A Creeping Danger in the Kurosaki Family?! Ichigo's Confusion!

 is the three hundred and forty-seventh episode of the Bleach anime.

Summary
Following Kūgo Ginjō's revelation about the possibility of getting his Shinigami powers back, Ichigo Kurosaki leaves the Xcution headquarters. Upon questioning, Kūgo reveals that he is fine with Ichigo leaving, as they had given him quite a shock, as he had never expected to be told that he could get his Shinigami powers back. Therefore, an immediate answer was unrealistic of them to expect. He reminds them all that all he wanted to know was why things were happening around him again, and yet still he'd approached them and they could not let the chance slip them by. However, Jackie Tristan appears unimpressed and doesn't think Ichigo is worth the trouble.

Jackie further elaborates that while Kūgo has his personal reasons for wanting to restore Ichigo's powers, it still doesn't mean they can use them even if they are successful in doing so. However, she also highlights that certain members of the group appear to have been quiet with Ichigo and thus were interested him. A blush immediately appears on Riruka Dokugamine's face and immediately assumes that Jackie was speaking about her. Kūgo states that those words never left Jackie's mouth. Riruka states she doesn't think he's worth it either, but they need his power. Yukio Hans Vorarlberna remarks that she's the one who has been all hyper since first meeting Ichigo. Riruka gets annoyed by this, declaring that she's always hyper before angrily demanding to know what the rest of her companions think. Yukio states that he doesn't care, while Giriko Kutsuzawa agrees that regardless of their thoughts on Ichigo, they still need his powers.

Meanwhile, a Spirit is seen struggling in a car park. As he begins to frantically pull at his Chain of Fate, it becomes apparent that the Soul is a Demi-Hollow that is close to completely Hollowfying, given that a Hollow Hole is becoming visible. The more the Demi-Hollow struggles, more chains appear to hold him in place. Just then, the stranger approaches him, remarking upon how the Shinigami have not dealt with the Demi-Hollow yet. The Demi-Hollow demands to know who he is, but Tsukishima merely remarks upon how difficult it must be to carry such a grudge, as the Demi-Hollow was, and that he'd decided to free him, in exchange for his help in a matter. He takes out his bookmark, which glows green and turns into a sword, which he uses to stab the Demi-Hollow.

The next day, Ichigo is being spied on by Riruka as he leaves school. It becomes clear that she has dragged Jackie along too, in order to finally decide if Ichigo is worth their attention. Nevertheless, all that Jackie observes is that, in her opinion, Riruka has quite the crush on Ichigo, which she once again firmly denies. Riruka continues to follow Ichigo down the street in a mischievous manner. When she beckons for Jackie to follow, the taller woman walks away as she states that she does not want to get involved with this.

At the hospital, Orihime Inoue arrives at Uryū Ishida's room for a visit. She carries with her a large bag filled with DVDs that have been made by young entertainers which she thinks will help Uryū with his free time. She asks him how he is and when he replies that he is feeling good, but hurting a little, she offers to heal him, but he declines. He is able to predict that she hadn't just come to see him just to inquire how he was. Orihime confirms this and explains that she has been concerned because Uryū wasn't found too far from Ichigo's home, and asks whether it had to do with the strange Reiatsu she had also felt around Ichigo that night. Uryū confirms he felt the Reiatsu, but insists it had nothing to do with the person who had attacked him. Just then, they feel the presence of a Hollow and Orihime makes sure Uryū stays and rests whilst she goes to sort it out, asserting that she will be alright. Uryū agrees, knowing that the Hollow should hardly pose a threat.

A shot of electricity is seen becoming visible on a power cable before Riruka mentions that she can now feel a strange presence. Ichigo pauses on his walk home when Orihime calls to him from behind. He asks her what's wrong, wondering if it's a Hollow when she tells him not to move. After determining that the situation was safe, Orihime becomes cheerful again and advises Ichigo that she usually lets Uryū or Yasutora Sado deal with the Hollows. Riruka spies on them as they talk. They walk a part of the way home together before Orihime leaves him by the river. Ichigo walks towards the edge, recalling how he had thrown away his Substitute Shinigami Badge, becoming frustrated as he thinks about Kūgo's offer to restore his powers.

That evening, Ichigo lies in bed and thinks about how Orihime had to protect him and how his friends had all recently been attacked. He recalls Kūgo's words as he pulls himself to sit upright. He admits that since he is powerless, he can no longer protect his friends. Downstairs, Karin Kurosaki walks into the kitchen, where Yuzu Kurosaki is washing the dishes. She informs Yuzu that Ichigo was't going to have dinner with them, which her twin calmly accepts. Karin continues that it is a shame, considering Yuzu had prepared all his favorite dishes as well. Yuzu becomes aggravated and declares that she no longer cares, much to Karin's surprise. While walking down the hallway, Karin suddenly feels an odd Reiatsu and goes out into the dark night to investigate.

Back at the Xcution Headquarters, the members start getting impatient, until Kūgo gets up and makes his way towards the door. Yukio questions his motives reminding him that it will make recruiting Ichigo more difficult if he insists too much. Kūgo continues to leave anyway, waving before he closes the door.

The next morning, Ichigo is eating dinner with both his sisters, commenting on how hungry he was. With a worried frown on her face, Karin asks Ichigo if he had been expecting anybody at the house the previous night. Ichigo appears confused, then inquires if something had happened. Karin explain that she had felt somebody outside, but they had disappeared when she had went to investigate. Ichigo brushes it off and advises Karin that she probably imagined it however, as he eats his dinner from the previous night, he thinks about Kūgo and the others.

On his way to school, Ichigo encounters Sado and asks him if he had happened to come by his house the night before, which he denies. Sado asks Ichigo to talk and he reminds him of the time they promised to fight for one another, and how since then, Sado had always followed Ichigo in his own way. He then exclaims that it has been unbearable to watch Ichigo without his powers, imagining how agonizing it must be to be unable to fight. He tells Ichigo not to hide his feelings, but while initially shocked, Ichigo smiles, pats Sado on the shoulder before walking away, informing him that they'll be late for class.

At the Xcution headquarters, the members are becoming more and more visibly impatient with waiting for Ichigo to make up his mind. Sado asks Kūgo why he didn't meet with Ichigo when he went to his house, but Kūgo denies that he even went anywhere near Ichigo's home the previous night. When Sado explains that Karin sensed someone at their home, the other members wonder if somebody other than themselves is trying to get into contact with Ichigo as well. Riruka then remembers that she also had felt a strange presence around Ichigo when she had been spying on him the previous day. Everyone, including Kūgo, is alarmed by this.

As Ichigo is walking though the busy town, he suddenly passes a familiar man with a smug expression on his face and recognizes him as the man he had seen when his friends had previously been attacked. He recalls Karin asking him about whether he had been expecting somebody the at the house and immediately suspects the stranger. Ichigo begins to hurry across the street after the man. The man is too fast for Ichigo as he follows him into a residential part of the town. Eventually, Ichigo loses sight of him before Yuzu appears and gets his attention.

Ichigo runs up to her and shows relief that she is unharmed. For her part, Yuzu is confused, telling Ichigo that she was on her way to the grocery store in order to prepare for dinner that evening, asking Ichigo if he wanted to help her carry the load. Ichigo then hears something behind him and when he turns around, Yuzu is grabbed by something that is a Hollow that Ichigo can't see. Grabbing a pole, Ichigo makes several attempts to save his sister, but is swatted away each time. He concentrates a final time, imaging where the Hollow would be, successfully stabbing it with the metal pole in his hand. He is still unable to get to Yuzu as he hit away once again as Yuzu flies through the air.

Powerless, Ichigo watches as Kūgo arrives on the scene, climbing through the air, catching Yuzu, but gets attacked on his back as he descends to the ground. After mocking Ichigo and inviting him out for ramen, Kūgo turns his attention back to the beast and unleashes his Fullbring to attack it, bisecting it through the middle to kill it. Ichigo thanks him and states that he owes him, but Kūgo replies that it would have sucked if he had lost something he could have protected in the first place, before leaving Ichigo to bring Yuzu home.

Back at base, Riruka yells at Kūgo for not making a deal with Ichigo for his help in exchange for saving Yuzu's life. The others note how it seems she really wants Ichigo with them, but she gets flustered again and starts to deny this, insulting Ichigo in the process. Without her realizing it, Sado brings Ichigo into the headquarters behind her and Ichigo corrects her, much to her extreme embarrassment. Ichigo tells the others that he is only here to get his powers back and not because he owes them anything. Kūgo smiles and, much to Ichigo's surprise, throws his Substitute Shinigami Badge at him, telling him that since it is the source of his power, to keep it safe from now on and Ichigo agrees.

Xcution Dictionary
Ginjō advises Ichigo not to throw away his Substitute Shinigami badge, to which he obliges. Ichigo then asks how did he manage to find the badge, to which Ginjō explains that he looked where the river flowed, followed the Kuroshio current and set to the vast ocean, on stormy seas where he finally found the badge on a southern island, to which Ichigo asks him to quit lying.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 2) Kūgo Ginjō
 * 3) Yukio Hans Vorarlberna
 * 4) Yasutora Sado
 * 5) Jackie Tristan
 * 6) Giriko Kutsuzawa
 * 7) Riruka Dokugamine
 * 8) Shūkurō Tsukishima
 * 9) Orihime Inoue
 * 10) Uryū Ishida
 * 11) Keigo Asano (flashback)
 * 12) Mizuiro Kojima (flashback)
 * 13) Yuzu Kurosaki
 * 14) Karin Kurosaki
 * 15) Yokochini (flashback)
 * 16) Gantenbainne Mosqueda (flashback)

Fights
None.

Powers and Techniques Used
Techniques used:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Fullbring used:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)