Yachiru Kusajishi

''This article is about Yachiru Kusajishi. For the Kusajishi District, see Kusajishi. For the person Yachiru was named after, see Yachiru Unohana.''

is the former lieutenant of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13, under Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, as well as the former President of the Shinigami Women's Association.

Appearance
Yachiru's appearance is that of a very small, young girl with pink hair, dark pink eyes and a perpetual blush on her cheeks. She wears the normal Shinigami robes and a lieutenant's insignia on her arm. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Yachiru's hair is flatter and has a cross-bone hair-clip on the left side.

Personality
Yachiru is childlike in most aspects - she is small, cheerful, energetic and carefree most of the time. She is often latched onto the back of her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, just over his left shoulder and is somewhat territorial about this position. She can be intimidating at times, especially when annoyed. Yachiru resents being criticized in any way and will often attack the perpetrator. Further reflecting her childlike nature, Yachiru likes to give people nicknames. For example, she gave Makizō Aramaki the name "Maki-Maki" and later when he reminds her of that name, she finds it funny. She later renames him "mini-mustache". She also calls Ikkaku Madarame "Baldy". Like Kenpachi, she has no sense of direction, but even so, he relies on her for directions.

Yachiru's favorite free-time activity is eating sweets, though she will eat pretty much anything. She attends Captain-Commander Yamamoto's tea sessions, Captain Unohana's ikebana lessons, and also Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's Calligraphy Club, but only to eat up the snacks and cakes served during these occasions and then disappear within moments. Yachiru has occasionally dressed up in a cat costume and caught the koi in Byakuya's pond and released them in Jūshirō Ukitake's pond. Yachiru specializes in infiltration, which she uses mostly for mischievous deeds. During Kenpachi's regular afternoon naps, she goes to play around the Seireitei. She has secret tunnels under the Kuchiki house, which she wished to show to Ichigo Kurosaki.

Yachiru formerly served as the president of the Shinigami Women's Association and holds its funds as such, spending it mostly on toys and candy. She stores her "treasures" in her hideout on the Kuchiki grounds. It seems that she uses the whole Association to order the other members around, who are made to do various, mostly childish pranks and other "tasks" to please her.

History
Yachiru first met Kenpachi in one of the worst districts of Rukongai, the 79th district of the North Alley, Kusajishi, as a nameless child. She crawled over to him after he killed several other men with his unnamed Zanpakutō, and was completely unfazed by the violence she had just witnessed, or the blood on his sword. Even as Kenpachi warned her that the sword was dangerous, she reached out and touched it, giggling as her hand was covered in the blood of dead men. He adopted her after that, saving her from certain death in Rukongai. He named her "Yachiru" in memory of the only person he had ever admired. Her surname Kusajishi was given to her because she was from that district. Since that day, she has spent much of her time clinging to his back for transport.

Bount arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Soul Society arc
When the Ryoka break into Seireitei, she accompanies her captain as he begins searching the city for them. She directs Kenpachi through the city's streets, albeit badly, resulting in them becoming lost, though they blame each other for their predicament. After the pair unintentionally arrive at the 4th Division's compound, they visit Ikkaku Madarame, who, while recovering from injuries acquired from fighting Ichigo Kurosaki, was being interrogated by 12th Division captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. After Mayuri and Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi leave, Yachiru tells Ikkaku that she was worried about him, and they trade friendly insults.

Having learned what Ichigo's destination is from Ikkaku, Yachiru and Kenpachi decide to wait for him near his objective, where they eventually encounter him, Ganju Shiba and Hanatarō Yamada. Yachiru is surprised by how easily Kenpachi scared Ichigo's companions, jumping momentarily onto Ichigo's shoulder to get a better view. As the fight starts, she sits against the wall of a building. She tells Ichigo that he cannot cut Kenpachi with his sword. Later, Yachiru watches on from the rooftops of the nearby buildings, where she is approached by a messenger from the Reversal Counter Force of the Onmitsukidō, who attempts to inform her of the death of Sōsuke Aizen. Yachiru, however, is too engrossed in observing the battle, and orders him to tell her after it ends.

After the fight, Yachiru thanks Ichigo for giving her captain such a good fight and says she hopes he survives so that the two can enjoy another fight in the future. She then lifts Kenpachi onto her back and jumps up onto the top of a building and calls for Retsu Unohana to heal Kenpachi. Kenpachi tells Yachiru that he lost, but Yachiru refuses to accept this, stating that it was not a fair fight as it was two (Zangetsu and Ichigo) against one. Kenpachi disagrees and laughs at her attempts to justify not winning, which Yachiru responds to by slapping him. The pair reminisce about how they met and gained their names, resolving to get stronger together. Kenpachi then loses consciousness again, worrying Yachiru greatly.

Sometime later, Yachiru finds Makizō Aramaki carrying an unconscious Orihime Inoue, whom he declares he had been bringing to her. Yachiru and Aramaki bring Orihime to Kenpachi and he tells her that he will help her find Ichigo. Orihime attempts to guide Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Aramaki to Ichigo, finding and freeing the captured Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and Ganju on the way. While searching for Ichigo, the enlarged group is confronted by 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen and 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, as well as their respective Lieutenants Shūhei Hisagi and Tetsuzaemon Iba. Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Yumichika stay behind to fight the new threat, while the remainder of the group continues on towards the Sōkyoku Hill in search of Ichigo. As the execution ceremony of Rukia Kuchiki begins, she rushes on ahead to determine the situation. After Ichigo rescues Rukia, she waits in the branches of the trees on top of the Sōkyoku Hill for the others to arrive.

Bount arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Hueco Mundo arc
Yachiru accompanies Kenpachi when he enters Hueco Mundo, standing back while he fights Nnoitra Gilga. During their fight, Nnoitra injures Kenpachi and, believing that he has won, turns his attention to Yachiru. Orihime uses her Santen Kesshun to shield her. Yachiru, however, points out that he should look behind him as Kenpachi releases a large volume of Reiatsu and cuts off Nnoitra's arm. Yachiru warns Nnoitra that her captain will become angry if he attacks her. Kenpachi denies this, before stating that he will cut off Nnoitra's arms one by one. Yachiru points out that Nnoitra will not be able to fight him if he has no arms left, prompting Kenpachi to say that he will leave the Arrancar with one arm. Still protected by Orihime's barrier, Yachiru watches the battle draw to a close, becoming concerned about the level of Kenpachi's injuries.

Later, when Coyote Starrk takes Orihime, Yachiru is among those who hear Aizen's revelation of his plans via Tenteikūra as he departs to destroy Karakura Town.

Fake Karakura Town arc
Yachiru stays somewhere in Hueco Mundo while Kenpachi and Byakuya Kuchiki fight against Yammy Llargo. After their fight ends, Yachiru leaves Hueco Mundo with them. The two captains are greeted by a small group of Shinigami. Yachiru hangs out of the hair of one of them when they fail to greet her, before rejoining her captain.

Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Beast Swords arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Gotei 13 Invading Army arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc
By the orders of Yamamoto, Yachiru joins all lieutenants and captains of the Gotei 13 in donating a portion of her energy to restore Ichigo's Shinigami power. She then accompanies Kenpachi to the Human World to see the mission completed, during which the Shinigami encounter the Fullbringers. After Kenpachi effortlessly defeats Giriko, he becomes bored and decides to return to Soul Society, only for Yachiru to remind him Yamamoto wants them to go back together or they will be in trouble. After Yukio shuts down the chatrooms, she emerges with Kenpachi and meets with Ikkaku and Renji.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
While the captains are in a meeting, the lieutenants gather and discuss the situation with the Wandenreich and recent disappearances of Hollows and Rukongai residents. Izuru asks if any of them had investigated beyond District 50. Yachiru states that Ikkaku and Yumichika had gone to District 64 where they saw the same things noted in the 12th Division's report. Izuru asks what the footsteps they saw looked like and she tells him that they were a mix of bare feet and sandals. After Kenpachi goes to train with Retsu Unohana, Yachiru walks into the division's quarters to find Kenpachi's eye patch laid out on a pillow. She picks it up, solemnly calling his name.

During the second invasion, Yachiru helps Isane Kotetsu heal the wounded, doing so through loudly venturing out into the Wandenreich city and bringing back supplies. As Isane apologizes for making her do such a dangerous job, she dismisses this and says she has nothing to do anyway since Kenpachi is not back yet. When Sternritter V, Guenael Lee confronts them, Yachiru punches him. However, the moment Yachiru hits him, Guenael disappears, leaving Yachiru wondering if she was trying to hit someone and who it was. Yachiru is struck by Guenael, who introduces himself and explains his power.

As Isane tries to figure out why Yachiru is bleeding, Guenael appears again and introduces himself for the second time. Isane wonders if he is one of the Sternritter, which Guenael admits to by introducing himself once again as well as becoming very annoyed at how many times he has to introduce himself. Yachiru moves to attack him, but he disappears again and attacks her before reappearing, only to have to dodge her once again. When Isane scolds her for attacking someone based on instinct without knowing whether or not they are an enemy, Yachiru explains the feeling she gets from Guenael and why she reacts as she does. Yachiru retrieves her Zanpakutō and notes Kenpachi will not be angry if she attacks someone because he is not around at the moment. Guenael attempts to attack her from behind, but before he can, Yachiru counterattacks and succeeds in hitting him, much to his disbelief. When Guenael claims she could not have hit him because he is sure he dodged, Yachiru explains her Zanpakutō's ability before moving to attack.

After attacking Yachiru starts playing with the two creatures manifested. When Guenael comes back, she expresses surprise at him still being alive. He again moves to attack, but this time a large wound appears suddenly on his shoulder. Another Sternritter appears and kills Guenael. Yachiru tries to strike him, but he effortlessly dodges and ridicules her attack. Being grabbed by Gremmy, Yachiru drops her sword. Noting how brittle her arm is, Yachiru is surprised by the Sternritter revealing he can turn imagination into reality and that he just imagined the bones in her arm being made of cookies. He further imagines all the bones in her body being made of cookies. They are then interrupted by Kenpachi arriving. Seeing him, Yachiru notes Kenpachi's arrival. When Gremmy raises the ground they're standing on, Yachiru quietly looks on. After being told by Gremmy that she can't move now, Kenpachi picks her up and notes how Gremmy's power must have stopped working on her because of him shifting his attention away from her. Afterward, Kenpachi tells Yachiru to find Isane and get her arm healed, prompting Yachiru to gleefully scurry down the side of the structure in search of Isane.

Soon afterward, Yachiru watches Kenpachi leap toward the meteorite which Gremmy summoned and recalls their first encounter when she was still a baby. After Kenpachi's fight is over, Yachiru has disappeared, leaving her Shinigami uniform and lieutenant's badge behind.

Powers & Abilities
Auto-Reflexes: Yachiru can instinctively attack on reflex without having to judge or react; as such, she will attack anyone she thinks is the enemy, regardless of whether or not she knows they are the enemy. She attributes this skill as a sort of feeling one gets inside which, according to Kenpachi, is the type of feeling that only leaves the only option of cutting up whoever gives you the feeling. With continued use of this ability, Yachiru's speed increases, as does her ability to counter and dodge.

Expert Swordswoman: Yachiru has displayed expertise in wielding her Zanpakutō, utilizing its ability of having a total three strikes in one swing in combination with her own instincts and reflexes to ensure that she strikes her opponents, even if they try to hide in her blind-spot and evade her counterattacks.

Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Yachiru has some ability in unarmed combat. When faced off against Guenael Lee, she executed some swift punches, stopped by the Quincy's "Vanishing Point".

Infiltration Expert: Yachiru is an expert at infiltration, which she only uses to undertake mischief.

Detection & Analysis: Yachiru has displayed some detection and analysis skills with Reiatsu. She detected and found Orihime when the latter was with Aramaki, by noting the similarities between her Reiatsu and that of Ichigo. From this, she deduced that Orihime was a Ryoka.

High Spiritual Power: Yachiru can emit a considerable amount of spiritual power when she is angry, which forms into a large, pink, angry cat face. She also seems to be unaffected by her captain's vast spiritual pressure. Despite her childlike appearance and immature personality, Yachiru is quite strong, since she served as the lieutenant of the combat division within Soul Society. Several grown men are afraid of her, and Rangiku Matsumoto was able to scare Ikkaku Madarame by threatening to tell on him to Yachiru if he didn't stop harassing Keigo Asano.

Enhanced Strength: She is strong enough to easily lift Kenpachi, who is almost twice her height and over five times heavier, and leap between buildings while carrying him.

Enhanced Speed: Yachiru is also incredibly fast despite her compact size, running from the ground-level area of Seireitei to Sōkyoku Hill in a fairly short period of time without Shunpo. However, she uses what appeared to be Shunpo, when chasing Ashisogi Jizō.

Enhanced Endurance: Yachiru is able to take considerable damage in the form of blunt trauma and blade cuts without hindering her capability in battle.

Zanpakutō

 * Yachiru's Zanpakutō is a normal katana with a pink hilt-wrapping, a tsuba shaped like a five-petal flower, and a purple scabbard. Yachiru carries it around with a loose cord, rather than at the sash of her uniform. Her Zanpakutō's scabbard is also unusual in that it has a pair of wheels for transport, which were installed by Ikkaku Madarame, after she continually pestered him to do it.


 * Shikai: Yachiru does not appear to call a release command in order to use her Shikai.


 * Shikai Special Ability: When released, Sanpo Kenjū manifests two creatures that fight alongside Yachiru. One of the creatures is tall and made of bone with teal hair. It wears a black cloak and has a large bone running through its head vertically, wielding a long dagger-like blade that has another blade protruding at the top edge. The other creature is plump and covered in yellow fur, leaving its eyes only partially visible, wielding a cleaver. When Yachiru attacks an opponent, the two creatures mimic her sword with their own weapons. The smaller creature's attack precedes her own, while the larger creature's attack follows after. This ensures that, even if Yachiru's attack misses the opponent, at least one of the other two will hit, making an attack from Sanpo Kenjū nearly impossible to dodge. The strength of a concentrated attack by Sanpo Kenjū is enough to create a deep fissure in the ground where it strikes. According to Isane Kotetsu, a Shikai that manifests its power within creatures while the blade itself remains unchanged like Sanpo Kenjū is unheard of. The smaller creature is known as, and the larger creature is known as.


 * Bankai: Not Yet Achieved

Zanpakutō
Attack Requirement: If Yachiru does not attack or is incapable of attacking, her Shikai's special ability cannot be used.

Appearances In Other Media

 * In Blade Battlers 2nd, she fights with her Zanpakutō sheathed and can summon a pink demon-like face for a short time to hit enemies.
 * In The Blade of Fate, Yachiru hits enemies with her sheathed Zanpakutō again. She can also summon a cat made of yellow spiritual energy.
 * In Shattered Blade, she uses the same fighting style as Ikkaku before he uses Shikai: hitting opponents with her scabbard and Zanpakutō.


 * In Bleach: Brave Souls, various versions of Yachiru are playable. Her Thousand Year Blood War arc version draws from her battle with Guenael Lee, where her special consists of her unleashing her Shikai, Sanpo Kenjū, and summoning her two friends Boney and Lumpy; they perform a small dance and high fives before slashing together at the opponent.
 * Yachiru features on an edition of Bleach Beat Collection's Second Session, where Hisayo Mochizuki performs on two of the three tracks as Yachiru: "Funny Days" and "We," which is a quartet with Yumichika Ayasegawa, Ikkaku Madarame, Kenpachi Zaraki.

Trivia

 * "Whatever happens and at any time, Yachiru is always Kenpachi's supporter." - Tite Kubo
 * Her theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is Andre Previn's "Veni, Veni, Venias" (Yachiru Theme #1) and Izumikawa Sora's "Yahoo!" (Yachiru Theme #2).
 * Yachiru was voted the 29th most popular character in the second character popularity poll, 19th in the third, 27th in the fourth, and 22nd in the fifth.
 * Sanpo Kenjū ranked 43rd in the first Zanpakutō poll while unnamed; in the second, it ranked 19th.
 * In the second best bout poll, Yachiru's fight with Guenael Lee ranked 32nd and her fight with Gremmy Thoumeaux ranked 60th.
 * In an interview, Tite Kubo mentioned that he planned on revealing Yachiru's namesake.
 * In chapter 520, it is revealed to be 4th Division Captain Unohana, the first Kenpachi.

Nicknames
Yachiru is known for making up nicknames for people, sometimes on a moment's notice. This is a list of her known nicknames:
 * Kenpachi Zaraki - Ken-chan/Kenny
 * Ikkaku Madarame - Shiny/Baldy/Cueball/Smoothie/Pachinko head/Pinball head
 * Yumichika Ayasegawa - Yun-Yun
 * Ichigo Kurosaki - Icchi
 * Sajin Komamura- Koma-Koma/Doggy/Bow-Wow
 * Makizō Aramaki - Mini Mustache/Maki-maki, Mustache guy and Whisker (in between the first 2, only used shortly)
 * Maki Ichinose- Maki-chan
 * Nanao Ise - Nana
 * Shunsui Kyōraku - Shun-shun
 * Retsu Unohana - Re-chan
 * Izuru Kira - Izurun
 * Yoruichi Shihōin - Boobies
 * Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto - Gramps
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayurin
 * Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakki/Byakushi/Bya-kun
 * Orihime Inoue - Jiggles/Big Boobies/Boobies/chubby chest
 * Ganju Shiba - Monkey
 * Yasutora Sado - Muscles
 * Uryū Ishida - Pencil
 * Jūshirō Ukitake - Ukki
 * Shūsuke Amagai - Ama-Ama
 * Shūhei Hisagi - Hisa-Hisa
 * Masayoshi - Mappy
 * Mayu - Mayu-Mayu
 * Isane Kotetsu - Kotetchin

Quotes

 * (To an Onmitsukidō Inner Court Troop member) "You're annoying me! Ken-chan's fighting, so don't bother me!"


 * (About Kenpachi Zaraki) "I had no name. I had no parents. I was from the 79th District of North Rukongai, Kusajishi. I had never seen anything in colors other than bloody red. But then you appeared, from the 80th District of North Rukongai, Zaraki. Even deeper in the darkness. You demolished the chaotic world that was dyed in blood, then you gave me a name. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today."


 * (About Kenpachi Zaraki) "Since that day, you have been everything to me in this world."


 * (To Kenpachi Zaraki) "We'll get stronger, Ken-chan. Together, let's get stronger. I know that Ken-chan is the best. So let's get stronger! You and me together."


 * (To Orihime Inoue) "Of course! No matter who the opponent is, Ken-chan won't ever lose!"


 * (To Nnoitra Gilga) "You should watch out! Ken-chan'll get mad if you start attacking me!"

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