Fusō Clan

The  (扶桑クラン, Fusō Kuran), better known by their former title of Society's Finest Puppeteers, was formerly one of the many prestigious Great Noble Houses in Soul Society prior to the eventual reduction of the Houses to the current four. They are now practically extinct after the event referred to as Tragic Night was orchestrated by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Traditionally, the family was charged with heading the once illustrious Puppet Corps but was shortly disbanded after the incident due to the lack of masters and practitioners. The event has the left the handful of survivors spread thin and wide and in order to escape the scrutiny of Soul Society for their actions, the remnants had changed their last names to Fujiwara, Anjō, and Takagi, forming three deviating lines. However, several members chose to not follow the regulated naming conventions and instead chose their own surnames, such as Alice Ayako.

Although each line went their separate ways, they continued practicing and developing the House's techniques in secret, in hopes of keeping the tradition alive. By unanimous decision, the Fujiwara line was made the leading line due to their connections to the House's past leadership, although several members of the other lines were vehemently against it. There is reason to believe that the position for Seventh Division Captain runs in the Fusō line, three at the least, who were also Family Heads, held the position. Along with that, numerous other members held seated and non seated positions in the Division. The current head of the former Fusō House is Dōkeshi Fujiwara, who was the former Captain of the Seventh Division prior to his defection to the Jūsanseiza. However, the Clan will die with him due to him being the last known descendant and apparent refusal to sire an heir. The Anjō and Takagi line were rumored to have died out, with the last known member of the Anjō line being Sebastian Anjō.

Specialty: Puppeteering/Administration of Soul Society

Overview
The Fusō Clan was a well respected family that was considered to be one of the Great Noble Houses in Soul Society prior to the reduction to the current number. The clan was a firm supporter of the Central 46, with many of their older members attaining positions in the Council. Often times, the Fusō Clan was headed by male sovereign but could be lead by female if there is no suitable heir; they did not believe in gender discrimination. Every member has the mark of the Fleur-de-lis on their body, marking their affiliation. The Clan holds and guards the dark yet powerful secret of the special puppeteering technique (Kugutsu no Jutsu, 傀儡の術) which is passed down from generation to generation. Every member has the ability to utilize the technique to a certain degree, only reaching the fullest capability through years of training.

The Fusō Clan was protected by a large army of puppets that served as their protectors and many claimed that there were hundreds of them. Typically, they were lead by the Master of the Clan and his aides but often times were controlled by the clans people.

Early History
Although much of the Fusō Clan's early history remains at large and undocumented, an oral history of their past has been past down. It was understood that in the beginning of Soul Society, they were one of the many Noble Houses that had helped in its formation and served as protectors through the usage of their puppets. Because of their actions, the Fusō clan became one of the better respected clans in Soul Society and were given the important role as Administrators and Entertainers. For his actions the original founder of the clan, Sai Fusō was made Captain of the Seventh Division, which he kept for a long period of time. Under his wise leadership, the clan grew strong, using their techniques for the betterment and security of Soul Society.

Abilities
The Fusō were particularly well known for their powerful spiritual pressure, their secret puppeteering techniques and anything related with body manipulation. Their signature technique was Kugutsu no Jutsu (傀儡の術, Puppet Technique). Clan members were unable to be recognized as adults by the entire noble house until they performed this feat, which was creating their first shinigami-sized puppet and could control it without any form of hindrance. In addition, they were held high in regard for their mastery of spiritual particles, inventing exclusive techniques that revolved around body control and spiritual wires, among other things.

However, they were most feared and respected for their powerful Kugutsu no Jutsu, a secret technique that gave the Fusōs the ability to create dangerous constructs with unique powers and control them with unorthodox methods, essentially giving the user another body to fight for them. Every member of the clan has the ability to manifest Kugutsu no Jutsu, though it can be taught to others although theirs have a significant reduction in power. The Clan was known for their efficiency with the Puppets and the powerful zanjutsu they utilized, many Shinigami saw it easier to flee to keep their lives rather face them in head on combat. An added skill learned by various clan members was the power to place their creations into the Zanpakutō, making it easier for transportation. Among the abilities given by the technique was Essensu No Tensō (エッセンスの転送, Essence Transfer), which transferred the essence of the user into a puppet, giving them eternal life along with the powers associated with their constructs. However, the ability was seen as immoral and an act against life itself due to violating the bonds of life and rendering the user incapable of feeling, thus its usage was made forbidden. Even with the restrictions placed onto it, many members of the clan used it to escape death but at a heavy price.

Hiro Fusō, the Second Head of the Fusō Clan, was the first to develop an advanced form of Kugutsu no Jutsu through constant experimentation with his puppets, which would be later known as Hitokugutsu (人傀儡, Ultimate Human Puppet Technique) prior to his ascension. The Hitokugutsu was considered by many to be an all new technique altogether that bore similarities with Kugutsu no Jutsu. It allowed him to create puppets from deceased corpses by removing all the internal organs from the body and preserving it in a special liquid to remove decomposition. By adding special weapons and defenses, Hiro was able to create very powerful puppets. What made this technique special was that puppets retained their spiritual pressure and any special abilities they previously had, essentially granting the user their abilities. These creations were noticeably lifelike and given the correct circumstances could be seen as alive by others and resume their previous life. However, the Elders deemed the practice controversial and restricted its usage in Soul Society due to the possible reprisals the Clan may receive. Instead, they chose to practice it in secret.

In conjunction with the forbidden technique, Hiro created a variation of Essensu No Tensō, which he referred to as Tamashī Shīru (魂シール, Soul Seal). Tamashī Shīru was a skill that was casted by the user moments after the target's death (including themselves). It would capture the soul of the recently deceased by entrapping it with soul chains, barring them from moving on. The captured soul would be kept in storage until their body was modified into a Human Puppet. When the puppet is complete, the soul is then placed into it, creating a sentient puppet and placing the soul into eternal servitude until killed. Unfortunately, these unnatural creations were not allowed free will unless stated and could be easily controlled. This was considered one of the darker techniques of the clan as many corrupt members used it on themselves and to fuel their security forces. This was possibly one of the reasons for Tragic Night. According to Sebastian, it took Hiro many years of trial and error to successfully perfect the Hitokugutsu.

Clan Structure

 * Master/Mistress of the Clan
 * Knight
 * Vassal

Known Fusō/Fujiwara Nobles

 * Dōkeshi Fujiwara - Last Head of the Fusō Clan.
 * Sebastian Anjō - Former Vassal. Currently Head Puppet.
 * Eri Fujiwara -
 * Fukugi Takagi -
 * Alice Ayako -

Former Fusō/Fujiwara Members

 * Sai Fusō - First Head of the Fusō Clan. Currently a Human Puppet
 * Hiro Fusō - Second Head of the Fusō Clan. Currently a Human Puppet
 * Chisetsu Fusō - Knight. Currently a Human Puppet.

Behind the Scenes

 * Although somewhat hinted at, the Fusō Clan bears similarities to the Uchiha Clan from Naruto.
 * The event, Tragic Night is meant to be a parallel and a tribute to the Uchiha Clan Massacre, albeit with a few differences.

Related Articles

 * Tragic Night
 * Tragic Night: Unrealized Mistake