Kenshiro Hatake

Kenshiro Hatake (健志朗たけ, Hatake Kenshiro), named for the Heisekian hero, Hatake, is a young hailing from Heisekai and a member of Minamoto "Hikaru" Kazuhira's crew, on-board The Serenity. He idolizes Marshal-General Yoichi Yamashin, thinks highly of Hiei Yamashin, and bears a prominent crush on Tomoko, Heisekai's princess. On the side he also does work as a sell-sword, offering his skills to the highest bider, where he uses the alias of Nanashi (名無し, Nameless).

Appearance
Kenshiro is a rough featured young man with an equally hard expression which, rather ironically, mirrors that of his namesake. Hardened by the rough streets of Quest Island, where he grew up and later worked multiple jobs therein, Kenshiro is a highly fit young man; traits clearly expressed in his outward appearance. Lined with hard muscle, noticeable abs and a scarred chest, Kenshiro is a fine example of a youth just coming into his prime. Quite broad through the shoulders for his age, Kenshiro also has some height and is growing quickly. Long cyan-colored hair spills down his back unhindered though hardly in a messy fashion with a side-swept fringe that covers the left side of his face from view. Bangs frame his cheeks which comes to rest atop his shoulders. Purple eyes tinged with a darker, violet hue make him quite discernible amongst a crowd even without his physical characteristics being taken into account. He is also naturally tanned, which stands out immediately within Soul Society.

When he appeared before Raiden Yasuhiro, Kenshiro went hooded and cloaked to ensure his identity was not discerned by watching eyes. Beneath the cloak he was bare-chested, as Raiden spied hard muscle whenever the wind swept the cloak aside. The hood prevented anyone seeing beneath though his purple eyes and cyan-colored hair were easily distinguishable, even at night. Beneath the cloak he also wore simple black hakama with an ōbi sash tied around his waist. Threaded through his ōbi in the traditional style was his zanpakutō.

Childhood
Kenshiro was born the youngest of seven children amidst near poverty in the poorer areas of Quest Island. His earliest years were spent helping his mother mend clothing, cook whatever meals they got and helping her wash other peoples clothing for money. When he grew he was employed by his father, who was a fisherman in charge of a small fishing boat working the waters near and around Quest Island. Kenshiro spent more time at sea than on land and gained an acute sense of the vast titan which gave him, his parents and his siblings their livelihood. He could read the winds and was often referred to as his father's "Wind-finder", a role he took great pride and pleasure in because it gave him a sense of responsibility. Kenshiro was responsible for navigating his father and siblings through harsh waters, stormy conditions and other sea-born conditions which breed into him a healthy respect for the sea, his own abilities and the notion of reliability.

During a particularly harsh reaction to a cold caught at sea, Kenshiro's father eventually passed away. Kenshiro and his siblings were suddenly thrust into a world they barely understood, with only their mother, losing the will to live quickly, to help them. She soon followed her husband, leaving the siblings alone without so much as a pillar of support. Their livelihood in question and their hearts broken, Kenshiro proposed something his siblings reluctantly agreed to. They spread themselves to the five islands of Heisekai, each seeking a different profession, each with different goals. For Kenshiro his calling was the ocean. He'd been a skilled reader of the winds, could traverse storms skillfully and knew the ocean around Quest Island well. He was accepted as another deckhand on-board a ship called The Serenity and soon put his skills into practice. His livelihood secured for the time being, Kenshiro began to rebuild the shattered remnants of his old life, piece by painstaking piece.

The Serenity
Kenshiro would eventually meet Minamoto Kazuhira who welcomed him as a member of his crew, on-board the ship called The Serenity. Putting the skills he honed under his father to good use, Kenshiro became a valuable member of the crew, and would go onto become the ships navigator. It was during this time that Minamoto trained him personally, so he could also put himself out as a sell-sword. His reputation increased and soon Kenshiro was traveling the spiritual realms taking on various contracts, and paid an extended visit to Kōhai Tochi working as a merchants guard. It wouldn't be long until Kenshiro returned to his crew however, where he helped them plunder the seas surrounding Heisekai; where he began to earn a reputation for ruthlessness.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Cat and Mouse arc

 * Finding that which is Needed
 * Igniting Sparks
 * Meeting the Reigai
 * Meeting the Crew: The Serenity

Dragonforce arc Part II

 * Machinations of an Informer
 * Annoying things Walls
 * Reunion and Ambition

Interquel Chapters

 * Whiskey in the Jar

Equipment
Kidō Gun:

Kidō Grenades:

Powers and Abilities
Just through mere conscious thought he can cloak his limbs and zanpakutō in a blanket of rippling darkness to augment both his offensive and defensive abilities. Raiden holds his power in the same league as Tedasuke Shiba, 3rd Seat of the 11th Division.

Shunpo Specialist: Kenshiro's greatest trait is his natural skill in Shunpo. He can move excessive distances without tiring, even when moving at speed. He is also blessed with amazing vision. He can track most forms of high-speed movement without ever having to train himself. This is also true for his average speed. Kenshiro was more than capable of sneaking up on Raiden, a lieutenant-level Shinigami, without the latter being aware.

Swordsmanship: As to be expected of a recently trained Shinigami, Kenshiro has some skill with a blade. Swift combos that compliment his Shunpo prowess are his forte and he is most at home employing swift and accurate strikes amidst off-the-ground aerial movements and complex acrobatics. As such he is constantly flipping, rebounding off surfaces and moving in irregular patterns; all-the-while awaiting an opening to appear. He is also quite skilled in swift, drawing strikes.

Hakuda: Not his greatest skill by any stretch. By his own admission, Kenshiro dislikes hand-to-hand combat, preferring the use of Shunpo and swordsmanship to carry him in a battle. He does however have some modicum of skill regardless of his dislike though. When he does rely on his hand-to-hand skills he prefers a low stance that favors evasion, followed by quick jabs at exposed areas. Whether that be eyes, ribs or groin is of little concern to Kenshiro.

Kidō: Not his best skill but not his worst either. Kenshiro's Kidō abilities aren't impressive, but they wouldn't be considered poor, either. His skills in Hadō spells far outweigh his skill in Bakudō for example, while his abilities in regards to self and group-healing is arguably better than his skill in either binding or destruction.

Accuracy: As an officer of the Jōren, Kenshiro has received advanced instruction pertaining to the use of mid-to-long-range Kidō weaponry. Preferring his gun over traditional Hadō spells, Kenshiro is a good shot with a keen eye. This also carries over to actual Kidō spells, such as ' and '.

Zanpakutō
Keitai no Kiba (携帯の牙, Mobile Fang). Kenshiro's zanpakutō takes the form of a standard katana with light purple hilt wrapping and an average square guard. Kenshiro carries Keitai no Kiba from his waist in the traditional style, threaded through his ōbi sash.


 * : Not yet Revealed.


 * : Not yet Achieved.

Behind the Scenes

 * Like so many of the authors latest works, Kenshiro will begin at a low-level and gradually gain in strength as the story progresses. Within the story he'll be considered the man rival of Itazura Kori. At the same time he'll be his greatest ally, but what rivalry doesn't have its ups and downs? Yup, they'll be enemies just as much as they'll be uneasy allies.

Acknowledgments

 * I'd like to take this opportunity to thank deviantart user VoQQy for allowing me to use the images he commissioned the awesome Rtenzo to draw, who also gave his okay for my using the images. Thanks guys.