The Despicable Shinigami

The Despicable Shinigami is the forty-third episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: August 2, 2005
 * English Airdate: July 28, 2007
 * Opening Song: D-tecnoLife
 * Ending Song: Happypeople
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 120, Chapter 121, Chapter 122, Chapter 123.
 * Kanji: 卑劣な死神
 * Romaji: "Hiretsu na Shinigami"
 * Arc: Soul Society: The Rescue arc

Summary
It is night, and Orihime and Ishida have stopped for the night to sleep. Orihime is attempting to heal Tsubaki. Ishida and Tsubaki both assure Orihime that Tsubaki will be healed. Orihime and Ishida decide to leave later, and Ishida reflects on how Orihime is not suited for battle. They later leave the safety of their hideout, and are stopped by a drunken member of the 11th squad leaving a bar. They claim that they are from 11th, but he recognizes the patch Orihime is wearing as one belonging to the 12th squad, not the 11th. 12th squad members save them, but Ishida is suspicious, as the 11th squad member had every right to suspect them, even though he was drunk. Ishida rescues Orihime just as Kurotsuchi presses a button and attempts to blow them all up. Orihime manages to put up her shield to protect herself, Ishida and the 11th squad member, citing that if Ishida had not pushed her, they would all be toast. Ishida gets mad at Kurotsuchi because he blew up his own squad members, but Kurotsuchi tries to recruit Orihime as a research subject. This just makes Ishida madder, and Ishida uses his powers as a Quincy to threaten Kurotsuchi. Kurotsuchi recognizes Ishida as a Quincy, but claims that his research on Quincys is done. Ishida then orders the 11th squad member to take Orihime and run away. He does so reluctantly, and Kurotsuchi tries to bring them back with his mechanical stretchy arm. Ishida decides to pick a fight with Kurotsuchi by shooting his mechanical stretchy arm.

Meanwhile, Aramaki (the 11th squad member), is forced to knock Orihime out as he runs away. We see him hitting her in the neck, and continuing on his journey to wherever he's going.

Kurotsuchi takes off his arm, and then injects himself and grows another arm. Ishida decides that he should take out Kurotsuchi first, and Kurotsuchi praises his talent as a Quincy. However, as he wants to get to Orihime quickly, he decides to kill Ishida quickly. Nemu decides to step in as they begin to fight, and Kurotsuchi attacks Nemu for trying to step in. He slashes Ishida in the shoulder when he attacks Nemu, and is impressed that Ishida is not in a lot of pain. Kurotsuchi tries to kill Nemu because she asks to be treated, and Kurotsuchi says that she will not die no matter what he does because he built her. Ishida tries to get up, but realizes that he cannot move his arm. Kurotsuchi explains how his Zanpakutou works (he cuts off the opponent's ability to use his muscles, but leaves the pain receptors intact. Basically, the opponent is paralyzed but can still feel pain--a lot of it), and Kurotsuchi taunts Ishida about his "Quincy pride", and tells Ishida about his research on the Quincys. Kurotsuchi claims that the last one was an old man, and Ishida realizes that it was his Sensei/Grandfather, who taught him all about being a Quincy. Ishida releases his power, and swears on the "pride of the Quincy" that he will kill Kurotsuchi.

Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
The featured character is Tetsuzaemon Iba.