- Character Name: Kenpachi (Toshizo, given name) Yusuke
- Pronunciation of the Name: Ken-pach-ee (Toe-shee-zoe) Yuu-zu-kay
- Character Squad: 11
- Character Rank: Captain
- Sexuality Heterosexual
- Character Personality The newest Kenpachi is incredibly serious and takes his work and job more seriously than many of his predecessors. Outwardly, Kenpachi speaks few words and spends much of the time with other Captains standing in a corner while staring them down like a great statue. However, if forced into conversation, Kenpachi is quick to give a terse response very rarely will have a pleasant conversation. In battle, Kenpachi will not hesitate to strike whomever he is facing down, friend or foe. Any and all that get in his way will face the consequences. In battle, Kenpachi shows the reason he got his position due to his extreme bloodlust and strength. However, Kenpachi was not always like this. While he still went under his previous name, Toshizo, Kenpachi was a kind hearted young man, loved and respected by all. In battle, he would strike with a look of regret in his eyes. But time and battle has hardened him to the man that he is today.
- Character Likes:
-Battle
-Being alone
-Going for long walks
-Having time to reflect
- Character Dislikes:
-People who get in his way
-Having to spend time with others
-Having to work with a group
-Weaklings
-People who are cocky and/or arrogant
- Character Age:
[Human Age] 17 (age of death)
[Shinigami Age] 636 (appears to be in early twenties)
- Character Birthday: December 11
- Character Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- Character Blood Type: AB
- Bio:
Death is known to change a person. Whether it is for better or worse, a man can change from being a boy to being a man through a passage of time that is less than a day after the experience of death. Though most humans only think of this after a loved one dies. For many this is true. For most, even, this is true. But what many humans do not consider is how a person is changed when they, themself, experience the touch of Death as her cold fingers brush past your face. This is how many men change, and for some it is the only way to bring them from the happiness and protection of their youth and into the cold hard world that everyone is forced to live in. However, some may not be brought out of their cave and rather pushed farther into it. Whatever the consequences, that person will change-- and with it could change the lives of many others, in ways good and bad.
December is not a season that is loved by farmers. Many hate it-- Their crops die with their livelihood. Toshizo Yusuke Junior was born to such farmers in a particularly cold and unforgiving winter. His father, Toshizo Yusuke Senior, found all of his crops dead or dying. Shortly after his birth, Toshizo Senior's wife died and left the struggling farmer alone with an infant child to raise. While in the harsh season, Toshizo Junior would have surely been abandoned had it not been for the members of the small farming village. Several of the kind elders helped Toshizo Senior with his child, and thus helped to raise one of their most needed members of their community. For his infancy, Toshizo's small village, or more adequetly called a large family, saved his life. Later, he would find that the small village would do just the opposite.
Children very rarely find themselves wisened before they become a teenager. For many children, and all of the children of the small farming village, they find their childhood filled with ignorance and peace. Their tranquility helps them survive despite how many troubles are constantly running through their parents and neighbors' minds as they sow and work their farms. And Toshizo was no exception. His father worked to make sure that throughout everything, Toshizo Jr. would be able to live a life that kept him protected from the outside world; a life that kept him protected from all of the troubles and all of the fighting. The young Toshizo still aided his father in farming and would still make the occasional soujurn into town for selling of the crops. Outside of this, Toshizo had no experience with the world until his mid-teenage years.
Everything changed when he was merely sixteen. Through the tears and toil of his village, they had managed to earn a reputation among others for their magnificent crops. Everyone was proud of this, and Toshizo was still no exception. On August of this year, the village decided to hold a grand party to celebrate their new-found renown. There were festivities and drinking and people making fools of themselves. Among the festivities, Toshizo Sr. (whom was most proud of their achievement) found himself unable to move. With no warning, Toshizo Sr. passed out on the floor. Quickly, a few neighbors carried the man back to his home. After a few days, Toshizo Sr. did not awake, and Toshizo Jr., among the other villagers, became nervous. No one in the village knew anything about treating whatever was ailing the man, and the nearest doctor was almost thirty miles away.
No one even needed to say anything before the young Toshizo Yusuke volunteered to take his father to the village. Without any carriage of any sort, Toshizo was forced to carry his father thirty miles on his back, on foot. The others could not leave their farms, and so Toshizo was forced to trek out on his own. The trip took longer than it would have had Toshizo not been burdened with the weight of his ill father-- along with the extreme amount of rest that he needed as a still-growing teenager. After four moons, Toshizo reached the doctor only to find that he did not have the sufficient funds to have his now-dying father treated. Distressed and knowing that he was running out of time, Toshizo was lucky that someone was willing to help. An elderly woman whose husband had recently died of the same illness invited Toshizo and his father to stay at her home until the illness passed-- whether it would leave Toshizo senior alive or not.
After two weeks at the old woman's house, Toshizo senior opened his eyes. Unable to move, he turned to his son that was still remaining loyally by his side. As he opened his mouth, a stream of blood caused him to gurgle and cough, though Toshizo could tell his father had something important to say. While Toshizo tore a strip of fabric off of his robe and used it to wipe some of the blood off of his father's face, a small raspy voice began to speak. Toshizo senior's voice was strained and burdened by the wisdoms of his past, along with the foolishnesses. All he could give now were a few words of wisdom, and the man would give those words of wisdom even if it killed him. "Follow... Your heart..." He smiled and closed his eyes, knowing that the end was near. "Even... If it leads you... To the end..." With those words, Toshizo senior closed his eyes. He never opened them again.
While Toshizo wished for his father to be properly buried, the disease was highly contagious. Thus, Toshizo held a ceremony as his father's corpse was burned on a country-side. For a few months after the ceremony, Toshizo stayed with the old woman and grieved along side her. But Toshizo knew that he must return to his village eventually to alert them of his father's death. In January of the year after his father's death, Toshizo returned to his home. What he found only grieved him further. In his absence, the disease had spread throughout the village and killed most of the occupants. All the survivors fled and hastily burned the buildings and corpses. Walking down the streets, Toshizo saw the mutilated bodies of everyone he had once known and loved. Childhood friends lay half-burned in piles of rubble, neighbors lay beyond recognition as they tried to leave before collapsing on the streets. Rats plagued everything and flies and maggots were beginning to arrive.
Toshizo saw all these sights, and was hurt deep down inside. Not only were everyone he had ever loved dead, dying, or gone, but the survivors hadn't even bothered trying to help or respect the dying or dead. For 17 years, Toshizo had thought he knew his neighbors. He had thought that they were different. Now, he knew otherwise. Angry and upset, Toshizo knew that he had to leave the village, else he would end up wasting away his life here. And this, Toshizo knew that his father would not appreciate. As he began to leave, Toshizo suddenly felt a pang of pain in his chest and he instantly paled. Unable to move, he fell to the ground, completely unconscious. Two days later, he awoke but was unable to move. For the next week, Toshizo writhed and died alone in his old home until Death finally greated him. She was a woman, garbed in a black kimono and carrying a katana. As the woman approached him, Toshizo knew that his life had finally run out. The woman kneeled down, and lightly tapped his forehead with the butt of the katana.
And then, death...
Toshizo awoke in the Rukongai. He knew that this was the afterlife, and thus he had just died. As he wandered around, Toshizo ventured to inquire about the girl whom he assumed to be Lady Death. Upon inquiring, Toshizo quickly learned about Shinigami. Throughout his life in his small village, Toshizo learned nothing about the sort, though this was not much of a surprise. The idea of Shinigami fascinated Toshizo, and he was perplexed by the opportunity to become one himself. And so he did more digging, and discovered the academy. Without hesitation, Toshizo applied and was accepted.
His first year at the academy was a nightmare. Toshizo had never been in a school setting before, and so he constantly made mistakes while in classes when it came to behavior. In the other classes, Toshizo had never wielded a blade before and was quite untalented when it came to kido. Overall, he was failing most of his classes. Towards the end of the year, Toshizo was nearing the point where he was either going to get kicked out or drop out himself. That is, until one day outside of class when Toshizo met Kenpachi. The man was violent and cruel. But he was strong. And what Toshizo needed was strength. Toshizo was taken under Kenpachi's wing and Kenpachi molded Toshizo until he was strong enough to at least graduate the academy. The ignorant Toshizo felt that Kenpachi was extending some kindness, but in reality the captain was merely controlling Toshizo's easily controlled mind. After graduation, Toshizo was instantly the Vice-Captain of the 11th Division.
It wasn't long before Toshizo saw Kenpachi's true reasoning with him. The knowledge tore his heart out, and he was left scarred and alone. After this, Toshizo never saw Kenpachi again. With the Captain position open, Toshizo all but abandoned his humanity to obtain the position. He took the title, Kenpachi, despite not killing the previous owner. The new Kenpachi felt he would restore Squad 11's honor, what little there was. Though he knew that bloodlust was also necessary. Through his years of training, Kenpachi became less and less human. Doning a mask and hood, the formerly Toshizo was not even recognizable. Should his father see him, he would surely declare that this man was not his son. Yet it was. As his harsh experiences changed his personality, they also changed his appearance and his face. Long gone was kind hearted Toshizo and newly found was the unable to love Kenpachi.
A few days before his test, the world decided that it would test the resolve of the new Kenpachi. Apparently, Toshizo was not the only one who had been training. The third seat of the 11th Division had also achieved Bankai and was applying for the same position. Since there was no current Captain, the higher-ups decided that they would have the two applicants fight to the death. It was obvious that the third seat was a bit hesitant. Everyone knew and loved Toshizo, and they knew that he would not be quick to kill someone. For the days leading up until the test, the third seat devised a way to defeat Toshizo, but not kill him. Then, the test came.
On a cold, November day, the two met in what would be their arena. As the snowflakes drifted through the wind, the two stared each other down. Toshizo, or the new Kenpachi, was wearing his mask, and his expression was not readable. But the third seat was showing obvious nerves and regret. All of the squad members had come to spectate. A few weeks before the third seat announced himself applying, Toshizo had declared himself Kenpachi. Everyone could feel the cold air that was resonating off of the Captain-level Shinigami. Among the spectators were also three captains, all of whom knew both the fighters and regretted having to put them against each other. One of them stood up, and everyone except for Kenpachi turned to face him. After clearing his throat, the Captain said, "Let the fight begin!"
The fight lasted longer than either person anticipated. For fourty seven minutes, 203 Shinigami watched as two admirable Shinigami battled each other. Sixteen minutes into the fight, the third seat released his bankai and began fighting Kenpachi with it. Throughout the whole fight, Kenpachi did not release his bankai. Eight minutes into the fight, Kenpachi released his shikai for the sake of fighting ease. Nine minutes into the fight, the third seat had followed. But no matter how long they fought, the third seat came to see that Kenpachi was the better fighter. Not only that, but he could tell that Kenpachi held nothing back. He felt no remorse at killing one of his past subordinates. He felt no remorse at killing one of his past colleagues. He felt no remorse at killing one of his past friends. After fourty seven minutes of ruthless bloodshed, Kenpachi ended up lobbing the third seat's head in one swing. Since that battle, Kenpachi has been the unquestioned and unchallenged Captain of the 11th Division.
This was not the end of Toshizo Yusuke, but more adequately known as the beginning of Kenpachi Yusuke. Throughout his human life, Kenpachi was a kind young man who lived his life farming without question, always loving the people he grew up with. But as Death reached out to him, Kenpachi realized the nature of the people that he had thought he knew. They were self-serving and inconsiderate, and this broke his heart. Even after death, all the people that he had thought he knew somehow were different. Toshizo hardened through much sadness into the man that he is today. While kind Toshizo may still be somewhere under the mask, there is little chance that he will be showing his face any time soon.
