Hitsugaya Howls!

Hitsugaya Howls! is the forty-eighth episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: September 6, 2005
 * English Airdate: September 8, 2007
 * Opening Song: D-tecnoLife
 * Ending Song: Happypeople
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 130, Chapter 131, Chapter 132.
 * Kanji: 日番谷、吼える!
 * Romaji: "Hitsugaya, hoeru!"
 * Arc: Soul Society: The Rescue arc

Summary
The battle between Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Gin Ichimaru has begun. After they go a few rounds with their swords Tōshirō releases his Zanpakutō's Shikai, Hyōrinmaru. He uses it on Gin but it hits Izuru Kira who falls to the floor injured and frozen by Hyōrinmaru. Gin dodges Hyōrinmaru and charges at him with full force. He attacks Tōshirō with his Zanpakutō very fast, too fast for Tōshirō to land a hit on him. Tōshirō then uses his chain to tie up Gin. But Gin his Zanpakutō, Shinsō, at Tōshirō, who dodges and then it heads straight for an unconscious Momo Hinamori. Tōshirō's lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto shows up and saves Momo. She asks Gin to stop battling or she will have to fight him as well. Gin smiles and says he will leave. Meanwhile, the Gotei 13 and Rukia Kuchiki discover that her execution will happen in 29 hours. Ichigo Kurosaki starts his second day of training, until Renji Abarai shows up to tell him that the execution has been moved to noon tomorrow, he then trains with Ichigo to obtain Bankai as well. At the end of the episode Rukia begins remembering her time back before she met Ichigo when she served under Jūshirō Ukitake and Kaien Shiba.