I'm going.
Hey, Ichigo!
How do you intend to get back there?
Right on time!
Let's go.
Looking good there.
You should be able to do this now, Ichigo.
You're the one.
Nice.
Come on up.
I'll personally reforge it for you.
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
SQUAD 10 BARRACKS - TRAINING GROUNDS
SQUAD 10 KENJUTSU INSTRUCTOR - SHUTETSU NAGAKISO You won't be able to cut down the Quincies with those swings!
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
Captain Hitsugaya!
What brings you here?
I'd like for you to train me.
What?
My Bankai was stolen.
If I'm to fight using only Zanjutsu,
then I must retrain myself from the basics.
After the battle against Aizen, I thoroughly refined my Bankai...
until it could be called a true Bankai.
However, my Bankai was stolen...
I must let go of what's been lost.
There's no time to be dreaming of getting it back.
Right now, I need to look ahead.
RUKON DISTRICT - OUTSKIRTS
Why have you brought me here?
Shuhei, I want you to master Bankai.
What?
My Bankai wasn't stolen this time,
but there's no guarantee it won't happen the next time.
The more Soul Reapers who can do Bankai, the better.
Hollowfy, Mashiro!
SQUAD 9 LIEUTENANT - MASHIRO KUNA Okay!
SQUAD 9 LIEUTENANT - MASHIRO KUNA Transform!
W-Wait, Kuna!
You better watch out.
Mashiro is strong when she's Hollowfied.
I think mastering your Bankai is the only way you won't die.
Captain Muguruma, you can't expect me to just—
Hi-yah!
You idiot.
I told you to watch out.
That's right!
A lieutenant shouldn't disobey a super lieutenant!
I hope you're not thinking she won't kill you for real.
I'm not soft like Tosen was.
Hold on, Captain Muguruma...
I've always looked up to and respected you.
But still...
you have no right to bad-mouth Captain Tosen!
DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF R&D - CONTROL ROOM Hey.
Mr. Akon!
Is it okay for you to walk around already?!
Of course not. It still hurts.
But I'm not the type to be lying around in bed all day.
Where's the Captain?
About that...
He's been cooped up in his office with the Lieutenant
ever since the Quincy attack.
He hasn't come out since then?
That's right.
Is something wrong?
The Captain has been cooped up for more than 24 hours,
yet the Surveillance Bugs remain inactive.
- That's never happened before. - What?
Either a crisis has occurred within the Captain's office
or he's conducting experiments that he doesn't want anyone to see
through the Surveillance Bugs.
At any rate, I'm going to take a look.
Mr. Akon, what is that...?
It's a camera I planted in the Captain's office.
- But that's—! - Not now.
I'm getting a visual!
It will use its existing tissue as a host
to give birth to a new Ashisogijizo...
What the hell is that...?!
What the hell is the Captain creating?!
"OMAEDA" Big Brother!
Where are you, Big Brother?!
Big Brother!
Please play ball with me!
No!
Wait! Don't cry, Mareyo!
I...umm...
Want to play kemari?
Yes!
Here goes!
Wow! That's amazing, Big Brother!
- I guess the Captain - Look at it go!
decided not to take me with her...
Who's there?
It's been a long time, Great Elder.
Sajin, huh?
You've got some nerve coming back here.
What do you want, Sajin?
Great Elder, I have come to learn our clan's secret technique.
Don't be ridiculous.
You shamelessly donned a hat and armor
and pretended to be human
because you were embarrassed by our clan's appearance.
How dare you make demands of me.
Please take a look.
I no longer wear a hat...
The world has changed in the past few decades.
I sense that the world has reached a point
where our clan can live out in the open.
And that very world is currently under threat!
Shut your mouth!
You have it all wrong.
The world will never perish.
Only the bearer of it will change.
Our clan won't change.
Regardless of whoever claims the world,
we will continue to live in the shadows.
I'm telling you we can change that!
We must change it
for the sake of our children, and our grandchildren.
It won't change.
Nor is there a need to.
Whoever the world belongs to, it's none of our concern.
Great Elder!
Don't you understand, Sajin?
I'm telling you not to disrupt the peace we have.
If you cannot do that...
I shall crush you.
Bring it on!
This is why Hoohden was built on a cliff!
HOOHDEN - FORGE This is why Hoohden was built on a cliff!
A Bankai cannot be reforged without all these waters.
Now brace yourself, Ichigo.
This is where you and your Zanpakuto, Zangetsu...
must say goodbye!
Come on, everybody! Let's begin!
Welcome to my show!
- Yessir! - Yessir...
The Nimaiya Bodyguards are here!
Why are you just standing there staring?
When I said "everybody," that includes you too...
Asauchi.
What is going on...?!
Let's party time!
Ready!
NIMAIYA BODYGUARD - NONOMI NOMINO
All right!
NIMAIYA BODYGUARD - MERA HIUCHIGASHIMA
I hate this.
It's such a hassle...
I can't believe I'm being dragged into this mess again...
NIMAIYA BODYGUARD - TOKIE TONOKAWA
What a horrible life...
Stop complaining, Ms. Tokie!
This is our job, remember?
Here goes!
There!
Got you!
NIMAIYA BODYGUARD - HASUKA HASHIHARA
NIMAIYA BODYGUARD - TSUMIKO TSUCHIMIYA
Now then...
Let's get started.
What are you thinking as you see this, Go-Ichi?
Well, it's much brighter now,
so maybe you should have left your sunglasses on...
You fool!
If I kept my sunglasses on...
I wouldn't be able to see the color of the flames!
Have you figured it out, Go-Ichi?
The reason why this Asauchi turned white
the moment it touched you...
No...
I bet this is what crossed your mind...
"It reminds me of the Hollow within me."
That's right. This guy is the Hollow within you.
That Asauchi became the catalyst to draw this Zanpakuto out.
I'm saying that this Hollow is your Zanpakuto, Go-Ichi!
Aizen created the Hollow known as "White"
by layering countless Soul Reaper souls.
Oddly enough, that is the same method I use to create my Asauchi.
That Hollow entered your body
and melded with your natural Soul Reaper powers...
...becoming your Zanpakuto.
Hold on a second...
are you saying that Old Man Zangetsu is...
I told you, didn't I?
That you will be saying goodbye to "Zangetsu."
Yes, you already know...
about the man who has been pretending to be
your Zanpakuto within your soul!
Old Man... Zangetsu...
Go-Ichi, you know that man.
Of course, I do...
- He's Zangetsu— - No, look closer.
You've seen that man up close with your own eyes quite recently...
as the enemy who destroyed the Soul Society!
That man is not your Soul Reaper powers.
He is your Quincy powers taking the form of...
Yhwach from a thousand years ago!
I've been trying not to think about it...
That day,
when I first confronted him...
I felt as if I was drawn there.
I had been trying not to ask myself why.
About why I was able to go straight to him
without knowing anything...
Or why I thought he was the most important enemy...
And finally...
why the first time I saw him...
he reminded me of someone I know.
Zangetsu!
What is going on, Zangetsu?
It's just as you heard.
And...
I am not Zangetsu.
Then you really are... Yhwach?
Are you really...
not Zangetsu?
I am the source of the Quincy power within you.
I am Yhwach, yet I am not.
I don't get it!
Are you my enemy or are you my ally?!
Was everything you said to me a lie?!
Answer me!
I'm not an enemy or an ally.
But there were no lies in my words to you.
Except for the name I told you.
Ichigo, I know you've seen it.
Whenever I taught you how to use your Zanpakuto,
I always had help from the Hollow...
Whenever you couldn't handle your Zanpakuto's power...
When you were truly in danger of losing your life...
The one that saved your life...
was not me,
but the Hollow.
I didn't want you to become a Soul Reaper.
That is why I suppressed your true power,
which had not fully matured...
and became the center of your power.
- Why? - "Why"?
I wished to keep you far from danger, and from conflict.
What is there to question?
If you became a Soul Reaper,
you would be dragged into battle whether you wanted to or not.
You would get hurt...
You would suffer...
And eventually, I would have to kill you...
with my own hands.
I couldn't let you become a Soul Reaper.
If you did, I would have to kill you.
That's what I thought...
However, you chose the path of a Soul Reaper.
You were given an opportunity and honed your strength...
You suffered and got hurt,
yet still continued to travel down that path of your own free will.
As I watched you, I could almost hear my heart wavering.
Eventually, rather than try to keep you away
from the Soul Reapers,
my heart leaned towards supporting your decision.
And now, I stand here...
feeling the joy of stepping away from you...
Ichigo... you've become strong.
I've been able to see your growth right by your side.
Nothing could make me happier.
I am satisfied.
W-Wait, Zangetsu!
I still—!
Ichigo...
What you've been using is merely a fragment of your power
that I couldn't suppress.
You can now fight with your own power.
Take it.
That is your true Zanpakuto...
That is Zangetsu.
You're right. There were no lies...
Not in his words...
Or in your words...
You used a Quincy's shadow to help me.
You used a Quincy's blood to stop mine.
And you lent me the power of a Quincy
to help me win when I was weak.
Zangetsu...
I don't care who you are.
You might try to deny it, but...
You...
and him...
are both Zangetsu to me.
Let's just agree to that, okay?
Zangetsu...
What are you doing?! Your hands will—
It's all good.
Right, Go-Ichi?
I was just thinking the same thing.
That it would be complete once you poured your soul into it.
Now pull it out, Go-Ichi!
That's your Zanpakuto!
- The sea... - It evaporated!
Well, Go-Ichi?
Think you can get along?
With those Zangetsu...
Two...Zanpakuto?!
Amazing!
Yup. They were both real.
Zangetsu...
I won't ask you to lend me your strength anymore.
I won't tell you to stay out of my way, either.
And I won't ask you guys to fight alongside me.
I'll fight on my own.
Thank you, Zangetsu.
You are...
me.
You've returned, Haschwalth.
And the subject?
Right here.
Welcome...
Uryu Ishida.
Now, let us fight together...
...my son.