Kirio Hikifune

was the Former captain of the 12th Division.

=
Kirio Hikifune (曳舟 桐生, Hikifune Kirio) was the Former captain of the 12th Division. Little is known about Kirio, except that she left soon before the start of the Turn Back The Pendulum Series under the guise of retirement. In actuality, she was transferred to the Royal Guard (0 Squad). Her lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki, was very attached and thought of her as a mother-figure. She was succeeded by Kisuke Urahara.=====

Appearance
Kirio Hikifune in her casual, non-uniform outfit. Kirio is a very youthful woman who appears to be somewhat as tall as Retsu Unohana, with long black hair, often loosely draping over her shoulders. She wears an ordinary shinigami uniform with a special badge that symbolizes her authority as member of the Royal Guards. She is hardly seen wearing it though, as she preferred not much formality and would rather blend along with ordinary Soul Reapers. She often still wears her previous haori from the 12th Division, although she oftentimes leave it at the 0 Squad barracks when she leaves for Seireitei.

Personality Edit
Kirio has a gentle and warm personality that augments her appearance. She is a soft-spoken, polite, and caring woman who prefers simplicity and serenity and is often sighted day-dreaming up in building roofs of Seireitei. She rarely shows any signs of panic or distress, and has a great sense of duty. With her grace and kind manners, she lets others know quietly that while she may be soft, she is not to be taken lightly. Despite her gentle nature, many people showed great fear in her, as everyone knows of her immense powers, due to her high ranking standard as the member of the Royal Guards. She can be very frightening as well, and no one would ever want to get on her bad side. No one has ever disputed this fact, for she is an indispensable part of Soul Society and the Zero Division. She is also known for her unusual liking for sour fruits and her strange favoritism for fruit juices.

Oftentimes, she takes 'vacations' to Seireitei, simply to relax away from the stressing duties as a captain (high marshal). She would usually discard her haori, and blend in with the 12th division members, switching her personality to a shy girl, who tends to stutter frequently and could be rather clumsy and indescisive.

History Edit
Kirio on gigai form, as she was sent on a secret mission to the Human World.Added by K.hikifuneAlthough not much is revealed about her past, it is said that she has been a captain for at least 200 years; along with fellow captains Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Juushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku and Retsu Unohana. It is stated that the five of them have been Captains of the Gotei 13 for at least 200 years as of 110 years ago before the current time. This makes her one of the oldest captains among the Gotei 13, despite her rather youthful appearance. Amongst the oldest captains, she was the youngest - one to be considered a prodigy during her time. She is, however, pulled out of the Gotei 13 before Urahara Kisuke came along, under the guise of retirement, to hide the fact that she had been promoted as member of the top secret Squad, the Zero Division.

Having excelled in Kido, Kirio had once been a part of the Kido Squad, two years before her promotion to captaincy. She was lieutenant of Tessai before Hachigen.

It was also said that she had been in the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy, along with Shunsui and Juushiro and had been one of the students the head-captain had personally trained during her younger years. She was from one of the lower class noble families, and was sent to the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy in hopes of carrying their family's honor and to become a successful heir of their clan. Majority of people believed she is as old as Shunsui, despite her younger appearance, although she is, in reality, the youngest of the first captains - achieving her position at around Toshiro Hitsugaya's age.

Powers and Abilities

 * Master Healer: Kirio is not as skilled as Unohana in the arts of medic, but she herself had known healing spells and techniques for over a hundred years. Though most likely not as good as Unohana when treating major injuries, Kirio is able to heal minorities of battle wounds.
 * Kidō Master: As one of the oldest and most experienced captains, Kirio has advance knowledge of kidō and the flow of spiritual energy. Her knowledge and mastery of kido is at the same level as that of the former captain of the Kido Squad's. She had also been able to 'invent' other types of kido by mixing together those that are known throughout Soul Society.
 * Immense Spiritual Power: As one of the oldest Captains in the Gotei 13 and a member of the Royal Guard Squad, Kirio has tremendous and crushing spiritual power.
 * Keen Intellect: Kirio is also known for her keen intellect and wise judgments. Though she is not as keen as Unohana, her keenness in analyzing data is superb and surpasses that of many other members of the Royal Guard Squad.
 * Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Although she has hardly been seen in battle, it is known that her personal speciality is sword fighting. She has immense skill in sword fighting that she is able to fight on equal footing with Shunsui Kyoraku.
 * Flash Steps Master: Kirio's major expertise is Shunpo or Flash Step. He speed is far beyond that of any shinigami, rivaling Shihoin Yoruichi herself in the title of "Flash Step Queen". During bankai mode, her speed surpasses what is possible for shunpo.
 * Master Strategist & Tactician: As a member of the Royal Guard Squad, it is necessary for Kirio to be a strategist and a tactician. The way she views things and strategize during battles is outstanding and are but mere proof of her utmost intelligence.

Trivia Edit

 * Though Kirio appeared to be very powerful, Retsu Unohana is believed to be more skilled than Kirio, both in terms of zanpaktou usage and other abilities, considering that Unohana is older and that she had been Kirio's "sempai".

Navigation
Kirio Hikifune Kirio Hikifune