Takashi Shihōin

Kazuya Kasuga (春日一弥, Kasuga Kazuya) is the captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Takashi Kasuga. He descends from one of the greatest noble families of Soul Society, the Kasuga family. As the 57th head of the Kasuga house, he is the embodiment of pride and discipline, intending to be a role model for all Shinigami. He strongly disapproves of any type of disobedience, and as a result is very aristocratic.

Appearence
Kazuya is said to look strongly familiar to Byakuya Kuchiki, almost idol-like. Kazuya has pure golden eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up in an intricate white headpiece called a kenseikan that symbolizes his nobility as the head of the Kasuga family. He wears the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon VI. The scarf is made from the silver-white, windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom that is handed down from generation to generation and is given to each Kasuga family head. The scarf alone is worth enough to buy ten mansions in the Seireitei. He also wears fingerless white gloves that cover only the back of his hands.

Personality
Kazuya Kasuga is the 57th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society. As such, Kazuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is very seldom surprised by even the most drastic of actions. However, when he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hotheaded, as noted by his grandfather Due in part to his status in Soul Society, he generally acts indifferent, bordering on arrogance, to most situations that he is faced with as seen from how he rarely views his opponent worth his time. Despite this trait, Byakuya is a very perceptive man and is fully aware of the limits of his abilities and usually anything he states in comparison to an opponent is justified. Kazuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him. Kazuya is popular among the female Shinigami of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Shinigami Women's Association. He likes Japanese cherry blossoms, night-time walks, spicy food, and bananas, but he does not like sweets. Similar to Rikiya Fujimura, he excels in calligraphy. He, apparently, is very fond of calligraphy, being the representative or possibly president of the Calligraphy Society. As astonishing as it may seem, Kazuya seems to have a comedic side, as he not only attends the lieutenant's meeting when Takashi's absent, but also implies that he attends the meetings of the Shinigami Women's Association when Akane's absent. As he puts it, "part of a captain's responsibilities is to make sure the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of," to which Takashi asks if goes to Akane's meetings, which is only responded by a smile similar to that of a fox. Kazuya claims that life in general is not supposed to be entertaining, and even makes up an idea for a game that is not really meant to be amusing. Having descended from noble stock, Kazuya is easily offended if his name is not used properly. Kazuya has shown open disdain for those who have been disgraced or who he finds to be annoying or overconfident. This is shown when he uses unnecessary force against, who was little to no threat to him, just because he was a member of the formerly noble Shiba family. He also shows that he bears a grudge toward Shoka Shihōin for being better then him at Shunpo as well as annoying him by constantly rubbing his face in it, with this particular grudge spanning 110 years. This goes even as far as him even disliking having to use techniques taught to him by Shoka.

Powers and Abilities
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Kazuya is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of flawless precision and lethal attacks without much effort.

Flash Step Master: Kazuya is probably best known for his usage of Flash steps. Although having been taught by, but never beating "Goddess of Flash" Shoka Shihōin, he is still easily one of the most proficient users of this skill in all of Soul Society.


 * Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom): a special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponent's back, directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" and "Hakusui" in one strike. This attack is his favorite to use. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.


 * Utsusemi (空蝉; Cicada, referencing their molting): Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihou. It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving an afterimage behind. It is a technique taught to him by Shoka Shihōin.

Kidō Master: Kazuya has displayed his knowledge of high level Kidō spells, able to cast several in quick succession without the incantation and with almost no effort and still possessing formidable power. He has been shown to use spells up to level 81 and possesses advanced knowledge of Kidō application and consistency. He can use low-level spells with devastating effects, as well as a counter to attacks.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While used less often, Kazuya has shown highly proficient skill in this area. Kazuya was able to effortlessly knock out several Shinigami guards stealthfully with a single strike each. Kazuya is trained in the style of Hokuto Shinken (北斗神拳, lit. The Divine Fist of the North Star), and as such, is able to synchronize his spiritual energy, Kidō expertise, and hakuda skills in order to instantly neutralize an opponent's movement.

Master Tactician: Kazuya is a highly perceptive fighter, being able to almost immediately determine an opponent's attack patterns and weaknesses. He is also crafty tactician, as demonstrated from how effectively he uses his Kidō to confuse his opponents. He can discern the motives and abilities of his opponents and effectively use his knowledge to end the battle in his favor.

Enhanced Durability: While not having the most imposing appearance compared to other Shinigami captains, Kazuya has shown to be a very resilient fighter. During his fight against Minato, despite gaining several major injuries, Kazuya was able to continue fighting effectively and even ignore them to the point he seemed unfazed by them. At the end of fight, he was still able to perform an impressive Flash Step to leave. Kazuya's durability proved great enough for him to willingly damage himself to escape from this enemy's possession attack and continue to fight as if unaffected.

Overwhelming Spiritual Power: He is capable of exerting a vast Spiritual Pressure, which, in league with his already admirable combat skills and finesse, makes him one of the most formidable captains. His spiritual pressure is so great it can be felt from a very large distance and it has the tendency to make people sweat in fear. His spiritual power is deep purple, and is said to be "very heavy, but very fast", and is enough to create a feeling of despair and depression all around.

Genius Intellect: Kazuya, in several instances, has been hailed as a genius. Kazuya has shown himself to be highly manipulative and deceptive even when it's evident.