Flower and Hollow

 is the thirteenth episode of the Bleach anime.

Orihime Inoue gains a new power in order to protect Tatsuki Arisawa.

Summary
As he runs along a riverbank in Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki wonders where Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki are. Suddenly, Kon runs up to Ichigo in his body, prompting Ichigo to demand to know where he has been. While Kon points out that he is the one who ran off without them, Ichigo grabs him by the collar and inquires if Kon knows where Karin and Yuzu are, leading Kon to assure him that he just saw them at the Kurosaki Clinic, to Ichigo's relief.

While Kon wonders where Ichigo has been looking this whole time, Ichigo notes that he can start looking for Uryū Ishida now and tells Kon to take care of his sisters before shoving him down and running off, leaving Kon to sit up with a bump on his head. Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, Chizuru Honshō and Tatsuki Arisawa clean up the broken glass on the ground as Chizuru admits that she would not have come to see what happened if she knew that they would make her stay and clean it up.

Chizuru asserts that they should be making the students who broke the glass clean it up, but Tatsuki points out that Chizuru was chosen because she made such a fuss about it. As Tatsuki notes that those students were acting strange, Chizuru stands up and wonders what Orihime Inoue is doing upon seeing her standing silently and looking at something several feet away. Sidling up to Orihime, Chizuru claims that she will have no choice but to kiss her if she keeps staring off into space, prompting Tatsuki to angrily demand to know what Chizuru is saying all of a sudden. With Tatsuki and Chizuru glaring at each other, Orihime suddenly claims there is a television show she wants to watch.

Encouraging them to leave early so they can watch it together, Orihime begins pushing the surprised Tatsuki and Chizuru away from the school grounds despite Tatsuki's protests. As Numb Chandelier drapes a tentacle over the side of the roof she is sitting on, Orihime recalls thinking only that she wish she had not seen it and that she needed to get away from there upon first seeing the Hollow. Admitting that she knows nothing about the situation other than that Numb Chandelier is dangerous, Orihime observes that every cell in her body is screaming at her to run away and asserts that she must act like nothing is wrong so she does not scare her friends and cause panic.

When she gets near the exit with Tatsuki and Chizuru, Orihime looks back and is surprised to see that Numb Chandelier is gone as Tatsuki apologizes and reveals that she needs to change out of her karate gi before encouraging them to go on without her as she runs off. Though a worried Orihime calls out after her, Tatsuki continues running and promises to catch up soon. As Orihime tries to think of an excuse to call Tatsuki back, she suddenly realizes that Numb Chandelier has suspended herself in the air above her and instinctively looks back at her, prompting Numb Chandelier to note that Orihime can see her as Orihime gasps in shock.

Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Ichigo decapitates a Hollow with his Zanpakutō and cuts another in half before continuing to cut through the horde in front of him as he curses and screams Uryū's name. Meanwhile, on a bridge, Uryū kills his 20th Hollow with a Heilig Pfeil through the head and draws back his Heilig Bogen, Kojaku, as he mentally declares that this is for his master while recalling Sōken Ishida teaching him to form a Heilig Bogen as a child. Declaring that he will win, Uryū fires another Heilig Pfeil. Back at Karakura High School, a confused Chizuru asks Orihime if something is up there, only for Orihime to suddenly tell her to run.

However, Numb Chandelier declares that she will not let them run before using Bulb Scatter, raining seeds all over the school and the ground below. As Orihime cries out and shields herself with her arms, Chizuru sees the windows shattering and asks Orihime if she is alright before being hit with a seed in the back of her left shoulder, causing her to fall over. Calling out to Chizuru, Orihime runs over to her while the green splotch on her shoulder spreads and grows darker. Though Orihime is not sure what she should do, Chizuru quickly gets up and expresses pain before caressing Orihime's chin and claiming that she is cute when she cries.

Standing up, Chizuru assures Orihime that she is fine even though she does not know what happened. However, as Chizuru claims that she likes Orihime better when she is smiling instead of crying, her left hand suddenly grips Orihime's right arm by the wrist and lifts it into the air, hurting Orihime. While a confused and frightened Chizuru asserts that her arm is moving on its own and wonders why this is happening, Numb Chandelier appears above them. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Rukia Kuchiki runs along a road and looks at her Denreishinki, which is displaying multiple Hollow signatures, as she wonders what is going on before continuing to run.

Back at Karakura High School, Orihime demands to know what Numb Chandelier did to Chizuru, prompting her to chuckle and state that she just used some of her power before explaining that she does not like to fight, which is why she uses seeds generated from her forehead to take control of others and make Humans fight among themselves. With Orihime shocked by her methods, Numb Chandelier tells the other students to begin, leading Orihime to stare in fright as dozens of possessed students swarm her and Chizuru. Suddenly, Tatsuki runs up and demands to know what they are doing before rapidly defeating several of the possessed students in a single blow each.

Apologizing to Orihime, Tatsuki asserts that she did not see Numb Chandelier earlier, and when Orihime asks her if she can see the Hollow, Tatsuki admits that she can only tell where it is by seeing a faint shimmer. As she turns to face Numb Chandelier, Tatsuki declares that she picked a fight with the wrong person because Tatsuki has always beaten up anyone who made Orihime cry, to Numb Chandelier's amusement. Upon being surrounded by several more possessed students, Tatsuki rapidly defeats them all with a single blow each as well and prepares to continue her assault when a hand grabs her shoulder, only to pause in shock when she sees it belongs to Chizuru.

As Chizuru tearfully begs for Tatsuki to run because something is happening to her body, the reach of the seed in her shoulder reaches her head, prompting her to grip Tatsuki's shoulder with increased force. With Tatsuki crying out in pain, Orihime calls out to her and is restrained by two possessed students as Numb Chandelier fires a seed into Tatsuki's shoulder, sending her and Chizuru flying back. While Tatsuki lies panting on the ground, Numb Chandelier asks her how it feels and details how the seed in her body will soon take root and control it before landing next to her as she proclaims that Tatsuki's body is hers to manipulate and tells her to cry.

However, Tatsuki merely tells her to shut up, to Numb Chandelier's surprise, and begins to get up while demanding that she let Orihime go. A bemused Numb Chandelier questions if Tatsuki understands what position she is in right now and rubs a tentacle on her face while pointing out that she can barely control her body anymore, only for Tatsuki to suddenly bite hard on her tentacle. Shrieking in pain, Numb Chandelier demands to know what Tatsuki is doing and repeatedly whips her with a larger tentacle while commanding her to let go, but Tatsuki keeps biting it as Orihime tries to call out to her, leading Numb Chandelier to declare that she has no need for Tatsuki.

Generating more seeds on her forehead, Numb Chandelier fires all of them at Tatsuki, who is hit in multiple parts of her body and lets go of Numb Chandelier's tentacle as she falls backward. As she manages to free herself from the possessed students restraining her, Orihime calls out to Tatsuki and runs over to her as Tatsuki mentally tells her to not cry while her vision fades. Suddenly, Tatsuki kicks Orihime hard in the abdomen, causing her to fall to her knees and cough up liquid as Tatsuki stands up in a flailing manner, revealing that Numb Chandelier's seeds have taken complete control of her body. Looking up at her, Orihime recalls Sora Inoue complimenting her hair.

In the past, after crying as her hair is forcefully cut by older students who accused her of being a show-off, Orihime tells Sora that she just cut it because she felt like it. Though she feels alone and isolated in her classroom, Orihime is approached by Tatsuki, who offers to walk her home, greatly cheering up Orihime. In the present, Orihime mentally notes that Tatsuki is the reason she was able to grow her hair long again and asserts that she will never cut it because her long hair is proof of her trust in Tatsuki. Thanking Tatsuki for protecting her until now, Orihime reaches out and tells her to not cry as tears spill down Tatsuki's cheeks.

As she gets to her feet, Orihime hugs Tatsuki and begs her to not cry before promising to protect her this time. Suddenly, Orihime's hairpins glow brightly and separate into individual pieces that shoot outward from her head, creating a powerful whirlwind around her and Tatsuki that shocks Numb Chandelier and blows away all the other possessed students. Asserting that Numb Chandelier picked the wrong person to hurt instead of the wrong person to fight, Orihime declares that she will never forgive anyone who hurts Tatsuki as the Shun Shun Rikka whirl around her, leading a stunned Numb Chandelier to wonder what Orihime is and what the things whirling around her are.

Upon hearing this, a surprised Orihime looks around as Tsubaki incredulously asks her if she did not notice them until now. However, as the whirlwind disperses, Shun'ō asserts that she noticed they exist because they have always been closest to her and lands on her shoulder as she greets Orihime. While the other members of the Shun Shun Rikka fly around a confused Orihime, Shun'ō explains that they are the Shun Shun Rikka who were born to protect Orihime as her power as Baigon, Lily, Ayame, and Hinagiku gather around him. When Orihime mistakes them for flying fairies, Shun'ō clarifies that they are powers born from her soul.

After explaining that only Orihime can see them, Shun'ō corrects herself and notes that Ichigo could probably see them too, and when Orihime wonders why, Shun'ō reveals that he is the reason they were born. However, before Shun'ō can further explain this, Tsubaki crashes into her with a dropkick and declares that she talks too much before asserting that Orihime does not need to know who they are or where they came from, leading Orihime to observe that he seems arrogant despite his small size. Irritated by this, Tsubaki tells her to shut up and demands that Orihime learn how to use the Shun Shun Rikka right now, further confusing her.

Hinagiku declares that he, Baigon, and Lily have the power to create a shield that rejects, and Baigon elaborates that Orihime must use her heart and a kotodama in order to properly use them, leaving Orihime bewildered. Suddenly, Tsubaki notes that it is coming as Numb Chandelier lands on the ground nearby and angrily asks Orihime what she has been talking to herself about as more seeds begin to protrude from her forehead. Though Orihime is startled by this, Hinagiku tells her to call out their names and introduces himself as Baigon and Lily follow suit, leading Shun'ō to explain that Orihime must summon them with her kotodama and ask that she repeat after her.

As Shun'ō calls out the three names, Numb Chandelier fires her seeds at Orihime, who repeats the names and the kotodama that the three spirits declare, allowing her to use Santen Kesshun, which creates a triangular yellow energy shield between Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily that intercepts and blocks the seeds. With both Numb Chandelier and Orihime surprised by this, Shun'ō details how the three spirits reject what is outside the shield by putting up a shield between Orihime and her enemy to reject any attacks aimed at her. Flying over to the unconscious Tatsuki with Ayame, Shun'ō reveals that their power is to reject what is inside the shield.

Explaining how she and Ayame create a limited space within their shield and reverse any damage which has been inflicted inside this space, Shun'ō tells Orihime to call out their names and introduces herself alongside Ayame, leading Orihime to do so before calling out their kotodama and using Sōten Kisshun, which creates a half-oval barrier around Tatsuki that begins healing the damage to her body. As Orihime tearfully watches this, Tsubaki flies over to her and asserts that there is no time for tears before explaining that he rejects both sides of the shield by putting up a shield inside the enemy and rejecting their matter, effectively cutting them in half.

After introducing himself, Tsubaki flies toward Numb Chandelier as Orihime calls out his name and the kotodama, resulting in her using Koten Zanshun, which vertically bifurcates Numb Chandelier with a shield generated from within her body. Asserting that this is ridiculous, a screaming Numb Chandelier disintegrates, prompting a panting Orihime to declare that she did it before collapsing. As the concerned members of the Shun Shun Rikka gather around the unconscious Orihime, Shun'ō observes that using all of them at once was too much for her, but praises her performance as the spirits return to their hairpin forms, which fall on the ground.

Seeing this, a smiling Kisuke Urahara steps forward as Tessai Tsukabishi carries Yasutora Sado behind him. Meanwhile, Karin brings Yuzu and Isshin Kurosaki to the field where she left Sado, only to find that he is gone. When Yuzu asks her if she is sure that this is the place, Karin asserts that Sado was beaten up and lying here when she left, only to be interrupted by Isshin declaring that she lied to him. However, when Karin attempts to repeat her story, Isshin silences her with a wagging finger and claims to understand that she lied to him because she was desperate for attention after he had neglected her for so long due to being busy with work.

Isshin tears open his shirt and encourages Karin to jump into his arms and hug him as hard as she can, only for Karin to punch him in the jaw and call him an idiot as Yuzu proposes that they just go home because this place gives her a weird feeling. Watching this from atop a telephone pole as Isshin rolls around on the ground in pain, Kon notes that everything is fine here and leaps away. Soon afterward, Orihime wakes up inside the Urahara Shop, where she finds Sado sitting nearby. After the two greet each other, Orihime asks Sado what this place is, prompting him to admit that he does not know as Urahara observes that they are finally awake.

Seeing Urahara standing before them, Orihime questions who he is, and Sado admits that he does not know that either before noting that it seems he saved their lives, which Urahara confirms as he wonders where to begin. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Ichigo purifies a Hollow with a single slash and curses Uryū as he promises to make him cry, while Uryū manages to kill another Hollow with three Heilig Pfeil to the chest and observes that he is no longer able to kill them in one shot as blood drips from the fingers of his arrow hand. As Uryū notes that there are far too many Hollows for the small amount of Hollow Bait he scattered, two more Hollows emerge.

Uryū theorizes that the Hollows are being lured here by an even greater force, but asserts that it does not matter and thinks of Sōken, whom he swears to avenge the death of as he draws back another Heilig Pfeil. Meanwhile, Rukia fires '''Hadō #4. Byakurai''' at a large Hollow, who merely deflects it back at her with one of its tentacles. As Rukia curses her inability to deal with even basic Hollows and wonders if her powers have not returned at all, she sees Kon running toward her as he leaps into the air and kicks away the Hollow. Though Rukia believes it is Ichigo, she quickly concludes that it is Kon when he turns around and pushes his head into her chest while declaring that he missed her.

When Rukia pushes her foot against his chin and pulls back his arms, Kon claims that it feels good to be kicked like this as well as Rukia realizes that him being in Ichigo's body means that Ichigo entered his Shinigami form. Suddenly, Kon directs Rukia's attention behind her as Uryū walks up and expresses relief that she is alright before observing that it is their first time speaking one-on-one, which leads Kon to feel ignored. Kicking Kon away, Rukia gets up and asks Uryū if this is his doing, which he confirms as he explains that this is a battle between him and Ichigo, to Rukia's confusion, and declares that he will not let anyone in town die.

Promising to give his life to protect the citizens of Karakura Town even if Ichigo is defeated, Uryū asserts that Ichigo will watch as he protects everything and everyone from the Hollows while Rukia expresses shock upon seeing his bloody fingers. When Uryū states that this battle is meaningless if he cannot do that, Rukia wonders what he means before being alerted when the large Hollow reappears behind her and Kon, which prompts Uryū to summon Kojaku once more. Back at the Urahara Shop, Sado tells Urahara to hold on as Orihime expresses disbelief about his story of Shinigami and Hollows, only for Urahara to ask them if they will deny that they were attacked earlier.

With Orihime and Sado unable to respond to this, Urahara explains that Ichigo is fighting Hollows as a Shinigami right now and that the strong Reiryoku he has released while doing so has affected them, which is all he meant to explain. As Urahara assures Orihime and Sado that it is up to them to decide if they wish to open the door that has appeared before them, Tessai slides open the screen behind Urahara and reveals that the Kūmon have begun converging before confirming that the necessary preparations have been completed. Stating that they will depart, Urahara begins to walk out of the room before turning back to ask Orihime and Sado if they will come with him.

Promising to show them what is beyond the door, Urahara walks out of his shop. Meanwhile, the large Hollow prepares to attack Rukia, Kon, and Uryū, but is suddenly cut in half vertically and dissipates as Ichigo leaps overhead and lands behind Uryū, who smiles. As he stands up, Ichigo declares that he finally found Uryū, who affirms this as Rukia and Kon watch in surprise.

Next Episode Preview
Isshin Kurosaki claims it is time for his "Fatherly Love 101" segment and describes fatherly love as being strong, victorious, and beautiful before he is cut off by Ichigo, who angrily reminds him that this is a next episode preview. Isshin meekly describes the next episode as being great.

Fights

 * Orihime Inoue vs. Numb Chandelier (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:

Hollow techniques:

Other techniques:

Spirit Weapons:

Other weapons: