Kazuha Mononobe

**Kazuha Mononobe** (物部 一葉, *Mononobe Kazuha*?) is a recurring character in *Bleach: Mirrored Planes*. She is the Quincy maidservant to Azaliya Pankratikaya Yurnayevna. As she is the servant, she follows her mistress in her alliance with Soul Society and was given the title of eighth-ranked Schwarzeritter to reflect her strength.

## Background

Born into the Mononobe clan of *samurai* during the middle of the Edo period in the fifteenth year of the Kyōhō era, she was raised in the former capital, Heian-kyō. As her family were of a pureblood Quincy lineage, Kazuha was given the standard education of a high-class lady of a military family. Upon turning fifteen, she was engaged to be married to the son of another samurai clan but research done by her parents revealed that their daughter's future partner was a scumbag of incomparable proportions. Through the power of his father who hides his crimes for him, the son kept committing numerous atrocities, especially against women and as parents who prioritized their daughter's happiness, they simply would not allow such a scoundrel to marry their own daughter. As such, when it came time for the wedding, conscripted assassins crashed the wedding and killed Kazuha in front of the groom; Kazuha was able to utilize her supernatural powers to fake her death up until it came time for her burial. After she was put into the ground, she awoke and crawled out of the grave and with best wishes from her parents, she disappeared from Japan entirely.

She ended up in the very outskirts of Russia after soaring across the sky. Upon landing, she met a sailor named Viktor Yegorovich Savvatimov who was fluent in Japanese and Russian; he took the time to educate Kazuha in the language of Russia in exchange for providing shelter for her. After three years, she left the care of Viktor and struck out on her own. She wandered for four more years until she arrived in Beryozovo and upon hearing of the resident princess, she sought her out and after dueling her and losing, Kazuha decided that this princess, Azaliya, would be her '*shogun*', the person she would dedicate her life and sword to. Azaliya reluctantly accepted after being consistently pestered by Kazuha as well as her own dependants to take on a maidservant, especially considering Azaliya's own social status.

Kazuha served excellently as Azaliya's handmaiden and right-hand woman for over two centuries. Upon the outbreak of the Thousand-Year Blood War, they were approached by Shinigami from Soul Society who questioned Azaliya about a Shinigami she had killed some eighty years prior. Azaliya managed to reach a mutual non-aggression agreement with Soul Society and as her handmaiden, Kazuha did not object. At Azaliya's request, Kazuha was gifted an *Asauchi* and upon special training from her mistress, Kazuha was able to create a full Zanpakutō. It took another twelve years for Kazuha to master her new weapon enough to learn its full true name and achieve Bankai. Presently, she still serves as Azaliya's personal handmaiden and was given the title of '*eighth-ranked Schwarzeritter*'.

## Personality

Kazuha is a woman of strong character along with possessing a remarkably strong sense of justice. While she agreed that the political marriage would greatly benefit her family, Kazuha and her parents refused to accept her chosen partner as her husband...

## Abilities

### Zanpakutō

Kazuha is in possession of the **Zanpakutō**, **Raiteikōshinkyoku** (雷帝行進曲, *March of the Lightning Empress*?). It takes the form of a standard *katana* with a decorated blue hilt and a dark gray *saya*. She obtained her Zanpakutō as proof of the friendship forged between her mistress and Soul Society...