Ichigo and the others enter the Soul Society after making it past the Capturing Thrust. Now they must find a way to enter the place where the shinigami live. One way to enter is to pass through the Gate of Pure Spirits. One problem though; Jidanbou, a man of Herculean strength, is guarding the entrance.

After 3rd squad captain Ichimaru Gin prevents Ichigo and his friends from getting past the gate they must find another way in. In the meantime Orihime uses her powers to heal the injured Jidanbou and Chad meets up with the young boy he and Ichigo previously saved from a Hollow. Later Yoruichi suggests they find her old friend Shiba Kuukaku and ask her for help. Then Ganju, a strange man who rides a boar, shows up and picks a fight with Ichigo.

Rukia is told there are 14 more days left until her execution and is moved into the Shrine of Penitence. Meanwhile Ichigo and the others enter the strange house of Shiba Kuukaku. After Yoruichi tells Kuukaku where they need to go she decides to help them. Kuukaku then calls on her younger brother to watch over them and when he enters the room Ichigo recognizes him as Ganju from the night before.

Ichigo and gang learn that the only way to infiltrate soul society is to burst into the top of the barrier with a spirit powered cannonball. Meanwhile, in soul society, all the death god divisions prepare to assemble for some urgent news. Anyways, everyone in the group but Ichigo learns to concentrate their spirit power to create the spirit cannonball. But, Ichigo doesn't give up on trying.

Ichigo finally learns to concentrate his spirit energy. They learn that Ganju will be going with them since he has to chant a spell to help them break into the barrier. He also reveals to them the secret about his brother. They then blast off towards the barrier and prepare for impact. But, it seems that they may be separated after the impact.

When the group penetrates the barrier with the cannonball they end up being separated. Ichigo and Ganju end up together. When they land they are confronted by two Shinigami. Ganju runs away but Ichigo decided to stay and fight.

The battle between Ikkaku and Ichigo soon comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ishida and Inoue are chased by more than a handful of deathgods and Ganju still has to handle Yumichika.

As Ichigo tries to find Ganju to try to help him, he gets found by a few death gods who starts to chase him. Ganju is still facing off against Yumichika. Meanwhile, Ishida and Inoue come across a deathgod of their own. The deathgod decides to fight Inoue but Ishida decides that he's not gonna let that happen.

Uuryu finishs off the shinigami. Meanwhile, Ganju and Ichigo met up and take a weaker Shinigami named Yamada Hanatarou as a hostage to escape from the raging Shinigami gangs.

After finding out that Ichigo wants to save Rukia, Hanatarou decides to help them out. Meanwhile, the other deathgods gets informed of all the casualties they've had so far. They soon get close to the Shrine of Penitence and they get confronted by Abarai Renji, who then starts a fight with Ichigo.

Ichigo's battle between Renji gets serious, but Ichigo will never give up on his journey to rescue Rukia. Ichigo starts to remember his training with Urahara. His training with Urahara helps him find out ways of finding weaknesses for certain attacks. His training also reveals the resolve that he should have that would help him beat Renji.

After the confrontation with Ichigo, Renji is left seriously injured and unable to fight. In a sort of "life-flashing-before-his-eyes" way, Renji reminisces his past in Rukongai, training as a Shinigami, but most importantly the factors that lead to Renji and Rukia's strange but somehow still close relationship. This sentimental episode features Renji and Rukia. (A little bit of Ichigo is thrown in to 'ground' the episode in the present.)

Ichigo's two sisters find a cat and decide to adopt him and call him Raku. Both of them meet the celebrity Kan'onji who is searching for a sidekick (Karakura red). On their way they meet Urahara's two assistants who want to be Kan'onji's sidekicks as well. They then discover that Raku died a long time ago in an accident related to Ichigo's younger sister, Yuzu, and that now Raku is hunted by hollows. After fighting the hollows and almost losing to them, Raku shows his true form - a great lion, or as called by Kan'onji - "Karakura Lion Jet". After defeating the hollows, Raku disappears and accepts his death.

Aftermath of the battle between Renji and Ichigo!

Captain Aizen is found dead by his vice captain Hinamori-kun. Filled with anger and sadness, and based on something she heard earlier, Hinamori accuses captain Ichimaru of killling her captain, and attacks him. Ichimaru’s vice captain defends him. The fight is stopped when Hinamori and the other vice captain are taken to detention. Meanwhile, Ichigo is feeling much better thanks to Hanataro who cured him with his powers. After that Ichigo and his friends go to the tower to save Rukia, but unknowingly someone with great power is waiting to destroy them.

As Ichigo, Ganju, and Hanatarou makes their way up the stairs, towards the Shrine of Penitence, they feel an immense amount of spirit force near them. Also, Hinamori, who was locked up, receives a note written by Captain Aizen, which reveals a stunning secret. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Ganju, and Hanatarou try to run away from this spirit force but it seems that they can't break away from it. 11th Squad Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi, then reveals himself. Ichigo realizes that Zaraki is the one that was placing that huge spirit force on them. Ichigo tells Ganju and Hanatarou to go ahead and save Rukia while he deals with Zaraki.

While Chad continues his search for the place where Rukia is held at, he encounters the 8th squad captain, Kyouraku Shunsui, who tells him where his power of the fist is coming from, and that if he will continue any farther it will take his life. Chad then remembers the reason he came to the Soul Society and the promise he made to his grandfather about his power. He also remembers the day he met Ichigo and what they promised to each other.

During his fight with Zaraki Kenpachi, Ichigo senses that Chad's life is fading away, and tries to end the battle quickly to be able to help his friends. After trying to fight Zaraki eqaully, in the end Ichigo loses the fight and with his soul slayer, Zangetsu ,brokened, things dont look promising to Ichigo, but apparently not everything is hopeless as in the end of the episode Zangetsu appears in front of Ichigo.

After being defeated by Zaraki Kenpachi and with his sword broken, Zangetsu takes Ichigo into his Inner world, where Ichigo must win Zangetsu back from his inner devil. After fighting him Ichigo then understands that just like Zaraki, he as well was only counting on himself and was using Zangetsu only as a tool without relying on Zangetsu's power. He asks Zangetsu for a second chance, and gets it. He then returns to Soul society to fight Zaraki again, this time with Zangetsu as his ally, but just as things look promising to Ichigo, Zaraki starts fighting him with full power. Ichigo then lends Zangetsu's power for the last blow, which will decide everything.

The match between Zaraki and Ichigo comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ganju and Hanatarou arrive at the Shrine of Penitence and meet Rukia. Although, it seems that Ganju and Rukia have met before but, that's not their only problem.

When Byakuya comes to Rukia's cell, he finds out that she is being rescued. In an attempt to kill them, Ichigo comes flying in and saving the day. Will he succeed?