Darake Kitoushi | Fourth Division Captain

[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
[In reality Kitoushi is not a name, but a title he has been addressed by so long no one knows what else to call him.]

Age Approximately: 863 Appears: 48 Gender Male Birthday August 22nd Height / Weight 6’2” / 180 Eye color / Hair color Green / Grey Division 4th: Trauma and Triage Rank Yonbantai Taicho

Constitution      Strength: ■□□□□      Endurance: ■■■□□      Dexterity      Agility: ■■■□□      Finesse: ■■■■■      Zanjutsu      Offensive: ■■■■□      Defensive: ■□□□□      Technique      Offensive: ■□□□□      Defensive: ■■■■■      Kidō      Hadō: ■□□□□      Bakudō: ■■■■■      Perception      Intellect: ■■■■■      Reserves: ■■■■□      Presence      Charisma: ■□□□□      Discipline: ■■■■■

SPOILER: Click to show

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Attribute Explanation
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Constitution
-Strength: The crippling affliction that the doctor suffers from greatly limits his physical prowess and muscular strength.
-Endurance: His poor health renders him unable to endure lengthy physical activity without a multitude of painkillers.

Dexterity
-Agility: Despite a talent with shunpo, his disability now limits it to sudden bursts of momentum for a few short steps.
-Finesse: Decades of practiced surgeries have produced a deft slight of hand, blistering speed, and pinpoint precision.

Zanjutsu
-Offensive: The doctor's zanpakutō is ideally suited for lightening fast strikes and piercing through nearly any defense.
-Defensive: The small form that the release takes makes defending oneself from attack an extremely difficult endeavor.

Technique
-Offensive: While the zanpakutō itself can be used offensively to great effect, it's techniques focus entirely on defense.
-Defensive: The doctor's zanpakutō is capable of producing exceptionally efficient barriers, bindings, and medical utility.

Kidō
-Hadō: With skills best suited for healing and assassination, he has trained only in the bare minimum of offensive arts.
-Bakudō: A master of the defensive arts, they provide invaluable protection and ability to lock down difficult opponents.

Perception
-Intellect: The doctor has a mind which craves stimulation and is capable of making intuitive connections under stress.
-Reserves: While he maintains a reputation of apathy, in reality he exhaustively trains to weather extended struggles.

Presence
-Charisma: His misanthropic nature in combination with a disturbing personality can often cause conflict among others.
-Discipline: The difficult events of his past have steeled the doctor's mind to maintain control in nearly any situation.

● Aged albeit distinguished features

● Scruffy and unkempt graying/white hair
● Gray five o'clock shadow
● Bandages wrapped around left eye
● Piercing gaze

● Face often carries a relaxed or board expression

● Kyoto-ben dialect

● Smoker

● Chronic pain

● Crippled stance

● Wears two cloaks hung over shoulders

● Modern dark green shirt instead of standard white shitagi
● Stethoscope hung around neck
● Medical bag hidden at back of obi

● Analytic and Intellectual

● Educated and Inquisitive

● Manipulatively Empathic

● Apathetic and Lethargic

● Unsettling Presence

● Unprofessional Demeanor

● Blunt Scofflaw

● Injured Addict

● Tactical Ingenuity

● Medical Acumen

● Surgical Strikes

● Clinical Focus

● Advanced Pain Tolerance

● Kaidō and Bakudō Expert

● Ravaged Joints

● Constant Pain

● Abrasive Misanthrope

● Unpopularity

● Lack of Defense

● Lack of Hadō

● Crude Swordsman

● The most valuable tool a person possesses is their mind.
● Traditions are useless constraints that prevent innovation.
● Nobility is a pointless construct which only serves their own false superiority.
● The law is often corrupt and fails to work in the interest of it's average citizen.
● Politicians should serve their people and abuse of the position should be punished harshly.
● The anatomy of spiritual beings is a fascinating study and little else is worthy of attention.
● The anatomy of spiritual beings is however imperfect and can be improved upon with superior design.
● The majority of people are ignorant and uninteresting, but still worth protecting because of their bonds to others.
● Long-term solutions are the only that matter as a single lifetime is transitory and unimportant faced with the grand scheme.


Short-Term Goals:
● Begin a cross-coordinated effort among the Gotei to form a unique response team capable of advance frontline support.
● Find an individual with political influence to act as Kitoushi's advocate to enact his plans for Rukongai and Seireitei.
Mid-Term Goals:
● Refine his kidō and medical skills into areas deemed forbidden by Seireitei.
● Study the special anatomy of unique individuals he encounters and additionally investigate the effects of the Oin fragments.
Long-Term Goals:
● To change the disparity of Seireitei's laws and improve the condition of those living in Rukongai.
● Find a cure for his crippled physical condition and gain relief from the severe chronic pain it causes.

Oketsu manifests itself as a extremely long dark red snake with glistening scales covering it head to toe. The spirit can appear drastically different in size depending on its intent, but always without end, the surgeon never having glimpsed it's tail. At times it can be small enough to fit within a pocket, coiling around Kitoushi and sitting on his shoulder so that it may hiss into his ear. Within the inner realm it can appear large enough that it's coils make up a misty mountain range as far as can be seen, the surgeon barely being a gleam in it's giant eye. Eventually as he become more in tune with his zanpakutō, the surgeon would find out why he had never seen the snake's entire body, for it in reality not one at all. As Kitoushi achieved his bankai, numerous gargantuan heads would raise from the from the foggy valleys, the spirit revealing itself to be a deceptive hydra.

Upon first discovering his spirit, the doctor 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 was justified. Eventually however he came to understand how alike he was to the symbolism it possessed; waiting, observing, planning for the exact opportune moment to strike. Soon he realized the wisdom in that even the most deadly of snake venom can be used to save lives after converting it to a cure. That he could save lives both by healing wounds and by killing those who cause these injuries. 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.

The manner in which the spirit composes itself is not unlike Kitoushi, but even more of an enigma. Often the spirit lies sleeping in dormant state which can give it the appearance of being lazy, but rather it claims that there is simply nothing interesting enough to warrant attention. Speaking in a hushed slow tone rather briefly and cryptically, the spirit appears to choose it's words very carefully. Always observant, this passenger seems to have no interest rather than to force the resistant shinigami to always learn some form of lesson, specifically when it involves a course of action that Kitoushi would rather not pursue. It has continually preached a sort of philosophy that professes that there is a purpose behind everything and that benefit can be found in the most tragic of situations. At times the spirit with batter the surgeon utilizing the Socratic method in order to get him to accept a truth that he doesn't yet want to face. While he may be harsh and demanding, in the end the spirit always seems to be the one person who can truly understand Kitoushi.

SPOILER: Click to show

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Spirit Plane

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A cloudy mist dominates the view covering an idealistic vista which seems perpetually at blushing sunset. While the ground is completely obscured, what can be seen is the tops of a mountain range which is liberally coated with the stunning palette of an autumn forest in brilliant display of every hue. It is not uncommon to double take as one of the peaks shift, red scales glinting in the sun as the slumbering Oketsu's impossibly gargantuan and seemingly endless coils form a mountain range of it's own. This is however only a backdrop to the center focus. Floating far above the unseen mist shrouded ground are large enigmatic ruins, dilapidated with time and teeming with plant growth. This building, or one should rather say, group of differently styled buildings inexplicably intertwined together seems composed of greco-roman styled architecture. Even stranger it seems to be built with no concept of gravity as arched doorways filled with pillars face strait downwards, grand domed roofs extend horizontally from the side, and the numerous vines and trees covering it follow the same principle. The only thing about it which does seem to conform to real world principles are the two waterfalls which pour from parts of the building and cascade off the sides. The smaller of the two, but by all means still enormous, runs along aqueducts against the western wall into a giant water wheel before flowing downwards. The other of immense stature appears spilling from an open domed pantheon on top and runs along a wide portion of the roof before falling off the edge into the pervasive mist.

The appearance within is similarly grandiose with some rooms large enough to house giants, adorned with all manner of dilapidated statues and paintings, similarly overgrown with plant life. As if designed by M.C. Escher, the unusual gravity defying construction continues inward with staircases and hallways leading in every imaginable direction. As one attempts to walk around they will find up and down rapidly changing on a whim depending on where they are, a simple jump and now the individual is suddenly falling down in the direction that was the roof only a moment ago. This in combination with the maze like nature can cause a feeling as if the building is shifting and turning itself in constant motion; that feeling wouldn't be wrong. Hallways, staircases, rooms, everything within the building is continually changing, typically within a moment's broken glance. This is in fact a favorite “game” of Oketsu's design, made to test Kitoushi's mental skills with the entire plane being a puzzle box and turning it into a challenge to merely get from point A to B.

Even more taxing is fighting in this environment, the multitude of snake heads of his spirit suddenly striking from any hallway, in any direction, simultaneously, thus leaving no where safe. If that wasn't hectic enough, one must further keep their wits about them as jumping from a platform could mean a sudden change in gravity. Even scenery leaving a platform that was planned to be landed on a moment ago shifted elsewhere. As if this did not complicate things enough, the ruins are also filled with a multitude of traps that cover every corner and crevice of the building. One ill step could cause the floor to give way to an acid filled drop, a large portion of the ceiling to fall as it produces spikes, poison darts to fire across the room, or even a benign hallway suddenly closing in. Ultimately all these factors have taught Kitoushi a lesson hard learned, but well learned; combat is a puzzle with ever changing factors and that one's strategies must constantly adapt lest you become a victim of your own stagnation.

Perhaps more importantly than the building's nature are what lay within the rooms. Inside it's maze of corridors, every room is not without some particular and often peculiar meaning to Kitoushi. Many contain unusual trophies, statues, paintings, which each serve as visual representation of an important memory. Others are immense libraries filled with books of his consumed knowledge which oddly include books that were never written, but instead a collection of his thoughts and experiences. Stranger yet are the rooms filled with incomplete experimentation, representing unfinished ideas that are growing into conceptualization. One neglected room in particular even contains a shrine filled with the items of a lost love. Quite possibly most used room however is the one which takes upon the appearance of a old fashioned operating theater. The circular room with stairs leading down to the center sports a vast amount of arena seats filled with corpses grimly looking down at the operating room. At center stage there are number of surgical tables situated in rows surrounded by chest high walls that are covered in just about every possible tool imaginable. It is here where Kitoushi spends a great deal of his meditation time, free to perfect his craft, performing for a morbid audience.

Even as he came to understand this plane and Oketsu's method to teaching, for some time there was one factor he still did not understand. That is how upon his first arrival, the building was originally far more intact. Sculptures and walls were not as broken and the vegetation was only sparse in number. Only over time as more vines began to overtake the building and roots began to crack through walls did he realize their true and sinister nature. That portrait which his eyes were oddly drawn to now had a vine growing over it, when last visit was spotless. The statue which now had a tree growing through it... it looked vaguely like someone he couldn't recall. It had been creeping in the back of his thoughts since his first visit, almost as if his own mind blocked the answer, until it hit him all at once. These particular features within the building each represented someone that he knew and more importantly, there was a pattern. Those that he saved, the vegetation would grow around, in harmony, preserving the object. Those that he killed, the vegetation would destroy. Rushing through the rooms he could now see the macabre garden museum he had created, filled with an unsettling amount of destroyed memorabilia. For a time this bothered him deeply, but this was yet another lesson from his spirit. Attempting to fill it with nothing but positive growth would be an impossible task, it was not in his nature, destruction is unavoidable. He had to learn to accept that he could save with his blade on the operating table and on the battlefield, by healing and by killing. Perhaps most importantly, he had to learn that the destruction itself could be beautiful.

The pervasive animosity of every factor in Oketsu's plane could perhaps be said to be a response to Kitoushi's original hostility and disgust for his spirit, a reflection of his self-hatred for his own desires. As he came to an understanding of his true nature, what was once a place that was disgusting and dreaded to him, has now become of unparalleled beauty. A place where he could truly be at peace. That is, except for the unease he feels as he looks upon the statues and portraits of those he knows, yet untouched by growth. When those vines begin to grow, will they be patient or prey?

The only thing commonly seen of Kitoushi's zanpakutō 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 hand-guard are of a dull silver color that look as similarly beat up as the brown and tattered wrappings that drape very loosely over the dark red hilt peaking beneath. The aforementioned guard is circular and flat with a rather simple imprint of a snake with notched scales trailing around and biting it's own tail, an Ouroboros symbol. The sheath is more rectangular shaped then average and is similarly unimpressive with a simple grain of a stained dark cherry wood. Only upon closer inspection can a faint black impression be seen of a another snake coiling up the length of the sheath referencing another ancient symbol, this time of a Rod of Aesculapius. Nicked and worn as the rest of the zanpakutō, the blade is seemingly as unkempt as it's owner. Not only is the blade damaged, but it is also covered in striking blood stains which somewhat symbolizes the blood that Kitoushi cannot wash from his hands.

While this zanpakutō appears to be entirely ineffective as a weapon itself, and it essentially is, it contains a few oddities to that of an average katana which make it valuable. For example hidden within the end cap are two spools of wire which become valuable tools in the surgeon's deft hands. The first is coated in a healing substance and can be used to suture wounds, while the other is incredibly sharp so that it may be used as a garrote. The most prominent difference however is that the katana has a groove running down the length just beyond the edge and the blade itself curves drastically inwards before the hand-guard. The purpose behind this is that it serves to funnel blood away from the user's hilt and secure their grip. The doctor has however found other uses, such as using it to splash blood into the enemies eyes, letting it fall to the ground to make an opportune puddle, or causing it to drip onto an enemies hilt when blades are locked. With a laughably bad skill at swordsmanship, it is these sorts of dirty tricks that Kitoushi had to rely upon before becoming more adept in other shinigami skills.

Shikai Incantation: Ayatsuru, ...Oketsu [Operate, ...Impure Blood]
Shikai Category: Poison Type
Shikai Range: Melee Short / Ranged Medium
Shikai Description: Shrinking dramatically in size the blade almost seems as if it would disappear until it takes the form of a relatively simple and 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. Despite the unassuming needle only causing a small puncture wound to an enemy, even without utilizing an ability it can become a deadly weapon for assassination when combined with the surgeon's medical knowledge of anatomy. Through strikes to precise muscles, ligaments, organs, or bones, the needle can effectively cripple an enemy while doing little physical damage. This would however matter little without it's unnerving ability to deliver attacks against attempts at defense. It's advantage against shields comes from a peculiarity of design in that the entirety of it's user's reiatsu is focused on the exact point of it's tip, rather than along the wide edge of a typical blade, thus allowing it to have an devastating piercing capability. Escaping from it's assault is similarly arduous as Kitoushi has learned to deliver a barrage of thrusts in the time it takes someone to swing their blade once. Thanks to a practiced hand in combination with the weapons light weight and size, this creates a form of attack that is amazingly fast, difficult to follow with the eye, and is very reminiscent of a snake's instantaneous strike.

While this makes for a potent offense, the extreme close range requires that the user is left completely open to retaliation with no way to block using his tiny weapon. This is where the string can be utilized in a complete change of form to the rare style of a rope dart. Extending the needle's range by a great deal, this allows the weapon to be thrown with menacing speed and quickly returned with the simple flick of the wrist. Additionally it may be spun, allowing it to strike with a greater momentum and making it even more difficult to track. Even in the rare occasion that an enemy can adjust, the string may also be tossed to curve around objects in the scenery, the user's own limb, or even the opponent's weapon. This will cause the needle to act a weight by rapidly changing it's trajectory to catch the enemy at a difficult angle, and make the needle unpredictable and neigh untraceable. While the form of the weapon makes it nearly incapable of a proper defense and it requires an extremely deft hand for proper manipulation, the difficulty in defending against it's barrage of attacks from every angle make it a perfect zanpakutō for Kitoushi's surgical skill. With Oketsu at his side, it allows him to view fights as an operation, his opponents a patient, and their resistance a problem to be forcefully excised.

Technique Name: Kyuuketsu [Blood Donor]
Technique Category: Augment Debuff / Passive
Technique Range: Contact
Technique Description: This continually active technique causes the needle itself to become coated with a unique poison composed from Kitoushi's own blood which contains a devastating hemotoxin. Strictly this isn't 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. The wound then becomes instantly infected as well as disrupting the chemical makeup of the area around the puncture thus preventing the wound from repair without a talented healer using targeted and time-consuming uninterrupted methods to restore it. This advanced type of toxin, which mimics some types of snake venom, causes a hemophilia condition that hinders the clotting mechanism in blood thereby causing extreme and unstoppable bleeding from the puncture with no amount of covering, pressure, or regeneration able to slow it.

While this doesn't directly cause any damage, this serves to task the opponent's energy with their movements becoming more slow and laborious the longer the battle persists. Only ten to twenty percent of one's blood needs to be lost before symptoms of hypovolemia begin to occur, a decrease of blood volume. Signaling this are violent changes in ones body that effect 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 practically insignificant, 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. In some occasions a fight can be ended with only a single pierce to an artery if left untreated.

Technique Name: Gyouketsu [Blood Clot]
Technique Category: Defensive
Technique Range: Regular
Technique Description: This technique first requires contact with blood at the point of Kitoushi's needle zanpakutō 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 in proportion to the degree of complexity required for crafting 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 begin to cut through a thin wall. 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 Debuff
Technique Range: Regular
Technique Description: This technique first requires contact with blood at the point of Kitoushi's needle zanpakutō 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 designated area. These stitches then forcefully bind two points together in such a tight grasp that simply swiping a blade is not an option. They may be removed without incident if one has time to address each stitch with precise concentration, but will still be incredibly difficult without properly small implements such as tweezers or tiny scissors. As this isn't an option in open combat, this technique 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 however severe as this causes a much larger wound which is then infected with Kitoushi's signature hemophiliac poison, causing significant and continual blood loss. While the construction of these intricate structures have become nearly second nature to the surgeon, it does require a tasking concentration in order for them to retain proper formation without loosening.

Technique Name: Enzanketsu [Blood Surgery]
Technique Category: Utility
Technique Range: Regular
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 on command. This provides a more efficient sort of healing technique due to the ability to create minute tools within the patient, performing the complex reconstruction from inside in combination with kaidō healing energy. While any sort of real operation requires a great deal of concentration, Kitoushi has honed his skills to conduct some surgical procedures with relatively immediate speed while under immense distraction. For example 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; all whilst in the heat of battle.

Bankai Name: Oketsu Orochi [Impure Blood Hydra]
Bankai Category: Colossal Extension Release
Bankai Description: The ritual first begins by placing both his arms through the sleeves of the pair of jackets the rest upon his shoulders, a significant sign he is about to release as this is generally 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 surgeon then calmly plunges the katana deeply into his sternum as the words bankai are spoken. A red blood covered tip of the blade pierces through his back, a cacophony of blood violently exploding into ample volumes which first defy logic and then defy gravity as it does not seem to fall to the ground. The sanguine liquid commences to funnel itself into several cylinders at it decisively takes shape. Finally the manner of the construct can be seen as the eight large structures each form their own sinister appearance of a serpent. With the bankai now fully formed, the original zanpakutō vanishes, leaving behind only Kitoushi and the giant blood hydra sprung from his back. It's important to note that in this activation he does not actually stab himself, instead the blade merely dissolves at it hits his chest. Additionally this process is no longer required as it can be quickly summoned with a word, yet Kitoushi still however enjoys the shocked expression it can create.

Gaining full control over this created blood woven with his reishi, the hydra is under the telekinetic control of Kitoushi. However the serpents can be much more independently and dexterously controlled by movements with the surgeon's hands almost giving the appearance he is playing a piano or conducting a symphony. The serpents constantly move and interweave in a practically hypnotic formation which demands the opponent's constant attention. This not only divides the opponent's attention, leaving them wondering which will attack and from where, but additionally makes tracking their movement increasingly difficult in combat. The nature of the bankai is composed so that Kitoushi may perform multiple surgeries on the battlefield simultaneously, perhaps even defending them from attack at the same time, 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 consenting allies. This can effectively turn the entire tide of battle, turning a late arrival to a bloodstained massacre into a resounding advantage. Perhaps most importantly it is through the bankai that Kitoushi found a way to conquer his debilitating physical condition, even if only for a short period of time.

Technique Name: Kyuuketsu Jakoushou [Blood Donor Serpent Bite]
Technique Category: Augment Debuff
Technique Range: Contact
Technique Description: The entire hydra itself is composed of blood containing it's signature virulent hemotoxin, with the fangs of the serpents creating four puncture marks upon bite. 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: Long
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 intercept an attack directed at an ally. Using this technique in such a manner however sacrifices the construct in order to do so. Additionally the clotting cannot be controlled or held, thus whatever it catches will only remain stuck until struck with a moderate amount of force before the blood falls helplessly to the ground.

Technique Name: Danketsu Jahougou [Blood Stitches Serpent Suture]
Technique Category: Augment Debuff
Technique Range: Long
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: Long
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. Through utilization of this alongside kaidō in a systematic manner, it produces quite possibly the most advance healing method in Soul Society. All manner of complex operations are possible though they each require appropriate degrees of concentration. However some simple treatments can be performed relatively on the fly with no more than a glance, such stopping bleeding, stitching wounds, setting broken bones, or expelling foreign substances.

Technique Name: Touketsu Jatsuku [Blood Scalpel Serpent Strike]
Technique Category: Augment Buff
Technique Range: Long
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 while simultaneously performing shunpo. 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.

Device Name: Daija no Geass [Serpent's Geis]
Device Category: Body Augmentation
Device Description: This experimental device was originally an implantation done by the twelfth division when Kitoushi was forced in to service by the Shirotomi noble family. It's original purpose was so that he could keep constant visual contact with their young noble daughter, but the surgeon has since found it has other application. In true medical pursuit he has embraced this special optic device which utilizes an emitter and organic possessor to provide a visual representation of nearly every known spectrum, visible, auditory, or otherwise. With an ability to cycle through these wavelengths or view them compositely, it opens unlimited possibilities to near instantaneously diagnose conditions. For example x-ray may be used to see bone structure, thermal to monitor a patients temperature condition, and ultrasound to view the circulatory system.

It's applications on the battlefield do not go unnoticed either with the ability to see through many fortifications or visual hindrance. Additionally it permits the viewing of reishi particles more intimately and thus allows him a greater understanding to the architecture of foreign techniques. In a particular encounter, it most importantly served to allow Kitoushi to see through illusionary techniques and prevented the death of his squad. The device is capable of this because it disregards standard senses entirely and the aforementioned organic processor composes information that is sent directly to the brain and is interpreted as a picture despite not actually being any form of sight. This advantage is however also a failing of the unfinished device as the human brain not meant to operate on such a level. The result is that overuse inflicts debilitating migraines and is heavily suspected to eventually cause long term consequences.


Device Name: Kaibō Saiken [Anatomy Reconstruction]
Device Category: Body Augmentation
Device Description: In a rather arrogant display to prove that he can improve upon the bodies natural design, Kitoushi has radically altered his own anatomy. Now possessing a drastically larger amount of bones than the standard human body, he has reinforced them to afford redundancies so that others take over should one be broken. Not satisfied to simply stop at his skeletal structure, he has amazingly rearranged his own organs so that they occupy completely different places to increase their efficiency.

Device Name: Senjou Getta Kitto [Battlefield Surgical Kit]
Device Category: Medical Supplies
Device Description: With a non-standard medical pouch carried along the back of his obi, the doctor carries more advanced medical supplies than those found in your typical first aid kit. Alongside the standard bandages and salves, the kit contains surgical equipment such as hemostatic clamps, suction tubes, and gloves which are chemically treated to resist the unusual acid or toxins. Beyond the devices this pack also contains several vital chemicals which are difficult to make and thus in short supply, but are invaluable to medical treatment. This includes the Kasseika Jouzai, revitalization pill, which restores the user's energy for then when exhaust themselves using kaidō healing. Additionally it includes Shinten, Gaten, and Houten, tranquilizers used to knock out weakened patients. The kit even contains a rare dose of Hojiku-Zai, flesh-mending drug, which upon injection forcefully and painfully can regenerate limbs in moments. Notably there are a large amount of painkillers in several delivery methods including pill, liquid, powder, and automatic injectors for an instant dose.

Device Name: Enkeihouki [Smoke Sensor]
Device Category: Data-Gathering Bacteria
Device Description: Utilizing the cigarillo the doctor smokes as an innocuous delivery system unknown to others, when inhaled it carries data-gathering bacteria which collects information on the target. This data is sent to his computer for analysis in where he can study the composition of their spiritual energy and anatomy as well as observe those they combat. Though using this detailed information he can enhance his surgical and healing ability when performing operations on his allies.

Device Name: Senkou Eikoudan [Flash Flare Bomb]
Device Category: Disguised Grenade
Device Description: Utilizing a combination of chemicals filled into hollow compartments, they can be mixed upon command to cause a reaction that results in a blinding flash of light and smoke. This can be hidden in a number of seemingly innocuous accessories, the most prominent of which is the doctor's cane. With no hesitation to use any possible underhanded tactic to catch the enemy off guard, Kitoushi carries a significant amount of items which contain this substance.

Device Name: Anken [Dark Blade]
Device Category: Hidden Knives
Device Description: These short blades hidden within sleeves as well as pant legs can be detached and thrown with a swing or kick to create a sudden unexpected attack. While these blades are not very threatening in themselves, it sill requires the enemy react to them and thus can be used to create an opening. In a dirty trick that he is fond of, some of these knives are hollowed out to carry the Senkou Eikoudan chemical and thus when hit will unexpectedly release a blinding flash.


Device Name: Chōshin-ki Pasokon [Stethoscope Computer]
Device Category: Disguised Computer and Communicator
Device Description: The stethoscope carried around Kitoushi's neck is not actually one at all, but rather serves as sophisticated communication device and computer. It serves to fulfill the functionality of a Denreishinki and can additionally project a holographic screen that allows information to be stored and analyzed in the field.


Device Name: Koppenharime [Bone Fragment Stitch]
Device Category: Reinforced Equipment
Device Description: Using a sinister method of gathering material, the doctor has pinned live arrancar for vivisection in order to chip off and gather their white hardened bone. Treating this bone with a concoction of chemical solutions, it has been shaped into several pieces of equipment that he wears and carries. While it is not nearly as durable as it originally was it still provides some small amount of durability, but is not suitable to be made into armor and will shatter if a direct blow hits it. While the doctor's waraji appear standard, under closer inspection it has an inch of this material colored brown and placed on the bottom as a sole with a layer of rubber beneath it. It very simply affords a small amount of protection for example making caltrops ineffective. This material is also additionally worn in a very thin layer under his cloak with thicker plates over the shoulders as well as a cup over his more sensitive area. Most notably the doctor has a stock of hollowed out derby canes made from this substance, disguised as simple wood. It is in no way able to be used for serious defense, but at least makes it not break apart from indirect explosions.

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Timeline}
1150 – Chapter I – Birth in Heian era Japan countryside
1166 – Chapter I – Becomes a Medicine Man
1169 – Chapter I – Forced into Daimyo's servitude
1170 – Chapter II – Becomes a torturer
1181 – Chapter III – Arrives in Rome
1187 – Chapter IV – Becomes an assassin
1194 – Chapter IV – Death
1195 – Chapter V – Opens medicine shop in Rukongai
1196 – Chapter V – Becomes involved in Yakuza conflict
1312 – Chapter V – Imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest
1499 – Chapter VI – Forced into Shiritomi clan's service
1508 – Chapter VII – Falls ill becoming a 12th test subject
1515 – Chapter VIII – Freed albeit crippled, joins the academy
1517 – Chapter VIII – Married
1522 – Chapter IX – Hollow escapes into academy at night
1522 – Chapter X – Obtains shikai defeating escaped hollow
1525 – Chapter XI – Graduates and is divorced
1527 – Chapter XII – Participates in missions with the 2nd
1619 – Chapter XIII – Obtains bankai quelling prisoner riot
1620 – Chapter XIV – Begins training under 4th captain
1706 – Chapter XV – Sleeps with Crane clan daughter, causing her death
1706 – Chapter XVI – Kills the 12th division captain with 200 witnesses
1707 – Chapter XVII – Becomes captain of 4th division
1813 – Chapter XVIII – Quincy extermination assassination missions
2012 – Chapter XVIII – Defends against the Wandenreich invasion

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter I: Tabula Rasa – Blank Slate}
           Darake Kitoushi's story began in the rural countryside of Japan during the late Heian era at the height of the war between the rival Minamoto and Taira clans. The conflict tore apart families and his was no exception, losing both of his parents to instead be bounced around from place to place as was typical for many at the time. Despite this humble upbringing, the unassuming boy would eventually end up 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 he lived in from a sage would change the course of his life, offering the child a treatment and knowledge of how to make it. From this moment the his path was set to follow in the medicine man's footsteps. As he grew older the young man began pioneering a number of techniques and his reputation 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 who's relative had fallen ill with an unknown condition. Summoned to help, Kitoushi foolishly began treatment with an experimental medicine that inadvertently accelerated the conditions and caused the young boys death.

In the face of his execution for the first time, the medicine man would do the thing he was perhaps 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 lord's mind that it perhaps wasn't the medicine man's fault. While not entirely convinced it was enough that he was forced into the lords service, negotiating a job instead of his death. Little had he known exactly what kind of position this would be, becoming practically a prisoner with few luxuries such as the books that his mind thrived upon. Time continually passed without the ability to practice medicine at all, even to continue the creation of his own. Now living in a constant pain within his joints and having no activity to occupy his mind he began to wonder into madness. Enemies of the lord's family would grow as he cast aside former alliances, eventually angering another who would kidnap the young lord's father in desperation. In a rescue attempt, the elderly man was killed and soon the lord's wrath would no know bounds in his desire for revenge. As the lord gathered prisoners, he was also acquiring torturers and it is this crusade which would finally end the silence of Kitoushi's imprisonment. This group was in need of a man with medical expertise to test the limits of what a human could endure without their death. It is possible that this moment became was the birth of the medical torturer profession and also something dark within the medicine man himself.

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{-Chapter II: Ad Quod Damnum – A Measure of the Damages Inflicted}
           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 own lord's secrets. To his disappointment however he'd not been given the opportunity and now stubbornly professed his oath to not say a word. The guards gave the medicine man his instruction to which he spat back them and refused. They remained silent, laying out a variety of tools and left the room. For a moment Kitoushi contemplated using the items in front of him to take his own life, but he could not muster the courage, instead curling up in the corner and returning to his silent hell. The bound samurai however was anything but silent. He prodded at the whimpering medicine man with all manner insults, insisting that this pathetic man could never make him talk and screaming constantly at the top of his lungs. Days past but the man never tired and neither did his verbal assaults, continually wearing upon the thin line of restraint and sanity that Kitoushi could manage in his delirious state.

Eventually in a fit of blind frustration the medicine man snapped, grasping a blade and diving at the man with every form of pain that he could imagine. When the door finally opened, their was little left of the samurai which could be called human. The medicine man began to ramble everything he learned to the guards who nodded to each other. They carried Kitoushi to a table where he found a feast awaiting him amongst his coveted medicine, the lord overjoyed with the success. As a result of the information that he had provided, the war between clans would end quickly, adverting the death of many on both sides. The act he had performed caused many mixed emotions within Kitoushi, but he took solace in that fact. Before long he would come to see the horrible act he had committed as not only the first real use of his knowledge in years, but as a pursuit of forbidden information which thrilled him in a way he had never experienced before. Indeed, 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 continually provided results which caused his services to be invaluable. 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. Before long the line had become blurred and he was treated instead as a honored guest. 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 unnerving patience, Kitoushi lay in wait for the prefect moment to strike and take his vengeance.

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{-Chapter III: Omne Ignotum Pro Magnifico – Everything Unknown Appears Magnificent}
           Disregarding the traditional Japanese stance to largely ignore the outside world, the daimyo had become interested in the value that other cultures could bring to his campaign. It was a monumental moment in history when proclaimed a voyage to several European countries 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 in this lifetime. The voyage proved long and challenging with Kitoushi tending to the needs of the crew. While many perished, the medicine man made particularly sure to gain the favor of the captain by exaggerating the severity of an illness in which he cured. Gathering a number of foreign crew along the way, Kitoushi would trade his medical services to them in exchange for lessons in foreign language, some of which was gained through his other expertise with the occasional captive. New information was around every corner as they traveled, however they would never reach their intended destination. The Japanese method of ship building proved not able to deal with such an extended voyage and tragedy struck as the vessel was ripped apart in the storm. There was one survivor found by a passing merchant ship who was rescued and brought to a land very foreign to him.

Arriving in Rome had an undoubtedly profound effect on the man who so highly valued knowledge. Now set loose on the streets of Rome able to forge his own destiny, he quickly found himself setting up shop 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. The doctor had at his hands a profitable profession which challenged him, the shady courtesans to entertain him during the nights, and access to more knowledge than he could ever hope to absorb. Yet somehow there was some lurking unfulfilled desire within him. He would eventually find this desire fulfilled in a most unexpected manner as his practice began to attract a measure of fame using the techniques he had acquired from multiple countries foreign to the land.

Before long Kitoushi had began treating even prominent members of Italian society, inadvertently attracting another sort of attention from the shadows. It seemed to be a another typical night in which the doctor once again found himself diligently studying the work of the brilliant Chinese physician Song Ci who had began pioneering forensic autopsy to determine cause of death. Soon he would need to set aside the papers to rest as tomorrow he would be treating a Countess of considerable influence. With the doctor bent over a table looking through piles of documents, someone approached ever so silently from behind. The hooded figure crept closer, the candlelight dancing in the reflection on a dagger raised high in the air. When it finally swung down, a life was ended that night.

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{-Chapter IV: Vita Incerta, Mors Certissima – Life is Uncertain, Death is Most Certain }
           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, at first there was no response before he muttered a short phrase. The door seemed to open of it's own will and a long hallway seemed to stretch out in front of him endlessly. Inside the bare stone corridor gave way to a lavishly decorated room which was illuminated with several candelabras. A vast assemblage of robbed figures stood each in matching attire who were spread between ever 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. This figure nodded and motioned towards the brazier. The assassin responded with a groan as he hefted the body into the inferno which flared up to consume the corpse. The imposing figure seemed pleased as he made his way down to the assassin, placing both hands on the shoulder of the protege. The assassin raised his head, revealing a face which brought shock to everyone in the room.

Every robbed figure sprang to action as they unsheathed blades and bows, with the only thing that prevented Kitoushi's death at that moment was likely his 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. An inquisitive wave washed over the leader's face before it gave way to a laugh, quickly 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 proved problematic for their organization. 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 desire 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 that had come for him, 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 even 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. A short struggle ensued, but it did not end favorably for the doctor, blade logged deeply in his throat. He lay there choking on blood as it spread liberally around him yeilding a slow, lonely, painful death.

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 doctor was suddenly and violently hunted by vicious creatures he would latter know as hollow. Each day now a fight for his life, 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, he hazily could make out a black robbed figure descending in front of him and placing the bottom of their sword on his forehead. A light overwhelmed him from inside out and he was no longer part of this world.

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{-Chapter V: Post Mortem – After Death}
           Reaching the afterlife, the aimless man first drifted without purpose stuck in the ghetto called Rukongai. This was clearly nothing like the heaven spoken of, he was surrounded by poverty, wracked with pain, and now had a desperate hunger growing within him. Luckily he found a woman with an injury who he treated instinctively and she graciously thanked him with 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 his knowledge, the medicine man soon find his techniques to be completely pitiful after witnessing the majestic shinigami ability of Kaidō. Despite this far more efficient ability, the citizens were largely left to their own devices and without the help of these 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 for a disturbingly steep cost. The doctor stubbornly refused and all to soon had learned that this realm was no paradise, but just as flawed as the last. With the life of his patients in jeopardy, he was once again all to eager to use his skills for unsavory purposes.

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. However foolishly, it did not end there, something drove the doctor further under the pretense of saving the district from these thugs. Another abduction occurred several nights later, this time left with the calling card of a nearby rival gang. With that simple act a gang war had erupted thus reducing their numbers and taking their focus off abusing the frightful citizens. His practice was safe for the time, although his actions would have catastrophic repercussions.

One day while Kitoushi was making his usual rounds, he noticed as an argument between two opposing gang members began to grow. Members from each side continually showed up and with one idiotic punch, it began a grand confrontation which erupted spilling out in every direction upon the hapless onlookers. The fractions paid no mind to collateral damage as weapons missed their mark and hit fleeing innocents with impunity. With injuries and casualties racking up in every direction the doctor raced frantically to their aid, with every individual he saved meaning three more would die. After stabilizing another he scanned for the next he could help to see a familiar young girl get hit with the explosion of a molotov cocktail. Rushing to the girl's side, he held the charred corpse with her blood on his hands. Without a moment's hesitation, he looked up to find the man responsible running and gave chase. This when on for a time until the yakuza reached a dead end, spinning around to produce a knife and growling like a corner animal. His body wracked with pain from the run, Kitoushi couldn't defend himself as the blade was plunged into his gut, responding with a wild headbutt in desperation. Following that with a tackle to slam him against the wall, he whipped the cloak from his shoulders and twisted it to create a makeshift rope. After some struggle he had the punk hogtied, painfully pulling the knife from his own body. In that moment it washed over him that this was in reality his own fault and was going to spare the misguided creature, but something crept up within him. It demanded satisfaction, it demanded to cut him, irregardless of any fault or vengeance.

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 the doctor and yakuza were brought in for their crimes to face justice with the latter jailed or sentenced to death. Kitoushi waited patiently in his cell ready to accept punishment for what he had done almost as if welcoming it. Yet no one would come forward to testify to any crime the doctor had committed, instead he had lines of people wanting to speak about his good deeds to the community. Despite this support, Kitoushi would never see trial. He'd committed no official crime, but they pieced together the manipulation he had done to cause the war. This factor in combination with the fact he had latent spiritual power caused him to be deemed a danger to Soul Society. Without trial, explanation, or hope of ever seeing the light of day once again, he was brought to a special prison called the Maggot's Nest.

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{-Chapter VI: Ex Nihilo – From Nothing}
           Several years would pass before the door to his cell would finally creek open. There sat a ragged shell of the man he once was, the light singeing the desperate man's inquisitive eyes. What then entered, he could never have anticipated. A small girl with white hair in pigtails came running in with arms outspread, making airplane noises as she circled around the room. A detention guard then entered explaining that this prisoner had once been a doctor and would make a fine selection. A tall, regal, woman entered with an imposing air of authority. The white captain's cloak alongside an azure scarf followed behind her serene movements, nose in the air as she looked judgmentally down at the prisoner. The prisoner stared back with his own glare that together seemed as if the two of them could nearly suffocate the room. The detention guard grew visibly nervous until the staring contest was broken by the doctor being suddenly poked on the forehead. Kitoushi recoiled as the little girl giggled and exclaimed, I want this one mommy! As if selecting 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 in the following days in a very disturbing manner. With permission of the noblewoman, the twelfth division captain sought to try a new method of leashing subordinates and brutally both of his eyes were forcefully removed. The eyes were modified and placed back now allowing for vision which could penetrate nearly any wall or person so that he could keep a constant eye on the noble daughter. These however also had a powerful seal which could be activated by simple command to create a shocking binding that would restrain him if he ever stepped outside of his bounds. Make no mistake, Kitoushi was still a prisoner.

Soon he was brought to the Crane family manner, owned by the illustrious Sixth Division Captain Shirotomi Shōtoku Asako with her two children; the younger son Hirako and the daughter Kitoushi would serve, Mariko. The lord of the clan had fallen in combat some time ago, but his reputation as well as that of the Shirotomi would always be well known throughout Soul Society. They were known as the most formal of all the high noble clans, proper at all times and secretly thought to be arrogant by some. Amazed at how much pull the noble family had, the doctor was guided through the most lavish building he had ever seen in his life. Drifting in disbelief after being forgotten by the world and placed in such squalor, he would now come to live with those who had the highest position in society. Kitoushi was brought up to speed that he would act as a Sesshō to the young Mariko, he would raise her, teach her, and mold her into a lady befitting the house.

It did not come easy for the man to 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 he was eventually even permitted to reopen his practice. Given proper facilities within the manor, he began work as person physician to the Shirotomi Clan. Before he was treating the penniless commoners and now he treating those considered the of the highest importance. Additionally it became part 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 his life of horrible past crimes were behind him. Despite the affection of the child, her mother would continually remain distant with little acknowledgement that he existed. The head of the family wold never allow him forget his position in the household and always looked down upon him for the slightest ill action. Kitoushi managed to largely ignore her condescension, but could not escape the growing desire to be more than just a medicine man to their family. His blood boiled for real tests, for real subjects, for real prey. With access to the noble's vast library, the doctor 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. The medicine man would however 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 shinigami's adventures to the young noble girl, making them out to be the most grand of heroes. Years would pass and no doubt as the girl grew older, she became vastly interested in the subject. A day would come when she begged to follow in her mother's footsteps and apply for the Shino Academy, just as Kitoushi had planned; unfortunately his goal would be unexpectedly delayed

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter VII: Materia Medica – Medical Matter }
           Gradually pain would begin to wrack the medicine man, worse than it had ever been, but it defied the symptoms of any known condition. Kitoushi did his best to function despite it, but it eventually became debilitating and even threatening his life. While the noblewoman did not care for the man, she did fear losing an investment and thus used her 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 to test this new condition. Eventually the kind shinigami of the fourth would discover this fact and risking her life, rushed to explain the situation to the Shirotomi clan.

Bursting into the laboratory, the noblewoman kept her calm demeanor, but there was a ferocity in her 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 improvement of Seireitei's research. The noblewoman fired back that he did not have the right to abduct any student of the Gotei Thirteen. Tossing paperwork onto the ground in front of him, the noble then merely turned and walked away. Shinigami came rushing into the room, while the captain hurriedly gathered the papers to read they 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, particularly effecting the left side of his body and it would gradually worsen throughout his life. Through a miracle they later would be able to slow this process in his left arm, however his leg and eye did not respond similarly. This was however the least of his worries at current time. Chronic pain would wrack him with little to soothe the condition and it would continue to worsen for the rest of his life alongside the weakening of limbs. Due to this they had told him walking would be unlikely, but after multitudes of physical therapy he would prove them wrong thanks to the efforts of the kind fourth divisioner's assistance every step of the way. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, 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, he grew almost fond of having the woman around. The feelings were not one sided either and soon the pair would be inseparable. It was nearly three months later that the Shirotomi noblewoman would finally come to the hospital. She arrived during his physical therapy, surveying the man with a cane as if looking upon am injured horse that needed to be put down. She explained that no injury short of death could get him out of their agreement, that is unless he preferred going back to the twelfth division's laboratory. Completely unaware of any arrangement, the fourth division woman would explain that the only way they could legally rescue him was if he was 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 Shirotomi Captain thought he'd try to back out with the fourth division woman desperate to find some loophole, Kitoushi himself could not have been more pleased. This nightmare had all been a drastic setback, but now his plan was finally back on course.

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter VIII: Perita Manus, Mens Exculta – Skilled Hand, Cultivated Mind}
           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 possibly 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 Shirotomi 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. She however gave him an definite edge on the competition. At her 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 kaidō alongside complex surgical techniques. This was not the only areas he seemed to have talent for. Complex bakudō would soon become second nature to the diligent practitioner, even laying the foundation for his ability to weave spells together. During this time period he had grown closer his girlfriend than anyone else he had before, but yet it was still as if there was something blocking his ability to fully return her feelings. He tired to ignore this and simply continue acting as expected until a day when she frustratedly asked when he would finally ask for marriage. Taken aback, he hadn't even considered the proposition, but in his observation of others it seemed the logical thing to do. With little ceremony, the two were joined and as a result she seemed as if happier than ever, so this was simple enough reasoning for him.

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 joining the academy, one who undoubtedly would be the top student to beat. The doctor pushed his way through the crowd in an attempt to get through and just as he pushed past them all, his eyes widened at the sound of a voice shouting his name. He turned to find a full grown white-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 and asked himself if so much time had 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 the brat's company. Brat would be an odd word to describe the now graceful woman in front of him, but he couldn't help but shake the image of the little girl who wouldn't eat her greens. During their conversation she had expressed interest in joining the twelfth division, but now knowing what they had done to him she turned her focus elsewhere. Instead she resolved to follow in her mother's footsteps to take command the second division. Time passed with the medicine man now watching over the woman progress though classes with an amazing talent, tutoring her whenever she needed help. Soon however it would come time for him to graduate, but instead he would delay leaving the academy. Kitoushi would blame his apathy and he would deny it to even himself, but Mariko 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 venerable 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 walked away saying that he would keep the hall clear for him to continue his extracurricular activities. Despite being given a free run after such a close call, this hobby would eventually come with dire consequences.

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{-Chapter IX: Caveat Emptor – Let the Buyer Beware}
           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 Mariko 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.

Together Kitoushi and Mariko alongside another student as they made their way searching through rooms eventually reaching the large indoor kidō firing range. Spread out to search the area there suddenly came a large guttural growl which shook the very foundation of the building. One of the students began to panic before the others shouted that he must remember his training. They each quickly performed a shunpo to place their backs to each other in circle formation swords drawn and scanning the area. Pounding footsteps echoed in every direction around them accompanied by a scraping that one could only presume was it's claws against the ground and yet none of them could spot a trace of the creature. Then came another sound, a sort of pounding which seemed all to familiar to Kitoushi, but he had no idea why. Lost in thought at the enigmatic sound, it became deafening as a geyser of blood erupted from the chest of the third shinigami throwing him to the ground. Kitoushi and Mariko stood in shock as they realized this hollow possessed a way to cloak itself visually. The pounding sound grew louder once again, causing the medical student to realize it's origin. It was their own heartbeats, an auditory clue to the creatures attack. It became deafening once again prompting the medic to forcefully ram the noble in an attempt to get her out of the way. It was far to late however and the woman was clipped on the shoulder blade with a deep abiding gash.

He flew to her aid, but once again the sound pounded and Kitoushi merely was lucky to raise his blade in time to parry the blow which sent him stumbling. Looking down in horror, he saw Mariko begin to convulse and foam at the mouth, clearly the effects from a toxin. His eyes widened at the sight, extending a hand which began to glow with green energy, but another strike from the enemy met his blade and threw him to the ground from the 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 swordsmanship 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 feel the claw of the hollow descending upon him, Kitoushi's world shattered around him both figuratively and literally.

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{-Chapter X: Ab Intra – From Within}
           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. It continued to travel haphazardly covering his body before 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 was 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, blood spurting from the wound and revealing the outline of an arm. It 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, the words came so naturally it was as if he had uttered them a thousand times before. 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 hollow's claw 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 in place and performed another shunpo. Appearing on the back of the hollow with string of his zanpakutō in hand, a few flicks of the wrist whipped it around the monster's thick collar.

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, demanding that it produce an antidote to it's toxin as he began listing every form of horrible torture he'd ever performed and would use if it didn't do as he asked. The beast made every attempt to resist, but with the combination of blood loss and oxygen deprecation it took everything it had to remain conscious. An oddly colored liquid began to drip from it's fangs and pour on to the ground before the hollow followed suit with resounding thud. Flying forward from the creature's back, he dipped the needle of his zanpakutō into the liquid before making his way to Mariko with every ounce of haste his being could muster. Stabbing it directly into the completely pale 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 simply pronounced, he was afraid.

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{-Chapter XI: Alea Iacta Est – The Die Has Been Cast}
           As is natural with such a life defining moment, this event 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. It had been an eventful night, but for Kitoushi it was not yet 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 camaraderie among them, particularly strengthening the bond between Kitoushi and Mariko.

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. Despite his protests the arguments continued to escalate until she finally couldn't take it any longer and left him. After this incident, she would turn to her work as an outlet, but she grew deathly ill. While she lived through the strange illness, it would severely hinder her promotion in the fourth. Finally the moment would come that so many held their breath in anticipation for, counting the moments till graduation. Yet there was little joy to be had for the student who'd as of late been drowning himself in painkillers not exactly looking forward to working under his ex-wife. 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 Shirotomi clan mandated that he operate alongside the special forces where Mariko 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 the third seat within the fourth division.

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter XII: Modus Operandi – Method of Operating}
           A group of four arrancar stood in a room of odd architecture, the white stone completely smooth with little distinct features. Standing over a table they look to a map, discussing details of a plan to attract several shinigami into a trap. Above a figure knelt in the rafters, raising a hand to touch a small device in their ear as a voice on the other end said they had all they needed. Their hand then extended outwards and gripped the air in front of them, somehow appearing as if it was solid. As if pulling a curtain back the individual tore away the artfully crafted spell which concealed them from being seen, revealing not one but several shadowed figures. In a blur they dropped from the ceiling on top of the arrancar in a position behind them, blades drawn to cut their throats in unison before they had a chance to resist. Their lifeless bodies dropped to the ground, blood spewing forth from their necks. Successfully completing their task without a hitch, 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 gave a warm smile to him and a flirtatious wink, but he merely turned away ignoring the gesture.

Suddenly the brilliant energy of a cero came ripping through one of their comrades, the explosion throwing them across the room and slamming into a wall. The remaining three would shunpo in pure instinct, taking cover from behind a statue as several more blasts nipped at their heels. Several arrancar 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 swallowing the contents whole. Raising the cane to his lips, he kissed it and tossed it blindly over shoulder. A blinding light followed by wails that filled the room as the enemies clawed at their eyes. Rubbing his hands together before slamming the palms to the ground, energy pulsed and caused a sudden burst of red smoke to expand and fill half of the room. On cue the rest of the shinigami rushed from their cover and began to flay the blinded group who let off blasts of energy 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 a field medic alongside an assassin cell would pay dividends, at the very least to this one man's family.

Simply another of their successful assassinations, Kitoushi cleverly adapting to a situation when the mission goes beyond the parameters. Devoting himself more with each successful strike against the enemy, 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 of critical importance, 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. His tasks in the fourth division 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.

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{-Chapter XIII: Memento Mori – Remember You Are Mortal}
           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 zanpakutō, 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 zanpakutō. 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 ounce of kido he had, the surgeon began tossing flashes 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 drawing as much blood from the wound as he could possibly spare. 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 afterward 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.

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{-Chapter XIV: Semper Anticus – Always Forward}
           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, specially with her ex-husband. 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 usable eye with a continued pause between them while they both remained silent.

Finally breaking the silence, the captain then began a long speech which went uninterrupted without response from the doctor laying in the bed, doing his best not to look the elderly man he looked up to in the eye. The elderly sage spoke of how he had been briefed on Kitoushi's secretive service to the second division. He could see that Kitoushi had a caring soul, but surrounded by it was a darkness. No doubt this darkness was a vital part to who he was, so it could not be discarded nor should he want to. However it was important for it to be in a balance. Currently the boy was so focused on muffling his feelings that vengeance was taking a hold over him, he was falling more drastically out of balance. Because of denying this, he was now in that bed, just barely having clung to life, and next time he would not be so lucky. Soon it could consume him, or worse those he cared about. The old man stopped speaking remaining in silence for a moment before heading towards the door. He stopped just before exiting to leave him with one more bit of information. Not many knew this, but soon he would be leaving for the king's guard. If Kitoushi was willing to learn how to both embrace what was important and let go of distractions, he would be willing to teach him.

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 that the Shirotomi had built for him as a safe room. 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?

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{-Chapter XV: Quod Me Nutrit Me Destruit – What Nourishes Me Destroys Me}
           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.

As time passed this would dissolve with the Mariko more frequently attempting to flirt with him, Kitoushi defensively responding with some sort of lewd comment such as about her large ass. This would send her blushing and in playful anger activating the seal in his eye to deliver a low shock. Despite this increasing tension, Mariko 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 mother, 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. Kitoushi frustration over the situation silently grew, instead telling himself he had no time for a relationship when he had to focus on his plan. The vengeance against the twelfth division captain, he was now closer to it than ever before.

But, he wasn't in realty close at all, not to what he truly wanted. The words of his captain echoed through his mind. Revenge would feel good for a time, but he still would be in the same place he was now. Still living by the limitations that others place on him and more importantly, those he place upon himself. No, what he really wanted wasn't revenge, it was to be free, to be happy, to be with her. Without a moment's hesitation he made his way the Shirotomi estate, entering through the secret escape route that led to Mariko's room. He entered as she was stepping out of the shower, shocked by his appearance, but more so by the determination in his eyes. Reaching for her, she reacted off of instinct as she did to his advances and spoke the command to activate the restraining seal within his left eye. This time however, the shock delivered was barely even of note and it didn't stop him from putting his arms around her with a real embrace for the first time. With that, it was as if the wall between them melted and finally they were together.

The time following was spent with them exploring their new found relationship that they'd both desired for so long, but still had to remain in secret. Every mission was a chance for them to see each other, combat against a hollow practically became a flirtatious dance between them. It was as if no longer denying their emotions had lifted a weight over their skills, now unhindered by any pretense. They each achieved new abilities, were given greater responsibilities, and more dangerous tasks. Together it almost seemed as if they were unstoppable. Kitoushi began his training with the fourth division captain and so did Mariko with her own mother, each now unburdened by the imbalance which had been holding them back. Yet it was in Mariko's sessions with her mother that it became clear one more obstacle stood in their way. Every day it became more apparent to the noblewoman, that her daughter had formed a relationship with the dirty commoner they had dragged from prison. Her blood boiled at the very thought. So came that fateful night when the noblewoman who held herself in such impeccable grace succumbed to her one vice, alcohol. The noblewoman stormed up to Mariko's room in an alcoholic rage only to find her daughter in bed shaking violently and bleeding from every orifice.

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{-Chapter XVI: Pede Poena Claudo – Punishment Comes Limping}
           The noblewoman stood in the hospital room, staring in a stoic sorrow at the dead body of her daughter. Kitoushi stood in the rain looking down through the walls from the roof of the hospital knowing he could not take a step closer or he would be killed by the Captain instantly. Every fabric of his being begged him to go to her side, but not even in this most profound depression could he disregard his logical thought. Instead he occupied is mind with that single burning question, why? Finally a response came from his inner spirit, giving him a clarity to connect the pieces of the puzzle together. His medical condition, the poison eating, the experimentation, together they culminated in not just poison blood, but all the fluids in his body were toxic. His thoughts returned from the depths of his grief instead to a vengeance that he had discarded. The same vengeance that he let go of in order to be with her was now the death of her.

The doctor left the rooftops, the destination was obvious. A call was made on the way, a favor to cash in with one of the others involved in the academy incident. The voice on the other end was startled by the chilling nature in Kitoushi's voice as he demanded that they set it up. He arrived at the headquarters moments later, storming directly through the front doors starting the twelfth division researchers sitting behind the reception desk. He continued on past them without hesitation for one to give chase and match his pace. The frazzled woman said that she had set them up, but wanted to know what this was all about. A sideways glare from the doctor shot through the shinigmai which quieted them as he suddenly stopped his march and demanded to know the location of her captain. The chilled woman merely pointed and he was back on his way with a rushed pace as fast as his bad leg could take him. Finally he reached the room, throwing open the swinging pair of doors to find a dark room only illuminated by the dull light of haphazardly placed monitors. There in the center bent over one of them, a pale figure slowly turned around to reveal a heavy frown and his hand pulling his zanpakutō from it's sheath. The captain seemingly knew why he was there with his haunting voice echoing throughout the room, “So my test subject has killed the whore and has come home so that he may join her?”

The twelfth division woman sat at her desk, still attempting to shake off the odd feeling given by the disturbing doctor's glance. The monitor in front of her made a sound as it suddenly switched from a worksheet now to a video. She shot her head upwards to find the same thing happening to the monitor in the corner of the room. This is what she had set up for him, her body now shaking to realize now what it was for. Throughout the headquarters shinigami researchers were shocked to suddenly find every monitor now displaying a video which had the red word live emblazoned in the corner. Everyone in the division watched inquisitively at first only to then to recoil in horor. Some stared merely in stunned silence, others began to clamor in shrill voices, more than a handful began to become sick. Many finally shook it off to go running to the room where it was taking place, only to be stopped as the doors to the room swung open and out stepped a figure dripping in blood. A shinigami stepped out among the gathering crowd which stood in shock and whispering amongst themselves. They parted as the figure walked through the division, everyone's eyes on him, monitors in the background replaying the event showing fountains of blood and the outline monstrous creature drenched in it all.

It was not moments latter that the assemblage of Captains from every division stood in formation in front of the Commander, every division but one. Everyone was in a clamor with one clearly the loudest amongst them, the noblewoman of the second division who had just lost her daughter. Never before had anyone seen someone from the most formal Shirotomi clan lose her composure in this manner. Suddenly they all became silent as the venerable Commander raised his hand and said, he is here. The giant doors to the Captain's Meeting Hall opening for a figure to come through the doors and make their way between the two rows of captains. Kitoushi marched covered in blood, a white tattered bundle of cloth in hand leaving a trail behind him. Reaching the center and standing in front of the Commander, he tossed the bloody captain's jacket down in front of him, the symbol of the twelfth division emblazoned on it.

The noblewoman clenched her teeth and gripped the handle of her zanpakutō so tightly it seemed as if it would break. The doctor could feel the noblewoman's eyes burning a hole through him, but kept his own locked on he Commanders as he finally broke the silence and said that there were three methods to becoming a captain of the Gotei Thirteen. One of them was to defeat a captain in combat with two-hundred witnesses, just as he had done. By right he was now a Captain. The noblewoman could take it no longer. Stepping forward she screamed in rage that her daughter's killer could never have that right! The other captain's made each made movements to stop her, but she had already begun to activate the seal placed on Kitoushi. Repeatably she screamed the activation to the seal at the height of it's power sending enough violent shocks to kill. Yet the doctor still stood, his face contorting in pain and his entire body jerking with each jolt. Slowly he lifted his jerking arm, raising it to the eye which held the seal. Using his bare fingers he plunged them into the socket and ripped the implanted eye out, throwing it on to the ground in front of the noblewoman.

She looked on in a stunned rage with two other captains positing themselves between the pair. Kitoushi was now leaning entirely on his cane, using it as the only thing that kept him standing. Between struggled words he explained that his condition weakened the nerves throughout his left side, including those going to his eye. With them weakening, so did the power of the seal to deliver shocks. Kitoushi proclaimed he would no longer be a dog to the Shirotomi, that he was now a Captain, and the noble no longer had any power over him. With those final words, darkness closed in as he lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter XVII: Mea Culpa – My Fault}
           Kitoushi awoke in the fourth division hospital to find his Captain sitting next to him wearing the same comforting smile that was always stretched across his face. The doctor sat up with a groan and raised a hand to feel the white wrappings over his missing eye before expressing that he didn't appear to have shackles around his wrists. The elderly sage chuckled, explaining that after the incident the Captains had a very long discussion and it was ruled that the twelfth division captain was responsible for the young Shirotomi's death. At the mention of her name, Kitoushi looked away as he had been struck, looking out the window as tears began to fall from the only eye he had left. He'd been so wrapped up in his vengeance that he hadn't taken even a moment to mourn. The empathetic captain frowned, placing a hand on his shoulder. The touch seemed to jerk the doctor back to reality, realizing that he has never acted this way before, much less in front of another person.

He turned wiping away the tears and asked about his captainship. The elderly sage paused for a moment and said that he will drop the topic in a moment, but he needed to accept this was not his fault and to mourn her death. He continued, as he had said before that he cannot deny his emotions, specially if he was to make a good leader of the fourth division. The words shocked Kitoushi to which the Captain immediately responded that he had once said he would be leaving for the zero division and it was agreed in the meeting that now would be the correct time. While he believed the doctor would no doubt do good work in the twelfth, his real place was here in the fourth, that is if he would be willing to accept. Outstretching his hand, Kitoushi grasped it to have the Captain help him up from the bed and hand over a new derby cane. Unsleeving the white cloak from around him he said I believe this is now yours, as he placed it over the doctor's shoulders. The former captain continued to speak that while it's odd that for the fourth division captain to look so beat up, it fit him well.

The next week was a bit of a haze for the newly inducted Captain. A ceremony for him to be formally given the position, a ceremony for the old captain's retirement, and a ceremony for the young noble's funeral. Kitoushi stood at the headstone of her grave, using his eye to stare at the corpse laying peacefully below. A figure approached from behind, but he didn't have to turn to know who it was, merely asking if she had come to kill him. The Shirotomi noblewoman remained silent for a moment before answering that she had accepted that Mariko's death was not his fault. They both stood there for a time in an odd sharing of grief, never looking to each other or dare show their tears. After a time the noblewoman left without a word and Kitoushi turned to leave soon after. He was however stopped as suddenly a figure stood in his way. Hikaru, Mariko's younger brother, had his eyes locked on the doctor with a rage that bled through his attempt to remain his formal air of nobility. He had overheard the conversation between them and could not accept his sister's killer to go unpunished. Drawing his zanpaktō and pointing it at the doctor, he declared that they duel. Kitoushi could not help but scoff at Hikaru's attempt to be so proper even while trying to gain vengeance, no doubt under the guise of justice.

The disheveled doctor just limped around him, completely ignoring the man who stood with conviction to kill him. Finally the veneer of nobility broke away as the boy swung his blade at the target's exposed back. One would expect this is where the doctor would shunpo and dodge the strike, but he merely leaned so that the blade did not hit fatally. It struck him drawing a large wound down the back of his right shoulder as blood poured freely. Hikaru watched somewhat stunned it had hit so freely, Kitoushi now still stood with his back turned and made no movement. The boy reacted with fury, beginning an assault of strikes, each tearing ample flesh with the doctor merely making small movements so they did not hit vital areas. Hikaru's rage reached a peak at his refusal to properly duel, now raising his sword high overhead and screaming for him to fight back.

As the blade swung down it was only an inch above the doctor's head when glowing yellow chains suddenly appeared around the boy and halted his movements. Hikaru struggled with all of his might to bring the blade downwards, but the chains refused to budge. Kitoushi turned around, blood dripping from his wounds, to look solemnly into the boy's eyes. He finally spoke apologizing for Mariko's death and that while the two of them were worlds apart, they did have one thing in common. They both loved her. Tears flowed from Hikaru's eyes as he redoubled his efforts against the chains, finally breaking them as he pulled the sword back. Yelling that he would never forgive him, he brought his blade into stance once again and swung down directly towards Kitoushi's face. Suddenly it stopped, his mother appearing out of nowhere with a firm grip around his wrist. She very sternly looked at Hikaru and authoritatively said this is not the way Shirotomi conduct themselves. The boy seemed to want to offer resistance for a brief moment, but withdrew his zanpakutō and looked away to the ground as if shamed. The noblewoman then gave a dismissive glance towards the doctor before leading Hikaru away from the graveyard. Kitoushi continued to stand there alone with his grief and regret.

SPOILER: Click to show

{-Chapter XVIII: Terra Nova - New Land}
           Time continued to march on and Kitoushi would have to march with it no matter any protests about the loss of his great love. Forced to turn his mind to other tasks now that he had become the Captain of the Fourth Division, he poured himself into his work or whatever actions it be that he called work seeing as how it differed substantially from the expected. Being any sort of leader was not the kind of role he had ever envisioned for himself, but his mentor trusted that he was ready and he used that summon confidence, pouring fuel on to the fire called his ego. Even more foreign and jarring than this was for himself, it was much more so for the division members. Their old captain had been warm, always willing to lend his help and sage advice. To call his style merely different would be criminally understating the situation, particularly when many of his actions would indeed be a crime if not for the protection his position afforded him. Many of the division felt as if they were helpless captives of his whims, eventually even abandoning social niceties as they openly spoke about him as rude, seclusive, lazy, creepy and even a monster. This would however give way to a deep respect when they saw him in action, whither it be in the surgical room or battlefield. While many still have less than stellar opinions of him, few doubt his skill or knowledge when it comes to treating patients.

Despite this there are those who still hold grudges, particularly when they have good reason to do so. Even hundreds of years after her death, the Shirotomi still hold a deeply ingrained grudge, never able to look to him without being reminded of the role that he played in the death of their beloved clan member. To make this worse, Kitoushi did not come near the exemplary qualities that the Shirotomi noblewoman felt a captain should. They were practically unrealistic for anyone to live up to, but the doctor was so far from them it seemed as if he flaunted his disregard for them at every turn and she wouldn't be entirely incorrect in this assessment. The conflicts between them continued far into Kitoushi's service and even through his exploits in the war against the Quincy. Their culling was to Kitoushi an extremely unfortunate event, looking to them with pity for their desire was to simply protect just as the shinigami did. However he still looked with disgust towards those who refused to lay down arms. To completely eliminate the cycle of innocent souls, to him that was the worst crime imaginable. Thus he had no qualms in cutting them down and had no qualms about indulging himself in thrill of the hunt. Perhaps even greater was his glee to satiate his thirst for knowledge through study of their abilities with live vivisection.

The war against the Quincy eventually came to end, but little did anyone know that the following time of relative peace was merely an intermission. Kitoushi's conflicts with the Shirotomi noblewoman however had no such melancholy interlude as they gradually reached a crescendo during the sudden emergence of the Vandenreich within Soul Society's own home. Their inability to put aside personal grudges, trust each other, and work together crippled defensive efforts when forced to fight side by side. Leading to the enemy force breaching through to a sacred vault where the ancient artifact called the King's Seal resided, this forced the hand of the Captain Commander to a last resort. Paying the ultimate price, with his sacrifice the seal was shattered into pieces that spread themselves to the furthest reaches of the realms. The prize gone, the Vandenreich decided to suffer no further losses and were finally repelled. All of Seireitei mourned the loss of their fearless Commander, but reconstruction could not wait. Nor could the question of a new Commander and the obvious answer was, of course, the head of the Shirotomi. Now leading the Gotei Thirteen, she ushered in a new era of harsh rule under the bitter noblewoman who felt it was a lack adherence to law and tradition which led to this disaster. It was made abundantly clear a great deal of his scorn was aimed towards their Captain of Fourth Division, one who takes a very opposing philosophy. Today Kitoushi still struggles to dodge the Commander's harsh vigil while continuing to lead his division in an unorthodox manner, search for forbidden forms of knowledge, and live in balance with his darker nature.