Shiju Shūdō

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"Is this really your skill level, worshipers of the sword? Come at me all at once, if you truly wish to prove your mettle!"

—Shiju to the Ōryū Temple^[src]

"Mouth of a monkey, wisdom of a Dragon."

—Ashy

Shiju
Name	Shiju
Kanji	死受
Romaji	Shiju
Characteristics
Race	Soul (Pseudo-Tenjin)
Birthday	October 13
Age	500+
Gender	Male
Height	182cm
Weight	75kg
Professional Status
Affiliation	Six Directions
Previous Affiliation	Yuengiri Academy, Ryū Order, Horiwari
Occupation	Shinigami, Six Directions Member
Previous Occupation	Yuengiri Academy Instructor, Yoshiaki Hiroshi's Apprentice
Team	Six Directions, Ikki
Previous Team	Yuengiri Academy
Partner	Ashido Kanō
Previous Partner	Yoshiaki Hiroshi
Base of Operations	Reikai
Personal Status
Marital Status	Single
Relatives	Unnamed Parents
Education	Shinō Academy, Yoshiaki Hiroshi(Yuengiri, Advanced Zankensoki)
Status	Active
Zanpakutō
Shikai	Minarai
Bankai	Sanzaien Minarai

Shiju (死受, Shiju) is a powerful and intelligent Shinigami who is currently affiliated with the Six Directions following the Collapse. Shiju was a man trained by Yoshiaki Hiroshi in the arts of Yuengiri, later challenging and peacefully coexisting with the Ōryū Temple due to his mastery, giving him the title Shūdō (主堂, Temple Master). This would later be adopted as his surname, causing most to refer to him as Shiju Shūdō (主堂死受, Shūdō Shiju).

Prior to the Collapse, Shiju had taught the arts of Zanjutsu and the Yuengiri to those of the Yuengiri Academy. However, the sheer destruction forced other teachers such as Ashido Kanō to give up their lives to save the students, Shiju along with them.

While no actual academy exists now, Shiju has formed a small team known as Ikki, training these individuals in the spirit of the Yuengiri given that he, along with Kentaro Hiroshi, are the only two active practitioners of the philosophical Zanjutsu doctrine. Although, with the reemergence of Ashido Kanō, this is proven false. Now, he has a strong teaching role within the Six Directions along with his old friend.

Appearance

Shiju's general appearance.

Shiju's appearance, in comparison to other masters of the Yuengiri, is notably underwhelming. He bears features associated with a typical bishōnen, the most prominent of which is his strikingly blond hair. His hair is short, parted to the left and is normally unkept due to more pressing matters that Shiju must pay attention to. To complement this, Shiju also possesses strikingly lavender eyes that, on some occasions, can be viewed as a vibrant blue when he releases his spiritual power. While he used to possess a calm, cheerful gaze, it has since turned into a much more stoic glare, in a similar manner to how his friend Ashido once did. Following Ashido's return and the settling of events after the Collapse, Shiju has returned to his more mellow self, something which his students remarked was a "lot more fitting for a bishōnen like you [Shiju]."

Given Shiju's training, he possesses a lean, but muscular build that epitomizes the strength of his core — reflected by his abs — in order to accommodate for the graceful style of the Yuengiri. A significant trait of Shiju's that is normally hidden is the large tattoo that goes across his back and his chest. It appears to be an oriental dragon in design. Its scales are a dark blue, inked with green across the edges with a bright orange face and claws. It appears to be a symbol of his allegiance to the Ōryū, although it was later revealed that he fashioned it as a tribute to his late mentor, Yoshiaki Hiroshi. However, given his loose-fitting and conservative attires, this is rarely seen by others, making him appear underwhelming to most combatants. 

Shiju is normally seen in one of two attires. The first is for casual situations. It consists of a simple black tank-top underneath a light purple jacket with white lightning on the interior of his arms, along with two unknown symbols on both sides of his chest.  Underneath this, he wears a pair of green slacks and brown, lace-up boots. However, given the opportunity for rest is almost void in the Reikai, Shiju is normally seen in an attire more suited for combat. A variation on the Shinigami's Shihakushō, it consists of a white kosode with orange lining underneath a dark blue haori on top of a dark blue hakama and obi fastening his zanpakutō to his left, while wearing a simple pair of tabi and waraji as footwear.

Shiju's combat attire.

Shiju and Mukuro during the Kagamino City arc.

As a younger man, Shiju's appearance wasn't very different from his present. He was slightly shorter and, thus, appeared slightly more broad built to the common eye. Shiju's hair was also shorter and he spiked it more frequently, thus avoiding any locks of hair covering his forehead. Shiju's outfit was also greatly inspired by the denizens of the modern Human World. He wore a blue coat that had gold hemmings across the sleeves, the sleeves' edges, the collar and down the center of the torso. His sleeves were rolled back slightly, thus leaving his wrists free from any interruptions. Underneath the coat he seems to wear a black, form-fitting, sleeveless tank that highlights his muscularity prominently. For lower-body wear, Shiju opts to wear a simple pair of white slacks and a pair of simple black lace-up leather shoes. His pants are fastened to his waist using a simple black leather belt with a gold buckle. 

Personality

"Many have perished...however, their spirits — our spirits — will never vanquish. We will stabilize this world as One Spirit!"

—Shiju's resolve.^[src]

Relationships

Lovers

Mukuro

Main Article -- Mukuro.

The beginning of a different kind of relationship.

Close Friends

Kenji Hiroshi

Main Article -- Kenji Hiroshi.

"We're both the Idiot Pupils of the one-and-only stalker Yoshiaki Hiroshi. I don't think the enemy numbers or class matters. If one of us fights, the other one is bound to jump into the fray. That's just how we are!"

—Shiju describing his and Kenji Hiroshi's relationship to Ino Hiroshi^[src]

Kenji (left) and Shiju (right) indulging in noodles.

Shiju and Kenji, despite not being acquaintances for very long, are remarkably close, particularly due to the similarities they have with one another. Their relationship was built upon a mutual respect due to sharing the same master, at least when it came to cementing their Yuengiri teachings. While Kenji states that Shiju is capable of doing "scary things with a zanpakutō", Shiju admires Kenji's power and sees him as a goal to live up to. While never truly expanded on further, Kentaro noted that Shiju's assistance with Kentaro's endeavors had to have been due to the bond shared between his father and Shiju, an assumption that was substantiated by Shiju restoring Kentaro's faith in the Yuengiri.

A comical aspect of their relationship was their love of noodles which their shared mentor detested, referring to any dishes with the ingredient as "foul." Moreover, both disciples have a passion in insulting their master at any given opportunity, which often leads to them being punished via physical means by the aforementioned.

Shiju has, otherwise, shown a cheerful attitude towards Kenji and, by extension, his acquaintances. While with Kenji, Shiju seemingly abandons the laws of the Ōryū Temple, meeting Kenji face-to-face despite every combatant being forced to challenge the temple prior to meeting the master. He refers to both of them as the "Idiot Pupils of the one-and-only stalker Yoshiaki Hiroshi," a claim which Kenji doesn't disagree with. Kenji himself believes strongly in Shiju's strength, as seen by Shiju being the first contacted by Kenji to join their vanguard.

History

Shiju as a child.

Shiju was born in the Soul Society to two middle-class parents in the upper echelons of the Rukongai. His life was relatively mellow, that is, until his latent spiritual power awoke. He was initially unaware of the energy that permeated from his being, however, he had to constantly replenish his body and would be avoided by other kids of a similar socio-political status to him.

This would change when he encountered a Shinigami for the first time. The man didn't have a great status at all, and was simply running errands. However, he noticed some level of talent in the boy. He encouraged Shiju to go to the Shinō Academy, something which the young boy was completely unaware of. After consulting his parents, it was apparent that Shiju was better off at the Academy. He was sent off only a few days later, surprisingly being accepted into the Academy on his first try. It was here that Shiju's life truly began.

Shiju in the academy.

Shiju's time in the academy wasn't exactly very enjoyable, for how long it lasted. Because of his surprising intelligence, Shiju was put into Class #1, the special accelerated program. Because most of his classmates were, in fact, from nobility, Shiju found himself in a rather awkward situation and therefore opted to stay on his own for most of his tenure in the Academy. He associated with others for only small periods of time, mainly during assessment periods. Due to his willing isolation, however, Shiju often had free time to observe events surrounding him. It would become a habit for him to eavesdrop on certain conversations or observe peculiar events during the Academy, leading to his remarkable ability to respond to almost any situation with little surprise.

The unusual Hollow standing before Shiju's class.

In his second year, Shiju was finally assigned to Konsō practice with a number of his classmates in the Human World. Things were proceeding as normal until a peculiar being descended near the venue of the class' practicing grounds. While initially cloaked, Shiju was soon fit to determine that the cloaked being was a Hollow, albeit its true nature was unbeknownst to him. Suddenly, the Hollow-esque being went on a rampage, with the monstrosity targeting the class. The teachers accompanying the students immediately went on the defensive, summoning Kidō barriers in an attempt to stall the creature, although it didn't work as intended, causing both teachers to be significantly injured in the process.

As hope quickly faded for the class, Shiju had almost accepted his death by the hands of this creature. Shiju closed his eyes, not wishing to see his own death. A clang of blades reverberated in his ears at that moment, and his eyes shot open. He saw a man, clad in a simple Kimono, defend him with what appeared to be a Zanpakutō. Shiju quickly retreated to a safer location, observing the battle as he did. While retreating, the young man managed to catch a glimpse of another cloaked being, but avoided any eye contact in fear for any further danger. The battle between the intervening Shinigami — who introduced himself as Yoshiaki Hiroshi — and the strange creature had ended with a grand explosion resulting from a backfired Cero, leaving the surrounding area in tatters but ensuring the safety of everyone involved.

After the event, Yoshiaki appeared to mysteriously vanish from the sights of the students and teachers. Although, according to the higher-tier staff of the Academy, who would be informed of the situation, their perception of Yoshiaki's intervention was that it was done for "his own gain" and that helping out the class was not part of his plan in the slightest. Shiju, who was informed of the staff's conclusion, did not seem to believe it, given the sincerity behind Yoshiaki's words. Nevertheless, as a means to prevent the Academy's reputation from being hampered, the event's proceedings were immediately squandered from the minds of others, leaving only the normal Academy life to proceed.

Shiju, although living his life as normal, began to note some oddities, particularly while he attended class. Over the course of the month following the event with the strange creature, Shiju began to find that there were an increasing number of students who had taken days off of classes, the majority of them not appearing after their supposed excused absences. Shiju intended to take this matter to the principal as his suspicions were affirmed. On his way to the principal's office, Shiju had found the same cloaked man that he saw on the day of the incident, along with an unconscious student being carried by another individual.

Shiju's attempt at escape.

Shiju was noticed by the two individuals, and the white-haired man quickly attempted to silence him with an incredible feat of speed. However, he was thwarted by the sudden dissolution of nearby classes, causing the duo to retreat with the unconscious student in hand. Shiju, incapable of letting such things go on any longer, immediately headed towards the principal's room. Much to his surprise, however, his fellow students had surrounded him. They were informed by the principal that Shiju was, in fact, the perpetrator behind the various disappearances within the Academy. Outnumbered, Shiju's only possibility of not being apprehended was to create a distraction and escape. He quickly managed to use a weak Sekienton before disappearing with a Shunpo leap, before hiding in a rather old, unused area of the Academy. Nevertheless, this hiding place only proved to work for a small period of time. Given that the entire student body was after him, his location was soon narrowed down and he'd become cornered by a vast majority of students senior to himself.

In the nick of time, however, his previous savior had come to save his life once again. The man, reaffirmed to be Yoshiaki Hiroshi, entered with extreme speed. Looking at the boy to compose him, Yoshiaki proceeded to send out a wave of spiritual pressure to knock out the surrounding students with relative ease, before taking Shiju away from the Academy's proximity via a swift, strong Shunpo. It had only been moments till they landed a significant distance away from the Academy. Much to Shiju's surprise, they were in a remote portion of the Shihōin Clan Estate, specifically one of Anika Shihōin's safe houses. Given the events of the day, Shiju's exhaustion took its toll and he, as any other ordinary student, went into a deep sleep as soon as he reached the estate, much to Yoshiaki and Anika's amusement.

Shiju heading out with Yoshiaki.

It had been about a day and Shiju awoke from his deep slumber. The exact events, due to his exhaustion, were hazy to him. However he managed to recollect everything almost as soon as he walked out of his room and saw Yoshiaki. Shiju understood the consequences of the actions that he was framed for and steeled himself. He declared that he would like to accompany Yoshiaki on his journey as a vagabond, for it was clear that remaining on his own wouldn't improve his situation in the slightest. Yoshiaki joyfully replied that the plan was exactly that, decided to take him on as both a companion and apprentice, heading out to wander the spiritual realms in order to vanquish the influence of Kagura as best as possible, while simultaneously protecting themselves from the relentless assault of the Gotei 13 and Onmitsukidō. Anika, who was witness to these events, could only admire Shiju's resolve in the face of such adversity, remarking that he'd grow up to become quite a revolutionary, much like her own students. Yoshiaki would proceed to tell both Anika and Shiju that to become revolutionary, one must be strong, to which he asked Shiju if he had ever heard of the Yuengiri, cementing the basis of their training.

Synopsis

Main article: Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi)

Part I

Main article: Bleach: Sun and Moon Chronicles

Machinations arc

• Kagura's Machinations
• Prototype Unleashed
• The Trap is Sprung

Temple Master arc

• First Farewell
• Answered Prayers
• God is the Sword

Kagamino City arc

• Counter Operations (mentioned)
• The Two Idiot Pupils
• Prelude to War!
• To Catch a Weasel

Rukongai on Fire

• Performing a King's Duty

Part II & III

Main article: Bleach: War of the Worlds

Part IV

Main article: Bleach: Cataclysm

Pre-Collapse Events

• Filling the Pedestal

Post-Collapse Events

• One Spirit Lives
• Imparting Wisdom

Shiju's Story: Tale of the Monkey

Blooming Red arc

• Blooming Red: Planted Seed
• Blooming Red: Growing Stem
• Blooming Red: Wild Rose

Specials

• Halloween Special! Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!
• Christmas Special! Eggnog, Presents and Hollow!?

Equipment and Inventions

Shiju drawing the blade.

Kōsen Tenza (黄泉天座, Yellow Spring's Heavenly Throne):

The blade on display.

Sugari Ontachi (候画理音太刀, Singing Long Sword Painting Reason):

Powers and Abilities

Immense Spiritual Power: Shiju, as a Yuengiri master, wielder of Bankai – and more recently – the host of Ikusa, possesses reiryoku greater than the standard for Captain-class. Shiju has always possessed a notable reservoir of latent spiritual energy, which unconsciously caused other people to avoid him and essentially forced him to go to the Shinō Academy, where he passed its test on his first try. Only a year later, the strength of his reiryoku increased to the point where he could withstand the overbearing presence of Kagura’s prototype for longer than his instructors, causing Yoshiaki Hiroshi to remark he was the only one with a backbone. His true reserves would be awoken following his training with Yoshiaki. His spiritual power showed a dramatic spike in volume and quality, having managed to attract a group of Hollow within the boundaries of the Rukongai, despite the occurrence being very rare. His power was noticed by the likes of Anika Shihōin despite being in obscurity for some time, enough so that she recommended him as a member of her vanguard against the Privaron Espada: Kenji ended up being relieved that he accepted the proposal. This potential was translated through his battle with Joel Félix where, despite only releasing his Shikai, he managed to withstand virtually all of his hidden power without access to external transformations or Bankai. By the time the First Spiritual War was in full swing, Shiju's training with a newly designed spell enabled him to subjugate a large conglomerate gang of the Rukongai on his lonesome, despite the fact that the army had numbers in the thousands and its leader, Hakata was a Captain-class combatant. Closer to The Collapse, Shiju’s power has increased to the point where he managed to withstand the tensei of Ikusa, despite its existence transcending Shiju’s own power. Though Ikusa would later note that even Shiju could only maintain this for a short while, saying the gap between his raw power and skill was very far. However, with the addition of Ikusa’s power in his body, the Shinigami’s reiryoku has broken past the average Captain-class Shinigami, heading into territories excluded to the strongest of beings.

• Masterful Reiatsu Control: Shiju’s release of reiatsu is a brilliant gold color. It poses considerable strength as, following his training with Yoshiaki, he managed to intimidate Hollows – the embodiment of fear and negativity – with ease. By the time of the Collapse, Shiju's control over his reiatsu enables him to solidify it to the point where he can lift and propel debris from various distances as if he were performing a physical action. In the same instance, he also managed to use foreign interactions with the range of his reiatsu to perform his own variation of Reikaku, being fit to determine the location and status of Satori, Kisei and Minori with extraordinary speed and accuracy. It is likely that this control can be attributed to his Yuengiri training, given the very controlled output of his Battle Aura.

High Intellect: Shiju is a highly intellectual individual who has proven, time and time again, that his observational and analytical skills cause him to be dangerous even to superior combatants. The fact that Kagura was exposed to him twice — while Shiju was a student — despite his notoriety for stealth and backup plans, exemplifies this fact. He is noted to be able to pick up on things that individuals purposefully hide as well as effortlessly apply his innate perceptive skills in combat through disseminating enemy ranks with simple taunts. Likewise, he is also quite adept in the ability to boost the morale of those around him through situational awareness, giving a greater purpose to his goofball nature, which even Ino Hiroshi acknowledged. In addition, due to his passion for learning and knowledge, Shiju has been known to teach that knowledge with great skill. The fact that he was chosen as one of Yuengiri Academy's prized instructors, managed to teach all of Ikki the basics of Yuengiri in very little time, although they all had prior exposure, and even assist Kentaro in regaining his mastery over the form in only a matter of minutes highlights this skill of his considerably.

Kidō: As a trained Shinigami in both classical Zankensoki and the Yuengiri, Shiju possesses a notable level of skill in Kidō. Even as an Academy student, Shiju possessed the ability to use a Sekienton without incantation and with enough power to divert the attention of dozens of students for a considerable amount of time. Post-collapse, Shiju demonstrated skill notable enough to use sleep-inducing spells wordlessly. He then further demonstrated adept knowledge and application of Kaidō by way of Denkitō, successfully amputating his student's mangled arm and cauterizing his wounds, albeit he was quick to note that it wasn't a completely refined cutting.

Shiju comically evading "capture".

Hohō Expertise: Given Hohō's nature as a form on its own, Shiju has learned to master both specific techniques - such as Shunpo - along with its general principles for great effect. Despite not possessing the raw speed of a master, Shiju's control over his body is undoubtedly incredible. It is a talent he has honed since his introduction to the artform, where even as an academy student he managed to utilize successive Shunpo steps without unintentional shifts in direction. Following his tenure of training with Yoshiaki Hiroshi, his agility and reflexes - when used in tandem with his Shunpo - enabled him to perform complex aerial maneuvers from a variety of makeshift standpoints. This highlights not only his control over his body, but the spiritual pressure emitting out of it, which is a core concept within Shunpo. He integrates this tremendously skilful speed within his swordplay as well, performing even simple swordsmanship maneuvers with deft ease and accuracy. His most recent demonstration of Shunpo was immediately following the Collapse, where he managed to employ successive steps of great speed despite his pre-existing injuries, surpassing the speed of his marginally healthier students at the time.

Zanjutsu

Zanjutsu Master:

Jinzen (刃禅, Blade Zen/Sword Meditation):

• Kyōmei (共鳴, Resonance):
• Shinzan (真斬, True Cut):

Kamae

Kamae Master (構え, Stance):

Yuengiri

Yuengiri Master (所以義理, Way of Honor):

• Calmness (平気, Heiki):
• Battle Aura (一戦霊気, Issenreiki):
• Soul Manipulation (霊操縦, Reisōjū):

Zanpakutō

Shiju holding his zanpakutō, Minarai, while revealing his tattoos.

Minarai (見習い, Looking and Learning): Shiju's zanpakutō takes the form of an average-length katana with a deep red hilt and crossguard. The crossguard has knife-like protrusions coming out of it in a hexagonal shape, with a tail-like pattern circulating across it. Because of Shiju's intimate connection with his zanpakutō, he manages to summon it towards his location at any point in time, although he also remarks that Minarai is "oddly stubborn" and insists that she stays by Shiju's side. It is notable that, unlike many other zanpakutō, Minarai can act independently from its wielder when she discerns that Shiju is in some sort of peril. Often times, she miraculously saves his life through blocking a fatal strike by telekinetic movement.

Shiju with a released Minarai.

• Shikai: Shiju's Shikai is released with the command "Perceive All of Creation" (万象お悟る, Banshō o Satoru). When doing so, four of the protrusions on the crossguard detach from the sword and are smothered in a golden aura of spiritual energy. They subsequently grow and morph into a large golden shuriken with white across the edges of the blades and the center. Its length is greater than his katana by a number of inches and it is wide enough to be used as a makeshift shield, should he wish. At the center of the shuriken is a grip that Shiju uses to hold the shuriken. However, with his current level of synergy with his zanpakutō, the shuriken simply functions according to Shiju's commands telekinetically instead, enabling Shiju to employ the full force of his swordsmanship in tandem with his Shikai.

Shikai Special Ability: Minarai's ability is succinctly summarized by Shiju as being able to "perceive and adapt to external stimuli." When released, Minarai acts independently and can either follow Shiju's movements or perform its own to ensure his safety. The speed and defensive ability of these constructs are formidable, as they are able to withstand the force of Navaja quite easily even if they sorely outnumber Minarai. In addition, they were momentarily capable of repelling a powerful Cero on their own. Shiju has also demonstrated that he is capable of using his Shikai as a medium to cast, and enhance, his Kidō.

• Bankai: Sanzaien Minarai (三罪猿見習い, Three Sinning Monkeys Looking and Learning):

Bankai Special Ability:

Quotes

• (About Yoshiaki Hiroshi) "I should have known his bad sense of direction rubbed off on me. How is one supposed to become a master if they can't even find their way around the place!?"
• (To Ōryū Temple swordsmen) "Is this really your skill level, worshipers of the sword? Come at me all at once, if you truly wish to prove your mettle!"
• (To Ino Hiroshi) "Ino, firstly, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. And secondly, we're both the Idiot Pupils of the one-and-only stalker Yoshiaki Hiroshi. I don't think the enemy numbers or class matters. If one of us fights, the other one is bound to jump into the fray. That's just how we are!"
• (To Ino Hiroshi) "Actually Ino...it's psychologically favorable for us to be cheerful. Without this cheerfulness...we'll never see the light of hope in war. We know Aizen can win...but we won't let him, you know that right? It's only a man who can smile in war."
• (To Ikki) "Many have perished...however, their spirits — our spirits — will never vanquish. We will stabilize this world as One Spirit!"
• (To Kentaro Hiroshi) "Calmness can only be attained when you immerse yourself in a state where your thoughts are absent from everything except peace. Even should tragedy come before you, your mind should never be cluttered with thoughts of conflict..."