Masterly! And Farewell!

Still hunting the worn-out Ganju, Yumichika unseals Fuji Kujaku, only for Ganju to hurl one of Kukaku's chili-pepper smoke bombs, a weapon nicknamed Tears of Blood that leaves both of them coughing before he slips away yet again. Nearby, Ikkaku wakes to find Ichigo holding his reverted sword, which returned to its sealed state when its owner passed out, and learns that the boy used the coagulant from the hilt to close his chest wound.

Furious at being saved, Ikkaku says the rescue has shamed him, but Ichigo only wants information. When he reveals that his rescue party numbers five people and a cat, Ikkaku laughs so hard he splits the wound back open, then relents and points Ichigo south toward the Gotei 13 barracks, telling him Rukia is held in a white tower at their western edge. As Ichigo departs, Ikkaku warns him to fear his own captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, prompting the boy to nervously ask the man's name.

Kenpachi, meanwhile, fumes at another dead end as Yachiru blames his hopeless sense of direction, and the pair move on without noticing Orihime and Uryu hidden on a nearby roof. Uryu guesses the two are powerful but poor at detecting spiritual energy, much like Ichigo. When Orihime spots the distant tower and points it out, Jirobo Ikkanzaka lunges at her from behind, and Uryu snatches her clear of the blow, earning grudging praise from the seated officer who promises them cause for regret. The chapter was adapted in episodes 27 and 28.