The Avengers

 is the forty-seventh episode of the Bleach anime.

As Ichigo Kurosaki continues his Bankai Training, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori confronts 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya over the contents of the letter left by her captain, Sōsuke Aizen.

Summary
After knocking out the guard outside her cell with Hakufuku, 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori breaks out and runs through the streets of the Seireitei while recalling the contents of the letter that her captain, Sōsuke Aizen, left to her, which she admits that she could not believe at first before tearfully asserting that she now believes Aizen's account of who killed him. In the past, a young and impoverished Rangiku Matsumoto lies on the ground.

Walking up to Rangiku, a young Gin Ichimaru offers her a dried persimmon and tells her to eat it because she must also have Reiryoku if she can lose consciousness from hunger. When Rangiku picks up on his language, Gin reveals that he has Reiryoku as well and introduces himself, prompting Rangiku to comment on how strange his name is. In the present, Rangiku wakes up on a couch in the office of her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and as the latter comments on her being awake, Rangiku questions what he is doing in her room, to Hitsugaya's irritation.

Hitsugaya points out that the office is not Rangiku's room and instructs her to take over the paperwork if she is awake since he is exhausted. As she walks up to his desk, Rangiku observes that this is Hitsugaya's fault for taking on all the paperwork for the Fifth Division, only for an exasperated Hitsugaya to hand a short stack of papers to Rangiku and order her to finish up. However, Rangiku is startled by how little paperwork is left compared to when she last saw the stack and observes that she has been asleep for a while as Hitsugaya drinks some water. Upon hearing this, a somber Hitsugaya tells her to forget about it and acknowledges that it must be rough to see Gin and Hinamori fighting.

As she picks up on Hitsugaya referring to Gin as her classmate, Rangiku asks Hitsugaya if he believes Gin killed Aizen. Suddenly, 10th Division 7th Seat Kōkichirō Takezoe announces his presence from outside the door to the office, and after Hitsugaya tells him to come in, Kōkichirō slides open the door and reveals that Hinamori, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira have all vanished from their cells, shocking Hitsugaya and Rangiku. Shortly afterward, Hitsugaya and Rangiku stand outside Hinamori's cell, where the guard kneels before them and apologizes while recounting how he saw a bright white light and woke up later after Hinamori addressed him.

Identifying this as the effect of Hakufuku, Hitsugaya notes that Hinamori is a master of Kidō and that they should have sealed her Reiatsu if they truly intended to restrain her, but concludes that this was not done because no one expected her to go this far as they stand next to the large hole blasted in the cell bars and back wall. When Rangiku questions why she would do this despite not being under a death sentence, Hitsugaya asserts that there is only one reason and orders Rangiku to go back to the barracks without him before declaring his intention to save Hinamori. Soon afterward, Hitsugaya runs along a walkway outside and urges Hinamori to not do anything rash.

Meanwhile, within the Study Chamber inside Sōkyoku Hill, Ichigo Kurosaki is sent skidding back across the ground as half the blade of the sword he is wielding is severed and embeds itself in the ground nearby. Watching from above while channeling her Reiryoku into two bands of rope in her hand, Yoruichi Shihōin observes that Ichigo is now maintaining his stance even after his sword breaks and mentally tells him to hurry with the time limit approaching. As Zangetsu states that this makes fifty-one broken swords, Ichigo tosses away his broken sword and pulls a serrated one out of a nearby rock, which he assumes a battle stance with.

After proclaiming that he will succeed this time, Ichigo rushes at Zangetsu, and when the latter slashes at him sideways with his own hooked sword, Ichigo initially blocks it perpendicularly with the jagged sword before angling his blade away and ducking, allowing a surprised Zangetsu's sword to travel over his head. With Ichigo stabbing the serrated sword at him, Zangetsu leaps into the air above, leaving Ichigo to destroy a rock behind him, and throws the hooked sword downward, breaking the serrated sword in two on impact. While Ichigo stares in shock at the blade portion flying into the air, Zangetsu lands and backhands him, sending Ichigo flying into a giant rock.

As Ichigo falls out of the crater he left in the rock, Zangetsu admonishes him for taking his eyes off the enemy and updates the broken sword count to fifty-two. With Ichigo cursing and noting that he almost had Zangetsu while wiping dirt off his chin, Yoruichi mentally details how he adjusted to Zangetsu's speed and deflect his blade at the moment of impact before instantaneously shifting to a counterattack, which leads her to conclude that he is no longer relying on the power of Zangetsu alone. Watching Ichigo pull a cleaver-like sword out of the rock next to him and assume a battle stance, Yoruichi admits that Kisuke Urahara was right about his growth rate and speed.

In the Urahara Shop within the Human World, Urahara suddenly sneezes while inspecting his inventory, and when Tessai Tsukabishi inquires if he has caught a cold, Urahara claims that a pretty woman must be talking about him instead. After expressing disappointment in this cliched idea, to Urahara's confusion, Tessai proclaims that this will never do and suggests a remedy he uses for colds. Though Urahara is intimidated by the idea of using one of his remedies, Tessai holds out a glass of water and a box of medication, which Urahara realizes expired two years ago, before forcing him to take one of the tablets while asserting that they are nicely aged.

Back in the Study Chamber in Soul Society, Ichigo clashes twice with Zangetsu, who pushes him back, and mentally asserts that he has to save Rukia Kuchiki. Elsewhere in the Seireitei, Hinamori hides from three passing Shinigami in the branches of a tree and sheds a single tear as she recalls Aizen's letter questioning why Rukia's execution date keeps being changed and the use of the Sōkyoku for her execution before revealing that he came across the truth in his investigation, which he wants Hinamori to know of in his place. Shortly afterward, Ichigo continues to clash against Zangetsu in the Study Chamber with a scimitar-like sword as Yoruichi watches from above.

With Ichigo and Zangetsu crossing blades several more times and being pushed apart by the resulting force of the last clash, a sweating Yoruichi observes that Ichigo has been fighting for over five minutes with the same sword, but admits that the day's training is almost over. After clashing further, Ichigo and Zangetsu run toward each other, only for Ichigo to stop in astonishment upon seeing Zangetsu's sword fly into the air as the latter turns back into the Tenshintai, which falls over. As Ichigo expresses his bewilderment, Yoruichi lands on the ground behind him and tells him to lay down his sword because the first day of training has concluded.

Meanwhile, a guard leads Hitsugaya to Izuru's empty cell, where he realizes something upon inspecting the damaged interior. Back in the Study Chamber, a naked Ichigo relaxes in a hot spring and notes that the training room has messed with his sense of time since he could not tell that it was nighttime already. However, as he splashes water on his face, Ichigo is stunned to find the cut on his right cheek rapidly healing upon making contact with the hot spring water and begins covering the rest of his upper body with the water while marveling at its healing properties. Wondering if the water would heal internal injuries if he drank it, Ichigo pours some of the water into his mouth.

Upon being asked by Yoruichi how the water is, Ichigo mumbles that it is great, only to suddenly spit the water out in shock when Yoruichi decides to join him and begins removing her pants. When Ichigo demands to know what she is doing, a chuckling Yoruichi questions what is wrong, prompting Ichigo to assert that plenty of things are wrong in this situation and inquire why she takes her pants off first. After teasing Ichigo for always reacting just as she expects him to due to his naivety, to his irritation, Yoruichi enters the hot spring despite Ichigo's protests, only for him to find that she has transformed into her cat form after he peeks between his fingers.

With Yoruichi asking him if he is disappointed, an embarrassed Ichigo threatens to drown her. As the two of them rest, Ichigo brings up how similar the Study Chamber inside Sōkyoku Hill looks to the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara Shop. Affirming this as a logical observation, Yoruichi reveals that the Study Chamber underneath the Urahara shop was modeled after this one, to Ichigo's surprise, and details how she and Urahara secretly built this one as a playground when they were children, leaving Ichigo incredulous at the idea of them building such a large space secretly. Clarifying that this is an old story, Yoruichi elaborates that they played here almost every day as children.

Yoruichi casually mentions that she and Urahara trained here as well after he joined the Gotei 13 and she joined the Onmitsukidō, and when a shocked Ichigo attempts to follow up on this, he finds Yoruichi back in her normal form sitting on the edge of the hot spring with her legs spread out, causing him to fall backward while blushing furiously and demanding that she not sit like this. While Yoruichi chuckles at getting the same reaction once more, Ichigo insists that she tell him more about Urahara and averts his gaze as he questions if the latter was really a Shinigami. As Yoruichi confirms this, Ichigo admits that he thought it was weird how Urahara knew so much about Soul Society.

After bringing up Urahara possessing a Zanpakutō in addition to this, Ichigo requests that Yoruichi tell him who Urahara really is, leading Yoruichi to reveal that he is the former captain of the Twelfth Division, as well as the founder and first President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, astonishing Ichigo with his importance and prestige. Meanwhile, in the Urahara Shop, Urahara quivers on the toilet while Tessai ponders the situation outside. Though Urahara questions if the latter is trying to get him killed, Tessai asserts that he has medicine for stomach issues that works wonderfully and walks off to get it, leaving Urahara to declare that Tessai really is trying to kill him.

With Tessai promising to dig the medicine up from the back yard, Jinta Hanakari wonders what they are doing as he watches from around the corner with Ururu Tsumugiya. Back in the Seireitei, Gin and Izuru walk through the Third Division compound together, where they are confronted by Hitsugaya as he notes that he was right to suspect they would be together while standing on a platform in front of them. As Izuru expresses shock at his arrival, Hitsugaya observes that only his cell was unlocked from the outside and accuses Gin of being careless if he intended for this to be secret, only for Gin to claim that this is a funny thing to say because he did it on purpose so Hitsugaya would know.

Asserting that it is a good thing he got here before Hinamori did, Hitsugaya grips the handle of his Zanpakutō and promises to kill Gin before she gets here. Suddenly, Hinamori leaps high into the air and lands on the platform between Gin and Hitsugaya, who expresses astonishment as he removes his hand from his Zanpakutō. As Hinamori notes that she has finally found him here and stands up, Hitsugaya warns her to not fight Gin and to let him handle it instead, but is stunned to find Hinamori pointing her Zanpakutō instead and proclaiming that she will avenge Aizen. With tears in her eyes, Hinamori asks Hitsugaya why he killed Aizen while Gin smiles behind her.

After stating that she knows everything due to the letter that Aizen left behind, Hinamori recounts how it told her that the true objective of Rukia's execution is to steal the Sōkyoku rather than actually kill Rukia because the blade possesses power equal to a million Zanpakutō, with the stand being able to withstand the same amount of power, and its power momentarily increases several times over at the instance of execution, which the one who plotted this execution plans to use in order to destroy all of Soul Society in addition to the Seireitei. With Hinamori concluding that he is the culprit of this plot named in the letter, Hitsugaya is left speechless.

Hinamori elaborates that Aizen wrote of his own plan to confront Hitsugaya at the East Holy Wall on the night of his death and fight him if he does not back down before asking Hinamori to avenge him and carry out his wishes if he is killed for his final request as a man instead of as her captain. Shedding a single tear, Hinamori screams as she attacks Hitsugaya, resulting in an explosion of energy blasting outward. As he skids across the platform unscathed, Hitsugaya berates Hinamori for thinking Aizen would ask her to avenge him and asserts that the Aizen he knew was not an idiot who would fight a battle he could not win or a coward that would ask his subordinates to clean up his mess.

Despite this, Hinamori declares that this is what the letter said in Aizen's handwriting and that she did not want to believe it either before lunging at Hitsugaya while asserting that this is what Aizen said. After slashing at Hitsugaya four times, each of which he evades, Hinamori stops and tearfully admits that she does not know what to think anymore, leaving Hitsugaya stunned and concerned as she screams and unleashes another energy blast. Leaping high into the air above, Hitsugaya notes that Hinamori is too upset to think rationally and concludes that someone must have forged the letter so he and Hinamori would kill each other because Aizen would never have written it.

Upon seeing Gin grinning at him below, Hitsugaya assumes that this was part of his plan as well and angrily prepares to attack him as he falls, only to find Hinamori leaping into his path in midair. With Hinamori determined to attack him, Hitsugaya is forced to knock her out with a blow to the head, sending her crashing into the platform below, and is stunned into silence when he looks at her unconscious body. Gin approaches Hitsugaya and asserts that it was unnecessarily cruel of him to hit Hinamori so forcefully when she was desperate, but Hitsugaya merely responds by questioning what he is after and stating that he will never forget what Gin told Aizen at the captains' meeting.

In the past, after Aizen warns him that he is keeping watch and walks away, Gin observes that Aizen should enjoy listening to the intruder alarm while it lasts since he will never hear it again. In the present, Hitsugaya claims that Gin had to make Hinamori suffer because Aizen was not enough for him and points out how Hinamori was gripping her Zanpakutō so hard that her hands are bleeding. While Gin wonders what he is talking about, Hitsugaya begins glowing with white Reiatsu and angrily reiterates his promise to kill Gin if he ever made Hinamori bleed before drawing his Zanpakutō as its sheath disintegrates, leaving Gin to decide that he will have to stop Hitsugaya if he does this while gripping his own Zanpakutō and glowing with violet Reiatsu.

Next Episode Preview
Tessai Tsukabishi assures Kisuke Urahara that he has a safe and nutritional supplement this time, and though Urahara asserts that he is alright now, Tessai proclaims that it is the latest Chinese medicine advertised in the evening paper that works on a variety of ailments, which Urahara does not trust.

Events

 * Bankai Training

Music

 * 01:27 - Bleach OST 1 - 11 - Requiem For The Lost Ones
 * 05:14 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 04 - BL_75
 * 06:14 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 05 - BL_86
 * 08:05 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 01 - BL_29
 * 09:10 - Bleach OST 1 - 08 - Raw Breath Of Danger
 * 11:08 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 11 - BL_995
 * 11:47 - Bleach OST 1 - 24 - Peaceful Afternoon
 * 13:30 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 11 - BL_995
 * 14:23 - Bleach 5th Anniversary Box CD 1 - 16 - BL_92
 * 15:47 - Bleach OST 1 - 19 - Never Meant To Belong
 * 18:49 - Bleach OST 1 - 09 - Enemy Unseen
 * 20:51 - Bleach OST 4 - 21 - Nothing Can Be Explained (inst ver.)

Anime Notes
Removed Content:
 * Ichigo Kurosaki admitting that he did not know there was a hot spring in the Study Chamber and realizing that he has never been in one before.
 * Ichigo commenting that he can hear his joints creaking while resting in the hot spring.
 * Ichigo mentioning that he thought the pain was merely going away when discovering the healing properties of the hot spring water.
 * Yoruichi Shihōin mentioning that the Study Chamber is built deep underneath the Sōkyoku and mentioning that Urahara had a talent for mischief.
 * Yoruichi realizing Urahara did not tell Ichigo about his past and deciding that there is no reason to keep it from Ichigo any longer.
 * Tōshirō Hitsugaya reacting with shock to the contents of Sōsuke Aizen's letter and Momo Hinamori confirming that she is relaying exactly what he wrote.
 * Hitsugaya realizing that he cannot dodge Hinamori in midair prior to knocking her out.
 * Hitsugaya ripping his Zanpakutō out of its sheath as he prepares to kill Gin Ichimaru.

Added/Expanded Content:
 * A flashback to Aizen writing his letter to Hinamori.
 * Hitsugaya running along a walkway and urging Hinamori to not do anything reckless after he learns of her escape.
 * Yoruichi mentally urging Ichigo to hurry during his training because the time limit is approaching.
 * Kisuke Urahara sneezing when Yoruichi thinks about him and Tessai Tsukabishi forcing him to take an expired remedy for colds in response.
 * Ichigo mentally asserting that he has to save Rukia Kuchiki while fighting Zangetsu.
 * Hinamori hiding from three other Shinigami in a tree and crying as she remembers the contents of Aizen's letter.
 * Hitsugaya investigating Izuru Kira's cell and realizing that it was opened from the outside.
 * Yoruichi dropping her sash prior to taking off her pants.
 * Yoruichi teasingly questioning what is wrong and Ichigo asserting that many things are wrong after the former begins taking off her pants.
 * Ichigo covering his eyes and protesting when Yoruichi begins to enter the hot spring prior to returning to her cat form.
 * A flashback to Ichigo fighting Urahara during the Trials of the Shattered Shaft.
 * Yoruichi returning to her normal form and spreading her legs to prank Ichigo, who falls over in embarrassment while she mocks his reaction.
 * Ichigo reacting with amazement upon learning of Urahara's importance.
 * Urahara being left quivering on the toilet by Tessai's remedy and Tessai deciding to get him medication for stomach problems despite Urahara's protests.
 * Izuru addressing Hitsugaya when the latter confronts him and Gin.
 * Hinamori tearfully asking Hitsugaya why he killed Aizen.

Censorship:
 * The shirt that a young Rangiku is wearing in her flashback covers more of her breasts here than it does in the manga.
 * Ichigo is not bleeding from cuts on his chest when his fifty-first sword is broken.
 * When Yoruichi begins taking off her pants, the curve of her rear is obscured by the steam in the air.

Changes:
 * The contents of Aizen's letter are detailed over the course of Hinamori's escape from her cell and subsequent search for and confrontation of Hitsugaya, rather than immediately after she turns her sword on Hitsugaya.
 * Hinamori concludes her thoughts about her reaction to reading Aizen's letter internally instead of out loud.
 * In the manga, Ichigo's further training with Zangetsu occurs between Hitsugaya and Rangiku learning of the lieutenants' disappearance and them visiting Hinamori's cell; here, it occurs after they visit Hinamori's cell.
 * In the manga, when Hitsugaya concludes that Hinamori used Hakufuku on him, the cell guard simply reacts with confusion; here, he repeats the spell's name instead.
 * In the manga, after his fifty-first sword is broken, Ichigo grabs another and immediately rushes toward Zangetsu while shouting that they are continuing; here, he pauses for a moment and asserts that he will succeed this time before rushing forward.
 * The section of Ichigo's fifty-second sword that is broken off by Zangetsu is longer here than it is in the manga, with five "teeth" instead of four.
 * In the manga, after being backhanded by Zangetsu, Ichigo crashes into a large boulder near ground level; here, he crashes into a massive rock formation that he leaves a crater in and falls off of.
 * In the manga, Ichigo flatly stops in place when the Tenshintai returns to its normal state; here, he keeps running for a few seconds before stopping.
 * In the manga, after the first day of training concludes, Yoruichi lets her hair down by untying her ponytail; here, she simply adjusts the tie.
 * In the manga, after discovering the healing properties of the hot spring water, Ichigo puts some in his mouth specifically to see if it will heal the cut he received there; here, he puts some in his mouth simply to see if it will work in general.
 * In the manga, Yoruichi stays in her cat form for the duration of her conversation with Ichigo in the hot spring; here, she returns to her normal form halfway through and stays that way for the rest of the conversation.
 * In the manga, Yoruichi is surprised to learn that Ichigo did not already know of Urahara's history as a Shinigami and notes that she should have known Urahara would not tell him everything while Ichigo is astonished to learn of this information; here, she simply tells him, and Ichigo is much calmer about the revelation.
 * In the manga, Hinamori continues to attack Hitsugaya while revealing that the letter was written in Aizen's handwriting; here, she pauses, reveals this aspect of the letter, then attacks him three times in rapid succession.