Recaps

Tsukikage Yagyū defeated Shiraishi and Soi Fon by trapping them in a dark space, then subdued her rebellious son Ichirō Yagyū at the hideout. Unable to escape or use Reiatsu against her Bankai, Shiraishi entered his Zanpakuto’s inner world and gave himself three days to find Infinity and learn the next Bankai form.

• Shiraishi transformed into Nightbringer and helped Soi Fon escape Tsukikage Yagyū’s pursuit to a bamboo forest.
• Tsukikage Yagyū swallowed Shiraishi and Soi Fon in black liquid, trapping them in darkness where they could not move.
• Tsukikage Yagyū returned to the hideout, defeated the injured Ichirō Yagyū, and ordered Kin taken for treatment.
• Shiraishi realized Tsukikage Yagyū’s Bankai nullified his attacks and confined him in a dark space.
• Shiraishi met Infinity in his Zanpakuto’s inner world and set a three-day deadline to find him and learn the next Bankai form.

Shiraishi repeatedly attempted to find Infinity by flying across the rocky terrain, while Soi Fon despaired in Tsukikage Yagyū’s darkness. After both captains went missing, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto assembled a rescue team and left Rangiku Matsumoto behind to keep the Tenth Division in order.

• Shiraishi repeatedly launched his wingsuit from the mountaintop, crashed, and returned to try again without finding Infinity.
• Trapped in Obstruction of Sight’s darkness, Soi Fon believed she and Shiraishi were doomed and regretted leading him into danger.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto declared Soi Fon and Shiraishi missing and ordered an immediate rescue mission despite Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s objections.
• Aizen volunteered for the mission, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto assigned him, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Retsu Unohana to rescue the captains and arrest Tsukikage Yagyū.
• Rangiku Matsumoto asked to join the support mission, but Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto told her to remain with the Tenth Division, and Retsu Unohana promised to help Shiraishi.

Unohana, Aizen, and Byakuya searched South District 5 for clues after arriving too late to find Shiraishi and Soi Fon. At her hidden base, Tsukikage tried to force Ichirō to reject morality in favor of power, then enjoyed breakfast while two captains remained trapped and hungry in the Obstruction of Sight Space.

• Unohana, Aizen, and Byakuya reached the bamboo forest and found that the battle's Reiatsu had dissipated.
• Aizen suggested searching South District 5 for clues, and Unohana agreed.
• Tsukikage woke to Ichirō's scream and argued that morality and justice were powerless before strength.
• Tsukikage restrained Ichirō and tried to persuade him to abandon his principles and become stronger under her guidance.
• Tsukikage ordered a maid to take food to Ichirō and help him with his instincts.
• Tsukikage ate breakfast and thought of the two captains still trapped and hungry in the Obstruction of Sight Space.

Hungry and weakened, Shiraishi kept trying to escape his crumbling inner world. Meanwhile, Retsu Unohana led Aizen and Byakuya Kuchiki back to South District 5, where they found a hidden barrier and attacked it as Tsukikage Yagyū prepared to fight.

• Shiraishi stood up after resting and leaped into another attempt to fly through his collapsing inner world.
• Retsu Unohana suggested Tsukikage Yagyū might still be hidden in South District 5 behind a powerful barrier, and Aizen and Byakuya agreed to return.
• Retsu Unohana, Aizen, and Byakuya returned to the battlefield and searched north by hand rather than using Shunpo.
• Retsu Unohana detected something unusual in a rock wall, and Aizen told her to step back while Byakuya released Bankai against the barrier.
• Tsukikage Yagyū complained that the captains were pursuing him and began to release his Bankai.

Aizen killed Tsukikage Yagyū and Ichirō Yagyū, erasing the stronghold and its witnesses before returning to the Seireitei with the injured Shiraishi. Shiraishi woke two days later in the infirmary, where Nemu and Soi Fon competed to care for him.

• Tsukikage Yagyū gave her Zanpakuto, Obstruction of Sight, to Ichirō and urged him to escape as Aizen arrived.
• Ichirō stood against Aizen to protect his mother, and Aizen destroyed them and the stronghold with one sword swing.
• Aizen returned to Retsu Unohana and the others, who reported that Shiraishi needed extended treatment and Soi Fon had fainted from hunger.
• Shiraishi woke in the infirmary after about two days and learned from Isane Kotetsu that he could not move normally yet.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi brought Shiraishi a meal, but Soi Fon arrived with a bento and demanded to speak with him alone.
• Nemu refused to leave, and Shiraishi watched the two women argue over who would stay with him.

Shiraishi emerged in his Dragonmancer Nightbringer Dream Dragon form and defeated Tsukikage Yagyū by turning himself intangible and damaging her heart from within. Retsu Unohana rescued him as he collapsed, while Tsukikage escaped to her hideout.

• Tsukikage Yagyū swallowed Byakuya Kuchiki in her Obstruction of Sight Space after evading his and Retsu Unohana’s attacks.
• Shiraishi emerged from the space in his new form and explained that Dream Dragon’s Roar let him turn real things illusory.
• Tsukikage Yagyū tried to trap Shiraishi in a black cube, but he placed a pebble inside her heart, leaving her badly injured.
• Tsukikage Yagyū expelled everything inside the Obstruction of Sight Space and fled while Shiraishi dodged the falling objects.
• Retsu Unohana pulled Shiraishi to safety and told him Soi Fon was safe with Byakuya Kuchiki, but Shiraishi lost consciousness.
• Tsukikage Yagyū returned to her secret hideout as the black liquid reverted to a Zanpakuto.

Aizen killed Tsukikage Yagyū and Ichirō Yagyū, erasing the stronghold and its evidence before returning to the Seireitei with the injured Shiraishi. Two days later, Shiraishi woke in the General Infirmary, where Nemu and Soi Fon argued over who would stay with him.

• Tsukikage Yagyū gave Ichirō her Zanpakuto and urged him to escape, but Aizen confronted them.
• Ichirō attacked Aizen to protect his mother, and Aizen destroyed them and the mountain with a single strike.
• Aizen returned with Retsu Unohana and the unconscious Shiraishi, while Byakuya Kuchiki reported that Soi Fon had fainted from hunger.
• Shiraishi woke in the General Infirmary after about two days and learned that Soi Fon had recovered and returned to work.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi brought Shiraishi a meal, but Soi Fon arrived with a bento and asked Nemu to leave, prompting the two women to argue.

While Shiraishi recovered in the hospital, Soi Fon and Nemu Kurotsuchi competed to care for him until Retsu Unohana sent them away. He sampled both women’s food and ended the visit enjoying Nemu’s cooking while joking with Unohana.

• Shiraishi struggled to mediate as Soi Fon and Nemu Kurotsuchi clashed over who would care for him.
• Retsu Unohana ordered Soi Fon and Nemu to leave because Shiraishi needed quiet rest, and both left food for him.
• Unohana teased and treated Shiraishi, who quickly apologized when she caused pain in his injured arm.
• Shiraishi ate Soi Fon’s extremely sweet rice balls rather than waste the effort she had put into making them.
• Shiraishi then ate Nemu’s flavorful meal, while Unohana set aside its spicy dishes and fed him.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya asked Rangiku Matsumoto and then Momo Hinamori how to welcome Captain Shiraishi after he recovered. The chapter ended with Hinamori suggesting they hold a welcome party.

• Rangiku Matsumoto told Tōshirō Hitsugaya that Captain Shiraishi had woken up and joked that she could be his present.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya rejected Rangiku's suggestions and insisted that he and Momo Hinamori were only childhood friends.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya finished his paperwork and went to the Fifth Division to ask Hinamori for advice.
• Momo Hinamori left her fellow Seated Officers and suggested holding a welcome party for Captain Shiraishi.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Momo Hinamori planned a welcome party for Shiraishi, while Isane Kotetsu cared for him in the hospital. Their quiet conversation took an unexpected turn when Isane went outside to catch cicadas for him.

• Tōshirō Hitsugaya worried that the Tenth Division could not take time off for a welcome party, and Momo Hinamori suggested arranging it at noon with Isane’s help.
• Momo Hinamori teased Tōshirō Hitsugaya about his height and remembered their childhood game of hide-and-seek.
• Isane Kotetsu made Shiraishi drink a bowl of bitter herbal medicine and stayed to watch for side effects.
• Shiraishi remarked on the cicadas outside, and Isane Kotetsu imagined a tragic story before he asked her to catch cicadas for him to roast.
• Isane Kotetsu recalled catching cicadas for her sister Kiyone and leaped out the window toward a tree.

While Isane Kotetsu caught and roasted cicadas for Shiraishi, he complimented her feet and encouraged her to grow her hair out. After Retsu Unohana sent Isane away, she told Shiraishi that Captain-Commander Yamamoto was pleased with his performance and would reward him, then asked what he wanted.

• Isane Kotetsu caught cicadas with Shunpo and stunned them with Byakurai until Shiraishi could no longer hear them from his hospital room.
• Shiraishi stopped Isane as she was about to jump down, complimented her feet, and made her blush by admitting he had been looking at them.
• Isane roasted and peeled the cicadas for Shiraishi, while he asked why she kept her hair short and told her she would look prettier with longer hair.
• Retsu Unohana arrived, sent Isane away, and teased Shiraishi about trying to steal her Third Seat.
• Retsu told Shiraishi that Captain-Commander Yamamoto had decided to reward him for his performance and asked what he wanted.

While recovering in the Fourth Division, Shiraishi asked Retsu Unohana to seek Yamamoto’s approval to clear Kūkaku of her crimes. After Unohana left, Shiraishi endured his boredom by thinking about Kūkaku and longing to see her once he recovered.

• Shiraishi rejected improper reward ideas and asked Retsu Unohana to get Kūkaku cleared of her crimes, citing his role in defeating three Muken escapees.
• Retsu Unohana agreed to pass the request to Captain-Commander Yamamoto but did not promise he would approve it.
• Retsu Unohana roasted cicadas for Shiraishi, fed him, and warned him not to call Isane over unnecessarily.
• After Retsu Unohana left, Shiraishi complained about being bored and remembered he needed to recover before visiting Kūkaku.
• Shiraishi imagined reuniting with Kūkaku and decided he would prove his feelings through action when he could see her again.

Soi Fon fretted over whether to welcome Shiraishi after his hospital discharge, then decided to go. Shiraishi left the Fourth Division and returned to a festive welcome from the Tenth Division, while someone appeared to watch him from outside the gate.

• Soi Fon counted documents to decide whether to welcome Shiraishi, then settled on going to congratulate him and thank him for the Tsukikage Yagyū case.
• Marechiyo Ōmaeda startled Soi Fon with trivial news about his family's jewelry company, and she knocked him down and kicked him.
• Shiraishi left the Fourth Division after teasing Retsu Unohana, who had arranged for Isane to be away during his departure.
• Shiraishi arrived at the Tenth Division barracks, where more than two hundred squad members welcomed him with a party.
• Rangiku Matsumoto pulled Shiraishi into the buffet and told him to drink at every table, while he noticed someone peeking through the gate.

After being discharged, Shiraishi learned that Kūkaku had last been seen in West Rukongai and decided to search for her himself. He left the Seireitei for a few days, leaving Hitsugaya and Matsumoto to manage the Tenth Division.

• Shiraishi woke to Nemu Kurotsuchi’s surprise and told her to stop listening to Akon’s suggestions.
• Nemu served Shiraishi a medicinal sea bass she had modified, and he enjoyed the meal.
• Nemu told Shiraishi that Kūkaku had last been spotted in Flower Village, in West Rukongai’s fifty-first district, three days earlier.
• Shiraishi asked Nemu to notify him through the Denreishinki if she found more news about Kūkaku.
• Shiraishi went to the Tenth Division dining hall and told Tōshirō Hitsugaya he would leave the Seireitei for a few days, entrusting division affairs to Hitsugaya and Matsumoto.

Shiraishi found Kūkaku Shiba in Grain in Ear and told her that he had secured her pardon, but she angrily rejected his decision to become a Shinigami captain. After they reconciled, the chapter left Kūkaku asking whether breakfast was ready.

• Shiraishi searched Grain in Ear and found Kūkaku Shiba at her mountain home after one of her firework experiments exploded.
• Kūkaku Shiba recognized Shiraishi in his Shinigami uniform and accused him of trying to capture her for the Seireitei.
• Shiraishi told Kūkaku Shiba that she had been pardoned and could return openly to West District One, but she remained furious that he had become a captain.
• Shiraishi apologized and promised to resign, and Kūkaku Shiba eventually opened the door after bathing and reunited with him.
• The next morning, Kūkaku Shiba rinsed her mouth outside and asked whether the food was done roasting.

Shiraishi and Kūkaku Shiba reunited after a long separation and shared a meal while teasing each other about their past and Shiraishi’s romantic affairs. Kūkaku accepted his choice to remain a captain, admitted she had felt jealous, and asked him to show his affection through actions.

• Shiraishi and Kūkaku grilled meat together and joked about which of them had run out of strength first.
• Shiraishi fed Kūkaku a skewer, and they toasted to their reunion with liquor.
• Kūkaku asked about Shiraishi’s romantic exploits, and he admitted he had been with two women.
• Kūkaku rested her head on Shiraishi’s shoulder and told him he did not need to resign as captain for her sake.
• Kūkaku admitted she had been jealous, then stopped Shiraishi’s apology and asked him to show his feelings through actions.

After spending the morning with Kūkaku Shiba, Shiraishi followed her toward the Shiba Clan and helped intercept Kaoru Tendō, who had come seeking a fight. Kaoru overwhelmed both of them and sent Shiraishi crashing through a mountain, then welcomed the sudden chill of his Reiatsu as the battle continued.

• Kūkaku Shiba set off fireworks that failed to form the image she wanted, then led Shiraishi toward West District One while he pursued her.
• In West District Thirteen, Kūkaku Shiba confronted Kaoru Tendō, who said she had come either to beat them to death or be beaten to death.
• Kaoru Tendō attacked Kūkaku Shiba, and Shiraishi emerged from hiding to strike her with his Shikai.
• Kaoru Tendō used her hair and precise Hakuda to counter their attacks, then struck Shiraishi and hurled him through trees into a mountain.
• Kaoru Tendō explained that she had tracked Shiraishi through the Purgatory Trading Company and the Research and Development Institute, then felt his Reiatsu make the summer air turn cold.

Shiraishi confronted Kaoru Tendō in his Bankai while Kūkaku withdrew, and Yamamoto learned of their fight and decided to go to West Rukongai himself. Shiraishi’s opening attack failed, but he used a distraction to strike at Kaoru from the woods.

• Shiraishi revealed his altered Bankai form and warned Kūkaku to retreat before facing Kaoru Tendō.
• Yamamoto recalled his past regret over Kaoru and ordered Retsu Unohana and Sajin Komamura summoned while he prepared to go to West Rukongai.
• After Kūkaku left, Shiraishi attacked Kaoru with a wave of orange flames, but she tore it apart with her Reiatsu.
• Kaoru searched the woods after failing to sense Shiraishi, then used Shunpo to investigate a broken branch as his flaming blade stabbed toward her.

Shiraishi fought Kaoru Tendō, who retreated after narrowly escaping his hellfire tornado. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto arrived, warned Shiraishi that Kaoru would likely challenge him again, and left as Kūkaku Shiba returned.

• Kaoru Tendō dodged Shiraishi’s flaming attacks and clashed with him in midair.
• Shiraishi unleashed a dark whirlwind that drew in the surrounding flames, forcing Kaoru to flee with Shunpo.
• Shiraishi ended his Bankai as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto appeared before him.
• Yamamoto explained that Kaoru sought challenges against strong opponents and warned Shiraishi to stay near the Seireitei.
• Shiraishi said he would settle Kūkaku’s affairs before deciding whether to return to the Seireitei, and Kūkaku Shiba came back after Yamamoto vanished.

Shiraishi and Kūkaku Shiba discussed Kaoru Tendō’s threat and decided to stay together in Rukongai. Meanwhile, Kaoru allied with Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who promised to engineer a rebellion so she could fight Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto alone.

• Kūkaku Shiba checked Shiraishi for injuries, and he kissed her before they discussed Kaoru Tendō’s escape from Muken.
• Shiraishi persuaded Kūkaku Shiba to stay with him in Rukongai, where they could also protect Ganju Shiba and wait for Kaoru.
• Kaoru Tendō resolved to eliminate Yamamoto’s allies one by one before seeking a rematch with him.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada revealed that he wanted power to pursue evil and offered Kaoru a chance to fight Yamamoto alone.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada said radical nobles would help start a rebellion during the nobles’ ancestral observance on the ninth day of the ninth month, and Kaoru agreed to work with him.

Kūkaku Shiba returned to the Shiba Clan home with Shiraishi after being pardoned, and her family welcomed her back. The reunion ended with Kūkaku dragging Ganju inside to punish him for his interest in picture books while Shiraishi asked for chilled watermelon.

• Ganju Shiba practiced Sekihō by dodging spinning pillars as Kin and Gin attacked him with pebbles.
• Kūkaku Shiba arrived with Shiraishi and reunited with Ganju, Kin, and Gin, explaining that Shiraishi had helped get her crimes pardoned.
• Ganju and the others mistakenly assumed Kūkaku and Shiraishi were married, prompting Kūkaku to punch them and deny it.
• Ganju bragged about his picture books, so Kūkaku grabbed him and dragged him inside to inspect them and punish him.
• Kūkaku ordered Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to burn the picture books while Shiraishi asked them for chilled watermelon.

Shiraishi flirted with Kūkaku Shiba before entering his inner world to train for a new Bankai form. Infinity set him the challenge of finding a sword that could defeat her while he dodged her attacks.

• Kūkaku Shiba sent Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to tend Ganju's wounds, then scolded Ganju for reading picture books.
• Shiraishi teased Kūkaku and rubbed her foot, but she left him behind to check on Ganju.
• Shiraishi decided to train for a new Bankai while waiting for Sōya Azashiro to go to Hueco Mundo.
• Infinity summoned a field of golden swords and challenged Shiraishi to find one that could defeat her.
• Shiraishi drew a sword that shattered, dodged Infinity's strikes, and agreed to continue the challenge.

Shiraishi struggled to sense his connection to his sword during Bankai training, then returned to the Shiba Clan home and joined Kūkaku and her family for a formal meal. After eating, he went back to his room to sleep before continuing his training.

• Shiraishi stopped Infinity’s attack and learned that breaking swords made from his spirit drained his energy and hindered his ability to sense them.
• Kūkaku Shiba woke Shiraishi by stepping on his face, and they traded teasing remarks before she led him to the main hall.
• Shiraishi saw the injured Ganju Shiba at the family meal, where Ganju glared at him and quickly appeased Kūkaku.
• Kūkaku insisted the family observe proper dining etiquette despite the Central 46 Chambers’ decision to strip the Shiba Clan of nobility.
• Shiraishi followed the meal’s formal rules, finished eating, and returned to his room to sleep before resuming Bankai training.

Soi Fon dealt with a flawed report and approved a calendar project after learning Nemu Kurotsuchi would participate. She remained unaware that the project manager was secretly scouting the Stealth Force headquarters, then studied Hakuda theory to find a way to grow stronger without relying on Shiraishi.

• Soi Fon reprimanded Marechiyo Ōmaeda for submitting an inadequate report about rumors concerning the Gold Seal Unit.
• Soi Fon approved Yūta Ishiyama's calendar project after he offered half the net profits and named several Gotei 13 participants, including Nemu Kurotsuchi.
• Yūta Ishiyama left pleased that his access to the Stealth Force headquarters had helped him learn its layout and defenses for Lord Tendō.
• After work, Soi Fon ate honey dorayaki while studying Hakuda theory, and the ideas behind her new technique began to connect.

Soi Fon sought to break through her Hakuda limits by developing a technique that fused Hakuda with Kidō. Her first tests badly injured her arm, but she continued training because she was determined to get stronger quickly.

• Soi Fon decided to create a new Hakuda school that compressed Kidō power into her limbs, and she identified wind as the Kidō attribute best suited to her.
• Soi Fon’s first attempt caused the compressed Kidō to tear open her right arm, so she ordered her guards to summon Isane Kotetsu.
• Isane Kotetsu healed Soi Fon’s wounds with Kaidō and warned her not to risk injuring her meridians.
• Soi Fon immediately tested the technique again, reopening her arm, and told Isane Kotetsu she had to get stronger as soon as possible.