Tenth Division Captain: Senzogihara, Sushun

Name: Senzogihara Sushun

Alias(s): the Exalted Whisperer ; the Collector ; the Richest Man Alive

Age: 769

Gender: Male

Race: Shinigami

Affiliation: Captain of the Tenth Division ; Master of Commerce and Trade

Overview: Eight hundred years ago, the Senzogihara clan was one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble families. They were a house of monks and wisemen, whose fame was as widespread across the Seireitei as their charity. But even as one of the original thirteen clans of the Seireitei itself, there was no escaping the basic nature of the world: with no wealth, there was no way to retain true political power. And living off the good will of the masses lead to staggering amounts of loss when compared to what few monetary gains they made. Thus they fell into poverty. The Senzogihara had no way to pay theirs retainers nor the shinigami of the Seventh Division to watch over them. The miracles they were said to be able to perform were no longer desired in the Court of Pure Souls. After a period of ten short years, the Senzogihara were all but a shadow of what they once were. It was this failing house that Sushun entered into. Sadly, he had not been born more then a minute before his family despised him. Sushun's mother died during childbirth, and his family cursed him for it throughout his childhood. Making matters worse were the seven children born before him, all sons and all having already inherited what was left of their clan. Any position of power Sushin could claim was already taken, and those that were left were denied to him. The disdain and shame they had gathered from the Seireitei was amplified from within, and the future of the house began to finally burn out. Sushun was the lowliest of the falling stars; an unwanted child with no place in the world.

But just as the lotus blooms from mud, so too was Sushun reborn a great man. For the first twenty years of his life, his family punished him for being born. They beat him, they cursed him, and they denied him the teachings that the Senzogihara had once been famous for. Eventually Sushun broke; in the gloom of a moonless night, he stole the scrolls of his clan and fled into the depths of the Rukongai. There he lived as an exile, practicing the mystical arts of his family. For eighty years he lived off the charity of others, as well as the land itself, no matter how barren. It was in the far flung, scum-filled deeps of the Rukongai that the shinigami known as the Richest Man Alive was born again. He made allies with the criminals of the Rukongai, and gained a following in the black market larger then ever thought possible. With the help of his clan's sacred spells, the smallfolk and peasants of the Rukongai began to flock to him, hungry for a taste of what he could give. At the end of his journey, he had enough sway with the people and enough wealth amassed from crime that he could return to the Seireitei and bring his clan back from the dead with him at the helm.

Of course, at first the Senzogihara did not welcome him back. They still despised him, though their hatred began to dull as brick by brick Sushun rebuilt their house. His father, sickly and old, was the linchpin of Sushun's plan. The former clan leader became a figurehead through which Sushun crafted and shaped a new, more powerful image for the Senzogihara. He joined the Shinto Academy and graduated in under three years before joining the tenth division and using his connections to make deals with virtually every business in the Seireitei. And with his mastery over his family's sacred arts, Sushun began to modernize the Senzogihara at long last. The more he watered the businesses's of the Seireitei with money, the more public interest in the forgotten miracles of his clan was generated. By forcing donations whenever they performed these holy acts and ceremonies, both their status and political strength skyrocketed. All the while Sushun was whispering in his father's ear, gaining influence with him, and building a one-sided bond where the old clan head depended on his youngest son. When he died, he named Sushun as both heir to the Senzogihara and all their power, as well as the coveted title of the Exalted Whisperer. With such political prowess backing him, as well as numerous titles and contacts, it took little effort to eventually attain the position of Tenth Division Captain and Master of Commerce and Trade; both seats where he could continue to prosper and maintain his influence within the Seireitei.

Apperance: Hundreds of years have passed since then, and Sushun's fame (or infamy, depending on who is asked) has continued to blossom. As he is considered a role model for all shinigami, he has kept himself in brilliant shape all these centuries. He is a little over average height, with a muscular build that betrays his age. Every day he continues to work out. In the Rukongai, he quickly learned that a man with no physical strength could only manipulate so much until his kingdom crumbled like sand before a wave. Thus his health has been at a constant peak, with nothing as small as even the common cold having affected him at all for several centuries. Sushun's skin is lightly tanned, and no scars, birthmarks, or other blemishes mar it. Unlike many of the other captains, he has not fought much in his years, and the times he has were calculated battles that ended in moments. Any wounds have been treated by the Fourth Division, removing even the slightest shadow of their existence. Monthly payments to the Twelfth Division also gives Sushun the access to various chemicals meant to keep his skin as perfect as possible.

Just as his body has been kept in pristine condition, Sushun's face and hair are held to equally lofty standards. His hair is black as oil, with two grey wings at both temples. The rest is dusted with salt and pepper. Sushun sees his aged hairstyle as a sign of experience, and the professional classic cut he wears emphasizes this. Never is he seen in public with so much as a bang out of place. His chin and lips are kept well-shaven, to the point where some have wondered if all the chemicals from the Twelfth have removed his ability to grow a beard. While this is no more then rumor and conjecture, Sushun's daily rituals keep them alive. For the most part, his face is also wrinkle free. Only a few crows feet accent his eyes, though nowhere else lie signs of stress. Despite this, he is never seen smiling. Sushun's expression is always one of the utmost seriousness, and the biggest deviations one might get from him are flashes of anger, a hard frown, or the slight twitch of the lip which might, some speculate, be a smile. Regardless, this has created an atmosphere of respect and professionalism about him that Sushun is eager to propagate.

Nothing contributes to this presence as heavily as his eyes. Sushun's gaze is the hardest thing about him by leaps and bounds. It analyzes everything before him, judging and critiquing people based on factors that only he knows. His eyes are a strong brown, rich and deep, though they always have a habit of putting people off. Many have had their egos deflated, crushed, or outright cast aside by the simplest of flickers of those two stones. It is said that Sushun never praises his subordinates. This is true. Instead, those that he is pleased with are rewarded by a softer glance and perhaps a nod if they are truly lucky. Given how hard of a man he is, these are valued as highly as the verbal or material praise of other captains due to their rarity and the man that they are born from.

Though several captains, such as the Kenpachi, prefer to modify both their haoris and their uniforms, Sushun never has. He is an incredibly strong believer in traditional values. Thus, his shihakusho has always been kept as the trademark black and white robes of his race. They are never seen damaged or dirty by the public in any way. Even when he eats, drinks, or works out, Sushun is careful to ensure that either no one sees him, or that his clothes remain pure as snow. Day in and day out he has them cleaned and dry-pressed, a service that he offers to subordinates that he likes more then not. This is seen as one of the ultimate ways to receive praise from Sushun, beyond that of even his legendary nods. Likewise, his socks, sandals, and haori are all kept equally pristine. The latter especially is something special to him, and is the only piece of clothing beyond his ceremonial wear that he cleans himself. It is the symbol of all the power he has gained during his near eight hundred years of life, and the one thing he takes the most pride in. Those who have touched his haori have often earned the full force of his scorn, even if they did so by accident. No one is allowed to touch it, and he always removes it before a battle or spar, no matter how strong his opponent is.

Personality: Sushun was born a soft boy; a gentle and sweet soul with the gift of a bitter, cursed family. This sweetness he once embodied did not last long under the scorn of this house. The death of his mother, the almost daily beatings from his brothers, and the raw hatred from his father--who blamed every possible problem of the Senzogihara on him--eventually broke Sushun. When he fled into the darkness of the Rukongai, he changed in every possible way. He learned that being gentle would not change anything in the world. He was made to understand that sweetness was something to be restrained, given only to those that mattered or to those who could be controlled with it. Senzogihara Sushun became a callous man, one who saw everything in either advantages or disadvantages. Every decision he made in his dawn years was based on those two concepts. He made deals that he had total gains from, cut off contacts that only hurt him, and became a hard man who drove a hard deal. This attitude earned him the respect he needed to not only rebuild his confidence, but also to achieve a goal that none at the time thought possible for the youngest child of a dying house.

His view on the world has not changed. As Master of Commerce and Trade, Sushun's focus on the advantages and disadvantages of the world has only grown. In the Rukongai, he gained the foresight needed to read into people, as well as their motivations, and he has used that to stunning effect. Sushun plans ahead whenever dealing with someone, figuring out their personality and value. Then he weighs the advantages of treating them hundreds of different ways as compared to the disadvantages. This has turned him into a judging man, earning him a reputation for discarding people as easily as he would a pair of used chopsticks. After nearly eight hundred years of practice, Sushun is capable of understanding the value of anything with but a simple glance. In that one moment, he breaks down every possible aspect and road branching from his interactions with the particular soul. Though many see this practice as evidence that he should be a poor leader, he has proven the contrary. With this unique sight, Sushun has built what is considered to be the most well-run division of all the Goteijuusantai. In the long history of him as captain, both the economical strength of his division as well as the Seireitei have increased tenfold. Even during wartime he has found ways to release propaganda to ensure that the attitudes of the common shinigami were positive, allowing the economy to run strong during times of turmoil or disaster.

Sushun's efforts to further his influence have not stopped at the borders of the Seireitei. The smallfolk of the Rukongai, especially within the first twenty districts, idolize him. Because of his efforts, he has increased the standard of living every year, until those in the closest districts to the Seireitei are advanced enough to even match first world cities in many ways. Naturally, he embraces this idolization completely. Sushun understands that as long as he is loved by the common man, his legacy will be as bright as the sun, and his house will continue to prosper. It is also for these reasons that he has grown to despise the captain of the Ninth Division. Suikagaku Noudan is a well known criminal in the underworld, whose control over the black markets overtook Sushun's own. The two have been in a constant power-struggle for over a hundred years, fighting over the Rukongai and who controls it. To Sushun, Nayamashii is the representation of everything he hates. The man is too progressive, too cunning, and too dangerous to be considered an ally. As a captain, Sushun sees him as less then capable. Time and time again he has made traps to capture him, and time and time again he has failed. A constant thorn in his side, the Collector wants to remove his nemesis as soon as he can in order to ensure that his house never has to suffer like it has in the past.

This same impetus to ensure the blessed future of the Senzogihara has made him an incredibly loved member in the new generation of his family; a stark difference from the past, where he was hated by the house and all its cadet branches. Sushun's children and grand-children are in his division and well-taken care of. He made sure to find them good marriages that they wanted, and taught them from early ages how to be a role model. Many are surprised to see just how caring he is of his children when the public face of the man is harder than stone. After all, he earned the moniker "the Collector" because no matter the situation, he always collects his debts and dues--sometimes with force. Only Sushun's wife and immediate family have seen this softer side. He all but spoils his children, but takes care to see that they are not corrupted in any way. Though many would never expect it, he would gladly die if it meant saving a member of his family or anyone he truly cares about. It is this loyalty that helped earn him a great deal of respect and friendship amongst the highest brass of the Seireitei. He always pays his own debts in a timely manner, and if he considers one an ally he takes care of any problems they may have, financial or otherwise. In particular, his friendship with Mushikui Inikanau, the Twelfth Division Captain, is particularly well-known. Sushun was the one who funded not only his original projects that helped earn him fame, but also the technology needed to restore Inikanau's body.

Even though it is never said in public, the teachings of the Senzogihara still hold strong with Sushun. He is a materialistic man who values the idolization and respect of others beyond almost anything else, but at his core he is a spiritual soul. When he became clan head, he allowed his brothers to keep their positions, as well as many other members of the house that hated him and beat him. The Senzogihara teach a man to be forgiving, for when death comes only their whispers remain. As the sole grand master of their legendary techniques, so powerful it is said they were used in the forging of Zanpakutou, there is none who are more forgiving and more willing to understand then Sushun. He judges everyone, and discards those he sees as useless or harmful, but he does not resent these people. In fact, he is extremely compassionate towards them. If he sees a single possibility where their value can outweigh any con, he invests time and money into bringing them to a higher place in life. Still, he is not a naive or foolish man. Sushun understands that even if you bring a horse to water, you cannot force it to drink. Time and time again he has had to cut people loose permanently. Even though he may wish he had not, a bad investment is a bad investment, and Sushun will not endanger all he has built over something so trivial in his mind.

Unlike many nobles of the Seireitei, Sushun is not one to discriminate between "pure" shinigami, or those born within the Seireitei, and shinigami that herald from the Rukongai. Having lived for extended periods of time in both sections of the Soul Society, he has seen the good and the bad of both. This has earned him the respect of thousands of shinigami who are from these low income areas, or who were born on earth and then conscripted upon death. It has also earned him many political enemies. In truth, Sushun is harder with nobles then he is with any other shinigami. He cuts them the worst deals and often pushes and punishes them far more severely then he does their counterparts. Many consider this a hypocrisy, as he himself is noble. Still, none of the nobles who resent Sushun dare publicly announce so. While he knows that many would be against him if they could, he is still the origin of many family's wealth in the current generation. Without him, hundreds of houses would likely go bankrupt within a few years time. He knows this, and uses it to his advantage, gaining support from those who would otherwise deny it to him.

Rumors abound of Sushun's cruelty when it comes to those who have publicly stood against him in the past. Though he has lost a good deal of control over the Rukongai underworld, he still has multiple connections to large gangs and power players. Additionally, with his reputation and money, he has bought out many shinigami to be his personal men. He uses these soldiers to bully businesses who owe him debts, and to ensure that no one does anything he would not approve of. Publicaly, however, he condemns such scare tactics, and actively funds law enforcement against the criminals who conduct them. To those that know the truth, they see Sushun as a hypocrite playing both sides of the field. Houses in the past that have tried to expose him have only met ruin. One in particular was destroyed financially, militarily, and had their reputation broken to the point that their name has since been struck from the history books. This has set a dangerous example for those who would otherwise seek to end Sushun's reign as the Richest Man Alive, and who would endanger his family's legacy.

When it comes to battle, Sushun is a very calculating man. Along with the previous captains of the Thirteenth Division, the captain of the Seventh Division, and both the previous and current Kenpachi, Sushun is considered one of the greatest generals of all time. His snap judgment of situations, people, and tactics has provided insight that has made the armies of the Seireitei near undebatable. Even when faced with a sure defeat, it is usually he who gains not only a small victory, but who also minimizes the total losses. Because of this, he also understands the raw value of a captain-class fighter. Unlike some of his peers, he rarely steps onto the battlefield himself. When he does, it is only when he is faced with a situation where the foe is also a captain-class fighter, or where they have some ability that cannot be surmounted with tactics alone. This has made every battle he has ever fought incredibly short. When Sushun is ready to make a kill, it is simultaneously a key stroke at the enemy and, more often than not, the move that ends the war. Some have attempted to twist this into saying that he is a coward, but they are always silenced one way or another. Thus, for the most part, Sushun is seen as both a war hero and one of the greatest assets to the Seireitei's military.

Equipment

Tenchiseiki (Heaven and Earth's Essence): Heaven and Earth's Essence is a special drug made from herbs that once only grow in the furthest reaches of the Soul Society. Taking the form of a small black pill, it is the core of the Senzogihara's unique abilities, as well as their belief system as a whole. A single pill of Tenchiseiki is worth three years of the average shinigami's pay, making it something that is extremely expensive to produce and even more expensive to buy and use. When ingested, it's effects start off simple. Within moments the user begins to feel light of feet and head. Then their spiritual sense increases hundreds of times over, to the point where they can feel the reiatsu of even the smallest units of life. Those with already powerful senses are often be catapulted to the point where they can feel the spiritual energy in individual cells around them. Next comes the hallucinations. With a spiritual sense so strong, the user begins to see vivid images--they are literally reading the auras around them at this point, and gleaming from them thoughts, emotions, and intentions. The Senzogihara learn to not only function under this state, which is crippling to most, but also to completely master themselves. Because of this, Sushun never fights a battle unless he is under the influence of Tenchiseiki. His years of practice with it have given him abilities similar to precognition while drugged, allowing him to perfectly read and predict what an opponent will do or what their powers may entail. This is part of the reason why he is such a capable fighter. Even the strongest foes have fallen to him, as he knows what they will do ten steps beforehand, leading to incredibly short battles.

Abilities

Captain-Class Spiritual Power: As one of the oldest current captains within the Seireitei, Sushun boasts an enormous amount of spiritual power. And given his control over it, when compared to the captain-class, he more than exceeds them, and is considered to be one of the most powerful captains that the Goteijuusantai has to offer. His own brand of spiritual power is a dark grey in color, with indigo streaking through it like falling stars. Given his perfected spiritual control, his manifested aura is rarely ever seen. Colorless burst of pressure or a slight glow to his persons is the most he allows in general situations, and never does he allow his reiatsu to rage uncontrollably outwards. Those that experience his aura often feel the coldness it brings with it. Just like his eyes, his reiatsu seems to judge everything it touches. Those who he disdains or sees as useless oftentimes feel that way when he encounters them, and those he is pleased with enjoy the benefits of a warmer, more gentle touch. In the ultimate display of hatred or acceptance, Sushun will often release a pulse of his reiatsu as a sign of how he feels to those around him. It is as much a warning as it is an honor.

*Enhanced Body: Having such immense power and a high amount of physical health has given Sushun a very strong body. His endurance is legendary, able to physically fight enemies for days before he is too tired to continue. His workouts are so vigorous that few shinigami could keep up with him, and greatly overshadows that of humanities greatest athletes. Just as Sushun's endurance is off the charts, his strength is great as well. If he truly wants too, punching through solid stone, concrete, and even folding steel are all within the realm of possibility. Though his raw physical prowess does not match that of some of the greatest captains, such as the Kenpachi, it is more then enough to break enemies if need be. At times he has been seen resorting to raw force in his younger days, tearing the heads off of Gillian or bifuricating buildings with swings of his Zanpakuto.

Kidou Master: Out of all thirteen captains, only two shinigami are greater then Sushun when it comes to kidou: the Commander herself and the Eighth Division Captain, Zuseika Hannya.  This is something that is beyond impressive, especially when compared to the likes of the Fourth and Thirteenth Divisions. Sushun himself has a massive library of spells at his disposal. Virtually almost every Bakudou he has mastered, and the majority of hadou as well. Even spells above the nineties are within his grasp, some of which he can use without incantation, though that does lower their power substantially. Double incantations, after incantations, and full on abandoned incantations are all within his range of skill as well. But what is truly impressive is his mastery over the Senzogihara's arts. They are considered to be equal to the forbidden spells of the Kidoushuu in power, and rumor has it that they are instrumental in the creation of new zanpakutou. Each one requires an incredible amount of fine spiritual control, great levels of spiritual power, and the mental focus needed to not be distracted. Having mastered or attained all of these things, Sushun's normal kidou spells benefited immensely. Even the lowliest of them, such as the Shakkahou or Shou, are powerful enough to deal with the average Hollow or rebel.

*Bouhigi: Kyouou no Kankei(Sacred Dead Ritual: Connection of One's Heart of Hearts): The first spell that a Whisperer of the Senzogihara learns, Bouhigi: Kyouou no Tsunagari is a technique meant to spread the influence of the Tenchiseiki. Clasping their hands together, the Whisperer will begin to chant ancient prayers under their breath--the incantation for the spell. The incantation changes depending on who is in range, and can range anywhere from one to a hundred different verses. Then, suddenly, their reiatsu bonds with anyone who has a verse added to the ceremony. The results are felt immediately. In lesser cases, the connection becomes strong enough that some feelings of the pill reach the target. In Sushun's case, they receive the full overloading benefits--often crippling them and ending a battle right there. And if the foe is somehow capable of adapting to the spell, Sushun is able to take it further. By using the bond both ways, he is capable of pulling out their entire minds, understanding them at a level so deep that even they themselves cannot fathom it. In this way, he learns every technique, every battle, and every event that has ever happened or has been performed by the targets.

*Bouhigi: Shiryou Mitsugo (Sacred Dead Ritual: The Departed Talking in Whispers): The second spell of the Senzogihara, and the origin of the name "Whisperer" for those who practice their arts. Should they be skilled enough to understand the soul of their target, they can then further their influence. Whenever a spirit in the Soul Society dies, their bodies become reishi that contributes to the building of the realm. A powerful Whisperer, or a group of Whisperers, can pull these reishi together. This creates a ghost or wraith of the departed spirit, who whispers through the shinigami in question and to those who are attached. Often times, these whispers are the dying thoughts of the soul, or any emotions strong enough to have been retained by their reishi. As the Exalted Whisperer, Sushun can go further.  He can create a lifelike replica of the departed spirit that interacts with his targets as if they were still alive. Though they are not the original, this service--along with the others provided in a similar vein--is the basis for the miracles of the Senzogihara house.

*Bouhigi: Rinnekou Kaigan (Sacred Dead Ritual: Samsara Guides Enlightenment): One of the ultimate spells of the Senzogihara arts, Sushun is the only member of the current generation capable of performing this feat. After a long bout of chanting the verses of the spell, Sushun will gather the reishi of dead Shinigami. He will also require a blood sacrifice from another shinigami who desires the spell be cast on them, though it need not be a lot. The reishi comes together, forming an asauchi spirit for the shinigami in question. Only one other Whisperer in the history of the Senzogihara, the first member of their clan who was said to have created zanpakutou, has been able to perform this technique. It is so powerful that even broken bankai, normally impossible to repair, can be reforged and returned to full power with this technique. It is a secret ability however, and only the Commander and Muhyou--the Seventh Division Captain--know that Sushun is in possession of it.

*Bouhigi: Innen no Hottan (Sacred Dead Ritual: Genesis of Fate): The greatest of the Senzogihara spells, and one that Sushun only mastered within the last century, is the Bouhigi: Innen no Hottan. Like many of the other spells, without a group of Whisperers or proper preparation, it is impossible to use in a one on one battle. But to use it in a war situation would always mean the end of the conflict. Falling into a meditative trance, Sushun will begin to recite the one thousand verses of the Soul King--an incantation so powerful that his reiatsu begins to fluctuate to the point of matching even the Commander's. This is because he is tapping into a similar power--the very spirit of the Soul Society and all the reiatsu the realm offers. Suddenly he becomes aware of every single living thing, down to the cells, in the entire dimension. From there he can determine who he wishes to bewitch with this spell. Those that he does, he links their reishi with some of the original particles from the dawn of days. This causes a chain reaction that utterly obliterates any soul, regardless of power, returning them to the primal energies of the universe and throwing their spirit into the cycle of reincarnation. However, it is forbidden by both the Central 46 and the Commander to ever be used. A single mishap could lead to the complete annihilation of the entire Seireitei, and by extension, all life in the known universe. Additionally, the great stress of wielding that much power is fatal. For only a few short seconds, no more than four, could Sushun maintain the ability. Any longer and his body begins to rapidly deconstruct until he too he obliterated, just as his victims would be.

Zanjutsu Expert: With his focus on kidou and quick battles, Sushun's skill with a sword is not equal to some of his peers. Still, he is extremely capable with his zanpakutou. He has the precision needed to strike vital points with ease, and can manipulate the edge of his zanpakutou to always find its target. His most common practice is to slice the tendons and ligaments of his victims. As he always fights in his shikai and never in his sealed form, this allows him to maximize his abilities and to end a battle quickly, rather than using probing blows to figure out what the enemy is capable of. His only offensive maneuvers are always these debilitating cuts or a fatal strike. When it comes to parrying and blocking incoming slashes and thrusts, Sushun is swift enough and powerful enough to fend off even masters of the blade. Generally he wields his sword with two hands, though at times he has been known to use a single one and using his free limb for spell casting.

Hakuda Combatant: In the slums of the Rukongai, before he ever had a zanpakutou and his spiritual capabilities were weaker than now, Sushun learned how to fight with his body alone. He boxes more then he kicks, throwing jabs if he has to and always seeking to grapple away an opponent's arm or weapon. Despite his noble composure, he fights dirty. He will spit in the eye, throw sand in the face, and go for groin shots if forced. This is part of the reason why he chooses to rarely fight with his hands and feet. Oftentimes, Sushun relies on his sword and his spells. He only uses hakuda when he is disarmed and has no way of quickly regaining his weapon or slinging a fireball into his opponent's neck. And because of lack of formal training in this area, the talents he has honed never evolved far enough to make him anything more than a powerful brawler.

Hoho Master: Given his fighting style of defending and then slashing for a crippling or fatal blow, Sushun highly values speed and swiftness. When it comes to raw strike speed he is up there with the best, able to slip his sword through an opening in the blink of an eye. Likewise his shunpo is incredibly fast and well-trained; he can cross vast distances with a single leap in an instant, outpacing some of the fastest runners alive. Mid-jump he can change his direction without losing any speed, allowing him to run circles around opponents and to create unpredictable attack patterns with his shunpo. Furthermore, he can keep up these flights for lengthy amounts of time while expending very little effort to do so. A common tactic Sushun will utilize is entering into a shunpo away from an opponent while peppering them with spells and preventing them from closing any gaps. Though many don't expect it, Sushun is also incredibly agile. He can duck away from blows in a flash; dodge blasts from point-blank range; and spin, jump, dash, roll, and contort away from attacks that most would consider a sure hit. As an insult against particularly weak opponents, Sushun often wears his haori. Many have commented before that he is so skillful in hoho that it he is capable of going an entire full-length battle without mussing his haori at all. These rumors are true.

Highly Perceptive Combatant: While many of his fellow captains are very perceptive in battle, Sushun is noticeably above the majority. His ability to judge a man's character does not end there; his eyes catch everything. Mannerisms, tone of voice, overall body language, how their eyes move, and other such details are analyzed in moments to figure out how a foe might react to a situation. Having been captain for so long, he has also seen hundreds upon hundreds of different and unique abilities. Oftentimes after seeing or hearing of an ability once, he can discern how it works and work out a list of pros and cons for said technique. Those that are more skilled than him in any art, be it swordsmanship or shunpo, cannot always count on their advantages to give them an edge. Sushun has seen enough battles to know his own limits, and he can use those to correct his timing and to gain the upper hand against opponents more skilled than he. This makes it so that even if he is caught in battle without the use of his Tenchiseiki, he is capable of staying several steps ahead of his enemy based off of how they act and what he can accurately predict.

Unflappable Willpower: Sushun's mental prowess is incredibly high. Forged from the fires of his family's scorn and the hammer that was a rough life in the Rukongai, it is beyond difficult to phase him in any way. Seeing grotesque scenes of violence or crime, experiencing illusions that attempt to mimic his loved ones, and even torture all fail against his mental control. As the Exalted Whisperer, he is forced to have an incredibly high amount of self-control. A single slip up during a ritual could spell disaster not only for him, but for everyone involved, including his house's legacy. By using the future of the Senzogihara clan as his anchor, even advanced mental attacks can be repelled. As a youth, a powerful hollow attempted to invade his mind. In a display of raw willpower, Sushun repelled it completely before pulling it back in, locking it in a mental cage, and then executing its body--killing the hollow. Cataclysmic damage to his body, which could unnerve and utterly eradicate the composure of some of the greatest warriors, cannot shake Sushun's resolve. Stress does not affect him, allowing him to always make the right decision no matter what situation he is forced into.

Master Strategist and Tactician: Having been a captain for hundreds of years, Sushun's involvement with the various wars the Goteijuusantai has waged has been deep and ongoing. He has participated in scores of different battles, micro managing thousands upon thousands of shinigami in order to achieve victory. His noble heritage afforded him access to ancient text. From these he learned art of war, the art of charisma, and the importance of being a stalwart leader. While in the Rukongai, he learned the tactics roving packs of bandits employ, as well as how to properly execute guerrilla warfare. As Master of Commerce and Trade, these talents are all equally important in different ways. Micro and macro managing the economy of an entire dimension is no easy task. The stratagems employed there, which have allowed the welfare of the Soul Society as a whole to consistently benefit for centuries, is proof of his legendary mind. And having seen so much, and having to deal with an ever changing landscape, Sushun has long since developed methods of adapting and evolving old strategies into new, more powerful tactics. Foes against Sushun thus always find themselves pit against a rapidly shifting tide, adapting to counter and overcome any resistance they face. The proof of this has been given after assisting the Kenpachi with his multiple wars against the hollow kingdoms. After all, hollow are known for their ability to evolve against foes, and to overcome them requires more strategy than it would defeating a simple army. Amongst the highest brass of the Seireitei, Sushun is considered one of the two great minds of war along with the Thirteenth Division Captain, Chirirenge Hare.