Sasaki Kuchiki

"*Yeah. You can bet your money that I'll be stopping you right here. But make no mistake, Hollow. This has nothing to do with having a duty to fulfill. I could care less what the Gotei 13 is up to. No. I'm confronting you simply because seeing you has made me feel nostalgic about the past. I want to remember what it feels like to be a Shinigami again!*"

**Sasaki Kuchiki** (朽木佐々木, *Kuchiki Sasaki*) is an American sports radio host and journalist. More recently he has been cast as a commentator on ESPN's First Take, where he appears alongside Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim.

## Appearance

Sasaki is a tall, tannish toned man with dark blue, spiky hair. He sports a noticeable after shadow on his face which forms traces of an actual beard around his jaw and mouth. Sasaki has a braud frame, if not a bit bulky. In the world of the living, Sasaki normally fashions himself in a grey colored suit along with corresponding dress pants. To go along with his suit, Sasaki wears a red tie.

Sasaki wears a Louis Vuitton belt to hold his pants in place. His choice in footwear is constantly changing, as Sasaki has a large shoe collection and does not like wearing the same shoe more than once.

## Personality

Living in New York, Sasaki has adopted many human characteristics, one such being his love for named brands. He has made a hobby out of collecting shoes --especially basketball shoes-- and is something of a sneakerhead. His closet is filled with towers of shoeboxes. Sasaki also has a thing for designer brands, sporting a Louis Vuitton belt in casual settings.

Sasaki is a very analytical person who enjoys deeply dissecting various topics, be it a film, book, or sport. This is why he has pursued a career in journalism so that he can spend his days discussing sports rather than working an actual job. Sasaki has shown himself to be capable of debating on even terms with someone as touted in their profession as Stephen A. Smith.

Another attribute worth noting is just how disorganized Sasaki can be. His apartment is an utter mess, with clothes and utensils laying around everywhere. He also tends to procrastinate greatly, constantly snoozing his alarm clock to sleep in for as long as he can. Financially speaking, Sasaki's spending behaviors are very questionable. He will refrain from buying a common commodity such as toothpaste, doing everything in his power to squeeze out the last bits out of a tube, rather than simply going out and purchasing another one. At the same time he will quickly blow his paycheck immediately when he gets it on branded clothing, such as a new pair of shoes.

Having abandoned his life as a Shinigami long ago, Sasaki frequently reminesces on the past. He views encounters with Hollows as an opportunity to relive those times that he has come to cherish so much, fighting Sceloporus with utter joy, even prolonging their battle intentionally in order to savor it all the more.

## History

Many decades ago, Sasaki was a Shinigami in service of the Gotei 13. He was born and raised in Soul Society as a member of the noble Kuchiki Clan.

At an unknown point in time, Sasaki left the spirit world in favor of the world of the living, where he has resided for many decades.

## Plot

### Once in a Blue Moon Arc

*Main article: Once in a Blue Moon*

In his sleep, Sasaki presses the snooze button on his alarm clock three times, opting to maximize his sleep. Upon waking up he realizes that he is already running late. He starts to get ready for the day, only to realize that everything is out of place due to his own reckless habits. Sasaki then leaps down the stairwell as opposed to taking the elevator, seemingly using Shunpo to quickly make up for lost time. Heading out onto the streets, Sasaki makes for work by traveling on foot.

Sasaki arrives just moments before the broadcast was about to begin. He is given a dirty look by Stephen A. Smith as he takes his seat opposite to him on the set. As the lights go on, the two begin to debate basketball, specifically news related to LeBron James and Stephen Curry. While Sasaki adamantly defends LeBron, Stephen A. is quick to discern him, speaking instead in favor of Curry.

When the show ends, Sasaki is left nervous as to whether or not he did a good job. On his way back home, he encounters a Hollow by the name of Sceloporus. Sasaki tends to this with joy, seeing it as an opportunity to revisit his past. The two exchange names and engage one another in combat, with Sasaki showcasing the use of his Hollow mask over the course of the exchange.

## Powers and Abilities

**Master Swordsman**: Sasaki possesses considerable prowess as a swordsman, being able to attack from a variety of different angles. He is also ambidextrous, fluently being able to use his sword in either hand. Sasaki often combines his swordsmanship with Kidō to enhance the power behind his strokes, such as through the use of Hadō #78. Zangerin.

**Shunpo Practitioner**: Sasaki is adept in using Shunpo, using it to instantly scale to the bottom of a twenty-floor building instead of using the elevator. He is also fast enough to climb a skyscraper in Manhattan in the blink of an eye starting from the streets below.

**Kidō Expert**: Sasaki is skilled enough to use mid-level spells without incantation, doing so with strict ease.

**Great Spiritual Power**: As a former member of a noble house, Sasaki possesses great spiritual power. The color of his reiatsu is blue.

### Zanpakutō

**Arashi** (嵐, *Storm*): In its sealed state, Arashi takes the form of an ordinary sized Katana with a rectangular crossguard. It has a blue colored handle and a darker toned blade. It also has a bright blue sheath. Sasaki summons his Zanpakutō via Kidō, which it is kept encased in a blue block of spiritual energy.

* **Shikai**: Its release command is "**Descend**" (下る, *Kudaru*). In its Shikai state, Arashi retains its appearance.
	+ **Shikai Special Ability**: Arashi is a lightning-type Zanpakutō. However, it is unable to directly produce lightning through its blade. Instead it effects the weather at the moment of its release, causing thick, dark clouds to form in the sky above. By aiming the tip of the sword at a location, Arashi can project a lightning bolt down from the clouds. This lightning bolt descends incredibly fast. By Sasaki's own admission, it is impossible to evade under normal circumstances.

* **Bankai**: **Arashimeru** (あらしめる, *Bringer of Storm*): Sasaki lifts his Zanpakutō above his head, causing the storm clouds above to gather. The clouds part ways, giving rise to a massive blue dragon that descends from the heavens. Sasaki retains his sealed sword to use for combat.
	+ **Bankai Special Ability**: Sasaki can command the dragon to act as he so chooses. According to Sasaki, Arashimeru is far faster than any jetplane in the human world. The dragon is the basis of the Zanpakutō's powers, hence unlike Sasaki's sword, it is capable of emitting lightning from its body. Being in contact with the physical Zanpakutō will enable anyone riding on the dragon's back to maintain perfect balance while it flies. According to Sasaki, Arashimeru is the embodiment of lightning; hence why it is able to fly with the speed of a lightning bolt.

### Hollowfication

**Hollow Mask**: Sasaki's Hollow mask takes the form of a menacing skull, the top of which has a crown-like shape. The mask is white with blue streaks running across both sides. When donning his Hollow mask, Sasaki's sclera turn completely black, and his irises become gold. Sasaki deactivates the mask between attacks to prolong it usage.

* **Power Augmentation**: While wearing the mask, Sasaki's Hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in both strength and speed while also enhancing the power and effectiveness of his Kidō spells.
	+ **Cero**: Sasaki generates a blue Cero from his mouth and then fires it in the form of a wide spread beam.

## Trivia

* Sasaki was created on November 25th, 2021 (Thanksgiving Day).
* Sasaki was the first Visored character to be created on the site.
* Sasaki was the second character to obtain Bankai on the site and the first to make use of it in role-play.

## Quotes

* (To Stephen A. Smith) "*No, I'm serious. I mean you go back and you look at the tape, Stephen A., what has AD been doing for the Lakers this year? They're terrible on defense. They rank 29th in defensive rating overall as a team. That's crazy. That's crazy. The year before last, they were the best defensive team in the NBA. I get it, a lot of that has to do with a change in their roster. But they still have AD. They still have Dwight. They still have Avery Bradley --who by the way shouldn't have even made the roster in the first place. He wa a last minute addition to the team and he has brought them absolutely nothing.*"
* (To Sceloporus) "*Yeah. You can bet your money that I'll be stopping you right here. But make no mistake, Hollow. This has nothing to do with having a duty to fulfill. I could care less what the Gotei 13 is up to. No. I'm confronting you simply because seeing you has made me feel nostalgic about the past. I want to remember what it feels like to be a Shinigami again!*"

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Once in a Blue Moon
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Adjusting the Sails
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bankai Purchase
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hollowification and Intermediate Kido Purchase