Kaede Saitou

Kaede Saitou (楓 斉藤, Saitou Kaede) is the ruling Queen of Heisekai, a powerful Yousojin and the mother of Tomoko. Her official Warder is Ranmaru Shibata XI though her true Warder is, in fact, Rosuto Shiba.

Appearance
Kaede is taller than Akira but shorter than Rosuto, with blue eyes and a curvy figure. Her natural hair color is pink, but she dyed it so frequently to blond that even Rosuto didn't know until after he returned from his self-exile. In her youth she was described as gorgeous and generally wore a light purple sleeveless top, darker purple trousers and had a blue cloak draped over her shoulders. As she transitioned into the role of Queen she began wearing less tomboyish clothes and instead wore dresses or gowns, mostly styled after her mother's fashion.

Personality
In her youth Kaede was much like her daughter Tomoko. She was wild and free with a love of mischief; as she often left the confines of the Palace to wander Heisekai freely without any escort. She first met Rosuto during one of these particular forays, who ended up snapping that all she wanted to do was land "some poor schmuck like himself in a jail cell", only for Kaede to snap back that it wasn't like that. She also demonstrated an urge to be free of any restraints placed upon her, as she frequently fled the Palace to escape from her dutires; which she complained bitterly about once it became clear to her that she had no choice but to perform them. These feelings arose from Kaede's own belief that she wasn't fit for rule or up to the task of equaling her mother.

Smart and cunning beyond all measure, Kaede frequently plays entire groups against one another with such casual ease that even the three Nishiki siblings where left in awe of her abilities. She often agrees to the appeals of the Jouin just so it appears she is listening to their advice; only to them confound them at every turn later down the line. Her powers of insight are also phenomenal, enough to immediately spot the inconsistencies in her daughter's behavior after she was replaced by an impostor; as are her abilities to spin a tale to ease the fears of the citizenry. Her prowess in this particular field also apply to reading people and their emotions, as she correctly deduced from Rosuto's tone of voice that he cared much more for his sister Kireina than he did for his brother Meian.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Part I

 * Main Article - Bleach: Sun and Moon Chronicles.

Shiba tales

 * Rosuto's Confusion
 * Rosuto's Surprise

Saitou tales

 * Kaede's Inspection
 * Kaede's New Warder
 * Kaede's Looking Glass
 * Kaede's Close Run-In
 * Kaede's First Trial

Beast Tales

 * Second Act: Heart of the Beast

Part II

 * ''Main Article - Bleach: War of the Worlds

Dragonforce arc Part I

 * Lost amidst Splendor
 * Escalating Tensions! Shūhen's Return
 * Through the fire and Flames

Rise and Fall of Legends arc

 * Meeting old Friends
 * Informal Meetings
 * Acceptance

Parts IV & V

 * To be announced.

Powers and Abilities
Intuition and Intelligence: Despite the advancement of Rosa's transformation Kaede was capable of immediately telling it was not her daughter; something not even Tomoko's Warder, Itazura, was incapable of deducing on-sight.

Zanjutsu: Kaede has received instruction in the proper handling of both a Zanku and Zanpakutō from Akira and Rosuto respectively, leading to an advanced skill-set. She and Rosuto developed their own fighting style which is unique to them; in addition she has mastered Kenji's specialized Form VI, which was taught to her by Kentaro.

Sashihiki: Kaede has demonstrated some skill in Sashihiki; enough to keep up with and initially surprise Rosuto with her speed, who mistook it for Shunpo. She was capable of sneaking up on Rosuto twice. Her movements where also sufficient to outrun pursuing officers of the Jōren.

Shugarūn: Kaede has demonstrated proficiency with the spell-craft utilized by Heisekian royalty. She was capable of tracking Tomoko's location by using the bond created between herself and Itazura as a focus when Tomoko made him her Warder. Her mastery extends to the teaching of others. She was capable of teaching Rosuto some prior to his exile.

Zanku

 * Main Article -- Shugotenshi.

Shugotenshi (守護天使, Guardian Angel). Kaede's Zanku takes the form of a that can split itself in two down the middle, resulting in a dual-blade function to surprise foes. Kaede wears it strapped to her back when she is required to carry it in public; otherwise she summons it to her side through Shugarūn. However, in her youth, she was rarely seen without the blade.


 * Sealed Special Abilities: Shugotenshi is one of the few Zanku to possess an ability usable by its owner that does not first have the requirement of Kyokuchi being used. Kaede notes most to be space-time techniques.


 * Ōkaryōguchi (押下両口, Forcing Down Both Openings): this technique allows Kaede to "speak" to her Zanku, which then targets her opponents with a space-time attack that attempts to suck them into a separate dimensional space linked to Shugotenshi; which is accessible only to Kaede and those she permits entry.


 * Kengen: Unknown.


 * Kyokuchi: Not yet Revealed.

Behind the Scenes

 * Kaede's childhood appearance is based on Tokito from Samurai Deeper Kyo, whilst her adult appearance is that of Lacus Clyne.