[Application] Hakuro Kawazoe <13th Division>

[anime-niac]

This is an overhaul of my original character, Shinichi Izumi, with permission from Zaero-taichou.

Name: Hakuro Kawazoe

Gender: Male

Age:
At death - 20
Soul Society - 90

Appearance: Hakuro stands at a good 186 cm, which is pretty unusual for a traditional Japanese person. However, while he possess average strength and above average agility, he isn't particularly muscular. His shoulder are pretty broad, though, but overall he looks just plain lanky. His black hair is short and combed back, and his eyes were a deep brown that seem almost black. His neck is a good three inches long, adding to his lanky appearance.

Personality: Many would agree that Hakuro is a very timid and withdrawn person. Although friendly and very polite, he speaks little and his eyes seem permanently downcast. He may look at the person in front of him in the eye for a moment, but just as quickly drop down again. His expression a majority of the time is that of gentle nostalgia, as if he's constantly looking back at something that happened in his past.

He's very sensitive around areas in which there are hostilities. At the sight of people around him getting attacked he feels a tightness in his chest and an urge to intervene, which he usually obeys. He's easily disheartened at the sight of death around him, yet at the sime time he can draw strength from it and fight harder to protect those who remain around him. However, the more who fall around him the more disheartened he'll feel and the less strength (or motivation, if you will) he'll draw from it, but even that may be meaningless if the number is so great.

Hakuro enjoys solitude, prefering to stay under the Sakura grove and watch the petals ride the wind, if either were present.

Biography: Back in the world of the living Hakuro grew up in Sengawa, populated area of Tokyo, Japan. His father was a master of the reknowned Kawazoe dojo, which was a well known Kendo Dojo, a national landmark and well known for its long lineage of strong kendo practitioners, instructors, and masters. Hakuro was no exception, even bearing the weight as heir to the dojo among his two other siblings. He was very passionate about it, especially using his childhood dream of becoming a form of "Hero of Justice" as a form of motivation. He took part in several competitions throughout his life, and each time he's made it as a regional champion and international finalist, maintaining his family's image as the kendo kingpin.

The last national tournament he competed in was the last one he will ever compete in. He was still considered a rising star as he continued to dominate the competition after he graduated from high school. Many looked up to him, but there were a few who saw him as a threat. Conveniently after his match that allowed him to advance to the finals, a lone gunman confronted him in front of the stadium...and shot him down.

To this day Hakuro knows little of his past life before he arrived in Wakara, District 62 of North Rukongai (which was notorious for its rough conditions) including his wanderings before being sent via konso. He had to compete with everyone for resources, from food to water to a roof on his head. Each day felt like an eternity, but at the same time he could never remember what happened the day before. One day he noticed that several of the people formed a mob to raid the the nearby village since so many in District 62 were so poor and barely getting by. Although hungry himself, he opposed the group, using a broom for a weapon against them. It was a fight for his life, with his stick against their numbers and sickles. While he managed to keep a few at bay he knew that he couldn't keep it up forever; that, and that running was useless, so he continued to use the kendo ability which he had no idea how at that time how he could possibly possess to fend them off.

That's when he met his first friend. Eiji Takamura possessed great ability as a swordsman. Just when Hakuro was finally about to be overwhelmed Eiji had appeared to his rescue, appearing by his side and helping in stopping the mob. They fought side by side, and Hakuro felt as if Eiji were some Hero that he had hoped to become some time ago.

Afterwards, the two were inseparable, and both aspired to become Shinigami. After several years of hard training together they finally made it through the rigorous application process and enrolled themselves into the Daikokushibarai Academy, their first step towards their goal.

Division Applying To: 13th Division

Zanpakuto Appearance: A 80cm long katama. The blade is silver-white that possesses a two degree curve up to the tip. The hilt is gold plated tied with blue string for grip. The cross-guard is a solid, golden circle with a cloud design engraved into it. The scabbard has a solid, jet black lacquer, and the total weight is 26 pounds.

[anime-niac]

Sample Mission:

Life in Wakara, the name of the sixty-second district in North Rukongai, was becoming increasingly unbearable. It’s been a year since Hakuro arrived here in this dump. At least, he believed it was a year. When he first arrived it was spring, just when the snow began to thaw and the sakura trees began to bloom. He always loved watching sakura trees. The serenity of watching such beautiful flowers bloom and the petals flying in the wind; it was a sight that he had enjoyed for some reason. Anyways, he arrived in early spring, and this was his second winter.

I guess this means that I’ve been here for almost two years, he thought to himself. The days passed by slowly here in Wakara, and more so in the winter. He never really enjoyed winter for that matter. In fact, he enjoyed the warmer seasons so much more, spring especially since it was sakura season. A warm day, taking refuge in the shade of a sakura tree and watching the petals dance on the wind; that was something he really missed and missed easily.

Winter in Wakara was especially cold, in his opinion. He regretted most that his memories of his past life had been fading away quite easily over the past few months, but he was still satisfied with the small comfort that he retained the general feeling when he experienced something that he thought was familiar, and this time it was the weather. Wherever he grew up it wasn’t really this cold. Sure, it was cold, but not as severe as this. The Wakaran winter was something he could never get used to; too cold for his taste. Then again, he always preferred the sunlight.

Life was always hard here in Wakara. There was very little food to go around, and the stream that ran through the nearby forest was half a day’s walk just to reach it, so to stock up on water one must spend an entire day walking. With so little supply, everyone had to fight for it. There was a huge brawl everyday in the center of town whenever more food arrives, and another at the edge of town whenever someone comes back with jugs of water. It was nothing but complete chaos during those times, but it's hardly recognizable to any except the newer guys. To them it's degrading and painful to watch, but to those who know the law of the land, like Hakuro, it's routine. Everyone needed to do whatever they needed to do to survive. Everyone knew that the weak will only get left behind, and those left behind are as good as dead.

That's life so far, but lately things have been getting quite rowdy and restless. The brawls were violent in general, always resulting in so many injured and a few dead. Hakuro used to be taken aback at the sight, but over time he grew used it. He never was good with those martial arts stuff he kept hearing about, but he did develop some fast reflexes to fend off several bludgeoning attacks of various kinds. In his eyes those techniques were only good for bringing harm, something he was really against, so just being able to defend himself was good enough.

However, things have gotten even more violent than before that past few few weeks. Less food has been going around, and there have been less trips into the forest for water due to reports of many who have not returned. Those who did return didn't come back with single jug of water, but completely traumatized, claiming something about corpses all around the stream. With the lack of supplies the violence escalated, resulting in even more deaths and injuries.

However, today seemed to be the limit of all everything. There was a huge gathering at the center of town, and this time there wasn't a brawl. As Hakuro began approaching he could hear the voice of someone arguing.

“-into our own hands! Those fool shinigami in seireitei don't give a squat about us here in Rukongai! While they get fat we keep getting skinnier. It's about time we take control over our fate!”

The audience around the man cheered him in awe. In the past two years that Hakuro had been here this is the first time everyone had agreed to anything. The only time something was actually “agreed” upon was when one of the parties was unconscious, leaving the other to dominate and make decisions unhindered. Today wasn't like that at all; they were all standing together in agreement without any bloodshed whatsoever.

Instead of being glad he felt on guard. The situation just didn't feel right, no matter how well things seemed to appear. Sure, it was great and all that everyone is finally working with each other rather than be at each other's throats, but that's the way life had been for these people. Whatever was going on, it wasn't the way things should be.

“Pick up your weapons!” The man in the center of the square declared. “It is time to rise up! Let us march up to the next village, and take what should be rightfully ours!”

A gasp escaped Hakuro at the realization. Although it was not out loud, he cursed himself for his ignorance. The mob had intended to raid the nearby village in the sixty-first district of their supplies for their own. While he sympathized them for their actions, he could not allow them to carry it out. He stepped forward, pushing himself through the crowd, and confronted the ringleader himself.

“You can't do that!” Hakuro barked angrily. “We can't just take that food from them for ourselves! That's sick!”

“Oh?” The gruff, muscular man who stood a good four inches above Hakuro turned his head cockily. He had an amused expression at the sight of Hakuro's rejection of their wishes. “I think I've seen you around here. What's your name, boy, and how long have you been around?”

Hakuro didn't feel like introducing himself to the man before him. No, not a man, a scumbag. “I've been here for almost two years, and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone go on and decide to attack another village. I never thought I'd be living in a village of thieves.”

The man before him looked at him dumbfoundedly, as if he were struck across the face. Suddenly he burst into hysterical laughter, and several of the flunkies around him followed suit.

“My god, boy, you sure are stupid!” the man exclaimed. “You lived here for two years and you still haven't realized it yet! This is a village of thieves! From the very start we've been thieves, or turn to it sooner or later if we didn't want to die. How many people do you think have died because of the food you've eaten? That other person could have eaten that, and instead of you he's probably be alive. It's all about survival, kid, so there's nothing wrong with going into the village next door and taking what we need.”

Fists clenched, Hakuro endured the cruel lecture. It was wrong; it was all wrong. They couldn't do this, but...what the man spoke was true. People died here on a regular basis from the lack of food, and everyone did what they could to get what they needed. By everything that meant exactly that; the people in Wakara will do whatever they need to live on, even if their hands become soiled. However...

“You're right,” Hakuro spoke finally after a moment of silence. His head initially hung as he came to those realizations, but now he glared at the man with fierce determination and defiance. “However, that should be our curse to bear. I'll admit, it's human nature to do whatever we need to survive, but it doesn't mean we have to ruin the peace of mind for everyone else just for our own selfishness. You may be right about us being thieves, but it's wrong to bring such injustice to others who don't deserve it.”

Everything was silent. The air was filled with a delicate, eerie silence as Hakuro's speech stuck everyone hard. Life was hard, and with that came the difficulty of maintaining a sense of morality in a lawless world. That in mind, several people left the mob to return to their ramshackle homes. However, there were still quite a few people who still wished to continue.

“Well, what a touching speech,” the ringleader spoke mockingly. “I must say, it really touched my heart. Sorry to disappoint you, but let's face the facts; there isn't enough food going around here for everyone, so our only logical solution is to take it from somewhere else. If they suffer from that...” The man gave a thoughtful pause, but one could tell from the smirk on his face that it was a feigned expression.

“...Well, at least they'll know of how we suffered.”

Something inside Hakuro snapped. He was seriously pissed. He couldn't tolerate the idea of forcing suffering onto people, no matter how logical it may be. Even though he was completely against the resolution, he instead decided to lash out at the man before him. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that it was just a ruse to spill more blood.

Running forward at full speed, he pulled back with right fist. His only goal was to defeat this man, regardless of what may happen to him.