You also noticed it, right?
That it was going to be useless no matter how hard he tried.
I know the whereabouts of every Asauchi I've forged.
All Soul Reapers are given an Asauchi.
And through continuous training,
we transform them into our personal Zanpakuto.
This is the foundation and essence of the relationship
between Soul Reapers and Zanpakuto.
It is an absolute truth.
It's not just squad members and captains...
but the Zanpakuto of us Squad Zero, too.
Even a stray outlaw like Kenpachi Zaraki...
gained an Asauchi by pulling it off the corpse of a Soul Reaper.
Every one of us.
Since the dawn of the Soul Society,
not a single Soul Reaper has awakened their own Zanpakuto
without possessing an Asauchi I forged.
It was obvious.
That this method wasn't going to work for him.
You and I both knew that.
He's the only one who doesn't understand that.
That's why he needs to know...
the whereabouts of his soul.
The blue skies above are hopelessly clear
At my wit's end, I feel a growing frustration
As if to laugh at us hopeless cowards
Countless eyes stare at us
This soul of mine breaks again and again
All I can do is hold it tight
Until the day it turns to ash
I've absorbed all of this sorrow
It has shaped me, painted me
But that's how we got here, right?
One step at a time, just like breathing
These countless scars on my palm
That no longer fade
Are my badge, my story
I faced the fear and shred it to pieces
And let it walk beside me once more
BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR
"KUROSAKI CLINIC"
I'm home...
Yo, Ichigo!
Long time no see—
That punk ran away.
What the hell is wrong with you?
"UNAGIYA"
You show up for the first time in a while
looking like it's the end of the world.
What are you, some school girl who had a fight with her parents?
Sorry...
I got kicked out without even getting my Zanpakuto fixed...
I don't know how to face them right now.
Ms. Ikumi, thanks for—
Whoa, hot!
Eat it! It'll warm you up!
I'm sorry, Ms. Ikumi...
for not showing up for work and barging in on you like this.
I'd rather you came to work than hear your apologies, you idiot!
From the moment I hired you,
I've felt like an older sister to you.
You can come to me at any time!
Kids should rely on adults!
Ms. Ikumi...
Coming!
Huh? There's no one here...
It seems like it was a prank...
Thanks, Ms. Ikumi.
I'm going home.
I'm fine now...
Hey, wait...
Ichigo! You forgot something!
I guess I'll deliver this to him tomorrow...
You came to pick me up in that outfit...
You know what's going on, don't you?
I heard what happened in the Soul Society from Urahara.
Including the fact that your Zanpakuto was broken
and that Squad Zero came down.
They kicked you out, didn't they?
Well, I can see why.
In your current state,
there's no way you can fix your broken Bankai.
You don't know anything about yourself.
Remember what you said to me?
That you could wait until I was ready to tell you.
Now's that time.
Listen carefully.
You're not a Soul Reaper.
But you're not an ordinary human, either.
Ichigo. Your mother was...
My name is Masaki Kurosaki.
I'm a Quincy.
THE SEIREITEI - SQUAD 10 BARRACKS
Captain!
Where are you?!
SQUAD 10 LIEUTENANT - RANGIKU MATSUMOTO
I found you...
Captain!
Bull's-eye!
You broke my beautiful tailbone!
- I'll have to take the day off! - Come on, let's head back.
I'm going to make sure you do your job!
SQUAD 10 CAPTAIN (AT THE TIME) - ISSHIN SHIBA
SQUAD 10 BARRACKS - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE
SQUAD 10 THIRD SEAT (AT THE TIME) - TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA
Well done, Toshiro!
Our soon-to-be captain!
Hold on!
I should be next in line for the captaincy based on rank!
Are you kidding me?
If someone like you became captain, the Squad would be ruined.
I agree.
I've been making progress with my Bankai training,
so I think I'll do just fine.
Hey, Toshiro!
How could you agree with him like that?!
Take it easy, you two.
Huh?
Does anyone know what happened to the manju that I left in here?
Captain, by the way,
there's a report that caught my attention...
"CASUALTY REPORT IN NARUKI CITY"
Wait. Let's talk about my manju first.
Have you seen the manju I hid in there?
Shut up.
Who cares about your manju right now?!
It was delicious!
So you did eat it!
Even worse, you tried to brush it aside!
You're a naughty boy, aren't you?!
Do you remember the report from two months ago?
It's from a mid-sized city called Naruki...
where one of the stationed Soul Reapers died in an accident.
Yeah, I do remember.
The one where the cause is still under investigation, right?
Correct. We just received last month's report...
TWO SOUL REAPERS DEAD DUE TO AN ACCIDENT
Hey! Where are you going, Captain?
To investigate! Take care of the rest, okay?!
Wait, you're leaving right now? Alone?!
Yup! I should be back in two days, so cover for me, will ya?
You can't be serious!
Shouldn't we report this to the Head Captain?
We're going after him, Toshiro!
No, let's not.
What are you saying?
The Captain went alone because
he figured this investigation would be dangerous.
I know that!
- That's exactly why— - That's exactly why...
...we should wait here.
At our current level,
we would only get in his way.
Any progress?
No, none at all.
We've been successful in equipping Hollows
with the ability to Hollowfy their targets...
but not even the souls of Court Guard members
can withstand it.
I see...
No matter.
We are close to narrowing down
the location of Shinji Hirako and the others.
We get to conduct Hollowfication experiments
while we smoke them out.
It's two birds with one stone.
Let's take our time. Gin. Kaname.
Everything is in the palm of our hands.
JUNE 4TH, 20:22 - NARUKI CITY
It's getting cloudy...
I don't like this...
The last guy and the guy before that
died on a rainy day, didn't they?
Let's not talk about it...
I see... It's dangerous on rainy days, huh?
That's good to know!
Captain Shiba!
What are you doing here?!
Oh, I was looking for the bathroom and got lost...
That's a terrible lie!
If it rains tonight, you guys can go home.
I like to pee in peace.
SAME DAY, 20:36 - KARAKURA TOWN, ISHIDA RESIDENCE
How is everything at school, Miss Masaki?
Oh, me?!
Well, I go there every day, Aunt Izumi!
Then how about your Seiren?
My Seiren is going...
so-so, I guess...
What do you mean "so-so"?!
Yes, I'm sorry!
Do you understand the situation you're in?!
Your predecessors passed away and you have no siblings,
making you the sole surviving member of the Kurosaki family.
We've only taken you in because you're a fellow Quincy!
Mother!
Please stop.
I could hear you from outside.
I'm going back to my room.
Where's Father?
He's at Fünfte Feld.
I too would like to know when he'll be back.
- Masaki... - Hm?
I'm sorry.
Please forgive my mother.
She's taking her loneliness out on you.
Don't be silly, Ryu!
There's nothing to forgive.
I'm not angry at all!
Thanks for the meal!
Oh!
The shrimp au gratin was great tonight.
Bye!
Katagiri...
Yes, what is it, Young Master?
Masaki...
She knows the only reason she was brought into the family...
is because Mother wants to protect
the Echt Quincy blood in the Ishida Family.
Is that what your mother told her?
You really think she needed to be told that?
She's not that stupid.
Do you think...
she would be happy marrying me?
Young Master...
I see you believe that happiness is necessary
for a marriage between Quincies.
You are so kind.
Your kindness would be more than enough to make Miss Masaki happy.
Don't be silly...
What's so kind about me?
I only want to make Masaki happy because,
without happiness,
it is impossible to look to the future.
I'm not referring to our future,
but that of the Quincies.
NARUKI STADIUM - NEAR SOUTH GATE
It's starting to rain hard...
Either they're specifically targeting Soul Reapers
or they're just reacting to high Spiritual Pressure...
I'll try baiting them out with Spiritual Pressure...
Whoa!
Amazing!
So this is Captain Shiba's Spiritual Pressure!
Damn it!
The size of Spiritual Pressure is not what they're attracted to!
A black...Hollow?
I see...
Its whole body is black,
and its hole appears to be covered up...
but judging from its Spiritual Pressure,
that's definitely a Hollow!
I sense...
a massive Spiritual Pressure on the move...
A Hollow...and another one....!
Don't bother, Masaki.
How many times must I remind you?
We Quincies should only head out after the Soul Reapers are dead.
And even then,
it is tradition to let Katagiri and other Gemischts handle it.
Think of your position.
You need to take better care of yourself.
We Echt Quincies should not shed our blood so readily.
But, Ryu...
This thing looks like a Hollow, but it fights like a Soul Reaper...
It's making it difficult to fight!
Captain Shiba!
Karakura Town is under Squad 13's jurisdiction!
Run!
Ryu. You always think about Aunt Izumi, Quincies,
the future, and many other things before you act.
I really admire that about you.
But...
To me, "taking better care of myself"
means doing what I can, when I can.
If I followed customs and let someone die today
when I had the chance to prevent it,
I know my future self will never forgive me.
Katagiri, we're heading out.
What the hell was that?
Was it a Cero?!
That thing is fighting like a Menos...
Each time it devours a Soul Reaper, it's getting stronger and smarter!
Hey, there's no way a monster like you
could go on a rampage without being noticed by the Soul Society.
Who sent you?
Of course, you're not answering.
Burn, Engetsu!
What...?!
That attack was done with a Zanpakuto!
It's a Soul Reaper!
There's a traitor pulling the strings!
White...
He is covered in a black armor,
yet called "White" due to the whiteness within him...
How ironic.
Don't underestimate me, you piece of shit!
You're still able to fight after losing an arm?
I'm impressed!
Damn it!
Who the hell...is that?!
A Quincy...!
This is not a part of our plan. I shall eliminate her.
Wait.
Let's see what happens.
Bastard...!
It's fast!
In that case...
You idiot, what are you doing?!
Good...
I've got you now.
Are you all right?!
Yeah... Oww...
Thanks, you saved me...
You're the one who saved me...
If you hadn't protected me,
you wouldn't have been injured so badly...
Then I guess this means we're even!
I'm going to heal you. Hold still.
Okay...
But, man... To take that thing out by yourself...
Who are you, anyway?
What should I tell him?
What would this Soul Reaper do if he finds out I'm a Quincy?
My name is Masaki Kurosaki.
I'm a Quincy.
I see, you're a Quincy, huh?
I've never seen a real one before!
But, wow...
I feel lucky getting to meet a Quincy in person.
What's with this person?
Is this what Soul Reapers are like?
I wonder if all the other Soul Reapers are like this.
I hope they are...
Then I'm sure that Ryu, Aunt Izumi, and everyone else would...
Let's go, Katagiri.
Masaki is safe.
There weren't any problems.
Got it?
Yes, understood, Young Master.
The fact that he self-destructed means
he not only surpassed the target Hollowfication phase,
but reached the final metastasize phase!
And he passed it onto a Quincy!
What an utter failure!
That's not true.
There are times when straying from the initial goal
is the superior outcome.
How exciting.
A Hollow created from a dead Soul Reaper
decided to choose a Quincy, the polar opposite of himself.
Don't you want to see what happens next?
Everything we had left behind
Our breaths blending as mist
without form or expression
We lie buried as we glare into the distance
I can't hear anything
I can't seem to cut anything
It feels like I'm sinking
Falling, falling
Touching
Eyes struck wide open
Something no one has ever seen
The furthest reaches are now visible to us
It cannot be undone and cannot be stopped
This ensuing struggle
Whisk it away beyond the ends of the earth
Along with our breaths
Take everything
Whisk it away beyond the ends of the earth
Along with our futures
Along with our world
Something no one has ever seen
The furthest reaches are now visible to us
Don't you know God's demand?
As we tear each other down
"Even with your sins, you are like the sun."