While investigating mysterious Soul Reaper deaths in Naruki City, Isshin battles an artificial Hollow called White , a creation of Sosuke Aizen . During the fight, Aizen secretly attacks Isshin from behind, leaving him vulnerable.

Aizen reveals that this "accident" was actually a successful experiment—a Hollow created from a Soul Reaper has now infected a Quincy, its polar opposite. Cast and Production Highlights English Voice Actor Japanese Voice Actor Ichigo Kurosaki Johnny Yong Bosch Masakazu Morita Isshin Kurosaki Patrick Seitz Toshiyuki Morikawa Masaki Kurosaki Anne Yatco Sayaka Ohara Sosuke Aizen Kyle Hebert Sho Hayami Uryu Ishida Derek Stephen Prince Noriaki Sugiyama

Isshin reveals that to understand his broken Bankai, Ichigo must first learn his own history. The episode shifts years back to when Isshin was the Captain of the 10th Division (the Shiba clan).

Ichigo's mother, Masaki, is revealed to be a pureblood Quincy . Despite the risks, she intervenes to save Isshin. She lures White into biting her shoulder so she can kill it at point-blank range with her Quincy powers.

After being rejected by Oh-Etsu Nimaiya for failing to understand the true nature of his soul, Ichigo is sent back to the World of the Living. Unable to face his friends, he seeks refuge at Ikumi Unagiya's eel restaurant before being confronted by his father, Isshin.