Jinsuke Kuchiki

Jinsuke Kuchiki (朽木 甚助, Kuchiki Jinsuke) is a female and a member of the Royal Guard, holding the title of. She was once the 26th Head of the, and its only female head, as well as the first captain of the.

Appearance
Jinsuke was noted for her aloof, rather comforting, appearance; being seen as a motherly figure by all who knew of her. She was a tall woman with a slender frame, who possessed light green eyes, which were almost always half-closed, due to a medical condition. Because of this, those who know her will joke about how she appears to be "", and those who have just met her for the first time have commented that, because of this condition, she always looks tired. She also has two tiny tear-drop markings beneath both of her eyes. She has long jet-black hair, which she keeps tied up in a bun so that her sideburns hang down past her chin, framing her face.

She wears the typical garb of an average member of the Royal Guard; black shihakushō, underneath a white captain's haori which has red markings across the top and her own personal insignia on the sleeves, as well as a blue hakama. She wears her haori closed, concealing her shihakushō. Around her neck, she also wears the trademark scarf of the Kuchiki clan. Despite being nearly as old as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself, she retains her youthful appearance.

Personality
Jinsuke is a strict, yet gentle Shinigami with a motherly heart and compassionate attitude. Though she is a noble of the Kuchiki family, she despises being referred to by honorific suffixes, though she was regarded as such by many regardless, comparable to in this regard. She is very different from fellow clansmen, and, in that she does not view herself to be above other Shinigami for her noble lineage either. As a Shinigami who is well over a thousand years of age, she is an extraordinarily wise and intelligent individual, comparable to beings such as Shōyō Shakyamuni, who was her colleague at one point.

Likely because of her prestigious positions as a member of the Royal Guard, a former captain and head of a Noble family, as well as her reverence as a Zanjutsu grandmaster, her name is very highly respected within the confines of Soul Society, and most Shinigami within the Gotei 13 have at least heard of her exploits, her kind disposition, or her skills with a sword. She is natural leader, able to accumulate a wide variety of comrades and followers just by being around others, a demonstration of the sheer charisma she holds. Raian Getsueikirite, her adoptive son, noted that she was a woman unlike any other he has met in his nearly two millennia lifetime, strong and courageous unlike any other before her, or anyone since.

Jinsuke is, ultimately, a woman of peace and prosperity. She hates the thought of war and did everything she could to prevent it. In the aftermath of the Reikai World War, the Gotei 13's first conflict, she was noted for feeling a deep sadness for the deaths of her soldiers, taking them as her personal responsibility and an inner wound she never truly recovered from. Because of this, she learned to become a healer. Despite being only his adoptive mother, Raian considers her to be his true mother and a superb mentor, and one of the defining people in his early life due to her peaceful and loving nature.

History
Before the foundation of the Gotei 13, Jinsuke was the twenty-sixth head of the Kuchiki clan and a renowned teacher of the art of Zanjutsu, though she had no formal school of her own. During a time of immense strife in Soul Society, she met Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and agreed to support him in order to bring peace. Sometime after this, upon his return from a mission in the 's seventy-ninth district, Kusajishi, her nephew,, brought home a young and orphaned Raian Getsueikirite and his brother Mashū Getsueikirite, both of whom were to be trained as Shinigami. She took them both in, adopting them as her sons, and training them in the ways of the Shinigami. During the formation of the Gotei 13, Jinsuke was one of the thirteen individuals, along with her eldest "son", Raian, to be selected as captains. She became the founding member of the, naming Ginrei as her lieutenant. During the onset of the Reikai World War, the organization's first war, she was the only advocate for peace against the Quincy, arguing that it threatened the freedom of both sides of the war. Her tenure as captain wasn't long, as the need for a Royal Guard to protect the became apparent. She was one of the first captains promoted to fill the position. She would also later be there to greet Raian upon his arrival and promotion to the Guard, something that she prided greatly in.

Zanpakutō

 * Like her adoptive son, Raian, her Zanpakutō is one of the few that manifests as two blades in its sealed state; taking the form of a, which she keeps hanging from her hip. The handles of her swords are wrapped in purple handle wrappings. Currently, its abilities remain unknown, though her powers are revered within Soul Society, hinting at its greatness.
 * Shikai: Unknown.
 * Bankai: Unknown.

Trivia

 * The name "Jinsuke" is actually masculine and means "exceeding in assistance"
 * She is named for, the father of modern swordsmanship.

Quotes

 * "My life is dedicated to the people of Soul Society. It is the least I owe them."
 * (At the first Captain's Council) "Wake up, Captains! You must wake up! If we offer the Quincy violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives. All will lose their freedom."
 * (To Raian) ""We have not lost yet, my dear child. While the captains of the Gotei 13 yet breathe, we will not abandon the World of the Living."
 * (To a young Raian) "Sometimes it takes courage to stick to one's beliefs, little one."
 * (About ) "A Zanpakutō, or any weapon for that matter, only achieves worth in how it is wielded. In the effort, the very struggle of one who wields it."
 * (Teaching Raian Zanjutsu) "Every feint, every dodge, every block is a trap to the unwary."
 * (To a young Seireitou) ""You could be the finest warrior in creation, but now you are in my element! Your blade will not reach me."
 * (About her Zanpakutō) "Perhaps you would like to learn something before you die. The use of two blades, one to support the other, is rare, but can be traced back through thousands of years of Shinigami history. The addition of two blades makes things even more difficult and quite deadly, as you are about to learn."