Chapter Summaries

Unohana Retsu found Chiba Makoto on a secluded beach with Inoue Orihime, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and Yoruichi Shihoin, and confronted him with barely concealed jealousy and killing intent. Yoruichi called Makoto her master and Unohana an outsider, leaving Unohana visibly furious and Makoto scrambling to prevent a fight.

• Unohana Retsu and Isane Kotetsu followed Yoruichi Shihoin to a secluded beach and spotted her with Chiba Makoto, Inoue Orihime, and Nemu Kurotsuchi.
• Unohana ordered Isane to return to Karakura Town, then approached Makoto as he applied sunscreen to the three women.
• Makoto panicked when he noticed Unohana and tried to explain himself while she criticized him for enjoying the beach despite danger nearby and not inviting her.
• Yoruichi hugged Makoto from behind, called him her master, and described Unohana as an outsider.
• Makoto pulled Yoruichi away and reprimanded her, while Unohana's remaining patience appeared not to extend to the bold cat.

Unohana Retsu lost control after mistaking Nel for Chiba Makoto’s daughter and unleashed her Bankai on the beach. Makoto protected Nel and clashed with Unohana as she demanded to know who had given birth to the little Hollow.

• Yoruichi Shihoin deliberately flirted with Chiba Makoto in front of Unohana Retsu, while Makoto suspected she was provoking Unohana.
• Nel ran over and hugged Chiba Makoto’s leg, calling him Father.
• Unohana Retsu erupted in anger, shed her Gigai, and released her Bankai, All Things in Nature, surrounding everyone in a blood-red space.
• Unohana attacked Nel, but Chiba Makoto dodged the slash and lifted Nel into his arms.
• Unohana charged Makoto and demanded to know who had given birth to Nel, then clashed with his Zanpakuto, All Things in Nature.

Chiba Makoto faced Unohana Retsu in battle after Yoruichi Shihoin revealed that he was the supposedly dead Chiba Makoto, Unohana’s beloved disciple. As Unohana threatened to kill everyone present, Makoto prepared to handle her alone.

• Unohana Retsu and Chiba Makoto exchanged rapid sword strikes as the others recoiled from her overwhelming Reiatsu.
• Yoruichi Shihoin told Inoue Orihime, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and Snopas that Kurosaki Makoto was actually Chiba Makoto, the Seireitei hero believed to have died decades earlier.
• Yoruichi explained that Unohana’s special treatment of Makoto had led her to suspect his identity, while she struggled with the realization that she had grown close to him again.
• Yoruichi called out to Unohana and Makoto, and Makoto dismissed the importance of discussing his identity during their fight.
• Unohana threatened to kill everyone present and drew a concealed blade as Makoto realized words would not stop her.
• Makoto handed the unconscious Nel to Yoruichi and declared that the one loved by Unohana would not be weaker than her.

Chiba Makoto revealed his true identity and faced Unohana Retsu in the blood-filled space of her Bankai, turning their long-interrupted duel into a deadly battle. He wounded her with his first strike and blocked her counterattack with a second blade, while Unohana healed and charged again.

• Chiba Makoto abandoned his disguise and manifested All Things in Nature as his Zanpakuto.
• Chiba Makoto filled the Minazuki space with a forest, approached Unohana Retsu, and declared their duel was reaching its conclusion.
• Chiba Makoto struck Unohana Retsu’s shoulder, drawing blood and awakening her battle instincts.
• Unohana Retsu counterattacked, but Chiba Makoto dodged her hidden blade and struck from another angle.
• Unohana Retsu used her feet to pin All Things in Nature and attacked from above, forcing Chiba Makoto to block with a Reishi Blade.
• Unohana Retsu’s wound healed as she rushed at Chiba Makoto, ready to continue their duel.

Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu fought to the point of mutual impalement, then realized they had each restrained their killing instincts to spare the other. Unohana kissed Makoto and explained she had let their blades meet so she could learn what he valued more than instinct.

• Chiba Makoto fought Unohana Retsu with his full Zanjutsu skill as they traded countless wounds inside Minazuki's sealed space.
• Their blades shattered, and Minazuki and All Things in Nature pierced each other's chests, but both stopped their blades from reaching the other's heart.
• Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu realized they had each chosen to spare the other over obeying their killing instincts.
• Makoto asked why Unohana had not dodged, and she kissed him before he could finish speaking.
• Unohana told Makoto that she had not needed to dodge because their exchange had given her an answer he might never have said aloud.

Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu confessed their feelings and agreed not to separate again, even after returning to the Seireitei. Unohana then confronted Makoto about which Hollow had given birth to his daughter, suspecting Tier Harribel.

• Unohana Retsu teased Chiba Makoto about his improper feelings for her, and he retorted that she had groomed him to satisfy her desire for battle.
• Unohana Retsu's chest wound healed, and she explained that she no longer needed the scar from her unfinished battle because only fighting Makoto could satisfy her.
• Chiba Makoto embraced Unohana Retsu and asked her to return to the Seireitei with him openly; she quietly agreed.
• Unohana Retsu asked which Hollow had borne Makoto's child and guessed it was Tier Harribel, whom Makoto had secretly gone easy on in Karakura Town.

Chiba Makoto reassured Unohana Retsu after she mistook Nel for a threat, then learned that Seireitei’s captains were already approaching after sensing Unohana’s Bankai. He reunited with his companions and dismissed her terrifying display as a joke, leaving them unconvinced.

• Chiba Makoto told Unohana Retsu that Nel was his goddaughter and reassured her that Nel would recover from fainting.
• Chiba Makoto teased Unohana Retsu about having children, and Unohana Retsu changed the subject to the captains coming to Karakura Town.
• Chiba Makoto sensed that the captains had already arrived nearby after Seireitei detected Unohana Retsu’s Bankai.
• Chiba Makoto dismissed their Zanpakuto abilities as pointless to conceal and made the forest hiding their battle vanish.
• Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu rejoined Yoruichi Shihoin, Snopas, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and Inoue Orihime, who recoiled from Unohana’s lingering aura.
• Chiba Makoto called Unohana Retsu’s frightening display a joke, leaving the others visibly unconvinced.

Chiba Makoto comforted Yoruichi Shihoin instead of silencing her, then revealed that Hyōsube Ichibē and he were connected to the mysterious power of a “Name.” Yoruichi explained that the Shihōin Clan’s inherited knowledge tied Names to the ancient Soul King and said a Name was the first step toward becoming a god.

• Yoruichi Shihoin approached Chiba Makoto and accepted that he might deal with her to protect his secrets.
• Chiba Makoto gently reassured Yoruichi, who realized she had never asked him directly about her suspicions.
• Yoruichi asked Chiba Makoto to tell her the truth, and he brought up Hyōsube Ichibē and Names.
• Yoruichi revealed that she had once become a holder of a Name during the Expeditionary Force’s battles.
• Yoruichi explained that the Shihōin Clan’s oral tradition linked Names to the Soul King and called them the first step toward becoming a god.

Chiba Makoto explained that Hyōsube Ichibē could not reach him in the World of the Living, then reassured his companions that he would protect them. Yoruichi Shihoin reaffirmed her bond with Makoto and chose to stay by his side as a black cat, vowing not to let Ichibē kill him.

• Yoruichi Shihoin warned Chiba Makoto that speaking Hyōsube Ichibē's true name might attract the monk's attention, but Makoto said Ichibē's power could not reach the World of the Living.
• Chiba Makoto promised to protect those he cherished, moving Snopas, Inoue Orihime, and Nemu Kurotsuchi to reaffirm their loyalty and support.
• Yoruichi Shihoin asked what she meant to Makoto, and he urged her to consider what he meant to her and what she herself wanted.
• Yoruichi Shihoin declared that she would settle accounts with Makoto later but would not let Hyōsube Ichibē kill him.
• Yoruichi Shihoin transformed into her black cat form and leapt into Chiba Makoto's arms.

Black Cat Yoruichi told Chiba Makoto that she trusted him to challenge the Monk Who Calls True Names, while Unohana Retsu took the cat into her arms and hid her fearsome grip behind a gentle smile. Outside Minazuki’s Bankai, Kyōraku Shunsui considered whether Zaraki Kenpachi could be used to contain Unohana Retsu and grow stronger through fighting her.

• Black Cat Yoruichi declared that she was betting on Chiba Makoto to take a step the Monk Who Calls True Names could not.
• Unohana Retsu took Black Cat Yoruichi from Chiba Makoto and stroked her until the frightened cat froze in her arms.
• Chiba Makoto told Unohana Retsu that the other Captains had arrived and suggested they coordinate their accounts.
• Kyōraku Shunsui, Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Zaraki Kenpachi, Soi Fon, and their companions gathered outside the blood-red Minazuki space.
• Kyōraku Shunsui recalled Unohana Retsu’s past encounter with Zaraki Kenpachi and considered using their fight to cultivate Zaraki’s strength.

Kyōraku Shunsui manipulated the captains into accepting a duel between Unohana Retsu and Zaraki Kenpachi by revealing their history. As Unohana emerged from Minazuki Space and Zaraki approached her, “Kurosaki Makoto” stepped between them and warned Zaraki away.

• Kyōraku Shunsui recalled Unohana Retsu’s past as the First Kenpachi and framed her duel with Zaraki Kenpachi as an inevitable continuation of their ancient conflict.
• Soi Fon challenged Kyōraku Shunsui’s reasoning, but he argued that other captains should not interfere in a duel between Kenpachis.
• Zaraki Kenpachi tore off his eyepatch and eagerly anticipated fighting Unohana Retsu as Minazuki Space opened.
• Unohana Retsu appeared with her hair loose and Minazuki in hand, overwhelming the assembled Soul Reapers with her bloodthirsty spiritual pressure.
• Zaraki Kenpachi moved toward Unohana Retsu, but “Kurosaki Makoto” stepped in front of him and warned him not to come closer.

Chiba Makoto confronted Zaraki Kenpachi as the other Soul Reapers questioned why Unohana Retsu had entered her killing state. Unohana protected Makoto, instantly wounded Zaraki, and left Isane and Rangiku treating him while the battle between Unohana and Makoto remained unresolved.

• Isane told Kyōraku Shunsui and the other captains that Unohana had sent her to find Makoto and then return to Karakura Town.
• Zaraki charged Makoto, but Unohana blocked his strike with Minazuki, stunning the watching Soul Reapers.
• Unohana warned Zaraki not to interfere in her battle with Makoto, then slashed him and sent him crashing in front of Kyōraku.
• Kyōraku ordered Isane to treat Zaraki, and Isane asked Rangiku to help when his wounds proved difficult to heal.

Unohana Retsu and Chiba Makoto continued their staged battle, with Chiba’s countless Reishi Blades bringing Unohana genuine exhilaration. Unohana defeated him with a secret technique but deliberately stopped her blade at his neck, leaving the watching Soul Reapers stunned.

• Kotetsu Isane and Matsumoto Rangiku stabilized Zaraki Kenpachi’s injuries, while Kyōraku Shunsui worried about the consequences if he died.
• Chiba Makoto attacked Unohana Retsu with endless Reishi Blades, and Unohana cut them down as she advanced.
• Unohana became genuinely excited by the Zanjutsu embodied in Chiba’s blades, then followed their plan after he gave her subtle signals.
• Unohana used Yachiru Secret Art: One-Blade Minazuki to shatter the Reishi Blades and reach Chiba Makoto.
• Unohana stopped Minazuki at Chiba Makoto’s neck, then sheathed it and praised his combat ability; Chiba said he had feared for his life.

Unohana Retsu explained that her attachment to Chiba Makoto had changed the weight of her blade and helped her control her battle instincts. She pledged to protect Soul Society, while Kyōraku Shunsui realized her strength and growing prestige could threaten Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni’s position.

• After Unohana Retsu sheathed Minazuki, the terrifying space and spiritual pressure vanished, and Kyōraku Shunsui approached with Soi Fon and Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
• Chiba Makoto asked Unohana Retsu how she had regained control and shown him mercy, and she explained that attachments changed the weight of her blade.
• Unohana Retsu said she would protect Soul Society in accordance with what Makoto valued and apologized for testing her blade against him.
• Unohana Retsu asked Makoto to spar with her again, and the Soul Reapers admired her after hearing her account of the past.
• Soi Fon empathized with Unohana Retsu, while Kyōraku Shunsui worried that Unohana Retsu’s rising prestige could threaten Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

Unohana Retsu secured the Soul Reapers’ approval after controlling her bloodthirsty state, strengthening her standing as a possible successor to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. She led the group to the beach for a vacation with Chiba Makoto, where Black Cat Yoruichi openly clung to him and Unohana sat beside him.

• Kyōraku Shunsui considered Unohana Retsu a stronger candidate than Hitsugaya Tōshirō for Captain-Commander, though he privately wanted the position himself.
• Unohana Retsu spoke gently with the captains and Vice-Captains, easing their fear of her Bankai and earning their respect.
• Black Cat Yoruichi jumped onto Chiba Makoto’s shoulder and licked him in front of the Soul Reapers, while Unohana watched without reacting.
• Unohana Retsu proposed that the Soul Reapers stay at the beach to keep their spiritual pressure away from Karakura Town’s residents while remaining ready to respond.
• The Soul Reapers changed into beachwear and began their vacation, and Unohana sat beside Chiba Makoto in a swimsuit and offered him orange juice.

Soi Fon confronted Black Cat Yoruichi over her shameless affection toward Chiba Makoto, but Yoruichi refused to stop, leaving Makoto caught between them. Unohana Retsu encouraged Kotetsu Isane to join the beach vacation and play with the cat, while Zaraki Kenpachi remained unconscious.

• Unohana Retsu left Chiba Makoto and Black Cat Yoruichi after noticing Soi Fon watching them.
• Soi Fon confronted Yoruichi and demanded that she stop behaving shamelessly, but Yoruichi refused.
• Soi Fon turned her anger toward Chiba Makoto, who privately regretted how his beach vacation had gone.
• Unohana Retsu told Kotetsu Isane to enjoy the vacation and invited her to play with Yoruichi after changing into a swimsuit.
• Unohana Retsu left Zaraki Kenpachi to rest and privately regarded Yoruichi as a mere stray cat.

Ichimaru Gin struggled to choose between rescuing Matsumoto Rangiku’s soul and helping reclaim Chiba Makoto’s soul, then resolved to save Makoto despite the cost. Sōya Azashiro appeared and seized Gin’s wrist as he began to relay an order.

• Ichimaru Gin watched Matsumoto Rangiku on the screens and recorded intelligence about the Soul Reapers in Karakura Town.
• Ichimaru Gin recalled that Aizen Sōsuke and Sōya Azashiro planned to breach the Soul King Palace and reclaim Chiba Makoto’s soul.
• Ichimaru Gin wavered between reclaiming Rangiku’s soul and rescuing Makoto, imagining Makoto trapped alone in a Divine Artifact.
• Ichimaru Gin resolved to save Makoto even if he had to fight the Thirteen Divisions and Rangiku came to hate him.
• Sōya Azashiro appeared beside Ichimaru Gin, claimed he was everywhere, and said he had an order to deliver.
• Sōya Azashiro seized Ichimaru Gin’s wrist as Gin asked what the order was.

Sōya Azashiro hinted to Ichimaru Gin that he was connected to Lord Makoto and urged him to protect himself. In the Seireitei, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni learned of Unohana Retsu’s resolve, reflected on his own past, and considered who might succeed him as Captain-Commander.

• Sōya Azashiro turned Ichimaru Gin’s wrist cord and told him to remember an important lesson and wait quietly, leading Gin to suspect Azashiro was connected to Lord Makoto.
• Kyōraku Shunsui’s and the Onmitsukidō’s reports confirmed that Unohana Retsu had fought Kurosaki Makoto in Karakura Town and stopped herself from killing him.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni reflected on the destruction caused by his Bankai in his battle with Yhwach and felt reassured by Unohana Retsu’s resolve.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni asked Chōjirō Sasakibe who should become the next Captain-Commander and named Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Kyōraku Shunsui, and Unohana Retsu as candidates.

After the beach vacation, Unohana Retsu moved into Chiba Makoto’s courtyard, where the two began arranging flowers together. Black Cat Yoruichi bit Makoto while he was distracted by Unohana, leaving him scrambling to hide what happened as Unohana moved to inspect his flower arrangement.

• The Soul Reapers ended their three-day beach vacation after the Technological Development Department completed their Gigai.
• Unohana Retsu moved into Chiba Makoto’s courtyard under the pretext of exchanging flower-arranging techniques.
• Unohana Retsu and Chiba Makoto sat together arranging flowers while Black Cat Yoruichi rested in his lap.
• Black Cat Yoruichi bit Chiba Makoto after noticing him watching Unohana Retsu.
• Chiba Makoto hid his lower body behind the flower arrangement, but Unohana Retsu started to come over and inspect it.

Chiba Makoto tried to hide Black Cat Yoruichi from Unohana Retsu while arranging flowers with her, but Unohana noticed the damp spot on his lap and teased him as she wiped it away. After finishing their arrangements, Yoruichi realized she could not compete with Unohana and left to recruit Soi Fon as an ally.

• Chiba Makoto distracted Unohana Retsu long enough to lift Black Cat Yoruichi from his lap and toss her out the window.
• Unohana Retsu noticed the damp spot on Chiba Makoto's lap, wiped it with a handkerchief, and teased him about Yoruichi.
• Chiba Makoto and Unohana Retsu finished their flower arrangements and began evaluating each other's work.
• Black Cat Yoruichi watched them together and decided to seek Soi Fon's help, then left for Karakura Town.