Chapter Summaries

Dōsan Hanyū’s recurring nightmares trapped his sleeping roommates in terrifying dreams, and he suspected he was causing them. As he worked toward earning a residence permit, Soul Reapers investigated his spiritual pressure and revealed that a Twelfth Division officer who tried to enter his mind had been left unconscious.

• Dōsan woke from a nightmare in which diners tried to eat him, and his roommates awoke shaken from their own dreams.
• Dōsan reflected that when he slept, nearby souls became trapped in nightmares drawn from their deepest fears, and that he needed to keep working for a Junrinan residence permit.
• Dōsan returned to unpaid work at Kobayashi Izakaya, mopping floors, serving food, and tending sake jars.
• Rangiku Matsumoto and members of the Twelfth Division watched the izakaya while investigating Dōsan as the source of a spiritual-pressure anomaly that had affected 123 souls.
• A Twelfth Division investigator told Rangiku that Tachikawa Magaki had tried a mental intervention and was now unconscious in the Fourth Division hospital.

Dōsan Hanyū worked late at the Kobayashi Izakaya while a Twelfth Division squad laid a trap to draw him into an experiment. After he avoided their bait, the squad began forcing a Hollow to descend, and Dōsan sensed the danger approaching.

• Dōsan was scolded by the izakaya manager after spilling sake, then gave Tōshirō his serving of rock-sugar lemon watermelon.
• Rangiku Matsumoto watched the Twelfth Division squad prepare a plan to lure Dōsan into an experiment circle and sensed a Hollow nearby.
• After work, Dōsan collected rings scattered along the road, recognized the money as a childish trap, and turned away from the pile.
• Rangiku laughed at the squad’s failed bait, and one member asked her to reimburse the rings he had lost.
• The white-coated man ordered the squad to force experiment subject number 153 to descend, and Dōsan felt a loathsome aura in the disturbance around him.

Dōsan Hanyū hid from a Hollow, but an unseen gray mist caused it to stop pursuing him and walk away. Rangiku Matsumoto confronted the Twelfth Division over its experiment, and the Hollow returned as the Soul Reapers drew their swords.

• Dōsan Hanyū abandoned the gold bait and hid as a centipede-like Hollow emerged nearby.
• Dōsan’s faint gray mist touched the Hollow, which halted and walked away from him.
• Rangiku Matsumoto prepared to rescue Dōsan, while the Twelfth Division members reacted in disbelief and ordered the Hollow summoned back.
• Rangiku drew her Zanpakuto and refused to let the Twelfth Division continue its experiment, prompting nine Soul Reapers to draw their swords.
• The clash of Spiritual Pressure drew the Hollow back toward Dōsan, and Rangiku released Haineko as Dōsan sensed danger.

Dōsan Hanyū defeated a Hollow that unexpectedly fired a Cero, revealing his unusual power and skill with Hakuda. After Twelfth Division Soul Reapers tried to arrest him, Rangiku Matsumoto stopped them and asked him to become a Soul Reaper.

• The Hollow attacked Dōsan Hanyū, who dodged its blows and awakened the special power he had discovered ten years earlier.
• The Hollow gathered energy to fire a Cero, and Dōsan charged through the attack and shattered its mask with a punch.
• Rangiku Matsumoto arrived and recognized that Dōsan had gathered Spiritual Pressure into his fist to perform Hakuda.
• A Twelfth Division Soul Reaper accused Dōsan of involvement in Tachikawa Magaki's unconsciousness and the Hollow's arrival, then ordered his arrest.
• Rangiku Matsumoto used Bakudō #1: Sai to restrain the man in the white coat and knocked down the other Soul Reapers.
• Rangiku Matsumoto apologized to Dōsan and asked whether he wanted to become a Soul Reaper.

Dōsan Hanyū accepted Rangiku Matsumoto’s invitation to become a Soul Reaper, and Isshin Shiba decided to collect him from Junrinan. Before leaving the izakaya, Dōsan overheard his roommates expressing concern for him and learned they had been hiding their sympathy.

• Dōsan Hanyū reflected on his invitation and resolved to become a Soul Reaper so he could live a better life.
• Rangiku Matsumoto taught Dōsan how to control his Spiritual Pressure, then returned to the Seireitei with sake.
• Isshin Shiba confronted Rangiku for her unauthorized absence and confined her for a week, then decided to pick up Dōsan himself.
• Dōsan woke after a peaceful night, noticed the scenery on his way back to Kobayashi Izakaya, and went to retrieve his belongings.
• Dōsan overheard his roommates discussing their relief at sleeping without nightmares and their concern for his difficult life.
• The bald boss emerged and stared in surprise as Dōsan said, “So, you all knew.”

Dōsan Hanyū left the tavern after telling his roommates he would soon attend Soul Reaper school, while the manager tried to make him stay and threatened him. Isshin Shiba arrived to take Dōsan Hanyū away, and the chapter ended with Dōsan asking the manager whether he had ever intended to give him a residence permit.

• Dōsan Hanyū told his roommates he had met a Soul Reaper and would soon attend Soul Reaper school, and they celebrated his chance to change his fate.
• Dōsan Hanyū retrieved his belongings and refused the manager’s offers of a residence permit and higher pay.
• The manager threatened Dōsan Hanyū when he refused to keep working, and the bald boss tried to mediate.
• Isshin Shiba arrived to take Dōsan Hanyū in Rangiku’s place and sensed a peculiar quality in his spiritual pressure.
• Dōsan Hanyū left with Isshin Shiba and asked the terrified manager whether he had ever intended to give him a residence permit.

Dōsan Hanyū received his unpaid wages after Isshin Shiba intervened, then followed Isshin to the Shiba residence to stay until the Shin'ō Academy of Spiritual Arts began. There, he met Isshin’s niece Kūkaku Shiba.

• Isshin Shiba confronted the shopkeeper, prompting Dōsan Hanyū and the other workers to demand their withheld wages and permits.
• Dōsan followed Isshin toward the Shiba residence, grew suspicious in the deserted borderland, and discreetly prepared to defend himself.
• Isshin led Dōsan to an unusual building marked with a banner reading “The Shiba welcome you” and said he would stay there for a month before the academy began.
• Kin-chan and Gin-chan welcomed Isshin and escorted him and Dōsan to Kūkaku’s room.
• Kūkaku greeted Isshin, and Dōsan was astonished to learn that she was his niece.

Isshin Shiba brought Dōsan Hanyū to Kūkaku Shiba so Ganju could teach him, and Dōsan demonstrated that he had already begun developing Hakuda. The chapter ended with Ganju laughing at Dōsan’s claim that he had trained for only ten minutes, then asking why Dōsan wasn’t laughing.

• Kūkaku agreed to help Isshin and led him and Dōsan to meet Ganju, whom Isshin assigned to teach Dōsan.
• Dōsan gave Isshin two flasks of sake as thanks for helping him and Rangiku, earning a slight improvement in Kūkaku’s impression of him.
• After Isshin and Kūkaku left, Dōsan showed Ganju that he could gather Spiritual Pressure and perform a powerful Hakuda punch.
• Ganju asked how long Dōsan had trained, and Dōsan replied that it might have been only ten minutes.
• Ganju burst into laughter at Dōsan’s answer, then stopped and asked why Dōsan wasn’t laughing.

Dōsan Hanyū learned to form and control a powerful Spiritual Pressure barrier while training with Ganju Shiba. After briefly sustaining it without the Spirit Orb Core, Dōsan asked Ganju to teach him how to maintain it, leaving Ganju stunned by his ability.

• Ganju demonstrated a Shiba Clan technique that used a Spirit Orb Core to form a defensive barrier, then gave the orb to Dōsan.
• Dōsan struggled to shape his Spiritual Pressure until he followed its flow and formed a smooth, pale-green barrier far stronger than Ganju's.
• Dōsan expanded and contracted the barrier at will, shocking Ganju with his control and the amount of Spiritual Pressure he could channel.
• Dōsan discarded the Spirit Orb Core and kept the barrier intact by pressing his palms together, but it eventually shattered when he could no longer sustain it.
• Dōsan asked Ganju to teach him how to maintain the barrier without the Spirit Orb Core, leaving Ganju speechless.

Dōsan Hanyū quickly mastered Shunpo under Ganju's instruction, then struggled to learn Kidō on his own. After hours of practice, he found himself in a white, empty world and heard a mysterious voice tell him to call its name.

• Dōsan Hanyū adapted to Spiritual Pressure and demonstrated that he had mastered Shunpo, astonishing Ganju.
• Ganju taught Dōsan the Kidō spell Bakudō #1: Sai, then left him to work out the technique himself.
• Dōsan repeatedly attempted Sai but failed, exhausting himself as he practiced for hours.
• Dōsan's vision blurred, and he found himself alone in a white, misty world.
• An indistinct voice told Dōsan to call its name, and he asked who was there.

Dōsan discovered he could cast Kidō without incantations and learned spells from Ganju almost instantly, far surpassing his teacher. The lesson ended in chaos when Ganju lost control of Shakkahō and the blast sent Dōsan flying.

• Dōsan heard a distant voice calling to him in a strange misty space, then returned to the training ground with his Spiritual Pressure rising.
• Dōsan cast Bakudō #1: Sai without an incantation and accidentally bound Ganju, whose own spell could not restrain him so effectively.
• After Ganju questioned his lack of Spiritual Power training, Dōsan copied his Kidō demonstrations and quickly mastered each spell without incantations.
• Ganju taught Dōsan Hadō #31: Shakkahō, but his trembling spell swelled out of control and exploded through the training ground door.
• Dōsan dodged with Shunpo, but the fiery blast struck him and sent him flying as Ganju shouted at him.

Kūkaku began teaching Dōsan Shinigami combat and discovered that his effortless Byakurai and battle instincts made him an extraordinary talent. By the end of the afternoon, he had made rapid progress under her punishing instruction, while Isshin wondered how far he could grow.

• Kūkaku stopped Ganju from being blamed for the failed Kidō and announced that she would teach Dōsan Zankensoki.
• Kūkaku attacked Dōsan at high speed, and he used Byakurai so quickly that she barely avoided it and crashed face-first into the mat.
• Isshin recognized Dōsan's exceptional Kidō skill and battle talent, comparing his gift to Kenpachi Zaraki's.
• Kūkaku resumed the fight, tricked Dōsan with false hints, and sent him crashing into the wall and bracing for another strike.
• Dōsan continued searching for chances to counterattack, and Isshin looked forward to seeing how strong he would become.

Dōsan Hanyū insisted on cooking for the Shiba family to repay Kūkaku and Ganju, and his dishes impressed the hungry household. Kūkaku suspected that Dōsan had tailored the food to her tastes and asked him if the meal expressed how he felt.

• Dōsan asked Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to let him cook, and they agreed after he explained that he wanted to repay Kūkaku and Ganju.
• Kūkaku grew furious when she learned the brothers had handed the kitchen to Dōsan, and she punched both of them into the ceiling before doing the same to Ganju when he questioned Dōsan’s motives.
• Dōsan prepared three dishes using the ingredients in Kūkaku’s kitchen while the Shiba family waited hungrily.
• Dōsan served the dishes, and their aromas and appearance captivated Kūkaku and Ganju.
• Kūkaku studied a piece of egg, decided the food seemed perfectly suited to her, set it down, and asked Dōsan if it reflected his feelings.

Dōsan Hanyū won over Kūkaku and Ganju Shiba with his cooking, though the siblings fought over the meal and left him and his companions with empty stomachs. At midnight, Ganju went looking for Dōsan to ask for more food and found him missing, then heard strange sounds coming from Kūkaku’s room.

• Kūkaku tasted Dōsan Hanyū’s egg, braised pork, and roast duck, and praised the meal while Ganju waited impatiently to eat.
• Ganju broke Shiba Clan etiquette to grab the braised pork, and he and Kūkaku raced to eat the remaining dishes before fighting over them.
• Dōsan Hanyū, Koganehiko, and Shiroganehiko went hungry, then made themselves a separate stir-fry and cleaned the dishes.
• At midnight, a bruised and hungry Ganju went to Dōsan’s room seeking more food but found him absent from every guest room.
• Ganju approached Kūkaku Shiba’s room, heard strange sounds inside, and blushed after pressing his ear to the door.

Dōsan Hanyū trained relentlessly in the Shiba household, and a breakthrough in Shunpo convinced Ganju that hard work could overcome his limits. After a week of training together, the story shifted to Seireitei, where Isshin Shiba encountered Captain Aizen.

• Ganju found Dōsan training late at night and tried to persuade him that hard work would not improve his Shunpo much.
• Dōsan insisted that hard work would pay off, then performed a flawless burst of Shunpo that startled Ganju.
• Ganju believed in Dōsan’s effort and began seven days of intense training with him, making considerable progress.
• Ganju noticed that Dōsan left each night after eight and that Kūkaku’s figure was increasingly swollen.
• A week later in Seireitei, Isshin Shiba met Captain Aizen, who called out to him.

Sōsuke Aizen urged Isshin Shiba to choose a fighter for the Tenth Division’s decisive match against a Modified Soul, and Isshin named an unnamed Kidō prodigy. Meanwhile, Dōsan Hanyū brought a bubbling pot of red oil to the Shiba Clan’s lunch, leaving Kūkaku puzzled about the meal.

• Aizen questioned whether the Artificial Soul Corps should exist and asked Isshin whether he had chosen a representative for the Tenth Division’s match.
• Isshin recalled that the match could decide the fate of the Artificial Soul plan, but he had no suitable fighter among his division’s current members.
• Isshin remembered a talented boy he had seen in Rukongai and told Aizen he had chosen a future Kidō genius for the match.
• Koganehiko and his brother served raw ingredients for lunch, and Dōsan carried in a boiling copper pot of red oil.
• Kūkaku stared at the unfamiliar meal and wondered what Dōsan intended them to eat.

Dōsan served hot pot to Kūkaku, Ganju, and Rangiku, who thanked him for the plum wine and eagerly joined the meal. Rangiku insisted she could not drink because she had an important message for Dōsan, but she secretly kept the sake jug pinned down.

• Ganju endured grueling training with Dōsan for two days and sat at the meal clutching his kidney, while Dōsan mistook his pained reactions for fighting spirit.
• Rangiku arrived to thank Dōsan for the plum wine and tasted his hot pot for the first time.
• Rangiku and Kūkaku competed over the hot pot, while Dōsan urged Ganju to eat black foods and promised extra training that night.
• Koganehiko offered Rangiku sake, but she said she had promised the captain not to drink because she had something important to tell Dōsan.
• Rangiku claimed she absolutely would not drink, yet she held the sake jug firmly when Koganehiko tried to take it away.

Rangiku drank heavily with Kūkaku and the Shiba family, then attacked Dōsan after he called her “Auntie Matsumoto.” The story then shifted to Soi Fon, who struggled to rebuild the Second Division and hoped to find promising recruits among the Shin'ō Academy's incoming students.

• Rangiku insisted she would keep her promise not to drink, but soon got drunk and pressed Dōsan to drink with her.
• After drinking, Dōsan told Kūkaku something privately, then thanked Rangiku for helping him and called her “Auntie Matsumoto.”
• Rangiku widened her eyes and released Haineko in response to Dōsan's remark.
• Soi Fon criticized the Punishment Force's training and reflected on the depleted state of the Second Division after Yoruichi Shihōin's defection.
• Marechiyo Ōmaeda told Soi Fon about a Tenth Division representative's fight against a Twelfth Division Artificial Soul, and she left while thinking about recruiting new Academy students.

Rangiku brought Dōsan to the Seireitei to fight for the Tenth Division, warning him to hide that he was not a Soul Reaper. On the way, they encountered Ikkaku and Yumichika, and Dōsan learned that Ikkaku could use Bankai.

• Rangiku reminded Dōsan not to reveal his identity or use Kidō above number forty-five as they headed toward the match.
• Ikkaku and Yumichika stopped Rangiku and Dōsan, and Ikkaku revealed that the Twelfth Division had chosen Nemu Number Seven to fight.
• Ikkaku challenged Dōsan to a fight after his mission, while Rangiku noted that Ikkaku could use Bankai but could not conceal his aura well.
• Dōsan told Rangiku that Ikkaku's aura felt as though it came from the same source as his own, and Rangiku accidentally confirmed Ikkaku's Bankai secret.
• Yumichika warned Ikkaku that Dōsan was no ordinary child, while Ikkaku eagerly anticipated fighting him and Yumichika wondered what his Zanpakuto was trying to communicate.

Isshin Shiba worried that the Tenth Division would forfeit its match because its representative was late, but Rangiku arrived with Dōsan Hanyū in time. Dōsan entered the arena under the name Jūzaburō Minamoto to fight Nemu Kurotsuchi, while Isshin and Rangiku traded resentful looks.

• Isshin Shiba fretted that the Tenth Division would lose by default if its representative failed to appear within half an hour.
• Soi Fon joined the gathered captains and officials, who had assembled to watch the historic battle.
• Rangiku arrived with Dōsan Hanyū, and Isshin silently vowed to replace her as vice-captain.
• Chōjirō Sasakibe announced that Nemu Kurotsuchi would represent the Twelfth Division against Jūzaburō Minamoto of the Tenth Division.
• Dōsan, surprised by the name Rangiku had chosen for him, entered the arena and bowed to Nemu Kurotsuchi.
• Rangiku blamed her poor memory on wine and beauty, then exchanged resentful looks with Isshin.