Tobirama Gyōzen

"Legend tells that the night before Tobirama's mother gave birth she had a dream. She dreamt that a raging wildfire took their land, and she dreamt she gave birth to a snake which kept the survivors safe within its mouth, using its many layers of skin to defend itself from the flames. Then she knew she would give birth to a kind ruler who would be unfit to rule a true militia, but sovereign with absolute dedication and docility. Only if she knew that you could never trust a snake. Only if she knew before being swallowed whole."

"What happens when a benign child encounters war? The benevolent youth; born of battle and blood becomes the unmerciful soldier." - Junior

Tobirama Gyōzen (扉間ぎょうぜん, Gyouzen Tobirama) is a mysterious who travels the realms battling his own sense of morality and worldly faith; utilizing his Nisou no Shidan to bring about justice to any who have sinned, wronged, or deviated from the law.

Personality
Tobirama's father was a corpulent man with a haughty, condescending demeanor that seemed to always accompany him; while, Tobirama's mother, was an inconspicious and readily disillusioned woman who believed that Tobiramas' fathers intentions were done out of peace. Deep down, a part of her was trapped and she knew it; forced into a harmful, clearly abusive relationship with a man she only thought she loved. As the offspring of those two and through years of training and preparation, Tobirama grew to become a indifferent individual. Through a well-fabricated facade built under the tumult of lies and deception, he wove a fake smile and a fake life that concealed his growing insecurity as a result of his fathers lack of interest. Others saw him as benevolence incarnate; woman swooned, males scorned, and children adored, however his own conviction was to please the man who he saw as an engima - his father. Yet deep down, he thought that the man he admired was not the man he thought he was. Once his concerns and doubts were verifyied his life grew meaningless, empty; a haunting loneliness and sense of betrayal knawed at him constantly, eventually becoming the manifestation of the Hollow he often implores in combat.

Through whispers and nightmares, his hatred began to take form. Once the War erupted atop the Eastern Mountains far from Soul Society, Tobirama was among the first batallion to fight. His father saw him as a mere extension of his own being and in order to create a warrior of note, he ordered his son to fight against the rebellion in direct combat. Tobirama became a seasoned liar, deceiving others in earnest and using his growing skill in subterfuge to forge alliances, blackmail, and sow the seeds of distrust and fear in both the rebellion and the forces of Gyōzen no Kuni. He took it upon himself to slaughter, maim, and never once has his resolve waned; his true purpose being to atone for the failures of his father, and family who allowed such horrors to persist. With this in mind, he used his blade to cut down all who stood against his ideals. In the masses of crimson meat, torn ligaments and searing flesh he grew disconnected from the world around him.

While the sanity and hope in humanity within his eyes became a wan, shell of what they once were, he stood face-to-face against his father in combat. In a battle that shook the foundations of the War and all the surrounding inlands, he slayed his father and his mind finally was able to rest, yet the weight of his sins to reach such a feat remained a burden. This burden in particular led him to sow the seeds of doubt once more; later accomplishing the feat of, essentially, forcing his entire family to hell. In doing so, he lost himself.

It was a necessary evil, he told himself.

Yet, the truth behind his actions knawed at him constantly. His eyes lost that childlike wonder and mysticism and he grew cold, weary, and burdened by his innumerable sins. His nightmares continued greater then once before, greater in intensity with each night. His sanity faltered more and more. And so, he traveled, in hopes of finding purpose.

Decades of voyage with eyes glancing from face to face, never once taking into account the person in question; simply moving without any real guidance in life. And so, he grew accustomed to solitude. His madness deepended with time. This only furthered itself after meeting Ketsuekigasu, who he later lost as a result of his own weakness. His mind became shrouded in a desire to atone and self- preservation.

Tobirama's eyes now bear no prejudice one way or another, he favors nothing and lives only to atone. He calls solitude home and travels as a wandering spirit, near-lacking in empathy and bordering insanity as the voices in his head perpetuate his eternal strife and horrors; in the genocide of his family and murder of his beloved by his own hands.

History
Ask anyone who knew of Tobirama and they would all agree that he was the kindest person you could ever imagine; his docile nature would endear everyone to him and the compassion in his voice would give off an air of benevolence. He was innocenct, generous and completely overwhelming with positive charisma. His mother hired nannies and personal teachers to train him, teach him, and make him a good leader. His mother chose to prove her premonition dream correct. And for a long time it seemed plausible. He was a maganimous soul who lived a very affluent albeit slightly rebellious lifestyle, until, over the course of several decades he realized the monstrosity that was his own father. Moreover, his entire family. He stumbled upon his fathers secret files, journals, and in verfying those accounts, met with people who felt the wrath of the man who once nurtured him as a child. Walking upon the decimated streets and decayed corpses that his father wrought upon those without hope crashed the minds of Tobirama's shores like powerful tides, overwhelming the young Soul. His father had ruthlessly killed hundreds, pillaged, enslaved; no heinous action wasn't performed by the evil leader. In every sense of the word he was the villian. He had to be stopped.

Tobirama, refused to become that. For the rest of his days he beared enmity toward the man he once admired without the latter ever knowing Tobirama knew the not-so-secret truth behind the Gyōzen Royal Family. Mere months after the aforementioned discovery a series of wars broke out in and around the Province his family owned; and he, chosen by his own father, was taken to war. Though his mother envisioned Tobirama to become a kind leader his father had a different agenda; wanting to impose the cruel hardships of the world onto his son he put his son on the front lines. A child at war, forced to slaughter and kill those who brought him no malice; and he was damn good at it. Far to good at it for him to keep what remained of his sanity intact. He kept a ploy of niceness and loyalty while he plotted and deceived for ages, until the fateful night in which he alluded his father's grasp and murdered him in cold blood. Without remorse that single action brought an end to the war in which Tobirama fought for decades. The feeling of betrayal and internal strife that warred within him settled and manifested into something darker. Much, much darker than he could ever imagine.

After having ended the war he left the Gyōzen Province vowing to return someday and end the cruel tyranny of his people. Fleeing his land for reclusion after having announced his father had an "accident", he left his mother in charge until further notice, manipulating his ties to grant his family a fortune in wealth and land. They never suspected a thing from the staunch Tobirama. Unbeknowest to his own mother however he stole the varying artifacts and riches from clans and tribes on the outskirts of Rukongai. In time, using his eloquent manner and duplicitous nature he single-handedly led armies to decimate the land he once called home. Ending the cycle of strife and tyranny that his Clan wrought upon thousands. Similar to Hitsugaya albeit in a more potent manner, he subconciously used the ability of Nisou no Shidan to trap the souls of his own family, his own murderous and cruel family within a living nightmare. At the cost of hundreds of lives, he ended the Gyōzen without shedding a tear. There was no moment of hesitancy or waiting; he saw it as a necessary cost to end a greater evil and did so with complete awareness. His mother believed him to be kind, but at this moment, that kind child was no longer present. He was a soldier, through and through. War had changed him, and shown him what the world really was.

He would later venture around the three dimensions; training at the Shinō Academy, settling down in the Human World and mastering his Hollowfication in Hueco Mundo. Tobirama's Hollowfication began the second he came to the conclusion that his father was an abomination who needed to be killed; and out of complete hatred it manifested within him like a bubbling under current. It wasn't until after he severed his bonds with the Gyōzen that he noticed the deep festering monster that feasted on his emotions. If he controlled it he could, in his mind, dictate the justifications of others. After a brief tenure at the Shino Academy in which he fully realized Nisou no Shidan's shikai (like Hitsugaya he used his powers unintentionally), he journeyed to Hueco Mundo to learn how to fully control his Hollowfication.

The Former Prince was content to live a life of solitude from that point onward. But he met someone, a person dear to him who was particularly special to him. A woman named Ketsuekigasu who assisted him in mastering his contrived Hollow Form and trained him whilst he was in unknown territory. He fell in love with her completely; she was comely, firm in her beliefs, stubborn to a fault, and immensely powerful. She taught him how to use his abilities properly and even how to use Hakuda effectively. Having met in Hueco Mundo her past was shrouded to both of them, the woman having suffered total amnesia during the Hollowfication process. Tobirama showed a naive idealism toward his abilities and chose to use his powers to bring justice to those who deserve it, just as he had done with his father and family prior. Ketsuekigasu on the other hand was strong, poised, measured, calculative, and flirty to a fault. She had a smile of eternal reassurance and sauntered with a jaunty, confident air; her presence being a constant reminder of her impressionable aura. Their unison was indescribable and everytime they were in one anothers presence fireworks would fly off in the distance.

After decades spent with one another, the two chose to settle down in the Human World and finally settle; only that is not what fate had in store for him. In a twisted turn of events, the power of Nisou no Shidan was used when the duo's trek to the World Of The Living was interrupted by Vasto Lorde. The battle was valiant, dangerous, and compelling but in the end Ketsuekigasu and Tobirama were both defeated. In one final effort he used his Hollow Mask, however while on the brink he no longer had the power to contain his Hollow Transformation and something evil was awakened. In his last ditch effort he ineptly, broke the only rule that his dear love gave to him regarding his Hollow Mask and in doing so, cost her her life: manifesting his Hollow Mask in the most foolish of times, fully aware that his soul might not be able to properly incur the malovently energy of the Hollow. The force that was truly wicked at its core. The primal lust within the coal black eyes provided little to the imagination, and deep inside, nothing but horror incarnate remained.

When he awoke from the daze everything he saw was red as blood; the ground, the sky,...even his dear Ketsuekigasu. The Vasto Lorde had been killed, its limbs torn about the war-torn battlefield and nearby his lover was pierced by Nisou no Shidan. Stabbed through her spine at a downward angle, the blade was lodged through her left lung causing death to come closer than desired. He then became dreadfully aware that he Hollow within him sought only to kill, not to be tamed.

With disturbing clarity he acknowledged the gleam of the blade which signified its shikai. Nisou no Shidan's shikai would trap his lover within her own past; forcing her to immortality while subjugating her to suffer unimaginable suffering based on her past sins, faults, and guilt. The same treatment he forced his father and Clan to endure for an eternity prior to them meeting. Only one thing would save her now and so, in one defiant display of righteousness or insanity rather, he removed the blade from her and killed her with his own two hands (using Hakuda), thus negating the affect of Nisou no Shidan (In flashbacks her death is different; in one version it was him strangling her and in another it was him striking her in the chest to destroy her Hakusei and Saketsu making her revert to a human and then die from the spiritual pressure). It was what he deserved, after all, for having led thousands to their death to fit his own agenda. Maybe in his twisted mind it was a form of karma for having wronged so many lives. Nevertheless, he realizes the thin line between good and evil, and how a person so often crosses that line goes unpunished.

The life he wanted was gone; nothing was left for him anymore, his Zanpakutō had ensured that he would never find love again and his Inner Hollow had only reinforced his growing anguish. The once idealistic youth lost all hope in salvation and retribution. Now, with one triumphant goal in mind he moves between the many dimensions, enacting his own brand of justice upon the wicked hearts that inhabit the realms. There is no prison, no second chance for anyone; what remains is only eternal suffering. If you have sinned, even once, he will hunt you down and ensure you never sin again. Worth mention, the caricature of Ketsuekigasu often shows itself in the form of hallucinations or paranoia to the Shinigami. He is haunted by her person and finds himself, internally, running away from his own past guilt and trying to define his own morality. And just maybe, he'll do whatever he deems neccessary to get away from his own mistakes.

Thousand Year Blood War
Tobirama would later warrant a name for himself during the Quincy-Shinigami War. A war that has transcended time and forgone generations to begin anew; the fires of passion and war arisen once more along with centuries of renewed grudges following the death of the Head Captain Commander, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. With his death and the death of one Byakuya Kuchiki, alarmed, Tobirama chose to partake in the bloodshed. He watched the Nine Day War begin with contemptious interest; entrenched in growing disgust at how the war had escalated so quickly, and eageress to test the merit of his own resolve. Tobirama would take down Stern Ritter and Shinigami alike, judging both without mercy. At first, he remained wary, keeping arms-length from the majority of the war and remaining observant of the situation. However, for unknown reasons he plunged himself into the chaos of the Thousand Year Blood War. Even now, years after the Quincy-Shinigami War Tobirama remains quite ardent in regards to how both sides utterly failed to uphold peace and stability.

Powers & Abilities






Immense Willpower:

Zanpakutō
Nisou no Shidan (にそうしだん "Priestess of the Poetic Circle") is Tobirama's. In her sealed form she takes on the appearance of a standard katana with a rectangular tsuba and brown hilt wrapping. That katana has a weighted pommel to create a better counterbalance when using the blade, thus allowing Tobirama to thrust and slash swifter. The blade itself is kept within a brown sheathe and carried along with Tobirama within his obi-sash. She is a vengeful, embittered spirit who represents Tobirama's innermost pedigree in relation to his father. She is very active and has a proclivity to use her abilities to harm anyone she can. For this reason her powers can be awakened at almost any time despite Tobirama's wishes; seen when his Hollow Form was capable of using her shikai. Similar to his father, Nisou no Shidan is also quite sadistic; forcing the screams of her victims to play on and on whenever Tobirama activates her shikai. This also plays a factor in the fear that she is capable of making those who witness her know of the many lives she has elongated for her own amusement. She was born of Tobirama's fathers hate and spite that had grew immensely beyond measure.
 * : The command Yume (ゆめ, Dream) releases Nisou no Shidan's shikai form. Once the phrase is spoken she gleams with a blinding light that is capable of illuminating pitch darkness; she then transforms into a  longsword with a black hilt and no guard resembling an aikuchi. Though the blade is utilized with two hands by its true wielder, Tobirama's Hollow Form and when donning his Hollow Mask he can employ the blade with a single hand. The change in length increases Tobirama's range in combat, while also increasing his capacity for efficient, swift, and lethal attacks. What Nisou no Shidan loses in pure strength, is more then made up for in regards to maneuverability and honed reflexes.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Tobirama views Nisou no Shidan not as an ability, but a curse or a godsend depending on the situation. He has called Nisou no Shidan's ability both on numerous occasions; he was grateful for its power when he slaughtered his family who he claimed were sinners but damned her power after having been forced to kill his only lover. In both cases however the blade has acted on its own accord making it dangerous and a threat to all those near it, even himself. The power of the blade, after having stabbed through a target can subject that person to relive their greatest sins. It subjects them to their past sins, faults, and guilt; forcing them to endure everything in their life that has gone awry and everyone they have harmed whether it be emotional or physical pain. The psychological torment accrued from the experience is so great that it would cause anyone to immediately kill oneself, however that luxury is not available for Nisou no Shidan because she traps those pierced by its blade within an eternal nightmare effectively making them immortal. Tobirama refers to it as the greatest suffering imaginable. Immediately after a person is trapped within their own past Tobirama greets them; informing the victim of their situation but moreso, to endure it alongside them. For the first moments he is beside the victim and lives through their sins also; if the Vizard feels sympathy, grief, or sorrow upon wreaking mental terror then the ability of Nisou no Shidan fails instantly. If the target truly is beyond reproach then they have nothing to fear. Similar in drawbacks to Soifon's Suzembachi, victims who have exceptional spiritual pressure in comparison to Tobirama himself, are capable of overcoming the effects of the shikai. Aside from that, not even Tobirama has the power to veto his Nisou no Shidan; save for the one exception in which he was compelled to kill his former lover by killing her without the usage of his blade.


 * : Not Yet Mastered.

Hollowfication
The Hollowfication process itself was rather harmless in comparison to other means, especially given that his was over the course of several decades. From the moment he began to detest his father to the moment he tamed his Hollow Form with the assistance of Ketsuekigasu, the evil within him was growing. The hatred festered within him; a conglomerate of rage, mercurial insanity, and a bit of denial culminated within him to birth the Hollow within his mindscape. The positive charisma that Tobirama once boasted was morphed and twisted into something that radiated abhorrence and malice. To a fault, it was evil at its greatest.

The loyalty that Tobirama had was now gone and replaced by something deeply apalling. Over the years it became darker and darker until realization crept upon Tobirama; and in his desire to justify his former actions attempted to master Hollowfication. Under the watchful eye of his beloved he learned the ways of a Hollow, and within a few months was capable of summoning a Hollow Mask - and within a few years, had supposedly mastered his Hollowfication to a point in which he could even open up a Garganta.

Tobirama's hubris did not go unpunished as his future came crumbling down, torn asunder by his own delusional, sanguine mind. In an attempt to defeat a Vasto Lorde, Ketsuekigasu and he were pushed to a point in which they could no longer fight - he however, persisted in this endeavor. Defiantly, and against the teachings of his lover, he put on his Hollow Mask in an attempt to overcome the Vasto Lorde, but the beast inside was not willing to be controlled. Within seconds, he was entirely at the whim of his Inner Hollow, transformed into a monstricity resembling an Arrancar. The sanctimonious monster inside Tobirama strided mercilessly and had swiftly killed the Vasto Lorde, yet the beast within the Gyōzen was not yet satisfied. As a defeaning roar struck the chords of fear within Ketsuekigasu she watched on with horrid fascination as the Hollow beckoned more to quench its bloodthirst. The beast was curious, inquisitive even and observed Ketsuekigasu savegely, its coal eyes boring into her supple blue shaded eyes. Her bouyant frame, crimson lips, and comely shape was no longer there; instead replaced by blood, and only blood, her body barely discernible. She tried to resist and to fight but she could only do so for so long. And so, the Hollow within bifuricated Tobirama's beloved without mercy, and then proceeded to pierce Nisou no Shidan directly through Ketsuekigasu's upper chest.

By the time his willpower could effectively overcome the claws of rancor within the Hollows grip, Tobirama's psyche had been crushed as he was forced to kill Ketsuekigasu in order to rescue her from eternal damnation. From that point onward, he and his Hollow had an entirely different relationship; the sacrifice he made tarnished his very soul, filling him with intense regret and despair. The experience was scarring and ingrained within his head, images of her decaying form continously haunting him. He was nearly consumed by the evil, his consciousness pushed to its breaking point. Nisou no Shidan is by far no saint, but she did not approve of the monster that the former prince sought to acquire. The vengeful spirit that resided in his Zanpakutō now had a partner in crime. And so the struggle against the loathsome entities wage on until Tobirama can come to terms with the deeds of his past. Unbeknowest to Tobirama, he battles against the duplicitous nature of both his Nisou no Shidan and Inner Hollow, denying them both the suffering that they which generate among the populace of the world as both seek to control him to further themselves. The two forces will never work together, but their common goal will mean the end of the Former Prince.

Hollow Mask: The colors on his Hollow Mask denote a complete lack of empathy, a meticulous nature, and promote the shade of red --- otherwise, blood. Deep, remoreseless yellow eyes that bore into the soul of others forcing them to succumb to overwhelming terror; the ornated red and black markings along the edges of the face mask strike the chords of enmity within all, including Tobirama himself. The actual mask takes the shape a traditional Tengu Mask with a significantly less elongated nose, black and red linings on the forehead and surrounding the eyes.


 * Power Augmentation: When Tobirama dons his Hollow Mask his Spiritual pressure is increased considerably, augmenting his offensive capabilities: including speed, strength, and reflexes.


 * Hollow Combat:
 * Immense Strength:
 * Increased Speed, Reflexes & Agility:
 * Immense Strength:
 * Increased Speed, Reflexes & Agility:

Behind The Scenes
By all means Tobirama should be a bad guy. After all, he killed his entire family and thousands of others in the attempt to do so simply because he thought it was a good idea to do so. He killed his lover, abandoned Soul Society, and now travels around killing people because he has a God Complex and a Messiah Complex - believing he is unquestionable correct and justified in enacting 'justice' on evildoers, and in doing so, thinks of himself as a savior. Because he is unaffiliated this only adds to the fact that he is a Chaotic Neutral character. In addition, both his zanpakuto and Inner Hollow seek to control him, and though he fights it off fervently, his efforts can only go so far. The Priestess Nisou no Shidan and Tobirama's Inner Hollow (the representation of Tobirama's father) both stand against the wielder himself, both seeking to drive him into madness for their own amusement.

Trivia
This characters' theme song, as chosen by the author is, Devil In Me by Jamie N Commons.