Onmitsukidō

"If you see your allies losing, that's your chance. Don't step between them. Take the enemy down from behind. And if the enemy is so strong you can't even do that, then just watch your ally be killed. That's what it means to be Onmitsukidō." - Soifon

The, also called the Secret Mobile Unit/Corps, Special Forces or Covert Ops, is the second largest organization that Shinigami join, and one of the three main branches of military in Soul Society.

History
Originally a separate branch of Soul Society's army, the Onmitsukidō was traditionally tied to the Shihōin family. When the Commander-in-Chief would gain a title within the Gotei 13, the Onmitsukidō would become attached to that division as well. The Onmitsukidō is generally commanded by a member of the noble family Shihōin, though the last member to hold this position was Yoruichi Shihōin before she departed Soul Society around 100 years before the main story line. Since that time, the Special Forces seem to be highly merged with the Gotei 13's 2nd Division.

Mission
The Onmitsukidō is one of the three forces under the direct supervision of the Central 46 Chambers. If the Gotei 13 operate openly, the Onmitsukidō patrols and conducts surveillance in enemy territory and carries out top-secret operations, such as assassinations and the execution of Shinigami who have broken the law. If the Gotei 13 are considered an exterior guard, then the Onmitsukidō is an interior, covert guard.

Structure
The Onmitsukidō is made up of five components: They are split into five divisions all excelling in specific specializations.

The Onmitsukidō is led by a, who has the statuary authority to conduct all the affairs of the Onmitsukidō; while deferring to the authority of the Central 46 Chambers in matters involving Soul Society and the Captain-Commander in all military matters.

The leaders of each of the divisions are ranked as. Given that the Onmitsukidō is currently tied with the Gotei 13's 2nd Division, each Corps Commander also holds a Seated Officer position in said division. The Commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō generally also commands top division of the Onmitsukidō, which is the Executive Militia and it is known that the lieutenant is the Corps Commander of the Patrol Corps and the 3rd Seated Officer is the Corps Commander of the Detention Unit. It may be said that the order of the five divisions also goes in order of the top five officers of the 2nd Division. (Unlike the Gotei 13 Captains, the Commander-in-chief has several bodyguards, though its current Commander-in-Chief Soifon has never been seen with any).

Divisions
There are five divisions within the Onmitsukidō, for which the first has the most authority, and the fifth has the least. The five divisions in order of authority are:

Current

 * Soifon - Soifon inherited both the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō and that of the Captain of the 2nd Division after the departure of Yoruichi. She also by tradition is the Corps Commander of the Executive Militia.
 * Marechiyo Ōmaeda - Marechiyo is the current Corps Commander of the Patrol Corps in the Onmitsukidō. He is also the lieutenant of the 2nd Division under Soifon.
 * Eikichirō Saidō - Eikichirō is a Shinigami who was sent to investigate Rukia Kuchiki when she disappeared in the Human World. He is a patrol Corps member. (anime only)

Former

 * Yoruichi Shihōin - As the 22nd head of the Shihōin family, one of the four noble families, she was the first female to hold that position as well as being the first female to be the head of the Onmitsukidō. Because she was Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō prior to gaining the position of Captain of the 2nd Division, she was also the one responsible for having brought together the 2nd Division and the Onmitsukidō. She was at one point the Corps Commander of the Executive Milita which is traditional for the Commander-in-Chief she would bulk tradition and instead become the Corps Commander of the Reverse Counter Force.
 * Kisuke Urahara - As well as being the 3rd Seat of the 2nd Division he was also the Corps Commander of the Detention Unit. Urahara was therefore in charge of maintaining the Nest of Maggots until his promotion to the rank of captain of the Twelfth Division.
 * Shūsuke Amagai - It was stated that prior to his promotion to Captain of the 3rd Division Amagai served in the Patrol Corps; however, it was not stated whether he was part of the 2nd Division. (anime only)
 * Makoto Kibune - Makoto served on the same patrol unit as Amagai before becoming the 3rd Seat of the 3rd Division. (anime only)

Executive Militia Uniform
Overall, Executive Militia uniform resembles a ninja uniform. It has no visible white undergarments and the sash is dark as opposed to white. A headpiece covers the bottom part of the face and sometimes the top, but not the eyes; they wear no sandals, but long jika-tabi, and tight bands are on the legs and arms to keep the clothes from moving too much, which both are presumably for silence of movement. Members of the Executive Militia also wear their head covering on the top, not just the bottom and wear a black sash.

Executive Attire
Battle dress approved solely for the Corps Commander of the Executive Militia. Its backless and sleeveless design is unique. This is to prevent the fabric from being ripped away by the high-density kidō produced by the fighting style, an advanced technique that combines hand to hand combat and kidō, causing high spiritual pressure to accumulate at the shoulders and back, blasting away the fabric at said places.

Reversal Counter Force Attire
The Reversal Counter Force Shinigami wear a maroon kimono over the black form-fitting legging and long sleeved tops. They also wear hats and a carry a backpack.

Correctional Attire
The Correctional Force uniform is radically different. The soldiers wear a white uniform, a long piece of headgear, and a backpack.