EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN “June Truth” (episode)

For the chapter of the same name, see Everything But the Rain op.9 "June Truth".

EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN "June Truth" is the twelfth episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the three hundred and seventy-eighth episode of the Bleach anime overall.

When Masaki Kurosaki begins undergoing Hollowfication from the wound inflicted by White, 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba is given a chance by Kisuke Urahara to save her life.

Summary
Twenty years ago, in the meeting hall of the First Division barracks, 10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba concludes his report to the other captains and Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who affirms his understanding of the situation and notes that while an unauthorized excursion is a violation of their laws, Isshin's quick and decisive action helped minimize Shinigami casualties and prevented excessive damage to the Human World, which is why Yamamoto will overlook this violation.

Initially celebrating this, Isshin regains his composure and thanks Yamamoto as 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi mockingly asserts that failing to retrieve the remains of this mysterious Hollow is a serious crime on its own. When Yamamoto brings up Isshin's report only describing how unusual the Hollow was and questions if the latter truly did not leave anything noteworthy out, Isshin recalls Masaki Kurosaki and claims that he did not. Later, on June 5th at Seito High School in Karakura Town, Masaki sits in her classroom and thinks about Isshin while wondering if he made it safely back to Soul Society.

With Masaki hoping that Isshin did not get in trouble, placing her hand on her left shoulder, and realizing she should have at least asked for his name, Isshin lies on a pillow on one of the walkways at the Tenth Division barracks and remembers Masaki battling White as he muses that rumors of Quincy still surviving in the Human World were true and that Masaki had a lot of courage to both save him and reveal that she is a Quincy despite knowing he is a Shinigami. After regretting not talking to her a bit more, Isshin sits up and decides that he should go back to the Human World in order to thank her properly this time.

Meanwhile, Masaki walks down a road with her friends after school ends for the day and denies anything going on between her and Ryūken Ishida because the latter is her cousin, though her friend insists that something must be happening since they are living together. Suddenly, Masaki experiences a sensation of crawling darkness across her left side, causing her to lose focus and begin stumbling until she bumps into Kisuke Urahara. Though the latter assures Masaki that he is fine when she profusely apologizes to him and continues walking after asking her if she is okay, he stops in surprise upon sensing something strange from her.

While Masaki's friends walk away with her and tease her about this being a new method for her to meet people, which Masaki denies, Urahara looks at Masaki in confusion and furrows his brow. Shortly afterward, Masaki returns to the Ishida estate and announces her arrival, but Ryūken's friendly greeting is cut off by Izumi Ishida confronting her over her battle against a Hollow to save a Shinigami the other night, to both her and Ryūken's shock. Despite Masaki denying this, Izumi admonishes her for disgracing herself by lying, and as Ryūken runs up the stairs in search of Kanae Katagiri, Izumi demands to know why Masaki did such a thing.

With Izumi berating Masaki for being so shameless as to break the rules of the Quincy while in their care, Ryūken confronts Katagiri in the laundry room by pressing her up against the wall and demanding to know why she told Izumi despite his request that they stay silent about Masaki since she had no problems, only for Katagiri to reveal there was a problem because Masaki sustained a wound from White's attack, meaning that the future of Ryūken's bloodline could become tainted if she does not receive proper treatment from Izumi and Sōken Ishida. Though Ryūken claims that this does not matter, Katagiri counters that it means everything to them.

When Katagiri reminds Ryūken that he said his marriage to Masaki was for the future of the Quincy, Ryūken curses and runs off, leaving the laundry basket containing bloodied cloths spilled on the ground. Back in the main hall, Masaki attempts to respond to Izumi ordering her to tell the truth prior to Ryūken telling them to wait and attempting to claim responsibility for Masaki's actions. However, as she attempts to assure him that this is not necessary, Masaki experiences the same sensation of creeping darkness from her right side and collapses, to the shock of both Izumi and Ryūken, who leaps over the bannister and rushes to Masaki's side.

Upon turning Masaki over to see if she is hurt, Ryūken is astonished to discover a Hollow hole forming in the center of her chest, and as Izumi realizes what this is, Ryūken picks up Masaki and questions where Sōken is, prompting Izumi to explain that they are trying to get in contact with him right now and order Ryūken to stay here until he returns. Despite Izumi insisting that he not be around Masaki and referring to the latter as "it", Ryūken opens the front doors and leaps away with Hirenkyaku while still carrying Masaki, leaving Izumi to beg him to come back with a Hollow wound covering her lower right leg.

Wondering what is happening to Masaki and why she is in so much pain, Ryūken admonishes himself for not stopping her by force on that night and for not doing everything in his power to intervene in the battle just before a massive Hollow appears behind him and prepares to bite down, only for Isshin to cut it in two from behind with a slash of his Zanpakutō. With Isshin commenting on how this was a close one since the Hollow almost got him, Ryūken recognizes Isshin, who is left confused until he sees the hole in Masaki's chest and rushes down to investigate while sheathing his Zanpakutō. However, Ryūken tells Isshin to not come any closer.

Ryūken informs Isshin that Masaki is in this condition because she protected him and broke the rules of the Quincy by saving a Shinigami, which is what caused her to get hurt. After Isshin picks up on the wound causing this and Ryūken clarifies that he cannot think of any other explanation while refusing to ever forgive him for this happening to Masaki, Urahara appears next to them in the air, asserts that they have no time to argue, and requests that they both come with him so he can explain the choices they have for saving Masaki. Some time later, in her subconscious, Masaki envisions herself drifting into a peaceful black hole.

Though her surroundings are dark and lonely, Masaki muses that she does not feel afraid because she can sense someone down there who needs her and opens her eyes, but finds herself floating into the gaping mouth of a massive Hollow head. Simultaneously, with rain pouring down outside the Urahara Shop, Urahara has Masaki lain on a table inside and informs Isshin and Ryūken that he has been researching the same symptom Masaki is exhibiting for close to one hundred years, to Ryūken's astonishment. When Isshin questions who he is, Urahara introduces himself by name and as an exile from Soul Society, leaving Isshin stunned by his identity.

Despite this, Ryūken asserts that he does not care who Urahara is and demands that the latter restore Masaki to normal, only for Urahara to point out that he never said anything about returning Masaki to normal because she can never go back to the way she used to be, leaving Isshin and Ryūken horrified while Urahara explains that she is undergoing Hollowfication, the process of a Hollow's Soul being poured into another Soul and destroying the boundary between the two in an attempt to sublimate the latter Soul to a higher level, with it initially being meant to strength a Shinigami's Soul but ultimately causing all subjects to become mindless monsters.

After musing that Hollowfication inevitably causes those afflicted by it to self-destruct in a process known as Soul Suicide, Urahara concludes that Hollowfication is an uncontrollable technology, and when Ryūken assumes that this means there is no way to save Masaki, Urahara clarifies that he can still save Masaki even if he cannot restore her to her former self and reveals that his research has led him to discover a way to counteract Hollowfication by injecting the victim's Soul with a certain substance, allowing it to maintain its balance so that its boundaries are not destroyed and preventing Soul Suicide.

Urahara gives an example of a Hollowfied Shinigami being injected with a vaccine created from a Quincy's Heilig Pfeil and a Human Soul, allowing them to remain stably in their current state indefinitely, but notes that a vaccine is not enough for Quincy because they have no resistance against Hollows. When Isshin admits that he does not understand, Urahara simplifies the process to them hitting the Hollowfication with a counteracting force and asserts that saving Masaki's life while preventing Hollowfication and allowing her to continue existing as a Human will require a stronger counteracting force.

With Urahara elaborating that this stronger force must remain at Masaki's side for all time until she dies in order to continually suppress her Hollowfication, an aghast Ryūken protests this, leading Urahara to observe that he is sharp to catch on this quickly and tell Ryūken that he has no choice in this matter because the one with a choice is Isshin, to the latter's confusion. Urahara states that Shinigami are the opposite of Quincy and Humans are the opposite of Hollows, and after reiterating that Masaki is currently a hybrid of Quincy and Hollow, Urahara reveals that they will need a hybrid of Shinigami and Human to counteract this.

Pulling a sheet off a box containing an inert Gigai, Urahara explains that it is a special one made from a Human Soul that completely envelops the Soul that enters it to make the latter fully Human and tells Isshin that his choice is to become a hybrid of Shinigami and Human, Masaki's opposite. However, Urahara admits that this scenario has far too many downsides for Isshin because he will have to bind the latter's Soul to Masaki's and the Hollow within her with a Reishi string for as long as she and her descendants live, which means that Isshin will be unable to use his Shinigami powers or even see Hollows within the Gigai.

Once Urahara concludes Isshin will likely never return to his Shinigami form again once he enters the Gigai, Ryūken mentally notes there is no way Isshin will accept this offer when it has only downsides for him, but Isshin bluntly agrees to the proposal, to Urahara and Ryūken's shock. After chastising Urahara for talking too much and telling him to hurry up, Isshin confirms he will give up being a Shinigami and protect Masaki for the rest of her life, and when Urahara wonders if he is truly okay with it, Isshin denies this, only to detail how he will not be able to live with himself if the person who saved him dies because he could not make a decision.

With Ryūken astonished by this, Urahara acknowledges Isshin's resolve and announces that he will begin the procedure immediately. Within Masaki's subconscious, as she frantically shields herself from the encroaching Hollow head with her arms, Isshin appears between them and holds back the Hollow's teeth with his Zanpakutō and legs while declaring that he has come to save a surprised Masaki. Promising that the Hollow will not be able to touch Masaki now that he is here, Isshin leaps out of the Hollow's mouth with Masaki, leaving its mouth to close, and fires a horizontal Getsuga Tenshō that causes the Hollow to explode.

Back in the real world, Masaki stops sweating and takes a deep breath, causing a startled Isshin to look at Urahara as the latter holds up his hands forming peace signs and confirms that she will be alright now that he has successfully bonded their Souls, to Isshin's relief. Suddenly, a giggling Masaki recognizes Isshin from the other day and asks for his name, though an initially unnerved Isshin simply expresses relief once again. Elsewhere, Ryūken walks through the rain and finds Katagiri standing before him with an umbrella, where he initially walks past her prior to Katagiri inquiring about whether Ryūken left Masaki behind with the Quincy.

Affirming this, Ryūken tells Katagiri to return to the Ishida estate and inform his mother that he is unable to protect the Quincy, but Katagiri pointedly refuses to leave him here and reminds Ryūken that it is her duty to devote her entire life to serving him, with her life having belonged to Ryūken from the moment they first met, before tearfully asking him not to be sad because it tears her heart apart when he is. In response, Ryūken decides that they will go home together, to Katagiri's delight. After Masaki graduates from high school, she leaves the Ishida family due to her Soul being mixed with a Hollow.

Meanwhile, Isshin makes use of the medical skills he learned at the Shin'ō Academy and opens the Kurosaki Clinic, managing to learn what he needed to know to live in the Human World with Urahara's help while Masaki frequently came by from college to make fun of his white coat. Though Isshin tells Masaki that he lost his Shinigami powers after being banished from Soul Society over a mistake he made, he realizes that she probably saw through this lie immediately because he was terrible at lying and her intuition was sharp enough to make lying to her feel trivial and meaningless while they eat lunch together.

Picking grains of rice off his face once a laughing Masaki points them out, Isshin muses that she would always see through his lies and forgive him for telling them. When the two of them see a movie featuring an old man comparing an old woman that he spent many years with to the sun, Isshin looks over to see Masaki crying and hands her a tissue while admitting that this line stuck with him even though he does not remember anything else about the movie because Masaki was like the sun, attracting everything, forgiving everything, illuminating everything, and spinning everything around herself, with Isshin himself just happy to be spun by her.

In the present, Isshin stands before Ichigo Kurosaki in their home and notes that he was born after this prior to recounting Ichigo gaining his Shinigami powers from Rukia Kuchiki and awakening his inner Hollow during his battles in Soul Society, which meant that Isshin's Reiatsu could no longer suppress the latter and caused him to regain his Shinigami powers for the first time in twenty years by breaking the connection between his Gigai and Ichigo. However, after noting that he does not need to describe everything Ichigo experienced, Isshin reveals that he does not know the full truth about Masaki's death, nine years ago today.

Musing that Ichigo needs to know the real reason why Masaki died, Isshin observes that she was not supposed to die that day, and when Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Isshin details how Masaki was an Echt Quincy before merging with a Hollow and had exceptionally powerful Blut Vene, meaning that she could have easily defeated Grand Fisher without sustaining a single scratch, but was unable to because she suddenly lost the ability to use her Blut Vene just as Grand Fisher attacked her. With a mortified Ichigo demanding to know why this happened, Isshin reveals that it was the Auswählen.

While Ryūken finds Sōken's journal abandoned underneath a bridge elsewhere in Karakura Town, Isshin explains that Auswählen is a Quincy selection process conducted by Yhwach and recalls hearing of a Quincy tale about Yhwach that said he would regain his pulse after 900 years, his mind after 90 years, and his strength after 9 years, which he accomplished by robbing Quincy he deemed impure of their powers and making them his own. As Isshin concludes that this is why Uryū Ishida's frail mother, Katagiri, fell into a coma and died while Masaki lost her powers and then her life for the same reason, Ichigo questions how Yhwach can accomplish this.

Though Ichigo assumes that this comes from Yhwach being the king of the Quincy, Isshin reveals that he is actually the Father of the Quincy and the progenitor of them all whose blood runs in the veins of every Quincy. Recalling Yhwach's comments during their battle on his lineage and the inability of The Jail to contain Quincy, Ichigo regains his resolve and thanks Isshin, who smiles at this and says that it was no problem. With the rain clearing up and dawn approaching, Ichigo exits the Kurosaki Clinic with Isshin, where Ikumi Unagiya approaches him to return Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge that he left behind. Taking it and thanking Ikumi, Ichigo tells Isshin that he is leaving.

Fights & Events

 * The Rise & Fall of Masaki Kurosaki (concluded)
 * Royal Training

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:

Quincy Techniques:
 * (flashback)

Other Techniques:
 * (flashback)

Zanpakutō released:

Bankai:
 * (flashback)

Spirit Weapons:
 * (flashback)
 * Reishi Broadsword (flashback)
 * Reishi Sword (flashback)

Anime Notes
Removed Content= Added/Expanded Content= Changes= Errors=
 * Rangiku Matsumoto attempting to foist more paperwork onto Isshin Shiba, only to discover that he has gone to the Human World again and rip up the note he left in aggravation while Tōshirō Hitsugaya comments on her hypocrisy.
 * Izumi Ishida asserting that she has credible evidence of Masaki Kurosaki's actions.
 * Isshin claiming that he does not accept thanks from men.
 * Isshin wondering who Ryūken Ishida is carrying.
 * Flashbacks to the stabilized Lisa Yadōmaru, Love Aikawa, and Hachigen Ushōda wearing their Hollow masks as examples of stabilized victims of Hollowfication.
 * Isshin admitting that the Hollow within Masaki has no fingers to lay on her to begin with and attributing its confusion to this.
 * Masaki telling Isshin that she wanted to see him again and hoping that he did not get into trouble as Isshin admonishes her for screaming while not wearing any clothes.
 * Isshin noting that it was apparently Ryūken's decision for Masaki to leave the Ishida family after graduating from high school as his way of letting go of her.
 * Ichigo mentioning that Kisuke Urahara explained Blut to him as Quincy raising their abilities by pouring Reiatsu into their veins, prompting Isshin to note that all Echt Quincy are born with this ability while Gemischt Quincy can attain it through training.
 * Isshin explaining that the wound Masaki sustained from White was considered such a problem because it broke through her Blut Vene, with no other Hollow being able to harm her after that.
 * Isshin clarifying that he actively chose not to help Masaki against Grand Fisher even though he sensed their Reiatsu because he did not believe the latter would be a problem for her and noting that the difference between Grand Fisher and Masaki was vast even with the former suppressing his Reiatsu.
 * Isshin bringing up Uryū Ishida's Gemischt mother, Kanae Katagiri, and revealing that she fell into a coma on June 17th nine years ago before dying three months later.
 * Masaki clutching her left shoulder while thinking about Isshin.
 * An extended flashback to Masaki battling White.
 * Masaki's friends expressing concern for her when she begins stumbling.
 * The laundry Katagiri was carrying containing bloodied clothes.
 * Darkness encroaching from Masaki's right side just before she collapses.
 * An extended flashback to the Visored undergoing Hollowfication and battling each other.
 * Urahara elaborating that the Reishi string tying Isshin to Masaki will last even after her death because her descendants will inherit it.
 * Isshin eating lunch with Masaki, who laughs at the sight of grains of rice sticking to his cheeks after he eats an onigiri.
 * Isshin handing a crying Masaki a tissue as they watch the old man carry the old woman through a field of sunflowers.
 * Ryūken finding Sōken Ishida's diary abandoned by Uryū underneath a bridge.
 * Extended flashbacks to Ichigo Kurosaki meeting Rukia Kuchiki, training with Urahara, and awakening his inner Hollow through his battles in Soul Society.
 * Masaki staring down Grand Fisher and attempting to activate Blut Vene, only to be shocked when it suddenly turns off against her will.
 * In the manga, Isshin bows when thanking Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto; here, he instead remains standing up straight.
 * In the manga, after Masaki insists that there is nothing happening between herself and Ryūken, Shiho asserts that Masaki is not like that even if Ryūken were not her cousin and Kanon insists that she would be romantic with Ryūken no matter their relation, to Masaki's disgust; here, her friends simply insist that something must be happening because they are living together.
 * In the manga, Izumi grabs Masaki by the wrist while berating her; here, she instead remains standing several feet away from Masaki.
 * In the manga, the Hollow that attacks Ryūken appears on his right side, as does Isshin afterward; here, they instead appear behind him.
 * In the manga, Ryūken is still carrying Masaki while Urahara is introducing himself, leading the latter to ask Ryūken to set her on a nearby table; here, Masaki has instead already been set on the table by the time Urahara begins speaking to Isshin and Ryūken.
 * In the manga, Urahara describes Masaki's condition as a result of inducing Hollowfication on a Quincy, which is not the original purpose of the uncontrollable technology; here, he instead simply describes Hollowfication as an uncontrollable technology.
 * In the manga, Ryūken mentally asserts that Isshin will never accept Urahara's proposal before the latter explains how he will be tying Isshin to Masaki with a Reishi string; here, he instead does so after Urahara concludes his explanation and before Isshin accepts the proposal.
 * In the manga, Isshin carries Masaki under his right arm when saving her and grabs the latter before she enters the Hollow's mouth; here, he instead grabs her under his left arm and prevents the Hollow from biting down on her by bracing his Zanpakutō and legs against its jaws.
 * In the manga, the Getsuga Tenshō that Isshin fires at the Hollow is diagonal and blue while performed with his left arm; here, it is more horizontal and performed with his right arm. It is also notably charged with fire, changing its color to orange.
 * In the manga, Masaki giggles about Isshin getting mad at her for screaming while naked, prompting Isshin to grind his knuckles into her forehead and admonish her for not having learned her lesson yet; here, she instead recognizes Isshin and asks him for his name, prompting him to express relief at her being alright once again.
 * In the manga, Isshin's description of Masaki as the sun is depicted as her spinning him and planets around herself; here, it is instead depicted as Masaki standing in front of the setting sun on a grassy hill as Isshin walks up to her.
 * In the manga, a picture of Katagiri can be seen on Ryūken's desk as he stares at the moon from his room; here, Ryūken is instead outside staring at his father's diary from the underpass where Uryū was reading it, and the picture additionally depicts Katagiri carrying a young Uryū.
 * During Isshin's report to Yamamoto, Sajin Komamura is not wearing his helmet, contradicting his history of hiding his face until the end of the Ryoka Invasion.