Ichigo Dies!

Ichigo Dies! is the seventeenth episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: February 1, 2005
 * English Airdate: January 5, 2007
 * Opening Song: *~Asterisk~
 * Ending Song: Thank You!
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 55, Chapter 56, Chapter 57.
 * Kanji: 一護、死す!
 * Romaji: "Ichigo, shisu!"
 * Arc: Agent of the Shinigami arc

Summary
The episode opens with Abari Renji telling Ichigo that someone who doesn't even know they're zanpokutou's name is 2000 years too early to defeat him. He then releases his zanpoktou's name with the command "Howl", changing it into a sword with a bunch of smaller blades coming out from the front of it and divided into sections, each section is able to seperate from the ones next to it remaining connected by a band of some flexible material, allowing Zabimaru (Renji's zanpokutou) to be used as a whipe like weapon or to be pulled back together to use as a normal sword.

Renji then extends his blade and lands a blow on Ichigo's left shoulder causing him to drop his zanpokutou, and then pulls his blade back, causing each of the small blades extending from it to cut through Ichigo deepening his wound. Ichigo then falls to his knees and Renji readies to attack again. As Renji lifts his sword o bring it down on Ichigo Rukia grabs Renji's arm and jumps onto his back, restricitng him as she yells for Ichigo to run. Ichigo then reaches out and grabs his zanpokutou, and Renji who is surprised he can still move, but also slightly happy because he wanted a little more of a challenging match, throws Rukia aside. Ichigo slowly stands as Rukia tells him to run once more, but then notices something strange. Suddenly Ichigo gets a huge boost in his spirit power and charges at Renji jumping and slashing him along his left shoulder. Surprised by this sudden burst in power Renji turns to Ichigo who, with a suddenly enhanced speed at, rushes him again. This time Renji blocks but is still knocked back by Ichigo's blow and is sent into the air. Renji gets a cut right above his knows that seeps blood down his face. Ichigo then taunts "Whats wrong? You movements have gotten hella slow all of the sudden!". Renji thinks to himself how its not him thats gotten slow, but Ichigo thats gotten faster. Renji then swings his zanpokutou out at Ichigo but Ichigo dodges simply steps to the side to dodge it the first 2 times, then deflects it back on Renji's third swing.

Now chasing after Renji, who has no options but to dodge, it is clear that Ichigo has obviously gained control of this fight. Renji is on his knees astonished by Ichigo's continually rising spirt power, as Ichigo jumps into the air and is coming down on Renji swinging his zanpokutou in a downward motion right for his head. Ichigo lands on the ground and suddenly the blade of his zanpokutou has been cut off. Ichigo realizes it couldn't of been Renji, and turns to Byakuya. He is confused of how he could of done something from the distance he is standing from himself and Renji. he then notices the removed blade of the zanpokutou in Byakuya's hand, as Byakuya casually drops it to the ground. Byakuya slowly raises his hand to the handle of his sheathed zanpokutou as Ichigo readies for an attack. Suddenly Byakuya is behind Ichigo, who never even had a chance to react. Suddenly a wound appears on Ichigo, and as he falls he has no idea what just happened, not even from what direction he was attacked from. Byakuya then appears beside him and once again attacks with lightning fast speeds, stabbing through Ichigo's back and piecing through the front of his body then quickly sheathing his sword again. Renji then claims he could of finished Ichigo of himself, but Byakuya says even his skills will get rusty if he justs stands by and watches all the time.

Rukia then attempts to run to Ichigo's side but Renji grabs her by the neck and pushes her up against a pole. Rukia tries to get him to let go, but Renji then claims angrily that Ichigo is clearly dead. Even touching his dead body, he explains, would lengthen her sentence in prison by 20 years. Ichigo then reaches a hand out and grabs the bottom of Byakuya's clothes. Byakuya, without even looking down at him, tells Ichigo to let go, but Ichigo replies with a smirk, "I can't hear you. Look at me when you talk." Byakuya then threatens to cut off Ichigo's arm when suddenly Rukia runs up and kicks Ichigo's hand off Byakuya. Ichigo questions Rukia, and she responds, "Filthy human... How dare a filthy human seize Nii sama's leg. Know your palce boy!" Ichigo is then shocked as Rukia starts to willingly leave with Renji and Byakuya. Ichigo questions what she is doing, and she then tells him to never think of coming after her to rescue her or she will never forgive him. Byakuya decides not to give a finishing blow as Rukia had stated would be a waste (in what was most likely an attempt to save his life), but explains that he has shattered the souls two fatal areas, the chain link and the soul sleep. He says that Ichigo will most likely die in under an hour, but even if he lives, all his shinigami powers will be gone. Renji then uses his zanpokutou to open a portal to Soul Society and seals his zanpokutou again, returning it to its normal katana shape. Ichigo watches heplessly in the rain as Renji, Byakuya, and finally Rukia walk through the portal, and the door shuts and fades away. Suddenly out of the darkness and rain, Urahara approaches.

It fades to black, then shows a picture of Ichigo's body floating as he thinks to himself he must finally be dying, as he was just cold and now he has no pain and is warm. He awakes to meet a face righ in front of his, as it changes angle we see that Tsukabishi Tessai (the big muscular guy who works for Urahara) is laying on top of Ichigo in a small sleeping sleeping bag sized bed on the floor. Tessai calls for Urahara saying that Ichigo has awakened as Ichigo pushes him out of the bed and sits up quickly, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his left arm, we see his chest and shoulders are bandaged up. It is at this point that Ichigo realizes he is both not dead and not at hsi own house. Urahara then enters the room telling Ichigo that his wounds are not yet fully healed, and that if he moves too much he'll die. Ichigo then realizes he is in Urahara's house, and that it was Urahara that saved him. Urahara also informs Ichigo that Ishida (who had fought Renji in the previous episode and had been defeated) also healed by him, but went home seeing that his wounds weren't too serious. Urahara tells him that Ishida said Ichigo is their only hope in saving Rukia. Ichigo says its impossible to save her since she has returned to Soul Society.

Urahara then informs Ichigo that there is a way he can get into Soul Society and save Rukia, but in exhange Ichigo must let Urahara train him for 10 days. Ichigo s at first outrages and says they must get there faster or else Rukia may be killed, but Urahara explains that at his current strength Ichigo would definitely die in Soul Society, and that there is a one month grace period before exeutions. He says it'll take 10 days to train, 7 to open the gate to Soul Society, and then they'll have 13 days when there. Ichigo flashes back to Rukia leaving through the gate, and questions if he really can get stronger in just 10 days. Urahara tells him "Of course, if you desire from the bottom of your heart to save Kuchiki-san. The power of love is stronger than steel." Urahara asks Ichigo "For 10 days, can you handle a life or death situation with me?" Ichigo responds, "You have to ask?"