Ashido, the Shinigami Who Came from the Past

 is the one hundred and forty-eighth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki and the others continue exploring the Forest of Menos.

Summary
Having soundly overwhelmed Rukia Kuchiki in a clash within his hideout in the Forest of Menos, Ashido Kanō thrusts his Zanpakutō toward her head, but stops short, leaving his blade hanging inches from a surprised Rukia's face for several seconds before standing up, turning around, and sheathing his Zanpakutō as he walks away. When Rukia demands to know what the meaning of this is, Ashido reveals that he was simply testing her strength because the harshness of the area makes it difficult to survive.

Upon being followed out of the cave to the cliff outside by Rukia, Ashido stops her with an outstretched hand and observes that someone is fighting, prompting Rukia to identify the Reiatsu as belonging to Ichigo Kurosaki and her other friends. Aghast at Ichigo's group fighting in such a brazen way that they are attracting Menos Grande to themselves, Ashido prepares to head out, and when Rukia asks him to wait, Ashido tells her to stay here, but Rukia insists on going because they are the friends she came here with. In turn, Ashido requests to know Rukia's name, only to begin leaping away before she can state her division placement.

With Rukia following Ashido, Ichigo fires a vertical Getsuga Tenshō that slices cleanly through a Menos Grande's head, destroying it instantly, and lands on a tree branch below to find several more Menos Grande charging and firing massive red Ceros, one of which engulfs him and the tree he was standing on. Emerging from this unscathed, Ichigo runs through the smoke and wonders why so many Menos Grande are coming to replace the ones he defeats while Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai join him in running and suggest that they flee since they will never defeat this many Menos Grande.

When Sado questions what they are going to do about Nel Tu, Pesche Guatiche, and Dondochakka Birstanne, Ichigo asserts that they will save the Arrancar and responds to Uryū bringing up Rukia by promising that they will find her once they ensure the safety of the former group since they are more at risk. Suddenly, Bawabawa slithers up in front of Ichigo's group and tells them to follow him since he knows where his friends are, leading Ichigo, Sado, Uryū, and Renji to jump onto Bawabawa's back as he slithers away through the smoke, evading several more Ceros from the Menos Grande in the process and disappearing into the trees.

Elsewhere, Teres Holcan, Vecuness, Aromazon, and Parateraul fall into the Forest of Menos and land before a fallen, cracked tree, where Parateraul notes that the area is noisy today. With Vecuness wondering if this is the work of the intruders and Aromazon assuming that what Las Noches said was true, Teres denies this and declares that it is Ashido, whom he expresses irritation at the continued survival of. However, Parateraul draws their attention to the interior of the cracked tree, where Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka sit trembling in the middle of a large group of Hollows surrounding them, intriguing Teres as he and the others enter.

Inferring that these are friends of the intruders, Teres muses that they have something useful and wraps his tail around Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka, whom he lifts into the air and promises that they will find out what he plans to do with them. After telling the other Hollows to search for the intruders, Teres throws Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka into a side chamber covered in moss and chuckles while they demand to be let out. Meanwhile, Rukia and Ashido leap between tree branches toward the site of the battle, but discover that they have arrived in the aftermath when they move to the scarred ground and fallen trees below with Shunpo.

As Rukia confirms that Ichigo and the others fought here and ruminates on where they might have gone, Aromazon inquires about whether she is the intruder and appears behind her with Sonído prior to throwing a punch that Rukia evades with Shunpo. After looking over a laughing Aromazon, a shocked Rukia deduces that he is an Adjuchas due to his size and his Reiatsu being greater than that of a Menos Grande. Before Aromazon can punch Rukia again, Ashido tells her to stand back and jumps into the air to come down on Aromazon's right wrist with a slash, only for an unharmed Aromazon to force Ashido back with a swipe of his arm.

Upon recognizing Ashido, who comments on him being here too, Aromazon throws a punch that Ashido dodges with Shunpo before grazing Aromazon's mask with a slash that shatters a small piece of it. Irritated by this, Aromazon begins performing rapid consecutive punches with his left fist that Ashido continually evades with Shunpo. When Ashido succeeds in wounding him with an upward slash through his left arm, a panting Aromazon reappears several meters away with Sonído and respond to Ashido reassuming a battle stance by calling out the Menos Grande, who emerge from between the trees while Aromazon laughs maniacally.

With Rukia astonished that he can control Gillians like this, Aromazon has the Menos Grande fire their Ceros in unison, forcing Rukia and Ashido to leap away as the trees behind where they were standing are obliterated by the energy beams. Though Rukia is concerned about what will happen at this rate, Ashido instructs her to not worry about the Menos Grande and to stay here prior to running back toward the Menos Grande through the branches. When Aromazon has the Menos Grande fire their Ceros again, Ashido blocks them by holding one of the masks from his coat on his arm and vertically bifurcates a stunned Aromazon, who screams as he fades away.

Following this, Ashido quickly cuts each Menos Grande in half horizontally, causing them to disintegrate as well, and returns to Rukia while sheathing his Zanpakutō. Amazed that Ashido is strong enough to have done this without using a Bankai, Rukia asks him about who Aromazon was, prompting Ashido to explain that Adjuchas are the second-highest rank of Menos above Gillians and question if Aromazon was the first one Rukia ever saw. When Rukia confirms this and ponders how Adjuchas can control Gillians, Ashido reveals they only appeared recently and asks about what has happened in Soul Society since the the Hollows' power level has changed.

After Ashido brings up Shinigami like Rukia suddenly appearing here as well, Rukia reflects on Sōsuke Aizen obtaining the Hōgyoku and defecting from Soul Society before simply telling Ashido that Soul Society is not unchanging and that several troublesome things have happened there to lead to this. Staring at Rukia in silence for several seconds after this, Ashido affirms that he understands and decides that they should look elsewhere for Rukia's friends. Once Rukia and Ashido depart with Shunpo, Vecuness informs Teres that Aromazon was defeated, and when Teres assumes that it was Ashido, Vecuness notes that another Reiatsu is present.

With Vecuness confirming that this was another Shinigami intruder, Teres ponders one of Ashido's allies being here and looks to the side chamber while deciding to make use of Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka. During this, Rukia and Ashido destroy multiple Menos Grande with powerful slashes and move to a pathway between two rows of trees, where Rukia observes that this area is more like a nest than a forest, leading Ashido to affirm that it is a nest of Hollows and begin to walk away. However, Ashido stops for a moment and admits that he seems to have underestimated Rukia's strength since she is clearly strong enough to fight the Adjuchas.

Once she and Ashido resume walking down the path, Rukia mentions that she has been wondering about something, and when Ashido questions what this is, Rukia asks him why he wears the mask on his face, but assures him that he does not have to tell her if he does not want to. Despite this, Ashido takes off the mask to reveal his face, surprising Rukia, and reveals that he came here several hundred years ago by chasing a Hollow into Hueco Mundo and ending up in the Forest of Menos before he knew it, where he has spent a mind-numbing amount of time slaying Hollows. When Rukia inquires about whether there is a way out of the area, Ashido affirms that there is.

However, Ashido asserts that he has not used this exit because he is a Shinigami and elaborates to a stunned Rukia that all the Hollows who appear in the Human World likely go there from this location, meaning that him staying here and purifying as many as he can means that Humans will end up suffering less harm. With Ashido asking her if there have been fewer Hollow appearances, Rukia is reluctant to answer and responds to Ashido inferring from her expression that there have not by apologetically stating that she cannot lie about this. In turn, Ashido assures her that there is no need to apologize and begins walking away, with a startled Rukia joining him.

In a different part of the Forest of Menos, several Hollows gather around a large fire in a cavern and cackle while Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka huddle in the side chamber, with Dondochakka observing that they seem to be celebrating and Nel tearfully wondering if they are going to enjoy eating her, Pesche, and Dondochakka. As the three of them proclaim that they do not want this, Dondochakka has a realization and asks Nel if she has been keeping her hood covering her head the whole time. Once Nel confirms this, Pesche and Dondochakka grab Nel by the arms and run past the two Hollow guards out of the chamber and into the fire, which dissipates.

After coughing profusely in the clearing smoke, Pesche and Dondochakka present Nel as an Arrancar created by Aizen and the lord of the assembled Hollows, who growl at this until Pesche draws their attention to the cracked mask atop Nel's head, causing them to kneel in deference. While Nel and Pesche celebrate this, Dondochakka tells the Hollows that Nel is searching for an exit from the Forest of Menos and inquires if any of them know where it is, which prompts one of the Hollows to inform him that they can go through the hole in the nearby rock ledge. With Nel and Dondochakka walking toward this, Pesche tells the Hollows his mask is slightly cracked too.

Leaving the Hollows to express amazement at this, Pesche joins Nel and Dondochakka in striding triumphantly toward the exit, but as Dondochakka declares that their plan was a great success, Parateraul congratulates them and asserts that it is time for his own plan now. Despite Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka pointing out how Nel is an Arrancar once again, Parateraul merely dismisses this as irrelevant to his plan, which they dumbfoundedly accept. Simultaneously, Rukia and Ashido reach a rock clearing in the trees with a small patch of greenery dotted with stones on one side of a large ridge in the center of the area, which Rukia is left confused by.

When Ashido reveals that this is the place where they first arrived in the Forest of Menos, Rukia deduces that he was not alone when he came here, leading Ashido to confirm that he had teammates. In the past, Ashido and his fellow Shinigami slay dozens of Hollows in the Seireitei as one coordinated group while protecting each other as well, with one particular Shinigami saving Ashido from a Hollow attacking him from behind, which Ashido grins at. When the Hollows begin retreating to Hueco Mundo via a massive Garganta, Ashido and his team pursue them within, only to find themselves within the clearing in the Forest of Menos on the other side.

Suddenly, hundreds of Hollows appear in the clearing and rush toward the Shinigami, who begin fiercely battling them. Though the Shinigami initially withstand this assault, the sheer number of Hollows and the arrival of the Menos Grande, who blast the Shinigami with Ceros, end up overwhelming them and leading to most of the Shinigami being killed. Eventually, Ashido leaves the Shinigami who saved him earlier by a tree to recover from his injuries and runs off to continue the battle, but the Shinigami is attacked by a Hollow bearing the mask that Ashido would go on to wear and only manages to slice it off before dying from being impaled by the Hollow's talon.

Stricken with grief upon seeing this and blaming himself for the deaths of his comrades, Ashido screams in rage, and when the Menos Grande fire their Ceros at him, Ashido picks up the mask and uses it as a shield to block the Ceros without injury prior to leaping forward and furiously attacking the Menos Grande. In the present, after concluding that he chose to uphold the vow he made with his comrades to protect Human Souls by fighting here and has done so ever since, Ashido clarifies that he asked Rukia about whether the number of Hollow appearances had decreased so he could report it to his comrades rather than learn about the results of his efforts.

When Rukia apologizes again, Ashido reiterates that there is no reason to apologize and asserts that she should return to Soul Society as soon as she reunites with her friends because there is no need for reinforcements here if the number of Hollow appearances have not already dropped. However, Rukia refuses to do so and informs Ashido that she is headed to Las Noches, which prompts a startled Ashido to warn her that there are Vasto Lorde who cannot be defeated with average skills within that area. A smiling Rukia acknowledges this and explains that they are saving an important friend prior to assuring Ashido that he does not need to worry since she is not alone.

With Ashido smiling slightly at Rukia promising that they will all work together to save her, Rukia inquires about why he brought her to this place, and as he looks at the mask of the Hollow who killed his comrade, Ashido observes that Rukia would respond, ask questions, and speak whenever he talked, which he wanted his comrades to hear. Upon learning this, a stunned Rukia turns around and realizes that the rocks dotting the green area behind her are gravestones while Ashido states that his comrades have not heard the voice of another Shinigami since they came here and smiles at Rukia before putting the mask back on, which Rukia smiles at in turn.

Suddenly, the two of them are interrupted by a brief surge of Reiatsu, which Rukia realizes belongs to her friends when Ashido wonders what it is, leading the two of them to depart with Shunpo. After moving across a considerable distance, Rukia and Ashido land in another clearing between trees, where they are left confused by the absence of Rukia's friends and their Reiatsu that was sensed here. From a tree behind Rukia and Ashido, Vecuness proclaims that he wiped out the remnants of that Reiatsu in order to ambush them and summons dozens of Menos Grande, who completely fill the space surrounding the clearing and intimidate Rukia with their numbers.

Once Ashido assures Rukia that the Menos Grande will move slower if they defeat him, Vecuness orders the Menos Grande to fire their Ceros, forcing Rukia and Ashido to move to separate trees with Shunpo while the resulting and combined energy blasts destroy the nearby trees. Leaping off their trees, Rukia and Ashido respectively dodge and block more Ceros from the Menos Grande and slash at Vecuness in unison with their Zanpakutō, forcing him to block with his wrists by crossing his arms in front of himself. With their attacks having slightly cut into Vecuness's arms, Rukia and Ashido move away with Shunpo once more.

When he notices Rukia on the ground below, Vecuness has the Menos Grande fire their Ceros at her location, forcing her to evade with Shunpo and move behind a nearby tree. As Ashido calls out to her in concern, Rukia watches the Menos Grande approach the tree she is hiding behind, but is caught off-guard when Vecuness appears behind her and stabs his talon toward her face. Upon seeing this, Ashido remembers his comrade dying in exactly the same way and moves between Rukia and Vecuness to intercept the blow, resulting in his mask being split down the middle and shattered while he is sent flying back, to Rukia's shock.

Arrancar Encyclopedia
Gin Ichimaru announces that he will be discussing the Forest of Menos today and explains how the Menos Grandes who live in there can be tamed and made to follow orders. When Pesche Guatiche leaps onto the nose of a Menos Grande and demands that it follow his orders, Gin informs him that they will only follow the orders of Sōsuke Aizen and the guardians of the Forest of Menos, prompting an outraged Pesche to assert that Gin should have told him this earlier and kick the Menos Grande's face. With the Menos Grande's eyes glowing red in response to this, Gin concludes that a Hollow being attacked will summon his friends as dozens of other Menos Grande appear behind a terrified Pesche, who reiterates that Gin should have said this earlier.

Events

 * Trapped In The Forest of Menos

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:

Hohō Techniques:

Hollow Techniques:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai: