Darake Kitoushi

[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

Name: Darake, Kitoushi
Darake (n-suf) (1) implying (negatively) that something is full of (e.g. mistakes);
(2) covered all over (e.g. with blood); (P)
Kitoushi (n) medicine man; shaman; faith healer; witch doctor
Though it may be backwards from traditional Japanese format, the surgeon is always addressed in a professional setting by his first name. This difference is due to the fact that this is clearly not a real name, but rather one assumed from his position, apparently not having been given anything else. Very few know him beyond this and only those very close which are an extreme rarity know him as Darake, a name with both comical and sinister implications.


Age: 471 - 28
Gender: Male
Birthday: April 22nd
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 180
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: A gray nearly approaching white

Division: 4th Division Trauma and Triage
Rank: Yonbantai Taicho (Captain)





Constitution
-Strength: 5 [The hemorrhaged disks within Kitoushi's lumber spinal column greatly limits his physical prowess, as well as his muscular strength.]
-Endurance: 10 [Several lifetimes of chronic pain have caused him to develop an abnormally high pain tolerance, however his health is tenuous.]

Dexterity
-Agility: 20 [Despite having a great deal of skill in hohō, his disability now limits these sudden bursts of momentum beyond a short few steps.]
-Accuracy: 30 [Decades of practiced surgeries have endowed him with a particularly deft slight of hand, blistering speed, and pinpoint precision.]

Zanjutsu
-Offensive: 10 [Though possessing an incredible piercing capability, the release itself is only able to do extremely minimal amounts of damage.]
-Defensive: 20 [The zanpakutō is capable of producing a variety of potent barrier, binding, and various medical utility suited for treating patients.]

Kidou
-Hadou: 5 [Kitoushi has trained only the bare minimum of offensive demon arts, instead focusing upon those more suited for medical practice.]
-Bakudou: 25 [The defensive arts not only afford protection, the binding skills provide invaluable tools to hinder an enemy for assassination.]

Perception
-Intelligence: 30 [Kitoushi's mind constantly craves stimulation and when not satisfied, he turns to his other addictions of pain killers and killing.]
-Concentration: 20 [Though he tries to maintain a public reputation of apathy, his exhaustive training allows him to weather an extended struggle.]

Presence
-Leadership: 20 [While avoiding any sort of day to day commitments, in a crisis situation his strategic mind allows him to aptly place assets.]
-Charisma: 5 [Kitoushi's misanthropic nature in combination with rather disturbing personality traits can often cause conflict and breed mistrust.]




[x] [x] [x]
First thing noticeable about Kitoushi is his scruffy unkempt white hair that drapes down haphazardly over one eye. Though poorly taken care of, it somehow remains very soft yet dull in color. Often much to his annoyance he is prodded by women claiming that his hair is more beautiful than their own. His remaining eye is a piercing shade of green that seems to look strait through people with a eerie analytic glare. Shaving a bit randomly he nearly always can be seen with some variation of a five o'clock shadow which increases the overall less than professional look. His face is usually relaxed though it shows many signs of stress with large circles under his eyes making him look a bit older than he should. Overly apathetic his mood is one of constant boredom, however he yet seems to have a disturbing talent for finding humor in the strangest of places. Though this enjoyment is often cruel with short lived enjoyment before the surgeon returns to his silent misery. Many find his small grin and joyful attitude in strange or stressful situations to be very unusual and more than simply eerie. All the while typically he looks board out of his mind and wears an appropriate expression of lazy apathy that will only change on the rare chance he can find something truly interesting of the macabre or disturbing fashion. The fact that he's very silent and tends to surprise people doesn't help to distract from this unsettling image.

Never seen without it, the surgeon wears a set of two cloaks hung loosely over his shoulders. On top is an old dark brown jacket in which hangs loosely over his shoulders with the sleeves hung limply to his sides making his lanky frame seem a bit larger. Practically hidden below this one is the traditional white captain's haori, peaking out in which only the edges can be seen almost as if trying to hide the fact. Hidden within these coats lie several pockets filled with various medical oddities and devices, with the traditional medic pouch attached to the backside of his belt. For longer missions or special assignments, the prepared and careful minded shinigami can be seen wearing a large wooden backpack that carries a large quantity of various chemicals, medicine, and devices. Filled within the drawers are all manner of strange device and remedy for nearly any occasion providing he had the forethought for anything more advanced than the typical occurrences.

Being forced into experimentation in the twelfth, his left side became severely damaged leaving him with a near unusable hand, limp in his leg, failure of his eye, and white hair at such an early age. These trials activated the unique hemotoxin found within his blood that now makes his bodies fluids poison to all others, leaving him unable to have any sort of intimate relationship. Yet even worse than this was the blow of becoming unable to properly perform surgery with only the use of one hand. Eventually he would find a way to repair this damage, however his leg remains damaged without any hope of repair. Yet Kitoushi continues to desperately search for forbidden possibilities. Often the enigmatic man can be seen cutting open cigarillos and filling it with some other sort of herb that's clearly not tobacco, that he near constantly smokes. In addition it's not unusual to see him drinking from the gourd on his waist or popping pain pills beyond necessity to the point of public intoxication. Even appearing this way when treating patients, the doctor seems to walk around without worry despite it seeming as if he could be fired any moment. This brazen display is a result of the surgeon's confidence in the knowledge of how desperately that the Gotei Thirteen needs medics, at least for the temporary moment. It's this continued self destruction that paints a very unflattering image in his coworkers eyes and can cultivate a lack of respect for him among his division, that is until he is seen in action. Kitoushi's gigai is decorated with clothing that is very similar to his normal attire though it looks a bit more plain and appropriate for the time period. Most of all it was chosen to simply try and blend in or possibly just thrown together out of laziness. As always the colors tend to remain the dark earth tones that he seems so fond of. However this attire is not seen on him often as rarely does he spend any time inside of a false body finding it difficult to search a reason for the trouble. The only real reason that he can find interest in human affairs is to attend displays of new surgical techniques.



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[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

Personality:
Spending a great deal of time within the hallways of his own mind many find Darake Kitoushi to be distant, appearing to have little to no interest in others thoughts or feelings. Though not outright rude the medicine man simply seems to ignore all the social standards and will always do what he believes to be best regardless of any stigma attached. Approaching problems in a unique and practical way, the surgeon has a habit of forming his own rules and ignoring the conventions that he feels are inferior. Almost at all times wearing an apathetic face, an aura of disinterest seems to hang over any conversation with the medic as only the rarest of information provokes any interest to him. The doctor will however throw around small grins and smirks when something particularly unusual happens and often very grim, a trait many find to be extremely unsettling. Additionally the medicine man has a strange penchant for being rude to his own allies and polite to his enemies, serving to further distance himself from others. The term ally must be used loosely however as coworkers often get the vibe that they are nothing more than tools or game pieces to him.

Using a sort of introverted intuition, the misanthropic surgeon lives within a word composed of observing the world and to generate new ideas and possibilities. The medicine man's mind seems to not have an off switch as he is at all times constantly gathering information and making associations based on such. Learning exclusively through experience he works to develop new theories or improve existing ones. Rather than the goal being to simply observe new concepts, his true desire is to ultimately apply this concept in a practical way. Dealing with everything he encounters by categorizing it into rational and understandable position, this allows him an ability to objectively and clinically analyze the reality of any situation. Using his forensic medical mindset this lends him well to properly dealing with a stressful issue in the most efficient and logical manner. More than anything else this lends to the surgeon being able to practically take any idea and transform it into a useful concept, adapting to turn any logistical fault into an advantage.

The taint to this order of thinking comes within a sort of practiced empathy that is rarely seen within the same mindset. Normally such a decisive long-range thinker who so highly values clarity and efficiency, he is at times unable to see the intricacies of others emotions. Despite the cold appearance this thought process has taken him as far as to constantly analyze everyone around him just as he would within a medical situation. Decades of this practiced bedside manner have given the medicine man rare insight into the thoughts process and emotions of others, however there is still a matter of disconnect in relating to them himself. As such it's become increasingly easy for him to read others from simple expressions and movement and respond to them in a convincing manner. That is however exclusively whenever he can manage the desire as the surgeon's ever growing apathy constantly provides conflict to exerting any effort. To further add to his off-putting image and his laziness, an addiction to painkillers seem to occupy a monopoly on his time and interest.

Though being angry or worried are about the more foreign emotions to him and disturbingly so, his mood can only be described as one of continual annoyance with the bland rituals of society or anything repetitious. Though an even greater source of annoyance is the constant occurrence in which others don't understand something he feels should be painfully obvious. Often this means placing the blame always on others rather than his own incorrect translation or the result that so few can live up to his impossibly high standards. Gifted with a uniquely flexible morality, Kitoushi is frequently misunderstood due to his lack of desire to explain anything "obvious" correctly and properly, serving as a further excuse to push people away. However, it is possible to surpass this wall and if he respects a person feeling them to be deserving then his explanations can become quite a deal more clear. Another rarely seen side of the medicine man occurs only when forced into combat against his will and his only goal becomes to simply finish things as fast as possible to end the boredom. Ruthless to a terrifying extent at times, many find it impossible to accept the disgusting tactics the shinigami has no qualms to employ.

Unable to ever make a choice between medicine and surgery, Kitoushi feels it would be foolish to ever focus on a single subject. Despite these seeming connotations of weakness in combination with his cripple appearance, the surgeon's skills in combat could never be doubted once seen. With no talent for swordsmanship his ability and form completely change once the large unwieldy katana has shrunk to the small efficient shape. Allowing him to strike swiftly and with surgical precision, he can dive into an opponents range for a strike to then retreat from their range making his style very reminiscent of a snake striking. To further this image he may use the string of his zanpakutō to reach with an extended range that catches many off guard with it's devastating speed and difficulty to be see when in flight. Effectively combining the adept speed of his hands gained from years of surgery along with his knowledge of anatomy his perceived physical weakness is soon seen to be a non-factor. Though incredibly fast, his injured leg along with the bulging and herniation in his joints however largely reduces the speed he once could achieve and is largely supplemented with efficient flash steps in order to minimize using the troubled leg. The fighting style of the once medicine man is one of clinical and calculating efficiency, though rarely seen due to his desire for something to interest him. As long as there is still something to possibly learn from the opponent, a duel to him is nothing more than a game.


Strengths:
With a history of rather unsavory activity, there has been some personal gain in the matter of desensitizing him to many numerous factors. This allows him to mentally function as entirely normal under harsh or shocking conditions, a necessary tool in his history of being a surgeon and even torturer. With a specialty in physiology and toxicology, Kitoushi possesses a wide array of knowledge in dissecting and properly understanding the mechanics of how something works. With such a practiced logical thought structure it follows naturally that he has become a devastatingly efficient strategist. Often he can explain to others how to best implement themselves on the battlefield or help them utilize a technique to the fullest advantage. With a basic knowledge of literature Kitoushi also spends a great deal of time in studying both historical battles, philosophy, and psychology. Using this combination of esoteric knowledge, he has created a system of developing unique yet practical application of plans, disregarding the rules and typical associations. Kitoushi nearly approaches everything in a way that makes a great deal of sense to himself and very little to others, however the results are indisputable.

The shinigami surgeon has amassed a long history of battlefield procedures leading to the development of a number of peculiar and rather extreme methods of treating patients and opponents, seeing them both in no different manner than a delicate operation. Though his entire manner appears to be disheveled, his skill and deft hand with a surgical instrument is absolutely unparalleled. This however translates only when he releases his blade into the proper tool for his practiced hands. Given the speed of his hands he has attempted to compensate his weakness by incorporating the hakuda styles aikido and jeet kune do into his rather unusual methods in order to defend himself physically and can be easily combined with the style of his release. The advent of this type of combat is unlikely given the amount of options that Kitoushi makes no hesitation to use even if considered underhanded, as he simply finds direct combat troublesome, painful, and rather pointless. In order to minimize direct conflicts, distract the enemy to perform medical procedures in the field, or hold the enemy in place for assassination, Kitoushi has become very adept of utilizing bakudō as well as developing the reserves in order to cast them without becoming winded easily. In his somewhat deranged sense of apathy he is always willing to employ whatever technique needed to make the event less work for himself or simply to make things more interesting.


Weaknesses:
It takes less than a glance in order to tell that Kitoushi is a deeply flawed individual, both physically and mentally. In a description of the surgeon's weaknesses it is impossible to ignore his rampant drug abuse that seem to obviously exceed his own need. This can very clearly and frequently seen when he is performing long hours of his profession at the fourth division hospital or participating in any sort of combat function. It becomes glaringly obvious that this exceeds acceptable levels to some, despite any supposed ability they make him capable of. The next flaw most prevalent in his manner is his constant state of finding annoyance or flaw in nearly every facility and person around him, which produces only criticism and apathy on his part. This often results in a short temperance for wasting time to create explanations he feels should be painfully obvious. Society and duty to him are seen as outdated bland rituals that entirely fail to captivate his interest or be worth his time. As such this obviously leads to a misanthropic personality in which he outright avoids from any sort of human contact that isn't forced. In the same breath, he seems to greatly enjoy the contact of others only in the very specific situation of when he's toying with them in an expectantly harsh manner that is borderline sadistic. In reality this belies a much harsher nature that shows through thanks to his history within the second division where he employed extremely immoral surgical assassination and medical torture techniques. As a result these cards form a structure in which the shinigami is interested in only the most extremely rare and investigative form of phenomenon that is so rarely seen.

Certain offensive techniques and more particularly hadou have began to elude him in his disinterest, only relying on the sound few that provide use in a medical manner that could warrant their use. His lack of skill to wield his own sealed zanpakutou or any form of traditional combat with a katana is seemingly played off as a meager source of embarrassment and something unneeded for someone in his position, largely in a lab or office. This makes him appear at first a very feeble opponent to nearly all those who don't invoke more of his interest and fosters hostilities with the eleventh division who believe him to be inadequate as a captain. This is made more particularly glaring with the advent of the weakness in his left side. Having suffered bulging and herniation in his joints causing the left side of his body trouble with pain and movement of his leg. As such with getting around the hospital a troublesome affair, long distance escape or response is neigh impossible without some assistance. Furthermore there is the matter of the blind spot imposed by his discarded eye that can create unfortunate openings. Even with these disadvantages Kitoushi finds combat a boring, tiresome, and painful affair. As such he treats such conflict simply as surgery and creates tests or games to occupy himself in a clinically distant manner, which can lead to often overly displaying disinterest in a situation that deserves more serious inspection.



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[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

Zanpakutō Spirit: [x]
Oketsu manifests itself as a extremely long dark red snake with glistening scales covering it head to toe. The spirit appears randomly in size at times small enough to sit on his shoulder coiling around Kitoushi's body, and other times larger than a mountain range and somehow always seems as if unending. The creature though appearing very lazy, claims not be despite the fact it can sleep for up to eight days at a time. Speaking very slowly and not often it seemingly chooses its words wisely on the rare occasion it is awake. The passenger seems to have no other purpose than to force the resistant shinigami to his highest potential, specially when it is in a direction he doesn't want to go. The spirit preaches a sort of yin-yang philosophy of always seeing the use and benefit in even the most tragic of situations. Sometimes the spirit has to batter Kitoushi with use of the Socratic method in order to get him to accept truth's he doesn't yet want to face. Often he can be extremely harsh and demanding, but in the end he seems to be the single person with the shinigami's best interest at heart.

Oketsu's spirit plane consists of several giant Go boards which float around haphazardly in every direction, some of which are covered in forests of red or green trees, like large islands ignoring gravity. However there is very little coincidental about this positioning as each and every point has specific significance. At every intersection is the potential growth of a tree, the placement of them relevant to the situation, time, and place of every individual Kitoushi has killed or saved. Currently part of the board is in the process of becoming a budding forest or red leaves. These trees form a large canopy, however sinister in their beauty as at their base is the dead body of someone he has killed. When the kill is fresh the body first appears at one of the many intersections with a small sapling growing in the chest. This gradually grows with the roots snaking through the body into the go board creating a macabre forest. The roots themselves absorb the blood of the victim until they are drained dry, gradually causing the body to shrivel and eventually disappear. The tree leaves themselves changed from a shade of green to deep red throughout this process. However opposing the growth of this forest is those in which individuals seem at peace asleep at the base of a tree, those in which he has saved, instead causing the leaves to glow an iridescent green. To others this would be a forest of horrors, but to Kitoushi this is the only place he has ever felt at peace. These forests were once countable and a specific number could be read in the amount of individuals he has both killed and saved. Now with several boards full to the brim, floating around the current unfilled one, it has become impossible to count them all.

The most important notable feature of this plain is not only the numerous trees, but the distinctive arrangement at the center. Within these forest, lies a completely contradictory full open air operating room with rows of tables at the central intersections. Directly on the center point of the world is a stand with tray with neatly arranged surgical tools of every variety. Though he uses the forest to train his combat skills, this central area is used to hone his surgical skills. It however can be a very inquisitive place to him, which is quite significant considering his indifference to the forest. This is due to these intersections being covered in tables rather than trees, with a proxy of potential patients or victims appearing upon them. Several proxies of individuals who play a role in Kitoushi's life lay here, however it creates an unsettling atmosphere not knowing whether they will become his next patient or prey.

Outside of the incredible size of this Go board containing the ever expanding forest is a foggy mountain range which seems impossible to pass. Often when appearing gargantuan in size Oketsu can be found here asleep, coiling over the various hills and valleys. In reality hidden within these winding foggy paths there lay many more heads to the spirit that were revealed as the lethargic shinigami began to gain a clearer understanding of the spirit and his own thinking processes. In reality his spirit is not a simple snake, but instead a deceptive hydra showing itself only on a rare occasion of particular desire.

Upon first discovering his spirit Kitoushi was almost appalled that the manifestation of his soul could be a serpent. To him it represented a lowly creature that hid in the grass and was associated with betrayal, only proving further that his dislike for himself is justified. Eventually however he came to understand how alike he was to the image waiting, planning, observing, for the opportune moment to strike. Soon he realized the wisdom in that even the most deadly of snake venom can be used to save thousands of lives after converting it to a cure. Even the cruelest things in this world exist for a good reason and perhaps even someone as vile as himself could do some good in the world...

Sealed Zanpakutō: [x]
The only thing commonly seen of Kitoushi's zanpakutou is the rather haggard appearance of the handle peaking from under his obi sash and behind his usual pair of cloaks. The tarnished end cap as well as the handguard are of a dull silver color that look as similarly beat up as the brown dirty tattered wrappings that drape very loosely over the handle which appears to be layered over a dark blood red underneath. These wrappings would seemingly provide little aid in proper grip or function. Hidden within the handle is a spool of piano wire in varying thickness that can be used for a variety of purposes in the surgeons deft hands including thicker variety to suture an allies wound, or thin to garrote an enemy. The guard is circular and flat with a rather simple but detailed imprint of a snake with notched scales circling around to bite it's own tail, a symbol of the Ouroboros. The sheath is more rectangular shaped then average and as similarly unimpressive with a simple grain of a stained dark cherry wood to which only upon inspection can a very faint impression of another snake bending around the length of the sword's holster. Once again this is a reference to an ancient symbol, this time referring to the Rod of Aesculapius. This faint engraving is black though red tinted blending in with the rosy nature of the material. The sheath like the blade, juts outward about two inches above the hand guard, extending forward before continuing it's path upward. An indention into the blade itself goes down the length of the katana serving as a sort of funnel for blood. This causes the liquid to travel downwards dripping just above the hand guard, which can fall onto the handle of an opponent in a clash causing them to critically lose grip of their weapon. Those who have the misfortune of seeing the blade observe the striking dried blood stains that cover it very thickly in an almost unusual nature that somewhat symbolizes the blood Kitoushi cannot wash from his hands. Nicked and as worn as the rest of his zanpakutou the very average sized blade is seemingly damaged in several areas that match the unkempt manner of it's owner.






Shikai Incantation: Ayatsuru, ...Oketsu [Operate, ...Impure Blood]
Shikai Category: Poison Type
Shikai Range: Close to Mid-Range
Shikai Description: Shrinking dramatically in size the blade almost seems as if it would disappear until it takes the form of a simple entirely unimpressive surgical needle slightly longer than five inches in length. A red string then shoots from the end circling around the user dramatically in several loops making it look almost as if it has no end. This string is deadly sharp like piano wire and requires a special delicate hand in order to grasp so that it may be used as a weapon all in itself or as a way to catch the enemies blade. Alone and even without ability the unassuming weapon itself is deadly as a needle for assassination when combined with medical knowledge of anatomy. The zanpakutou is one that forcefully displays a particular deft of hand that is only gained from years of diligent surgeries and will fade rapidly into old age. Said to be similar to a snake striking, a simple stab with the needle is difficult to see let alone block. The needle itself focuses his reiatsu entirely at the tip rather than the edge of a blade as others do, thus making it pierce through nearly any defense. Decades of practiced speed and accuracy make a fight against Kitoushi more of an operation, viewing his opponent as a patient and their resistance some problematic disease.

This however has the unfortunate disadvantage of extremely close range which is where the string comes in changing the form entirely to that of the rare style known as rope dart wielding. Extending the range a great deal this allows the weapon to be thrown with menacing speed and accuracy and quickly returned all with the simple flick of a wrist. Additionally this can be spun to increase momentum to strike nearly beyond what any other weapon is capable of by simple matter of physics. Following this same logic it can be curved around objects in the scenery, his own limb, or even the opponent's weapon in order to very rapidly change its trajectory, catch the enemy at a difficult angle, and make the needle neigh untraceable to the eye. A combination of the size of the weapon and the speed at which it can creatively be attacked with make it a very difficult weapon to defend against, coming at a devastating sacrifice of basic defense.

Technique Name: Kyuuketsu [Blood Donor]
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close Range
Technique Description: The needle itself is infected with his own unique poison composed from Kitoushi's own toxic blood that contains a devastating hemotoxin. Strictly this isn't a actually a poison that can be cured by normal means, but rather simply his own blood. With each strike this weapon absorbs a generous portion of the enemies blood and exchanges it with a small amount of his own. This wound then becomes instantly infected as well as disrupting the chemical makeup of the area of the puncture, not allowing the wound to repair itself easily even under special methods. This advanced type of toxin found in some snakes infects the wound with a hemophilia type of condition in which the blood can no longer clot, thereby causing extreme and unstoppable bleeding from the puncture. The more blood the enemy loses the greater the severity, serving to tire and slow the opponent a great deal. Only ten to twenty percent of one's blood needs to be lost before symptoms of Hypovolemia, a decrease of blood volume, begin to occur. This includes violent changes in ones body that effects nearly every aspect of proper functioning from movement to thought. This includes Tachypnea, increased respiratory rate; tachycardia, increased heart rate; hypovolemic shock; decreased systolic pressure; and an alteration in mental status resulting in anxiety, confusion, and agitation. Though the wounds of the needle are very small and the damage almost laughable, the poison is what makes every strike incredibly dangerous with serious exhaustion practically guarantied after a few strikes and exsanguination a realistic and extremely serious threat if with more. In some occasions a fight can be ended with only a single pierce if untreated.

Technique Name: Gyouketsu [Blood Clot]
Technique Category: Defensive
Technique Range: Close Range
Technique Description: This technique first requires contact with blood at the point of Kitoushi's needle zanpakutou and upon contact his reiatsu is weaved within the blood to retain it's hemophiliac qualities. However this now allows him to immediately control the clotting mechanisms and morph the substance as if conducting the blood. This means that positioning and the amount of material are both large concerns for the surgeon tactician. Using blood spilled or pulled from a body, this allows the formation of an arc-like barrier limited in size by the amount of time and material proportioned in degree of complexity to create the desired object. By clotting the blood loosely, it becomes an incredibly easy material to work with and control. Once the clotting has began it becomes more rigid and dense depending on level on concentration and how reinforced the structure is. Small simple structures have become incredibly easy to construct and depending on thickness, feel nearly impenetrable or unbreakable. When the material is spread out it can still retain a very sturdy quality, though a blade could rather easily go through a thin wall at first. However as clotting continues around the blade it becomes enveloped by the substance almost as if stuck within glue.

Technique Name: Danketsu [Blood Stitches]
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close to Mid-Range
Technique Description: This technique first requires contact with blood at the point of Kitoushi's needle zanpakutou and upon contact his reiatsu is weaved within the blood to retain it's hemophiliac qualities. Blood may then be conducted in a sort of wave at the tip of the needle and thrown, or the technique immediately activated at point of contact. The blood then springs to life and consolidates into several small threads that rapidly lash themselves through the opponent's skin seeking out another targeted area. These stitches forcefully bind two points together in such a tight grasp that cutting with a blade is not an option. They may be removed without incident if cut with precise concentration, time to cut each of them, and only with small implements such as tweezers. This allows the welding of wounds, body parts to another, or a body part to an object. The process itself is painful as several small infection free wounds appear and are bound to something, but the real pain is reserved for one who wish to rip out the sutures themselves. The threads do take some mild effort to forcefully pull apart, but can be done by just about anyone in reality. The repercussions for such actions are severe however as this causes a much larger wound which is infected with Kitoushi's signature hemophiliac poison, causing significant and continual blood loss. The stitches can however be troublesome to maintain by requiring concentration and effort in order for the blood to retain it's small structure.

Technique Name: Enzanketsu [Blood Surgery]
Technique Category: Utility
Technique Range: Close Range
Technique Description: By utilizing a combination of Gyouketsu and Danketsu, a new technique was born as an invaluable tool to perform surgery on the battlefield. Utilizing these techniques within a person provides an entirely different range of uses which first starts with the purification of the blood collected by Oketsu, thus rendering the poison produced by Kyuuketsu null. Clotting the blood from inside a patients body becomes an invaluable assistant to his surgical technique with the ability to target blood to become more liquid or solid. This provides a more efficient sort of healing technique due to the ability to create tools within the patient, performing the complex reconstruction from inside in combination with reiki healing energy. Any sort of real operation requires a great deal of concentration, however simple aid can be rendered relatively immediate. By repairing the wound from within not only can this be used in a targeted manner to stop bleeding or bind fractures via blood stitches, but it can also be made to naturally expel foreign materials or poisons to the surface.






Bankai Name: Orochi Oketsu [Impure Blood Hydra]
Bankai Category: Colossal Extension Release
Bankai Description: The ritual first begins by placing both his arms through sleeves of the pair of jackets the rest upon his shoulders, a significant sign he is about to release as this is the only time he can be seen wearing them properly. Outstretching his arm in front of him with sealed blade pointed towards the sky, a flick of the wrist then turns it downwards and held in an underhand style. Turning the blade upon himself, the tip of the blade is placed against his own chest. The word ban- is calmly muttered while looking strait into the opponent's eyes before his face is tilted downwards so that his hair covers them. The phrase is finished as -kai is finally spoken while the blade is plunged deeply into his chest, using his surgical knowledge and skill to avoid any significant damage to himself. All the while Kitoushi's face showing no signs of distress, but instead a wearing his signature smirk. The tip of the katana pierces his back and blood violently explodes in ample volumes which clearly exceeds the amount in a human body, defying gravity as it does not seem to fall to the ground. The sanguine liquid commences to funnel into several cylinders as it begins to decisively take shape. Finally the manner of the construct can be deduced as the eight large structures each form their own head of a snake.

Gaining full control over the blood woven with his reiatsu, the hydra is under the telekinetic control of Kitoushi. However the serpents can be much more independently and dexterously controlled by movements with the hands thus giving the appearance he is conducting a symphony. The viper constantly move and interweave in a practically hypnotic formation which forces the enemies constant focus on them. Furthermore this makes tracking their movement increasingly difficult in the heat of combat as well as the moment they will attack unpredictable. The nature of the bankai is composed so that Kitoushi may perform multiple surgeries on the battlefield simultaneously, perhaps even while defending them from attack thus making it a creature of extreme efficiency for the fourth division surgeon. Contact with the serpents allows for blood to be collected from fallen combatants on the battlefield or even donated from constenting allies. This provides the captain with capabilities to turn a late arrival to a bloodstained losing battle into a resounding advantage. Most importantly through the bankai Kitoushi finally found what he'd been searching for nearly his entire life as a shinigami, a way to conquer his debilitating physical condition.

Technique Name: Kyuuketsu Jakoushou [Blood Donor Serpent Bite]
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close Range
Technique Description: The entire hydra itself is composed of blood containing the virulent hemotoxin, with the fangs of the serpents creating four puncture marks. Thereby any wound that comes into contact or caused by the serpents begins to violently bleed causing the hemophilia-like condition in which blood can no longer clot. This is accomplished by injecting a small amount of this blood into the enemy and contributes to blood loss by drinking a generous portion of the victim's own. The blood, as well as any the hydra comes into contact with, is absorbed into the structure and can be used to create more of the serpents. Thus the myth of a hydra having it's heads cut off and more created is not literal regeneration, however the appearance of doing so is replicated.

Technique Name: Gyouketsu Jahikaku [Blood Clot Serpent Skin]
Technique Category: Defensive
Technique Range: Close to Long Range
Technique Description: With the entire hydra composed of blood under the direct control of Kitoushi, this can provide a rather potent defense against physical attacks. While weapons find it easy to enter the substance, they will quickly find their armament slowed to a halt. By controlling the clotting mechanisms within the blood, it can rapidly condense around the opponent's weapon becoming similar to glue and disallow an opponent to dislodge their blade. Through it becomes incredibly difficult to remove the weapon, it takes some degree of concentration to hold these clotting factors and it will simply fall through the blood when discontinued. Through use of Touketsu Jatsuku a serpent may be disconnected from the hydra and thrown in order to protect an ally using this technique, however this sacrifices the construct in order to do so. As well the clotting cannot be controlled or held, thus whatever it catches will only remain stuck for a short time before the blood falls helplessly to the ground.

Technique Name: Danketsu Jahougou [Blood Stitches Serpent Suture]
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close to Long Range
Technique Description: Upon activation of the technique a blood serpent is sacrificed, bursting apart into a multitude of threads. This is near instantly weaved into an opponent's skin in an exceptionally tight manner to which a blade could not hope to cut to cut without specific instruments and time to concentrate. This forcefully and painfully lashes together a body part to another object of Kitoushi's direction. This could be used to bind an enemy to a wall, ground, or even another body part. If this is activated with a fang of a serpent sunk into the skin, it could even interlace organs to create all manner of havoc on one's inner systems. The stitches are rather difficult to remove with force, although with an aggressive jerk of significant physical effort, just about anyone could break it. This will however cause massive ripping of any organic substance attached to it and activates the signature hemophiliac poison which results in a severe wound with traumatic bleeding.

Technique Name: Enzanketsu Jasenbetsu [Blood Surgery Serpent Triage]
Technique Category: Utility
Technique Range: Close Range
Technique Description: By combining Gyouketsu Jahikaku to control clotting mechanisms and Danketsu Jahougou so that wounds can be sutured together, this technique allows the serpents to proficiently treat wounds in the battlefield. By sacrificing the serpent, it can then dissolve itself to harmlessly enter a patient in order to perform delicate and controlled surgery from within. This is more efficient than typical surgery as it performs the reconstruction inside where normal tools may not be able to reach. Furthermore this is more intuitive than simply performing treatment with reiki alone through using both techniques in a systematic manner. All manner of complex operations are possible though they require appropriate degrees of concentration. However some simple treatments can be performed relatively on the fly such stopping bleeding, stitching wounds, setting broken bones, or expel foreign substances.

Technique Name: Touketsu Jatsuku [Blood Scalpel Serpent Strike]
Technique Category: Augment
Technique Range: Close to Long Range
Technique Description: Through the ability to control the blood flowing throughout the serpents, it can be compartmentalized into specific sections either towards or away the center of the hydra. Through suddenly shooting this towards the opposite section of the serpent, an immense source of pressure is created through hydraulic force. This allows the shooting of the serpent outward with blinding momentum, thus mimicking the snap of a snake's strike. It is even possible to throw a serpent using this method, though this of course sacrifices it. The real impressive feat of this trick is to place the head of a serpent upon a platform and discharge the blood. Painstakingly achieved to bypass the limitations of his frail body, this launches Kitoushi at blistering velocity in order to overcome his disability. Though typically two serpents are used to perform this technique, utilizing more further multiplies the already devastating effect despite being exhaustive. It's important to note that these three methods of using the technique differ functionally in no way, except where it is aimed at.


Body Modification:



Kijin no Geass
Nobleman's Geis

Not making light of taking such a criminal outside of Maggot's Nest, they replaced both of Kitoushi's eyes each with specific functions. The first of which his left eye, which remains nonfunctional for sight, to which behind this orb lies the symbol of the Nakatomi clan. With the quick utterance of a specific kidou made linked to this object, it is known and only capable of use by those of the inventive Nakatomi noble family. When triggered this causing the widespread firing of sensory and motor nerves throughout the body resulting in massive involuntary muscle contractions. This has several levels in intensity ranging from simple jolts of pain near to a shock collar, to completely debilitating, to even causing death should they so choose. Unable to be removed by any known methods, it is truly one of the most efficient methods of caging a beast.




Daija no Geass
Serpent's Geis

While this was originally given in order to keep a constant visual contact with their young noble daughter, Kitoushi has found quite a few other adaptations. Going as far for his research as to replace his own remaining eye it now possesses a number of special attributes. In true medical pursuit he has embraced this special optic device that gives him the ability to see through nearly all visible spectrum. With the ability to cycle through all wavelengths of light, this includes such possibilities of things as X-ray vision with control over intensity, or thermal vision to see potential threats coming or diagnose temperature conditions. In most frequent application like an ultrasound that is functioning at a distance giving him the greatest ability to find the circulatory system and arteries. This can even going as far as to see the configuration of reiatsu to better understand his opponents anatomy and composition. Bypassing traditional sight entirely by not relying on traditional anatomy, this instead is akin to direct processing of information in the brain. This has in the past become quite overwhelming with extended use resulting in a number of incredibly painful migraines. Despite this drawback, this has proven to be a deadly counter to illusion based abilities as they rarely have the power to penetrate every spectrum. This has obvious implications in the medical and research fields instantly allowing him to diagnose many conditions, but even contributes to a savage advantage in combat allowing him to see the physiology of the opponent and understand the architecture of techniques. Though it is in no way telescopic as it allows him to see no further than a normal shinigami and he is still subject to the blind spot left behind from his absent eye. Kitoushi can no longer view the world as everyone else does in the traditional sense, however he never truly believed he did.


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[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

Records show Darake Kitoushi was at rather young age when his family was killed, collateral damage of conflict between rival lords. As far back as the boy could remember, he was bounced from place to place not unlike many other cases. What made him different however was that despite this humble upbringing, the unassuming boy would eventually end up as a prominent traveling medicine man. This was born from his unique thirst for knowledge, studying any possible subject the boy could get his hands upon in combination with a bout of bulging and herniation in his joints that forced him to spend his entire time indoors. A visit to the small town from a sage medicine man would change the course of his life by offering him a treatment and knowledge of how to make it. From this moment the child's path was set in stone to follow in such footsteps. As he grew older he began pioneering a number of techniques and living day to day his name spread over the country being exaggerated as a hero, a man who could create miracles. This success reached the ears of a lord who was rising in power, Date Masamune who's relative had fallen ill with an unknown condition. Summoned by the lord, Kitoushi foolishly began treatment with an experimental medicine that inadvertently accelerated the conditions causing the young boys death.

In the face of his execution for the first time the medicine man would do the thing he was the best at, he lied. Using his silver-tongue, Kitoushi barely managed to secure his own survival claiming they merely didn't understand the treatment used. Despite his deep guilt for killing the child, he convincingly cast doubt in the lords mind that it wasn't possibly the medicine man's fault. Rather than penalty of death instead he was instead forced into the lords service, negotiating a job instead of his death. His freedom was quite strained at first practically a prisoner in every aspect, this was of immense strain to the wondering medicine man who thrived on knowledge. Quite some time passed when he was not allowed to practice medicine at all and even his own medication was taken away. Now living in a constant pain within his joints and having no activity to occupy his mind he began to wonder into madness. Little did he know that this was hardly the worst one could experience. Enemies of the Date family would grow as he cast aside former alliances, eventually angering the Hatakeyama who would kidnap the young lord's father in desperation. In a rescue attempt, the elderly man was killed and soon Date's wrath would rein down upon the Hatakeyama family. This crusade would eventually end the silence of his imprisonment, suddenly broken by a group of torturers gathered by the lord to exact vengeance of the family of his father's killer. This group was in need of a man with medical expertise to test the limits of what a human could endure without their death. This was quite possibly the birth of the medical torturer and something dark within the medicine man.

Suddenly Kitoushi was thrust in front of a captured soldier, a noble samurai whom if had the chance would have thrust his own blade upon himself to protect his lords secrets. To his disappointment however he'd not been given the opportunity and now stubbornly professed his oath to not say a word. The medicine man looked to the tools in front of him and resisted, but his captors without word simply left him alone in the room with the samurai. The warrior was quite ready for death and all to talkative, continuing to profess that the medicine man would not extract a single secret from him. This man berated him continuously wearing on the thin line of restraint and sanity that Kitoushi could barely fight in his delirious state. Eventually, in a fit of blind frustration the deed was performed and not only that, but he'd actually enjoyed it as the first true use of his advanced knowledge in some years. More over than that it was this particular pursuit of the forbidden information that drove him to unusual lengths and profound happiness. The noble samurai did not last long to the disturbing techniques employed by the medicine man and the powerful lord could not have been more pleased with his success. As a result many lives were saved on both sides and this caused medicine man to somehow feel secure that he had done the right thing. The lord's experiment had worked and this is how a monster was born.

The medicine man became vastly more popular with the work on each of his “patients” and provided results that none of the others could compare to. Gradually the man would garner more favor with his faked charisma, a cunning skill developed from years of analyzed bedside manner. Manipulation became second nature to him as he tried to gain more freedoms and favor with his captors in which the line had become blurred. Before long they had forgotten he was forced to be here and was assumed to be just as loyal as the next doctor. A defining moment came in the form of adverting a poisoning of the lord by his own mother, cementing Kitoushi as one of the few individuals he truly trusted. Watching closely the medicine man learned vast amounts from this lord and his ruthless vision to rule the surrounding lands. Biding his time with extreme unnerving patience, Kitoushi lay in wait for the particular and prefect moment to strike. Unfortunately this time would never arrive because he was attached to an expedition that led itself outside the country. The lord had become fascinated with foreign technology and came up with the strategy to use Christianity to acquire it.

The loyal retainer to Date Masamune, Hasekura Tsunenaga set out from Japan in 1613 leading the monumental first Japanese voyage around the world with aim to secure trade among foreign nations and ultimately meet with the Pope in Rome. The medicine man begrudgingly accepted the mission with plans to assassinate his lord when the voyage ended, although unknown to him he would never return. The medicine man tended to the medical needs of the crew during the long and trying voyage. It was not long before his desire for knowledge would drive him to learn several languages from the all to grateful foreign crew. Upon arriving in New Spain, the area now known as California, fights would erupt due to several misunderstandings. After a year without indulging his more sinister side, Kitoushi was all to ready to resharpen his skills. Although he would have to remain disappointed as the conflicts were resolved in the interest of profit and they were given amnesty. This allowed the medicine man to study the medical techniques of the region which would continue as the voyage led them to Mexico, Cuba, Spain, France, and finally Italy.

Arriving in Rome at the height of the Renaissance had an undoubtedly profound effect on the man who so highly valued knowledge. Hasekura Tsunenaga had grown a large respect for the medicine man and could see the child-like wonder in his eyes. Together they faked his death in an opportune fire and Kitoushi was finally released from his service. This would cause no end of grief for Hasekura when he returned to the Date clan, but he was secure in his decision had been the correct one. Finally possessing his freedom once again, it would not be long before Kitoushi found himself a new profession under the guise of a plague doctor. The bird-like mask covered his Japanese origins and a contract with the city afforded him with the resources to continue to his practice. These were undoubtedly the best times of Kitoushi's life, yet for all it provided there was still some unfulfilled urge within him. The doctor had at his hands a profitable practice, the shady courtesans to entertain him during the nights, access to more knowledge than he could ever hope to absorb, and yet somehow happiness eluded him. Generally plague doctors were known to only treat symptoms of the bubonic plague, but there was no affliction or ailment the medicine man would not tackle. Thus it would not be long before Kitoushi would attract some measure of fame using the techniques he had acquired from multiple countries, foreign to the land. Soon even prominent members of Italian society were requesting his services, which attracted the wrong sort of attention from the shadows. An assassin came for him in the darkness of night, assuming such a physician to be asleep at such a late hour. However the diligent mind of the doctor had forced him once again to spend his night studying the medical dissections of Leonardo da Vinci. With the doctor bent over a table looking through piles of documents, the assassin could approach without worry. He slowly made his way to the target, a blade reflecting the light of the candle set on the desk. Raised high in the air, it finally swung down and a life was ended that night.

The robbed figure carried the plague doctor in full garb over his shoulder as he transversed the maze of alleyways throughout Rome, careful to avoid the gaze of any of the numerous street walkers. After some time he had finally reached his desired destination, a large tower which seemed to defy the sky itself. Knocking upon the door to the large tower there was no response before he muttered a password. The door seemed to open of it's own will and a long hallway seemed to stretch out in front of him endlessly. Slowly taking steps upon the red carpet, it was clear these were men of means, with the inside of the building decorated with all manner of revelry. What was truly of interest was the vast assemblage of robbed figures, each in matching attire who were spread in between every pillar. Reaching the end of this path lay a large gilded brazier filled with fire, behind which stood a bearded man in a similar dress, but far more detailed in it's intricacy. The assassin groaned as he tossed the plague doctor's body into the fire, which consumed the corpse, much to the lead assassin's approval. Slowly this imposing figure made his way down to the initiate, placing both hands on the shoulders of the protege. Although as the initiate raised his head, it was clear the face beneath the hood was not of his own.

The assassin that attacked Kitoushi that night was undoubtedly skilled in his trade, the plague doctor only surviving though a stroke of dumb luck. As the would be killer approached from behind, the doctor gleaned the reflection of a man in a polished glass container in front of him. Gingerly grasping a vial of liquid among the chemicals on the desk, he bated his breath as the assassin took painfully careful steps forward. Each placing of the foot was thought out ahead of time and placed ever so lightly upon the ground. The assassin's breath was controlled as to make not a whisper as he silently unsheathed a small dagger. Just as the shadow of a man raised the blade overhead to strike with a downwards thrust, the doctor spun as every fiber of his being screamed for the speed his survival required. The acid slipped from his hand, glass shattering against the face of the man to find it's mark. The corrosive substance seared the flesh and caused a scream that would haunt any man who'd heard it, yet not nearly so much as what would follow next. Working late into the night it would take every tool and trick in the torturer's arsenal to get the assassin to talk, but talk he did.

Every figure in the hallway began to unsheathe their blades, arrows drawn and notched in every balcony. The only thing that quite possibly saved his life that moment was proximity to their illustrious leader. The plague doctor merely smirked and spoke without an ounce of hesitation in his voice, I heard you had an opening. A inquisitive wave washed over the leader's face before it gave way to a laugh, raising a hand to call off the legion of weapons poised at the doctor. Lead away from the room, together they made their way through the impressive building as the situation was explained to Kitoushi. This organization was not one of common thugs, but a guild of assassin's who fought the tyranny of a corrupt Pope's rule. The doctor had been witnessed treating the wounds of their enemy and naturally this gained him the same position. Previously the doctor had no interest in politics, a patient was merely a patient. It would soon become clear to him when his eyes were opened to the injustice in Rome, that these men were truly just in their actions. All this leader asked was for him to not be quite so diligent in treatment to certain choice patients, but the doctor was ready to do more. This darkness within him had been pacified for some time, becoming content with the cutting of flesh that his profession allowed. That night though, torturing the assassin, had reawakened a sinister thirst within him and there was no going back now.

It was in that same night that Kitoushi had recited their creed and took the leap of faith from their tower, becoming a member of their brotherhood. The organization was all to welcoming of a doctor among their ranks, specially one in such a choice position that the nobility trusted with their lives. This was not the only advantage the doctor provided however, information was often more valuable than lives and he could provide them with it in droves. His techniques of extraction would prove invaluable to the organization over the years, gradually becoming a capable assassin in his own right. The doctor's days were filled with the treatment of numerous patients and his nights filled with the interrogation of individuals that threatened justice in Rome. Though such a life was not without risks and one could only flirt with death for so long before it wants to go all the way. One night while "operating" his subject had freed his hand and a short struggle later resulted in a blade logged deeply into Kitoushi's throat.

An entirely unspectacular death to someone who so desperately craved knowledge that he would pass nearly any boundary, moral or otherwise. Perhaps this is what set him apart from the rest and why his story did not end there. Entirely confused with this new existence, it seemed as if he had not died that faithful night. The medicine man was suddenly and violently hunted by vicious creatures he would latter know as hollow. Each day now a fight for his life, he was left entirely alone with his previous patients and their savage revenge. This would last nearly a month as his soul chain gradually grew shorter and more sparse. His guilt only grew with each day believing this to be a personal hell created as punishment for what he'd done. At just the very limit when he could no longer manage a struggle to continue, a shinigami found him, preforming a proper soul burial and sent him on to Soul Society.

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Reaching the afterlife, the aimless man first drifted without purpose stuck in the ghetto called Rukongai. With a desperate hunger growing within him, he treated a woman with an injury in exchange for food. He didn't know how he knew to do so, but he began helping with his mysterious medical skills where he could. Despite all he seemed to know, the medicine man would soon find his techniques outdated in comparison to the majestic shinigami ability of reiki, witnessing the treatment in action. This would be the first spark of interest which would start a fire within the man to join their ranks. Despite this far more efficient ability, the citizens were largely left to their own devices and without the help of their healers. Eventually the medicine man even opened a small business in the North Alley of Loitering Spirits, 79th Kusajishi district. This endeared himself to the community, but before long he would find himself being shaken down by the local criminal element. The yakuza would come in the dead of night demolishing the quaint shop and thieving the crucial medicines. Upon the next morning they would then offer protection to medicine man for a entirely to steep a cost and being stubborn he refused to give in to the obvious ploy. None the less his supplies began to become spare, threatening the life of some of his more critical patients. Looking down at the hands that had committed so many atrocities, he was once again forced into a position he was constantly trying to escape.

Following one of the men back to their den of iniquity, a quick shot of paralytic to the neck rendered the man rather instantly immobile. Hoisting him over his shoulder the surgeon brought the gangster back to his office and set to work upon the surprisingly resilient individual throughout the night. Kitoushi did not understand how he knew what to do or how he could do it so well, but what he did understand is that he took disturbing pleasure in the task. Apparently honor among thieves did exist, but no matter how tough one can only resist for so long. Come the morning light the man was nailed to the yakuza's headquarters barely alive, although maimed and crippled, too thoroughly terrified of further retribution to speak of who'd done the act. The information gained from the mobster led to the crucial drug supply. It would not end there as he had to secure the future of his business and patients. Another abduction several nights later this time left with the calling card of a nearby rival gang. This erupted a war between the two not only reducing their numbers further, but taking care of the doctor's work for him. His practice was safe for the time, although his actions would have catastrophic repercussions.

One day on a routine walk outside, the two gangs crossed into the streets leading into a confrontation that spilled onto the onlookers. The fractions struggled with no concern of the innocents and collateral damage ensued, injuring several of the onlookers. The medicine man ran to the aid of the people, treating them where he could until a small girl in the distance simply trying to get her doll got hit with the explosion of a molotov cocktail. Rushing to her, the medicine man did his best to treat the severe burn wounds. Her injuries were however simply too overwhelming and with his hands covered in her blood, she gasped for her last breath in his arms. Giving not a moment to hesitation, the doctor ran after the man responsible who'd almost escaped until a dead end of an alleyway halted his progress. Producing a knife, the yakuza plunged it into the doctor's gut who responded with a wild headbutt that tossed the man back against the wall with a hard slam. Whipping his cloak from his shoulders and twisting it, the inventive doctor used it as a makeshift rope to hogtie the scum down. Painfully pulling the knife from his own body, he looked down at the man with disgust and considered that this wasn't the proper way to solve the matter. Resolving that it wasn't this man's fault, that it was instead his own for the gang war, he hesitated and placed the blame on himself. Kitoushi simply didn't care anymore, he wanted satisfaction and something creeped up within him demanding it.

The doctor adopted the guise of a torturer once again and grasped the knife in delicate hand. Slowly he began to shove it in between the man's fingernails, ripping them off achingly one by one. Taking more enjoyment in the act than he would ever like to admit, the doctor would finally pay dearly for his sloppy exposed behavior. Several shinigami appeared down the alleyway, dispatched to stop the riot and now catching him literally red handed in the act. The doctor lashed out at them in frustration, furious that they had not shown sooner, but more over cursing himself for his selfish desires. Both the yakuza and the doctor were brought in for their crimes. The gangsters were soon brought to justice for the crimes they'd committed and sentenced to death. Yet no one would testify to any crime the doctor had committed, likely due to the fact the community was so grateful for his services and the shinigami who arrested him must have felt his actions were justified. Despite this support, Kitoushi would never see trial. He'd committed no crimes, yet still deemed a danger to Soul Society which meant he would be tossed into the pit that was the Maggot's Nest with no sign of seeing the light of day once again. The prison would gradually chip away at what little sanity could be found within the doctor possessing no way to fill his thirst for knowledge or his morbid hunger for the macabre.

Several years would pass before the door to his cell would finally creek open. Light flooded the room, stinging the desperate man's inquisitive eyes and what entered is not what one would ever expect. A small girl with pink hair draped over her shoulders came into the room with arms outspread, acting like an airplane as she dashed all around the room. The detention guard entered explaining that this prisoner had once been a medicine man and would make a fine selection. Following behind stepped in a tall, regal, raven haired man who entered with an imposing air of authority. The white captain's cloak waved behind him, white scarf around his neck, and nose in the air as he looked judgmentally down at the prisoner that clearly indicated the man to be of a most noble lineage. The prisoner stared back with his own glare that together seemed as if the two men could nearly suffocate the room, which caused the detention guard to grow nervous. Suddenly poked in the forehead, the medicine man recoiled as the little girl giggled and continued to make cute noises before exclaiming, I want this one daddy! As if picking out a new pet, the nobleman merely nodded and with that the shackles were finally removed. Instead a different manner of imprisonment was forced upon him as they removed his eye, replacing it with a powerful seal to be activated should he ever out step his bounds. Make no mistake, Kitoushi was still a prisoner.

Amazed at how much pull the noble family had, the doctor was brought to the most lavish and amazing of manor. Drifting in disbelief after being forgotten by the world and placed in such squalor, he would now come to live with the highest position in society. It did not come easy for the man to so easily become a dog of the nobles, specially for such an energetic little girl, but the position did come with a certain air of authority and it once again allowed him to begin his practice. The doctor was given facilities to began work as personal medicine man of the Nakatomi clan. Additionally it became his job description to become a poison eater or otherwise known as Basilisk. This job exposed him to an extremely large variety of special poisons at low amounts in order for his system to build a tolerance to them. Though strange, this poison eating was in order for him to be able to properly test food and medicine for unknown substances in defense of a noble's life. With a near freakish immunity it seemed as though he possessed a high spiritual power that protected him or possibly something else entirely.

Treated all to well by the little girl as if her personal pet, it would almost seem as if his life of horrible past crimes were behind him. Despite the affection of the child, the Nakatomi Captain would continually remain distant. The head of the family wold never allow him forget his position in the household and always watched down upon him for the slightest ill action. Despite the doctor's lethargic nature, it never quite seemed nearly enough to be content with this small practice within the family. His blood boiled for real tests, for real subjects, for real prey. With access to the noble's vast library, Kitoushi took well advantage of the wealth of knowledge that was left in front of him. Many of the books contained information about the history of the Gotei Thirteen and this triggered a stirring within him. However the medicine man would be forever in debt to the family and would never be allowed to join, that is, short of manipulation. Every night he began to read stories of the shinigaimi's adventures to the young noble girl, making them out to be the most grand of heroes. Years would pass and no doubt the girl grew older, vastly interested in the subject. A day would come when she begged to follow in her father's footsteps and apply for the Shino Academy, just as Kitoushi had planned; however, this would happen many years after the medicine man would be torn from the young girls side.

Gradually pain would begin to wrack the medicine man, though he waved it off as nothing as it did not match any known condition. Although eventually it would become debilitating and even threatened his life. The Nakatomi Captain did not care for the man, but feared losing an investment and thus used his influence to coordinate a joint effort from the fourth and twelfth divisions. Placed within a strange laboratory, apparently the illness from his past life in combination with his job as a poison eater left him with a unique composition, one that would draw the interest of the pale faced twelfth division captain. One particular woman of the fourth division, their third seat, would show him a great deal of kindness during this time, becoming his only relief from the constant immeasurable pain. What was unknown to the fourth division however is that the twelfth division captain had no intention of finding a cure. Instead Kitoushi was placed through a series of endless cruel experiments. Eventually the kind shinigami of the fourth would discover this fact and risking her life, rushed to explain the situation to the Nakatomi.

Bursting into the laboratory, the noble kept his calm demeanor, but there was a ferocity in his voice which nearly shook the room. The smug twelfth division captain defended his actions in saying that he had the right by law to requisition property if it could lead to the improved of Seretei's research. The Nakatomi fired back that he did not have the right to abduct any student of the Gotei Thirteen. Tossing paperwork onto the ground, the noble then merely turned and walked away. Shingiami came rushing into the room, while the captain hurriedly gathered the papers which clearly stated the man named Darake Kitoushi had now become enrolled in the shino academy. As the subordinates rescued the near lifeless medicine man and wheeled him out of the room on a stretcher, the scientist could not contain his rage over losing his test subject. Lashing out in all directions and destroying nearby equipment, the twelfth division captain swore an oath of revenge.

The stretcher containing the drastically injured medicine man came crashing through the doors to the fourth division hospital. Several doctors swarmed over him in all directions, including the kind woman who'd saved his life. Her eyes were the last thing the medicine man would see as his vision faded to black. They would also be the first thing he saw as he finally awoke a week later. Her expression was undoubtedly one of joy, but would give away to anguish as she explained. They were able to stop the aggressive spreading of the condition, but his time as an experiment came at a steep price. Unfortunately it had already gotten a hold of his spinal column and it would never quite be the same. Pain would plague him for the rest of his life and walking would be unlikely. Although after multitudes of physical therapy the medicine man would prove them wrong, but only thanks to the kind fourth divisioner's assistance every step of the way. Despite all efforts however, he would never be rid of the cane needed for assistance with walking. Now crippled, the device would be something he would look to as a cage that would always limit what he could achieve. Even though all these trials and tribulation wore upon Kitoushi, his affection for the woman grew every day. The feelings were not one sided either and soon the pair would be inseparable. Nearly a month after the incident, the Nakatomi captain would finally come to visit. It was during physical therapy that the nobleman would appear, surveying the medicine man with a cane as if looking upon am injured horse that needed to be put down. He explained that no injury short of death could him out of their agreement, that is unless he preferred going back to the twelfth division. Completely unaware of any arrangement, the fourth divisioner would explain that the only way they could legally rescue him was for the individual to be a registered member of the shino academy. The noble explained the only reason he'd cared in the first place was that his daughter had already begun making plans to register for the academy and she would need his escort. While the Nakatomi captain thought he'd try to back out and his girlfriend desperate to find some loophole out of the deal, Kitoushi himself couldn't have been more pleased. This nightmare had all a drastic setback, but now his plan was finally back on course.

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Though learning was his passion, the medicine man didn't exactly fly through classes as one would expect. His laziness during his duration in the academy actually became something of a legend. Largely the student's time was spent juggling apathy, classes, and romancing the fourth division woman he'd fallen in love with. Though he disliked most of his teachers and slept through their courses, they were fond of his ability to pick up the most important point of their lessons. Quite easily to say, he spent more time outside of classroom learning from the teachers personally than he ever did behind a desk. Despite normal students being divided into specific classes for medical ability, with the Nakatomi pulling a few strings the doctor was able load up on courses in both the medical and combat fields. This was no small feat to begin with and it took even more pull for them to allow a cripple into such classes. It was only through his particular innate desire for learning that he was able to handle the massive load. This is the first time Kitoushi would begin turning to painkillers in order to function despite the constant pain, in a vain attempt to keep up with others during his combat classes. As for matters of a medical nature, private lessons with his girlfriend in the fourth division often devolved into playing in bed, but gave him an definite edge on the competition. At his girlfriends direction, describing what human doctors were pioneering, his lust for knowledge caused him to largely occupy his spare time with pursuing modern medical techniques being used in the mortal realm. This put the student in a unique position to excel beyond his peers by combining the shinigami art of reiki alongside complex surgical techniques. This was not the only areas he seemed to have talent for. Complex bakudou would soon become second nature to the diligent practitioner, even laying the foundation for his ability to weave spells together.

Finally the end of the year drew near and time for Kitoushi to become a full-fledged shinigami. Fresh young minds all to eager to begin training filled the hallways, much to the annoyance of the melancholy medicine man. A murmur that spread among the multitude of entrants reached the ears of the doctor, peaking his interest. The whispers spoke of a noble student joining the academy, one who undoubtedly would be the top student to beat. They crowded around what was clearly the source of the commotion, the medicine man cut through the flock of students to see the diminutive girl and put on a mask of affection as he approached. He forced a smile as he patted the girl on the head and spoke, Izanami-sama, how much you've grown?! The small student merely looked up inquisitively as a voice came from behind, Kitoushi! His eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice, turning around to find a full grown auburn-haired woman assaulting him with an embrace, her large chest pressing up against him. The medicine man stood in shock that the once small child had bloomed into the woman before him, had so much time really passed? Despite all he had been through, it felt like it was just yesterday that the little girl was begging for another bed time story or rather demanding one.

As they each caught up with one an other, Kitoushi felt something odd, as if he actually enjoyed her company. She expressed her interest in joining the twelfth division to take up her mother's legacy, but refused to serve under the man who'd crippled him. Instead she would follow in her father's footsteps to one day command the second division. Kitoushi would blame his apathy for delaying his graduation and he would deny it to even himself, but she was the real reason he would stay in the academy as long as possible. Although this was not without it's benefits, giving him a chance to further refine his skills in matters that a medic had no business learning. Unknown even to himself why, the medicine man would draw upon the skills of his past life and perform admirably in stealth and assassination however limited by his condition. Although this did not mean that he slacked in duties to medical matters, quite the contrary. Hiring an unscrupulous twelfth divisioner who was known for his black market dealings, he would sell the medical student corpses of criminal and hollow that were liberated from the underground holding facility. Thus the would be surgeon spent many nights in the morgue practicing his surgical speed, accuracy, and study of unusual anatomy. Not nearly as slick as he'd thought himself to be, Kitoushi was caught one night with his hands inside of a criminal by none other than the fourth division captain. Cursing his arrogance, the medical student's mind began to reel at the consequences and being thrown back into the hell that was prison. Instead of reprimanding him however, the elderly sage instead commended him on his willingness to go the extra mile. With merely another compliment that the student was going to go places, the fourth division captain merely walked away saying that he would keep the academy clear for him to continue his extracurricular activities. Despite getting off scot free with such a close call, the hobby would eventually come with dire consequences.

One fateful night the immoral twelfth divisioner dropped off a rather large haul of hollow corpses which cost the student a particularly ample sum of his disposable income. The medical student salivated as the sight of his treasure, lowering a scalpel downwards into the chest of the creature. As the blade sank into flesh, a deafening scream suddenly echoed through the hallways of the closed academy. Kitoushi had no time to react as the monster flailed wildly, a claw connecting with the student. It sent him sailing across the room, crashing through equipment and slamming hard into the concrete wall. Losing consciousness for a moment, when he came to not only was the hollow from the table gone, but the rest of them were as well. Wild eyed he ran to the doorway, seeing a trail of blood that led down a long hallway. As he pursued, Kitoushi called the Nakatomi student and demanded that she gather every student she could trust. They would finally assemble in the moonlight of the courtyard, explaining to the each of them the situation and importance that no hollow escape. Some wanted to call for help, but the medical student assured them that these were of an incredibly weak variety. They were however not convinced, thus he threatened them. With the weight of a noble's influence backing him up, he would see that they all take the fall. With the threat of each of them being held accountable, further enticing them with the thought of their first encounter with hollow, they each set out in teams to hunt.

Kitoushi and Izanami would come particularly close to death, which would only strengthen their bond. At a point the medicine man froze and his mind seemed to be lost elsewhere, forcing the noble to rush to his aid as his life was threatened. She fought alone and valiantly against the monstrous creature before the other student would finally spring to action. Surgically cutting down the hollow with calculated furiosity, his behavior would deeply unsettle the noble with how ruthlessly the medical student took out the hollow and took disturbing pleasure in doing so. What she didn't know however is the dark presence that crept up within him once again that night. Moreover it spoke, revealing itself to be his inner spirit. The form it took as a snake repulsed him and caused him to resist the gift it had brought. Thus it only offered advice as it slithered between his thoughts and hissed to him in whispers. It told him to not only accept his urges, but to embrace them. They had barely defeated the hollow, but the night was not over. Back at his apartment, the twelfth divisioner thumbed through the pile of cash he'd extracted from the foolish student. A knocking came to the door, which caused him to open it inquisitively, but there was no one there. Closing the door he merely shrugged, noticing then an open window. The garrote falling around his head could barely be seen before it tightened forcefully around neck. The student held tightly from behind the man as a struggle insured, tossing them around the room. The killer spoke softly through strained breath, that people could have died because of his greed and he was to dangerous to leave alive. The thrashing did not last long, eventually the last breaths of the man left him and the shaking in his legs fell still. Kitoushi looked down at the lifeless body and grinned, he'd done exactly as his spirit suggested. Luck would be smiling on them that night in droves as each student made it out alive and without being caught, though not without incident. Most of them possessed severe injuries, realizing that even such lowly hollow were far out of their league. This experience would assist them in their remaining time at the academy, setting them apart from the rest of the students. They each held to the secret of that night, building a sort of comradery among them that still remains to this day with many of them going on to hold high positions in the Gotei Thirteen.

Years would pass and yet the medicine man would remain behind his peers, much to the frustration of his partner who was eager for him to join her in the fourth division. Furthermore she would gradually grow an increasing jealousy for all the time her lover spent training with the noble student. He would merely say that it was forced by his position and dispute having any affection for the woman. During another heated argument between the two, she would begin to violently cough blood, collapsing on the ground. Rushing her to the hospital, they would soon find all methods to save her proved ineffective. It would not be long before she passed away despite Kitoushi's best effort. Devastated that he could do nothing to save her and that he'd had a hand in causing it through his emotional infidelity, he would learn that this was not even the whole story. The woman's autopsy would reveal that it was a hemotoxin that kill her, one that was injected over a long period of time through his bodily fluids. Grief and guilt would consume the medicine man, growing distant from everyone around him. Izanami would attempt to comfort him, but he felt like it was betraying his lovers memory to show her any affection. Eventually he would come to terms with the grief, although he would resolve that the guilt was not his own to bear. Instead he placed the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of the twelfth division captain that had ruined his life. Once again Kitoushi embraced the darkness within him, resolving that one day he would force the captain to pay for his crimes. Finally the moment would come that so many held their breath in anticipation for, counting the moments. Graduation, yet there was little joy to be had for the student who'd as of late been drowning himself in painkillers. The only reason he would even graduate was he'd already served the maximum number of years that could be spent in the academy. His service to the Nakatomi clan mandated that he operate alongside the special forces where Izanami had been placed, however he would not officially be a part of the second division. Though he graduated with the bare minimum grades, the favor gained with his teachers in addition to his extraordinary medical ability landed him the position of his former lover, third seat within the fourth division.

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[Darake Kitoushi [Old]]

A group of four decorated Quincy stood in a wing of their pristine chapel, standing over a table with a map, talking about critical details in the war effort against the Gotei Thirteen. A shinigami knelt in the rafters above, touching a communicator in his ear as a voice on the other side said they now had all they needed. Reaching upwards he tore away the artfully crafted kyakko concealment bakudo, revealing not one but a team of them. The blurs dropped from the ceiling on top of the archers, cutting each of their throats in unison before they had a chance to respond. The culling of the Quincy had begun. The white haired shinigami with brown cloak over his shoulders and wooden derby cane in his hand rose looking over to the ally wearing the noble family crest over her obi. She would wink at him, but he merely looked somewhere else almost as if throwing the gesture away. Suddenly an arrow would come sailing through one of their comrades and pinning him through the chest to the wall. The remaining three would shunpo in pure instinct, taking cover from behind a statue as several more arrows nipped at their heels. Several Quincy came pouring in through the stone doorway, launching volleys to keep them pinned in position. While the other shinigami desperately looked for an opening, Kitoushi pulled a medicine bottle from his pocket and calmly tossed it back. Raising the cane to his lips, he kissed it and tossed it blindly over shoulder. A blinding light followed by wails filled the room as the archers clawed at their eyes. Rubbing his hands together before slamming the palms to the ground, the shinigami cast the sekienton bakudou causing red smoke to explode around his party. On cue the rest of the shingiami rushed from their cover and began to flay the blinded group who let off arrows haphazardly. Meanwhile the ever calm slacker began to light a cigarillo, rising from the ground with a groan and waltzing over to the critically injured of their group. Giving the wound the slightest glance, the surgeon pressed his hands against the soldier's chest before they began to glow with iridescent viridian energy. Convincing the second division to send field medic alongside an assassin cell would pay dividends, at the very least to this one man's family.

It was then that the final quincy shouted before activating a device in hand just before the deadly noble cut him down, release the hollow! This was met by a resounding chorus of from the shinigami, shit, who jumped to each other with backs turned in circle formation. The sound of metal slabs scraping against concrete would echo throughout the church, followed by a guttural cry that would shake it's very foundation. Pounding footsteps accommodated the splitting of fog and... there was nothing there. Invisibility was not an option here, the smoke would reveal an outline. Yet the pounding continued, triggering a deep sense of familiarity to Kitoushi. It however made no sense, he'd never encountered any hollow that had gotten away. Lost in thought at the enigmatic sound, it would be broken as a geyser of blood erupted from the chest of the third shinigami. The source was now clear, no wonder the sound was so familiar, it was their own heartbeats. It grew slightly louder once again, causing the medic to forcefully push the noble away. It was far to late however and the woman was clipped on the shoulder blade with a deep abiding gash. The surgeon flew to her aid, but once again the sound pounded and a claw came seemingly from nowhere, Kitoushi barely able to parry the blow with his pathetically weak swordsmanship. He looked down in horror as the woman began to convulse and foam at the mouth from what was clearly a poison. Eyes widening at the sight, his hand began to glow with the emerald energy, but another strike from the enemy met with his sword and threw him to the ground with sheer force. It was clear this hollow had no intention of allowing the shinigami even a moment to treat the girl, nor did he have any way to find said creature. It came down to the only method to combat this monster was to use zanjutsu and there was no matter he was less talented in. As the woman's symptoms worsened, the medic realized that after all he'd been though, never had he felt so helpless. As he could see the claw of the hollow descending upon him, Kitoushi's world shattered around him both figuratively and then literally.

The claw stood suspended in the air, directly in front of his face with all color drained from the room save one. Wide-eyed and shaking, a red snake began to crawl up the length of his leg, but he was too frozen in fear to react. This serpent began to crawl over him, but it's body seemed to get longer as it traveled as the tail simply never followed. As it continued to travel haphazardly covering his body a voice crept from the corners of his mind and enveloped him in a comforting darkness. Even for the worst case scenario, you've always had a plan. You wear this safety blanket of manipulation, this armor so thoroughly layered, that you've never had to experience what fear truly is. The woman you deny affection lays there dying and it is this denial of this emotion that has led you here. I purpose a different path. To have true mastery over others, to have true mastery over yourself, you cannot separate yourself from emotions, you must be closer to them than everything else. Set yourself on the very edge of what you can bear and do not clinically analyze it! Take a leap of faith off the edge. Bathe in these emotions Kitoushi, this emotion. To fear losing what you care for most. This is what it feels like to be on the other side of what it is you do best. Relish this moment, for this is what it feels like to be prey. Patient and prey, they've never been any different to you because you do not know what it is like to be either of them. You now know what it is to become prey, but to become a patient you must operate. Not on others, but on yourself. It's time to take off the gloves Kitoushi, time to get your hands dirty. Time to wash them in what you have always avoided, time wash them in emotions, time wash them in impure blood.

With that the snake seemed to melt into smoke which hung in the air around him. The shinigami surgeon stared down the claw, not an inch away and over to the woman who was on the precipice of death. Standing to his feet, he held up his hands in front of himself, looking at the medical gloves which covered them. Slowly taking off each of them, the fear yet remained. Taking a deep breath he let it wash over him, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart. At that moment Kitoushi realized that it felt exhilarating. Time resumed and color was instantly back in the world as so did the claw. It clashed against the medic's katana, who stood his ground and pushed back with everything he had despite the excruciating pain of his spine. The blade began to sink into the hand of the hollow, who made motion to pull away, but the surgeon gained leverage and forced the claw downwards to the ground. In that moment the medic finally spoke. Shall we get our hands dirty together? Operate, Oketsu. With such simple words a drastic change near instantly took place. The large katana shrunk down into that of a simple surgical needle, red string shooting from the end. Stabbing the needle downwards as it changed, strings of blood began to sprout from the creatures hand and interlaced themselves to the ground forming stitches. The surgeon pulled the needle from the wound, a fountain of blood following behind. The hollow writhed in pain, ripping it's hand from the ground with some effort. However this ripped apart a large portion of the hand, causing the creature to thrash in agony.

Blood flowed liberally from the wound in unusually large amounts, dousing the creature and revealing it from the shadows it had melded into. It possessed a foul and decrepit look, as if rotting and covered from head to toe in bandages similar to a mummy. The monster wildly thew it's other claw towards Kitoushi in a wild haymaker, who responded by letting the needle fall from his hand. Letting it touch the pool of blood on the ground and then grasping the string, he swung it sideways which conducted the liquid upwards in a slash. The hollows blades made contact with the arc of blood, getting firmly stuck within the substance that hung in the air. The surgeon did not hesitate to shunpo forward, stabbing the needle strait into the neck of the beast. Striking the common carotid artery, blood began to fall to the ground in ample amounts as the shinigami left the needle there and performed another shunpo. Appearing on the back of the hollow with string of his zanpakutou in hand, it was whipped around the monsters collar with a few flicks of the wrist. It was clear that the creature was greatly weakened from blood loss at this point, now amplified as it crashed to it's knees with garrote wrapped tightly around it's neck. Kitoushi began screaming for it to produce an antidote to it's toxin, reeling off every horrible torture he'd ever performed. The beast made an attempt to resist, but with the combination of blood loss and oxygen deprecation it took everything it had to remain conscious. A liquid began to drip from it's fangs and pour on to the ground before the hollow followed suit with a crash. Flying forward from the creature's back, he dipped the needle of his zanpakutou into the liquid before making his way to Izanami with every ounce of haste his being could muster. Stabbing it directly into the completely pail girl, he used the needle to quickly distribute the antidote throughout her bloodstream. Painstaking moments that seemed to last a lifetime passed before the noble woman would regain consciousness. Upon doing so the medic immediately grasped her tightly and merely said, I was afraid.

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As is with such a life defining moment, that mission would forever remain in the surgeon's hall of memories. It was so much more to him than simply acquiring his shikai, it was a realization that he could feel. Taking the claw of the hollow as a memento, it would be something that remains on his wall of oddities to this day. Thus this act began a ritual in what would amount to a vast collection of trophies from each of his kills. Devoting himself more with each successful mission, the medic's signature apathy grew from being a character flaw into more a mask of deception that he wore with pride. Though the missions he went on as a member of the special forces were usually octane fueled defining moments of history, this should not sell short his role within the fourth division. These were certainly significant moments to those he would save within the hospital and front lines. Within the hospital his days were filled with performing the most odd and complex of surgical procedures, no less an adrenaline rush than assassination. While the special forces quelled his thirst for blood, the surgeries in the fourth were equally as critical in fulfilling his hunger for knowledge. His role on the front lines were quite the different experience as they would frequently come into contact with enemy forces. This stood in stark contrast to a second division mission where eliminating the enemy was the only acceptable outcome. For the medics on the front lines the only mission was survival, for yourself and as many as you could handle. These two objectives were always at odds with each other and that is what truly makes the fourth division special. Kitoushi's skills were put to good use here through locking down the opposing force with bakudo, buying enough time for the medics to prevent further casualties by performing triage. This science of categorizing how severe a patients injuries are and the priority to which each person should be treated directly placed life and death in his hands. To often there would only be enough time to treat one individual and the surgeon was forced to choose which ally would live. This activity was not one that could ever be considered routine and every choice would haunt Kitoushi for the rest of his life.

There were however other pivotal instances of his service on the front line that would effect the surgeon forever. On one occasion in which prisoner escapes were wrecking havoc, one manipulative shinigami got it into his head to directly attack the forward medical camp so that the Gotei could not refresh their forces. In a surprise assault on the doctors and nurses, this of course meant that Kitoushi was the rare few capable of direct combat. No one within the fourth division knew of the secretive missions that the surgeon undertook. In their darkest moment, the unlikely third seat stepped forward to defend them against the small detachment of surrounding enemy forces. For the first time Kitoushi's full range of skills would be on display, flabbergast that a cripple was protecting the hospital camp. With flashes of shunpo, jolts of kidou, and darts of his needle zanpakutou, the surgeon danced between the combatants giving everything he had to preserving their lives. However the medic could only keep this pressure up so long and as exhaustion set in, their leader precisely choose this moment to attack. Blood dripped from Kitoushi's many wounds, oxygen could barely find way into his lungs as his breath grew heavy, and an illusion began to consume the world around him. That familiar feeling set in once again, that he was going to die. The enemies laugh echoed around him, so sure of his victory due to the prowess of his illusion zanpakutou. The surgeons consciousness began to slip away from his grasp, the warm embrace of death so ready to comfort him. However the laughing would give way to a hiss, enveloping him with the resolve to stay alive. If not for his own sake, but for those who counted upon him. Kitoushi's mind sharpened for those next crucial moments, granting him the clarity to see this through to the end, no matter the result. Grabbing every homemade flashbang he had, the surgeon began tossing them in arcs and clusters in all directions causing violent blasts of light. Attempting to cover his own vision with his cloak, he was only able to protect one of his eyes while the other was stricken useless. The gambit had payed off however, with a nearby scream revealing the position of the enemy just about to make a killing blow. Yelling obscenities, the prisoner grasped his injured eyes and strained to find the bastard that blinded him. Kitoushi found that this was only enough to buy him a few moments and stifle the combatant, the illusions would soon be overtaking him once again. With no other choice, the surgeon drove his needle into his own eye and burst it apart from the inside with blood. The process was incredibly painful, but his familiarity with torment aided him. With oketsu in hand, he harnessed the pain in order to direct the entirety of his anguish at his enemy.

The onlooking medical staff could see nothing due to the blinding flashes, but could yet feel the immense release of reiatsu in front of them. The fourth division captain alongside their vice-captain arrived on the scene as fast as they could after having quelled the rest of the prisoners. As they approached, Kitoushi merely stood in front of an emaciated corpse with the entire squad rubbing their eyes in disbelief. The third seated surgeon turned to see that his Captain had arrived, that his division would be safe, and promptly collapsed to the ground in a enormous pool of blood. The cadre of doctors rushed to his aid and all immediately began treating him with their best efforts. He'd saved their lives and now in turn, they would save his. With a nod from the Captain, the vice-captain joined them while their leader turned attention to the most unusual battlefield. There were undeniably intense combat throughout the area, but not a single stain of blood anywhere except the giant spot around the fainted third seat. All enemies in the area looked entirely dehydrated, as if just a pile of dry flesh and bone. An intensive autopsy afterwards would reveal that every drop of blood from the prisoners had been drained in an impossible manner. Furthermore while the combatants had numerous needle punctures to vital areas, their leader's body was filled with a slightly larger variation. After several weeks in the fourth division hospital, Kitoushi was awoken to the many whispers of many onlookers outside of his door. The vice-captain came into view, who promptly shooed them all away before taking position next to the elderly captain, who stood silent as he often did. The female second in command usually spoke for him, though she had a bit of an edge to her. Immediately she began to rattle off questions such as asking about the events of that day, where did he learn to fight like that, and what happened during the flashes. The captain raised a hand, to which the woman responded by staring bullets before delivering a final glare to the injured surgeon and leaving the room in a huff. The elderly man wore a kindly expression merely saying that she is a handful, but a caring soul. Kitoushi continued to only look at the monk-like man out of the corner of his remaining eye with a continued pause between them while they both remained silent. The captain once again finally spoke up.

"I was vaguely briefed as to your service in the second division and though I may be a bit senile, don't think of me as a fool. You do your best to hide it, but I can see that you also have a caring soul." The elderly man then changed from rather warm to a more worried tone. "However there is something else there. Something... darker lurking within you. No doubt it is a vital part of who you are. It cannot be destroyed, nor suppressed, but it can be channeled towards those who deserve it. I know you like to keep to yourself and I've tried to respect that, but you need a teacher son. What happened that day, you got lucky. Using something like that though... without the proper training, it could be your undoing. It could consume you or worse it could consume those you care about." The monk captain slowly made his way towards the door with his back turned. "No one knows this yet, so I'll trust you keep my secret and I'll keep yours. Soon these old bones will be moving on to the King's Guard. She'll be ready to lead soon, but one like that needs someone by their side. And just perhaps you need her as much as she needs you. I'd like to know someone will be around to keep that girl out there in check when I'm gone. If your ready for it, I'll prepare ya for that tiresome task... Keep my offer in mind."

When Kitoushi turned to reply, the elderly man was already gone. Mulling over his captain's words for a moment, he finally sprung upwards to find himself wracked with pain. However, it was no more than his usual self, much to his surprise after the extent of the injuries he'd suffered. It was a great credit of those who'd treated him, but this wasn't the typical abilities of those in the division. He could feel it, it was the handiwork of the man who'd just left the room. Grabbing his cane the surgeon made his way down to the morgue for a souvenir, which the guard was all to grateful to allow after what Kitoushi had done for the squad. The surgeon reached his haphazardly adorned apartment, going directly to the bookcase across the room. Carefully he began to pull out a series of novels in a particular sequence which triggered a secure mechanism the Nakatomi had built for him. This revealed a large hidden shelf lined with all manner of oddity that he'd acquired over the years, including the claw of the hollow that helped him to achieve shikai. Next to this first most important trophy he placed his newly attained memento, exposing it's hidden significance. At first it would appear like a simple jar of liquid substance similar to formaldehyde in order to preserve something organic. With a closer look one could see an orb within, the eye of the prison leader. Somehow it seemed appropriate, an eye for an eye. Looking over his collection it make him realize the sheer number of those he has killed and this only included those with great significance to him. He deemed each one of them terrible individuals, worthy of worse things than death. Some of them even gained such a fate, but his captain's speech did bring to light that it was a thin tightrope he was treading upon. How long would it take before his definition of worthy become more and more loose? How long before he felt like his own actions would deserved him a place on this wall?

These same thoughts would haunt him every time he returned to place another trophy upon the wall. Mission after mission, his worries would grow alongside his collection. However what increased even more than his anthology of the macabre, was the surgeon's reliance on the painkillers which allowed him to continue the missions. They became more vital to him than the air he breathed as his reason for breath in the first place seemed to be the exhilarating assassinations he would perform alongside the noble shingiami. Though their bond grew with each passing day, it would almost seem there was an insurmountable wall named nobility that would forever separate the two. While this had usually seemed to disappear while they were on missions in the past, the Nakatomi woman was increasingly required to fulfill the obligations and expectations to her house which highlighted the separation between the two. No doubt this was due to the watchful eye of her father, who was not blind to their antics. Even though the medic grew in reputation, the noble captain would never let him forget his place and that no amount of prestige could compare to nobility.

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Rp Sample:

The dull hum of machines buzzed in the background only competing alongside the slow steady breathing of Darake Kitoushi clad in surgical gloves, mask, and cap as per requirement. Being the defiant one as always he occasionally would skip some of these should the situation call for it, often in the field there wasn't time despite the increased risk. Regardless the rules must be adhered to an extent, particularly when he had to save face in front of the division that had some level of distaste for him. Hunched over the table the captain's cloaks disguised the subtle hand movements as he held clamp and scalpel within a rather large, gruff looking man who was in fact a yakuza boss within Rukongai. Never took care of himself in the first life so he developed a heart condition, carried it on to the next life as these things sometimes happen. A small fry in the grand scheme of things, nothing worth the trouble of getting rid of him, but a blight of the community none the less. One Soul Society would be far better off without and Kitoushi was not one to pass up opportunity. Already he had pissed off the assisting surgeon whom asked to be dismissed and now all that was left was the nurse in charge of the anesthesia. A loud one she was, always talking about her favorite television show which happened to be scheduled to start in five minutes.
{What a coincidence.}

“Why don't ya take off too. I'm a big boy, I can watch the vitals all by myself,” said the slightly muffled voice of the captain propositioning from behind the surgical mask, to which the nurse was all to pleased to accept.
“And now... just you and me pal.”

Drawing back the hand with the scalpel slowly the surgeon set it aside and reached for a syringe he had taped under the table for just such an occasion. {You wouldn't believe how many of these are hanging around.} Diving it into the neck of the man, he then walked over to the anesthesia to gradually tone it down. The tattooed man on the table began to come to hazily as he looked around the room, but made no movement below the neck before he began to mumble haphazardly nearly unable to turn his neck.
“What...what the fuck, where am I? Why can't I move!?”

“Tetrodotoxin of the Takifugu rubripes fish, wonderful stuff no? How can somethin' produce such an amazin' drug and be so tasty. Though frankly I'm kinda cheatin' things here cause I've mixed in some from a species of toad who's name I can't begin to pronounce,” said Kitoushi pulling off his mask to reveal quite a smirk as the confused and almost comically frightened yakuza didn't seem to understand to which the surgeon taped him antagonistically on the forehead, “It's a paralytic, you won't be able to move for quite a few hours, though I'm afraid you don't have that much time. You see, this heart of yours, I'm afraid It has given out. Complications in surgery they call it you see, quite impossible to salvage. Strange they say that when really things have just gotten quite more simple. No one will blame me for not being able to stop it, can't save em all. Now you'll be little more than a number, a time in fact. Time of death, nine-forty five.”

“You fucker, I'll gut you alive!” raged the gang boss from behind his rapid breathing as his face showed his dismay at total inability to control anything before he began to slightly calm or what could pass as calm when one is in such a situation,“...But... it's only nine-ten...”

“No I don't think so, rather... I kinda believe that's exactly what I'm doin' to you... Oh yes, your question...Well you see... we have some in need of organs and the good news is we have some fresh ones right here." Slowly reaching for the scalpel he held up it in clear view for the man to see. Kitoushi then so casually lowered the scalpel to cut into the mans open chest to which the yakuza gritted his teeth in pain holding back a groan, his eyes flaring in powerless anger.
“Paralytic doesn't mean you won't feel it.”

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Nine-Forty six and Darake Kitoushi stood outside of the surgical room propped against the wall, drawing a drag from his cigarillo with a somber look. Two attending came to take care of the body in the usual way to which one placed a hand on the captain's shoulder in comfort, simply saying there was nothing he could have done in this situation. Within the shady surgeon still wore a grin as he looked up into the attendant's eyes with a perfect frown.
“I just wish I could have done more...”

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