Ichigo Dies!

Ichigo Dies! is the seventeenth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki loses his Shinigami powers and Rukia Kuchiki is taken back to Soul Society.

Summary
As Ichigo falls to his knees after Lieutenant Renji Abarai's attack, the latter, readying himself to attack again, lifts his sword to bring it down on Ichigo. Grabbing Renji's arm, Rukia, jumping onto his back, restricts him as she yells for Ichigo to run. As Ichigo, reaching out, grabs his Zanpakutō, Renji, who is surprised he can still move, but slightly happy because he wanted a little more of a challenging match, throws Rukia aside. As Ichigo slowly stands, Rukia, telling him to run once more, notices something strange. Getting a huge boost in his spirit power, Ichigo charges at Renji and, jumping, slashes him along his left shoulder. Surprised by this sudden burst in power, Renji turns to Ichigo, who, with enhanced speed, rushes at him again. Blocking the attack, Renji, knocked back by Ichigo's blow, is sent flying into the air. When Renji gets a cut above his nose, Ichigo, taunting Renji, says he has gotten slower. Thinking to himself it is not that he has gotten slow, but that Ichigo has gotten faster, Renji swings his Zanpakutō at Ichigo, who avoids the first two strikes, and deflects the third.

Chasing after Renji, who can only dodge, Ichigo gains control of the fight. On his knees, Renji is astonished by Ichigo's continually rising spirit power. Jumping into the air, Ichigo comes down on Renji, swinging his Zanpakutō down towards his head, but, landing on the ground, discovers the blade of his Zanpakutō has been cut off. Realizing it could not have been Renji, Ichigo, turning to Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, is confused as to how he could have done anything from the distance he is standing from himself and Renji. As he notices the severed blade of his Zanpakutō in Byakuya's hand, Byakuya, casually dropping it to the ground, slowly raises his hand to the handle of his sheathed Zanpakutō as Ichigo readies for an attack. As Byakuya appears behind Ichigo, who does not even have a chance to react, a wound appears on Ichigo, and he, falling, has no idea what just happened, not even knowing what direction he was attacked from. Appearing beside him, Byakuya attacks, stabbing through Ichigo's back and piercing through the front of his body, and quickly sheaths his sword again. When Renji claims he could have finished Ichigo off himself, Byakuya states his skills will get rusty if he just stands by and watches all the time.

When Rukia attempts to run to Ichigo's side, Renji, grabbing her by the neck, pushes her up against a pole. As Rukia tries to get him to let go, Renji, angrily claiming Ichigo is dead, explains that even touching his dead body will lengthen her sentence in prison by 20 years. Reaching out, Ichigo grabs the bottom of Byakuya's clothes. As Byakuya, without even looking down at him, tells Ichigo to let go, Ichigo tells him to look at him when he speaks. When Byakuya threatens to cut off Ichigo's arm, Rukia, running up, kicks Ichigo's hand off of him. As Ichigo, shocked when Rukia starts to willingly leave with Renji and Byakuya, asks what she is doing, she tells him to never think of coming after her to rescue her, or she will never forgive him. Deciding not to give a finishing blow, as Rukia had stated it would be a waste, Byakuya explains he shattered the soul's two fatal areas: the chain link and the soul sleep. He says Ichigo will most likely die in under an hour, but even if he lives, all his Shinigami powers will be gone. As Renji uses his Zanpakutō to open a Senkaimon, Ichigo watches helplessly in the rain as Renji, Byakuya, and finally Rukia walk through the portal. As the door shuts and fades away, Kisuke Urahara approaches.

As Ichigo thinks to himself he must finally be dying, as he was just cold and now he has no pain and is warm, he awakes to see Tessai Tsukabishi laying on top of him in a small bed on the floor. As Tessai, calling for Urahara, says Ichigo has awakened, Ichigo, pushing him out of the bed, sits up quickly, feeling a sharp pain in his left arm. His chest and shoulders are bandaged up. As Ichigo realizes he is not dead and not at his own house, Urahara, entering the room, tells Ichigo his wounds are not yet fully healed, and if he moves too much, he will die. As Ichigo realizes he is in Urahara's house and it was Urahara who saved him, Urahara informs him Uryū Ishida was also healed by him, but went home, as his wounds were not too serious. When Urahara tells him Uryū said Ichigo is their only hope in saving Rukia, Ichigo says it is impossible to save her, since she has returned to Soul Society.

Urahara informs Ichigo there is a way he can get into Soul Society and save Rukia, but in exchange, Ichigo must let Urahara train him for ten days. When an outraged Ichigo says they must get there faster or else Rukia may be killed, Urahara pushes him down with his cane to silence him for a moment. Urahara asks Ichigo if he really thinks he can defeat them. He reveals that he purposely allowed Ichigo to go fight Renji and Byakuya, believing that firsthand experience would make him realise what level his strength was at compared to full-fledged Shinigami. Urahara states that at his current strength, Ichigo will definitely die in Soul Society, and going there right now would be suicide. Urahara explains that there is a one month grace period before executions. He says it will take ten days to train and to open the gate to Soul Society, and they will have thirteen days when there. Therefore, they have enough time to help Ichigo get stronger and save Rukia. Remembering Rukia leaving through the gate, Ichigo, questioning if he really can get stronger in just ten days, agrees.

Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
The featured character is Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 2) Renji Abarai
 * 3) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 4) Uryū Ishida
 * 5) Byakuya Kuchiki
 * 6) Kisuke Urahara
 * 7) Yoruichi Shihōin
 * 8) Tessai Tsukabishi

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Renji Abarai & Byakuya Kuchiki (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Techniques used:
 * Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:
 * Zabimaru (蛇尾丸, Snake Tail)