Gotei 10

The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards), now called the Gotei 10, is the primary military of the Soul Society's government, and contains the main combat forces that protect The World of the Living and human souls. The Gotei is commanded by Shinigami Captains under the leadership of the Captain Commander. The Gotei 10 was the necessary restructure of the military after the initial Shadow invasion wiped out over three fifths of the Shinigami population as well as several high ranking officers, including The Captain-Commander Sir Merek. In the battle, the outer division's barracks were destroyed, and there was enough personell loss to force the temporary closure of three divisions. The Central 46 advised the remaining captains on the new officer appointments, and with the new Captains chosen, new structure and new duties for the divisions have been put in place, including consolidating the other branches of Soul Societiy's military into the Gotei. The new Captain-Commanders have called for the change in the face of the potentially fatal threat of the Shadow, and have stated they wish to return to the original Gotei structure at the war's end.

Mission
The Gotei 10 is the military of Soul Society, and its mission statement has remained the same after the restructure.
 * Primary defense of the Seireitei and allied districts.
 * Deployment of Shinigami into combat on other territories when Soul Society and The World of the Living are threatened.
 * Defense and deployment into the World of the Living.
 * Ferrying of souls into the Soul Society and purification of Hollows.
 * Defense from and eradication of the Shadow.

History
{|class="toccolours collapsible collapsed navbox" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style=" float: center; font-size:90%; width:100%;" !colspan="2" style=" text-align:center; font-size:13.5px; font-weight:bold; background:#000000; color:#ffffff"| History of the Gotei 13

Origin
Though many details of the Gotei's distant history are still largely unknown, there are still a select few Shinigami that are aware that the Gotei 13 was founded by the original four Shinigami know as the Saisho no Gādian with help from the Aspects, as per the First Aspect Treaty. At its inception, the Gotei was not a military, but an organization of Shinigami whose sole purpose was to ferry human souls to the afterlife. However, after several mistakes, Hollows were born of souls forgotten in the World of the Living, and the Shinigami quickly began to take a more combat-oriented role. Around this time, the general Division structure of the Gotei was formed, as well as the Shinōreijutsuin.

First Civil War
Throughout the years, not only were Hollows steadily killing off active Shinigami, but numerous grabs for power and infighting erupted into the first Shinigami Civil War, a struggle for power between several racial groups. Much of the original aggression was shown toward the Japanese groups, as a Japanese descendant of the Oda Clan was the first to forge an Asauchi and channel their powers and Zanpakuto's spirit through it. At first, few Shinigami wielded Zanpakuto, until the technology to create and use Asauchi was stolen, and with both sides wielding Zanpakuto the war became much bloodier. However, this period saw the rise of Zanpakuto/Shinigami partnerships.

Toward the end of the Civil War, Aspects stepped back in to prevent the human's total eradication, and the Second Aspect Treaty was made. This is where the History classes at Shinōreijutsuin consider the true founding of Soul SOciety's government, and begin their lessons with the appointment of the Soul King (though their true nature is unknown to most modern Shinigami), as well as the foundation of the original Royal Guard. The first Captain-Commander was named, and became the Commander of the 13 Divisions in the Gotei.

Second Civil War
Peace in the Gotei was tenuous at best, and the first 13 Divisions were separated by racial divisions. Disputes between captains were common, and over the years alliances were formed and politics were in play until aggressions erupted into a second civil war, one that the Soul King and the Royal Guard chose to not interfere with. Through this war, one side made an alliance with the newly discovered Quincy, which helped them force the other side to surrender. After the war, the Seireitei took on the general structure of what it looks like currently, and several laws were enacted, as direct orders from the Soul King, to prevent such a war from happening again. Divisions were no longer structured toward racial groups, and instead took on the duties and special missions that they still follow currently. Quincy were also a part of the Gotei at this time, as a 14th division, and operated as a 'permanently deployed' division stationed in The World of the Living. The second Captain-Commander, Moto Matsu was named, who also chose her successor, the much younger Sir Merek, a man from the opposing side of the war, as a sign of good faith. A few years later, the Gotei 13 came to its most modern form, including the formation of the Kido Corps and the Onmitsukidō

First Quincy War
Almost fifty years after the Gotei had recovered from the Second Civil War, Shinigami soon came to realize that the Quincy were disrupting the balance of souls, and were rapidly forcing the world into a dangerously unstable state. At first, the Shinigami tried to reason with the Quincy, to no avail. The Quincy had expanded rapidly, and rivaled the Gotei in power. After several unsuccessful negotiation attempts, the Shinigami declared war on the Quincy, leading to a devastating ten-year war and the eventual eradication of the Quincy, along with the first recorded Visords created on the Shinigami side that resulted in the banishment of Reuben Rockwell. The time after the war was notable as the first time every Division had a Captain. Captains of this Gotei include still-active Shinigami Hattori Fuu, Tachibana Jun, and Sosh Rostov, among others. Relative peace lasted for several years, though at the time Hueco Mundo was discovered and Hollow activity began to spike due to the loss of the Quincies.

However, a few years later Sosh Rostov was exiled, and an incident involving Hattori Fuu and the rest of the Royal Guard caused the demotion of captains Hattori, Silva, the dissappearence of three other Royal Guard members, and the disbandment of the Royal Guard.

Second Quincy War
As Hollow activity increased, pockets of Quincy that survived began to show themselves once again to try and combat them. The Gotei saw fit to send an advanced task force to stop them before they became too powerful, and is one of the most famous missions that the Onmitsukidō had ever performed. Before the total extinction of the Quincy, they surrendered and agreed to an armistice, and entered an agreement to take on a non-combat role in exchange for their lives. There is still lingering bitterness from the Quincy.

First Espada War
After the armistice, Captain-Commander Moto retires after sustaining near-mortal injuries in the same incident that caused the disbanding of the Royal Guard, and Sir Merek takes the helm, just in time to see the uprising of the Arrancar. Details of this war have not been revealed, however it is known that the King of the Espada was captured, and the 13th Division gained the special mission of surveillance of Hueco Mundo.

Lead up to Shadow War
For a startlingly long period of time, the Gotei saw relative peace once again. Though there were several instances of rogue Shinigami, and the second Visored incident that lead to the creation of the Visored 2.0, no large-scale battles broke out and the period is considered the most stable in Gotei history, following three back-to-back wars. However, five years after the Visored 2.0 incident, Captain-Commander Merek became infected by the Shadow, beginning the Shadow War and seeing the near destruction of the Gotei 13, leading to the restructure into the Gotei 10. Hattori Fuu and Regan became the new Captain-Commanders, and this is where the current story arc begins.


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General Operation Changes
Previously, the Gotei 13's operation resembled that of the canon's, with the difference of each division having a special mission alog with their normal duties.

The Gotei 10, unlike the 13, has been restructured to act as a cohesive unit due to the nature of the threat it currently faces. No longer are the divisions completely independant of each other, and the Captain-Commanders are working to break down the walls and biases put up between them, as well as the all too common infighting. Although divisions are still under the jurisdiction of their captains, and captains are still free to run their division as they see fit, they must fall in line with the edicts set forth by the 1st Division. Besides the new emphasis on inter-division cooperation, the basic structure remains the same. All Visored have since been pardoned of their 'crime' and welcomed back into the Gotei. Those that refuse are monitored closely by members of the 2nd Division.

As another change, all shinigami now fall under the same rank structure, instead of each division being independent of the others, giving officers more general authority. Captains have been encouraged to spend more time with one another, and general meetings are called far more often in order to keep every division updated on the status of the war. Captain's meetings are no longer optional.

The Kido Corps has also been brought into the Gotei as a 10th Division, on agreement with the Kido Chief. The Corps has been encouraged to dispel some of the mystery surrounding them, and are beginning to integrate with the rest of the Gotei. The Onmitsukidō remains under the 2nd Division's jurisdiction.

Structure
The Gotei 10 is made up of nine divisions and the Kido Corps, with each division having special duties, with some taking the duties of the closed divisions in order to help alleviate the severe lack of personnel. The other branches of Soul Society's government have been consolidated into the Gotei, retaining the check system that they had before. There are two captains, two lieutenants, and eighteen officer seats per division. The number of enlisted Shinigami vary between divisions, though the current average is about 500 Shinigami, with each division having supplemental forces from the disbanded divisions. In each division, there are several departments headed by senior officers that are n charge of specific tasks within the division.

Due to the serious threat of the Shadow and the potential infection of any member of the Gotei, a 'battle buddy' system was established. Every member of the Gotei must have a partner of near equal strength, and may not travel outside the Seireitei without them. This is to create a check system, and allows for a quicker way to subdue individuals that succumb to infection with minimal damage. Besides the officers, enlisted shinigami are allowed to choose their partners. Pairs are recorded and kept track of by each division's 3rd and 4th seats, and changing a partner is incredibly difficult in any case except casualty.

Captain Commanders
The captain commanders remain the highest ranked members of the Gotei, and oversee the daily operations of every arm of the Gotei. The commanders are only commanded by the Central 46, though they have taken a more advisory role during the war.

Captains
Captains remain the most respected members of the Gotei 10, and retain their position as commanding officers, answering only to the Captain Commanders. Currently every captain in the Gotei is able to utilize Bankai. Each division now employs two captains of near equal strength that also cover deficiencies that the other may have, though one captain is often considered the 'senior' and one the 'junior' based on experience. Due to the numerous casualties and needs of the new Gotei, the requirements for Captains have been altered:


 * Absolute mastery over at least one art is required, and an obvious deficiency in one art is only allowed in the case of mastery of the others.
 * Each captain is required to pass a leadership and tactical aptitude test. Captains are no longer just based on power- they must be good leaders.
 * Captains have had to served at least five years as a senior officer in order to receive a nomination.

There is currently one way to become a captain, the other methods having been temporarily suspended during wartime.
 * Nomination: This is the method in which the current captains were chosen, besides the captains that were already active.  The Central 46 and the Captain-Commanders assess and nominates several candidates from a pool, and give that list to the current Captain's council, who narrow the list further. The candidates are then administered a slightly modified Captain Proficiency Test (隊首, taishu), of which the Co-Captain of the open division/s, one Captain Commander, and three other Captains must witness and assess. The entire process takes about a week.
 * Former methods included direct appointment by the Captain-Commander, challenging and besting the current captain in a modified Taishu, or, in the case of Division 11, challenging and killing the current Kenpachi in a sanctioned battle.

Though Captains now have jurisdiction over Shinigami in the other divisions, ultimate punishment is up to the offending Shinigami's captains. The new system took some getting used to, and many were resistant to the change at first, to the point where officers are still hesitant to involve themselves in the affairs of other divisions.

Lieutenants
Lieutenants retain the same power they had before, with a co-lieutenant system in place mirroring the captains. They remain the executive officers for their divisions, and are the officers that handle most of the personnel issues within their division. Captains are in charge of appointing or dismissing their lieutenants, and candidates have the right to refuse the position.

Seated Officers
The seated officers are the remaining officers in their respected divisions, from 3rd to 20th. Captains, Lieutenants, and 3rd through 9th seats are considered senior officers. Seats 10 to 20 are considered junior officers. In compliance with the partner system, each successive seat pair are partners- for instance the 4th and 3rd, 6th and 5th, ect. Higher seated officers are usually in charge of the departments that crop up within each division, and junior officers often receive the brunt of the division's paperwork.

Non-Shinigami Personell
Arrancar: Following the Espada War, the Gotei 13 offered a treaty to the Arrancar allowing those that wanted to make amends to enter the Gotei as a soldier. Though this agreement appeared to be mutually beneficial (the Soul Society gains more soldiers and insight into the Arrancar, and the Arrancar get protection from other Arrancar, free housing and food), the Arrancar that agreed became something of indentured servants to the Shinigami.

Arrancar members of the Gotei were required to be members of the 13th Division, were not allowed on World of the Living missions and were required to have Shinigami escorts outside of the 13th Division's grounds. After the restructure they were moved to the 3rd Division, and are slowly earning more trust and respect through their efforts in the Shadow War. Howeverm the Arrancar are still mostly not trusted by Shinigami, and find it hard to acclimate into Gotei life with so much hostility around them.

Visored: Gaining Hollow powers was illegal in Soul Society, with the punishment of exile, or in some cases, execution. Weeks before the Big Bang, the Captain's Council decided to pardon all Visored members and allow them to be reinstated into the Gotei. The Visored have as much freedom as normal Shinigami, however all are required to be in the 3rd Division for at least 6 months to re-acclimate to Gotei life, while still being in the company of fellow Visored.

Though all former Gotei members were welcomed back by the captains, many Shinigami still don't trust them and there is tension between Visored members of other divisions and regular Shinigami. Some Visoreds resent the skull badge all Visored are required to wear, believing it to be an act of oppression, and the term 'skullback' has begun to be used as a derogatory term for the Visored soldiers.

Enlisted
Enlisted Shinigami are those that do not hold a seat. Though there is no formal enlisted rank structure, senior enlisted personell are easily recognizeable and deferred to by the younger Shinigami. Enlisted carry out orders from their seated officers, and perform most of the physical tasks throughout the Gotei. Many 'sub-divisions' have been established in each division, and enlisted often stick to their sub-division, gainng very specific expertise depending on their sub-division's tasks. Enlisted Shinigami do not all hold combat roles, though every Shinigami is required to have basic combat training.

Central 46
The Central 46 remains the judiciary arm of Soul Society, and the main council is made up of 40 wise souls and 6 judges selected from all over Soul Society. Since the initial invasion 20 of the council had to be replaced. In order to further encourage inter-organizational cohesion, a Liaison Office of Shinigami advisors, both active and retired, has been put in place. This 'division' consists of 10 active duty Shinigami and 5 retired Shinigami. The Central 46's main duties involve controlling Soul Society's legal system, as well as acting as advisors for the running of the Gotei. As per the partner system, each enlisted Shinigami must be a part of a pair, most commonly with someone within their own division, though inter-division patnerships have been known to be approved.

Public Affairs
Public Affairs There are several departments in the Gotei that handle public affairs and dealings with other races and organizations, as well as the the Rukon public.
 * The original Royal Guard acted as the liaisons between humans and Aspects; however this form of the Royal Guard was disbanded many years ago.
 * The 2nd Division's Courier Department ferries messages between Soul Society's other branches of government, as well as acting as the corresponders between the Seireitei and other organizations.
 * The 3rd Division's Recruitment Department communicates between pluses in the Rukon and the Gotei, and is in charge of any transfers of personnel into the Gotei.
 * The 5th Division's Hueco Mundo detachment handles any dealings with the arrancar and governing bodies in Hueco Mundo. (This was a former function of the now-closed 13th Division)
 * The 7th Division's Journalism Department handles print, photographic, and radio news and media which is broadcasted into the Rukon.

Recruitment and Transfer
Any shinigami is allowed to transfer divisions at any time; however they require transfer approval from both one of their own captains and a captain of the division they wish to transfer to. Promotions to other divisions are common, as well as temporary inter-division transfers in order to learn certain specialties.

Senior Shino Academy students are under scrutiny by division officers during their last few years. Upon graduation, certain students are invited to join certain divisions based on their final years at the academy. Normal students must take a divisionary entrance exam to join the Gotei, with each exam specific to the divisions. Undecided students take a more generalized exam and are sorted accordingly. If a student fails the exam, they must return to the academy until they can pass the exam, and often act as teaching assistants.

Symbols
Each of the ten divisions have their own symbol, and most symbols from the old structure were retained. When a power seal is placed upon an officer, it is generally of their division's symbol.

Uniforms
Most Shinigami employed by the Gotei wear a standard black Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls), which consists of white shitagi (下着, under clothing), a black long or short-sleeved kosode (小袖, small sleeve), black hakama (袴), a white obi (帯, おび, sash), white tabi (足袋, foot pouch), and waraji (草鞋). Every Shinigami has their Division's number and symbol stamped on the back of their kosode in white, and many Divisions have specific patches to be worn on the Shinigami's sleeve or chest denoting both their Division and whatever specific departments they may be in.

Special uniforms also denote certain jobs within the military; for instance, members of the Kido Corps wear specialized white hoods, and members of the Seireitei forge wear dark blue hakama instead of black, as well as a bandana in the same color.

Officers wear a pin with their rank, and most wear them on their kosode or the hilt of their Zanpakuto. Lieutenants wear armbands with badges emblemized with their division's symbol and number. Captains wear either long or short sleeved white haori (羽織), with piping along the sleeve openings and front opening, as well as inner lining, in their division's color. The haori also have the division's symbol and number in black on the back. Captains are allowed to wear other garments to denote their captaincy, so long as they are visible and share the same characteristics as a traditional haori (white, division markers). For instance, Kelzang Dorje wears a sash resembling a traditional Buddhist monk's sash in place of a haori.

"Regulations are to be followed at all times. We are a military, not a strip club."

- Sir Merek

Uniform customization has always a common practice, due to Shinigami of different nationalities being quite common. There are few regulations on uniforms:
 * Uniforms must be worn when on duty.
 * The main, and most prominent color, must be black.
 * Zanpakuto must be on your person at all times.
 * Division insignia must be visible on the uniform at all times.
 * Rank insignia, when applicable, must be visible on uniform at all times.
 * Shinigami must be modestly covered; no exposed breasts or buttocks, unnecessarily low cut shirts or low-hanging pants, ect, at all times.
 * Shirts that cover the torso are required when on duty, with special exceptions made to accommodate powers such as Shunkō. They may be removed in combat or when training.
 * Impractical clothing is prohibited, as dictated by division officers. Jewelry must be modest and out of the way, heeled and otherwise impractical shoes are prohibited.
 * Uniforms must be well-kept and clean when not in combat, with badges and patches shined and orderly.