Urahara's Decision, Orihime's Thoughts

 is the one hundred and twenty-seventh episode of the Bleach anime.

Orihime Inoue is told that she will not be allowed to fight in the upcoming battles.

Summary
At an apartment complex in Karakura Town, 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa laughs uproariously at 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, who has been forced to wear a gaudy shirt with hearts and a cute bear on the front. After an annoyed Ikkaku headbutts Yumichika and tells him to shut up, 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto appears between them and cackles at Ikkaku's appearance as well, to his and Yumichika's shock.

When Ikkaku demands to know how she got in, Rangiku points out how the front door was unlocked, which she considers a sign of poor security, and questions what the Human World has done to Ikkaku's fashion sense, leading him to clarify that he got this from the landlady of the complex and respond to Rangiku's disbelief over wearing whatever is given to him by refusing to complain about the clothes he is given when he and Yumichika have free room and board here. With a surprised Rangiku noting that she complains constantly about her food and clothing, Ikkaku asks Yumichika about who Rangiku is staying with.

In turn, Yumichika reveals that it is Orihime Inoue, whom even he is beginning to feel sorry for despite her being a Human. When Keigo Asano opens the front door and tentatively asks Ikkaku and Yumichika how things are going, he sees Rangiku's breasts and lunges toward her in rapturous glee over them coming before him once more. However, upon being nonchalantly struck in the face by Rangiku's leg, Keigo intercepts her strike by holding his arms in front of his face and slides several feet back otherwise unharmed, to her alarm, prior to proclaiming that he has been underestimated and will never fall for the same technique twice.

Despite this, Rangiku simply kicks him directly in the face with the tip of her foot, knocking him unconscious as Ikkaku chastises Rangiku for being so brutal when Keigo just wanted to jump her. Suddenly, Mizuho Asano enthusiastically opens the door and inquires about Ikkaku's behavior, but briefly mistakes the apartment for someone else's upon seeing Rangiku and angrily demands to know what she is doing here while Ikkaku suggests that a bemused Rangiku do what she came here to do and go since it is going to get messy. Meanwhile, at the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara welcomes Orihime, who has been brought here by Yoruichi Shihōin.

After observing that they have not seen each other in quite some time and that it is nice to have a young woman stop by the office since he has been watching two sweaty men fight each other for multiple days now, though Yoruichi sardonically questions if this means that she is not a woman and responds with disdain when Urahara claims to be referring solely to the Study Chamber and assures her that she makes the shop upstairs quite pleasant, Urahara sets down a small table next to the sparring between Yasutora Sado and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, which startles Orihime as Yoruichi notes that they are loud like usual.

When Renji seemingly incapacitates Sado with a powerful blow and announces that he is done for the day, Urahara prevents Orihime from rushing to Sado's side and instructs Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu Tsumugiya, and Ririn to wake him up, with Ririn asserting that he will recover as soon as she sprinkles magic water from a teapot on him and Kurōdo proclaiming that the Mod-Souls are with him, but Sado insists he can keep going and gets to his feet while Ririn refutes his statement that this is no problem and Kurōdo warns him that even things one thinks they can do can lead to tragedy afterward, though Noba berates him for talking too much.

Once Sado re-manifests his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, and attacks Renji, who slams him into the side of a large rock with his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, to the Mod-Souls' surprise, Orihime inquires about what Urahara wishes to discuss. Urahara brings up Rangiku stopping by earlier to relay Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's warning about Sōsuke Aizen seeking to create an Ōken and admits that it caught all of them by surprise as he ruminates on how they and Soul Society must prepare to fight a battle this winter that will shed more blood than ever before and require them to be stronger than ever before.

However, when Orihime affirms this and declares that she wants to get stronger too while Sado and Renji land nearby and prepare to continue, Urahara acknowledges this before telling Orihime that she will not be fighting with them this time, leaving her, Sado, and Renji stunned while Urahara brings up Tsubaki being destroyed by Yammy Llargo the other day. Upon being asked if he has been repaired, Orihime admits that he was so badly broken that she does not even know how to fix him, which prompts Urahara to elaborate that Tsubaki is her only offensive weapon and that it is out of the question for her to even consider participating in the battle without him.

In response, Sado interjects and asserts that they cannot leave Orihime behind when she is a friend of theirs who fought hard in Soul Society and against the Bount that wishes to get stronger, only for Urahara to call this an emotional argument and ask Sado if he wants Orihime to get killed. Denying this, Sado claims that her ability to protect and heal people is more valuable than fighting, but Urahara counters that the defensive capabilities of Santen Kesshun are too limited to be useful in the upcoming battle and that the Fourth Division can take care of their casualties with Captain Retsu Unohana and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu on the front lines.

With Urahara concluding that Orihime's powers will not be needed and that a warrior who cannot fight will only hold them back despite Sado's continued protests, Orihime assures Sado that it is okay and thanks both him and Urahara prior to bidding them farewell and running off. Before Sado can follow her, Renji grabs him by the shoulder and states that Urahara is right since the Fourth Division has had combat training in addition to their Kaidō specialization and Orihime's abilities do not change the fact that she is a Human whose personality precludes her from being a warrior, meaning that this may be a good time for her to drop out.

As they watch Orihime run off, Sado and the Mod-Souls express concern for her. Rushing up the ladder from the Study Chamber to the Urahara Shop and to the shop's sliding front door soon afterward, Orihime is stunned to find Rukia Kuchiki standing on the other side, and as a surprised Rukia questions what is wrong, Orihime hunches over and begins crying in front of her, to Rukia's further distress. Later that night, Rukia sits on the rooftop of a building with Orihime and is informed of Urahara's decision on Orihime not joining the upcoming battle, prompting an outraged Rukia to call Urahara a jerk and express sympathy for Orihime.

When the latter claims that she feels better after talking to Rukia and that Urahara is correct in saying she is not strong enough for this, Rukia angrily grabs Orihime by the collar and denies this on the grounds of Orihime having done her share of fighting up until now and even traveling to Soul Society to fight, which is why she should be mad at being dismissed like this. However, Orihime insists that she is not mad or lying and clarifies that she is just sad because she wants to fight with the rest of them while also not wanting to be a burden to anyone else, which means that she would rather be sad than hinder Ichigo Kurosaki or anyone else.

In response, a sympathetic Rukia assures Orihime that those who lack spirit are the ones who cause problems on the battlefield rather than those who lack power and that not one of Ichigo's group was a hindrance in the battle in Soul Society since she would be dead right now had Orihime, Ichigo, Sado, or Uryū Ishida not been there. With Rukia concluding that there has to be something Orihime can do to make herself fit for this battle and proposing that they find it together, Hiyori Sarugaki suddenly crashes down next to a startled Rukia and Orihime, the latter of whom she grabs by the collar and informs that she is going to see Hachigen Ushōda by request.

Hiyori proceeds to leap into the air with a confused and screaming Orihime, leaving Rukia to wonder who she was. Some time later, Hiyori dumps Orihime in the Study Chamber beneath the Visored warehouse and questions if this is what Hachigen wanted. Upon noticing Orihime and being told that his break is over, Ichigo demands to know what the Visored want with Orihime, but is slammed into a large rock by Hiyori hitting him with Super Harisen Slipper, to his irritation. With the two of them resuming their training, Hachigen introduces himself and sits ponderously before a nervous Orihime, who inquires about what he wanted to talk about.

Suddenly, Hachigen twists Orihime's head to the left, to her distress, and confirms from looking at Orihime's hairpins that they are the source of her power and almost like Zanpakutō, only to bring up one of them being damaged, which has bothered him ever since she first showed up in the Study Chamber. Then Orihime explains that it was broken and that she cannot fix it, Hachigen cheerfully offers to fix it for her, causing Orihime to cheer in excitement as an unnerved Kensei Muguruma tells Hachigen that he can stop holding her head now. Nearby, Mashiro Kuna throws a tantrum over Hachigen fixing Orihime's weapon and demands that the latter be forced to leave.

As an irritated Kensei admonishes her for this, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi notes that Hachigen probably feels happy because the Visored rarely meet people with abilities similar to their own, which likely feels like discovering a long-lost relative similar to how Hiyori feels about finding Ichigo. While Ichigo continues to train with Hiyori nearby, Hachigen lays Orihime's broken hairpin inside a cubical barrier and recounts her explanation of not being allowed to fight since it was broken into too many pieces for her to fix, though Orihime notes that this is not correct and is just close enough due to having explained it five times already.

However, Hachigen muses that Orihime possessing powers very much like his own means that she should be able to restore these broken pieces with ease as Tsubaki suddenly pops back into existence, due to the hairpin being repaired, and berates an amazed Orihime for her expression. Watching an overjoyed Orihime cuddle an outraged Tsubaki to her face and thank him for enabling this, Hachigen observes that she should be able to join the front line with Tsubaki restored, but advises her against doing so since their abilities being similar means that she is not suited for combat, especially against the Arrancar.

When Orihime responds to being asked if she still wants to fight by confidently declaring that she she does, an understanding Hachigen assures her that she will and notes that she does not fully understand her abilities yet and must find a solution that will allow her to fight prior to reminding Orihime that what matters is how she wants to be rather than how she should be, which Orihime thanks him for prior to walking away with Tsubaki. Afterward, Orihime emerges from the Hachigyō Sōgai surrounding the warehouse above, and upon seeing Rukia standing nearby, a startled Orihime begins to explain what is inside the barrier.

However, Rukia denies wanting to know since she came here upon detecting a trace of Ichigo's Reiatsu and knows he must not have told her about it for a good reason, since him being safe is enough for her. With Rukia inviting her to leave, Orihime mentally asserts that she will not have to turn to Ichigo this time like she has before out of weakness because she will be able to fight without looking at his back next time they meet prior to verbally agreeing to go with Rukia. Meanwhile, in Las Noches, Ulquiorra Cifer walks down a hallway and enters a side room to find Yammy Llargo, who is having his right arm reattached by Roka Paramia.

Upon being asked by Yammy about what he wants as Roka removes the bandages covering Yammy's stitches, which she begins pulling out, Ulquiorra observes that he has healed and that it was worth bringing his severed arm back, though Yammy complains about the length of the healing process making him think that his arm was going to rot and wishes that his body could regenerate like Ulquiorra's eyeballs do. In response, Ulquiorra berates him for whining since his arm has been put back on and not completely destroyed like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's, which would have caused him to be demoted from the Espada like the latter was.

With Yammy conceding to this with his tattoo of the number 10 adorning his left shoulder, Roka informs him that the treatment is complete, and as Yammy stands up and begins curling his fingers to test their responsiveness, Roka inquires about whether there is any loss of mobility or sensitivity compared to before his arm was severed, prompting Yammy to punch her into the wall, destroying her head and killing her instantly. While Roka's corpse collapses, Yammy muses that his arm is not at full strength yet since such a blow would have blown her apart if it were, to Ulquiorra's lack of impressment, and vows to get revenge on Ichigo when it fully heals.

Elsewhere, Aizen reviews Ulquiorra's memory of Orihime blocking Yammy's finger with Santen Kesshunand healing Sado with Sōten Kisshun during the encounter with the two of them to noting with a smile that she has a very interesting ability.

Arrancar Encyclopedia
Gin Ichimaru announces that he will be reviewing the techniques used by Arrancar and explains that Gonzui is used to consume a large quantity of Souls at once, Pesquisa is used to detect and gauge Reiatsu, Sonído is used to move at high speeds, and a Cero is a highly destructive energy attack, with the kanji and katakana for each attack appearing on the screen behind him afterward. However, Yammy Llargo walks over and admits that the technique names look too difficult to write for him to remember, which a surprised Gin chastises him for saying out loud.

Events

 * Visored Training

Powers and Techniques Used
Hakuda Techniques:

Kidō Techniques:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai

Bankai:

Fullbring:

Other Techniques:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Other Powers:
 * (flashback)

Anime Notes
Removed Content= Added/Expanded Content= Censorship= Changes=
 * Kisuke Urahara noting that Ikkaku Madarame has likely been informed of Sōsuke Aizen's intentions by now.
 * Hachigen Ushōda making a small barrier between his fingers as he talks to Orihime.
 * Ulquiorra Cifer telling Yammy Llargo that they are going to see Aizen.
 * Yoruichi Shihōin questioning if she is not a woman and being unimpressed by Kisuke Urahara's claim that she livens up the Urahara Shop instead of the Study Chamber.
 * Yoruichi commenting on Yasutora Sado and Renji Abarai being as noisy as ever.
 * Kisuke Urahara calling for Ririn, who promises to wake Sado up with magic water as Kurōdo encourages him to keep going and Noba concurs.
 * Ririn warning Sado that he is pushing himself too much and Kurōdo musing that this could lead to tragedy, prompting Noba to tell him that he talks too much.
 * Sado leaping into the air and attacking Renji, who slams him into the side of a large rock with Hihiō Zabimaru, to the surprise of the Mod-Souls.
 * A flashback to Ichigo Kurosaki promising Orihime that he will stop Aizen and sparring with Hiyori Sarugaki using his Hollow mask.
 * Renji inquiring if Sado wants to stop and Sado denying this as he gets up.
 * Sado mentioning how Orihime fought against the Bount.
 * Retsu Unohana, Isane Kotetsu, and Hanatarō Yamada being envisioned when Urahara explains that the Fourth Division will be on the frontlines this time.
 * Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba expressing concern for Orihime as she runs off.
 * Hiyori Sarugaki flying high into the air with Orihime.
 * Hiyori telling Ichigo that his break is over and hitting him with Super Harisen Slipper when he demands to know what the Visored want with Orihime.
 * Hachigen sitting down before Orihime, causing the ground to shake.
 * Hiyori kicking a masked Ichigo down and telling him that this is not good enough.
 * A flashback to Kaname Tōsen destroying Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's arm with Hadō #54. Haien.
 * Yammy vowing to get revenge on Ichigo once his arm has fully healed.
 * A flashback to Orihime protecting herself from Yammy with Santen Kesshun.
 * Sado does not have blood on his face and arms when training with Renji.
 * Yammy punches Roka Paramia into a wall instead of crushing her head with his fist, with the bloody stump of her neck being obscured by shadows as her body falls out of sight.
 * In the manga, when headbutted by Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa falls over on his left side; here, he instead falls on his right side.
 * In the manga, when demanding to know what Rangiku Matsumoto is doing here, Mizuiro Kojima points with her hands; here, she instead does not.
 * In the manga, Sado re-manifests Brazo Derecha de Gigante while standing up; here, he instead does so only after fully getting to his feet.
 * In the manga, when consoling Orihime, Rukia Kuchiki caresses the latter's cheek with her right hand; here, she instead does so with her left hand.
 * In the manga, Hachigen assuring Orihime that she will find a way to fight with her powers takes place in real time; here, it instead takes place as a narration in Orihime's head while she leaves the Study Chamber.
 * In the manga, while Orihime is ruminating on growing strong enough to avoid relying on Ichigo, the latter's Hollow mask is broken from the mouth up; here, it is instead intact.
 * In the manga, Aizen reviews the memory of Orihime using her powers after Orihime leaves Urahara's Study Chamber; here, he instead does so after Yammy has his arm reattached.