Ryū Kurosaki

Ryū Kurosaki (黒崎竜, Kurosaki Ryuu) is a Human situated in Ogamushisui City and member of the famed Kurosaki family. Ryū is unique among his fellow Humans, harboring powerful spiritual powers inherited through his mother. Ryū serves as the Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, Shinigami Daikō) of Ogamushisui City.

Appearance
Almost always recognized by his signature snow-white hair which is worn in a messy fashion, in contrast to his coal black eyes. Being only 15, he is not that overly developed and looks more like a child then anything else, mainly denoted through his very lean build. Ryū carries the burden of several scars along his torso, mainly from the extensive training he put himself through during his youth.

Ryū is commonly seen wearing average-teenage clothing consisting of a short-sleeved t-shirt and black-colored jeans with a chain loosely hanging off them. Ryū carries his school bag over his shoulder via a single strap. He is also occasionally scene wearing his signature SKULL CANDY sweatshirt with a Spanish-styled skull drawn on the back. During school hours, Ryū wears the Ogamushisui uniform which consists of a green blazer and beige slack.

When dawning his attire; Ryū wears a modified Shihakushō consisting of white sleeveless shirt, a white scarf around his neck and a pair of black loose fitting pants. Mangetsu, his Zanpakutō, is seated over his shoulder suspended by a loose black cord.

Personality
Ryū is a natural risk-taker, carrying with him a constant desire to help both friends and even those he has never met before. Although not necessarily rash, Ryū is action-oriented and logical and as a result lives a fast-paced lifestyle. Wanting to "act" rather then "talk"; Ryū is impatient when it comes to long conversations evidence during his first meeting with the Captain-Commander of the, when he told the Captain to "hurry it up" drawing anger from First Division Lieutenant.

Ryū is extremely loyal to those close to him and refuses to be "tempted" to turn against them for the sake of power. It is because of this that the accepted him so quickly, as he lacked impurity in any form. His strong desire to protect the innocent and willingness to help the weakest of beings has honed Ryū into a very strong person as he constantly tries to become stronger and grow.

Proven to have a strong spirit and unbreakable will, Ryū will not give up on anyone who still has a chance and will not assist anyone who has no will of their own. To Ryū, pride is the strongest aspect any being should have as it defines who they are. If you cannot take pride in yourself, Ryū believes that you probably do not have a reason to live in this world. Many have commented that this belief is quite harsh, but Ryū sticks by it nonetheless.

History
Born to En Kurosaki and Nami Kurosaki, Ryū was born several minutes after his fraternal twin brother Kinzan Kurosaki. From a young age, both Kinzan and Ryū were informed of their heritage that came from both their mother and father. The one thing that their parents kept from them was the reason they lived in the World of the Living and not that of the as other Shinigami due. To ask this was taboo in their home and both Kinzan and Ryū accepted this.

It was around Ryū and Kinzan's seventh birthday that their parents first revealed to them their actual powers, separating their souls from their physical bodies and taking their Shinigami forms. Displaying their powers to the children, both Ryū and Kinzan grew ambitious of one day mastering their Shinigami powers. The showing of their Shinigami powers for the first time in a long time did not come without consequence, gaining the attention of a Hollow that had inhabited the area.

Preying upon the family, the Hollow proved to be quite powerful, having alluded the Soul Society for nearly 65 years. Claiming that En and Nami's children would be a delectable dish if he could eat them while they watched, this drew the raw fury of the parents. Just as they went for the kill, darkness loomed across the sky and the Gates of Hell ripped open. An ominous voice shattered through the air, enough to suffocate any Human within a mile radius. In an attempt to make sure that their children were safe, En attempted to forge a Bakudō around his sons. The Hollow would not allow it, lunging forward and grabbing Kinzan, just as the Gates of Hell ripped open and dragged him in.

In a fit of rage and fear, En leaped forward into the Gates after Kinzan with Nami in pursuit. Absorbing the three into the Gates, they immediately shut, leaving Ryū alone to grovel in his misery. Lost without his parents or his brother, Ryū picked himself up and wandered the streets until eventually making his way to Ogamushisui City.

Fast forward several years later, Ryū has recreated a life for himself in Ogamushisui city, now attending Ogamushisui High School and taking up the position as Captain of the Ogamushisui High Soccer Team. Having discovered his powers years earlier, Ryū has become his path in attempting to master them and has taken up the role as guardian of his city. Having drawn the attention of the, the Kidō Corps were tasked to deliver him to the Captain-Commander.

After arriving in the Soul Society for the first time in his life, Ryū was amazed at the spectacle before him. Carted towards the 1st Division Barracks, Ryū was placed before the 13 Captains of the Gotei 13. Informing them of his story, the Captain-Commander showed leniency towards the boy and offered any help he could for him. Yamamoto informed Ryū of a former Human/Shinigami who was in a slightly similar scenario, although the Captain-Commander did not reveal that they shared a last name. Handing Ryū a Substitute Shinigami Badge, he named Ryū the Substitute Shinigami of Ogamushisui.

Now a full-fledged Shinigami of Ogamushisui, Ryū has taken up the role as protector of the city alongside member of the Kidō Corps Iduna while continuing his attempts to find his lost parents and brother.

Abilities
Ryū has little experience in the standard fields that most know but this does not prove to be a major hindrance. Ryū commonly displays skills with his sword, capable of combating and other spiritual foes with his Zanpakutō fairly easily. Ryū's major weakness is that he is not as physically capable as most others due to his age and size. He makes up for this with quick reflexes, agile movements and enhanced speed.

Ryū has also proven to be quite well-versed in Kidō, utilizing it on most occasions for combat that does not involve his sword. Capable of using a multitude of Hadō, ranging from Hadō #4: to Hadō #63:. Ryū has also displayed knowledge in Sealing-based Kidō, although he is still learning the basics to it.

He has displayed great skill in stealth, moving silently through the night skies of Ogamushisui City without even being noticed by Hollows who attempt to feast on the spirits who inhabit the city.


 * Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: A versatile swordsman, especially for somebody like him who is completely self-taught, Ryū utilizes a wide array of sword-techniques that are focused around delivering powerful attacks to overwhelm his opponents defenses. Ryū is capable of combating Lieutenant-leveled Shinigami, evidence of his first trip to the where he sparred with Lieutenant  and was able to keep up with his movements.


 * Shunpo Practioner: To make up for his lack of physical strength, Ryū makes up for it in terms of speed. Capable of using the Shinigami-art of Shunpo to out maneuver his opponents; moving quick enough to the point where it is hard to keep up with him.
 * Inazuma (稲妻, Lightning Flash): A special technique developed by Ryū that focuses on manipulating his reishi at his feet and then accelerating him forward. The resulting "leap" forward, creates a flash of light reminiscent to Lightning itself leading to its namesake. Using Inazuma allows Ryū to get up close to his opponents, before delivering a winning strike with Mangetsu.


 * Kidō Expert: Skilled in the art of Kidō, Ryū has shown to utilize it equally alongside his blade. He has great knowledge in the application of Kidō and often relies on Hadō #4: to take out his enemies.


 * Enhanced Sensory: Capable of manipulating the reishi in the air around him into his own spiritual energies, Ryū can take account for everything in the area and evaluate its power levels depending on his spiritual energies reaction to them.


 * Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, mainly due to his nature of relying on physical-combat. Capable of performing skillful attacks involving direct and quick strikes along with using his speed to overwhelm his opponents. His signature fighting style is known as the White Flash style which focuses on using speed to throw off an opponents and get in quick with direct attacks.
 * Hachidori (蜂鳥, Hummingbird): Gathering spiritual energy at his finger tips, Ryū will perform several jabbing moves into his opponents, causing their spiritual energy flow to go haywire. A more controlled form of this attack involves creating a veil of spiritual energy around his hand, creating a pseudo-spear that can rip through his targets with ease.

Zanpakutō
Mangetsu (満月, Full Moon) takes the shape of a standard katana with a brown wooden handle. The kanji "食" is inscribed on the butt of the handle.
 * Gessekai (月世界, Lunar World; "World under the Moon" in the English anime): Gathering a veil of black-colored spiritual energy around Mangetsu, Ryū will slice forward into his opponent, creating an explosion of spiritual energy around them.

Ryū's once white-colored shirt now taints to a black hue and a long tattered scarf manifests around his neck. His hands now swell with black spiritual energy that takes on electrical properties, similar to an.
 * Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; "Piercer of Heaven" in the English anime): Gathering spiritual energy at his fist, it will mold around his arm in a violent and vibrant shape. Thrusting his arm forward, a blast of black-colored spiritual energy will fly towards his opponent. It has proven capable enough to pierce through a #50 Bakudō with ease.


 * Kuroi Kaminari (黒い雷, Black Lightning; "Blackout Lightning" in the English anime): Gathering spiritual energy at the blunt of his fist, Ryū will punch his opponents in the abdomen area. Exploding forward, a blast of black-lightning will engulf his opponent, fatally damaging them if the punch actually lands.

Equipment
Substitute Shinigami Badge (代行証 死神代行, Daikōshō Shinigami Daikō): Given to Ryū by the Captain-Commander before leaving Soul Society for the first time, the pendant he commonly carries on his belt signifies him as a substitute Shinigami, allowing him to remain active in the Human World. The pendant gives Ryū the ability to separate his soul from his body. It also alerts him to the presence of Hollows in Ogamushisui town. The Captain-Commander informs Ryū that the badge can also be dangerous and thus it has built in protection making it invisible to normal Humans.