Tōshirō Hitsugaya vs. Hyōrinmaru

Tōshirō Hitsugaya vs. Hyōrinmaru is the conflict between the 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and his amnesia-stricken Zanpakutō spirit during the Zanpakutō Rebellion.

Prelude
As Ichigo Kurosaki presses ahead in his search for the missing Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, he stops for a moment, sensing the Reiatsu of someone familiar. He runs over to a nearby rock formation in order to get a better look at the surroundings. As the rock he is standing on turns to ice, he is attacked by several ice spears, which he easily disposes of. While he stares out at the vast landscape, four ice dragons, emerging, force Ichigo on the defensive once again. When Ichigo, seeing his attacker, asks who the Zanpakutō spirit is, the figure asks if he is Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo, confirming this, asks why the Zanpakutō spirit knows his name. When the spirit notes Ichigo seems quite strong, Ichigo asks the mysterious spirit to go on, and he reveals Muramasa instructed the Zanpakutō spirits to not fight Ichigo, who, finding this interesting, wonders why Muramasa would say that. The spirit, saying he would like to know why as well, surrounds Ichigo with four ice dragons. The dragons, circling him, trap Ichigo in a pillar of ice. As the figure moves to walk away, Ichigo breaks free by releasing his Bankai. When the Zanpakutō spirit is intrigued that Ichigo used Bankai, Ichigo, confirming it, is asked if his blade is a Zanpakutō. When Ichigo confirms it once again, the Zanpakutō spirit asks for the name of Ichigo's Zanpakutō. As Ichigo asks why he cares, the Zanpakutō spirit looks down in contemplation. As Ichigo wonders what the spirit is thinking, the Zanpakutō spirit asks if Ichigo is his master, which confuses Ichigo.

The figure, walking away again, states he has no business with Ichigo if he is not his master. When Ichigo asks him if he does not know who his master is, the man states he does not know the name of his master, nor his own. As Ichigo protests, he, activating Sennen Hyōrō, surrounds Ichigo with ice pillars. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, emerging, confirms he is Hyōrinmaru, which causes the Zanpakutō to turn around promptly. When Hitsugaya states he is his Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru, refuting this claim, states a mere child cannot wield his immense power. Hitsugaya, surprised by Hyōrinmaru's judgment, asks if Muramasa had something to do with his memory loss. Hyōrinmaru explains he merely lost all of his memories once freed from his master, and his true goal is to find his master. The Zanpakutō spirit states Hitsugaya will have to prove his worth in order to be considered his master.

Battle
Hyōrinmaru, using his enhanced speed, deftly appears behind Hitsugaya as their blades clash. As Hitsugaya backs off, Hyōrinmaru charges at him, kicking a cloud of dust into the air. As Hyōrinmaru throws Hitsugaya into a nearby rock wall, the latter charges once more before, thrust into the air by the strength of Hyōrinmaru's strikes, retaliating by binding Hyōrinmaru with Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku.

Hyōrinmaru looks in wonder at Hitsugaya for several moments before, telling him his attempts to subdue him are fruitless, freezing the Kidō, shattering it into nothing, as Hyōrinmaru's Reiatsu causes dark clouds to loom over the surrounding area. As Hyōrinmaru summons an ice dragon from behind him, Hitsugaya stands ready for the next attack. As Ichigo calls out to Hitsugaya, the ice prison of Sennen Hyōrō spirals around before eventually closing on him. Hitsugaya, shouting to his Zanpakutō spirit to stop, tells him he is his opponent.

Hitsugaya releases Hadō #31 Shakkahō, which Hyōrinmaru, catching it effortlessly, freezes within his palm. Hitsugaya leaps forward to attack as Hyōrinmaru repeats his statement. The ice dragon behind Hyōrinmaru attacks Hitsugaya in mid-air, forcing him into the ground in a flurry of ice. Hitsugaya, emerging unperturbed, asks Hyōrinmaru what his instincts tell him to do. Hyōrinmaru reveals he seeks a place in which he belongs, causing Hitsugaya to reminisce about his past with his grandmother and enabling him to summon the willpower to release his Shikai. As Hitsugaya releases Hyōrinmaru's Shikai, thunder crackles from the sky, and an ice dragon forms before them. Hyōrinmaru expresses surprise at this, Hitsugaya tells him he will make him remember everything. Momentarily pondering over using the technique in Shikai, he charges at Hyōrinmaru nonetheless. Using Ryūsenka, he encases both himself and his Zanpakutō spirit within it. Meanwhile, Ichigo uses Getsuga Tenshō to break free from Hyōrinmaru's prison.

As he escapes, he calls out to Hitsugaya. Inside the ice, Hitsugaya implores Hyōrinmaru to try and remember the one who heard his voice. He shouts out the name of his Zanpakutō, which causes Hyōrinmaru to remember who his master is. As Ichigo looks on, the Ryūsenka encasing both Hitsugaya and Hyōrinmaru shatters, and his Zanpakutō gently carries his master to the ground below.

Aftermath
Ichigo Kurosaki continues his search for Byakuya after encountering Hyōrinmaru. Hitsugaya is able to get his Zanpakutō spirit to return to him. Hyōrinmaru recalls his memories of his Shinigami master after Hitsugaya battled against him. Meanwhile, Muramasa pants heavily in a forest area in Hueco Mundo. Standing before a weakened Hollow, stating his time is running out, he, walking over to it, firmly grasps its head as purple Reiatsu flows forth into his body, while the Hollow groans in pain.