Volume 16 NIGHT OF WIJNRUIT

The mane of the sun, which falls incessantly
Makes the footprints of remaining thin ice disappear

Don't be afraid of deception
Since long ago the world has been above deception

131. The True Will
132. Creeping Limit
133. memories in the rain2 "the nocturne"
134. memories in the rain2 op.2[Longing For Sanctuary]
135. memories in the rain2 op.3[Stepping into Darkness]
136. memories in the rain2 op.4 "night of wijnruit"
137. Surrounding Clutch
138. Individual Thoughts
139. Drowsy, Bloody, Crazy

Author's Comments

Last year the my workplace moved and honestly it was a bit small. However, at dawn, when I opened the door and started work, I could see sunrise colors. Just before dusk the sky was a beautiful spectrum, and recently to look at that sky I purposefully worked until dawn and then went home. But it's not because of that in particular that I sleep until noon and work until dawn. It's because, hey, the sunrise colors, hey.

General Overview

As a translation note, wijnruit means "rue" in dutch.

Momo reveals the contents of Aizen's letter to say that someone wants Rukia executed not because they want her killed, but because they want to obtain the execution weapon, dual terminus, which has the offensive and defensive power of a hundred soul cutters, to destroy Court of Pure Souls and all of Soul Society. He had arranged to meet that person at the location his body was found on the night he was murdered with the intent of confronting him either making him stop or fighting him to death. Aizen asks Momo to kill that person should he fail, and that person, so he claims, is Hitsugaya. So Momo attacks as requested. Hitsugaya merely dodges her attacks, since she's illogical, and decides Gin must have tampered with the letter, so he attacks Gin. Momo gets injured by the crossfire between the two, and would have gotten killed if Matsumoto hadn't arrived. After she's entered into the Main Hospital of the 4th Division, they receive word that Rukia's execution time has been changed again... to tomorrow! Assuming that only the name of the guilty party was changed, Toushirou vows to stop the execution and thus Gin's plans, and asks Matsumoto for her support.

After hearing word about the time change, Rukia reflects back on a night she can't forget, the night that Kaien Shiba died. She really admired him because unlike the other shinigami in the 13th division, he did not give her special treatment because of her rank as a member of a noble family. However, he was married to the beautiful 3rd seat, someone Rukia admired and wanted to emulate. Someone that got brutally killed, along with her entire squad, when trying to take care of a hollow. Kaien was so upset on this that he insisted on being in the follow up attack squad despite the lack of information on it. When Kaien, Ukitake, and Rukia arrive, Kaien insists on fighting it alone, and gets hit with two nasty powers: the first is destroying the soul cutter of the first shinigami to touch the hollow's tentacles in a night, and the second is the hollow taking over his body in a matter that fuses the two of them together so they can never be separated. Ukitake and Rukia have no choice but to kill it, and due to the way the circumstances unfold, she is the one that does it, though she regrets it to the present day and thinks she's not worth rescuing.

By this time the various captains and lieutenants are gathering because of the execution, but their destinations are and intentions are unknown. Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Makimaki, and Orihime end up going to the Underground Medical Detention Area, where they free Ganjuu, Ishida, and Chad. However, the group ends up splitting up when they realize they're being followed by Komamura, Iba, Hisagi, and Tousen. Zaraki remains behind to fight the two other captains (and takes some nasty attacks from them, but manages to stay relatively unscathed despite that), while Ikkaku fights Iba and Yumichika fights Hisagi. The rest continue on in search of Ichigo.

Meanwhile, Renji tracks Ichigo to the underground training area, where he, too, trains to achieve his bankai, since he is close to achieving it. He also informs them of the change in the execution date. By the time Renji has finished training, Ichigo still has not achieved bankai, though he has progressed, and both Renji and Yoruichi worry he may not manage it in time. After Renji leaves, he runs through the streets, desperate to go rescue Rukia, unaware that he is being watched by Byakuya from a nearby rooftop.

In Depth Summaries

131. (+) The True Will
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Momo Hinamori, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Gin Ichimaru, Itzuru Kira, Rukia Kuchiki
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, Soul Society
     Released Soul Cutters - None
     Relevant Terminology - Sousuke Aizen, captain, dual terminus, soul cutter

     We start by reading Aizen's letter to Hinamori. He wrote it because he sensed his time was near and wanted to shed light on the conspiracy and why Rukia's sentence date keeps getting moved forward. He claims that the goal is not her execution so much as obtaining an object, which was determined before her capture. That object is dual terminus, the execution weapon, which is only released during an execution. It possesses the offensive and defensive capabilities of more than 100 soul cutters and it surges to 10 times that when used to execute someone by tying the victim to the support beams and having the blade run through them. Aizen claims that someone wants to use it to destroy the Court of Pure Spirits and all of Soul Society. And that someone is Hitsugaya. We then see Momo pointing her soul cutter straight at him with tears in her eyes. Hitsugaya asks if that's what he wrote and she confirms it. She then adds, "Tonight I successfully got him to agree to meet me on the eastern holy wall. I will stop his plan from succeeding, but if he doesn't I'll fight him to the death. If I should die, please do it for me. I ask this not as your captain, but as a man pleading for your help." As she says that, you can see the hand holding her soul cutter tremble and tears streak down her cheeks. The last thing she says is that she doesn't know what to do, and she calls Hitsugaya by the pet name she used for him when they were kids, "Shiro." She then attacks, while Hitsugaya looks stunned. On the title page you can see dust rising over a wall, and Gin standing in the clearing smoke.

     Hitsugaya had dodged, and tells Hinamori she's an idiot. Aizen wouldn't walk into a battle he wasn't sure he could win, and he certainly wouldn't ask his subordinate to take care of the problem for him. However, because it was written in his handwriting, she has to do it even if she doesn't want to. All the while she continues to attack while Hitsugaya dodges. Hitsugaya thinks that Hinamori's lost it, and someone has to have tampered with Aizen's will to make him and Hinamori fight. He then looks down and sees Gin smiling, for once showing his teeth. He comes to the conclusion that Gin was the one who did the tampering, and draws his soul cutter to attack Gin. Only to have Hinamori get in his way with no way to change direction in midair. He cuts her, and she collapses to the ground. Gin comments that he hit her too hard and shouldn't be so cruel to an emotionally distraught girl. Hitsugaya recalls the earlier captain meeting where he had witnessed Aizen confronting Gin, and notes the alarm went off at a convenient time for him. He then asks what Gin is up to, killing Aizen and making her suffer to the point that she'd clutch her soul cutter tightly enough to make her hands bleed. Gin claims to not know what Hitsugaya is talking about. Hitsugaya then draws his soul cutter and shouts that he told Gin if he made Hinamori shed even a drop of blood he'd kill him. Gin then says that he has no choice to stop Hitsugaya's soul cutter with his own, and positions himself to draw it.

     (!)
132. (+) Creeping Limit
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Momo Hinamori, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Gin Ichimaru, Itzuru Kira, Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rangiku Matsumoto, Yoruichi Shihouin, Kisuke Urahara
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, execution site, Shrine of Penitence, Soul Society, underground training area
     Released Soul Cutters - Hyourinmaru, Shinsou
     Relevant Terminology - 3rd division, bankai, released, semichio, shinigami, soul cutter

     Itzuru is confused as Gin and Hitsugaya face off and is told to move back by Gin. Hitsugaya then tells him to run 7 miles from here, or else he might get caught up in the battle. He then releases his soul cutter, Hyourinmaru. For the title page you see Hitsugaya leaping in the air with a dragon of ice or either water curling around him and his drawn soul cutter. Itzuru is awed as he thinks it's the first time he's seen Hitsugaya's soul cutter, the most powerful ice soul cutter, which controls a dragon of ice and water and can even control the weather. Hitsugaya then directs the ice dragon to aim straight for Gin. Itzuru gets drenched is well because it's impossible to avoid and is shocked when his arm freezes. Gin, however, managed to dodge it and flees to the top of the 3rd division's headquarters. Water and ice swirls around him, and suddenly Hitsugaya has wrapped Gin's icy left arm with the chain attached to Hyourinmaru's hilt. Hitsugaya then tells Gin that he's done for, as the ice creeps up his arm to his shoulder. But then Gin's eyes open slightly and he releases Shinsou straight at Hitsugaya's head. Hitsugaya dodges it, releasing his hold on Gin, but then Gin points out that if he dodges Hinamori will get killed. Luckily, Matsumoto chose that moment to appear and parry Gin's attack, shocking everyone. She apologizes to Hitsugaya, saying she was planning on going back to headquarters as ordered, when she felt Hyourinmaru and came back. Then she tells Gin to put away his soul cutter or she will be his opponent. At that Gin just smiles.

     At the execution site, Yoruichi is sitting at the edge of the cliff watching the sun rise. She thinks Ichigo is growing at a shocking speed compared to most shinigami, but it's only his combat techniques. His spiritual pressure has barely risen and wonders if things continue like this, will he achieve bankai. During this in the underground training area Ichigo has finished his warm ups and wonders where Yoruichi is. Still outside, Yoruichi thinks it's possible to extend his training because even with Rukia's execution date being moved up by 5 days, they entered Soul Society through a twisted time-space tunnel because they encountered semichio, and as far she can tell arrived in Soul Society 8 days earlier than they left, so they have 8 more days he could train. However, Urahara, who invented this training method and is the only one that has managed it in 3 days, said that doing it more than 3 days is dangerous. At first she believe in Ichigo because Urahara said Ichigo's more talented than he is, but now she's having doubts, and she's not sure Ichigo can take it if she extends the length of the training session. At last she decides she'll just have to observe him another day and make a judgment based on the growth of his spiritual pressure.

     Meanwhile, in the Shrine of Penitence, Rukia is confronted by a number of guards, who announce that her execution date has been changed yet again and that she will be executed tomorrow.

     (!)
133. (+) memories in the rain2 "the nocturne"
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Gin Ichimaru, Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rangiku Matsumoto, Kaien Shiba, Yoruichi Shihouin, Zabimaru, Zangetsu
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, execution site, Main Hospital of the 4th Division, Shrine of Penitence, Soul Society, underground training area
     Released Soul Cutters - Zabimaru, Zangetsu
     Relevant Terminology - Sousuke Aizen, bankai, dual terminus, hell butterfly, instant step, soul cutter

     The title page shows Zangetsu stabbed into the ground with Ichigo in normal clothes standing to the left and Rukia in her school uniform standing to the right.

     In the Main Hospital of the 4th Division, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are looking at Hinamori, who's lying peacefully in a bed with an IV. Hitsugaya thanks her for coming back because otherwise Hinamori would have died. She recalls the end of that confrontation - Gin's soul cutter striking her own so hard that it cracked, then him retracting it and Hitsugaya approaching Gin, telling him to stop. Gin's response is that he ought to be taking care of Momo and then he disappears, using instant step. As she thinks on both young Gin and the current Gin, she thinks that he's always disappearing without telling her where he's going. She wonders where he's going this time.

     Hitsugaya, meanwhile, is occupied by Aizen's letter and how much of it has been rewritten. He wonders if the part about using the unsealed dual terminus from Rukia's execution is real and decides that must be Gin's plan. Just then a hell butterfly to deliver the message that Rukia's execution date has been changed to exactly 29 hours from now and that the time will not change again. Matsumoto and Hitsugaya are shocked. Hitsugaya immediately begins to leave and when Matsumoto calls his name, he says that if Gin's intention is the Dual Terminus and Rukia's execution, he's going to stop the execution.

     At the execution site, some shinigami has tracked someone's spirit pressure there (probably Ichigo's). Inside the underground training area, Zangetsu and Ichigo are fighting again and Yoruichi notes that although his growth isn't great, it's been steady, but has the nagging feeling that something bad is coming. Suddenly there's an explosion at the entrance and someone asks Ichigo if that's the true form of his soul cutter and if he's training for bankai. It turns out the intruder is Renji, who also wants to train for bankai. Ichigo is shocked, and gets even more shocked when Renji reveals that Rukia's execution time has been rescheduled to noon tomorrow. He then admits at his current level he's not good enough to save Rukia, so he want to train. He's already achieved materialization of his soul cutter, so he's pretty close.

     Yoruichi is shocked at that news and says there's no way Ichigo can achieve bankai in time. As another sword gets shattered, Ichigo scolds her, saying it was her idea to train this way, so she shouldn't be the first one to give up. Yoruichi starts to ask what if he doesn't achieve bankai in time, and he retorts that he's not considering other possibilities. He just needs to achieve bankai a little sooner.

     Meanwhile Rukia is lying on the floor in the Shrine of Penitence, pondering the new execution date. She wonders if she ought to petition for Ichigo and the others to be returned to the real world tomorrow since they might honor it because she's a member of a noble family. She thinks it was shocking to hear that the execution date is tomorrow, but she's not sad about it all, perhaps because of the dream she had last night about the night she can never forget. Rukia then closes her eyes and recalls herself calling out Kaien's name, holding his body and crying. Kaien's face looks eerily like Ichigo's except he has black hair.

     (!)
134. (+) memories in the rain2 op.2[Longing For Sanctuary]
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Byakuya Kuchiki, Kiyone Kotetsu, Sentarou Kotsubaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Kaien Shiba, Juushirou Ukitake, Unnamed Hollow 3
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, Soul Society
     Released Soul Cutters - None
     Relevant Terminology - 13th division, captain, hollow, shinigami, lieutenant

     This chapter begins with Ukitake running towards Byakuya, shouting that there's bad news and Rukia's execution date has been moved forward to tomorrow. However, Byakuya has already heard the news and will honor the decision. He asks Ukitake to not bother him about such things in the future and then walks off. Ukitake gets angry at this and says it's not something to joke about because tomorrow Byakuya's sister will get killed. He's cut off as he has a coughing spasm, however, and Byakuya takes the opportunity to note this is not the first time Ukitake has lost a subordinate due to his inability. At this remark Ukitake is fuming. As Byakuya walks off he adds that she is a member of his family, not Ukitake's so her death shouldn't be of any concern and that Ukitake shouldn't do anything rash. Ukitake asks himself what Kaien would have done. He thinks that Kaien would probably have kicked Byakuya's butt and ran around trying to appeal it even though the central government won't change its decisions for just one person. Then he corrects himself, thinking Kaien would probably do something dangerous an unorthodox. We then see a shot of Kaien from the back.

     The title page is a picture of Ukitake, smoking.

     We then have a flashback to when Rukia joined the 13th division. Everyone was treating her extra special simply because of her rank as a noble, which depresses her. But then Kaien shows up to clear out all the whispering gawkers and introduces himself as Kaien without giving her special treatment because of her rank. In fact he scolds her when she doesn't respond by introducing herself. After the introductions Kaien explains that because Ukitake is sick, he usually handles most of the work for the division, so she can call him captain if she likes. This is exactly what she desired, especially when Byakuya seems to have so many expectations for her and isn't satisfied because she didn't get seated. Kaien, on the other hand, gets concerned when she looks down and tells her even if she doesn't want to tell him her troubles, he'll be there for her till he dies as long as she's in his division. That conversation gets interrupted by a drunk Kiyone and Sentarou, however. Rukia thinks that when she was with Kaien, everything felt right... Except he was married, to a beautiful shinigami that was the 3rd seat in the division and someone Rukia admired and hoped to emulate someday.

     Unfortunately, she was killed in a battle with a particularly dangerous hollow. In fact, her whole squad was, including the observational personel, so they have no idea what the powers of that hollow were. They only know two things about it: that it sits in its lair and only hunts within a certain radius of it and the location of that lair. Kaien is so upset that he doesn't want to leave it to the assault squad to gather more information on it, so he, Ukitake, and Rukia go to its lair.

     (!)
135. (+) memories in the rain2 op.3[Stepping into Darkness]
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Rukia Kuchiki, Kaien Shiba, Juushirou Ukitake, Unnamed Hollow 3
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Real World
     Released Soul Cutters - Nejibana
     Relevant Terminology - hollow, kidou, shinigami, soul cutter

     As they look down on the hollow, Rukia offers to scout out its abilities to Kaien. However, he ignores her and requests permission to fight it alone. Present day Rukia wonders why she didn't try to stop him as Ukitake in the flashback grants him permission. We then see the title page: Kaien.

     Kaien leaps down to face the hollow, but before he starts fighting, he asks it how many shinigami it's eaten, but it responds that it doesn't keep track of that. Then he asks it if it feels any regret. Its reply is that it does have a heart and some nights it feels regretful about the shinigami it's eaten, like last night it regrets not eating the head and torso of that female shinigami. This really upsets Kaien and he draws his soul cutter and slices the hollow in the side as it thinks that he should come so it can eat him whole. The hollow thinks he's fast, but since he touched its tentacles it has the upperhand. When Kaien tries to release his soul cutter, Nejibana, but it shatters and the hollow explains that every night the first shinigami to touch its tentacles will loose his or her soul cutter. As Kaien wonders how it's possible for such an ability to exist, the hollow grabs him and tosses him with its tentacles.

     At the sight of this, Rukia shouts Kaien's name and moves to attack, but is held back by Ukitake. She says that Kaien will get killed at this rate, but then Ukitake asks about Kaien's pride if they help him. He explains that although they can save Kaien's life if they help him now, they will kill his pride, and Rukia responds that what is life in comparison to pride? Ukitake keeps going and tells her there are two types of battles: the battle for life, or the battle for pride. Right now Kaien is fighting for the pride of his wife and his men, and most importantly, his own pride. He tells her to dismiss this as Kaien's stubbornness and let him fight alone. Although it is reluctant, Rukia obeys and loosens her grip on her soul cutter.

     On the battlefield, the hollow compliments Kaien for being able to fight without his soul cutter, and Kaien responds that he can defeat it using kidou alone. At this hollow tells him it wasn't planning to use this ability because of last night, but it has no choice since Kaien underestimated it. It then lunges for him and Rukia screams his name again. Filaments from the hollow attach themselves to Kaien's body, and the body of the hollow falls apart. Kaien then looks up with Rukia. The whites of his eyes are now black and his face near his left eye is either scarred or peeling and he asks if the lady called him.

     (!)
136. (+) memories in the rain2 op.4 "night of wijnruit"
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Rukia Kuchiki, Kaien Shiba, Juushirou Ukitake, Unnamed Hollow 3
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, Real World, Shrine of Penitence, Soul Society
     Released Soul Cutters - None
     Relevant Terminology - hollow

     As Rukia looks at Kaien's peeling face and his nastily waving tongue, she calls out his name several times and Kaien the hollow responds by asking if she cares for him and his safety that much and if he's that special to her. He then leaps at her, saying if she likes him that much, let him eat her, when Ukitake jumps in between them and tells Rukia to run. When Ukitake asks if she wants to die, Rukia runs, wondering why things had to turn out this way as she does. We then see the title page: white words splattered on a black background.

     Meanwhile, hollow Kaien is running alongside Ukitake, asking why he isn't attack. When it realizes Ukitake is trying to think of a way to save Kaien, explains that since it and Kaien are spirits, this is different from possession - it's the union of two spirit forms, making them inseparable. Later the hollow will eat him from the inside out. Upon hearing that, Ukitake slices hollow Kaien's neck. The hollow is shocked that Ukitake is willing to kill his own comrad, but Ukitake responds that he won't let Kaien's body be food for a hollow. Unfortunately, his illness chooses a bad time to rear its head, and he starts coughing up blood as the hollow moves in to attack, spurting tentacles from Kaien's arms. He's startled when it jumps past him, however. Then he notices Rukia with her soul cutter out standing at the edge of a forest. He shouts at her, asking why she's still there. As hollow Kaien rushes at her, present day Rukia thinks she turned around not because she had a plan, but because she felt bad running away alone and wanted to help Kaien somehow. As the hollow closes in on her, Kaien shouts at her to kill it because it's not Kaien anymore. As you see the hollow approach because of its reflection in Rukia's eyes, Ukitake shouts at her to kill it again. You then see a bloody sword poking out of something. Rukia's face is covered in blood, and her hands are clutching a bloody sword hilt. Rain begins falling on her face, and then you can see Kaien's body slumped on her own. Then Kaien thanks Ukitake for letting him fight till the end and apologizes to Rukia for dragging her in this in the end and causing her so much suffering. Then he hugs her, saying his heart can still stay here. He slumps down and you see his hand is either deteriorating or has holes in it. Rukia thinks she doesn't deserve any thanks. She ran away because she was afraid to fight him, she came back because she was afraid to face her cowardice in the future, and she killed him because she didn't want to see him suffer. The only one she saved was herself.

     Back in the present Rukia is still lying on the floor of the Shrine of Penitence, thinking she's disgusting and doesn't deserve to be saved or have anyone stand by her.

     (!)
137. (+) Surrounding Clutch
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Renji Abarai, Makizou "Makimaki" Aramaki, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Gin Ichimaru, Orihime Inoue, Uryuu Ishida, Itzuru Kira, Ichigo Kurosaki, Yachiru Kusajishi, Ikkaku Madarame, Rangiku Matsumoto, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, Ganjuu Shiba, Yoruichi Shihouin, Zangetsu, Kenpachi Zaraki
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, execution site, Shrine of Penitence, Soul Society, Underground Medical Detention Area, underground training area
     Released Soul Cutters - Zangetsu
     Relevant Terminology - bankai, soul cutter

     We start by seeing day dawns at the execution site. Gin and Kira are together, as are Matsumoto and Hitsugaya. The title page shows close-up of Ichigo and Renji in the foreground, with them leaping at each other with drawn soul cutters in the background.

     At the Shrine of Penitence, Rukia is being let out with the guards leading her by those odd leashes that attach to her collar.

     Elsewhere two shinigami are arguing about drinking too much, smoking too much, and the games they played together last night when they notice an odd sound - it's Zaraki with two passengers on his back. The shinigami freak out and thank him for the privilege of cleaning the streets, but he simply ignores them and passes by. Ikkaku follows, and tells them to lay low when slacking off as he passes by. When Yumichika passes by, he tells them he'll kill them if they leave even one dirty spot. Last, they're followed by Makimaki and told to work hard. They wonder why Makimaki is running with Zaraki, as well as who the two people on Zaraki's back were. They turn out to be Yachiru and Orihime, as Orihime is giving Zaraki directions on where to go (when Yachiru doesn't overrider her and tell Zaraki to go the wrong way.) When Ikkaku says it's better to let Orihime decide which way to go because Yachiru has a bad sense of direction, she spits on him and calls him marble head. Ikkaku looks like he wants to draw his soul cutter at her, so Yumichika calms him down.

     In the Underground Medical Detention Area, Uryuu sees a butterfly fly in the barred window. Ganjuu says he's hopeless mumbling to a butterfly and he won't tell anyone about it if he starts chasing it. This riles Uryuu up and he says he won't be tricked into doing that and that Ganjuu should call him by last name because they don't know each other that well yet. While they continue to fight, Chad is listening, and tells them to be quiet as he hears a ruckus coming their way. After it stops, the ceiling suddenly explodes, and when the dust clears Ganjuu freaks out because Zaraki is standing right before them, as well as Yumichika (though he doesn't remember Yumichika's name and Yumichika doesn't remember him at all because Ganjuu is ugly). Then Orihime peeks out from behind Zaraki, and says she's so glad they're safe. All of them are stunned to see her, especially in such company.

     In the underground training area, Renji is finished training and says he's off after putting away his soul cutter and tying up his hair. Ichigo doesn't pay him much attention, though, since he's still in the midst of training. Renji then asks Yoruichi if Ichigo will achieve bankai in time. Her answer is not to worry, and Renji replies that he's not worried about Ichigo dying, but he wonders if he can achieve bankai after training to that point. As he says that, you see Ichigo's face is bloody as he faces off Zangetsu. Yoruichi replies that she doesn't know, and seems depressed as Zangetsu tells Ichigo he's starting again. As we see the whole training area, you see there are at least a dozen Zangetsus standing at various places. Zangetsu says he won't go easy, and Ichigo tells him to stop wasting time. Yoruichi then gives a more complete response. Just as everyone instinctively knows they can walk so they just do it without thinking about acquiring the power, she feels Ichigo instinctively knows he can do it when she looks at his determined face. Thus she believes he was born with the power to achieve bankai.

     The last panel shows Rukia walking with those leashes protruding from her collar.

     (!)
138. (+) Individual Thoughts
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Makizou "Makimaki" Aramaki, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Shuuhei Hisagi, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Orihime Inoue, Uryuu Ishida, Nanao Ise, Sajin Komamura, Byakuya Kuchiki, Hisana Kuchiki, Yachiru Kusajishi, Shunsui Kyoraku, Ikkaku Madarame, Marechiyo Oomaeda, Fong Soi, Kaname Tousen, unnamed shinigami, Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Kenpachi Zaraki
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, Soul Society
     Released Soul Cutters - None
     Relevant Terminology - 1st division, 2nd division, 6th division, 7th division, 8th division, 13 Gotei Divisions, lieutenant

     In the headquarters for the 6th division, Byakuya is told it's almost time and he should go to the execution site. He looks a picture of a woman that looks similar to Rukia and he tells her, "Hisana, I'm going." It's currently 5 hours before the execution. On the title page you see Byakuya.

     Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the 7th division, Tetsuzaemon Iba is apologizing to his captain for falling asleep on the toilet and offers to commit seppuku. Komamura says it's ok, though, and that he's read so Iba doesn't need to make up excuses to give him more time. He then says because Iba felt he was unsure about the legitimacy of the execution, he purposefully came late to give him more time to think on it. Iba confirms this, and Komamura says not to worry since his loyalties lie with his debt to Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto for taking him in when others pushed him away due to his looks and that he is even willing to die to repay that debt. He then asks Tousen, who is there with his lieutenant Shuuhei Hisagi, what his thoughts on this are. Tousen responds that he will continue on his path, which is the one with the least violence. He believes Komamura walks the same path.

     In the headquarters of the 2nd division, Oomaeda is annoyed by the intruders, the murder, and now the whispering about the legitimacy of the execution. He asks what his captain thinks about it, and she replies that all she cares about are carrying the orders to the 13 Gotei Divisions. All that get in her way are enemies to be slain, including her lieutenant.

     At the headquarters of the 8th division, Nanao finds Shunsui lying on top of the roof. He says he has a problem: he was calming his nerves by chewing on a piece of grass, but he's not sure if it's poisonous or not and now his mouth is numb. Nanao snatches it out of his mouth and tells him to throw it away. He then asks her what he should do. She replies by saying he'll do whatever he wants no matter what she answers, so not to worry about her - she'll stay at a safe distance behind him so she doesn't get dragged into anything. He replies that it's bad since he'll be the only getting scolded by old man Yamamoto again.

     You then see Oomaeda, Soi Fong, Yamamoto, and the lieutenant of the 1st division all walking. Elsewhere Zaraki, Ishida, Inoue, Ikkaku, Makimaki, Yachiru, Yumichika, Ganjuu, and Chad have run into another dead end and they comment that it's very difficult to navigate around there. Yachiru and Ikkaku start fighting because she got them lost, but then Yumichika notices something and Zaraki calls out for the other captains to come out of hiding since hiding spiritual pressure and stalking others isn't something they should be doing. They do, and Komamura, Iba, Tousen, and Hisagi ask what he's doing going around with the intruders. Makimaki is stunned at the thought of fighting 4 captain-level people at once, even after Yumichika points out that they have the advantage in numbers. But then Zaraki retorts that Makimaki or anyone else won't be fighting since 4 against 1 isn't enough for him to test his soul cutter.

     (!)
139. (+) Drowsy, Bloody, Crazy
     Corresponding TV Episode - N/A
     Characters Appearing - Renji Abarai, Makizou "Makimaki" Aramaki, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Shuuhei Hisagi, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Orihime Inoue, Uryuu Ishida, Sajin Komamura, Byakuya Kuchiki, Yachiru Kusajishi, Ikkaku Madarame, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, Ganjuu Shiba, Kaname Tousen, Kenpachi Zaraki
     Kidou - None
     Locations - Court of Pure Spirits, Soul Society
     Released Soul Cutters - Suzumushi, Tengen
     Relevant Terminology - Ichigo Kurosaki, soul cutter, lieutenant

     As they jump off the wall, Komamura confirms that Zaraki wants to fight all four of them at once and says he thinks too highly of himself. Zaraki draws his soul cutter and comments that it's better if they all come at once since they might be able to injure him. Makimaki asks what they should be doing, and Zaraki just growls at him to go away. Yachiru tells him that was bad and he shouldn't distract Zaraki when he's excited. She then decides to go ahead and search for Ichigo, telling Zaraki to catch up to them later. Then she drags them off, calling them "pencil guy," "mustache guy," "big boobs," "big bear," and "wrestler guy."

     Tousen is a bit affronted by Zaraki's comment that he'll be right there, because either he thinks it's possible or he's taunting them, but either way he's lost his common sense. Zaraki retorts he never had one to begin with. We then see the title page: Tousen kneeling with his soul cutter in the ground, as if he's praying.

     Meanwhile Orihime asks Yachiru if it's ok to leave Zaraki back there and Yachiru responds that he won't ever loose. Makimaki thinks Orihime has no fear calling Yachiru by her first name, and then goes to ask Ikkaku what he thinks, only to realize that neither Ikkaku or Yumichika are with them.

     Back with Zaraki, Iba and Hisagi ask permission to go first and Zaraki is annoyed since asked them to go all at once and thinks they're looking down on him. Taking that as a cue, Ikkaku and Yumichika volunteer themselves to fight the two lieutenants. Zaraki is confused because he thought they left with the others, but Ikkaku ignores him and shouts that Zaraki doesn't want to fight them since Yumichika and he are enough to deal with them. After he says that, he asks Zaraki if he agrees. Realizing they also want to fight, Zaraki gives them permission to fight the lieutenants, but tells them to go elsewhere or he'll cut them up. They're fine with that and after Ikkaku and Iba train some insults, all four agree to move elsewhere to fight. Iba pairs up with Ikkaku, while Yumichika fights Hisagi. Zaraki is a bit disappointed the numbers are lower, but consoles himself that it was a request from his subordinates and will still be enough for a morning exercise. Komamura is annoyed by the insults and Zaraki's arrogance and draws his soul cutter, crushing the ground with its spiritual pressure. Suddenly Zaraki is faced with an enormous sword being held by an enormous hand and a large part of the roof is destroyed by its blow. Tousen, who is currently in the air, tells Komamura to take two steps back since Zaraki may lunge and attack again. Tousen then releases his soul cutter into its second released form, Suzumushi Form 2: Benihikou. His soul cutter then generates a ton of blades which rain down at Zaraki. A good portion of the building collapses, and Komamura says even if they were fighting Zaraki, the battle is now over. However, when the smoke clears you see Zaraki is still standing, despite the blades embedded in his back and shoulders. Tousen and Komamura are stunned and Zaraki tells them it's not good because it won't even work as a warm up for him. He then tells them he wants to get it over quickly.

     At this time, Renji is running through the streets, unaware that Byakuya is watching him from a rooftop.

     (!)