Haruhisa Shimazu

Haruhisa Shimazu (, Shimazu Haruhisa) is the first born son of the Shimazu Bushi's leader and the older brother of Akihiro Shimazu and Natsuki Shimazu. He, along with his brothers, joined the Uesugi Alliance in the war against Yamata no Orochi to prove their worth. In the liberation of Awaji Island he served under the Shimazu Platoon.

Appearance
Haruhisa is a young man of average height with medium-length orange hair that he braids. He has purple eyes and like his clan members, he wears a piercing. His attire consists of a light-colored shirt and a dark-blue, undivided hakama. He wears shin guards, that are made of iron plates attached on cloth. His Kitetsu Swords are fixed on his platformed sandals. While he was serving under the Uesugi Alliance he wore the uniform of the White Corps, a white cape with the Uesugi mon on the back.

Awaji Island Recapture Operation Arc
At Harima port, as the Uesugi Alliance gather, Haruhisa asks Natsuki if he remembers what their father said and Natsuki confirms its that whoever takes the Kishin horn in Awaji will be the next clan head. Fuyuie is sure that Akihiro can do it.

The Shimazu bushi are put in the same squad with the Amako bushi, Musashi and few others. Katsumi suggest they decide the leader with a battle and Shimazu choose Akihiro, who then easily defeats Katsumi and Musashi to become leader. Later, when the ship gets attacked by oni, the Shimazu link up and manage to defeat some oni. Later, when Musashi and Michiru are suspected to be involved with the enemy, the Shimazu squad is left behind until Musashi's involvement is cleared, so is soon cleared as the enemy bushi attack and Musashi is revealed to be the Obsidian Goddess.

Later, Kuroko forms a plan and sends the Shimazu to assist Musashi and destroy the Yura Mine. As the Shimazu arrive, they see an oni protecting it and link up to destroy it. Shiro shows up, but so do Naotora and he defeats Shiro. As part of their next mission, they need to find and defeat the third enemy Bushi, however, Akihiro wishes that they destroy one of the Kishin's horn. Proceeding, they team up with other Bushi and see Yataro, who then states he merged with the Kishin and turns into an oni. The Shimazu attempt to link up to defeat it, but with his barrage from the swords, Yataro manages to always break their link. Akihiro grows inpatient and when Natsuki gets cut off, he just notes that he is always slow, however, Musashi comes and saves Natsuki. Musashi then proceeds to help other Shimazu, while also destroy swords, allowing them to finally link up with Akihiro, who then destroys the horn of the oni.

However, as that doesn't defeat the oni and it proceeds towards the Kishin, Musashi wants to form a plan and the Shimazu agree, revealing they have accepted him. Akihiro isn't looking happy and explains that they shouldn't be happy as they failed to kill the oni and now their comrades are in danger. Haruhisa gets angry and explains that Akihiro only cares about himself and getting the heir to the clan. He doesn't care about the rest and is fine if they die. As Akihiro confirms it, Haruhisa slaps him and states he won't be following him anymore. Akihiro takes something from his pocket and throws it out. Musashi picks it up and asks Fuyuie what it is and Fuyuie explains its a wooden piece used in planning battles, and that the Shimazu brothers did the same when they were young and shared their dreams. Haruhisa calls Musashi to be their final chain in the link and as they attempt to link up with him, Akihiro tries to steal the link, which only annoys the Shimazu for his greed. Musashi apologizes, stating he shouldn't have taken his place and that his dream is to defeat oni with his brothers. Recalling their past, Akihiro didn't want to be the final chain, but Haruhisa, Akihiro tells Musashi that he is wrong. Akihiro manages to steal the link and attacks the serpent, knocking it out for a moment, but the serpent later continues.

Akihiro then orders everyone to line up and link while standing still. That offends the Shimazu, but Akihiro states that's the only sure way they will link with others. They all link up and Akihiro heads towards the serpent, noting to himself that this way his brothers are safe. As he reaches the horn, Orochi ends up swallowing him and the serpent. Uesugi Bushi tell the group to run as Orochi will power up and wipe them out. Musashi approaches Haruhisa, telling him that older brothers protect younger, but Haruhisa reveals he hates Akihiro and if he had a red soul, he would had led them better. Musashi then wonders if he wants Akihiro to die so that Haruhisa can lead them. He then gives him Akihiro's wooden piece. The Shimazu recognize it and realize that Akihiro is hung up on the past. Haruhisa then decides to go and save him. He enters Orochi and finds Akihiro knocked out and protects him. As he wakes up, he gives him the wooden piece. Akihiro then explains that he ordered them to stay there to be safe. As a red blade, he has the duty to cut the horn, which doesn't allow him to go and save his allies. If he isn't there to cut the horn, the oni survives and all the offers are wasted. Akihiro is torn up that he can't protect his allies and do his duties at the same time. With Haruhisa coming to save him, he broke the link and now they can't defeat the serpent, however, other Shimazu and Musashi show up, stating they will just link again. They link up, but Akihiro is exhausted and fails. Musashi suggest that he takes his place, but Akihiro refuses, otherwise he has no use for the Shimazu and his life would be meaningless. Haruhisa states he forced all that on him, but what really matter is that they are brothers. They link again and this time Akihiro breaks the serpent horn.

With the Orochi nourishments cut, the Bushi manage to cut Orochi's horn and defeat it. An Uesugi bushi asks the group who cut the serpent horn as that saved thousand of lives. The Shimazu brothers point at Akihiro, but he doesn't want the reward and states someone else should take it. Haruhisa tells him that he fought harder than anyone else and the Shimazu brothers will be part of all kind of legends now. Haruhisa also tells Akihiro to thank Musashi for finding his wooden piece and Akihiro promises to repay him.

The Bushi notice that the Kitetsu isn't gathering at their swords. As Tatsuomi is saved, Musashi decides to go look for Michiru and the Bushi go with him. They go inside the mountain where Orochi was and find powered up Yataro who made Michiru into a blade and with powers similar to the Goddess. Natsuki doesn't take him seriously, as they defeated him earlier, but Yataro points his blade at Natsuki and almost kills him. As they start fighting, Yataro obliterates the Bushi and cuts down Harushisa, Tokisame and Katsumi, among others.

Using the Goddess power, Musashi manages to defeat Yataro. At the honor ceremony, the Shimazu are awarded with a castle, allowing them to become an independent bushi band.

Kitetsu Sword
Haruhisa’s Kitetsu Sword is a two-piece weapon worn on his legs. It consists of two pivoted black blades, an inner and an outer blade, folding in and out of his sandals.

Powers & Abilities
Blue Sword Soul: Haruhisa has blue soul.

Etymology

 * The name Haruhisa means "spring" (春) (haru) and "long time" (久) (hisa).
 * The first character of his given name means "spring" (春, haru). In the name of his younger brothers, the first character also signifies a season.
 * The second character of his given name (久, hisa) is the same, as his father's, Takahisa. It implies Haruhisa was expected succeeding in the Shimazu Band of Bushi until the result of his Sword Test.

Trivia

 * Haruhisa ranked 43rd place in the manga's 1st Character Popularity Poll.
 * He and Tokisame and Tadayuki are double cousins, as they are cousins through both parents.