Hitsugaya, Karin and Soccer Ball

 is the one hundred and thirty-second episode of the Bleach anime.

Karin Kurosaki tries to get 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya to help her win an upcoming soccer match.

Summary
On a riverbank near a bridge in Karakura Town, Karin Kurosaki walks along the path behind four other people with a soccer ball held in a net bag in her hand and solemnly recalls seeing her brother, Ichigo Kurosaki, enter his Shinigami form and refuse to answer her questions as she ruminates on him doing something similar to when he saved her from Fishbone D before angrily kicking her soccer ball, which slips out of the net bag and down the side of the bank toward the road below.

Startled and worried by this, Karin hops over the nearby railing of the stairs embedded into the hill and runs down to the street, where she sees the ball roll across the road prior to 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who is in his Gigai, stopping it with his foot and kicking it up into his hand. With Karin staring at him in astonishment, Hitsugaya inquires if the soccer ball belongs to her, and when she confirms this, Hitsugaya warns her to be more careful and kicks the ball over to Karin, who catches it and looks up to see that Hitsugaya has vanished from the street, to her further confusion.

Some time later, Karin and her friends watch with irritation while a group of middle school students play soccer on the local sports field. When Ryohei Toba politely tells them that it is his group's turn to use the field, the students stop in confusion and one of them questions who they are, prompting Kazuya Usaka to assert that they have reserved this time slot. However, the student calls them a group of brats and suggests that they use the empty area on the side since he and his friends are currently using the field, but an annoyed Karin refuses to do so and demands that he follow the rules because it is their time to use it.

Though the student claims that Karin's group does not even need a field and that he and his friends do not get much time to use it because they reserve it, Karin angrily refutes this, to the student's surprise, and declares that they have soccer practice as well, which Ryohei and Heita Toujoin affirm. Suddenly, the other middle school students join their friend and admonish Karin's group for having such nerve despite being kids as they loom over Ryohei, Heita, Kazuya, and Kei Uehara, who cower behind Karin in fear of this confrontation. Despite this, an unperturbed Karin dismisses their age as irrelevant and reiterates that the rules must be followed.

With Karin's friends further frightened by her refusal to back down, one of the other students proclaims that an empty lot should be good enough for a group of children and that they are not even serious about soccer practice, only for Karin to counter that they are much more serious about it than the middle school students are. Later that day, with the sun beginning to set, the two groups continue arguing, with one of the middle school students claiming that poor players should not even bother making reservations, and when Karin wonders if they are really better than she and her friends are, the outraged student is pulled back by his friend.

The other student suggests that they play a game of soccer in order to prove which group is more skilled at the game. Though her friends are uncertain about the suddenness of this, Karin agrees to the student's terms, to their astonishment, and the student declares that they will play here next Saturday evening while his friend promises to make Karin and her friends eat spaghetti through their noses if they lose, which leads an unfazed Karin to instruct them to not back out either. Afterwards, Karin and her friends walk along the riverbank and discuss the situation, with Karin stubbornly insisting that they just have to win despite her friends' concerns.

With Ryohei pointing out that this is assuming that they can win, Heita declares that they just need to show some spirit, but Kazuya questions if showing spirit is enough, prompting Heita to admit that they need to come up with some sort of strategy. While Karin keeps walking forward, Kei stops and realizes that they can ask Ichigo to help them since he seems to be good at sports, leaving Karin startled as an excited Heita elaborates that it should be fine to receive help from a high school student because their opponents are middle school students, only for Karin to recall Ichigo's actions and tell her friends that he is on a trip right now.

After her friends express disappointment at this, Karin apologetically promises to find someone else who is good at soccer and asserts that there must be someone when Ryohei wonders who this could be. Moments later, Karin and her friends walk along a path beneath a bridge, where Karin sees Hitsugaya sitting on a railing in the distance and recognizes him as the one she encountered this morning prior to running over to Hitsugaya, leaving her confused friends behind. Looking up at a smiling Karin in surprise when she approaches him, Hitsugaya confirms that he is the one who picked up her soccer ball this morning and tells her she is welcome when she thanks him.

Hitsugaya begins nonchalantly typing on his Denreishinki, but when Karin inquires about what school he goes to, an irritated Hitsugaya denies going to school and demands that she go away due to him being busy. Undaunted by this, Karin notes that Hitsugaya can play soccer, though Hitsugaya declines to comment, and invites him to join the soccer match with her and her friends, who approach them and express shock at this. Pulling Karin away from Hitsugaya, Ryohei shuts down her protests and points to Hitsugaya's silver hair and fierce expression as indicating that he is a delinquent who probably artificially colors his hair.

With Kazuya begging Karin to not bring someone like this onto their team, Kei questions if someone as small as Hitsugaya can really play soccer, which leads an outraged Hitsugaya to demand to know who he is calling a midget. Despite Karin assuring him that they did not go this far, Hitsugaya closes his Denreishinki and begins walking away in a huff. When Hitsugaya fails to respond to her telling him to wait, a grinning Karin decides to go a different route and takes out her soccer ball to kick at Hitsugaya's back, to the shock of her friends, before an alerted Hitsugaya leaps up and flips over to kick the ball back down at Karin.

As the soccer ball whizzes past her head and smacks into Kei's face, causing him to collapse once it stops spinning, the others look over at Hitsugaya, who casually dusts off his pant leg, and an unnerved Karin cheers him on while a surprised Hitsugaya finds her friends effusively praising his skill. Once Hitsugaya introduces himself, Heita calls his name cool and Kazuya asks him if he colors his hair as Kei tells him that his hairstyle is cool and Ryohei asserts that he is their only hope. Before Hitsugaya can turn them down again, he hears his Denreishinki beeping and flips it open to see a Hollow marker on its screen.

Though he observes that it is just an ordinary Hollow, Hitsugaya notices Karin sensing the Hollow's presence as well and commenting on the strange sensation prior to realizing that he is the only one nearby and running off while claiming that he has urgent business and cannot help Karin and her friends, which leads Kazuya to inform him that they will be practicing every day at the park on the hill and request that he come tomorrow while Karin stares after him. The next day, Karin and her friends stand in the park that Shōta Toyokawa first encountered the Cloning Arrancar in, where Ryohei notes that they cannot practice much here.

Kazuya states that Hitsugaya did not come after all and Heita admits that he believed they had gained a strong ally as Kei observes that they should practice eating spaghetti through their noses, causing them and Ryohei to sigh in resignation prior to Karin kicking the soccer ball into Ryohei's hands, announcing that she is going to go look for Hitsugaya, and running off with instructions for them to keep practicing while she is gone. Later that day, with the sun beginning to set, Karin runs back to the path where she and her friends encountered Hitsugaya before and is pleased to see him sitting on the same railing once again, which she knew he would be.

After a panting Karin reaches him and pauses to catch her breath, Hitsugaya comments on her coming to him again as Karin demands to know why he did not come to practice today. In response, Hitsugaya reminds her that he never promised to help her and asserts that he is busy, and when Karin questions what he could be so busy with as a grade schooler, Hitsugaya tells her to shut up. Upon being asked by Karin about why he comes here and if he lives nearby, Hitsugaya notes that he does not live nearby and pauses prior to admitting that he comes to this trail because he can see the setting sun best from this part of Karakura Town, which he looks over.

With Hitsugaya recalling eating watermelon and watching the sunset with Momo Hinamori while she was in the Shin'ō Academy, where she vowed to only begin calling him by his last name when he joined the Gotei 13 as well and Hitsugaya refused to do such a thing, Karin picks up on his mention of the sight bringing back memories and wonders how old he is. Claiming that this does not concern Karin, Hitsugaya hears another Hollow alert from his Denreishinki and attempts to run off, but Karin swiftly grabs his arm to stop him and warns him against leaving since she can sense something bad in the direction that he was headed.

Upon realizing that Karin might be spiritually aware, Hitsugaya sees on his Denreishinki that someone else purified the Hollow and denies there being a problem when Karin inquires about it prior to giving a noncommittal answer upon being asked by Karin if he is going to come to practice tomorrow. The following day, Hitsugaya watches from a nearby rooftop as Karin and her friends practice with the soccer ball before his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, pops up next to him in her Gigai and wonders if he is stalking someone. When Hitsugaya denies this and clarifies that he is curious about something, Rangiku sees Karin down below.

An astonished Rangiku assumes that Hitsugaya is interested in a girl from the Human World, and though an annoyed Hitsugaya reiterates that this is not the case, Rangiku slyly assures him that he does not need to be bashful, prompting Hitsugaya to get up and walk away while a protesting Rangiku sees Karin and her friends run off and leaves as well. That Saturday, Karin and her friends huddle on the soccer field opposite from the middle school students, where Ryohei notes that Hitsugaya never came to practice after all, Heita observes that none of them could get anyone to help out either, and Kei worries that they should have practiced eating spaghetti through their noses.

With Kazuya suggesting that they simply apologize, Karin tells them all to shut up since they have to do this now that they cave come this far before forcing them to raise their fists and cheer despite their dejection. Shortly afterward, the match between the two teams begins as Karin maneuvers the soccer ball between one of the students' legs and dodges a second while kicking it down the field. When she sees the student who challenged her to the match smiling and keeping pace with her, Karin startles him by increasing her speed and running ahead, to the praise of her friends. However, before Karin can reach the goal, the student slides into her legs.

The force of this collision pushes the ball away and causes Karin to flip over onto her back as the referee blows his whistle to pause the match. Seeing Karin clutching her bruised right knee, Ryohei and Toba express concern for her and curse at the student, who snidely inquires about whether they are finished already. Despite this, Karin refuses to give up and claims that her injury is negligible prior to standing up and telling her friends to resume, though she winces in pain upon putting pressure on her knee. Moments later, the lead student kicks the soccer ball into the net guarded by Kei, who fails to intercept it and falls to the ground.

After the middle school students score three more points, Heita comments on how fierce they are and Kazuya asserts that they will win at this rate, only for a fatigued Karin to question why they are suddenly getting timid. When Ryohei brings up her knee, Karin attempts to prove that she is alright by stomping her right foot on the ground, but is left in tears by the resulting pain even as she continues to claim that she is alright. With Heita irritating Karin by observing that it may be no good, Kei draws their attention to the nearby path, where Karin and her friends are delighted to see Hitsugaya slowly walking toward them.

Once she calls for a time out, Karin admonishes Hitsugaya for being late, and as Hitsugaya reminds her that he did not make any promises, the middle school students join them and wonder who Hitsugaya is, leading Karin to face them and declare that this is where she and her friends are going to make their counterattack while the lead student is bemused by them getting someone to help. Though Karin and her friends being reinvigorated by the idea of turning the tables prompts him to try and clarify that he did not come here to play soccer, a startled Hitsugaya sees the bruise on Karin's knee and asks her if she is hurt.

Despite Karin assuring him that this is nothing, Hitsugaya pauses for several seconds and concludes that they just have to win, to Karin's approval, prior to tagging out Kazuya to join the game in his place. After the game resumes and Heita kicks the soccer ball to her, Karin begins running down the field with it, but the lead student runs up to her and refuses to let her pull this off by pushing her out of the way and taking the soccer ball for himself. Suddenly, Hitsugaya runs perpendicular to the gloating student and takes the soccer ball back from him, leaving the shocked student to fall flat on his face as Hitsugaya glares down at him.

Seeing two of the other students running toward him, Hitsugaya evades the slide of the first one and maneuvers around the charge of the second before dodging the third student attempting to intercept him and kicking the soccer ball at the goalie with enough force to send him crashing back into the goal when he attempts to catch it. Overjoyed by Hitsugaya pulling this off, Karin and her friends continue cheering him on as Hitsugaya continues scoring points and evens the score between the two teams, with the middle school students aghast at and exhausted by his prowess. On the fifth point, Hitsugaya easily outmaneuvers all the students in his path.

When Karin joins him in running toward the goal and encourages him to score the fifth point, Hitsugaya instead passes the ball to her and asserts that she should do it since this is her team. In response, Karin resolves to do this and approaches the goalie before whipping her leg horizontally through the air to kick the soccer ball directly into the goal, with the goalie unable to intercept it, and the referee ends the match by blowing his whistle. As the lead student collapses before his friends in despair, Ryohei, Kei, Heita, and Kazuya celebrate their victory, which Karin smiles at before walking over to Hitsugaya and thanking him.

In turn, Hitsugaya points out that she is the one who scored the winning goal and states that he has something to ask her, to Karin's confusion. However, before Hitsugaya can elaborate, he and Karin see a Kūmon forming and growing in the sky above while making a ripping noise, which Karin recognizes from when the Menos Grande invaded Karakura Town as Hitsugaya sees a larger marker on his Denreishinki and deduces that it is indicating a Huge Hollow or possibly even a Menos Grande, the former of which pulls itself out of the Kūmon and reaches toward Karin right before Hitsugaya pushes her out of the way at the last second.

Upon seeing her friends lying on the field after the Huge Hollow crashes into the ground with enough force to crater it, Karin calls out to them in concern, only for Hitsugaya to warn her against running over to them, which leads her to realize that he can see the Huge Hollow too. Promising to explain later, Hitsugaya tells Karin to run to safety for now, but Karin refuses to stand by while this happens to her friends and infuses the soccer ball with her Reiryoku to kick it at the Huge Hollow with Karin-Style Death Shoot. When the soccer ball bounces off the Huge Hollow without harming it, Karin is left shocked.

Suddenly, the Huge Hollow brings its fist down onto Karin, and when the dust clears, an unharmed Karin sees Hitsugaya holding back the massive fist with his Zanpakutō, having exited his Gigai to enter his Shinigami form. With Karin recognizing the black shihakushō beneath his haori as the same one that Ichigo was wearing and deducing that he is a Shinigami as well, Hitsugaya releases his Shikai, Hyōrinmaru, and initiates Tensō Jūrin to cover the sky with dark clouds as he throws the crescent moon-terminating chain of Hyōrinmaru at the left arm of the Huge Hollow, causing ice to encase and freeze it past the elbow upon contact.

After breaking off the frozen arm of the Huge Hollow, who falls to his knees and roars in pain, Hitsugaya observes that he does not stand a chance since they are in the Human World while rain begins falling around them, and when the Huge Hollow begins charging a Cero in his mouth, Hitsugaya leaps into the air and criticizes him for being too slow prior to slicing him into two vertically through his head, causing the two halves to freeze and shatter before a stunned Karin's eyes. Once the clouds dissipate, Hitsugaya walks up to Karin and extends his hand as he asks her if she is alright, which she confirms.

Upon learning that her friends are alright and are just dazed, Karin gets to her feet and brings up Hitsugaya's uniform, which prompts him to admit that he never thought she could see him in his spiritual form despite her strong Reiryoku. Karin grabs Hitsugaya by the shoulders and frantically inquires about whether he knows where her brother is since he is also a Shinigami, and when Hitsugaya questions how he knows about Shinigami, Karin reveals that her brother is Ichigo, leading an astounded Hitsugaya to note that this makes sense and solemnly admit that he does not know where Ichigo is, to a tearful Karin's disappointment.

However, Hitsugaya assures Karin that Ichigo is trying to become stronger just like she is and will never give up until the very end, since this is the kind of person he is, prior to concluding Karin should not worry because Ichigo is her brother. In response, a smiling Karin wipes the tears from her eyes and affirms this as Rangiku calls out to Hitsugaya and runs over to them in her Shinigami form. With Hitsugaya confirming Rangiku is also a Shinigami and is his subordinate, to Karin's amusement, Rangiku apologizes for being late and expresses confusion at Karin's presence, only to be surprised as well when Hitsugaya informs her that Karin is Ichigo's sister.

After Rangiku identifies herself as Hitsugaya's lieutenant, Karin is amazed at Hitsugaya actually being a captain even though he is a grade schooler and pats his head, leaving Hitsugaya incensed at being mistaken for a child. With Rangiku laughing hysterically at this behind her, a perplexed Karin is loudly lectured by Hitsugaya for repeatedly mistaking him for a grade schooler over and over.

Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
In the Study Chamber underneath the Visored warehouse, Hiyori Sarugaki announces that they are having okonomiyaki for dinner tonight and that it will all be gone if they do not hurry, prompting the other Visored to eagerly gather around the grill. When Ichigo Kurosaki reluctantly joins them and sighs, Shinji Hirako questions what is wrong and if Ichigo is not going to eat, which leads Ichigo to explain that he wanted rice today. However, Hiyori reveals that she already made plenty of rice, and when Ichigo wonders why since they are having okonomiyaki, Shinji reveals that one is supposed to eat okonomiyaki with rice. Despite Ichigo pointing out how this is a carbohydrate with a carbohydrate, the Visored declare that it is an essential food, to his surprise.

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:

Hollow Techniques:

Other Techniques:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai: