A Dispute in School?! Ichigo and Uryū, Fight Together!

 is the three hundred and forty-fourth episode of the Bleach anime.

Summary
Obuta and his gang show up at Karakura High School looking for Ichigo Kurosaki after he attacked one of the gang for stealing the previous day. Ichigo hides from them until he notices Uryū Ishida approaching the gang to admonish them for their rowdy behavior in the schoolyard.

One of the gang mistakes Uryū for Ichigo, which enrages Uryū to the point that he breaks the man's nose and knocks him back into the pole. This action greatly angers Obuta but Uryū calmly replaces his glasses while dismissing the notion that anything about him should remind them of Ichigo.

In anger, Uryū changes his mind and tells the gang that they no longer have the option to leave the school yard. Watching, Ichigo wonders why he is trying to make things worse. Obuta insults Uryū while spitting and his gang suddenly spring into action, moving forward to attack Uryū. Ichigo gets involved, pushing one to the ground and twisting his leg as he counts the number of gang members watching him. Instead of thanking Ichigo for the aid, Uryū kicks Ichigo's shoulder from behind, scolding him for getting involved in his fight but Ichigo states he got involved to make Uryū back off.

Upon seeing Ichigo, the injured gang member points to him and informs Obuta that he was the one who beat him up. Distracted, Ichigo looks his accuser and recognizes the thief from the previous day. He reminds the thief that he attacked him for a good reason as he had stolen a duffel bag from an innocent passerby. The two of them argue about it but Obuta interrupts them, cracking his knuckles as he tells Ichigo to prepare for a beating. However, before he can finish his threat, both Uryū and Ichigo punch him at the same time, knocking the large gang leader to the ground easily.

Despite working together to defeat the leader, both Ichigo and Uryū glare angry daggers at one another. Ichigo begins by arguing that since the gang had originally shown up to find him then the confrontation was none of Uryū's business and he should stay out of it. However, Uryū retorts that the fight became his business a while ago before Ichigo showed up. Ichigo retaliates that Uryū will only turn the confrontation into a bigger deal and reminds him that he is also class president and thus, better behavior is expected from him. The other members of the gang become even more enraged and begin to attack the duo, interrupting their argument.

The two of them begin to easily evade the gangs attacks and knocking the members aside while continuing their argument. Ichigo states that Uryū needs to be more careful in hunting Hollows as he may attract negative attention from the Soul Society. Uryū disputes that he does not enjoy exterminating Hollows and he only does so when he gets an order from Urahara Shop. Ichigo reminds him that Kisuke Urahara was a wanted man in the Soul Society until only recently but Uryū retorts that it is not the time to bring that up. Uryū suggests that he e-mail him but Ichigo declines, knowing he would never e-mail him.

Ichigo demands to know when Uryū got a cellphone and he informs him that he got one from Urahara after helping out with the shop. Upon hearing this, Ichigo doubts the phone would function properly in the Human World. Just then, someone calls out to Ichigo, drawing both of their attentions. The members of the gang still standing, smirk as they stand aside to reveal Yokochini. Carrying a large baseball bat, the thug greets Ichigo in a sardonic fashion and insists that he has a score to settle with him. Ichigo stares at him blankly and Yokochini demands to know if he remembers him but Ichigo is clueless on the matter.

Realizing that Ichigo has forgotten him, Yokochini becomes enraged and moves to attack him. However, he is suddenly kicked powerfully from behind, knocking him towards Ichigo and Uryū on his face, sliding along the ground. Everyone is stunned by this development before the remaining members of the gang are flung into the air by an angry woman from behind. She angrily admonishes Ichigo prompting Uryū to enquire who she is. Sweating profusely, Ichigo haltingly reveals that she is his boss, Ikumi Unagiya. She asserts that she is tired with his lame excuses to skip work and she has had enough and is here to retrieve him. Livid, Ikumi demands that Ichigo come with him peacefully but the teenager quickly refuses to do so. In response, a mischievous gleam appears in Ikumi's eyes and she charges at her employee and bundles him quickly into her fan in reminiscent of a kidnapping. When she drives off, Uryū stands stunned in the schoolyard, amazed that she was able to haul Ichigo off in such a fashion and wonders just who she is. On the ground, a wounded Obuta asks Yokochini what good they are. Crying, an upset Yokochini replies that he shouldn't use his Yokochini name.

Ikumi throws a bound Ichigo on her sofa and the teenager protests, demanding the tape be removed. Ikumi agrees to remove them on the condition that he doesn't try to run away. Perplexed, Ichigo insists she is beginning to sound like an actual kidnapper. The phone rings and Ikumi answers it in a friendly fashion, informing the caller they've gotten through to the Unagiya Shop, promoting its services. However, she soon gets angry when she realizes the callers wants to order "Unagiya Eel" and she retorts that her shop is not a diner, and actually does a variety odd jobs for customers at a price.

Bemused, Ichigo reminds Ikumi that he has previously suggested that she should change the name of the shop to avoid future confusion. Ikumi brushes off this suggestion and asserts that the name of her shop has been passed down through a number of generations and as the current store owner, she refuses to break with tradition. Ichigo maintains that he isn't asking her to change her family name, just the name of the store. Ikumi refuses to consider it and admonishes Ichigo for addressing her so informally. She lifts a list of jobs to do and throws it at Ichigo while telling him to complete them for customers.

The list slides down Ichigo's face as he sits there stunned. Ikumi informs him that since he has been slacking off from work, the amount of jobs that need to be done have been piling up. Surprised, Ichigo demands to know why she hasn't handled the jobs herself in his absence since she is able to do so. In retaliation, Ikumi grabs Ichigo's head in a threatening manner, causing him to panic. With a sneer on her face, she reminds Ichigo that she hired him to complete the jobs and that he's not a customer so has no right to complain about her duties.

Their conversation is interrupted then by a youthful voice calling out for his mother. Ikumi panics when she hears the voice and releases Ichigo's head. Hurrying, she speedily removes her hat, goggles and hits Ichigo in the face with her gloves. She then manages to place a feminine, yellow apron over her pink shirt and jeans and pull her hair over to the side to create a softer hairstyle before the door opens. A young boy walks into the room, tiredly wiping the sleep from his eyes while informing Ikumi, his mother, that he is hungry. Along with her gentler appearance, Ikumi welcomes the child, Kaoru Unagiya with a more motherly attitude.

Ikumi holds her arms to Kaoru while asking him if he is alright. She gently admonishes him for coming into the office with his feet bare. Kaoru interrupts her when he spots Ichigo seated on the sofa behind his mother, calling the teenager "stupid". He demands to know why Ichigo is there and states that he is aware that his mother is an attractive woman so Ichigo shouldn't be getting too friendly with her. Ichigo is stunned by the accusation, noticeably restraining himself from responding as Kaoru makes a face to mock him. Ikumi gently prods Kaoru to leave the office, asserting that she will follow him soon.

Kaoru makes another face at Ichigo as he moves towards the kitchen whilst Ikumi softly chides him for his behavior and closes the office door. She apologizes to Ichigo for Kaoru's behavior, asserting that he is the only person her son won't warm up to. She asks him to continue to have patience even though he more than likely wants to respond to Kaoru with the same kind of behavior. Confused, Ichigo disagrees with her assessment and insists that he would only want to tell Kaoru that he would not be interested in a woman as old as Ikumi. Incensed, she lifts a book and angrily thumps Ichigo over the head for the remark.

While Ichigo is complaining about being assaulted, the shop doorbell chimes, interrupting the argument. Ikumi greets her customer while opening the door but is surprised by their towering height. Ikumi stares up at the tall customer and hesitantly greets him. Still bound, but now standing, Ichigo recognizes the customer as the man he had previously helped with the mugging. Upon hearing this, Ikumi is shocked to learn that Ichigo knows their new customer but Ichigo denies that he does. The stranger offers Ichigo some ramen but Ichigo declines the offer. Ikumi informs that stranger that they don't sell eel after Ichigo mentions the shop name.

Back in the school yard, Orihime Inoue calls out to Uryū and when he stops, asks if it is true that Ichigo has been abducted. Uryū says that it might have looked that way to a bystander but this is enough to send Orihime into a rush in order to find Ichigo. Uryū rushes after her and asserts that he was kidnapped by his own boss. Orihime stops at this and wonders if Ichigo's boss is weird and Uryū maintains that most people in Ichigo's circle are somewhat odd. Orihime ponders about this for a moment before agreeing that even she and Uryū are weird as well, surprising him.

Despite Uryū's reassurance, Orihime claims that there has been a bad vibe around Ichigo at the moment but Uryū claims not to know what she is talking about. Orihime realizes that she is late for her job so runs off in a hurry. Uryū watches her leave, silently thinking to himself that she is correct. Ichigo was supposed to have lost his Reiatsu and yet Uryū was sure he has sensed Reiatsu around him during their struggle with the gang. Unknown to Uryū, he is being watched by a stranger who closes their book. When Uryū turns to see where the noise came from, the stranger has vanished.

Meanwhile, in the shop, Ichigo tries to get the strange customers attention as he eats his ramen from the bowl. He becomes irate when the customer continues to eat and ignores him, almost knocking over his bowl of ramen in his anger. He demands to know why the stranger is continuing to eat and ignoring them. The stranger reminds Ichigo that he did decline some ramen and he wants to eat his before the noodles get mushy. The two of them argue for a bit until Ikumi interrupts them to demand to know what the stranger wants and if he is a customer.

As Ikumi and Ichigo stare at him, the stranger asserts that he is a customer and demands some tea. When he drinks the tea provided, Ichigo demands to know what he wants from him. The customer dismisses the notion, stating that me merely wanted somebody to complete a difficult task for him and had seen the sign for a shop that completed odd jobs. He maintains that the two of them bumping into one each other is a coincidence. Ichigo reminds him that he had offered him ramen after the mugging and now shows up at Ichigo's workplace carrying ramen so he doubts the strangers sincerity and honesty in the matter.

The customer asks if the "young lady" is the owner of the store and Ikumi is stunned to be referred to in such a way but confirms that she is the owner and Ichigo's boss. The stranger reaches for the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a slip of paper. He looks directly at Ichigo and asks if it is alright for him to supply information on the task that he needs completed. He sets the slip of paper on the table in front of Ichigo, revealing it to be a picture of Isshin Kurosaki. Ichigo is stunned by the sight of his father's image.

At the Urahara Shop, two young teenagers are playing baseball. One throws and hits the ball calling out "Jinta Home Run!" as he does so. Before his friend can catch the ball, Jinta Hanakari appears and grabs the ball himself. He scolds the teenagers for playing baseball in front of somebody else's home and hits the first boy in the stomach with the ball. Jinta then declares that the only person who can use the Jinta Home Run, is him. His speech is interrupted when Tessai Tsukabishi arrives and hits him on the head, knocking him unconscious.

While lifting him over his shoulder, Tessai admonishes Jinta for throwing the baseball so hard at somebody who didn't have a glove to catch it. Ururu Tsumugiya comes out of the shop and bows towards the boys in the yard asking if the injured teenager's stomach is alright. She softly apologizes for Jinta's actions, admitting he can be dumb and immature at times but asks them to still play with him sometimes. Starry-eyed and blushing, the teenagers agree to do so. They bring Jinta inside as a customer arrives and asks for Kisuke Urahara. The shop owner, upon hearing their voice, goes to the door to greet Karin Kurosaki.

Back in the Unagiya Shop, the strange customer asserts that he wants Ichigo to carry out a background check on the person in the photograph. When he goes to reveal the suspects name, Ichigo declares that he is not fooled by the strangers front since he is asking him to check on his own father. He asserts that if he needs to know anything about Isshin then the customer can ask Ichigo and he will answer any question. The guest is not fazed by the declaration and accusation; he appears mildly surprised by the development and merely comments on what he says is another coincidence.

The customer then asks Ichigo if he is certain that he can answer any question in regards to his father. Suspicious, Ichigo demands to know what he is trying to infer but the guest merely states that it is a simple question. He sits back on the sofa, relaxing more as he asks Ichigo how much he actually knows about his family. The stranger states that he is willing to bet that Ichigo does not know much about his the activities of his family yet. Stunned, Ichigo watches the customer, the unease written over his features, as he suggests that Ichigo go to Urahara Shop as there is something there he would find very interesting about his family.

At the Urahara Shop, Urahara is selling Karin some of his products; Katakoran Alpha, a potion for ridding yourself of spirit possession; Sekirei X, an anti-spirit repellent spray; and Zetaborutan, an electromagnetic pill to aid in escape from Hollows. While bagging her stuff, he offers her the newest potion, Katakoran Theta. She asks what the difference is between the one she has and the one in his hands and he reveals that the new potion in his hand has Vitamin C so she thanks him but declines the offer. She takes the bag of products from him and stands up to leave the shop.

Karin hesitates in leaving and tuns back to ask if Urahara is sure that he does not want payment for the gear, revealing that he is giving it to her for free. Urahara dismisses her concern maintaining that he owes her brother, Ichigo, a lot for all he's done. Urahara asks her if Ichigo is still the same as always and if she has thought about her decision not to involve him in her activities. She confirms both of these, asserting that Ichigo does not need his Shinigami powers back, as he was always protecting them even before he got them. She insists that everything is fine as it is currently because it is their turn to help protect Ichigo.

Karin leaves the shop and runs down the street with her purchases. From the side, Ichigo watches her go and wonders why Karin would be going to Urahara's shop in the first place. The stranger from the Unagigya Shop approaches him from the other side of the street. He asks Ichigo if he is worried about his sister frequenting the place of such a suspicious guy as Kisuke Urahara. Ichigo fervently denies that there is anything suspicious about Urahara, maintaining that he saved them all previously, referring to the battles against Sōsuke Aizen but the stranger reveals that he already knows about the previous battles.

He asks Ichigo how much he knows about Urahara as person that makes him think that he can understand a guy like him. The former customer advises Ichigo to act while he still can, if he wants to protect the members of his family. Ichigo considers this advice before asking for the strangers name, wanting to know who he is, and he introduces himself as Kūgo Ginjō. After a moment, Ichigo moves to walk away, informing Kūgo that he should not get the wrong idea as he still doesn't trust him. Kūgo agrees, understanding the sentiment but retrieves a card from his pocket and throws it to Ichigo, with the teenager catching it with ease, before walking away.

Later at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo is sitting in his bedroom in the dark staring at a black computer monitor as he silently reflects on the events that happened that day, recalling the photograph that Kūgo has owned of his father. He looks out the window and wonders where Isshin is at this current moment. He laments that if he still had his Shinigami powers then he would be able to trace his fathers Reiatsu easily. This thought angers him as he comes to the realization that he still hasn't come to terms with losing his abilities and has not gotten over the fact that he is now powerless.

Ichigo's reverie is interrupted by a voice from outside his window. He looks down to see Orihime standing there with a tray of leftover bread from her job, offering to make it cheap for him. He brings her to his room where she sit nervously on his floor, fidgeting as she didn't expect to be invited there. Ichigo reminds her that she has been there before, oblivious to her feelings for him, and wonders why this time is different. He hands her a hot drink and she nervously thanks him as he takes a seat beside her. Ichigo asserts that he cannot eat all of the bread she has brought with her so she should take the scraps, that her boss was kind enough to give to her, home.

Orihime lifts a bun and begins to eat it before asking if anything had happened to Ichigo recently as she has a feeling that it has. She asks if he has been followed recently or had anything troubling him. Ichigo asserts that he hasn't had any cause for concerns, other than the occasional fight and that being followed is something that would happen to her, not him. She gets up and sits on his desk while apologizing for prying, assuming she must be imagining things. Ichigo dismisses her concern, getting to his feet himself to retrieve a manga that he had previously borrowed from her.

Outside the clinic, Uryū stands under the window, having clearly arrived to see Ichigo. However, he senses Orihime's Reiatsu and realizes that she had managed to arrive and check on him first. He hopes she can get to the bottom of the mystery regarding the Reiatsu he has been sensing around Ichigo. However, he knows how secretive Ichigo can be when it comes to burdening others with his problems so knows that he may have to take his time in trying to coax an explanation from him rather than asking him directly.

Uryū suddenly senses a disturbance nearby, similar to the one he had experienced in the school yard. He looks around him until he sees a man walking along the telephone wires nearby, reading a book. The man suddenly begins to flee and Uryū begins to pursue him across the rooftops. He reflects that his target is fast and that no normal Human can move at those speeds and he doesn't sense any change in the Reishi surrounding the man although sees a green light around the man's foot when he moves. Before he can react, the stranger moves toward him, taking him by surprise and Uryū is injured as a result.

Meanwhile, along in his bedroom, Ichigo stares at the card given to him by Kūgo earlier in the evening. The word Xcution appears on the card and Ichigo wonders what it means and why Kūgo felt the need to give the card to him. His thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of sirens and alarms outside his window accompanied by red flashing lights. The emergency services are rushing to an an incident that occurred near Ichigo's home. On the ground, Uryū lies injured with blood spreading across the road.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Jinta Hanakari is shown angry towards Tessai Tsukabishi, stating that he shouldn't simply pound on his head like that because he might get brain damage and threatened him to show himself. But Tessai suddenly appeared behind Jinta and grappled him, while Ururu Tsumugiya also appeared and tickled Jinta's foot with her hair. This caused a ruckus in their shop, with Jinta pleading them to stop, saying that Karin is still around. Karin is then shown leaving the shop, speechless on what is happening inside.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Obuta
 * 2) Gang
 * 3) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 4) Uryū Ishida
 * 5) Yokochini
 * 6) Ikumi Unagiya
 * 7) Kaoru Unagiya
 * 8) Kūgo Ginjō
 * 9) Orihime Inoue
 * 10) Shūkurō Tsukishima
 * 11) Isshin Kurosaki (picture)
 * 12) Jinta Hanakari
 * 13) Tessai Tsukabishi
 * 14) Ururu Tsumugiya
 * 15) Kisuke Urahara
 * 16) Karin Kurosaki
 * 17) Yuzu Kurosaki (flashback)

Fights
None.

Powers and Techniques Used
Techniques used: