Hitsugaya Strikes! Slice the Enemy in the Middle of the Forest

 is the ninety-seventh episode of the Bleach anime.

Ran'Tao reveals the reason behind her resemblance to Yoshino Sōma while 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya faces off against Maki Ichinose.

Summary
In the forest of Kusajishi in Soul Society, dozens of men work at chopping and pulling down large trees using axes and rope while in the Seireitei, 10th Division 7th Seat Kōkichirō Takezoe informs his captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, that they have confirmed strange movements in Kusajishi and elaborates that someone has hired many villagers to cut down trees in the forest, alerting Rangiku as Hitsugaya questions if it is the work of the Bount.

Noting that it seems like a bookie of one of the multiple gambling halls in Kusajishi is behind this on the surface, Kōkichirō confirms Hitsugaya's suspicion that someone is pulling the strings by revealing that he also has information pertaining to this. When Rangiku inquires about what they should do, Hitsugaya asserts that this is the clue they have been waiting for and that they will need to do a search, which Rangiku assumes they will send a subordinate in the Tenth Division to perform.

However, a smiling Hitsugaya tells her that they will be visiting 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and with Rangiku surprised by this, Hitsugaya explains that he wants Renji to come with them because the latter has had the most contact with the Bount of anyone in the Seireitei. Elsewhere, Ganju Shiba huddles with Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Kurōdo, and Noba alongside the members of the Kusajishi Bull's Gang while Daiji Hirasago approaches them with a report from the man he put on reconnaissance. Upon being asked by Ganju by Jin Kariya's movements, Daiji observes that the Bount have gathered an impressive number of people in a short period of time.

Daiji details how they are gathering ruffians from across Kusajishi who lack Reiryoku despite their toughness, which means that they could not defeat Shinigami even in large numbers, but Ganju points out that the Shinigami would not fight seriously against residents of the Rukongai and that it is a huge burden to fight continuously while holding back, which Daiji acknowledges. After Ganju theorizes that the Bount will be thinking of more than one way to attack the Seireitei due to their already small numbers, Daiji questions what Ganju will do about this, prompting Ganju to declare that they are going to stop the Bount and bring up how the Kusajishi residents are unruly to begin with.

As he states that they will make it easier for the Shinigami to fight the residents of Kusajishi by breaking up the crowd, Ganju concludes that this is what he has to consult Daiji about and calls him brother while wrapping his arm around Daiji's shoulders, though the latter expresses confusion and exasperation at Ganju suddenly acting like they are close. Assuring Daiji that he does not need to worry about it and pointing out how they do not have much time, Ganju requests that Daiji gather as many of his allies as he can. When Daiji wonders why Ganju is so passionate about this, Ganju explains that a close friend of his is working hard to do something about the Bount and that he wants to help.

With Daiji picking up on Ganju's mention of a friend, Orihime infers that Ganju is referring to Ichigo Kurosaki as Kurōdo celebrates how friendship means that no one is ever alone and proclaims that nothing is more important than helping each other out, only for Ganju to demand that he shut up and clarify that he does not want Ichigo to die after the terrible time he had with the Bount. Though he mocks Ganju for being able to speak of friendship like this without feeling even a little embarrassed, Daiji agrees to help Ganju since he never liked the bookie to begin with and identifies himself by his real name, leading Orihime to realize "The Bull of Kusajishi" is not his real name.

When asked by Sado why he goes by this name, Daiji simply declares that it is cool, which Ganju endorses as a stunned Orihime and Sado observe that they are very alike, before ordering Komae, Max, and Ellie to round up some sturdy men. Back in the Seireitei, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, his lieutenant Nanao Ise, and 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake watch from the pavilion at the base of the steps to Senzaikyū as dozens of Shinigami work on repairing and reconstructing the buildings destroyed by the bombs on the previous day, where Shunsui notes that they have become quite good at repairs as Nanao attributes this to the Ryoka invasions.

However, Ukitake reminds them that nothing is resolved even if they finish the repairs and wonders who set the bombs to what end, leading 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi to suggest that it might have been a diversion created by the Bount after their arrival while approaching them with his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi. Shunsui asserts that there is no point to such a diversion if the buildings are repaired, but Mayuri calls him naïve and brings up how this kind of distraction also causes mental shocks, with the entirety of the Seireitei being in chaos right now, as he claims that everyone must have become lazy if intruders were able to enter the Seireitei so easily.

Suddenly, while moving to walk away, Mayuri stops in his tracks and stares in shock at the idea that the bombing was a diversion. With Shunsui and Ukitake questioning what is wrong and if he has figured something out, Mayuri expresses disbelief and claims to have something important to attend to before briskly walking away with Nemu, leaving Shunsui, Nanao, and Ukitake visibly confused. Meanwhile, in Ran'Tao's underground dwelling, a sleeping Ichigo wakes up screaming and mutters about an exploding egg prior to seeing soup boiling in the pot in front of him. As they sit around the pot, Ririn wonders what kind of dream Ichigo had and Uryū Ishida asserts that he sleeps for too long.

Entering the room from the stairs, Ran'Tao observes that Ichigo is finally awake and invites the three of them to eat. After the soup is finished, Ichigo lies on his side as Uryū decides to pick up from where they left off yesterday. With Ran'Tao apologizing for falling asleep halfway through, Uryū hesitantly brings up her face, to her confusion, and details how they met a Bount named Yoshino Sōma in the Human World whose face looked exactly like Ran'Tao's, which he wants to know the meaning of. While Ririn proclaims that she wants to know as well and Ichigo stares silently, Ran'Tao theorizes that Yoshino is probably a copy of her, astonishing Ichigo, Uryū, and Ririn.

Ran'Tao elaborates that the experiment to create immortal Souls which created the Bount used Gikon, or artificial Souls, based on the Souls of the researchers instead of ordinary Souls to experiment on. As Ririn picks up on the mention of Gikon, Ran'Tao explains how there was a moral quandary with using Human Souls even though it was mathematically possible to create immortal life, which led them to create Gikon based on their own Souls instead that went through a sudden mutation during the experiment and were incorporated into the cycle of rebirth, with her concluding that their incredible power is to be expected due to their own Souls being derived from Shinigami Souls.

When Uryū realizes that this is why Bount can use Dolls like Shinigami use their Zanpakutō, Ran'Tao confirms this and notes that Gikon research grew in the aftermath, leading to Gikongan and Modified Soul technology being developed, leading a stunned Ririn to declare that this means the Bount are essentially her distant relatives. Upon hearing this, Ichigo deduces that Ririn and her fellow Mod-Souls can have Bount sensor abilities because they are based on the same technology as Ran'Tao admits that she believed the Gikon would not have the features of the Shinigami they were based on directly surface after entering the cycle of rebirth.

After affirming that Yoshino indeed looked like Ran'Tao when the latter inquires about this, Uryū coldly reveals that Kariya killed her, leaving the four of them in silence as Ran'Tao processes this prior to Ichigo concluding that they must stop the Bount as soon as possible. At dusk, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki grabs his Zanpakutō in his office and prepares to leave, which prompts his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, to ask him if he is going to meet Maki Ichinose. Affirming this, Kenpachi informs her that Hitsugaya has been able to track and locate him, and in response, Yachiru declares that she is going as well since she also wants to meet Ichinose.

That night, back in Kusajishi, Kariya oversees the villagers hammering, sawing, and dragging the tree trunks around a large area alongside Tōba, Yoshi, Mabashi, and Sawatari, where he instructs them to rest for a moment and listen to him. Once all the villagers stop what they are doing and listen to him, Kariya commends their courage and reminds them that this is their fight, since they were controlled and discriminated against even though they are also from Soul Society. Kariya asserts that they are released and free as of tonight before proclaiming that they will commence an attack on the Seireitei and need the villagers' help, causing them to cheer loudly while Kariya smirks.

Simultaneously, at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Mayuri sits before his computer and takes what he is seeing on its screen as proof that he was right. When asked what is wrong by Nemu, Mayuri reveals that the one who snuck into the Seireitei and set the bombs was Ichinose, which he proves by bringing up footage of the central Senkaimon opening and closing multiple times in recent days despite no Shinigami passing through it and adding a Reiatsu filter to it that shows an invisible Ichinose exiting the Senkaimon into the Seireitei, as he was not able to completely suppress his Reiatsu during this process, something only Mayuri himself noticed.

With Mayuri concluding that Ichinose has been surreptitiously breaking into the database to make alterations and hide information, which he claims will not work on him, a chuckling Mayuri informs Nemu that Ichinose's Shikai, Nijigasumi, can use light refraction to make him invisible while the Bount have a special technique to hide their Reiatsu, something Ichinose would use if he had access to it, meaning that Ichinose made himself invisible to create diversions in the Seireitei while he accessed the database. After running a search pattern for alterations made by Ichinose, Mayuri affirms the results as proving Ichinose could not normally accomplish this without being caught.

However, Mayuri is left aghast when he comes across the data regarding the Quincy Bangle and identifies it as the data they retrieved after it was erased, which Nemu confirms. After recalling how he thought of using Quincy power to draw the Bount to Soul Society when he saw this data, Mayuri realizes that Ichinose showed him this data to manipulate him and begins shaking Nemu by the collar as he concludes that the Bount had Uryū use his Heilig Bogen so they could enter Soul Society, leaving him trembling in rage at the Bount for tricking him like this. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya sits with Renji in the forest of Fugai and gets to his feet while looking up.

Rangiku drops down from above the trees and lands in front of Hitsugaya and Renji to reveal that the Kusajishi villagers are gathering deep in the forest, which leads Hitsugaya to note that their intelligence indicates an alarming number of villagers have been gathered while Renji brings up how this has caused the area surrounding Kusajishi to become fairly quiet as a result. When asked what they will do, Hitsugaya decides that they have to go since they have come this far and cautions Renji and Rangiku against harming the villagers if possible since they are still Rukongai residents. Acknowledging this, Renji picks up and holsters his sheathed Zanpakutō while preparing to head out.

Suddenly, Rangiku inquires if Renji's Zanpakutō is alright, and when he expresses confusion at this, Rangiku brings up his recent usage of Higa Zekkō in the Human World and how his Zanpakutō must not have recovered yet. Though Renji assures her that he does not need to use his Shikai on villagers, Hitsugaya questions what he will do if the Bount come out and tells a stumped Renji that he can run back to the Seireitei as a messenger if this occurs before departing with him and Rangiku. Elsewhere, Ichigo stands outside the entrance to Ran'Tao's dwelling with her, Ririn, and Uryū as he informs Ran'Tao that Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka told him the Bount are in the Kusajishi forest.

When Uryū wonders what she will be doing, Ran'Tao points out how this is unlikely to be the only thing the Bount are doing and notes that she has something to prepare just in case. After Ran'Tao agrees to meet up with him and Uryū afterward, Ichigo inquires about how long the Quincy Bangle will actually hold up, which prompts Ran'Tao to admit that she does not know if it will become useless today or tomorrow, only to warn Uryū that it could blow away everything in a radius of several kilometers if it were to detonate. Left nervous by this alongside Ichigo, Uryū claims that there is no reason to get scared at this point and walks away, leaving a startled Ichigo to run after him.

Back at the logging operation in Kusajishi, Gō Koga informs Kariya that their preparations for a surprise attack on the Seireitei are on schedule, which pleases Kariya, while Ichinose approaches and reveals that several Shinigami, including a captain, are approaching their location. As Ichinose suggests that he stay here to deal with them, Kariya observes that things will be easier later if they deal with the Shinigami now and permits Ichinose to do as he wishes, which Ichinose affirms. Meanwhile, in the forest, Rangiku runs up to a villager and jabs him in the stomach with the handle of her sheathed Zanpakutō, knocking him unconscious and causing him to collapse.

Having incapacitated all the other villagers in the clearing, Rangiku looks up at Hitsugaya, who crouches on a tree branch and notes that the Bount are undoubtedly up ahead. With Rangiku observing how strange it is for there to be so few people here and Renji asking him what they should do, Hitsugaya orders them to split up and move ahead before they all depart with Shunpo. At the now-empty logging yard, Ichinose stands alone in the middle of the clearing as Hitsugaya runs out of the trees and realizes that he has found one. After Ichinose identifies himself in response to Hitsugaya demanding to know who he is, Hitsugaya questions if he is the Shinigami who has been helping the Bount.

Ichinose denies being a Shinigami any longer and claims that he is now a comrade of the great Kariya. When Hitsugaya demands to know where the Bount are, Ichinose unsheathes his Zanpakutō and asserts that he does not need to answer Hitsugaya, who decides to force an answer out of him and assumes a battle stance alongside Ichinose before the two of them rush forward and clash in a shower of sparks. With Ichinose managing to pin Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō underneath his own, Hitsugaya is left perplexed at Ichinose helping the Bount when he has so much skill, and when Ichinose explains that he saw Kariya's goal as justice, Hitsugaya is further confused, leading Ichinose to state there is no justice in Soul Society.

However, as Ichinose concludes that Kariya will purge the Shinigami, he is visibly alarmed and leaps back with Shunpo to separate himself from a startled Hitsugaya while Ichigo knocks out a villager in the nearby forest and walks into the clearing with Ririn and Uryū. Informally greeting an annoyed Hitsugaya, Ichigo asks him about what is going on in this forest as Rangiku appears next to them alongside Renji with Shunpo and reports that there really are too few villagers in the surrounding forest. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble, prompting Ichigo and his friends to look into the forest and see a protesting Orihime riding on Nanny with Sado holding the reins behind her.

After Nanny slides to a halt, a stunned Ichigo wonders why Orihime is here, which prompts her to reveal that Ganju and the others are currently routing the villagers as Ganju and Daiji's gangs incapacitate the villagers in the forest with their boars and refuse to let any of them get away. Orihime elaborates that they accompanied Ganju to the forest in order to stop the villagers gathering in it, but Kurōdo declares that there are too few people present, and as Hitsugaya questions what this means, a shocked Sado recalls facing off against Sawatari, who can manipulate space in a manner similar to Noba, leading Rangiku to affirm this while Ichinose informs them Kariya's forces are at the Seireitei.

Simultaneously, at the Black Ridge Gate along the Seireiheki, Danzōmaru stands guard and finds himself confronted by Yoshi and Mabashi. When Danzōmaru demands to know if they are Bount, a laughing Yoshi inquires about why it matters if she is as Koga approaches Jidanbō Ikkanzaka at the White Road Gate and identifies himself as a Bount prior to requesting that Jidanbō let him inside the Seireitei. With Jidanbō refusing to do so, Koga concludes that he will have to force his way in and summons his Doll, Dalk. Later, as morning dawns, Jidanbō lies defeated before Koga as Sawatari's Doll, Baura, surfaces behind the latter.

Baura opens his mouth and releases a large siege engine, along with hundreds of villagers, that had been contained within his stomach, allowing the villagers to place the engine at the White Road Gate and begin preparing to pull it open while an announcer within the Seireitei warns the Gotei 13 of this development. With another siege engine being placed at the Black Ridge Gate with hundreds more villagers, Kariya stands alongside Yoshi and Mabashi as he smiles maliciously.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
At a meeting of the Shinigami Women's Association, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto hands presents to the other members; a black cat plushie for 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, snacks for 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, a pennant for 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, a miniature bear statue for 13th Division 3rd Seat Kiyone Kotetsu, a small shield emblazoned with "willpower" for 12th Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi, and a swimsuit bikini for 8th Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise, who is alarmed at how thin it is and enraged to learn that her captain, Shunsui Kyōraku, asked Rangiku to buy some attractive clothes for her.

Events

 * The Seireitei Siege

Powers and Techniques Used
Hohō Techniques:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Dolls summoned:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Other powers: