Hattori Fuu

"An impenetrable gaze of ice, an immovable steel wall." - Snakes

"Inter-division peacocking and competition is a luxury for peacetime. In this war, we must set aside our pride and unify ourselves against the coming storm."

- Hattori Fuu, addressing the newly appointed captains and lieutenants.

Fuu Hattori (服部風, Hattori Fuu) is the newly appointed Co-Captain Commander of the Gotei 10 and Captain of the 1st Division alongside Regan after the initial Shadow Invasion. Her lieutenants are Oda Seiichi and --. She was the former Captian of the 7th Division for a long period of time before Song Li, and later Yolotli Tenoch, but lost the position an was demoted due to an incident involving her Zanpakuto. Before being chosen as the second Captain-Commander, she was the 11th seat of the 7th and the lead Zanjutsu instructor at the Shino Academy. It is also known that she was a member of the original Royal Guard before it was disbanded and reformed many years ago.

Appearance
Hattori Fuu is a stout, pale-skinned Shinigami of middling height and sturdy build. Her body exudes power, evidenced in her somewhat broad shoulders and wide hips, and her apparent musculature. Though rather well-built thanks to years of hard training, Fuu's muscles are softened by a thin layer of body fat, thicker around her waist and stomach. She has a C-cup bust, and the marks of a former pregnancy are apparent as stretch marks on her lower stomach, inner thighs, and breasts. Her skin is also marred by four stab-wound scars, each with entry and exit wounds on her front and back. One is on the hollow of her right shoulder with a match on the same shoulder blade, one just under her left breast with a match just under her left shoulder, one slightly above and to the left of her navel with a match on her lower back next to her spine, and one over her right kidney with a match on her back. She also has a jagged violet tattoo-like line marking that stars between her shoulder blades and runs down her spine, ending at the small of her back.

Fuu has an oval-shaped head with a rather flat profile. Her nose is thin and straight, and she has full lips on a mouth most often pulled down in a scowl. Her eye is somewhat hooded and quite narrow, and the color is a striking ice blue. The other eye is missing, and there is heavy scarring over the eyelid. She generally leaves this covered with a simple black eyepatch. Fuu's expression rarely strays from 'mildly displeased', and she doesn't emote very well. Her hair is a dark ashy-brown, and has a very slight wave to it. It reaches the bottom of her shoulder blades, though it is cut into layers that frame her face with straight-cut bangs covering her forehead. She generally wears it loose, but sometimes puts it into an up-do resembling a traditional chonmage haircut.

Fuu wears a somewhat modified uniform. She has not changed her Shihakusho, but has removed the right leg of her hakama to just above the knee. Instead of Tabi, she wears black gladiator-styled sandals, more for comfort than for style, an interesting choice considering her upbringing. She wears a sleeveless new-style Captain's haori, with deep purple piping and inner lining for her division. She wears a second black obi sash over the haori to keep it closed around her waist, and tucks her zanpakuto into this sash.

In the past, Fuu's hair never left the bun, and she wore normal tabi sandals. She began growing out her hair and leaving it loose during her time as an instructor, and her newer sandals were a gift from a former student as a joke. Fuu decided to adopt them to her normal uniform, much to everyone's amusement.

Personality
At first glance, Fuu does not seem to be a happy person, existing in a constant state of what appears to be stoic displeasure or disappointment. She also gives off a powerful aura, and is not very approachable. In actuality, Fuu's mood is most often neutral, her mind often at work analyzing the situation around her and solving whatever problems the Gotei 13 is facing at the time. She is often rather quiet, and comes off as cold, though always frigidly polite and respectful. She tends to hold slight dislike for most people she meets, and is very hesitant to show trust towards anyone on a personal level. She also avoids showing open kindness in public settings due to her past, where any perceived weakness meant attempts on your life were guaranteed and trustworthy people were hard to come by. She is an endlessly patient individual, although her curt manner of speaking makes her seem the opposite of that, however she has little tolerance for slackers, beggars, suck-ups, and whiners. Her position at the academy garnered a lot of unwanted attention from arrogant students believing they were entitled to her instruction, and as such she developed an over-intolerance for arrogance and people that won't take 'no' for an answer. Pushy people will soon find themselves at the mercy of her coldest demeanor if they push too hard.

As far as her leadership qualities, she is an incredibly capable leader. Having been groomed from a young age to lead armies, Fuu knows exactly what it takes to lead. In any decision she makes, Fuu carefully considers the costs and benefits, and can assess situations quickly and efficiently. She knows that different individuals respond to different forms of leadership, so will adjust the way she takes charge accordingly. She may not be trusting in regards to her personal life, but she respects and trusts her subordinate officers to carry out the missions they are assigned. She respects every individual under her unless they give her a reason not to, and views all subordinates as equal. However, she understands the importance of a strong guiding hand, and separates herself and requires her fellow captains do the same, holding them to a higher standard. Because of her high standards, many people find her incredibly harsh and restrictive, despite her more hands-off way of running things. She also understands that sometimes what looks like a cold-hearted decision is the only way, which sometimes leaves her seen as heartless, focused only on the mission. She is a pragmatic leader: The most efficient solution is the one she will chose, and often times those solutions come with sacrifices of personel, and sometimes, morals.

Fuu is outstanding at spotting potential, and prefers teaching over leading. Before attaining the head-captain position, Fuu enjoyed her teaching position at the academy. She loves nothing more than passing on her skills to willing and capable students, and watching them hone those skills to perfection. Though she will never admit it, she sees each of her students as her own children. During training is the only time one can see Fuu get worked up over anything, as she becomes quite loud and aggressive while teaching. It is rather hard to gain her approval, but a student can always know if they are in her favor by how hard on them she is during training. If she goes easy on someone, it is because she feels they lack conviction or drive. In actual combat, Fuu remains calm and collected. She does not enjoy war or killing, and as soon as an enemy is slain she will pay her victim the proper respects before moving on. She sticks to the code of Bushido, a concept deeply ingrained in her life. Fuu will never perform a sneak-attack personally or an underhanded move like throwing dirt in her opponent's eyes, and she will never attack a downed opponent or someone who asks for mercy, waiting to see if they will continue to struggle.

Should one actually get close enough to Fuu to garner her affection (such as Shiden Kai) they will find a slightly less abrasive, almost warm individual. She tends to want to stick close to the people she cares deeply about, and they are the ones that she will actually speak to on a personal level. She is an attentive friend, though she is still hesitant to share personal information with anyone. People who can get her in a conversation about an interesting subject and who can speak in an intelligent manner can find she is a rather engaging person to speak with, especially considering her centuries of experience. She also has a rather strange, dry sense of humor that is difficult to get used to, though her strict adherence to the stoic is often comedic in itself.

The downside of her personality is her inability to trust people. She often finds herself lonely, but just can't bring herself to share with others outside of Shiden. Due to her refusal to let people in, and her past, she has lost much of her social skill when dealing with people on a personal basis, and to those she gets close to she is rather socially awkward. She also, in her earlier years, was highly ambitious, willing to step on other people to attain power. Although this trait has tempered greatly, she still seeks mastery over every aspect of her life, and this causes her to push herself and her students or subordinates far past their limits, often realizing halfway through something that they are only human. Because of her personality, she is viewed as harsh and cold, and one of the most unapproachable people in soul society, unlike her predecessor.

History
Under construction

Natural Abilities
Zanjutsu Grandmaster: Fuu is first and foremost a complete master of the blade, to the point where her private tutelage is sought out by students and full shinigami alike. It could be argued that Fuu may be the best swordsman in the Gotei, though there are plenty of practicioners of different styles that would love to put that to the test (and in fact, her sparring match with the former Captain-Commander Sir Merek was widely broadcasted, and one of the most famous friendly competitions in recent times). Though she trains specifically with two katana since learning the name of her zanpakuto, any blade is lethal in her capable hands, especially a single katana which is what she originally trained with. Fuu has been trained as a warrior practically since birth, focusing on the art of the sword despite it traditionally being a 'last resort' type weapon, and her sheer skill with her sealed Zanpakuto is nearly unmatched. Despite never releasing her blade, she is still a formidable opponent and was good enough with "no Shikai" to be chosen as a second Captain-Commander by Regan. Her style is fluid and unrelenting, barraging opponents with flurries of strikes, altering between thrusts and slashes and counters so rapidly an unprepared opponent will be dropped before they realize her blades were unsheathed. She has mastered many different styles of swordplay thanks to the diversity of warriors in the Gotei, making her own style adaptable and unpredictable, though her focus is on Iaijutsu and, to a lesser extent Kenjutsu . Though sometimes viewed as obselete, she remains focused on her original koryu, simply embellishing upon it and adding new techniques, never altering the original style. Often times, she will attempt to disarm her opponent right from the start to assert her dominance in the battle, often as an attempt to prevent her time from being wasted.


 * Hi Ryu Sen: A surprise attack in which Fuu moves as if she is going to draw her sword, but instead thrusts it out, aiming to slam the butt of the sword into her opponent.


 * Senmaioroshi: A technique where Fuu strikes numerous times in rapid succession, blindingly fast in order to shred an opponent before they can counter her.


 * Agitowari: A fast-draw technique in which quickly draws the blade and slashes vertically, aiming to bisect her opponent lengthwise before her opponent can react to block.


 * Tamashī tsuranuku: A technique in which Fuu parries an opponent's weapon and immediately thrusts towards whatever pressure point is closest, piercing it to make the limb at the point essentially useless.

Hakuda Master: Though not her favored way to fight,, Fuu can hold her own just as easily with no weapon thanks to her upbringing, which put emphasis on unarmed combat meant to subdue and disarm opponents without badly damaging them. She is a master of jujutsu, and specializes in throws and locks. Because of her intensive training and the necessity of mastering these arts in life, Fuu can fight nearly without thought, performing attacks, blocks and counters as if they were as natural as breathing. She most often relies on grappling and throws, employing body-locks to swiftly incapacitate an opponent. She also spent several years as a shinigami trading martial arts techniques with several others from different countries, and has learned numerous unique techniques that have evolved her fighting style into something nearly unpredictable. Besides her own knowledge of Jujutsu, she has trained extensively in  Fujian White Crane (specifically Ancestral Crane), and later, Judo, and is quite apt at joint-locks and pressure-point energy manipulation. These two styles were the focus of her closest officers, and the four often trained closely together. Fuu has also studied many different forms of figthing with subordinates and peers, and her knowledge ranges from ancient Chinese martial arts to modern boxing. However, like her swordplay, Fuu prefers to fight using her traditional styles.


 * Tachi-dori: A technique in which Fuu swiftly enters her armed opponent's personal space, grabbing their occupied hand and pulling across their body while putting pressure on them to the opposite direction with her other hand, often placed on their face. The hand on the opponent's weapon hand first quickly presses the pressure point on the wrist and moves to remove the weapon from their grip, using her other hand as a distraction. Because this is performed so quickly and without warning, her opponents often find themselves on the ground with their weapon in her possession.


 * Shihōnage: A technique in which Fuu grabs her opponent's wrist and swiftly maneuvers around them to pin the arm behind their back, folding it by the shoulder and locking it into place painfully. This is often performed when a punch is thrown or they are wielding a weapon with one hand.


 * Shirahadori: Meaning 'blade catch', it is the technique Fuu uses to catch blades from the air by clasping her hands around the flats of the blade. With blade in hand, she can force the opponent to move as she wishes by putting pressure on the weapon, unless they let go.

Endurance/Durability: Fuu has the ability to stoically shrug off most damage done to her, and thanks to many years of training she can fight for days at a time without stopping or showing signs of weakness. Thanks to her contract, Fuu can also withstand high-energy electrical attacks with little problem.

Intelligence and Extensive Experience: Fuu has been fighting for hundreds of years, and has the experience of countless battles won and lost. She is incredibly perceptive, and can note an opponent's physical weaknesses by observation within a minute of the battle's start. She often states that an enemy's body will end them faster than any opponent. She can also fight just as easily commanding a large group of people, and has no trouble balancing her own battle while keeping an eye on the others. Her experience also leads to her leadership abilities, and is quite apt at forming large and small scale battle tactics. However, Fuu tends to percieve things in a more negative light, and tends not to associate a human aspect to her subordinates in battle, a trait that requires Regan to temper. She also is more of a tactician than a strategist, better at seeing the short-term than the long, opposite of her partner. Between the two, a balance in leadership is struck.

Immense Spiritual Pressure: Fuu's spiritual pressure is strong, even for a captain, though it does not match the vastness of her Co-Captain. She does have absolute control, and can seal her reiatsu down to next to nothing. Her spiritual pressure can be overwhelming for anyone under a high-seat level to experience, and it manifests as something akin to a thunderstorm, electric and heavy. When she unleashes her full power, heavy storm clouds often form above her.

Shunpo Expert: As a Captain, Fuu was required to have some proficiency in shunpo, and due to having many years to practice, and her outstanding reiatsu control, has made her on the higher end of skill for Captains. She would train further in the art, but her missing eye ruins her depth perception, a trait that she is able to overcome normally but has not been able to reconcile at high speeds. Because of this, she avoids heavy use of Shunpo, despit the fact that she has fine enough control of her reiatsu to be a master of the art if it wasn't for her handicap.

Kido Expert: Though Fuu understood the necessity of Kido and practiced the art in order to climb to the top, her ride in her physical ability and her wariness of what she calls 'demon magic' prevents her from utilizing Kido to its full usefullness. Though she recognizes her own stubborness, she feels she has no actual use for Kido, and leaves its expertise to her comrades. Her abilities only allow her to use basic kido with no incantation, and she does not have enough practice to string together spells or use them in a creative manner.

Close-Hand Combat: As stated above, Fuu is a master of both Hakuda and Zanjutsu, two arts that make her a deadly opponent in close and mid-range, and that on top of her endurance make her offensive and defensive capabilities difficult to match. Thanks to her grandmastership in zanjutsu, her defensive capablilities are also outsstanding, and can block and counter with great skill as well as use her own spiritual pressure to redirect and weaken energy attacks directed at her. However, at range Fuu shows a glaring weakness in her battle capabilities. Because she does not focus on kido, and almost never releases her blade (and the fact that her Shikai and Bankai are mid-ranged at most) she must get within range to effectively battle an opponent.

Weaknesses
Blind spot: Fuu is missing her right eye, which gives an especially intelligent and experienced opponent a slight opening. However, an attempt on her blind side by weaker opponents or by an obvious ploy will find themselves no better off than if they attacked her good side. However, it is something that she has to keep in mind in every battle she enters.

-Another drawback to her missing eye is her limited vision. Though she has learned to compensate for it, at high speed combat her depth perception is severely limited, making using shunpo against a skilled opponent more of a liability than an asset.

Restricted offense: Because Fuu never uses kido and very rarely releases her blade, she has no long-range capability. Even her zanpakuto's released states only have mid-range abilities, and if an opponent is able to keep their distance, they may be able to limit Fuu's abilities.

Zanpakuto
Shiden Kai (紫電, Violet Lighting) Is Fuu's Zanpakuto, and considered one of the strongest lightning-type Zanpakuto in the Gotei. In its sealed state, Shiden exists as a pair of identical blades. Both are 69 cm long with black handle wrappings, deep purple rayskin, and gunmetal handle caps and tsuba that are shaped like rounded-off rectangles with the corners pushed in. Both blades have a small violet ring through the caps of the handles. Originally, Shiden's blades were a normal silver color, but since Fuu made her contract Shiden's blades have turned into a vibrant dark violet. Fuu keeps the blades in their dark grey sheathes at her left hip, tucked into her outer obi.

Spirit: Shiden-Kai is an Aspect, the principle of the lightning elementals and says to have been known previously as Raijin. She manifests as a 5'8", deeply tanned Japanese woman with pale lilac, pupiless eyes and white hair styled into a softhawk with the sides shaved down to stubble. Her facial features vaguely resemble Fuu's, though instead of displeasure Shiden often appears highly amused. She wears a black and gold sleeveless top and knee-length pants under purple, black and gold samurai armor. Her right arm is completely encased, and her left arm is bare to the shoulder save a violet sash wrapped around her hand and wrist. This arm bears a long, black tattoo of jagged lightning that starts at her neck and ends at her fingertips.

Shiden Kai is quite easy to get along with, having an easygoing nature and a big sense of humor. She finds amusement in everything, and rarely acts completely serious. She is constantly brimming with energy and liveliness, a direct contrast to Fuu. Shiden is not bound by human courtesies or social norms, and as such she always says what's on her mind, whether it's rude or not, and as such she comes of as rather brash. She is always completely honest, however. Shiden is also a capable leader, and matches Fuu in leadership qualities. She is incredibly powerful and quite ancient, but her true nature cannot be revealed, as per the human/Aspect agreement.


 * Shikai: Shiden's command is Strike with the Fury of the Gods (神々の怒りを打つ, Kamigami no Ikari to Itsu). When calling on her Shikai, Fuu crosses both blades above her and states the command. A dark cloud of reiatsu forms above her, and a huge bolt of lightning strikes the blades, changing their form from katanas to what appears to solid white/violet lightning that fades off after about 69 cm (the original length of the blade). Although the blades retain the same basic shape of a sword, they constantly flicker and move, sending small sparks off the 'blade'. Those close to them can hear an electrical crackling sound coming from them, and if standing too close the static from the blade can make a person's hair stick up. The sky becomes covered with thick, dark rainclouds.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Shiden Kai's special ability lies in the manipulation of electrical current by controlling electron flow and polarity of her opponents and surroundings.


 * Bunkyoku Suru (分極する, Polarize): When Fuu makes contact with an object and utters this command, the object impacted gains a positive charge. This doesn't directly affect the object in an obvious manner. If a human is struck, the intensity of the charge depends on how deep the cut is. A superficial cut will only gain a minor charge, but will gain charge with each successive cut. What this technique affects is the opponent's affinity to the lighting Fuu produces, which is negatively charged. With no charge an opponent can dodge her electric attacks, but if they have a high charge they will attract her attacks, allowing her to put in no effort to be able to hit them.


 * Tengoku no Tamashī Tsuranuku (天国魂貫く, Heavenly Soul Pierce): Fuu crosses her blades and points them skyward, and the clouds above charge with electricity. Fuu then brings her blades down to point at her opponent, and a large bolt of violet lightning cascades from the sky down onto the opponent.


 * Konoyo no Tamashī Tsuranuku (地球の魂貫く, Earthly Soul Pierce): Fuu plants one blade in the ground and continues the battle with the other. With the command of 'Tsukisasu', a bolt of lightning will project from the planted blade and seek out the sister blade, not dissipating until fifteen seconds after it has met the second blade, remaining as a high-voltage 'wire; in the meantime. However, if there are charged combatants or objects in the vicinity, more lightning bolts will appear and seek out the charged objects, one bolt per object.

Bankai: Tengoku no Senkō Shiden Kai (天国ピアス紫雷, Heaven Piecing Violet Lightning) To relaease her Bankai, Fuu gathers all her spiritual pressure and focuses it in a stormcloud above her, then utters the command and holds her arms out in a 'T', blades pointing up. An enormous cascade of lightning falls down upon her and a three-foot circle around her for an entire minute, before stopping abruptly to reveal Fuu in bankai. Shiden Kai's blades remain the same, albeit slightly larger. However Fuu gains Shiden Kai's armor, the only modifications being that both of her arms are clad in armor and a banner with her family's crest is affixed to her back. Four, much larger, copies of her blades appear behind her,  floating in a row a few feet from her back. They follow her as she moves.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Shiden Kai's special ability remains the same in Bankai, but grants her more control over the electron flow. Her armor also increases Fuu's defensive capabilities, to the point where only those around her level have a chance of piercing through the armor.


 * Bunkyoku Suru (分極する, Polarize): In bankai, this ability changes in that Fuu can change the charge of both her own lightning and whatever her blades come in contact with. This time, instead of cutting an enemy with this ability going, the blades will pass right through them. The more of her blade passes through their body, the more strength their new charge has. She can either draw all their electrons to the surface or force them into their center, giving them a negative or positive charge. This has no obvious affect on the opponent.


 * Chōetsu Chāji (超越担当, Transcendent Charge): Similar to the prior ability, this time Fuu's blade will actually cut the opponent and run a current of her own through the cut. After several successive cuts, Fuu can freely manipulate the charge (both the sign and strength) of her opponent, as well as anything else she has cut.


 * Chōetsu Puru (超越プル, Transcendent Pull): With this ability coupled with the previous, Fuu can increase opposite charges of two objects until they are attracted to each other and will be forced and stuck together. This is useful for fighting multiple opponents; they cannot 'unstick' from each other until Fuu releases them or is defeated.


 * Raijin no Sutoraiku (雷神のストライキ, Raijin's Strike): Fuu swipes a blade she is holding toward her opponent, and the four large blades behind her will follow her sword's movements, but directed at different opponents; she can choose up to four opponents to attack with this ability. The blades only follow the movement of the one in her right hand. She can also choose to concentrate all four on one opponent, or two on one, ect. As this ability takes full concentration, it only works when all the opponents she is targeting have been polarized. She can only keep it up for five or six minutes at a time, before the large blades return to their place behind her and she must recharge.


 * Konoyo no Tamashī Tsuranuku (地球の魂貫く, Earthly Soul Pierce): Fuu plants one of the six blades she has into the ground. With the command of 'Tsukisasu', a bolt of lightning will project from the planted blade and seek out the blades Fuu is holding, not dissipating until fifteen seconds after it has met the second blade, remaining as a high-voltage 'wire in the meantime. However, if there are charged combatants or objects in the vicinity, more lightning bolts will appear and seek out the charged objects, one bolt per object. In bankai, Fuu can choose to plant up to four blades, and at her command the lightning will emit from all of them at the same time- enough to seek out each blade on the field and each charged opponent. This leaves a web of 'live wires' on the field for several seconds each time this attack is used.


 * Tengoku no Tamashī Tsuranuku (天国魂貫く, Heavenly Soul Pierce): Fuu crosses her blades and points them skyward, and the clouds above charge with electricity. Fuu then brings her blades down to point at her opponent, and, in bankai, not only does a large cascade of lightning descend on her target, but the four large blades behind her also target and crash towards them. If the opponent is charged, this attack is nearly impossible to avoid.

Quotes
(To any unrefined swordsmen) "You have as much subtlety as a rampaging hollow and you swing like a child with a toy."

(To her students) "It is simple. In battle, there is no good and evil, no winners and losers. That is too complex for such a barbaric act. No, there are simply combatants, and those with stronger convictions, a stronger will to live, than the other. The act of slaying another living being requires a suspension of your own conciousness, at least for a moment, and you must be prepared not only to lay down your life, but your morals as well."

"Battle should not be a hobby. Do not lust for blood. You must recognize both its necessity and its consequences. Always strive for peace- a nation capable of that is the strongest of all."

Trivia

 * Her theme song, according to snakes-on-a-plane is Titanium by David Guetta
 * Fuu follows traditional Japanese customs and expects everyone to do the same- seen most often by her insistance that eveyone remove their shoes before entering a place of residence. This is why a student gave her complicated gladiator sandals as a joke.
 * There are many rumors about Fuu, most of them humorous as an attempt to dispell some of the fear of her. A favorite of her students is that she can perform her worst death-glare at a distance and around corners.
 * Fuu is hyper-aware of her surroundings and notices even minor changes automatically. This has caused her to ruin many pregnancy surprises.
 * Fuu deeply enjoys poetry, and enjoys writing her own. She also has very impressive calligraphy skills.
 * If given a gag gift, like something silly to wear, she will wear it for the rest of the day if off duty and pretend nothing is diffrent.
 * Fuu secretly loves kung-fuu and old samurai movies, and keeps a TV in her home to watch them in her sparse free time.
 * Is very fond of storms, and will sit out in the rain to watch them.
 * Fuu was introduced to rap music by one of her students, and fell in love with it, identifying with a lot of the themes presented (at least the ones not about clubs and bitches). One of her secret talents is her ability to rap.

Development Notes

 * Fuu's appearence is based on Lucy Lawless
 * I gave Fuu an eyepatch before Shunsui got one in the canon, and when he got his and became the captain commander I briefly thought that I might be psychic.
 * Fuu's origin story is a twist on Onna-Bugeisha and the legend of Empress Jingū.
 * Fuu's personality is a nod to the character Jones from the webcomic Gunnerkrig Court.

Credit

 * All art belongs to http://snakes-on-a-plane.deviantart.com/