Bleach/The Avengers

The Avengers
Season 3, Episode 6
Airdate	August 30, 2005
Production Number	47
Written by	Genki Yoshimura Masahiro Okubo Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Natsuko Takahashi Rika Nakase
Directed by	Noriyuki Abe
← 3x05 Authentic Records! School of Shinigami	3x07 → Hitsugaya, Roar!
Bleach — Season Three

The Avengers is the sixth episode of the third season of Bleach and the forty-seventh episode overall. Momo breaks free from her cell with the intent to kill whomever killed Captain Aizen and Captain Hitsugaya sets out to stop her before she's killed in the battle.

Co-Stars: Peggy O'Neal (Momo Hinamori), Megan Hollingshead (Rangiku Matsumoto), Doug Erholtz (Gin Ichimaru), Steve Staley (Toshiro Hitsugaya), Wendee Lee (Yoruichi Shihouin), Michael Sorich (Tessai Tsukabishi), Michael Lindsay (Kisuke Urahara), Terrence Stone (Yoruichi Shihouin), Jeannie Elias (Jinta Hanakari), Kyle Hebert (Sosuke Aizen)

Plot Overview

In order to escape from her cell, Momo uses her power to knock out the guard and make a large exit using magic. While she hunts down Captain Aizen's killer, Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku are stuck doing Squad 5's paperwork when they receive word that Renji, Momo and Izuru have all disappeared from their cells. After examining the scene of Momo's escape, Toshiro sends Rangiku back to the administration office without him so that he can save Momo from Ichimaru.

Ichigo, meanwhile, is still trying to find the right sword to defeat Zangetsu with. At this point, he's up to his 52nd sword. Despite constantly getting beaten on, Ichigo is learning from his mistakes and is becoming a greater fighter without relying on Zangetsu's power. Yoruichi observes that he is just as Urahara said he is. After finally finding a sword which doesn't shatter after a good five minutes of fighting, Zangetsu seemingly turns into a dummy and Yoruichi declares the first day to be complete. Yoruichi takes this time to mess with Ichigo at the hot spring and tell him about how she and Urahara built the space covertly when they were children. Ichigo asks her to tell him who he really is. She rattles off a list of accomplishments like being the former captain of Squad 12 and the founder and first bureau chief of the Department of Research and Development.

Toshiro eventually catches up with Ichimaru and he declares that he'll kill him before Momo comes around. But, shortly after he makes this threat, Momo appears and points her sword at Toshiro, claiming that he's Aizen's murderer and not Ichimaru. Finally, the full contents of the letter are revealed. According to Aizen the goal of Rukia's execution was not to kill her, but in actually was so that someone, apparently Toshiro, could steal the Soukyoku while its seal is broken. The Soukyoku is rumored to possess the power of a million zanpakutō, but is only unsealed during times of execution. Furthermore, at the time of execution, the blade supposedly increases momentarily to dozens of times greater than usual.

Aizen fingers Toshiro as the culprit of the plan to destroy the entire soul society and asks that Momo carry out his last will; to kill Toshiro in his stead should he die during their altercation. Toshiro protests, saying that these aren't the words of the Aizen he knew and suggests that the letter was forged and planted to make Toshiro and Momo kill each other. Momo attacks despite the lapse in logic, but is knocked away by Toshiro. Toshiro realizes that Ichimaru was the one who set them up against each other because he overheard his threat against Aizen's life. The two stand-off against each other, promising a fight to the death.