Ichimaru Fuyutama

Ichimaru Fuyutama (冬霊市丸, Fuyutama Ichimaru) is a recently trained Shinigami that has completed his six years in the Shinō Academy as one of the top 50, placing in 37th. After completing his course, Ichimaru aspired to enlist in the ranks of the Gotei 13. He is a former resident of Minbōku, the ninth district in East Rukongai. He is currently the lieutenant within the 4th Division of the Gotei 13, under Rikuri Suigyoku.

Appearance
Ichimaru has a very passive and unimposing complexion with his upside-down water droplet face shape, square chin, and light skin. He sports naturally long, dark blue hair that is tired into a ponytail and indigo irises. At most, Ichimaru looks to be in his early twenties which is no coincidence considering he aged much slower as a Shinigami than as a human. According to his mother, he resembled his father very closely.

After his cleansing in Hueco Mundo, Ichimaru had a distinctly older look than what he had been before. He was much taller and had longer hair. His father commented that he almost did not recognize him when he saw him.

While in the Shinō Academy, Ichimaru wore the normal male uniform for the duration of his Shinigami training.

Nowadays, Ichimaru, as a lieutenant, dresses in a different attire. He wears the standard shihakushō with many alterations. These alterations were made at his request in order to suit his own ideal as to what his uniform should look like. Ichimaru's appearance is that of a standard Shinigami shihakushō with more color deviation rather than items. He wears a traditional light purple umanori hakama and kimono, light purple tabi and black geta with purple haori and tekkō and carries his sword, Sōji no Jihi on his back.

Personality
Ichimaru is a somewhat quiet young man; who seems to tolerate and accept others respectfully; although regularly, he will voice his concern over something that irks him. Additionally, he shows himself to be very patient and understanding. He prefers be the level-headed voice of reason among others. Despite this, he is not reluctant to be harsh when the situation requires it. Lastly, Ichimaru is infamously calm in that he rarely allows someone to get under his skin whether it be in battle or in quotidian life. However, if pushed far enough, Ichimaru can become an extremely violent dynamo to his peers and foes alike. He will go to any length to ensure that he is not taken advantage, something that his close friends know not to do under any circumstance. His friends had noted him to be a "completely different person"; as compared to his everyday personality when he is not annoyed—his cheerfulness, kindness, and jovial personality is very much respected and cherished by his friends.

He is very observant and often monolouges aloud about the virtues and faults of others, even if they are his enemies. This is often an idiosyncrasy that Ichimaru's colleagues find irritating beyond description but never criticize him for it as he sets the example of being forbearing to others. In battle, he has the tendency to annoy his opponents with his words and often spend most of an altercation pointing out the aspect of another rather than actually battling. One of his sparring sessions ended up being a 20 minute lecture on what qualities his opponent had. Even with this habit, Ichimaru values battle as form of getting to know his opponent, be they evil or not. He analyzes the opponent's actions and subtle tendencies that occur in certain situations. Ichimaru also holds a great memory, shown when he is able to recall that Shinbatsu hated being sheathed despite the spirit only telling him once during a spar between he and a classmate.

Amusingly, Ichimaru ignores the input of others when it comes to how he acts on a regular basis. He sees his own way of conducting himself as "perfect", although many would say otherwise. Due to this, Ichimaru walks with his head high, letting out an aura of confidence and self-esteem that sometimes inspires others. All in all, he motivates others to be like him by simply being himself. His Kansai dialect, however, draws away from his appearance in how different it sounds compared to others. He sounds more relaxed rather than strict as would be expected of someone in his position. It contributes to his ability to connect with his subordinates to make solid bonds of trust.

Aside from his social traits and quirks, Ichimaru is a highly intellectual individual as well as an avid and eager learner, always wanting to gain more and more knowledge. He ceases to be idle and actively engages in keeping his mind sharp and active by training in the Shinigami arts or reading the history of Soul Society and its military branches such as the Gotei 13 and the Central 46. He also seizes every opportunity to glean knowledge about the worlds other than Soul Society, such as the Dangai, Hell, and, Hueco Mundo. Ichimaru is often consider one the more lucid and insightful people of his division.

History
Ichimaru was born to parents, Tsuneo and Inoue Fuyutama. He was born in Kobe but moved to Karakura due to his father's work. Because his father worked most days, Ichimaru grew very attached to his mother. At the age of two, he spent much of his time in the nursery section of the hospital his mother worked in. There, he would spend his time solving intricate puzzles that most people 10 times his age couldn't figure out. He would do this for hours until his mother came to pick up to go home. At the time, Inoue and Tsuneo worked jobs that were quite far apart despite being in the same city. This would leave Tsuneo to return home much later than his wife and child. When Ichimaru had begun to miss his old house in Kobe, his mother gave him a ring that she said was from their old house as a memento. He took it with great admiration and cherished it ever since.

After six years of living in Karakura, Ichimaru had been well accustomed to the lifestyle of the city. He saw many different people with a multitude of personalities and appearances, his favorite of which were those who wore black kimono and carried swords like the samurai he saw in cartoons. Everyday, on his way to and from school, he would see them and later, draw them in a notebook. He even brought it to show and tell at his elementary school. His depictions of these samurai walking around and among the general populous. Even though he insisted that he could see them, his teacher contacted his parents to discuss with them his drawings. Ichimaru's parents dismissed his drawings as nothing more than a highly active imagination. This would later change when Ichimaru began to spend hours late at night wandering around the house, staring at what his parents saw as nothing. His night-walking turned into quiet conversations with seemingly no one. In his notebook, he drew young children and adults, all with chains protruding from their chests. He would indicate that these were the ones he had his late night conversations with. Finally, Tsuneo and Inoue consulted a psychiatrist. After multiple tests, the psychiatrist concluded that Ichimaru was suffering from schizophrenia.

Now, with their son apparently being mentally ill, Tsuneo and Inoue struggled to keep the family stable. For the most part, life was going moderately well for them. That is, until Ichimaru did not wake up one morning and feel into an inexplicable coma. His parents, in a panic, rushed him to the hospital. The doctors found absolutely nothing wrong with Ichimaru. His body functions were all normal, even his brain was perfectly fine. However, not being able to move and feed himself mandated him to be placed on life support. He remained in the hospital for three months with no result, but was allowed to return home. Almost instantly, supernatural activity begins to occur with their household. Inoue heard sinister voices coming from Ichimaru's room although every time she ran to check, she found nothing. She warned her husband but he ignored her as he refused to believe in what was happening. Later, she had found a bloody, gnarled handprint on his bed and informed her husband once more. This time, the straw broke the camel's back and all three moved into a new home.

In their new home, strange occurences continued. Soon, Tsuneo begrudgingly called on someone for help. This someone was his mother, Yoko. She and Tsuneo had been at odds since he defected from the family tradition. Even so, she came to his aid at the request to help his son. She examined Ichimaru and stated that he was not in a coma as previously thought, surprising Inoue but only confirming Tsuneo's fear. She explained that he possessed the ability to leave his body and used it to follow the spirits that he saw. A Hollow likely lured him away and drew him away from his body. However, it could not just be any Hollow because if Ichimaru was still in the Human World, he would have returned. Yoko explained that he was lured away by a Gillian or even a Adjucha into Hueco Mundo through a. Even after learning of this, Inoue failed to comprehend what was happening. She had never heard of Hollows or Hueco Mundo or anything occult like this before. Tsuneo, on the other hand, was no stranger to it and took these things in stride. Yoko told her that that very little time remained to save Ichimaru as spirits began going after his body to possess it and live in the Human World once again.

Inoue become distressed as more unfolded. Yoko asked if either of the two parents knew who Ichimaru inherited his ability from. Tsuneo shook his head while Inoue remained quiet. He questioned if she had any idea of how he could have gotten it. She finally submitted and revealed that certain members of her family had the ability to leave their bodies. She had only heard about it as young child but never thought it was real. She only experienced this ability once and that time, she thought it was simply a dream. Now, she discovered that the ability was an actual thing and that her son had used it. With the knowledge of who he got it from, Inoue would now have to use her power to leave her body and rescue Ichimaru. She was subsequently put sleep in order to use her skill. Yoko promised that she would be safe since she and Tsuneo could see any spirit that would try to possess her.

Making her way through the unseen world, Inoue could see the many spirits clustered around their home. All of them had the one purpose: to take control of Ichimaru's body and live again. She did her best to avoid any spirit she saw as intimidating, however, she was easily picked up on and approached by a hostile Great Hollow; an Adjucha bore its hideous teeth and lunged at her. She cowered in fear, only to hear the sound of slicing. She opened her eyes to see Tsuneo holding a spiritual bow and an injured Adjucha scrambling to get away. It had opened an Air Gate to escape, prompting Inoue to enter Hueco Mundo behind it. Once through, the Adjucha scurried away while Inoue found herself amongst an enormous desert under the night sky. She felt chills run down her spine as she began to walk. It would feel like hours before she began to think that she would never find Ichimaru. Meanwhile, his Chain of Fate was on its last legs. Being away from his body, even though it was still alive, for so long had given him enough time to lose his chain and slowly become a Hollow. During his Encroachment, Ichimaru became exceedingly weak. He had narrowly escaped his captor and had been traversing the hopeless desert ever since. He collapsed in exhaustion and and the last of his chain of fate faded away. A hole formed in his chest, signifying his transition into a Hollow.

As a Hollow, Ichimaru's primal instincts picked up on the presence of a fresh soul within Hueco Mundo. Like a predator on its prey, he stalked his target with a strong hunger. Seeing as she had been giving away her position by calling out, a Hollowfied Ichimaru emerged from the shadows and attacked the soul. Inoue was frightened and ran, with Ichimaru giving chase. It was no problem for Ichimaru to run her down and pin her to the ground. His mask's menacing façade made Inoue plead for her life. Her voice caused the ring that Ichimaru constrict but it did not faze him. With a snarl, Ichimaru devoured the innocent soul with haste. This caused her body to die as well, letting Yoko and Tsuneo know that she neither recovered Ichimaru nor saved herself. They also saw that Ichimaru's had perished as well, even on life support.

A Whole New World
Once he was defeated and his konsō was performed, Ichimaru was lead into Soul Society where he found himself settled within the ninth district, Minbōku, and living in a household of very kind people. Under their roof, he grew into a respectable man and became well-known throughout the district. As his age increased, along went his spiritual power. His power would increase to the point where the Shinigami assigned to his area began to detect his energy and subsequently recruited him into the Spiritual Arts Academy. There, he went through his six years learning each of the Shinigami arts although Hakuda turned out to be his weakest area.

Equipment
Cherished Ring: Ichimaru's ring that once belonged to his mother. She gave it to him in order to take his mind away from their old home, stating that it was from the house that lived in while residing in Kobe.

Powers & Abilities
Enhanced Strength: Ichimaru shows himself to have a high degree of physical strength in spite of his rather slight build. He is able to parry many attacks by using his strength, although Sōji no Jihi's length is major factor in his doing so.

Enhanced Speed: Like his strength, Ichimaru's speed often goes unnoticed outside of Shunpo. His reflexes are an example of his amazing speed, able to deliver three seperate strikes with only two blades in a single breath while using using his Shikai. His speed also translates into his thought process and enables him to make split decisions in the heat of the moment with successful results.

High Intellect: From a young age, Ichimaru was considered a gifted person. His thinking was often on another scale compared to his peers. Being only a toddler, he could solve complex problems that most college students struggled with. By the time of his death, he had an understanding of the world around so strong that he could have practically lived on his own. Now, as a Shinigami, Ichimaru still finds time to educate himself in anything he can get information on and constantly seeks self-improvement. : Ichimaru, having been trained in the Academy, shows no greater quality than his Hohō. He is an exceptionally skilled practitioner of Shunpo for someone of his level. As a natural prodigy in this area, many of his fellow Shinigami both respect and envy his prowess. Ichimaru often dazzles his opponents with his graceful speed and agility, forcing them to stay on their toes when engaging him. During his Hohō training, Ichimaru demonstrated the ability to outpace and outlast his opposing classmates in Shunpo. He even used it in his conflict with his Zanpakutō in order to keep up with it. When executing Shinsoku: San Ō Dageki, his Shunpo all but guarantees a successful strike.
 * : This high tier maneuver is a signature technique of Ichimaru. He has demonstrated immense proficiency with the movement. During his Academy years, Ichimaru was one of the few Shinigami recruits to have never been hit or touched by anyone in the regular sparring matches. It often led to a laudable, but envied, status among the ranks of the recruits. Even his captain gave praise to his skill, noting that he would be an excellent addition to the division.


 * High Endurance: Ichimaru is able to exert himself for moderately long periods of time. He also has high resistance to fatigue, which also translates to his ability to resist injury. He first trained himself by using Shunpō to move from one side of a small, enclosed area to the other. He would practice this over and over, sometimes numbering in the thousands of times. Once he knew that he had mastered that, he gradually moved on to longer and longer distances. His stamina would also increase in response.

He became a rather decent practitioner, with his above average Reiryoku, in the specific category of Hadō. However, he has only shown himself to be capable of using it through his Zanpakutō's Shikai. Ichimaru has created a spell that falls in this category that releases multiple barrages of projectiles at the slash of his blades. The spell can be used without an incantation, sacrificing strength for speed of execution. It is known as '''Hadō #12. Dandōdan (弾道弾, lit. Ballistic Missile)'''. He gained recognition among his fellow classmates for this feat, however, they were not impressed by its lack of destructive force even as a Hadō spell.

Outside of Hadō, Ichimaru was required to learn Kaidō as per his division's specialty. Of course, due his battle-centered nature, Ichimaru is not as efficient in using Kaidō as a lieutenant of the fourth division should be. However, his skills were high enough to be acknowledged by Kazuya Kuchiki and be recommended that he join said captain of the ninth division on a investigation in the Human World.

This is evident in Hollows being v attracted to his energy while he was in Hueco Mundo as well as being able to remain in his Shikai state for prolonged periods. He also is able to cause miniature quakes with his reiatsu with a little concentration. Ichimaru has great pride in his Reiatsu, so much so that he practically boasts about it during battle.

Trivia

 * Ichimaru's appearance is based on Assassin from Fate/Stay Night. Also, Ichimaru's Hollow form is based on Iihiko Shishime from Medaka Box.
 * Ichimaru's most used phrase is "I'm bored! (しんどい, Shindoi!)".