Yukimura Katsuro - Kyubantai Taicho

[Nero Maxim]

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Full Name: Yukimura Katsuro
AKA: "Zura"
Title: Kyubantai Taicho; (9th Division Captain), Taicho, Captain
Quote: "If beauty were judged by the view of one person, the world would be but black and white."

Division: 9th Division
Rank: Captain
Born: November 23rd, 1315
Died: February 8th, 1333
Age: Appears 30, 677 Years in Soul Society.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Skin: Caucasian, mild tan
Hair: Waist-length, straight black hair.
Eyes: Heterochromatic eyes, left eye is bright blue, right eye is bright green.

Hobbies: Blacksmithing, painting, calligraphy, trying to make a better sword than Kurenai.
Likes: Good work ethic, peace and quiet, solitude, attention to detail, research material
Dislikes: Laziness, immaturity, loud noises, crowds
Languages Known: Japanese, little English.

Personality:
Yukimura Katsura, or 'Zura', is a stoic man who rarely allows others to see how he is truly feeling, however ultimately he is a kind man. He does not hammer out the faults or mistakes in others with punishments, but rather he allows the person to realize their own errors and correct them to an extent. Though if the problem is bad enough, his hand is swift and harsh.

He is a physical man, who prefers to do things hands-on. This comes from his history as a blacksmith apprentice under the famous Masamune. This doesn't mean he is any less intelligent or intellectual, he has spent centuries living in the mountains of the Northern Rukongai in a small shack working on his techniques in solitude. This voluntary exile has left him with few people skills, which in turn led to his usually quiet and reserved demeanor. Even now his home is located just outside the Seireitei in the Western Rukongai, tucked away inside a small forest.

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Physical Appearance:
Zura is a physically fit man who spent most of his life as a runner and student to Masamune, and his afterlife trying to perfect what he learned. His constant use of heavy equipment has resulted in him having a well-toned physique and calloused hands, however he is not a mountain of a man like most would expect from a blacksmith. He stands at only 5'10", and his frame is easily hidden by a shihakusho.

He has long, straight black hair that stretches to his waist which he ties into a ponytail while working. He also has complete heterochromatic blue and green eyes and a thin scar that cuts from his temple to his cheek, but misses his left eye. He also sports a trimmed, stubbly beard.

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Clothes:
Because of his line of work and his background, Zura's clothes tend to be straightforward and Japanese.

While attending to Captain business, he will wear a standard shihakusho with his long sleeved, navy-blue lined haori. The way he wears his hair greatly depends on his mood and the situation. Formal meetings or dangerous situations call for him to tie it up. Otherwise, he usually just leaves it to hang loosely down his back

While working in the smithy, he will wear an old, gray singed t-shirt with a black hakama. No loose fabrics to catch fire, and his hair is always tied back to stay out of his way.

While off duty in general, however, he will usually wear some sort of kimono, usually a flat gray, blue or burgundy. For festive occasions he has more flashy kimonos to wear.


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[Nero Maxim]

Zanpakuto Information


Name:
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi - Ten-Hands Long Sword

Sealed Description:
Tsurugi's sealed form is a very simple tanto. It is about 7" long from the tip of the blade to the butt of the hilt, which is made of bamboo. Usually, uniform-permitting, he keeps it in a holster strapped to his left bicep. The mini-saya itself is also crafted out of bamboo, although the kanji 正宗 (Masamune) is etched into the side of the hilt while the saya is untouched.

This particular blade is single-edged, razor sharp, and nigh-unbreakable.


Spirit Manifestations:
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, or simply 'Suka' or 'Tsurugi', has two different forms.

In her more common form, Totsuka is an elegant woman with the same heterochromatic blue and green eyes as Katsuro, only reversed with the blue on the right and green on the left. Her silky white hair is split into three, long strands, two that descend on either side of her face that fall to about her midsection, and the hair on the back of her head which drops down to her knees. She has the pale skin of a Japanese princess and wears makeup that makes her look like a delicate porcelain doll. Everything about her is radiant and seemingly glows under light, especially sunlight.

In her other form, Totsuka is a little bit less elegant. Whenever she is feeling annoyed or displeased, she has a tendency to turn into a child. Literally. Her alternate form is that of a ten year old girl. Her white hair is short now, only down to her shoulders and the elegant glow around her body is diminished (though still present). She still wears the white yukata, though in a child's size. In this form, she also has no makeup.


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Shikai:

Name:
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi (Ten-Hands Long Sword)

Form:
Katana

Type:
Zanjutsu Specialized

Release Phrase:
"Bring misery to the snakes of despair, Totsuka-no-Tsurugi!"

Description:
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi is the name of a legendary Japanese weapon that was said to belong to the Shinto God Susanoo. While Totsuka is not the original weapon itself, it's power is no less incredible than that of the Legend.

The shikai release of the sword takes the form of a beautiful katana with a white hilt wrapped in a simple black lace. The tsuba shines and reflects brilliantly, despite its darkness and has bright golden bamboo leaves and a stalk on it as homage to its sealed form (a tanto with a bamboo hilt). The 30" blade is a perfect mirror, and there is no visible hamon to discern where the blade's edge is.

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Abilities:

Kasei: - Metamorphosis.

Description:
Katsuro is a master of zanjutsu and the best swordsman in the Gotei 13. He has spent centuries practicing and perfecting his techniques, honing his skills with all lengths and types of swords from tanto to nodachi.

This ability allows him to best utilize that wide range of master by allowing Katsuro to freely change the length of his sword from the standard katana length. Its a straight-forward ability that can also be used as an attack under certain situations, but is not intended to be used as such. If there is a significant interruption in the transformation process (ie: being blocked by a sword or hitting something denser than Katsuro's reiatsu) then the blade will be stuck at the length at which it was stopped until the sword is resealed or further released to bankai.

The transformation itself only takes one or two seconds.


Attacks:

Name:
Hyaku Butagiri - One Hundred Man Slaying Slash

Description:
This is Tsurugi's primary attack. As a purely zanjutsu based weapon, this attack uses both the blade's abilities, as well as Katsuro's own skill and agility in combination to perform a powerful slashing and stabbing attack so quick and deadly that it is almost impossible for an opponent to block it.

Starting from a basic kendo stance, Katsuro steps into the attack and swings once to initiate the attack. Regardless of whether the blade hits anything, or whatever length it may be set to, this is only a means to begin the attack, and it is possibly an opponent's only hope to see the attack coming and avoid it.

Immediately after the first swing, Katsuro's arms and sword seemingly disappear. In truth, he is swinging his arms and sword at a speed too quickly for the eye to see. The only sign that anything is happening is the faint glinting of light reflecting off the mirror blade at specific angles.

The precise limit for the amount of swings Katsuro can make while using this level of the attack is 100. However, Katsuro is nor merely swinging the sword. As it is being swung and stabbed, Totsuka-no-Tsurugi is also constantly changing in length, ranging from tanto to nodachi, cycling through the various forms at blistering speed to catch opponents off guard.

Because the cycle of transformation is random, there is no guarantee that all 100 of the attacks will hit their mark.

The downside to the attack is that as he is performing the attack, Katsuro cannot move from where he has planted his feet until the last swing is completed.


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Bankai

Name:
Amatsu Totsuka-no-Tsurugi - Heavenly Ten-Hands Long Sword

Form:
Ethereal Blades

Changes:
Zura's outfit itself changes into something out of Old Japan. His haori no longer remains as a loose fabric, but rather becomes incorporated into his full set of samurai armor. The cuirass is white iron, along with the apron which also has the black diamonds on them. On the back of the armor is the Ninth Division crest. All other parts of the armor are black and crimson. The only part of the armor that would seem to be missing is the kabuto helmet.

The armor itself grants no special defense bonuses besides what armor would provide. It can be removed freely without hindering the bankai's other abilities as it is merely visual.

Release Ritual:
Using Metamorphosis, Katsuro completely retracts the blade of his zanpakuto into the hilt of his katana, then takes the bladeless hilt into his left hand. With his right, he reaches to the butt of the hilt and pulls free the metal cap. The black lace around the hilt disintegrates and the hilt itself turns to tiny particles of metal that surround Katsuro, mixing with his swirling reiatsu.

After applying tremendous spiritual pressure, the particles are slammed into the ground. The earth around Katsuro explodes upwards as a ten blades rise up and drift through the air around Katsuro.

Description:
The floating blades themselves are Katsuro's bankai. Each and every one is unique, and each and every one is replicating an authentic Masamune sword. They are tangible and sharp, but they are completely under the command of Katsuro. If someone attempts to grab one, the blade will not budge an inch from it's place.

The types of blades varies once again from tanto to nodachi.

At any given time, Katsuro may reach up and take any of the blades to use in one on one combat.


The Swords:
There are ten swords that circle Katsuro during bankai, five different types of various types and length, two of each type. They are:

2x Tanto: Each are 12", with a simple black tsuba around the base of the hilt and a black wrap around the white hilt. One handed
2x Tsurugi: Shares the same name as the kai itself, however this type is a broadsword with a straight, double edged blade about 20" long. The hilts are smooth and unwrapped. They are also one-handed.

2x Katana: The traditional weapon of the samurai, the katanas have the same style hilts as the tanto - white with a black wrap around them and with a black tsuba. They are each about 25" long and are capable of being wielded with either one or two hands.

2x Naginata: The pole weapon of the samurai, these two have black, 4' poles with 3' blades on the end. The butts are also designed with small spikes about 2" long. These are two-handed weapons.

2x Nodachi: The longest and most cumbersome of the group, the Nodachi are almost 50" long, with 40" blades. They share the same color scheme as the katana and tanto, however they can only be wielded one at a time.

All of these weapons can be picked out, interchanged and used at any time while in bankai, and cause standard zanjutsu damage. The tanto, tsurugi and katana can be dual-wielded, while the naginata and nodachi cannot.

Attacks:

Name:
Issen Butagiri - One Thousand Man Slaying Slash

Description:
Issen is an extension of Hyaku Butagiri, however with a different package. Instead of Katsuro physically moving himself to attack, now he only needs to will the blades around him to initiate the attack.

Also, the multitude of blades increases. With ten blades instead of one, the number of strikes increases to 1000. The blades still move fast enough to simply be a glint in the light, however their range of motion is far greater and they can strike up to 10m away in a 360* arc around Katsuro. However, the attack can only be directed against a single person.



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