Ashido, the Shinigami Who Came from the Past

is the one-hundred-forty-eighth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki and the others continue exploring the Forest of Menos.

Summary
Ashido Kanō swings his Zanpakutō at Rukia Kuchiki, but stops the blade just short so she isn't injured. Ashido sheathes his Zanpakutō and reveals to Rukia that he was simply testing her strength because there are many powerful Hollows here. He then leaves the room and Rukia goes after him. After reaching him, Ashido tells her that someone is fighting in the forest. Rukia realizes that the Reiatsu of the people fighting belong to Ichigo and Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and Ashido remarks that with the way they're fighting, they're going to lure more Menos Grande to them. Ashido decides to go over to help them and Rukia tries to go as well, explaining that the people fighting are her friends. Ashido asks for her name and she introduces herself, and Ashido immediately heads to Ichigo's location while Rukia follows.

Ichigo fires off a Getsuga Tenshō and kills a Menos Grande, but he's immediately enveloped in a barrage of Ceros fired by many other Menos Grandes. Ichigo begins to get angered at the fact that there are so many Menos Grandes, and the others suggest to him that they run away. Yasutora Sado asks what they should do about Nel Tu and the others, and Ichigo states that they'll save them, and that they'll find Rukia as well. Bawabawa suddenly appears and they go on top of him, believing that he knows the location of Nel and the others.

The Guardian of the Forest of Menos remarks that things are really stirring up in the Forest of Menos, and another Hollow states that the report from Las Noches must have been correct. However, the Guardian tells him that this is technically incorrect, as Ashido is involved as well, and he wonders when Ashido will finally die. A Hollow off in the distance tells the Guardian to come over because they found something interesting. Nel and the others are shown shaking in fear and the Guardian remarks that it seems like they picked up something nice. He then picks up all three of them with his tail and Nel asks him what he's going to do with them. The Guardian states that they'll learn soon enough and he orders the other Hollows to find the intruders soon. The Guardian then throws them into a room guarded by the Hollows.

Rukia and Ashido arrive at the battlefield, but they find nothing there. Rukia remarks that Ichigo and the others were definitely here and she wonders where they went. A Hollow suddenly appears behind Rukia and punches at her, but she dodges the attack. Rukia realizes that this Hollow is actually one of an Adjuchas-class, and Ashido begins fighting against him. Ashido is able to easily overwhelm the Adjuchas, forcing him to call out the Gillian to help him. The Gillian fire Ceros at both of them, but they are able to dodge the attack. Ashido tells Rukia not to waste her time on the Menos Grande and orders her to stay put. Ashido charges towards the Menos and the Gillian fire Ceros off at him, but he is able to block the attack. The Adjuchas is suddenly cut vertically in half by Ashido and dies. He then cuts down the Gillians as well and goes back to where Rukia is while sheathing his Zanpakutō. Rukia remarks that Ashido is powerful, since he wasn't even using Bankai, and she asks him who that Hollow just was. Ashido states it was an Adjuchas, a class above the Gillian, and he asks her if this was her first time seeing one. She states that it was, and that it seems as if the Adjuchas have control over the Gillian. Ashido remarks that they've only been around a short time, and he asks Rukia what happened in the Soul Society. He states that the Hollows have been becoming even stronger, and now a Shinigami has even appeared here. She tells him that a lot of terrible things happened in the Soul Society, but doesn't answer any further than that. Ashido and Rukia then continue to look for Ichigo and the others.

A Hollow informs the Guardian that an Adjuchas was killed, and the Guardian asks if this was the work of Ashido. He states that it was, but that there was also another Reiatsu near him, confirming that he is working with the intruders. The Guardian then looks at where he stored Nel and the others and decides that he's going to use them.

Ashido and Rukia continue cutting down Gillian, and Rukia remarks that this "forest" feels more like a nest. Ashido tells her that she's correct and that this is really a Hollow nest. He then tells Rukia that he underestimated her strength, and that she shouldn't have any trouble against the Adjuchas. As they continue walking through the forest, Rukia asks Ashido why he wears his mask, but then retracts her question. However, Ashido removes his mask and reveals his face to Rukia. He states that it has been several hundred years since he left Soul Society and came here. Ashido explains that he was chasing after some Hollows that were about to enter Hueco Mundo, and that he ended up here before he realized it. Ever since then, he has been constantly fighting Hollows. Rukia asks if there's some way to leave and he states that there is, but that he chooses not to because he's a Shinigami. Ashido speculates that it's highly likely that all of the Hollows that enter the Human World come from here, and that by killing the Hollows here, it would help decrease the Hollows numbers in the Human World. Ashido asks if the numbers have indeed decreased, but realizes that it hasn't, due to the expression Rukia makes. Rukia tells him that this wasn't something that she could simply lie about, and she apologizes to him, but Ashido tells her that she doesn't need to apologize. The two of them then continue to search for Ichigo and the others.

Dondochakka Birstanne remarks that it sounds as if the Hollows are having a party, and they come to the conclusion that the Hollows are going to eat them. Dondochakka asks Nel if she has kept her hood up ever since they've come here, and she states that she has, giving Dondochakka an idea. They run outside to where the Hollows are, and tell them that Nel was made into an Arrancar because of Sōsuke Aizen, and they remove her hood revealing her broken Hollow mask. The Hollows are in shock from this and they begin bowing down to her, and they give the three of them directions on how to get out. As Dondochakka remarks that the plan worked perfectly, a Hollow appears in front of them and tells them that it's time for them to try out their own plan now. Nel tries to convince the Hollow that she's an Arrancar, but the Hollow tells her that he doesn't care.

Rukia asks where they are now, and Ashido states that this is where he and his Shinigami friends first arrived. He states that when they first arrived, they knew exactly where they were, and fought with all their might as Shinigami. However, there were too many Hollows for them to take care of and eventually even the Menos Grande got involved. In the end, many of his friends were killed, leaving only one person other than himself alive. However, that person ended up getting killed as well, but before he died he was able to successfully remove the mask of a Hollow. Ashido used that mask to deflect the Ceros that the Menos Grande fired at him and he was able to save himself because of that. Ashido tells Rukia that he didn't ask if the Hollows had decreased in the Human World because he wanted to see if he was doing well, but because he thought it would be nice to be able to report in for his friends. Ashido tells her that as soon as she reunites with her friends, she should return to the Soul Society as there's no point in staying here anymore. However, Rukia tells him that she's actually headed for Las Noches because one of her friends is being held captive there. Ashido warns her that Vasto Lorde are there, but she still decides that she has to go. Rukia states that as long as she's with Ichigo and the others, she'll do fine. Rukia changes the subject and asks Ashido why he brought her here and Ashido tells her that he simply wanted his friends to hear her voice. Rukia then notices the graves placed there and Ashido remarks that it has been so long since they've heard a Shinigami speak. Ashido puts his mask back on, but as soon as he does that, they sense Ichigo's Reiatsu and go to his location. However, as soon as they get there, they find no one and an Adjuchas tells them that he killed them all. He then calls for the Gillian to come and they do so. Ashido tells Rukia not to panic, explaining that if they defeat the Adjuchas then the Menos will scatter. The Menos fire Ceros at the two of them, but they are able to dodge the attacks and they go for the Adjuchas. They attack him and do minor damage to his arm, and he orders the Menos to go after Rukia. One of the Hollows nearly attacks Rukia, but Ashido takes the blow for her and the mask he wears breaks in half.

Arrancar Encyclopedia
Gin Ichimaru goes over the Forest of Menos and while he does this Pesche Guatiche tries to order the Gillian around. However, Gin states that the only Hollows that can order them around are the ones Aizen puts in charge. Pesche tells him that he should have said that sooner and attacks the Gillian, but Gin states that if you do that its friends come and help him. As Pesche is surrounded by more Gillian, Pesche yells for someone to help him and tells Gin that he should say this stuff sooner.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 2) Ashido Kanō
 * 3) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 4) Yasutora Sado
 * 5) Uryū Ishida
 * 6) Renji Abarai
 * 7) Bawabawa
 * 8) Guardian of the Forest of Menos
 * 9) Nel Tu
 * 10) Dondochakka Birstanne
 * 11) Pesche Guatiche
 * 12) Sōsuke Aizen (flashback)

Fights
None.

Powers and Techniques Used
Shinigami techniques:

Hollow techniques:
 * (flashback)
 * (flashback)

Techniques used: