高山, 翔
TAKAYAMA, NOBORU
SHINIGAMI
Twentieth Seat, Sixth Division
Personnel File
Name: Noboru Takayama
Age: ~110 Years
Sex: Male
Physical Specifications
Height, Weight, Build: Above average for the time, Noboru stands 170 centimeters tall at full height and weighs 63 kilograms. Much of his weight comes from simple bone and muscle mass. Eating habits developed during his time in the impoverished districts of Rukongai means his body has particularly little body fat. Now as a Shinigami, even on his average frame, he has the build of an exceedingly athletic young man—bordering on unhealthy, even after decades in the Seireitei.
Eyes: Among people at times possessed of icy blues, hot pinks, and emerald greens, his rather plain, brown eyes hardly stand out at all. Like the rest of the man, they typically appear soft and relaxed.
Hair: Noboru’s black hair varies in length depending on how much attention has been given to his personal grooming, whether by the criticisms of his superiors or the indifference of women. Sometimes he keeps it short enough that the naturally spiky, thin, soft nature stands out. Other times he lets it grow long enough to run down half the length of his nose and cover his ears, an unkempt mess. The only constant is that Noboru makes it a point to remain clean shaven whenever possible.
Spiritual Traits: When a soul possesses enough power it can generate a host of unique effects. For Noboru, however, the requisite power has never been his and therefore he has never seen many aspects of his soul come to life. He often appears flat and empty to others, at times particularly difficult to even notice. Some mistake him for an Academy Student, from a distance.
For example, his Reiatsu takes on a golden hue when powerful enough to become visible. When sufficiently superior to those in his vicinity it can feel like a suffocating weight on the chest, as if someone had laid them down and placed an anvil directly on their sternum. With that weight comes the numbing of the senses which becomes more and more severe until they reach the point of total unconsciousness.
While in Jinzen, a state of deep and meditative connection with the Zanpakutō, that same golden hue appears in the form of a ring inside his brown irises. These hues are all similar to the bright light that can possibly be given off by his blade while in Shikai; when it's not pitch black instead, that is.
General Appearance: Many people find it uncomfortable to wear their typical outfit at work when they’re not actually on the job. Noboru counts himself among these like-minded people. You will typically find him outside of the Seireitei in clothes befit a citizen more than a soldier. Finer linens, colorful and patterned, along with outfits collected from the last decade or so on Earth.
In particular, Noboru has a preference for looser-fitting clothes. If it’s something too tight he finds it unnecessarily suffocating. Shorts, baggy t-shirts, ripped or not, anything of the sort appeals to him far more than the formal wear of the modern World of the Living. When he’s on Earth for assignment he frequently has his Gigai dressed appropriately.
Although extremely rarely worn he also has a penchant for the outfits of Japan's emerging samurai. Red armor, multiple blades, and sometimes flags attached as well.
Psychological Profile
Positive Traits
Affable - Welcoming, open, and friendly, Noboru is a positive presence in almost all situations. He sees little value in constant misery or unhappiness and, despite his own frustrations with his lot in life, makes it a point to spread that positivity as much as he is able.
Mentorly - With little else to see value in, Noboru takes great pride in sharing what he was learned and what skills he has gained. It is a common point of conversation and he oftens offers to tutor those less able in areas where he has developed greater ability.
Disciplined - Within certain specializations, Noboru has developed the mastery of self to go through great suffering, or delay great gratification, for extensive periods of time. He orients much of his day-to-day around these activities.
Persistent - As a Shinigami, gods or the other cosmic powers that be within the world have given him only a single path: callous-growing, teeth-gritting, muscle-aching practice. He will have to fight and scrape for every ounce of worth he has and he has become accustomed to that.
Entertaining - Although infrequently shown, Noboru has a love for performing for others. Whether that's trough humor, tricks, stunts, or other feats of wonder, he enjoys the attention of others -- and is far too doubtful of himself for it to become overbearing.
Negative Traits
Inferiority Complex - Noboru does not do well with those who have achieved as much or more than him in similar or less time. He looks upon those with high seats within the Gotei, or those simply possessed of great spiritual power, as something else besides human -- as its the only explanation for why he continues to crawl through the dirt while others rise.
Cowardly - Fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of circumstances outside of his control. Noboru is no gambler and has never entered into a situation he did not know how to escape, even when escape was the worst thing for him.
Deferential - Excessively conflict-avoidant and unwilling to argue, Noboru rarely stands up for himself in the presence of those who do not defer to him at the outset.
Wrathful - One of his most common stress responses, and something he finds the most humiliating. Noboru often loses his temper when things are difficult or a situation is gradually becoming worse, lashing out at those around him in a verbal manner.
Frustrated - Outside his specialties, Noboru is still easily frustrated by failure or when he feels things are difficult. This often evolves into rage and anger, but begins as a simmering irritation that lingers beneath the surface and burns away at everything else like an acid.
Zanpakutō File
Zanpakutō Spirit
魔女姫, Majohime (Sorceress Princess)
After the natural manifestation of his Zanpakutō, Noboru frequently dreamed of what his Zanpakutō Spirit would be like. A man, a woman, an animal, or even a mythical creature? People were the most common form, he realized, but the curiosity kept him up at night. He imagined a valiant Spirit, strong and determined, that over the course of decades would guide him on a journey to great success as a Shinigami.
Instead he found Majohime, a young woman with shoulder-length, brown hair and golden-brown eyes. She frequently wears a kimono of some variety, such as one of intermixed reds and whites.
Her personality is what surprised him more than anything: Despite her feminine appearance she’s violently passionate, aggressive, and very quick to criticize. More than anyone else, Majohime strives to call Noboru out on his bad habits, poor choices, and negative attitude. There’s no louder a voice than hers when it comes to Noboru’s pitfalls and failures as a person.
Were that all there was to her, Majohime and Noboru’s relationship would have come apart at the seams shortly after it began. But more than she is a critic, she is his greatest source of encouragement. No one in his life, not even his closest friends, have pushed him to pursue things he doubted he could. Consistently, Majohime has proven herself his most ardent and consistent supporter.
Majohime herself insists that she has a life that he should not monopolize too much of. She refuses to speak much of it and her voice can never be heard outside the state of Jinzen, even more stubbornly than many other Zanpakutō Spirits. Noboru has discovered that she often spends time exploring the empty town she’s stuck in, having made a home for herself near the center. Even after decades, she says she’s hardly seen any of it.
She also practices archery on the island, typically near the beach, a habit she herself passed on to Noboru. When Noboru visit, he finds her doing this more often than anything else.
Perhaps her favorite thing to do, however, is to strum on her personal biwa. It is what she does upon her release as well, adding a melody to her vocals as she sings one of her many songs. This is her most passionate hobby and yet the one she practices the least, only playing on those rare star-lit nights when not otherwise called upon.
Inner World
Lost and alone on some deserted island is an old town. It’s nothing major, made maybe to house a few hundred, constructed out of entirely stone buildings, a sad-looking sort of gray. Many of them are dilapidated and falling to pieces, complete with cracks in their foundations, vines up the walls, and mold across almost anything wooden.
Around the island is the immense, never-ending sea of blue. The town itself, however, doesn’t cover every inch of the island, giving about a mile of grassland before it gives way to the beach. There’s nothing out on the sea except this island, no matter how far you go.
More notably, the world is almost always captured by overcast. Thick, puffy, grey clouds obscure the entire island. The only times that Noboru has seen sunlight were the days he graduated from the Academy, when he first learned Majohime’s name, and when he was promoted to the Twentieth Seat of the Sixth Division. Every other day for as long as he has known his inner world has been marked by dreary clouds.
These clouds do frequently give way to rain. The reasons for the rain seem to be a mystery, almost as if actual weather patterns dominated them, instead of being a reflection of Noboru himself.
Other changes that Noboru has seen in his lifetime primarily occur at night. Particularly bad storms will rip up the seas and drop lightning all across the island. Other nights bring with it the eerie calm of smooth seas and bright, star-lit nights. All of these seem to happen of their own accord.
The most common exception to overcast remains the days when fog overtakes the island completely. Thick walls of cloud will roll through the streets like an overbearing army keeping the populace in line.
Sealed Zanpakutō
As a full-length katana, Majohime fits right in amongst the other Zanpakutō of the Seireitei. Her defining features include a bright-gray fabric wrapped around the hilt and a mildly decorative, golden guard with curved, concave corners.
What, for no real reason, captures Noboru’s attention in regards to his Zanpakutō are three strings that hang from it. There’s nothing special about them, they’re just string, but for some reason Noboru feels a strong, strong pull from the strings—as if they’re important, enough to be protected at all costs.
Two of them are tassels, gold mixed with red, that hang from the bottom of the metal-capped brass pommel. Despite his closest inspections there’s nothing that stands out about them.
The odd one out of the three, though, is the red string with a knot at the end that hangs from just under the guard. It doesn’t seem to serve any purposes and dangles freely from the other, gray fabric that makes up the grip of the hilt.
Shikai Appearance
魅しろ, 魔女姫 Mishiro, Majohime (Captivate, Majohime)
When released, Majohime undergoes one or two drastic changes. The shape of the blade doesn’t change at all, however the nature of it does.
When Majohime sings to draw attention to herself, the blade will turn a brilliant gold. The light from the weapon can light a room. It gets so bright that any detail on the weapon is lost, making it seem almost flat to the opponent, devoid of depth and substance. However, the blade remains as heavy and sharp as ever.
On the other hand, the blade will turn black when Majohime sings to repel attention. Just as when it turns gold, the shift to black causes the blade to lose its edges, reflective properties, everything at all, as if a mass of pure light-eating darkness had replaced the steel of his sword for the duration of his release.
Finally, the blade’s transformation will vary. Depending on the strength of the effect and how powerfully Majohime is singing, the blade will be less bright, or less dark. These changes have a wide range of possible levels of intensity and can change, sometimes from one to the other, even in the middle of use or combat.
Shikai Abilities
A performer at heart, Majohime loves to sing. However, she refuses to sing outside of her released state and her song has some strange properties.
First, her song can be audibly heared by other Shinigami and their Spirits. While all beings are affected, Shinigami are the only ones aware of what is happening, and therefore the most resistant to it.
Her songs can do one of two things, primarily: They can either draw attention to Noboru or they can repel it. The strength of these effects is dependent on the heart behind Majohime’s singing—a more impressive performance begets a stronger effect. Furthermore, those talented enough in their perceptive skills can resist the effects of the blade.
Noboru is unable to select which effect is activated upon release.
When her songs draw attention to Noboru they can become powerful enough that anyone affected can hardly think about anything else. The power does not induce opinions of Noboru, positive or negative, but simply makes him an object of such interest that they can’t spare a moment’s thought for anything else.
In combat, though, Noboru’s preferred effect is the one that repels attention. This side of the ability can get so powerful that even when Noboru stands directly in front of his opponent they remain unable to acknowledge him. His entire presence reaches an impact level near zero and this makes for excellent sneak attacks or for other assignments where discretion is of high value.
Both effects have limits, however. Physical injury caused by another target besides Noboru will be able to peel their attention off of him, if that’s the effect in question. This applies in reverse, where physical trauma inflicted by Noboru will draw a target’s attention to him despite how distracted they were before.
Bankai Appearance
UNKNOWN
Bankai Abilities
UNKNOWN
Documented History
Prologue
The Kamakura period of Japan ultimately proved rich with change and transformation for the islands of Japan. Much of Noboru's life, however, was gripped with fear of suffering and poverty. Born into a small village, his family lived on the very brink, always having what they needed, and always aware that it could all be torn away by those stronger than they, or a cruel turn of chance. His desire for greater security, however, compelled him to leave and seek fortune elsewhere.
He turned to life as a bandit instead, choosing to live well and potentially die young. He chose to pursue greatness and riches, believing that if he was successful, he would have everything he could ever want. Should he fail, however, it would be the end of his life -- and he chose danger of freedom over the perpetual terror of being at the mercy of men and gods alike.
Until the opportunity came to leave behind the life of an outlaw and work as a soldier in a peaceful, northern region of Japan. An easy life where he could more easily build what he needed, much more slowly, but with much more certainty and safety.
Only to hear of the approach of the Mongols and gather to fight them off. When their boats were destroyed by a storm, Noboru celebrated with food, drink, and women as much as anyone else -- as if he himself were a war hero to be honored and lauded. Certainly, it seemed, his decisions to turn from the life of an outlaw to a soldier in service of others was good.
Until the Mongols returned, convinced their first defeat was merely a fluke, and this time made it to the Japanese shores. Noboru was among the first to fight against them, and among the first Japanese to die in defense of his home.
Relevant Background
The discovery of Soul Society after his death was, at first, a waking nightmare for a man who would have rather it all come to an end. He found himself in the Rukongai with all other arriving souls, left to fend for himself in a world that often seemed even poorer than the one he left. Present, too, were strange people of all kinds that he could hardly imagine -- Mongols among them.
Life in Japan, however, was quickly forgotten, and Noboru found himself pulled into a family much like the one he was born into on Earth. Again, they worked day in and day out simply to get by. Their lack of a true need for food proved a cold comfort as their natural, human desires remained all the same, and the toils of the living repeated themselves even in death.
This, again, led Noboru down the same path: he picked up the sword he had forgotten how to wield and found himself accepted into the Shin'o Academy when he displayed sufficient spiritual power. In the course of his training and studies, his Zanpakutō manifested as planned, and a life within the Seireitei soon followed.
However, Noboru's career within the Gotei largely never began. As decades passed and friends from the Academy moved on to other and greater things, Noboru stagnated. He swapped between Divisions, serving in the Seventh, Thirteenth, Eighth, Eleventh, and eventually the Sixth.
Through it all, his power never grew, while that of his former peers once did, despite consistent habits of training and practice. Even as great death swept across much of the living world, Noboru continued to opt for additional assignments on Earth that everyone else wished to avoid. His habits of practice and painful training continued, honing his abilities, but never his strength. Eventually, he even learned the name of his Zanpakutō and mastered the release of her. This led to his being granted one of the lowest Seats in Sixth, and yet he was unsatisfied, possessed of no greater power than the day he left the Academy.
TAKAYAMA, NOBORU
SHINIGAMI
Twentieth Seat, Sixth Division
Personnel File
Name: Noboru Takayama
Age: ~110 Years
Sex: Male
Physical Specifications
Height, Weight, Build: Above average for the time, Noboru stands 170 centimeters tall at full height and weighs 63 kilograms. Much of his weight comes from simple bone and muscle mass. Eating habits developed during his time in the impoverished districts of Rukongai means his body has particularly little body fat. Now as a Shinigami, even on his average frame, he has the build of an exceedingly athletic young man—bordering on unhealthy, even after decades in the Seireitei.
Eyes: Among people at times possessed of icy blues, hot pinks, and emerald greens, his rather plain, brown eyes hardly stand out at all. Like the rest of the man, they typically appear soft and relaxed.
Hair: Noboru’s black hair varies in length depending on how much attention has been given to his personal grooming, whether by the criticisms of his superiors or the indifference of women. Sometimes he keeps it short enough that the naturally spiky, thin, soft nature stands out. Other times he lets it grow long enough to run down half the length of his nose and cover his ears, an unkempt mess. The only constant is that Noboru makes it a point to remain clean shaven whenever possible.
Spiritual Traits: When a soul possesses enough power it can generate a host of unique effects. For Noboru, however, the requisite power has never been his and therefore he has never seen many aspects of his soul come to life. He often appears flat and empty to others, at times particularly difficult to even notice. Some mistake him for an Academy Student, from a distance.
For example, his Reiatsu takes on a golden hue when powerful enough to become visible. When sufficiently superior to those in his vicinity it can feel like a suffocating weight on the chest, as if someone had laid them down and placed an anvil directly on their sternum. With that weight comes the numbing of the senses which becomes more and more severe until they reach the point of total unconsciousness.
While in Jinzen, a state of deep and meditative connection with the Zanpakutō, that same golden hue appears in the form of a ring inside his brown irises. These hues are all similar to the bright light that can possibly be given off by his blade while in Shikai; when it's not pitch black instead, that is.
General Appearance: Many people find it uncomfortable to wear their typical outfit at work when they’re not actually on the job. Noboru counts himself among these like-minded people. You will typically find him outside of the Seireitei in clothes befit a citizen more than a soldier. Finer linens, colorful and patterned, along with outfits collected from the last decade or so on Earth.
In particular, Noboru has a preference for looser-fitting clothes. If it’s something too tight he finds it unnecessarily suffocating. Shorts, baggy t-shirts, ripped or not, anything of the sort appeals to him far more than the formal wear of the modern World of the Living. When he’s on Earth for assignment he frequently has his Gigai dressed appropriately.
Although extremely rarely worn he also has a penchant for the outfits of Japan's emerging samurai. Red armor, multiple blades, and sometimes flags attached as well.
Psychological Profile
Positive Traits
Affable - Welcoming, open, and friendly, Noboru is a positive presence in almost all situations. He sees little value in constant misery or unhappiness and, despite his own frustrations with his lot in life, makes it a point to spread that positivity as much as he is able.
Mentorly - With little else to see value in, Noboru takes great pride in sharing what he was learned and what skills he has gained. It is a common point of conversation and he oftens offers to tutor those less able in areas where he has developed greater ability.
Disciplined - Within certain specializations, Noboru has developed the mastery of self to go through great suffering, or delay great gratification, for extensive periods of time. He orients much of his day-to-day around these activities.
Persistent - As a Shinigami, gods or the other cosmic powers that be within the world have given him only a single path: callous-growing, teeth-gritting, muscle-aching practice. He will have to fight and scrape for every ounce of worth he has and he has become accustomed to that.
Entertaining - Although infrequently shown, Noboru has a love for performing for others. Whether that's trough humor, tricks, stunts, or other feats of wonder, he enjoys the attention of others -- and is far too doubtful of himself for it to become overbearing.
Negative Traits
Inferiority Complex - Noboru does not do well with those who have achieved as much or more than him in similar or less time. He looks upon those with high seats within the Gotei, or those simply possessed of great spiritual power, as something else besides human -- as its the only explanation for why he continues to crawl through the dirt while others rise.
Cowardly - Fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of circumstances outside of his control. Noboru is no gambler and has never entered into a situation he did not know how to escape, even when escape was the worst thing for him.
Deferential - Excessively conflict-avoidant and unwilling to argue, Noboru rarely stands up for himself in the presence of those who do not defer to him at the outset.
Wrathful - One of his most common stress responses, and something he finds the most humiliating. Noboru often loses his temper when things are difficult or a situation is gradually becoming worse, lashing out at those around him in a verbal manner.
Frustrated - Outside his specialties, Noboru is still easily frustrated by failure or when he feels things are difficult. This often evolves into rage and anger, but begins as a simmering irritation that lingers beneath the surface and burns away at everything else like an acid.
Zanpakutō File
Zanpakutō Spirit
魔女姫, Majohime (Sorceress Princess)
After the natural manifestation of his Zanpakutō, Noboru frequently dreamed of what his Zanpakutō Spirit would be like. A man, a woman, an animal, or even a mythical creature? People were the most common form, he realized, but the curiosity kept him up at night. He imagined a valiant Spirit, strong and determined, that over the course of decades would guide him on a journey to great success as a Shinigami.
Instead he found Majohime, a young woman with shoulder-length, brown hair and golden-brown eyes. She frequently wears a kimono of some variety, such as one of intermixed reds and whites.
Her personality is what surprised him more than anything: Despite her feminine appearance she’s violently passionate, aggressive, and very quick to criticize. More than anyone else, Majohime strives to call Noboru out on his bad habits, poor choices, and negative attitude. There’s no louder a voice than hers when it comes to Noboru’s pitfalls and failures as a person.
Were that all there was to her, Majohime and Noboru’s relationship would have come apart at the seams shortly after it began. But more than she is a critic, she is his greatest source of encouragement. No one in his life, not even his closest friends, have pushed him to pursue things he doubted he could. Consistently, Majohime has proven herself his most ardent and consistent supporter.
Majohime herself insists that she has a life that he should not monopolize too much of. She refuses to speak much of it and her voice can never be heard outside the state of Jinzen, even more stubbornly than many other Zanpakutō Spirits. Noboru has discovered that she often spends time exploring the empty town she’s stuck in, having made a home for herself near the center. Even after decades, she says she’s hardly seen any of it.
She also practices archery on the island, typically near the beach, a habit she herself passed on to Noboru. When Noboru visit, he finds her doing this more often than anything else.
Perhaps her favorite thing to do, however, is to strum on her personal biwa. It is what she does upon her release as well, adding a melody to her vocals as she sings one of her many songs. This is her most passionate hobby and yet the one she practices the least, only playing on those rare star-lit nights when not otherwise called upon.
Inner World
Lost and alone on some deserted island is an old town. It’s nothing major, made maybe to house a few hundred, constructed out of entirely stone buildings, a sad-looking sort of gray. Many of them are dilapidated and falling to pieces, complete with cracks in their foundations, vines up the walls, and mold across almost anything wooden.
Around the island is the immense, never-ending sea of blue. The town itself, however, doesn’t cover every inch of the island, giving about a mile of grassland before it gives way to the beach. There’s nothing out on the sea except this island, no matter how far you go.
More notably, the world is almost always captured by overcast. Thick, puffy, grey clouds obscure the entire island. The only times that Noboru has seen sunlight were the days he graduated from the Academy, when he first learned Majohime’s name, and when he was promoted to the Twentieth Seat of the Sixth Division. Every other day for as long as he has known his inner world has been marked by dreary clouds.
These clouds do frequently give way to rain. The reasons for the rain seem to be a mystery, almost as if actual weather patterns dominated them, instead of being a reflection of Noboru himself.
Other changes that Noboru has seen in his lifetime primarily occur at night. Particularly bad storms will rip up the seas and drop lightning all across the island. Other nights bring with it the eerie calm of smooth seas and bright, star-lit nights. All of these seem to happen of their own accord.
The most common exception to overcast remains the days when fog overtakes the island completely. Thick walls of cloud will roll through the streets like an overbearing army keeping the populace in line.
Sealed Zanpakutō
As a full-length katana, Majohime fits right in amongst the other Zanpakutō of the Seireitei. Her defining features include a bright-gray fabric wrapped around the hilt and a mildly decorative, golden guard with curved, concave corners.
What, for no real reason, captures Noboru’s attention in regards to his Zanpakutō are three strings that hang from it. There’s nothing special about them, they’re just string, but for some reason Noboru feels a strong, strong pull from the strings—as if they’re important, enough to be protected at all costs.
Two of them are tassels, gold mixed with red, that hang from the bottom of the metal-capped brass pommel. Despite his closest inspections there’s nothing that stands out about them.
The odd one out of the three, though, is the red string with a knot at the end that hangs from just under the guard. It doesn’t seem to serve any purposes and dangles freely from the other, gray fabric that makes up the grip of the hilt.
Shikai Appearance
魅しろ, 魔女姫 Mishiro, Majohime (Captivate, Majohime)
When released, Majohime undergoes one or two drastic changes. The shape of the blade doesn’t change at all, however the nature of it does.
When Majohime sings to draw attention to herself, the blade will turn a brilliant gold. The light from the weapon can light a room. It gets so bright that any detail on the weapon is lost, making it seem almost flat to the opponent, devoid of depth and substance. However, the blade remains as heavy and sharp as ever.
On the other hand, the blade will turn black when Majohime sings to repel attention. Just as when it turns gold, the shift to black causes the blade to lose its edges, reflective properties, everything at all, as if a mass of pure light-eating darkness had replaced the steel of his sword for the duration of his release.
Finally, the blade’s transformation will vary. Depending on the strength of the effect and how powerfully Majohime is singing, the blade will be less bright, or less dark. These changes have a wide range of possible levels of intensity and can change, sometimes from one to the other, even in the middle of use or combat.
Shikai Abilities
A performer at heart, Majohime loves to sing. However, she refuses to sing outside of her released state and her song has some strange properties.
First, her song can be audibly heared by other Shinigami and their Spirits. While all beings are affected, Shinigami are the only ones aware of what is happening, and therefore the most resistant to it.
Her songs can do one of two things, primarily: They can either draw attention to Noboru or they can repel it. The strength of these effects is dependent on the heart behind Majohime’s singing—a more impressive performance begets a stronger effect. Furthermore, those talented enough in their perceptive skills can resist the effects of the blade.
Noboru is unable to select which effect is activated upon release.
When her songs draw attention to Noboru they can become powerful enough that anyone affected can hardly think about anything else. The power does not induce opinions of Noboru, positive or negative, but simply makes him an object of such interest that they can’t spare a moment’s thought for anything else.
In combat, though, Noboru’s preferred effect is the one that repels attention. This side of the ability can get so powerful that even when Noboru stands directly in front of his opponent they remain unable to acknowledge him. His entire presence reaches an impact level near zero and this makes for excellent sneak attacks or for other assignments where discretion is of high value.
Both effects have limits, however. Physical injury caused by another target besides Noboru will be able to peel their attention off of him, if that’s the effect in question. This applies in reverse, where physical trauma inflicted by Noboru will draw a target’s attention to him despite how distracted they were before.
Bankai Appearance
UNKNOWN
Bankai Abilities
UNKNOWN
Documented History
Prologue
The Kamakura period of Japan ultimately proved rich with change and transformation for the islands of Japan. Much of Noboru's life, however, was gripped with fear of suffering and poverty. Born into a small village, his family lived on the very brink, always having what they needed, and always aware that it could all be torn away by those stronger than they, or a cruel turn of chance. His desire for greater security, however, compelled him to leave and seek fortune elsewhere.
He turned to life as a bandit instead, choosing to live well and potentially die young. He chose to pursue greatness and riches, believing that if he was successful, he would have everything he could ever want. Should he fail, however, it would be the end of his life -- and he chose danger of freedom over the perpetual terror of being at the mercy of men and gods alike.
Until the opportunity came to leave behind the life of an outlaw and work as a soldier in a peaceful, northern region of Japan. An easy life where he could more easily build what he needed, much more slowly, but with much more certainty and safety.
Only to hear of the approach of the Mongols and gather to fight them off. When their boats were destroyed by a storm, Noboru celebrated with food, drink, and women as much as anyone else -- as if he himself were a war hero to be honored and lauded. Certainly, it seemed, his decisions to turn from the life of an outlaw to a soldier in service of others was good.
Until the Mongols returned, convinced their first defeat was merely a fluke, and this time made it to the Japanese shores. Noboru was among the first to fight against them, and among the first Japanese to die in defense of his home.
Relevant Background
The discovery of Soul Society after his death was, at first, a waking nightmare for a man who would have rather it all come to an end. He found himself in the Rukongai with all other arriving souls, left to fend for himself in a world that often seemed even poorer than the one he left. Present, too, were strange people of all kinds that he could hardly imagine -- Mongols among them.
Life in Japan, however, was quickly forgotten, and Noboru found himself pulled into a family much like the one he was born into on Earth. Again, they worked day in and day out simply to get by. Their lack of a true need for food proved a cold comfort as their natural, human desires remained all the same, and the toils of the living repeated themselves even in death.
This, again, led Noboru down the same path: he picked up the sword he had forgotten how to wield and found himself accepted into the Shin'o Academy when he displayed sufficient spiritual power. In the course of his training and studies, his Zanpakutō manifested as planned, and a life within the Seireitei soon followed.
However, Noboru's career within the Gotei largely never began. As decades passed and friends from the Academy moved on to other and greater things, Noboru stagnated. He swapped between Divisions, serving in the Seventh, Thirteenth, Eighth, Eleventh, and eventually the Sixth.
Through it all, his power never grew, while that of his former peers once did, despite consistent habits of training and practice. Even as great death swept across much of the living world, Noboru continued to opt for additional assignments on Earth that everyone else wished to avoid. His habits of practice and painful training continued, honing his abilities, but never his strength. Eventually, he even learned the name of his Zanpakutō and mastered the release of her. This led to his being granted one of the lowest Seats in Sixth, and yet he was unsatisfied, possessed of no greater power than the day he left the Academy.
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