Aokata Shiba

* 2023
* 2003

**Aokata Shiba** (志波 青方, *Shiba Aokata*) is a variant of an individual from another universe and the captain of the 13th Division in the Gotei 13. An adopted member of the Shiba Clan, they nevertheless rose to become the 25th Head of the Shiba Clan, placing them among the Five Great Aristocrats. They were formerly a member of the Visoreds. They are also recognized as one of the Santenshō and serve as Soul Society's chief diplomat to Hueco Mundo. Aokata is married to Rukia Kuchiki and their vice-captain is Nozomi Yushima.

## Appearance

Aokata Shiba is biologically male, but identifies as genderqueer and purposely has a feminine aesthetic. They have green eyes and long black hair, which they style into two long pigtails that reach past their waist, though some strands frame their face, and curl around their collar.

As a captain, they wear a modified Shinigami uniform. They wear a long-sleeved version of the ordinary Captain's *haori*, which has tight sleeves instead of the bell sleeves worn by most. A pair of pink armbands also cover their entire forearms, and they have white wrappings around their hands in place of gloves. Their *haori* is also shorter than most captains, reaching just above their shins. Underneath, they wear an ordinary black *shihakushō*, tied around the waist by a white sash. They also wear an ordinary pair of Shinigami sandals.

Though Aokata's hair is significantly longer, they seem to have styled it after Rukia Kuchiki's, the first friend they made when they joined the 13th Division. Despite being adopted, Aokata is said to look like a natural member of the Shiba Clan, save for their green eyes.

## Personality

Despite having lost both of their parents to a Hollow attack, Aokata is defined by an obsession for them. They have befriended a number of the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo; and are in general considered to be an expert on Hollowfication, their knowledge surpassing even the likes of Kisuke Urahara. Even so, Aokata does not allow their fascination with Hollows to get in the way of their duty of protecting humanity from being eaten by the creatures.

## History

Aokata was born **Tadayoshi Tsukimito** (月見杜 惟義, *Tsukimito Tadayoshi*). They were discovered by Kaien Shiba in the aftermath of a Hollow attack on the Aokata District in the Rukongai. Their parents had been killed and eaten by the Hollow, but Aokata was merely bit before Kaien was able to intervene. Their injuries put them at serious risk, necessitating that Kaien take them to then-12th Division captain Kisuke Urahara, who believed the child was at risk of Soul Suicide from Hollowfication. Captain Urahara then synthesized a vaccine using a Quincy arrow to stabilize the child.
Shortly thereafter, Kaien adopted Aokata into the Shiba Clan and named them for the district they were discovered in, as the child was too young to remember their birth name. Kaien later sent them to the Shin'ō Academy to be trained as a Shinigami. There, they befriended Tenshirō Azashiro and Seireitō Kawahiru, who entered the academy at the same time. The trio graduated six years later, and Aokata was accepted into the 13th Division at Kaien Shiba's recommendation.
While in the 13th Division, Aokata trained under Kaien, which was where they befriended Rukia Kuchiki. Both had similar levels of talent and worked hard, with Kaien as their instructor, to increase their skill, eventually attaining seated officer status in their division. At some point, they also befriended Shinji Hirako and several other members of his social circle.

Turn Back the Pendulum arc
Approximately 123 years ago, Aokata was the 4th Seat of the 13th Division under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. While training with Kaien, they learned about the 9th Division being dispatched to investigate strange disappearances in Rukongai. When Captain Kensei Muguruma was reported missing, Captain Ukitake dispatched Aokata to join those sent by then Captain-General Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in searching for the missing Shinigami, believing their unique abilities would bring the investigation to a swift end.

Post-Exile
Sometime after both Kaien Shiba and Isshin Shiba's deaths, Aokata was named the 25th Head of the Shiba Clan. While this caused uproar within the Central 46, the remaining four of Five Great Aristocrats voted to accept their appointment, as nothing in the law prohibited an adopted child from taking the mantle of clan leader.
Nevertheless, Aokata wanted to bear some mark of the Shiba in their blood, out of respect for the late Kaien and Miyako. So, they agreed to be a test subject for Mayuri Kurotsuchi's **Blood Transfer Broth**. Both Kūkaku and Ganju Shiba contributed their blood to the substance, which allowed Aokata to become just shy of half-Shiba.

## Powers & Abilities

**Immense Spiritual Power**: As a member of the Santenshō, Aokata is considered to be one of the three strongest captains of their generation of the Gotei 13.

### Zanpakutō

**Tōgetsu Shigure** (凍月時雨, *Autumn Drizzle Under a Frozen Moon*): Aokata's Zanpakutō exists as an ordinary *katana* with an ornate guard shaped like an *aquilegia coerulea* flower or a type of lily. Both the hilt and sheathe are a deep yale blue, while the petals of the guard are variously shaded in a lighter blue and white. Additionally, violet stems protrude between the flower's petals. Aokata prefers to cary their blade rather than wear it on their person, a habit they picked up from Kaien Shiba. Along with **Sode no Shirayuki**, **Tōgetsu Shigure** is regarded as one of the most beautiful Zanpakutō in Soul Society.

* **Shikai**: Its Shikai command is "**Bloom Under the Moonlight**" (咲く下月光, *saku shimo gekkō*).

***Shikai Special Ability***: Not Yet Revealed.
* **Getsuga Tenshō** (月牙天衝, *Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer*; *Viz* "**Moon-Fang Piercer of the Heavens**"): Aokata can gather their spiritual energy along the blade of their Zanpakutō and release it as a crescent blast that is capable of devastating large sections of the Seireitei. Because of the nature of Aokata's powers, the blast is also capable of flash-freezing anything and anyone in its path. Uniquely, Aokata is capable of performing a weakened version of this attack while still in their sealed state.

* **Bankai**: **Tōgetsu Shigure: Maika Tsuru** (凍月時雨: 舞花鶴, *Autumn Drizzle Under a Frozen Moon: Dancing Flower Crane*): Not Yet Revealed.

* **Resurrección**: **Tōgetsu Shigure: Grulla Enojada** (凍月時雨狂った修羅鶴 (グルッラ・エノジャダ), *Gururra Enojada*; Spanish for "Angry Crane", Japanese for "Autumn Drizzle Under a Frozen Moon, Deranged Fighting Crane"): According to Shinji Hirako, Aokata was the only member of the Visoreds to push their Hollowfication to the point of obtaining a Resurreccíon. However, the details of this form are unknown.

## Weaknesses

### Zanpakutō

**Activation Limitation (Bankai, Resurreccíon)**: Aokata cannot activate her Resurreccíon while they are in Bankai, and vice-versa, and the two cannot be used simultaneously.

## Trivia

* Aokata's theme song is "Bauklötze" by Hiroyuki Sawano.
* Aokata's artwork was commissioned by the author from erikv\_arts.
* Aokata is LastationLover5000's stand-in in the tenth universe. They are also inspired by Hange Zoë, the author's favorite character from *Attack on Titan*, particular in regards to the character's fascination with Hollows.
	+ Due to being a stand-in for LastationLover5000, and considered a variant of Tadayoshi Tsukimito, Aokata is a loose reincarnation of "Dyan Arashi" from the Bleach Fan Fiction Wiki. However, their fascination with Hollows bears similarities to the author's first ever *Bleach* character, "Ahatake Kurosaki."
* Aokata is the first instance of an original character marrying a canonical character in their universe.
* Aokata uses "they/them" pronouns to describe themselves. However, they have adopted the designation "sister-in-law" from their brothers-in-law Tenshirō Azashiro and Yuzuru Kuchiki.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Databook: Timeine of Events
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Image Gallery: Aokata Character Design References
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Databook: Santenshō
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Databook: Heavenly Host
5. ↑ Databook: Seireitei
6. ↑ Character: Rukia Kuchiki
7. ↑ Note: Since Aokata is a variant of Tadayoshi Tsukimito, they bore the same name at birth. However, Tadayoshi is Aokata's dead name, and they do not refer to themselves as such.
8. ↑ *Bleach* chapter 535
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Character: Tenshirō Azashiro
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *Bleach* chapter 134
11. ↑ *Bleach* chapter -104
12. ↑ *Bleach* chapter -102
13. ↑ Object: Blood Transfer Broth
14. ↑ *Bleach* chapter 202
15. ↑ Character: Yuzuru Kuchiki