Recaps

Chiba Makoto uncovered Aizen Sōsuke’s Hollowfication experiment and broke free of Kyōka Suigetsu, while Sōya Azashiro revealed his own plan to eradicate Hollows. The crisis spread through the Fourth Division Barracks, where Unohana Retsu drew her sword as five captains Hollowfied.

• Chiba Makoto studied spiritual bodies, gathered research materials, and monitored Ichimaru Gin as Aizen Sōsuke approached him in the World of the Living.
• Aizen Sōsuke used Kyōka Suigetsu to make Ichimaru Gin believe he had killed an Adjuchas, and Gin abandoned his plan to become a Soul Reaper to follow him.
• Aizen Sōsuke found the Spirit King's Fingertip in Matsumoto Rangiku’s soul, while Urozakuro secretly relayed his research to Chiba Makoto.
• Chiba Makoto gave Unohana Retsu the ikebana piece “Forest and Utsugi” at her birthday banquet, then left for Shaolin Fon’s succession ceremony as Yoruichi Shihoin appeared Hollowfied at the Fourth Division plaza.
• Yoruichi Shihoin attacked the gathered Soul Reapers, and Kensei Muguruma, Hirako Shinji, Love Aikawa, and others became Hollowfied as captains and the Kidō Corps tried to contain the crisis.
• Chiba Makoto confronted Sōya Azashiro, who admitted his plan to eliminate Hollows by merging Soul Society with Hueco Mundo, then helped Makoto reach Aizen Sōsuke.
• Chiba Makoto touched Kyōka Suigetsu with specially modified Reishi and broke Aizen Sōsuke’s hypnosis, while Aizen withdrew without revealing his role in the Hollowfication experiments.
• Zaraki Kenpachi found Urahara Kisuke alive in the ruined Twelfth Division Barracks, while Unohana Retsu drew her sword at the Fourth Division Barracks and struck Love Aikawa through the head.

Chiba Makoto survived Unohana Retsu’s deadly Bankai trial, took charge of the battered Fourth Division, and treated Yoruichi Shihoin. After Yoruichi said she intended to rescue Urahara Kisuke, Makoto agreed to help treat the Hollowfied Shinigami while denying any involvement in her other plans.

• Unohana Retsu fought Chiba Makoto inside her Bankai, and he endured her attacks until they embraced and she released him.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni arrested Unohana Retsu, appointed Makoto temporary Fourth Division Vice-Captain, and ordered him to care for the wounded.
• Makoto led the Fourth Division’s relief efforts, treated the injured, and learned that Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai, and Ushōda Hachigen had been arrested.
• Makoto treated Yoruichi Shihoin with Aizen Sōsuke’s help, removing Hollowfied portions that conflicted with her spirit body.
• Yoruichi Shihoin awoke and thanked Makoto, while Ōmaeda Marenoshin offered support to rebuild the Fourth Division Barracks.
• Yoruichi Shihoin told Makoto she believed Urahara Kisuke was innocent and intended to rescue him from the Central 46 Chambers.
• Yoruichi Shihoin demonstrated her unstable Hollowification and asked Makoto to treat the Hollowfied Shinigami, and he agreed while denying involvement in her other plans.

After the Hollowfication Incident, Chiba Makoto treated the injured, helped the Fourth Division recover, and grew closer to Soi Fon and Unohana Retsu. The arc ended with Makoto scouting Shin'ō Academy graduates for the division as other squads competed to recruit Ichimaru Gin.

• Chiba Makoto treated the Hollowfied Shinigami while Yoruichi Shihoin rescued Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai, and Ushōda Hachigen from their trial, and Urahara later escaped with the group.
• Chiba Makoto recovered from exhaustion, took on Yamada Seinosuke’s lieutenant duties, offered Yamada Rinka a home, and recruited Kotetsu Isane to work with him.
• Chiba Makoto trained Kotetsu Isane, managed the Fourth Division, and comforted Soi Fon as she grieved Yoruichi Shihoin’s departure.
• Chiba Makoto sparred with Soi Fon, then encountered Yoruichi Shihoin in cat form at the underground hot spring and denied seeing her when Soi Fon asked about the cat.
• Yoruichi Shihoin asked Chiba Makoto to watch Aizen Sōsuke discreetly and teach Soi Fon the perfected Shunkō method before leaving for the World of the Living.
• Chiba Makoto welcomed Unohana Retsu back to the rebuilt Fourth Division, and they resumed sharing her courtyard and meals.
• Unohana Retsu explained Yamamoto’s plans to expand Shin'ō Academy and urged Chiba Makoto to seek recruits from Rukongai.
• Chiba Makoto and Kotetsu Isane attended the academy graduation, where division representatives gathered to recruit Ichimaru Gin, and Makoto learned that Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika had become seated officers after he operated on them.

Chiba Makoto expanded the Fourth Division, took in young Rangiku and Shūhei, and earned noble status after saving the Sixth Division from Sparks. His growing ties to the Kuchiki family and experiments with Shunkō continued as he kept his distance from Unohana Retsu after she discovered his uniform sketches.

• Chiba Makoto gave an unexpected graduation speech that brought more than a hundred recruits to the Fourth Division, where he organized their training and appointed Yamada Hanataro to help manage them.
• Chiba Makoto found Matsumoto Rangiku searching Rukongai for Gin, offered her a place to stay, and settled her and Hisagi Shūhei near Hisana while they prepared for the Shin'ō Academy entrance examinations.
• Chiba Makoto deployed to the World of the Living when an Adjuchas ambushed Kuchiki Sōjun, healing the wounded Sixth Division Soul Reapers while helping them fight the Hollow.
• Chiba Makoto secretly subdued Sparks, learned that Szayelaporro Granz had directed it toward Soul Reapers, and let it escape through a Garganta after staging a fierce retreat.
• After eighteen bodies were recovered and Kuchiki Sōjun survived, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni granted Chiba Makoto Intermediate Noble status for saving more than ten Soul Reapers.
• Unohana Retsu found Chiba Makoto’s sketches modeled on her and made him demonstrate his experimental uniforms, prompting him to avoid her Courtyard and stay at the Kuchiki residence.
• Chiba Makoto trained Soi Fon in Shunkō and began developing a green version after combining the technique with Kaido, while Unohana Retsu missed his presence.