Ichigo, complete Hollowfication!?

Ichigo, complete Hollowification!? is the one hundred twenty third episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki begins training to control his Hollowfication.

Summary
Though he survives the hit from Hiyori Sarugaki, Ichigo still gets hurt, and his inner Hollow slowly starts to take over. Urging him to go ahead and initiate Bankai, Hiyori, knowing he is afraid he will lose control and claiming not to care if he uses his Bankai or not, attacks him with her mask on again. As Ichigo gets beat up, he, wondering how Hiyori can put on the mask and retain control, tells himself he will not surrender his soul to his Hollow side. As darkness covers his eyes, his Hollow, emerging, grabs Hiyori's throat, breaking part of her mask, and starts choking her. Springing into action, the other Visored pin Ichigo to the ground in order to save her. Breaking off Ichigo's mask, Shinji Hirako tells Ichigo, who has regained control, he cannot control his inner Hollow with just his body and willpower alone. Deciding Ichigo passes, he promises to teach Ichigo how to control his Hollow. Back at the Kurosaki house, as Yuzu Kurosaki cries because of her brother's disappearance, Isshin Kurosaki tries to cheer her up. When Rukia Kuchiki gets home, she reports she was not able to find Ichigo either, and, later that night, she wonders where he went, as she cannot sense his spiritual pressure.

The next day, Ichigo "trains" on a special exercise walker while the Visored, lounging around, go about their normal lives. Annoyed that they are making him do this, he kicks the machine at Hiyori, who pulls Shinji into the path of the walker in time to take the hit. As Ichigo and Hiyori start fighting about what she is making him do, she, throwing the machine at him, tells him to paddle until he passes out. Shinji steps in to diffuse the situation by explaining the Hiyori Walker is the foundation for the training; how many days Ichigo can continue paddling decides the level of training. For Shinji to teach him how to control the Hollow, Ichigo has to do it for at least 3 days. An angry Ichigo reveals he has figured out the machine drains his spiritual power so the Visored can see what his maximum is. He thinks he can go five days on it, but there is no point to it, and he is running out of time. When Shinji says Ichigo should not be talking about time when he does not even know the Hōgyoku's awakening period, Ichigo is shocked Shinji has known for many years about the Hōgyoku, the Arrancar, and Sōsuke Aizen. As Shinji, deciding to allow Ichigo to proceed to the next step, knocks out Ichigo with a power from his hand, he tells him not to regret this.

Instructing Hachigen Ushōda to put up a barrier around the building, Shinji, opening up a passageway to an underground training area, thinks to himself Ichigo is going to become a full Hollow, so he should eat instead of be eaten. Once underground, Shinji has Hachi place a Bakudō on Ichigo and put up another barrier to contain his body. Meanwhile, Ichigo once again finds himself in his inner world facing his inner Hollow. When Ichigo asks where Zangetsu is, the Hollow, stating he is Zangetsu, pulls out a blade which mirrors Ichigo's Zanpakutō and attacks with it. With the inner fight started, Ichigo's body, beginning to transform into a Hollow, breaks through the Bakudō Hachi placed on him, and Lisa Yadōmaru enters the barrier to fight Ichigo's transforming body. In Ichigo's inner world, Hollow Ichigo, reiterating that he really is Zangetsu, says he and Zangetsu have always been one and the same, and both are Ichigo's strength. Hollow Ichigo used to be a part of Zangetsu, but as the Hollow side got stronger, it gained control, and thus Zangetsu became part of it. Thus, the more Ichigo tries to draw out Zangetsu's power, the easier it is for his Hollow side to control his soul.

Having heard this, Ichigo concludes if he defeats his Hollow side here, Zangetsu will return as the core of his power, which his inner Hollow thinks is impossible to do. As Ichigo goes into his Bankai stance, Hollow Ichigo takes on the same stance, and the two initiate Bankai at the same time.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Kon, in Hanatarō Yamada's body, tries to hide from Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. As Hanatarō runs up to Kon with his stuffed animal body, Kon asks for the body back. As Hanatarō throws the stuffed animal to him and Kon leaves the body he is currently in, both the mod soul and the stuffed animal hit Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Love Aikawa
 * 2) Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi
 * 3) Lisa Yadōmaru
 * 4) Kensei Muguruma
 * 5) Hachigen Ushōda
 * 6) Mashiro Kuna
 * 7) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 8) Hiyori Sarugaki
 * 9) Shinji Hirako
 * 10) Yuzu Kurosaki
 * 11) Karin Kurosaki
 * 12) Isshin Kurosaki
 * 13) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 14) Kon
 * 15) Hollow Ichigo

Fights
None.

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:
 * Bakudō #75 Gochūtekkan