June 17, Memories in the Rain

June 17, Memories in the Rain is the eighth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki goes to his mother's grave with the rest of his family.

Summary
In Hueco Mundo, as Aisslinger Wernarr and Di Roy Rinker emerge from the shadows on the ground and leap to the tops of the surrounding rock formations, Grand Fisher informs them that he shall go to the Human World. Meanwhile, in the Human World, Ichigo Kurosaki and his family walk up a hill to the cemetery as Yuzu Kurosaki complains about how steep the hill is. Karin Kurosaki states that it does not bother her and warns Yuzu against saying things like this.

Having heard Yuzu's complaint, Isshin Kurosaki begins standing on his hands while encouraging Yuzu to not give up, to the embarrassment of his daughters. When Karin resumes walking uphill and tells Yuzu to not pay attention because it will only encourage him, Isshin declares that he is automatically encouraged even when ignored as he runs toward them on his hands, leading a shocked Karin to tell Yuzu to run.

Sliding past and underneath an embarrassed Yuzu, Isshin announces that he slipped, only for Karin to order him to vanish at the ends of the earth as she kicks him away, resulting in Isshin tumbling down the hill at high speeds before vanishing from sight. As Karin walks away while telling Yuzu that this is their chance, Ichigo mentally notes how hot it is despite only being June and recalls the day of his mother's death while noting the difference between the two June 17ths. However, when his sisters notice someone else on the path and wonder if she is also visiting a grave, Ichigo panics as he realizes it is Rukia Kuchiki, who happily waves at them.

Yuzu asks Ichigo if he knows Rukia since she is waving at them, prompting Ichigo to emphatically declare that he has no idea who she is. When Karin notes that Rukia seems familiar, Ichigo reverses course and claims that Rukia is a classmate of his from middle school before proclaiming that he will talk to her by himself since he is suddenly feeling so nostalgic. Leaping over his sisters, Ichigo tells them to visit their mother's grave by themselves while he does this before grabbing Rukia by the arm and running off with her. As she watches this, Karin chuckles and tell Yuzu that she will soon need to give Ichigo some space, to Yuzu's confusion and distress.

Shortly afterward, as he stands on a path in the forest with Rukia, Ichigo demands to know why she came there, prompting her to ask him what he would do without her if a Hollow appears. Ichigo asserts that she needs to be more discreet if she is going to follow him, only for Rukia to flatly state that she did not think to do so. Unnerved by this, Ichigo asks Rukia what she is mad about, but Rukia clarifies that she is not mad before reminding Ichigo how he said his mother was killed. While someone puts their hand on a tree and watches nearby, Ichigo claims that he did not say his mother was killed and doubles down when Rukia asks him who killed her.

Bringing up how Ichigo said that he has been able to see spiritual beings for as long as he can remember, Rukia asks him if his mother was killed by a Hollow. With Ichigo widening his eyes in surprise, Rukia points out that Ichigo's spiritual capabilities at such a young age may have led to a Hollow killing his mother by mistake while coming after him. However, Ichigo angrily declares that he cannot take this anymore and claims that Rukia seems to believe Hollows are responsible for all misfortunes before mocking her theory as being hilariously off-base. As he walks past Rukia, Ichigo reveals that he is the one who killed his mother before running off, leaving Rukia shocked.

While Rukia calls out after Ichigo, Eikichirō Saidō watches from behind a tree while adjusting his hat. Meanwhile, at her house in Karakura Town, Tatsuki Arisawa is surprised by Orihime Inoue asking about Ichigo's childhood. As she eats some chips, Tatsuki asks her if something happened, prompting Orihime to claim that she has discovered Ichigo's secret of being a hero who protects the earth, which catches Tatsuki off-guard. Tatsuki recalls how she first met Ichigo when he was four years old and how his unbelievably-colored hair, his unbelievably beautiful mother, and unbelievably goofy grin all stood out to her when he came to her dojo.

Recounting how Ichigo looked so skinny and wimpy at the time, Tatsuki boasts about being the first one to make him cry by simply jabbing him once before even ten seconds had passed in their practice before noting that he would always break out into a huge smile when his mother came to pick him up even if he had been crying beforehand. As she admits that she hated him for this at the time because she believed that a boy should not be so happy when he has lost, Tatsuki happily recalls that Ichigo was always happy and seemed to be having a great time regardless of how well he did, only to reveal that his mother passed away when they were nine, to Orihime's shock.

Tatsuki notes that Ichigo was still a wimp clinging to his mother when she died and recounts how she went looking for him when he did not show up at school afterward, where she found him walking around on the riverbank where his mother died with his book bag still on his back. As Tatsuki sadly recalls how Ichigo would walk for hours in search of his mother and only pause to sit for a few moments at a time, which she could not bear to watch, Orihime listens with visible sadness. Back at the cemetery, Rukia sits on a walled area of the hill and repeats Ichigo's claim of having killed his mother as she berates herself for having brought up the possibility of a Hollow killing her.

Unzipping Rukia's pack from the inside, Kon pulls himself out, prompting Rukia to remind him that she told him to not come out unless she called him. When Kon complains about how hot it is in her pack and asks her if they can go home yet, Rukia reiterates that they need to stay near him in case a Hollow appears, leading Kon to criticize her for only thinking about Hollows and her job all the time at the risk of losing her friends. Suddenly, Rukia stands up, causing Kon to lose his balance and fall to the ground, and when Kon climbs up to her shoulder and apologizes, she shushes him and concentrates. Upon sensing Saidō nearby, Rukia is visibly surprised as Kon asks her what is wrong.

Rukia walks into the forest, where she hears snoring and soon comes across Saidō sleeping against a tree, only to be startled and lose her hat when Saidō wakes up and stretches. Commenting on the good sleep he had, Saidō greets Rukia, who immediately goes on guard, and rolls to his feet while explaining that he sleeps very often because he is assigned many exhausting missions. Upon noticing the Zanpakutō on Saidō's hip, Kon realizes with panic that he is a Shinigami and quietly flees as Rukia notes Saidō referring to a mission, which causes him to chuckle. Elsewhere, as he stands alone in front of a set of stairs, Ichigo recalls the events of the day his mother died.

In the past, as a young Ichigo and Masaki Kurosaki walk toward the street from the dojo in the rain, a passing truck splashes water onto Ichigo's face, to his surprise. Calling the truck driver mean, Masaki wipes down and cleans Ichigo's face with a handkerchief while offering to walk on the road side instead, but Ichigo asserts that he will keep walking there to protect her from such things because he is wearing a raincoat. As she commends Ichigo's reliability, Masaki teasingly notes that she cannot allow this as long as Ichigo cannot beat Tatsuki, prompting Ichigo to claim that he won a point from her in their last match, before finishing her cleaning.

When Masaki prepares to start walking again, Ichigo asks her if he can hold her hand, which she confirms he can do with a smile. In the present, Ichigo notes that he would always feel at ease when his mother was nearby. In the past, as he and Masaki walk along the path on a riverbank, Ichigo stops upon noticing a young girl standing at the river's edge and wonders what she is doing. As present-day Ichigo recalls how he still could not tell the difference between the living and the dead at this time, past Ichigo lets go of his umbrella, tells his mother to wait there, and runs down the riverbank toward the girl as Masaki frantically tells him to stop.

As the girl seemingly falls into the river, Ichigo reaches out to grab her, only for her cape to disappear in his hand as a train roars by. In the present, Ichigo recounts how he was told that his name meant "to completely protect one thing you set your mind on", which made him decide to protect his mother, as past Ichigo wakes up to find himself underneath his mother's dead body. While a crying Ichigo tries to make his mother wake up, present-day Ichigo notes that his mother clearly died saving him from something even if he did not know what it was and states that he, his four-year-old sisters, and his dad loved Masaki as the center of their family.

Asserting that he tore her away from that center, a trembling Ichigo falls to his hands and knees as he weeps. Meanwhile, Karin stands in front of Masaki's gravestone, where she asks her mother how she is doing and notes that her being dead probably mitigates this before assuring her that she, Yuzu, and Ichigo are all doing fine. Upon noticing Yuzu crying on her knees next to her, Karin crouches down and berates Yuzu for still crying over their mother's grave even though they are both eleven years old now, only for Yuzu to continue crying even after acknowledging this, prompting Karin to assert that she does not know anything.

Suddenly, Isshin appears behind them and declares that it is time for their annual "Kurosaki Family Tombstone Dominoes Tournament" while assuming various poses. As Isshin advertises it as two-and-a-half hours of tombstone toppling, Karin kicks him hard in the face while declaring that he should start his life over, causing Isshin to be sent flying and crash into a headstone several feet away while noting that there will also be wardrobe malfunctions. While Karin bemoans her father's annoying abundance of energy, Isshin runs over and promises that there will also be peeks, prompting Karin to kick him in the stomach and run away as Isshin follows and tells her to wait.

Elsewhere, in the forest, Rukia demands to know who Saidō is and pushes him to answer the question when he does not initially respond. Saidō states that the name Rukia Kuchiki was famous back at the Shin'ō Academy, shocking Rukia, and recounts how she was known as "Princess of the Rukongai" for being adopted into the noble Kuchiki Clan. Introducing himself and revealing that he was two years ahead of Rukia in the Academy, Saidō asks Rukia if she remembers him and asserts that he was also pretty popular in the Academy, only to be deflated and dejected when Rukia flatly states that she does not remember him.

Saidō prepares to move on to his mission, prompting Rukia to assume a battle stance, and reveals that he is here to ask her some questions. Recalling Kisuke Urahara telling her that she would not be able to hide it forever, Rukia asks Saidō if he is part of the Onmitsukidō, which he confirms while repeatedly pulling a cord on his hat that causes its central segment to flip up and display a message, leading an irritated Rukia to demand to know what he wants. Meanwhile, as he runs through the grass, Kon calls out for Ichigo to warn him about Rukia's situation, only to find himself at the edge of a cliff, which he falls over before landing on a kneeling Ichigo's shoulders.

Standing up, an angered Ichigo grabs Kon by the neck and yells at him, but is perturbed upon seeing Kon's tears. Back at Rukia's location, Saidō reveals that the Shinigami in Soul Society are getting irritated and wondering why Rukia has not yet come back, prompting Rukia to assert that she has not returned simply because Hollows keep appearing and she keeps receiving orders to purify them. When Saidō asks her why she is dressed the way she is if this is the case, a flustered Rukia demands to know why it matters how she is dressed while Saidō teasingly notes that she is coming of age and insinuates that she is doing this for Ichigo.

Saidō asks Rukia if she is doing so out of pity or if she is seeking pleasure in the Human World, and while a visibly angered Rukia declares that it is none of his business and threatens to sew his mouth shut, Saidō clutches his shoulders while mocking the idea of her not being able to say out loud that she wants to pursue a romantic relationship with Ichigo, only to quickly leap back upon seeing Rukia charging a Kidō spell in her hands. With his hand on his Zanpakutō, Saidō notes that this does not seem to be the case, which he admits he thought would be a good excuse, and states that he will have to take Rukia back if she does not give him an answer his superiors will like.

Asking Saidō if this is a threat, which he implies to be true, Rukia asserts that she does not plan on returning for a while, prompting Saidō to note that he no longer has a choice as he draws his Zanpakutō and holds it horizontally in front of his face. Suddenly, Kon calls out to Rukia as he and Ichigo run up to her. Ichigo comes to a stop, which causes Kon to run into him, and demands to know who Saidō is, prompting him to express surprise that Ichigo can see him. When Ichigo turns to Kon and asks him who Saidō is, Kon states that he does not know, leading Ichigo to pick him up by the head and remind him that he only came running because Kon said it was an emergency.

Getting Ichigo's attention, Saidō asks him who he is, and despite Rukia frantically telling him to not say anything, Ichigo reveals that he is a Substitute Shinigami. Stunned by this, a laughing Saidō declares that it is too funny before informing Rukia that this is a serious crime, to Ichigo's confusion. As he admits that there is no fun in fighting a Gigai, Saidō rips off his hat and beckons Ichigo to fight before rushing forward, prompting Ichigo and Kon to scream in shock. Ichigo quickly sidesteps a downward slash from Saidō and narrowly avoids a subsequent horizontal slash before shoving his hand into Kon's mouth to grab his pill, to Kon's great discomfort.

As Saidō leaps into the air and declares that it is over, Ichigo swallows Kon's pill, causing his soul to burst out of his body, which surprises Saidō, and blocks Saidō's attack, propelling them both away from each other. While Kon clutches his throat and curses Ichigo, Saidō expresses interest in Ichigo being able to transform like this despite being a Human and asks him how he got this ability, prompting Ichigo to assert that he will not tell Saidō after the latter attacked him for no reason. When Rukia tries to get Ichigo to back down so she can handle it, Ichigo reminds her that she does not have her Zanpakutō and tells Kon to get out of the way.

With Kon leaping away, Ichigo yells and runs forward with his Zanpakutō over his head, leading Saidō to grin as their swords clash. Meanwhile, at Masaki's grave, Karin senses something and stands up, prompting Yuzu to ask her what is wrong. As Karin narrows her eyes, Grand Fisher briefly makes his presence known, shocking her. When Karin asks where Isshin is, Yuzu reveals that he went to talk to the local priest, causing Karin to curse him as she puts her arm in front of Yuzu. Grand Fisher slowly approaches the sisters and declares that they will be keeping him company for a while as sizable bait, and Karin tells a confused Yuzu to run as he laughs.

Elsewhere, in the forest, Saidō leaps into the air and hits Ichigo with a powerful downward slash, which he blocks with some effort, before bouncing off their clash to a tree that he propels himself off of with a grin. Clashing with Ichigo once more, Saidō drops to the ground and kicks Ichigo in the side, prompting Kon to note that he is strong. After getting up from this, Ichigo leaps back and runs toward Saidō before slashing at him, which Saidō sidesteps before preparing to slash at Ichigo in return. Ichigo leans back as Saidō's blade crosses the air where his head had been and blocks a laughing Saidō's subsequent and rapid attacks before Saidō forces him back with a powerful blow.

As Ichigo is sent flying back, a bored Saidō wonders what is wrong with him and asks Ichigo if brute strength is all he has before declaring that he has no idea how to fight. Telling Saidō to shut up, Ichigo screams as he runs toward him while Rukia's Denreishinki starts beeping, prompting her to check it. Ichigo slashes three times at Saidō, who dodges the first two and blocks the third, and as the two clash once more, Saidō asks Rukia what the alert is about. When Rukia reveals that it is a Hollow, Ichigo abandons the fight and runs over to her as he asks her where it is, leading Rukia to state that it is nearby and possesses a large Reiryoku.

Looking at the Denreishinki over Rukia's shoulder, Saidō notes that the Hollow appears to be quite strong, only for Ichigo and Kon to freak out upon noticing him. Ichigo demands to know if Saidō wants to fight again, but Rukia asserts that now is not the time because Ichigo's family could be in danger again, to his shock. When Rukia and Ichigo run off toward the Hollow's presence, a surprised Saidō tells them to wait. Meanwhile, Karin is thrown along the pavement, but when Yuzu calls out to her and begins to approach, Karin begs her to stay away, only to begin screaming in pain when Grand Fisher's hand clamps down and pins her to the ground.

Yuzu runs over to Karin and asks her what is happening before being cut off when one of Grand Fisher's tentacles wraps around her throat and lifts her into the air. As Yuzu continues to ask her what is happening, Karin is pinned further by Grand Fisher. Elsewhere, as he and Rukia run through the forest, Ichigo asks her what Saidō meant by her having committed a serious crime, but Rukia tells him to not worry about her problems and instead focus on saving his family as Saidō runs behind them. Ichigo and Rukia reach a set of stone steps leading to the cemetery, and as they run down them, Ichigo asks Rukia if she is not going to ask him anything about his mother.

Asking Ichigo in return if he would answer her if she did, Rukia asserts that it is his problem and a very deep one before admitting that she has no way of asking about it without tracking mud into his heart. However, Rukia promises to wait until Ichigo is ready to tell her about it, and the two round a corner as they continue running toward Grand Fisher. As he lands behind them, Saidō wonders what he should do about this. Meanwhile, as he continues to pin down Karin, Grand Fisher declares that one hostage is enough and opens his mouth to devour a crying Yuzu, whom he criticizes for being noisy, as Ichigo and Rukia approach his location.

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While rain falls heavily, Ichigo Kurosaki struggles to breath as he reveals that he promised to protect something.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Aisslinger Wernarr
 * 2) Di Roy Rinker
 * 3) Grand Fisher
 * 4) Karin Kurosaki
 * 5) Yuzu Kurosaki
 * 6) Isshin Kurosaki
 * 7) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 8) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 9) Eikichirō Saidō
 * 10) Orihime Inoue
 * 11) Tatsuki Arisawa
 * 12) Masaki Kurosaki (flashback)
 * 13) Kon

Powers And Techniques Used
Hakuda techniques: