Shinigami Vs. Shinigami! The Uncontrollable Power

 is the ninety-ninth episode of the Bleach anime.

The Bount break into the Seireitei, where 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng encounters Mabashi.

Summary
Outside the White Road Gate of the Seireiheki encircling the Seireitei, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka lies defeated on the ground as villagers from the Rukongai ready a siege engine at the gate behind him. With an announcer within the Seireitei warning the Gotei 13 to move to their defensive positions in order to stop the rioters gathered outside, Tōba stands with Jin Kariya, Gō Koga, and Sawatari as he orders the villagers to get ready, prompting them to yell and cheer in response.

At the Black Ridge Gate, Danzōmaru lies unconscious on his back while Yoshi and Mabashi oversee another group of villagers with a second siege engine preparing to open the gate as well. In the forest outside Fugai, Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, Ririn, Kurōdo, Noba, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto run frantically back to the Seireitei.

The villagers at the White Road Gate force the tip of the siege engine underneath the gate and begin raising it by pulling down on the other end. With immense effort and Tōba's encouragement, the villagers succeed in raising the gate almost completely up by fully leveraging the siege engine. After noting with delight that they did it to Kariya, who acknowledges this, Tōba instructs the villagers to riot as they please within the Seireitei, and as the horde of villagers rushes toward the gate, several Shinigami step into view and assume battle stances, which causes the startled villagers to stop in their tracks as they are told that they will not pass this point.

When the Shinigami demand to know who the Ryoka are, Kariya, Koga, and Sawatari walk forward through the crowd, which parts to accommodate them, and approach the edge of the gate boundary while the unnerved Shinigami refuse to let them in. Upon reaching the boundary, Kariya stops and stands still as he looks over the Shinigami, who draw their Zanpakutō and rush forward to attack him. In response, Kariya unleashes a powerful wave of wind with his Doll, Messer, that slams into the Shinigami, bending their Zanpakutō and sending them flying several meters back, where they all fall on the ground and lie incapacitated while Tōba praises this technique.

However, Kariya simply responds by thanking the villagers for their work, confusing Tōba, before revealing that this is where they part ways. Though Tōba believe this is some kind of joke since the villagers were planning to invade, Kariya reiterates that their role in this is over, and when an angered Tōba asserts that they were going to crush the Seireitei together, Kariya informs him that the villagers were just pawns and a means to open the two gates, since the Seireiheki is impossible to destroy or pass through using Reiryoku due to the power-nullifying properties of Sekkiseki. Tōba accuses Kariya of using them, but Kariya clarifies that they are simply no longer of use now.

With Kariya detailing how this fight belongs to the Bount alone from now on and observing that the villagers will just be in the way if they hang around, the villagers refuse to accept this and a defiant Tōba draws a dagger from his waist as he rushes toward Kariya alongside them, prompting Kariya to remind them that they are in the way and unleash another powerful gust of wind from his outstretched hand that blows the villagers back into the Rukongai and briefly creates a cyclone, dispersing them in its wake. In the aftermath, Kariya walks away from the still-open gate with Koga and Sawatari into the Seireitei while Ichigo and his friends run up to Jidanbō.

As Renji realizes that the gate is open and Uryū wonders what the siege engine is, Ichigo angrily calls out to Kariya, who turns around and blasts the siege engine with a gale of wind powerful enough to dismantle its pieces and cause it to collapse, leaving the gate to fall back down between the group and the Bount while Hitsugaya curses at having allowed the Bount to escape. On the other side of the gate, Sawatari criticizes the group as being pathetic for Shinigami, only for Kariya to warn him that the real fight is about to begin and to not underestimate the captains. Revealing that he tasked Yoshi and Mabashi with creating distractions, Kariya tells Koga and Sawatari to crush the captains.

When asked by Koga about what he will be doing, Kariya asserts that their ultimate goal is to instantaneously destroy the Seireitei, since they deserve to have judgement passed upon them for trying to destroy the Bount they created, and that they need something in order to achieve this which he will be retrieving. Koga is surprised that there is something with that much destructive power within Soul Society, and as Kariya affirms that there is, Sawatari inquires about where it is located, leading Kariya to inform them that it is in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. After promising Koga he will know what it is soon, Kariya concludes that their final meeting place is Sōkyoku Hill.

With Koga and Sawatari remaining silent, Kariya questions if something is wrong and instructs them to say what is on their minds, but Koga merely wishes him luck, which prompts a stoic Kariya to leave as he tells them to go. Back outside the Seireiheki, Orihime uses Sōten Kisshun to heal the large gash in Jidanbō's right shoulder and urges the latter to wake up. With considerable effort, Jidanbō opens his eyes and sits up, to Orihime's relief, before recognizing her and her friends while Orihime comments on how it has been some time since they last met. Observing that Orihime has saved him again, Jidanbō assures her that his wound no longer hurts and is not serious.

Renji runs up to the group with Hitsugaya and Rangiku, where he explains that it will take time for the Gotei 13 to open the gate from within, and in turn, Ichigo requests that Jidanbō open the gate despite his injuries, which Jidanbō gladly accepts. Though Jidanbō manages to raise the gate enough for the group to pass under, when a grateful Ichigo and his friends attempt to run through, Jidanbō stumbles and slightly drops the gate, to their concern. As Jidanbō claims that he is fine and urges them to go, Uryū observes that his wounds have reopened and Ichigo declares that they have to honor Jidanbō's efforts to keep the gate open despite his injuries by hurrying.

However, after her friends run through the gate, Orihime stays behind next to Jidanbō, and when Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Orihime insists on staying behind so she can heal Jidanbō before tossing an admiring Kurōdo under the gate to the group despite his protests. Assuring Ichigo that she will be alright and can handle this, Orihime tells Jidanbō that he can let go of the gate now, which he thanks her for as he lets the gate fall to the ground. With Orihime waving goodbye to Ichigo as he asks her to take care of Jidanbō, Kurōdo attempts and fails to run under the gate before it hits the ground and is despondent over Orihime's decision to leave him in the Seireitei.

In response to this, Ichigo tells Kurōdo to take Orihime's feelings into consideration since she chose to stay behind and reminds him that Orihime left him with the rest of the group for a reason as he turns to Ririn and asks her about the Reiatsu of the Bount. Though Ririn admits that she cannot sense any right now and theorizes that the Bount are hiding it, Ichigo asserts that the Bount will not be able to suppress their Reiatsu forever because they came to the Seireitei with a goal. With Ichigo concluding that the Mod-Souls are the ones who can best detect the Bount and are being counted on by him and the others, Kurōdo acknowledges this and launches into a speech about trusting Orihime.

Hitsugaya orders the group to split up and search for the Bount, leading Ichigo and his friends to run off in different directions. Suddenly, before Hitsugaya and Rangiku can follow suit, a Jigokuchō approaches them and flutters onto Rangiku's index finger, where it relays an order for Hitsugaya to assemble with the other captains for a meeting. Elsewhere in the Seireitei, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng stands before several Keigun as one relays the same message to her from another Jigokuchō. Irritated by the order coming at such an inconvenient time, Suì-Fēng instructs the Keigun to continue dispatching to the assigned areas.

After elaborating that the Keigun are to continue searching until they find the Bount, at which point they are to contact other groups and wait for help instead of immediately engaging, Suì-Fēng departs with Shunpo following the Keigun doing the same. In a different part of the Seireitei, Ichigo runs down a street with Ririn on his shoulder and urges the latter to keep searching even though she is not sensing anything. When Ririn comments on him being worked up about finding Kariya, Ichigo questions what is wrong with this, only for Ririn to claim that her sensors do not work properly when someone emotional is near her, which Ichigo is startled by.

Meanwhile, Sado runs down a different street with Noba, who states that he is not detecting anything yet, and Renji responds to Kurōdo's complaints about him running much more roughly than Orihime does by telling him to shut up as he sprints down another street with Kurōdo slung over his shoulder. Simultaneously, the Keigun running through the streets stop upon finding themselves confronted by a smirking Mabashi, who identifies them as they demand to know if he is a Ryoka. Declining to answer this, Mabashi brings up how he heard that the Keigun are strong, and when they assume combat stances in response to him partially unzipping his shirt, Mabashi notes that they want to fight.

Upon being summoned by Mabashi and told to proceed, his Doll, Ritz, acknowledges this and creates multiple copies of herself that begin flying around the Keigun, distracting them, while Mabashi rushes forward and slams his open palms into one of the Keigun to send him flying prior to bashing his elbow into the head of another Keigun and knocking him back with an uppercut. After hitting a third Keigun with a running punch that knocks him unconscious, Mabashi sticks his tongue out at the remaining Keigun and runs past the unconscious one around the corner of the intersection he is lying in, prompting the other Keigun to pursue him.

Meanwhile, in the meeting room in the First Division barracks, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stands before the assembled captains and inquires about the whereabouts of 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, which leads 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku to explain that he is sleeping due to his recurring illness leaving him feeling unwell. When Yamamoto turns to her about the status of the Keigun, Suì-Fēng informs him that she has already placed several groups throughout the Seireitei, which Yamamoto praises her for the efficiency and quick response time of as 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi wonders what Hitsugaya has done by comparison.

With Hitsugaya startled by this, Mayuri criticizes him for failing to prevent the Bount from infiltrating the Seireitei despite being assigned to lead the task force with orders to annihilate them, but Hitsugaya simply accepts that it is all his fault and that he has no excuse for this, though Shunsui assures him that it is not worth agonizing over the Bount infiltrating the Seireitei when they need to be planning out what to do next. 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura requests that 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki inform the other captains of everything he knows about Kariya, whom he fought and whom Komamura had heard is the leader of the Bount.

In response, Byakuya reveals that Kariya can control wind, to Suì-Fēng's surprise, and that his additional ability to control Reishi gives him a powerful regenerative ability, only for Mayuri to insist that they focus on questioning Hitsugaya's responsibility instead of changing the subject. However, Shunsui mentions that he heard a Quincy tool held by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute is what allowed the Bount to enter Soul Society and that it was given to them in a setup, which he takes as evidence of Mayuri's preference to ignore his own shortcomings as he sternly reprimands Mayuri for not considering the feelings of other people.

Claiming that he is also irritated right now and knows how to take responsibility, Mayuri demands to know where Shunsui heard about this, though Shunsui merely says that he has sharp ears. After interrupting the conversation by slamming the tip of his cane into the floor, Yamamoto reprimands the captains for quarreling at a time like this and orders them to have their divisions spread out across the Seireitei and destroy the Bount on sight. Yamamoto further instructs them to act independently so the Ryoka can be dealt with as soon as possible and relieves Hitsugaya of his temporary commander duties, shocking the latter, and concludes by asking for quick and immediate reports from them.

Soon afterward, Mayuri stands in his laboratory with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, who inquires if he will be going out in person. As he affirms this, Mayuri laments the time wasted on the captains meeting and warns the Bount that this is not over before sheathing his Zanpakutō and leaving Nemu in charge with orders to do what needs to be done. Meanwhile, Kurōdo yells in shock and informs a still-running Renji that he can sense a Bount, but when Renji asks him where it is, Kurōdo suddenly asserts that it disappeared, leading an unimpressed Renji to stop and question if Kurōdo is just saying things, with an offended Kurōdo countering that he was positive about this.

With Renji angered by the Bount being so sneaky, Kurōdo points out that guerrilla warfare is the most effective strategy when fighting an army with only a few people and admits that the Bount are making an intelligent choice, prompting Renji to demand to know what the point of praising them is. Apologizing for this, Kurōdo tells Renji to head around the right corner in front of them in order to reach the area where he sensed the Bount presence, and as Renji runs off, Ririn complains about the Bount presence appearing and disappearing like the flickering beam of an old flashlight prior to insisting that she is allowed to be emotional when Ichigo comments on her telling him to calm down earlier.

While Ichigo expresses exasperation at Ririn's hypocrisy, Noba also detects a Bount presence appearing and disappearing, which he relays to Sado. Elsewhere, several Shinigami run down a street and stop in shock upon seeing Mabashi sitting against the wall on their right. When the Shinigami assume combat stances and demand to know if he is a Ryoka, Mabashi gets up while wondering why they are wearing such fierce expressions, and as the Shinigami draw their Zanpakutō, Mabashi calls out to the multiple copies of Ritz, who narrow their heads into tendrils and jab their bodies into those of the Shinigami, causing them to collapse in pain and lose consciousness, before leaving alongside Mabashi.

In a different part of the Seireitei, Sawatari senses Mabashi's actions and decides to make his move as well, but does not notice Mayuri having concealed himself with Nisehada on the archway behind him. In the Second Division barracks, a Keigun reports the encounters of the second and third groups with the Ryoka to Suì-Fēng, who is annoyed to learn that the result of the encounters is unknown due to the complicated information and orders the Keigun to have all the groups gather in the northern streets of the Seireitei, where she will join them shortly. Some time later, Mabashi crouches in the shade of an alleyway and chuckles as the Keigun run through the street nearby.

After the Keigun groups gather before her, Suì-Fēng instructs the second and third groups to deliver their report, which leads a Keigun from the second group to reveal that the Ryoka they encountered escape as another Keigun from the third group informs Suì-Fēng that they were unable to apprehend the Ryoka they encountered at the fifth western street. In response, Suì-Fēng angrily berates them for rendering the high alert that the Gotei 13 has been placed on pointless by not performing their Onmitsukidō duties properly. Hearing this, a grinning Mabashi tells Ritz that it is time to act as Suì-Fēng orders the first and second groups to spread out along the western streets.

After instructing the third and fourth groups to make a detour eastward and head for the main road, which the Keigun acknowledge, Suì-Fēng turns around and begins to walk away, but suddenly finds a Bitto lodged in the back of her left shoulder when Mabashi has Ritz make one of the Keigun throw it, shocking her and the other Keigun. With the Keigun restraining the feral attacker, who quickly falls limp, a weakened Suì-Fēng falls to her knees in pain and wonders what he did.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Standing in a street full of fire, 11th Division Lieutenant Ikkaku Madarame expresses frustration at being unable to find the Ryoka after not making any appearances for a long time and laments how he is going to be burned to death in the scorching flames before running off while promising to hunt down and confront the Ryoka. However, in the real world, a sleeping Ikkaku complains about the heat on his smoking forehead while 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi holds a large mirror over him and reflects the sunlight onto his scalp.

Events

 * The Seireitei Siege (concluded)
 * Suì-Fēng vs. Mabashi

Powers and Techniques used
Hohō Techniques:

Other Techniques:

Dolls summoned:

Other powers: