Yuri Nakayama

Yuri Nakayama is a Shinigami residing in Soul Society and is the captain of the 9th Dvision. She is the former captain of the 3rd Divison. Her family, the Nakayama's, are one of the few Noble Houses in Soul Society.

Appearance
Yuri is a relatively normal sized person, though when compared to others, sometimes short.Her hair is very long, kept in a low pony tail which is held by a rose shaped bow. There are also a red and yellow hair clips in her hair to keep ger bangs out of the way. She has a diagonal scar on her back received from Teleres Sombra.

Personality
While she is mostly cheerful and has a willingness to help people, her temper is something to be feared. She is very protective of her children and will do whatever ittakes to keep them safe. Yuri tends to doubt herself and the decisions she has made, but has been trying to push that negative quality aside. She treats her division as a part of her family, wanting to help them in any way that she can.

Yuri takes her positionvery seriously and will come across to some as a work-o-holic, spending many days to make sure all her paperwork from both her division and the magazine is completed to its entirety.

History
Yuri Nakayama started off as a Shinigami/Human hybrid. Back a couple of centuries, Hiroki Nakayama (Yuri's father) was the former captain of the ninth division. During a very risky mission in the human world, he met with a human female and fell in love with her. Due to his affiliation with Soul Society, he couldn't explain much to her nor be around much around her. Still, they were together long enough to create a family of sorts. Unfortunately for Hiroki, duty calls and was quickly brought back to his home. At times he would often tried to go into the human world, but something would always come up. Time slowly sped up, leading to the eventual birth of his child. When he finally made it back into the Human world in a Gigai, he found his love, but, it broke his heart. He found her with another man who seemed to be interested in her who was holding his baby girl. In a way, he was mad, but he chose to not take any action. There was no way he could be there for both her and his child while being a Shinigami. He could always defect or keep some affiliation, but he just can't abandon his comrades. With a heavy heart, he turns away, leaving the woman with their child and other man.

As a human, Yuri Nakayama was rather average.She took an interest in playing a violin as she could better express herself through music than she could ever hope to do with words. While her parents loved her, they were often busy with their work, leaving her alone a lot of the time. Yuri had trouble making friends because she couldn't communicate efficiently. As she became a teenager, she remained quiet and kept to herself. It wasn't until one day she met up with a ghost that changed everything for her. One day, Yuri was playing a sad melody on her violin that attracted a young, female plus that was about her age. When she was finished, the plus spoke out, startling Yuri. While surprised that she could see a ghost, that slowly faded as the two began to talk and became fast friends as the ghost introduced herself as Luna. Both of them found what they were missing: A friend.

They did everything together. Though Yuri did get strange looks for talking to "thin air", it really didn't bother the young girl. Luna was always there for her. She even went to a violin recital that even her (Yuri's) own parents couldn't make from being too busy with work. Even so, the two girls were very happy. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. At the start of the new year, Yuri and Luna were walking down the street at night, talking like they usually do. Yuri was carrying some grocery bags, having needed to stock up on some supplies. As they were walking, Both the girls were attacked, Yuri did her best to protect Luna, but the strange creatures with masks (Hollows) were just too strong. One knocked her away from Luna and several began to swarm around her. Unable to do anything, Yuri was forced to watch her only friend be transformed into a Hollow. Now, suffering fromt he same rage and emptiness as the rest, a now Hollow Luna attacked Yuri with enough force to knock her unconscious. By the time she awoke, she came to the realization that she had a chain placed in the middle of her chest and that chain had been cut off. The poor girl was dead. Luna was very eager to make Yuri into what she was, but before she could, a Shinigami appeared, and fought them off. Luna was the only survivor, having fled. While scared, the Shinigami, who in reality was Hiroki, performed Konso on his now departed daughter, sending her to Soul Society. He felt horrible for not being able to save her while she was human, but at least now, she would have the chance to become something different and gain the things she never had while being a human.

When Yuri arrived in Soul Society, she appeared in one of the lowest district in Southern Rukongai. Like in her human years, she kept to herself. She didn't bother anyone, really. All she did was just wander from district to district with no sense of direction or purpose. The perfect perfect person so to speak that no one would miss when gone. It wasn't before long Yuri was being chased by Shinigami from the twelfth division. No matter how fast she ran, they were close on her heels. She ran past a Shinigami Captain who intervened. As the captain went to check up on the girl, Yuri was a little hesitant. The male Shinigami could understand her apprehensiveness. He slowly outreached his hand to her, placing it lightly on her head. Yuri looked up to him, seeing a small smile on his face. The captain then introduced himself as Ryouji Onigata. He could sense that there was potential in the girl, so he encouraged her to enroll into the Shino Academy to become a Shinigami. Seeing it as a purpose, Yuri did so though it took several attempts to get into the academy. Third time is the charm, they say, and it was.

It took Yuri about  decade to graduate from the academy. Everything was just so new to her. Once out of the academy, she looked for Ryouji to join his division which happened to be the third Division at the time. Yuri was an unranked member at the time, but with a lot of help and experience, she rose through the ranks over the years. After a year, Yuri was able to learn her Zanpakuto's name though this had a drawback. When she would train with her Shikai, she would often fall to its own effect which was when it gets released, it releases a very sweet scent that causes those with weak Reiryoku (spirit energy) to fall asleep. It was embarrassing and Yuri will keep this to herself as it still does embarrass her. With the help of Ryouji, she was able to overcome that obstacle and finally reach the rank of Vice-Captain. She stayed at this rank over the course of a few decades and over the course of time, slowly began to forget what her human life was ever like.

While on a mission in the human world, she met with a human male by the name of Ronin who was a spiritually aware human with abilities of his own. For whatever reason that she can no longer remember, Yuri had a disagreement with her captain and left to clear her mind. She happened to meet up with Ronin at the beach that was a bit out of the way from Kurakara. The two met and became fast friends. She enjoyed his company because she saw him as someone being funny and kind in his own special way. By the time it was time for Yuri and Ryouji to head back to Soul Society, Yuri had formed a small crush on him and over the time they knew each other, she had fallen in love with him. By a year or two, the two were in love and it was seen by those around them. Yuri cherished every moment with him and even with her own Captain as she began to view him as the father she never had both in the human world and in Soul Society. Though after a couple of years, the happy times, once again, faded away. While under a guise for the Gotei 13, Ryouji betrayed his lieutenant, sister, and his fellow Shinigami. It left everyone shocked, but it really hurt Shukumei (His twin sister) and Yuri the most. The lieutenant was sad, but deep down, she was also angry as to why he didn't come to his squad or his sister to talk.

Yuri then trained as hard as she could to become strong in case she were to fight her captain. After a few decades, Yuri finally learns Bankai and then proceeds to take the Captain Proficiency Test to obtain the Captain rank of the Third Division. Once appointed, she did her best to keep the squad together, but by now, their fears had gotten the best of them. They already had one Captain to betray them so what made the new one any different? The stress of the division and her "renegade" former Captain was beginning to take its toll on Yuri in a psychological sense. It made her begin to doubt that no matter what she were to do or say, it would be all for nothing. It caused Yuri to go through a phase of not really caring much if she died in battle or not. Even with fighting Hollows in the Human world, she didn't care if she got too injured. She would always get rightb ack up and continued to fight. This is where Ronin came in. He helped sooth that inner turmoil for a while and helped her realize that Ryouji made the choices he did of his own accord. As events unfolded, Yuri foudn out the true meaning of Ryouji's "betrayal" and his eventual return to Soul Society.

Another turning point is where Yuri had to send Ronin to Soul Society herself. There was an arrancar that was attacking the town and the two were fighting against it. The arrancar was strange in the fact that it had the ability to clone himself several times though at the cost of his power being shared equally with the clones. Still, it was enough to keep Yuri busy. She was unable to save Ronin and thus, he was killed. Yuri had no other choice but to send him into Soul Society. When they met again, it only added to her heartache that for some reason he had no recollection of her nor the time they spent together. It only further to cause Yuri to doubt that what she was doing was right. That is, until the two ended up falling in love again. After his graduation at the Shino Academy (Which was the course of seven years), the two were married. Time went by and they came to have four children over the years: Megumi (Who is called Emi by her family and close friends), Ayumi and Ayane (The twins), and Hinata (Called Hina by her family and friends). Ronin loved his children very much, but couldn't be around them much because of him being in a different squad. Even so, the children loved him so.

By now, Yuri has become roughly 200 years old. By this time, she had several run-ins with an arrancar that goes by the name of Lunamir Cortez. The name sounded familiar to Yuri, which caused strong headaches to occur as if she was remembering something. With Luna's pushing, Yuri was able to remember that Lunamir was the same Luna that had become her friend, Hollow, and killer. Yuri was in complete shock of the news and was unable to defend herself properly due to that and Luna's mind games. Yuri was left in rough shape before Ryouji had to intervene. Luna and Yuri have a strong, intense relationship in the terms of how they used to be great friends and now they're enemies. By the time Yuri celebrated her 229th birthday, Luna had planned something very special for her. Yuri and Ronin were in the Human world to celebrate their anniversary. By the end of the day, Lunamir found the two and fought the two. Ultimately, Ronin died, causing Yuri much grief and anger that she still holds onto this very day. One could say that's where Yuri's anger and over protectiveness concerning her children comes in no matter what the subject may be. She's already lost one person she loves dearly and she won't lose another again.

Yuri eventually fell in love with a Human/Arrancar by the name of Tadase. Their meeting was rather spontaneous as he was just racing about the town on his bike and she was chasing after him. One could say it was a literal race. After Tadase wrecked his bike, Yuri went over and tended to his injury and ever since then, the two have been together. The two got stuck in a closest at a Cafe owned by Hanabi Fukui from the result of playing a game humans call "Seven Minutes In Heaven". The two talked for a long time about personal matters and became rather close. He has gone through a lot to be with her. He was killed and made into a full arrancar, but as the two remained close, he became human once more with Joshua's help. Now, he spends his days as a human with Yuri paying him visits as much as she can.

The Captain has faced many hardships, but they helped form her into the person that she is today. While at times she can seem harsh or extremely angry, she does have a good heart and cares deeply. She lives day by day, trying her best to cherish each one as she knows that her day could easily come while working out her life as a Shinigami. She has many people in her life that care about her and that she cares about. Those are the ones she can count on. Nothing can ever take that away.

Yuri has now since married Tadase who had passed away some time and became a Shinigami. He now resides with Yuri where they take care of their family.

Powers and Abilities
Kido Master: Yuri excels in the Kido area both in Hado and Bakudo though she prefers to rely on Bakudo when she wants to either detain someone or to buy herself or allies time to either escape or time to complete an attack.

Hakuda Expert: While not a master, Yuri has been proven to handle herself in hand-to-hand combat. While her bankai is released, she must rely on Hakudo as a main means of attack other than abilities.

Shunpo Expert: She is quick enough with Shunpo to cover long distances in a short amount of time.

Zanpakuto
Mujitsuhana (Innocent Flower), while sealed, is a normal sized Katana with a black hilt. The sheath/scabboard is a pale yellow with white fluff at the end of the hilt.

The inner world of the Zanpakuto is a vast green meadow filled with all kinds of flowers regardless what season the flower may belong to. There is always a warm, summer breeze blowing.
 * Shikai: Its Shikai command is "Bloom Nobly." The Zanpakuto then transforms into a double bladed sword.

Shikai Special Ability
 * A sweet smell is emitted from the blade that can put those with weak Reiryoku (Spirit Energy) to sleep. While this effect doesn't happen to those with high Reiryoku. However, it may distort their clairty of  mind and senses due to the strong scent.
 * Doku no Tatchi: A passive ability that is in both Shikai and Bankai. During those releases, Yuri's skin through sweat and natural body oils) and blood becomes poisonous. Those with weak Reiryoku will be badly poisoned but will still have a chance to survive given proper medical attention. The target, if weak enough, will feel their heart rate skyrocket and eventually it will give out since it can't keep up with all the work and stree it's going through. If the target has high reiyoku, it will cause a strong burning sensation. If the target rubs their eyes, the oil/sweat from Yuri's skin may cause them to go blind for a couple of minutes and is not considered permenant.
 * Wilt: This is considered to be a subcommand under Shikai. When desired to be activated, the command is "Wilt" followed by the Zanpakuto's name. Some may get confused and thing this is her Bankai which Yuri can use to her advantage. When used, the double bladed Sword separates into two blades, allowing the Captain to dual wield. The swords must be placed back together in order for Bankai to be released. To do this, the Shikai phrase is merely repeated.

Bankai: Kensei no Mujitsuhana (Power of the Innocent Flower). The double bladed sword soon vanishes and two flower-like hairpins appear on both sides of her head in her hair. They serve as a means of measure to others such as allies (And sadly to enemies too if they notice the pattern) how much power she has. If Yuri uses a great deal of her Reiryoku or even in the form of Reiatsu in an attack, a petal will fall. When all the petals are gone, the Zanpakuto reverts back to its sealed form. When the stages are complete, the yourng sapling will grow into an adult tree. There will be a hollow spot in the middle of the tree where the target can be seen, still bound y a complex series of roots and vines. The tree will then drain the target's remaining Reiryoku has left. It takes all Yuri has to even keep this attack going and if it succeeds, it can put her in a coma until she recovers her Reiryoku or even worse. There is a chance to escape and to stop the attack by attacking the roots of the tree. If the person in the hollow part of the tree breaks free, they can easily destroy the tree/ability.
 * Mekura Shibire no Kaze (Blindness Numbing Wind):  Yuri exhales a thick cloud of pollen that when inhaled, can cause numbness of muscles. The more that is inhaled, the stronger the effect is. If too much is inhaled, it could cause the target's heart to stop beating. Targets can still move around as they please. The pollen can also be set on fire either by Kido or any kind of flame. When the smoke is inhaled, the effect may/may not last longer depending on how strong the target is. Yuri is trying to learn how to manipulate the pollen into affecting targets of her choice so this way, her allies won't be exposed. Yuri can weaken the pollen to the point where it causes temporary paralysis that lasts for a couple of minutes (Five minutes at the most). May/May not cause Blindness. If blindness occurs, it lasts for about three minutes.
 * Ibara no Daka (Thorny Embrace): Yuri lets her Reiryoku/Reiatsu seep into the ground so she can take control of any roots underground. She then ensnares her target in thorny like roots. While bound, the thorns are laced with poison. After the poison has gotten into the target's system, the roots will wither and die, often fooling the target into thinking the attack has failed. When the poison takes effect, the target will go through three phases. First stage is staggering and loss of balance. Second stage is confusion. When they try to go one way, they go the other. The last stage is hallucinations/Delirium.
 * Shibō no tsurī (Tree of Death) : This skill can only be used in the following order. Failure to do so means the attack will not be executed. The three stages/order is ​:
 * Mekura Shibire no Kaze. The attack looses its ability to function properly. However, they can be easily destroyed or adverted if a lot of force/Wind is used. They act as the seeds for the tree.
 * Ibara no Daka. In this stage, the ability looses its poison and is just merely used to hold the target at bay.
 * Shibō no tsurī  itself.
 * Plant manipulation: By letting her Reiryoku seep into objects (Mostly vines and roots), she can manipulate the objects. However, if her concentration is broken, the manipulation is broken.

Quotes
t's easy for you to say to be confident and to believe in yourself when you yourself have that confidence. Me, on the other hand, have to struggle to find that confidence that seems to be buried in the bottom of my very existence."

"It's a Captain's duty to protect Seireitei, Soul Soceity, and the Human world. However, it is also a Captain's duty to help their squad grow and see their potential come to fruition"

"You can either believe in me or don't. That's your decision. That doesn't mean I won't protect you despite all the cruel things you may say."

"I'm happy that the rest of you are happy. This squad is my pride and joy. All of you are my pride. When you have been wounded, then I have been wounded. I'll laugh with you, cry with you, heck, I'll even drink with you. You can talk to me no matter what."

"When you think you've lost everything, you start acting like it. We fail to remember that we're not alone. I've done things out of grief because I didn't want to make my pain anyone else's. Now I see we're suppose to share everything from our happiness to our sorrow."

Trivia

 * Due to her mentor attacking her while he was undercover with his Zanpakuto's ability, she is terrified of the dark.