Hayato Murakami

Hayato Nakamura (中村 隼人, Nakamura Hayato) is the current lieutenant of the, under Captain. He formerly served as the 3rd Seat officer in the under Captain.

Appearance
Hayato retains the appearance of a fairly tall, muscular young man with fair skin, messy dark brown hair, and green eyes. He wears a sleeveless shihakushō. After training at the, Hayato wears his standard shihakusho, but with some notable changes: on his right shoulder is a white shoulder plate, with three sessions colored black, attached to a white strap that crosses his chest, bandages wrapped around his entire right arm and left forearm, and he dons a white cloak with black markings. After being promoted to Lieutenant, he wore his lieutenant badge on his left upper arm.

Personality
Hayato has a laid-back and carefree personality, but will get serious when the time calls for it. He is well-known throughout Soul Society as being a renegade of sorts, for he often ignores orders and regulations. Despite this, Hayato performs his Shinigami duties with seriousness and efficiency. He tends to use a more casual and informal speech style while speaking and refers to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names without using honorifics.

When it comes to fighting, Hayato seems to have no sense of honor for he will often exploit enemy weaknesses for a swift victory. He also seeks to exact revenge for the cruel actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in others. He often taunts and belittles his opponents when fighting, sometimes attacking without warning. Hayato prioritizes fighting efficiently over fighting honorably and claims to have no sense of pride. He also has a tendency of holding back around his comrades, fearing that his immense power might cause collateral damage. This is a flaw that Hayato struggles to overcome throughout a good portion of his life.

Despite his rebellious attitude, Hayato possesses a strong sense of morality and isn't afraid to do what is right. He is willing to risk his life and status to fight for his friends, as seen when he punched, who is both a Captain and a nobleman, for cruelly insulting the injured and later escaped imprisonment in order to aid in rescuing Rukia from execution. He is very concerned about his friends and is truly loyal towards his division and the rest of Soul Society, but tends to trash talk every now and then.

History
Hayato is the son of Hayate Nakamura, a famous Shinigami who was martyred when Hayato was a little boy. Hayato was then raised in Hokutan, the 3rd District of, where he developed a rebellious streak as he often stole from marketers, snuck into the lower-class districts, and got into fights with other kids. As he grew up, he had little sense for purpose and by his early adulthood, he was an aimless rebel who had found himself on the wrong side of the law on more than one occassion.

While visiting a tavern in the, Hayato had his first encounter with and , which, due to Hayato's cocky attitude and trash talk, turned into a brawl between Renji and Hayato. The fight was brought to an end when Captain, accompanied by his lieutenant , restrained Hayato with a  spell and ordered the tavern to be emptied. He then released Hayato so the two could sit down and talk.

Kyōraku, who was once captain of Hayato's father and was familiar with his son's story, tried to persuade him to join, firmly believing he could do more with himself than get into fights and break all the laws in the. Hayato laughed at the idea of joining the Gotei 13, but Nanao reassured him that, with his immense spiritual power, he could make lieutenant easy, but this failed to persuade Hayato. Kyōraku decided to respect Hayato's choice but gave him the address to in case he changes his mind.

Nanao then tells Hayato that she read about how his father gave his life to save hundreds of people, including his son, and dared Hayato to do better before leaving with her captain. Soon after their conversation, and to the surprise of Kyōraku, Hayato decided to enroll in the Academy. While attending the entrance exam, Hayato was surprised to be reunited with Renji and Rukia, much to the pair's disdain. Having scored among the highest grades in the entrance exam, Hayato was admitted into the top class along with Renji,, and.

Months after entering the Academy, Hayato had developed a close friendship with both Rukia and Renji, though he still had a rivalry with the latter. During Kidō Class, Hayato became enraged with his continuing struggle in performing Kidō, which accidentally caused his Reiatsu to manifest into a potent lightning aura that greatly damaged the classroom and put Momo in critical condition. Though Momo would eventually make a full recovery and didn't blame Hayato, the event made Hayato afraid of his own power and put him into a state of depression and self-loathing.

News of the accident reached the attention of the thirteen Captains, who ultimately decided on Captain  personally training Hayato in Reiatsu Control at a secluded area so as to prevent further collateral damage. However, after a year of training, Hayato's spiritual power only seemed to grow more dangerous and difficult to control. Unohana then noticed how his Reiatsu had an elemental trait, similar to Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Reiatsu, and theorized that the solution may actually lie with Hayato's unawakened.

Unohana then began training Hayato in awakening his Zanpakutō. Through meditating, Hayato enters his inner world, which is a series of mountain-tops above thunderclouds, and stumbles off the mountain-top and into the clouds. Meanwhile, in the real world, an entire horde of appear out of nowhere, forcing Unohana to erect a barrier, protecting both herself and the meditating Hayato from the Gillians' assault. Back in his inner world, as Hayato continues to fall, he notices a dragon-shaped silhouette within the flashes of lightning.

The silhouette then asks Hayato if he's afraid before revealing its name to be Tenraimaru. After a series of, the Gillians finally destroy Hitsugaya's barrier. Unohana, hearing Hayato say "Roar Like Thunder...", herself to a safe distance as he calls out Tenraimaru, activating his Shikai. Hayato, looking upon the Gillian-horde surrounding him, raises his Zanpakutō as the blade conducts numerous lightingbolts that kill each and every Gillian.

Unohana witnesses in awe as her theory is proven correct. She then approaches Hayato and explains that Tenraimaru is one of the most powerful and dangerous Zanpakutō that ever existed. After further training in mastering his new Zanpakutō, Hayato was allowed to return to the Academy, where he learned from Renji that Rukia had been adopted into the. Hayato graduated from the Shin'ō Academy in its 2,066th year and joined the Gotei 13, where he served in the, and eventually rose to the rank of 3rd Seat.

Powers & Abilities

 * Hayato is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of fighting against multiple enemies as well as fighting on par with other master swordsmen such as . His skill in swordsmanship is great enough that he rarely uses even his Shikai in battle, at which he has great proficiency with. Instead, he relies on Tenraimaru's sealed form, only using its Shikai or Bankai when things get tough.


 * Though not particularly versed in its various techniques, Hayato is proficient enough in the technique itself to keep up with and even surprise high-level Shinigami with his speed. Yoruichi Shihoin, one of the most proficient users of Shunpo, complimented Hayato's growing mastery of the technique.


 * Hayato has basic knowledge of Kidō. He can use low- to mid-level Kidō without incantation, but often has trouble using spells at higher levels.


 * Hayato is a highly proficient fighter even when unarmed, possessing augmented strength. When he fought against Ikkaku, who had released his Shikai, Hayato swiftly defeated him without even unsheathing his Zanpakutō. In battle, he is tremendously agile and is able to attack from various angles with great dexterity.


 * Hayato possesses tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy. Even though he is a 3rd Seat officer, Hayato constantly gives off Reiatsu at the level of a captain. His spiritual pressure has the same effect as his Zanpakutō, for it is the elemental representative of lightning. He tends to glow with a blue aura and emit sparks of electricity from his body. When Hayato's enraged, his Reiatsu manifests potent lightning aura around him, which damages the surrounding area by a large-scale. Its sheer strength is powerful enough to break free from high-level Bakudō spells restraining him. Even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively while still unleashing and maintaining his Bankai.
 * Hayato's spiritual energy was initially difficult for him to control. Due to him having far more spiritual energy than his body can consciously contain, it would often spark uncontrollably, endangering others around him. For this reason, he was trained by Captain Unohana to properly control his Reiatsu in order to avoid collateral damage. However due to its vast amounts, Hayato could only surpress his spiritual energy by holding back in fights, a flaw which has endangered his life more than once. It wasn't until after his training with the that Hayato managed to control his Reiatsu to its full potential.

Enhanced Strength: Hayato possesses a high-degree of physical strength. He is capable of sending grown people flying and crashing through solid rock with a single swing of his arm as well deflect powerful blows from enemies.

Immense Endurance: Hayato's endurance is so great to the point where he can continue fighting effectively after receiving many injuries, and can survive attacks which would easily kill normal Shingami.

Enhanced Durability: Hayato is a very durable fighter. He has been seen taking devastating blows from enemies with few notable injuries.

Zanpakutō
Tenraimaru (天雷丸, Divine Thunder): Hayato's Zanpakutō is one of the oldest and most powerful lightning-type Zanpakutō. It is fiercely reputed as one of the most dangerous Zanpakutō to have ever existed and is rumored to rival the in raw power. Unlike most Zanpakutō, Tenraimaru's sealed form resembles a daitō, rather than a standard katana, with a black sheath. It has a silver square-shaped tsuba and a black hilt-wrapping. The hilt's pommel has a blue tassel attached at the end.


 * Shikai: Its Shikai command is "Roar Like Thunder" (咆哮如く霹靂, hōkō gotoku hekireki). When released, the blade of Tenraimaru becomes engulfed in blue lightning.


 * Shikai Special Ability: The electricity which engulfs the blade greatly increases Tenraimaru's cutting capabilities. Tenraimaru is capable of producing and manipulating electrical energy to perform a variety of techniques. Hayato can use these techniques by declaring the proper verbal command that corresponds to Tenraimaru's different abilities. Even in its Shikai, Tenraimaru is powerful enough to fight against the Bankai of a Captain.


 * Shūrai (襲雷, Lightning Strike): At the instant of the slash, Tenraimaru releases highly condensed lightning at the tip of the blade, which, magnifying the slash attack, flies forward instantaneously. Though the Shūrai is the simplest technique of Tenraimaru, it can be used with great efficiency.


 * Raikō Kusari (雷光鎖, Lightning Chain): By slashing at a group of enemies, Tenraimaru releases a lightning bolt which, after striking the first enemy, splits into multiple branches of lighting that each strike the rest of the enemies while simultaneously electrifying them.


 * Dendō Tokkan (電動突貫, Electric Charge): Tenraimaru conjures a sphere of electricity which is then hurled at the enemy, exploding upon impact. While this technique lacks the speed of Tenraimaru's instantaneous attacks, it makes up for it with highly-condensed electrical power.


 * Rairyūō (雷竜王, Thunder Dragon King): By slashing, Tenraimaru creates an immense amount of spiritual power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of electricity shaped like a Western dragon. The dragon flies towards opponents at light speed and instantly electrocutes anything it touches. Tenraimaru can create multiple lightning dragons to attack an opponent from various angles.


 * Hiraishin (避雷針, Lightning Rod): When surrounded by enemies, Tenraimaru is raised in the air and conducts numerous bolts of lightning that strike each and every enemy. Hayato once used this technique destroy an entire horde of surrounding him.


 * Bankai: Ōarashi Tenraimaru (大嵐天雷丸, Raging Storm Divine Thunder): The release of his Bankai comes with an extreme release of spiritual pressure, which can be felt all throughout Las Noches. The intensity of his Bankai's power is so great that Hayato urges his comrades to flee as far way from the area as possible so they don't accidentally get killed.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Upon activation, an intense thunderstorm is conjured, covering a large-scale area. Hayato becomes completely engulfed in lightning and his eyes spark electricity. His movements are increased to lightning-fast speeds and his sword attacks are amplified hundred-fold as the blade is struck by a lightningbolt with each strike.


 * Jinrai (迅雷, Thunderclap): By raising the blade in the air, Tenraimaru gathers a vast amount of electricity in the storm clouds before unleashing a large bolt of lightning upon the target, which then explodes into an incredibly powerful shockwave capable of vaporizing even the largest of foes.
 * Mugen Jinrai (無限迅雷, Infinite Thunderclaps): An enhanced and far more destructive version of Jinrai. After his training under the, Hayato managed to unleash an infinite number of Jinrai's lightingbolts simultaneously throughout a large vicinity, greatly increasing the technique's radius. Shunsui Kyōraku once commented that Mugen Jinrai's destructive power was capable of destroying all of Soul Society ten times over.

Combat
Kidō: Hayato's skill in Kidō was never particularly high as he is more melee oriented by nature.

Zanpakutō
Time Limit/Collateral Damage (Bankai): Because of the extreme intensity of the thunderstorm which emanates from both Hayato's blade and body, he can only wield Ōarashi Tenraimaru for a short duration, and prolonged use of it will eventually destroy his opponent, the vicinity, and even himself.