Suzaku Kawahiru

"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends."

- Suzaku Kawahiru


 * "A heart that believes can pierce through the darkness searching for the place where it's soul slumbers with a sharp gleam burning in it's unblinking eyes." - Seireitou-shishō

Suzaku Kawahiru (朱雀川昼, Kawahiru Sūzakū) is the son of Seireitou Kawahiru and Shiori Miyamoto during the events of Bleach Shikkyakuhoshi; first introduced as a student at Shinō Academy, Suzaku fought with Renato Cidra in the Seireitou and Kamui Saga. In it's aftermath, with the appointment of Shōyō Shakyamuni as Captain-Commander, Suzaku was appointed to be Lieutenant of the First Division. In respect to his father, he appointed himself the self-proclaimed moniker Purple-Haired Suzaku (紫色の髪朱, Murasakigami no Suzaku).

The death of his mother took its toll on Suzaku, as did a newly formed hatred for his father for not protecting her. He quitted the Soul Society, abandoning his position as Lieutenant. It wasn't until recently that Seireitou began to hear stories of a purple-haired Shinigami killing innocents. Suzaku had fallen into the dark ways of the Rakkasen, attaining dark and fierce powers, rivaling that of the Seijin Council.

Personality
Suzaku, being born of the Kawahiru, is unusual in his values and personality. These unique values and personality separate him from past generations of Kawahiru; as powerful as he is, he does not like fighting much. However, when he is forced to fight, he shows special interest in protecting his family and friends. Like his father, Suzaku has a pure and gentle heart. Besides concerning himself with his family (and his shinigami studies), Suzaku has a strong attachment with his mentor; his father's rival named Ryan Getsueikirite. Because he comes from the Kawahiru, Suzaku is usually shown thinking that only some things will matter and others probably won't (although he's usually right in the long term). This is shown in, at first, his resistance to do anything unless his father is present. As such, he is usually surprised at events he didn't expect.

He is even (though very rarely) shown to be cocky, such as when he learns to use Shikai - but when he loses his seeming "advantage" this cockiness dissolves instantly. Molded from his dark lineage, he is very serious and is a determined fighter like his father. He is also the only Kawahiru that doesn't display a great craving for battle. In some cases, Suzaku displays a ferocious perverted attitude just like Seireitou, a trait he presumably inherited from his father.

After affirming his Rakkasen position, Suzaku's personality changed completely. He was now a rattled man, shaken by the death of his mother and consumed by the hatred of his father. He gained the power of darkness in the hopes of find a way to revive his mother, but as the series progressed, he soon strayed from this goal as he became obsessed with power and control. He became cold and unforgiving, unable to accept others as friends. Even his own teammates, by his own claim, are "mere pawns which will hopefully bring personal results." He shows a lack of emotion, save for anger when things don't go according to plan. Besides this occasional anger, he is normally very apathetic and callous. Suzaku seems to be demanding as well, such as when Koga refused to join his cause, the former resorted to cruel threats to get his way.

Powers & Abilities
Devastating Spiritual Power: As a child, Suzaku is known to have within him a seemingly limitless dormant power, which at first only revealed itself when he experienced fierce rage. As he got older, he trained hard and gained access to a large portion of his power, and it was not until he was a young teenager that his power was fully awakened and he was able to use it all at his own will. He is powerful enough to fight off and defeat several Adjuchas-class Menos as well as fight on par with, and ultimately kill, a Vasto Lorde arrancar; using nothing but sheer reiatsu to hold them off. Suzaku's spiritual energy is personified by the element of lightning. Upon becoming a Rakkasen, his spiritual power vastness and control had increased to devastating ends. It became so immense, heavy, and thick, that Captain-level Shinigami would shiver in fear by his mere presence. Despite being young, many Seijin Masters had shown hesitation in facing Suzaku one-on-one, based solely on his level of spiritual power. Suzaku, without putting out any effort, easily incapacitated Renge, Koga, and Tōkaru with his Reiatsu just by facing the direction they were coming from. Koga has noted that Suzaku's reiatsu has gotten darker and colder than ever, more so than the corrupting influence of any form of Hollow or Demonic power.
 * Retaining the powers of his Bankai, Roiyaru Raikōhitonare (雷の忠誠調教師, "loyalty of the lightning tamer"), Suzaku can transform his person into a lengthened bolt of lightning that allows him to move at frightening speeds, being able to outspeed the likes of even his father at times. The strength held with his lightning-enhanced tackles is immense; one attack was enough to completely crush the hierro of an unnamed Arrancar during his training in Hueco Mundo. In addition, Suzaku's transformed state can cause severe numbing on the part of the body in which the tip of the bolt pierces, to the point of immediately numbing the entire chest of an Arrancar with a single strike.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Given his father's mastery of taekkyeon, Suzaku has shown to have a natural talent for martial arts. He reveals that his father has trained him somewhat in taekwondo; according to Seireitou, Suzaku has the fighting skill of a black belt. He can move swiftly, due to his medium height; he also seems to have a knack for striking pressure points to bring down an opponent. Suzaku was at least strong enough to incapacitate two third-seat Shinigami of the Gotei 13. As his personality darkened, his method of combat followed suit. He would deal more destructive strikes to the opponent, to ensure the maximum input of pain. Suzaku's increase in this skill has allowed him to easily defeat, without killing, hundreds of lower-ranked Seijin in a single battle without sustaining so much as a scratch to himself.

Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: Suzaku is highly skilled in swordsmanship techniques, having trained under Ryan Getsueikirite. He has increased his strength and skill to allow him to become a seated Shinigami-level fighter. He fights with seemingly no effort behind his attacks. His ability to wield his combat skills was evident as an academy student. He easily defeated and killed one of the Seijin Masters, who by rank and age should have been more powerful and skilled than him. Suzaku was able to fight his father on-on-one, while still pushing the latter on his toes. He has shown the ability to use extreme speed mixed with a calm composure and precise attacks. He is prone to using same-slash attacks when provoked or enraged, which many times can cause the opponent to be effortlessly overwhelmed.

Flash Steps Master: Ryan says that Suzaku is also helpful and effective because of his high speed. During his battle against the Adjuchas of the Menos Forest, he skillfully dodged multiple attacks from several enemies. Suzaku's already impressive speed saw a huge leap as he trained as a Rakkasen, allowing him to move huge distances in the blink of an eye as if using teleportation. He also greatly increased his speed at bladed combat, being able to do pull off many strikes in a blur.

Child Genius: Perhaps the most astonishing trait of Suzaku is his brains and natural talent. Suzaku is established as a genius, even by the battle-excelling Kawahiru clan's standards, excelling at all that he does and finding little difficulty in more challenging tasks. During fights, he easily observes his opponent and accurately sees through their abilities without losing his calm state, then he correctly chooses the most effective means and techniques to counter them. Also, his resolution enables him to pick strategies in which he requires getting hurt in order to defeat the enemy, thereby showing tremendous endurance and willpower. Suzaku has also demonstrated tremendous knowledge in regards to human physiology, as displayed by his ability to affect a person's organ system.

Kidō Practitioner: He can also use kidō like most Shinigami. During his studies, his skill for it is rather poor, as he stated they constantly blow up in his face. Nonetheless, he has shown in times of peril, he is proficient enough to perform a Level 31 Kidō without incantation, not to mention with explosive power and rapid fire capabilities. Becoming a Rakkasen had allowed Suzaku to develop dark Kidō of his own design.

Zanpakutō
Hannuliū (하늘의딸들, "Son of Heaven"; pronounced Hanuerrū) is the name of Suzaku Kawahiru's Zanpakutō. Suzaku originally held Raikōhitonare, but through the transformation of Suzaku's reiatsu into a colder and corrupted state, he had attained a new Zanpakutō. Its sealed state appears as a regular katana, with an incantation written on the top-most edge, not unlike that of Seireitou's Hanullim. Its hilt is black with a silver cloth surrounding it, which Suzaku can utilize in the efforts of using Hannuliū like a flail. Suzaku, like his father, wears it on his left hip.
 * Magoseong (마고성, heavenly fortress): When sheathed, Hannuliū can form a powerful spirit shield on a key part of Suzaku's body. When the attack hits the barrier, a pinkish hexagonal shape appears. Suzaku cast it on the back of his neck to protect his blind spot from attacks and it is powerful enough to withstand a point-blank black Zaiten Tenshō. It can form several shields at once, but can only withstand the force of one technique. If an attack hits consecutively toward the same shield, it will shatter. Should an attack make contact and inflict an injury upon Suzaku, the defensive influence of Magoseong carries over to high-speed regeneration. He can come out unfazed after being hurled into several buildings.


 * Shikai: Not Yet Revealed


 * Bankai: Not Yet Revealed

Secondary Zanpakutō
Muramasa (村正, Village-Just) is Suzaku's secondary Zanpakutō, which once belonged to Kōga Kuchiki. It takes the form of a katana with a dull red sheath, purple hilt-wrapping and a guard in a shape similar to the Kidō Corps' emblem, consisting of a circle with a pentagon-like shape in the center and three points protruding from the edges evenly spaced apart. Muramasa is an illusion-type Zanpakutō. Something Kōga was unable to preform, Suzaku had attained Muramasa's Bankai release and is presumed to have mastered it.

The spirit of Muramasa appears as a tall thin man with pale skin and shaggy, dark brown hair and two bangs dropping and crossing over the bridge of his nose. He has turquoise-colored eyes circled by purple marks similar to his tsuba and the design of his clothes. Probably his most prominent feature are his long fingernails, shown to be much shorter before his long separation from his former master, Kōga. Muramasa wears a long white robe-like coat, somewhat reminiscent of an Arrancar's. The collar of the robe is covered with a thick fur, featuring a purple ascot fastened by a ruby brooch. Muramasa wears a wide sash at his waist, decorated by a purple stripe. He wears boots with pointed tips similar to those worn by Gillian-class Menos. Muramasa has also shown himself to be a very mysterious person, as his supposed agendas seem to only hide a deeper goal that not even his allies are aware of. His reasons for synchronizing with Suzaku might be because he seeked a new master, but this hasn't been confirmed.


 * Shikai: The release command is "Whisper" (囁け, sasayake). Muramasa shines with bright purple light to engulf a considerable radius, affecting any and all targets within it.
 * Shikai Special Ability: Muramasa can break into the inner world of targets, similar to how a tape-worm leeches off its target, and forces them to bend to the user's will. This is done by removing the energy stability between Shinigami and Zanpakutō, leaving the spirit confused and allowing Muramasa to forcibly release the Zanpakutō spirit's negative emotions. It can cause a Zanpakutō's spirit to abandon its master and attack them. The ability causes the Zanpakutō's of the wielders in the general vicinity to seemingly take control of the wielders sword arm causing him/her to unwillingly attack their comrades or turn the blade on themselves. The only way to combat against Muramasa's power is by understanding how the Zanpakutō works and sealing one's "heart" against it. Though in order to block the attack in that state one must have incredible reiatsu and concentration. In addition, one must be able to still fight in that state. A Shinigami with a strong enough will can still access Shikai but not Bankai as it requires the Zanpakutō spirit to submit to the Shinigami's will. So far the only way shown to snap them out of this desire is to defeat them in a battle. However, they will only return to their wielder if it is them who defeats them. If another person defeats them they will revert back to sword form and their blade will break in two.
 * Spiritual Threads: In battle, Suzaku has demonstrated a power that creates multiple invisible spiritual threads that he can manipulate to bind a person to the ground. It can also be used as a defensive method against strong attacks like Koga's Bankai Zaiten Tenshō. While powerful, these threads can only be manifested through a reflection of a reflective surfaces such as a building's windows or clear water, where they can be seen. If the image is distorted, the threads will disperse.
 * Illusions: By feeding Muramasa's spiritual energy into a person's mind, Suzaku can distort the person's five senses, preventing them from perceiving things clearly. By looking into the target's soul, Suzaku can use the target's memories against them by creating a powerful illusion to distract and torment the target. Only those who blocks off their emotions before the spell takes effect or have enough familiarity and spiritual energy can repel it.
 * Redirection: Using Muramasa's spiritual power as an cage, Suzaku can trap an opponent's offensive spiritual energy, such as Koga's Zaiten Tenshō, within his own body. From there, he can choose when and where to release the trapped technique.
 * Yūkōjōchū Muramasa (有鉤条虫村正, Hooked Tapeworm Village-Just): Muramasa himself has the ability to manifest in his true form and even can manifest himself at a distance from his master, able to hear his call from wherever he is. Upon doing so, Muramasa has the ability to cause other Zanpakutō to manifest by controlling and warping their true instincts to the point of removing their ties with their Shinigami. When this takes place, the Zanpakutō of other wielders glow with a purple light. Their Zanpakutō spirits then manifest, typically as tangible shadowy figures from weaker Shinigami and with greater individuality and power from stronger Shinigami.


 * Bankai: Sengo Nyūdō Muramasa (プリースト千子村正, Priest Sengo Village-Just); By dropping his blade straight down, a massive dome of black spiritual energy surrounds both Suzaku and his opponent(s). This dome-shaped energy begins emitting waves of spiritual pressure throughout the land; though slow, these waves reach great distances. All Zanpakutō within the dome structure, as well as those affected by the waves are forced out of their Master or Mistress' Inner Worlds. However, unlike his Shikai, these spirits all head for the dome-shaped energy and form black spiritual blades. Though visually menacing, this form is not meant for attack from all sides; rather, it is to concentrate his power into fewer blades, thus increasing his attack power. While Suzaku can mentally control these swords as he does his regular blades, he commonly calls them to his hands for actual combat. When in his hand, they lose their glow, and take the form of their normally sealed state.
 * Bankai Special Abilities: Muramasa's power is to break into the inner world of targets and bend them to his will. In Bankai, this power is most well shown, as he manifests the spirits of Zanpakutō for his master's use. Zanpakutō that were once effected by Muramasa's Shikai are still manifested by the Bankai release. Suzaku is given the power to access the manifested Zanpakutō's Shikai and Bankai abilities as their Master would normally. The waves of spiritual pressure continue to spread out further and further, adding more Zanpakutō to Muramasa's dome-shaped Bankai. Suzaku can also order these blades to take on physical forms, and attack under his whim. It also seems that the more blades that are added, the bigger the dome itself also increases. The outside of the dome is presumed to be impenetrable; not even the combined might of Seireitou's Shikon Hisakiten and Koga's Cero Oscuras was enough to even dent the outside.

Behind the Scenes
In my past works, I had focused on three child-age Shinigami; Kouhei Tandokuno, Seikyo Kawahiru, and this Suzaku. My first two were both ditched and were killed story-wise, respectively, because I had no clue how to add onto their stories and/or powers. I had decided to take Suzaku in a different approach, making him similar to Son Gohan from Dragon Ball Z, but then decided to take a somewhat Sasuke Uchiha-like approach. Suzaku's new personality was also influenced by Anakin Skywalker. I had given Suzaku, Muramasa, simply for two reasons: one, because I wanted to give Suzaku a main weapon besides his current Zanpakutō, for plot reasons; two, because I simply believed that the Zanpakutō Released Filler Arc didn't go too much in depth with Muramasa, and also didn't reveal his Bankai. I plan to add my own ideas and thoughts to Suzaku's usage of Muramasa.

Suzaku was named for the The Vermilion bird, which is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire-element, the direction south, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què) and it is also known as Suzaku in Japan and Jujak in Korea.

Trivia

 * Raikōhitonare (雷つかい, lightning tamer) was the name of Suzaku's Shinigami Zanpakutō. Although its Bankai powers are now a part of Suzaku's spiritual power, the Zanpakutō spirit itself seems to have disappeared.