt as a pack, and it won't do it justice if there's only one XD.

[Darake Kitoushi]

Quick questions.

1. What makes your shikai different than having the ability to teleport? Because the shadows, in essence are anywhere you say they are so in practice what makes this technique different?

2. A small screen? huh? Is this something we have seen in Bleach? I'm gonna say no to the screen because if it is in Bleach it is stepping on the toes of the 12th Division and that is a big no no. That is the downside to having a summon type, you leave yourself open and you don't have direct control over what the wolf sees. I mean he can howl for you to follow... but other then that. You must take the downsides to your ability if you want a summon type shikai.

3. Remove the Bankai from your app for this moment, lets get through the app part and you play your character and see how things go and then lets get your bankai all squared away.

I like the changes so far.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

1) Well, the thing about teleporting is that, it essentially allows you to go anywhere, during any situation. As for the shadows, there's a limit to how far you can go. In practice, hiding in the shadows is like going invisible essentially, seeing as its more like running without being seen. Not to mention, that in practice there has to be objects to create shadows. Ex: If we're fighting in a wide open field and there's no clouds, there won't be any shadows, except for the combatants. Not sure if that answered the question really...

2) Wait...the 12th division has a screen? The screen ability was mainly for out of battle use to spy on people. It still leaves Kaizen with a limited movement, and how does he not have direct control over what the wolf sees? The summon is controlled by the user leaving the user vulnerable and with limited movement. The screen ability is just using the summon similar to a remote controlled camera really, in all cases, Kaizen has to be nearby.

Edit: Ok, I just thought of something else, but if this is really acceptable, perhaps if I make it like a circular field? As in the shadow forms a circle on the floor, giving it a specific range.

3) Fine with me, I'd love to get the bankai over with now, but it can wait. ^_^. I just want to Rp already XD.

[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

1) About the abilities, I see where you are coming from in a literary, anime, or manga standpoint. But from a RP standpoint there is little difference, if someone with a teleportation ability wants to put limits on the ability they will say they can only teleport "x" distance and no solid objects can be in the way. Logistically your abilities are the same, the shadows within RP will be wherever you need them to be. Also while RPing no one could keep track of shadows so ever more reason why this wouldn't work as it is written.

2) As for the tracking ability, I am okay if you can only track other races, meaning hollows, humans, and pluses. Any Shinigami that would have the ability to know where the CC is at all times would be sent to Maggots Nest in the blink of an eye. Because a traitor with that ability would be Aizen-level hax.

3) I am okay with your wolf being in shadows but this would be more of a way to dodge and people could see his silhouette within the shadow so it wouldn't be a teleporting ability. But there needs to be a limit on how many times he can do this within a battle.

Other than that you are good.

[Zenkai Kaizen]

1 and 3) Fixed, so it can be tracked.

2) Yea, but I mean, why wouldn't the wolf be able to track shinigami? Well, would it work, since I put that the wolf can't sense out anybody with a even or higher spiritual energy? Pretty much, meaning captain level or above (hence the wolf can't track down captains or the CC).

[Darake Kitoushi]

I am assuming you would at some point want to be Captain level. If that is the case then at that point you would be able to track the CC or another Captain, so I don't see how that changes anything. The problem isn't exactly solved, most people can already sense lower level seats and Academy students merely because they can't control their reiatsu like a higher level. I.E Aizen being able to sense the humans within the real Karakura town or Byakuya sensing where Ichigo was in the beginning of Bleach (before the save Rukia arc.)

[Zenkai Kaizen]

Actually, even at that level I wouldn't be able to, since it would still be at an even level. Though, I removed that clause completely and just put that the wolf can track "beings (other than shinigami)". So, shinigami can't be found using the wolf.

[Darake Kitoushi]

Sounds good to me, my dear!

Approved for VC of the 3rd Division.

[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]