Hyōsube Nagare

Hyōsube Nagare (流れひょうすべ, River Hyōsube) is the Head of the, one of the more prominent lower noble houses. Hyōsube is a powerful who was among the first graduates of the Shinigami Academy under  although Hyōsube was not promoted to Captaincy during his time in the. As a member of the Nagare family, Hyōsube was cursed with a gruesome appearance, which has led to him hiding behind a mask for his entire life.

A combination of experience and natural strength puts Hyōsube on a level rivaling a Captain-ranked officer, and if the situation ever rises where he must raise a sword to protect the Soul Society, Hyōsube will be among the first on the battlefield. Having retired from the, Hyōsube keeps distant from the affairs of the world outside of his family, consulting fellow noble houses every few weeks or so at most. The history of the Nagare family is a drear one, that Hyōsube would like to keep hidden from the rest of the Soul Society, in fear that it would spark some form of bigoted response from the other Shinigami.

Appearance
As a nobleman of the, Hyōsube very heavily dresses the part. Hyōsube wears very heavy garbs, even through the generally calm weather of the Soul Society. His outfit consists of a gray hakama and haori, the hakama outfitted with several tomoe-like imprints. Over the haori, Hyōsube wears a silk kimono held up by a dark blue obi that also houses a pair of katana. The kimono was sewn from silk provided by the cocoon of the Blue spirit-silkworm (青気蚕児, Aoiki sanji) which is a special type of silkworm grown only by the and those associated with them. Due to physical deformities that are common among members of the Nagare Family, Hyōsube has grown accustomed to wearing so many different articles of clothing because it is one of the burdens his ancestors forced upon him and the rest of the family for all future generations.

Hyōsube wears a red-faced mask with a mustache colored gold and a silver helmet which sits on Hyōsube's bald head. Due to the very colorful characteristics of Hyōsube's mask, it has become something similar to a "title" for him as people equate the red-mask he wears as the "guardian of the Nagare Family." A circular ring sits at the top of his helmet, forged from all types of metal from copper to gold, meant as a metaphor that all Nagare Family members old and new follow. The rings composition is meant to signifying that no matter who you are, that everybody stands equal in the Nagare Family. The one who wears the ring is not truly meant as the Noble who leads the family, but as the representation that all are equal. The mask itself was forged out of a 

Two long sheets of cloth hang from Hyōsube's shoulders, tied tight with rope made from the Blue spirit-silkworm as well. A written Kidō seal is inscribed over the cloth, reading A demon hides within (魔匿以内, Matokuinai).

Personality
Over the course of the long life he has lived, Hyōsube has changed many times over. Some say that in his youth, he was a wrathful soul who was bitter towards the world for his deformities while others say that during his days as a Shinigami he was polite and humble. Some say that a man's experiences make him who he is, and this is the truth for Hyōsube. Many have taken to calling Hyōsube, the "humble lord", stemming from his very solid ideology. Hyōsube promotes the idea that no member of the Nagare Family should boast of their power, nor mock another for being weak. He believes in equality and camaraderie, and seeks to only benefit the. His loyalty towards the Soul Society is unwavering, which has led to Hyōsube becoming a very influential attendant of meetings and a "third-party" for. He sees the judges of the Central 46 as stubborn and witless, lacking any sense at all. His distaste with them is the reason why Hyōsube attends meetings and open court sessions. He believes that with watchful eyes, the judges will be less inclined to so foolishly flaunt their power and control over the unsuspecting populace of the Soul Society and the Gotei 13.

Hyōsube promotes the idea that the is a strong and able bodied force who have no problem protecting the Soul Society and maintaining the balance between the two worlds. Each of his sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters have joined the and are all prominent seated offices ranging from the  all the way to the. It came off as a blessing for Hyōsube that out of the newer generations of his family, only three have been cursed with the Nagare Family deformities. Hyōsube has come to favor these few, and has used his connections to the Gotei 13 to help his children and grandchildren into rather high seats among the Gotei, which is seen as a high honor. If the situation ever arises where the Gotei 13 cannot handle some power opposition, Hyōsube has made it clear that the Nagare Family will be at the front lines with himself leading the charge. Having served the Soul Society for the better part of his life, Hyōsube has taken up a strong passion for protecting the world he calls home.

Those who have seen Hyōsube in battle can vouch for the strength the "humble lord" boasts, rivaling that of the Captain's of the previous generation. Hyōsube himself was among the first graduating class of the Shinigami Academy, where he proved that a Lower Noble Family should not be taken lightly. It was his lineage that stood in the way of him becoming a Captain, and many even thought it was foolish not to grant Hyōsube captaincy. Hyōsube proved once again how humble and loyal a Shinigami should be, by stating that his place was not leading the Shinigami forces and he was better suited for the foot soldiers of the Gotei. There he stayed for most of his career as a Shinigami, before becoming Lieutenant for a short time, and then retiring from the Gotei all together. The Gotei 13 holds a place in Hyōsube's heart, and he sees it as his extended family. Both Hyōsube and his kin are always welcome among the First Division barracks and the Tenth Division barracks, where even the newer members know of Hyōsube's merits.

The greatest hardship in Hyōsube's life is easily the curse that befalls members of the Nagare Family ever generation, leading to great physical deformity, and in some cases mental deformity. In what some call shame, and others call tradition, Hyōsube dawns full garb that hides his entire torso and up from the eyes of others. Only very rare occasions call for Hyōsube to remove his attire, and even those few moments are confined to the closed doors of the Nagare Family household. Hyōsube has accepted that he is beyond hideous, and chooses to keep his face from the world in fear of frightening those he has come to know and love. What lies behind his red face is a mystery to all but his own family, and even some of his grandchildren have never seen his face, proving how heavily Hyōsube treats his physical appearance.

History
Have you ever witnessed the birth of a monster? An abomination was born one night, many years ago to Lord of the Rivers - a Nagare by the name of Kawatarō and his wife Nono. The clan kept this child silent for weeks after it's birth, for fear that the hideous outcome would be another black mark on the clan's name. Children like this had been born before - but never were they the to-be heir's of the Nagare. They named this child Hyōsube, for it was the most fitting name they could think of considering the situation.

Hyōsube spent the first few years of his infant hood isolated from the world, never seeing daylight and never leaving his mother's side. A story circulated that Nono Nagare came down with a sickness and was bed ridden, a story created by Kawatarō so that nobody would question her need to stay in isolation with their child. Hyōsube never cried as a child - he was quiet and curious.

After several years of isolation, Kawatarō thought it was time for the world to know that he had a child. Hyōsube, who spent his life isolated from the world, was a virgin to the horrors it would have for people like him. Shinigami were not used to seeing half-blooded creatures, deformed and scaled like some reptilian creature. Kawatarō adorned Hyōsube in a white veil and clothing that covered his entire body. As Hyōsube was too young and innocent to understand why, he saw it as some kind of tradition - like the one's that his father often implored.

Whispers broke out about this 'child' of the Nagare Clan Head - many were in shock and awe that such things existed among a Lesser Noble Clan. The Central 46 was even contacted at one point, who promptly evaluated that there was no harm in a child, no matter how deformed he was. They did suggest to Kawatarō that his child 'be dealt with' but they did so very subtlety.

Now old enough to see the world for what it is and to see how cruel the world was to somebody like him, Hyōsube had few options left. Kawatarō wanted Hyōsube to become a scribe, to be sent far away into the Rukongai to train with a sect of monks claiming some foreign gospel. He believed it would be the best alternative for Hyōsube, but the young spirit declined. He wanted to follow in Kawatarō's footsteps and take up the title as Lord of the Rivers, Head of the Nagare Clan, and Keeper of the Saga - though Kawatarō remained vigilant. The spiritual world might not welcome a Noble of such stature, they would denounce him in every sense of the word. But Hyōsube was resilient, and claimed that he will force the other Nobles to see the how capable he was and how he was not some abomination.

Kawatarō resolved to keep Hyōsube at home, but an idea came to mind. Hyōsube was sent to the Saga - the ancestral home of the Nagare Clan, a place where those cursed in a deformed body could come to train and practice to control their "gifts". There, Hyōsube met his cousins and uncles who too were cursed. Some had lived their entire lives on Saga, others had gone as far as to deny their curse to the point where they seemed mad. Hyōsube will never forget those few words a cousin told him when he was young.

"This is where we come to die."

The beauty of Saga was but a front, put forth to hide the tragedy that befell the Nagare clan so many years ago. Most of those who are cursed come to the Saga to live out their lives tending to the grounds - and for a time, Hyōsube believed that this would be his life as well. A shadow of doubt befell him and he believed that his father sent him to Saga not to become stronger, but as a punishment. Could it be that Kawatarō was disgusted by the idea that a 'cursed one' to inherit everything that was his? Hyōsube fell into a deep depression over the thought, only to be lifted out of it after seeing one of his uncles finally die after living a long 'self-loathing' life. The old man lay upon his death bed, cursing the world and every Nagare in Saga who was cursed. He claimed that they were a pestilence that was ruining the clan's pure blood - he died within the hour.

Hyōsube didn't believe this to be true. Was he truly cursed? Or was this curse nothing but an ideal forced upon him at a young age by his frightened father? Surely, every clan had their faults. The Nagare were no different, no matter how gruesome their fault be. Instead of falling into madness or depression as his relatives did, Hyōsube learned from watching the Kappa who lived at Saga how to utilize certain powers. Basic water manipulation was a trait of their kind, to the point where Hyōsube could sense spots of water beneath the earth - for drinking and planting purposes. He practiced with swords and honed his fighting by wrestling his distant Kappa blood siblings - becoming quite the fighter as a result.

The others watched in awe as Hyōsube trained vigorously - his deformed relatives watched him grow from a boy into a man. Some even broke from their shrouds of hatred and depression, joining him in his escapades in training. Through meditation, on an ordinary day, Hyōsube tapped into a different sort of power within himself. He saw the rushing waters all around him, the taste of salt on his lips, and the creatures of the deep swirling around him. A demon in crimson clothes rose from the from seas and mocked him - it's laugh boomed far across these phantasmal seas. Hyōsube stood his ground to the giant and with all of his might he commanded the seas and brought the giant down.

When Hyōsube awoke from his meditation, a blade sat across his lap. It whispered to him it's name and from then on Hyōsube wielded a zanpakutō - Ōsanshōuo.

Powers & abilities
Immense Strength: Influenced heavily by Hyōsube's immense size and weight, the "humble lord", boasts monstrous levels of strength far surpassing even the standard. Hyōsube's strength has proven to become incredibly useful when fighting hand-to-hand which is Hyōsube's preferred method of fighting. Capable of earth shattering feats, Hyōsube's strength is by far one of his more well known strengths. During an attempted siege of the Soul Society ages ago, in the wake of the death of the of the Western Gate, Hyōsube lifted the gate and held it open as the Shinigami forced the enemy forces back through the gate. Hyōsube was offered a position as the permanent Gatekeeper, but turned down the position as his duties were elsewhere. Through his strength, Hyōsube has displayed the ability to decimate his targets in ways that rival the magical properties of Kidō. In the wake of a full powered punch from Hyōsube, a literal shock wave follows and adds to the destructive power of his attacks.

Master Strategist & Tactician: Experience and age have tempered Hyōsube from a young age, molding him into a truly skilled tactician and strategist. While he has never served as a Captain, only having been a Lieutenant and Seated Officer among various divisions, Hyōsube has found himself leading the charge on several occasions. As a former student of the Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (having also served underneath Genryūsai in the First Division), Hyōsube has learned how to command and work with the situation at hand and remains resilient even through the thickest and most troubling of situations. Hyōsube acts in the name of the Soul Society, following orders and upholding the laws of Central 46 with the utmost seriousness, and he will do whatever he can to keep the deaths of the innocent as low as possible and to maintain the balance of the multiple worlds. In one-on-one battle, Hyōsube has shown to apply his skilled strategic instinct quite often, using his wits to outdo and opponent and take advantage of their weaknesses and strengths. In the field of Kidō, Hyōsube has displayed a very skilled grip on "baiting techniques" as well as "faux techniques" which serve the purpose of tricking his opponent(s). During an attempted siege of the Soul Society, due to the enemies efforts to confuse and throw of the Gotei's intervention, Hyōsube stepped in and kept an entire squad of rebels at bay through skilled and precise movements and attacks.

His political knowledge has become as valuable of an asset to him as his ability to command on the battlefield. He is skilled in the art of spiritual relations and has made an effort to befriend those worth befriending and making enemies of those who should be kept as enemies. Hyōsube acts, for what he says to be "the betterment of the Soul Society", and he stays true to this even to the point where some doubt his competency. It is the few who understand Hyōsube that can see his actions are very thorough and cautious within reason. : Hyōsube's swordsmanship is unique, having adopted a very refined style that caters to both his size and his two nodachi. While graceful movements are not found in Hyōsube's swordplay, devastating power lies in the wake of his attacks. Most of Hyōsube's attacks focus on cleaving, with a lot of focus on using one blade to block while using the other to strike. Hyōsube's abnormal strength allows him to overpower his opponents very easily, shattering through even the strongest defenses with ease. Similar to another trained by the former Captain-Commander, Hyōsube was trained in the art of kendo which Yamamoto believed would fit to Hyōsube's style. Through kendo, Hyōsube wields a single nodachi and has shown to have even greater cutting force to the point where powerful Barrier-based Kidō with a precise strike.

Enhanced Durability: Protected by a combination of armour, Kidō, and the body-size of an ox, Hyōsube is able to reflect most basic attacks with ease. His resistance to physical attacks is much higher than most and over the years he has trained his body to not falter in the face of physical damage. Wounds cannot stop Hyōsube like the would a weak-minded child, unnerved at the simple sight of blood. Hyōsube has seen many things and has endured double that, making him a perfect shield ready to the guard the realm at a moments notice.

His ability to understand and replicate the patterns of spiritual particle movement alongside his aptitude for the spiritual arts themselves (i.e. incantations, enchantments, etc.) led to his quick understanding and mastery of the art. The Kidō Division was too be his home, though he inevitably found himself among the foot soldiers in the First Division. At this point, he had not achieved the level of mastery he maintains in his old age, though he was far above the norm. In order to deal with his deformities effectively, he set to work applying numerous sealing based Kidō alongside barrier Kidō in order to create the perfect mechanism to hide his deformities from the world. The Nagare who were unfortunate enough to inherit this dark attribute were more often then not, forced to hide behind helmets and sheets of the utmost beauty and craft. Hyōsube sought to add extra security to this system, and created layers of spells that would secure his masks and armour.

Though he is a shinigami, Hyōsube is a bastard born of a Kappa origin. Revered as shifty and twisted beings, the Kappa were always known for their rather impressive spiritual gifts. Their healing capabilities are said to have been the inspiration for numerous shinigami healing-techniques, many of which are used to this day. Due to his lineage, Hyōsube's body reacts much faster to healing Kidō and is known to regenerate on its own when badly damaged. This trait seeps off of Hyōsube's spiritual energy and passively corrects any defaults with his body (though it does not see his physical deformity as a default.)

Hyōsube's spiritual powers capture the exact essence of the salt and storms of the seas, trembling whole nations in its wake. Sealed away inside this giant of a man, exists a storm of biblical proportions, one that is the result of sheer coincidence and chance. He is the blood of the Kappa, and through him lies the essence of a dying breed. His spiritual powers move with the winds, shifting directions at a moments notice and making a game out of everything in their path. When faced against this demonic energy, all you can do is hold tight and brace yourself for what is to come.

A large being like Hyōsube boasts incredible strength that enhances his physical capabilities far beyond even the shinigami norm. His skill in Hakuda stems from years of training and honing, that allows him to take on even the strongest of enemies with his fists alone. Hyōsube's usage of Hakuda is unique as his large size grants him superior striking force and a thicker defense. An attack that would normally damage one shinigami, has a high chance of simply bouncing off of Hyōsube's abnormally dense form. This allows him to charge forward, and in some cases, ignore oncoming attacks to land a deafening blow. Hyōsube's speed comes into play, as his size hinders him to a degree. He cannot perform extremely agile movements or fast strikes, but makes up for it by using his large body as a staple for his attacks. Some have related Hyōsube's style of fighting to the ancient Japanese art of Sumo as well as its modern day incarnation. In battle, Hyōsube tries as hard as he does to physically harm his foes as he does to mentally harm them. Using his towering size to throw them off, Hyōsube gets close and personal and comes down with great force, which is known to shake his opponents up even if the attack does not land.

As his style greatly resembles the Japanese style of Sumo, his application is different then most other shinigami. Hyōsube focuses less on overpowering his opponents through vigorous attacks and constant damage, and more on bringing them down to the ground before delivering a finishing blow. Many of Hyōsube's techniques have been regarded as "monstrous" both because of his size, and how he so easily throws smaller shinigami and hollows around. In some cases, Hyōsube can crush a full grown man with his hands alone. More standard shoving, grappling, and charging all fall under Hyōsube's common choices of attack alongside his more fearsome attacks.

Due to the abnormality of his clan's blood, Hyōsube acts as a "Hakuda teacher" to those who are born 'cursed' like him. He believes that their superior size can better adjust to the style of Hakuda that Hyōsube has mastered over the years. Before officially retiring, Hyōsube also spent some time training young academy students at the.

| Forward Push: Using his entire body, Hyōsube uses his harms to shove his opponent back. Although it doesn't sound menacing, when Hyōsube's full force is applied, he can send his opponents flying as well as deal heavy damage to their upper body should he land a direct hit.

| Startled Giant: Catching his opponents off guard, or during a moment of confusion, Hyōsube will get behind them and grab them from the leg. Hyōsube is capable of bringing his opponents down, normally performed before delivering another powerful downward attack.

| Honorable Death: Less of a technique, and more of an execution, Hyōsube will wrap one arm around his opponents neck and place the other on top of their head. With enough pressure, Hyōsube tears the head from the neck. In his younger years, such brutal tactics earned Hyōsube quite a reputation on the battlefield.

| Silencing Blow: Lifting his opponent up into the air with two hands, Hyōsube brings them down with great force onto his knee, breaking their back.

| Devastating Blow: After bringing down an opponent, Hyōsube will place his foot against their lower back and will grab onto both of their arms. He will keep pulling them back, until he breaks both arms or tears them off in the process.

Kidō techniques and abilities
Kibikōkinjō (羈縻幌金縄, Fastened Gold Canopy Rope): A sealing Kidō Hyōsube has learned and mastered to secure his deformity behind his heavy armor and long cloth robes. The seal consists of two-hundred thousand thin layers of spiritual energy to constantly reshape around Hyōsube's cloth, holding it in place and preventing its removal. The Kidō repeats its cycle every twenty-four hours, drawing its power from Hyōsube's spiritual energy reserves. The seal is manifested through the inscription painted onto the cloth, which reads "A demon hides within (魔匿以内, Matokuinai)." The words act as the incantation of the spell as well, although it is believed that Hyōsube uses a weakened version of the true spell to preserve spiritual energy. The spell was created to assist the Kidō Corps, acting as a fundamental "sealing technique" with the intent to seal powerful foes. Hyōsube has reverse engineered the spell to act as his one true savior, giving him the ability to walk around worry free of his deformity.

Yama-no-Kami (山の神, mountain deity): A forbidden Kidō that was taught to the Nagare by the Kappa who they enslaved centuries ago, which is capable of distorting space and time around the caster of the spell. The Kappa were amphibious beings who spent their life in the water, and would sometimes adventure out onto land. The problem was that the trek onto land was dangerous, as they were hated by the spirits of the Soul Society. Yama-no-Kami allowed the Kappa to transport themselves vast distances onto their ancestral home of Saga (佐, saga). The Nagare took control of Saga and created the Nagare Secret Compound on top of it, where its members can gather and train to hone their "kappa-blood powers". The Yama-no-Kami is a space-time technique that can transport the user to Saga, should the need arise. Due to its branding as forbidden, Hyōsube does not use the technique, but has proven to be willing should the Soul Society's balance be in distress. The technique is based around making a connection between the Hyōsube and the 'seal' placed beneath Saga, and then drawing the two forces together. Due to the strength of Saga outweighing even Hyōsube's on power, he is pulled to the area. The technique is instantaneous, and Hyōsube's spiritual energy takes a bright teal color when the technique is being used.

Zanpakutō
Ōsanshōuo (大山椒魚, giant pepper fish) is a water-attributed zanpakutō that is credited as being "the strongest Water-type zanpakutō in the Soul Society" although this claim is based on rumor alone. It is sealed as a pair of nodachi normally kept sheathed at the left of Hyōsube's waist. Identical in appearance, the nodachi are decorated with a circular tsuba. The hilt consists of a blend of gold and light blue, with a diamond-pattern along the handles. The sheath of both swords are a shade of purple, with several gold rings encompassing it. Ōsanshōuo boasts a rather unique trait, being capable of soaking up water like a sponge. Hyōsube has demonstrated this ability by dipping one of the blades into a small puddle of water, which was sucked dry in a matter of seconds.

By saying the phrase "End you mischief and drown my foes (あなたのいたずらを終了し、私の敵を溺れさせる, Anata no itazura o shūryō shi, watashi no teki o obore saseru), Ōsanshōuo", Hyōsube activates his zanpakutō's Shikai which brings forth a tremendous volume of water from the depths of Hyōsube's spiritual energy. Thick streams of water come forward, drowning the surrounding plant life and ravaging small towns. Thick waves crash against the surrounding area, shattering boulders bigger then full grown men and crushing helpless spirits and men like a bug. At Hyōsube's command, the water becomes his weapon, utilizing its liquid form to become anything the "humble lord" wills it to be. At the wave of a finger, Hyōsube can forge a thousand swords of water to tear his opponents to shred or call down his personal sea onto his foes in an attempt to drown them. With a stomp of his foot, Hyōsube can part seas and shatter large ships into pieces of driftwood. Any further extent of Ōsanshōuo, including named abilities, are unknown. Due to the ability of Ōsanshōuo (i.e. summoning torrents of water that could flood whole cities), Hyōsube severely restricts himself when releasing his zanpakutō and has admitted that throughout his entire career he has only released his fully once.

Trivia

 * Despite Hyōsube's zanpakutō, Ōsanshōuo manifesting as a single spirit, it seals itself in the form of two nodachi which is queer in comparison to most other zanpakutō.