BLEACH EPISODE #28

Ichigo is running around trying to meet up with Ganju, getting immensely irritated in the process. Remembering Ikkaku telling him that Ganju was being chased by the 5th-Seater (Yumichika), he tries to come up with an image of Yumichika in his mind – the result would’ve made Yumichika cry. Since Yumichika is ranked 5th after the insanely strong Zaraki, then he must go help Ganju (the image of a sobbing Ganju comes to mind). Complaining that the walls are the same everywhere he goes, he stops, and taking a very deep breath, yells at the top of his voice for Ganju to shoot up some fireworks to let him see where he is. A group of slackers from the 11th division happen to be nearby, smoking and staring at Ichigo as he makes his speech, stopping when he notices their presence and thinking to himself that he has revealed his own location. The slackers spring into action and start chasing him declaring that they will slaughter him so that 11th Division can gain the credit. Ichigo runs and runs, still calling out for Ganju.

Ganju is also running, but from Yumichika. He reaches yet another of those holes and wonders how many there are around. Yumichika approaches from behind, saying that this is the last – the last for Ganju, at least. Ganju rebuts that remark, saying that Yumichika has said it so many times that it has lost effect, and that he will escape from him, even if it means falling into a hole. Yumichika adds that at the bottom of the hole, you’d be surrounded on all sides by lethality stone so that you cannot use your spirit power at all – that is why it is impossible to climb out. Yumichika lunges at Ganju but the latter rolls away in time, crashing into a wall. Yumichika says that he sees that Ganju has taken some damage, but says that is because it was him he was running from and getting beaten up by. Yumichika adds that he should compliment Ganju for doing well, despite being ugly, and when Ganju calls him annoying, says that it cannot be helped – ugly people are bound to be jealous of pretty people. Ganju spits, and they suddenly hear the shouts of Ichigo’s pursuers as well as Ichigo himself. Yumichika asks if that voice is Ichigo’s, saying that Ichigo keeps calling Ganju’s name and behaving in as ugly a behaviour as Ganju, drawing more Shinigami to himself – totally lacking sense. Ganju returns that he is the one lacking sense – if Ichigo’s able to run around, then Yumichika’s chrome-dome buddy (Ikkaku) must have been defeated. Yumichika is shocked, saying that it is impossible – Ikkaku is ranked 3rd in the strongest division, and there is no way someone like Ichigo could defeat him. Without waiting for Yumichika to finish his sentence, Ganju pulls out some firecrackers and strikes them on his arm panel, throwing them at Yumichika’s face. Yumichika, his arms shielding his face, says that at least Ganju’s skills in exploiting opportunities are well-honed. Ganju says that this is just the beginning, pulling out what look like colourful water bombs, and cries “Shiba-style Firework Battle Tactic, Senpen Banka!”, hurling them at Yumichika. Yumichika fans out Fujikujaku, telling Ganju not to underestimate him as he swipes it across the mass of bombs, which explode in his face, leaving a cut on it.

Yumichika is, of course, extremely pissed at Ganju for injuring his face, but Ganju just sniggers and says that now, he might be able to attract some ladies. He draws a circle on the floor, ready to do his Stone Wave technique, but Yumichika stops him with a deft kick to the stomach, saying that Ganju is so uninspired, running around using the one strange skill he knows to collapse this ledge, sacrificing himself to kill him. Ganju says that no one would want to die as meaninglessly as that, drawing another circle on the floor that earns him a Fujikujaku in his face, which he once again evades. Yumichika calls him as tough as a cockroach, running from him for so long and suffering his attacks and yet being able to move like that – his stamina is worthy of praise. Ganju tells himself to hold on a little more, because Yumichika is still underestimating him and so now, when his guard is down, is a chance to finish the stone wave technique. Yumichika walks towards him, saying that it is regrettable that Ganju was born ugly, disappearing and reappearing behind Ganju as he adds that otherwise, Ganju would have been one of his favourite people. Ganju cannot dodge Yumichika’s attack this time as Fujikujaku slices his back and he is thrown forward into the pit, which he again survives by holding desperately onto the ledge. Yumichika asks if he cannot use that floating technique any more, saying that he is so ugly – what good can come out of an ugly thing clinging to life in an ugly manner? If one is born ugly, at least he should die beautiful.

Ganju laughs, saying that he doesn’t think so as he draws the final circle on the wall in front of him. He adds that their aesthetic senses must be polar opposites, because he’d been thought that whoever the victor, ugly or not, always looked cool in the end. As he thumps his palm on the circle, sand gushes out of it and Yumichika becomes surrounded by sand and falls into the pit next to Ganju, who uses Yumichika’s head as a support for himself to jump out and roll away. Yumichika curses him for putting his ugly hand on his head, but Ganju is not finished, drawing yet another circle as Yumichika jumps back out of the hole. He thanks Yumichika for underestimating him right till the last moment, holding his palm above the circle which is now sand travelling around the border as he chants “Shiba-style Stone Wave Method Secret Technique, Renkan Seppasen. Slapping his palm down on the circle, he sends walls of sand going up around Yumichika, who stands there unable to move in disbelief and horror. The ground he stands on starts to tilt and he tries to run to the top, barely managing to escape to the sky as the whole chunk of rock overturns entirely in the sand. Ganju shoots something up and it hits Yumichika on the face. To Yumichika’s further disbelief and horror, it explodes, turning his face into fireworks, alerting Ichigo, who has finished kicking the asses of his pursuers, of Ganju’s location.

Yachiru is excited by the fireworks, saying that they’re close, but it is not this way, as after all, it is a dead end. She tells Zaraki that they should have gone right back there, and Zaraki snaps that it was she who told him to come this way. Yachiru tells him that it is bad to blame others for his own mistakes, and when she points out the direction of the fireworks, Zaraki promptly kicks down the wall and runs through. Ishida and Orihime had been watching from a nearby roof all along, and are relieved that the incredibly strong Zaraki is running away without noticing them. Ishida remarks that he must be like Ichigo – exceptionally strong but lousy at detection. He asks which way they should go now, and Orihime, who has walked away, says that they should go in the direction of the tower she sees in the distance. Ishida turns and sees Orihime pointing at the tower, but behind and unknown to her is a Shinigami, raising his Zanpakutou, which he smashes down on Orihime. But Orihime has disappeared and is now over with Ishida, who has his arm around her. Their assailant comments that they have quite some skill to be able to escape from that range, but if their opponent wasn’t himself, they would survive longer. He says that he will give them until he counts to 10 to regret their situation.

Yoruichi, running along a roof, says that it feels spirit power collisions everywhere and prays that none of them dies. Orihime thanks Ishida for saving her, saying that she is fine now. Orihime thinks to herself that Ishida really is different from what he was a second ago, and his movements were not normal either. Ishida had suddenly disappeared from her sight and before she realized it, he had saved her. She wonders if he has changed that much just from being confronted by a Shinigami – just as Yoruichi had said: Ishida is a Quincy, so Shinigami are still his enemies. Having counted to 10, their opponent says that their regretting time is over, as now begins a time of further regret. He pounces at them with his Zanpakutou, but they dodge, jumping away. Ishida challenges the Shinigami but has sand thrown in his eyes instead, and he rolls down the roof, and, just like Ganju, manages to hold on and not fall. The Shinigami says that he is not the one deciding who he will fight, and turns to Orihime, whom he tells that he will end her regret with death. Ishida shouts for Orihime to run away as her opponent repeatedly swings down his Zanpakutou on her, but she does not run, saying that she will fight to help Ichigo. She calls for Tsubaki, and he pops out, telling her to aim good. She chants the incantation and sends Tsubaki flying at the Shinigami, who quickly disposes of Tsubaki with a swing of his Zanpakutou, both (Tsubaki and the Shinigami) saying that she had no intent to kill in her attack as she runs to, catching Tsubaki in her hand before he goes back into her hairpins. The Shinigami walks up behind her, saying that is his first time seeing that technique, which could probably kill a Hollow, but certainly not a Shinigami. He holds out his Zanpakutou, telling her that this is a battlefield – nothing here can be stopped by something devoid of the intent to kill.

He swings down his Zanpakutou on Orihime, but his hand is suddenly shot by a blue arrow out of nowhere – Ishida looking cool with smoking fingers, telling him that his bow is full of his favourite killing intent, so he should fight him. Rukia sits by the window, looking out and seeing a figure holding a broom, which she identifies as Hanatarou walking along the adjoining bridge and being met by 2 other Shinigami, who tell him that there is no place for him here, adding that they don’t remember calling for 4th Division. Hanatarou, the Shinigami we had seen a few episodes ago bringing Rukia her food, says that he had been assigned to cleaning while Rukia had been at the 6th Division holding cell, and was wondering if cell 4-deep needed a clean. One of the Shinigami retorts that cell 4-deep isn’t open to anyone until the hour of execution, and chase him away. Ichigo is surrounded by large groups of Shinigami on both sides, lamenting that just because he went easy on them, they think they’re all badasses. They start to jump on him, the whole lot of them piling on top of him. But he refuses to be squashed, pushing them off his back as he determinedly says that he will not be squashed. He seizes this opportunity to run as fast as he can, the group of Shinigami giving chase.

Seeing Ishida’s bow, the Shinigami asks if he is a Quincy, which Ishida confirms. Orihime thinks to herself that the shape and style of Ishida’s bow is different from the one she had seen before, and the spirit power from it is coming from it and the glove he wears, must have been the result of his individual training, in which she remembered him opening up a box and a bright light coming out of it. Their opponent laughs, saying that his opponents both use projectiles; one being a Quincy and the other using an unorthodox technique – what a coincidence, because he too uses projectiles. Pushing down the blade of his Zanpakutou and calling out “Flap Away, Tsunzakigarasu”, little 2-bladed shuriken fill the air. He tells Ishida to regret now, because he is the 4th-Seater of the 7th Division, Ikkanzaka Jiroubou, also known as Kamaitachi (cut without touching) Jiroubou, meaning he is the ultimate projectile user. Indeed, no one has seen Tsunzakigarasu and lived.

He asks Ishida if he can even follow them with his eyes, saying that this is a splendiferous prelude to death. Ishida remains expressionless as Jiroubou says that his bows and arrows will be useless before Tsunzakigarasu, and as Jiroubou asks him to regret once more, Ishida destroys all the dancing shuriken in one hit. He comments that is place is different from the living world – here, “ultimate master” refers to a windbag with diarrhoea of the mouth. Jiroubou says that he’s getting too arrogant as he pulls out another set of dancing shuriken, which Ishida promptly shoots down, injuring Jiroubou as well. Ishida says that Jiroubou will have to be returning the title of “ultimate” as of today, although he doesn’t quite like the sound of “Kamaitachi Uryuu”.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri (12th Division Captain), instructs his men to look around different places for the Ryoka, saying that should they find any, not to kill them as they could be interesting research specimens.



He warns them not to let other Divisions jump on them, and tells them to be gone, leaving himself and his lieutenant, as he says that he can’t expect much out of the Ryoka, who are mere humans. His lieutenant sees a black butterfly and puts out her finger for it to land on, and it does, flapping its wings ever so slightly. Mayuri turns around and asks her what it had said, and she relays to him the message that Ikkaku had been defeated by the Ryoka and had earlier been transported to the 4th Division General Relief Station, while the Ryoka has escaped and its whereabouts are unknown. Hearing that Ikkaku had been defeated, Mayuri smiles, saying that there is some interesting material amongst the Ryoka after all. He asks her where Zaraki is, and hearing that Zaraki is searching for the Ryoka and probably doesn’t know of this matter yet, decides to make for the Relief Station to get Intel on the Ryoka before sniffing him out.

Yoruichi, as usual running along the roofs senses Zaraki’s spirit force, and wonders if he has made his move toward Ichigo. Ichigo is still running, and Rukia is still sitting by the window. Chad punches his way through a wall and suddenly hears the hollers of Ganju’s pursuers. Ganju himself is running like a mad dog from a large group of Shinigami. Orihime stares at Ishida in awe of his power.