Bleach 7 > Information > Bleach Manga Guide > Anime Summaries > Bleach Episode 003
Episode 003
Episode three opens up with Ichigo dodging the snake-like Hollow's attack. Ichigo jumps and slashes his Zanpaktou hitting the Hollow's mask. Rukia comments that the attack was too shallow. The Hollow rears back in agony as the corner of his mask shatters exposing part of his face. Ichigo is stunned to see the face beneath the mask and the Hollow escapes into a portal that he created in the ceiling. Ichigo comes to the realization that Inoue's brother was the Hollow. The portal leads Inoue's brother to Hueco Mundo where his mask repairs itself almost instantly. With his renewed strength he lets out a gut-wrenching roar.
Back in Ichigo's room, Ichigo questions why Inoue's brother would be attacking him. Rukia states she doesn't know the exact reason but suspects that a separate, powerful Hollow that is hidden from them wants to eat Ichigo's spirit power. She also suspects that other Hollows are being "puppeteered" by this Hollow which would explain Inoue's brother attacking him. Angry with her remark, he grabs her shirt and says he can't kill Inoue's brother. She pulls away and retaliates that Inoue's brother cannot be saved unless he is slain, that he will definitely return to try again. She halts her statement and realizes that "that girl, Inoue, is also in danger.
In Inoue's apartment, Inoue and Tatsuki are commenting on how delicious their dinner was and are debating whether or not to have dessert. As Inoue brings up that she has green onions and sweetbean jelly and it is delicious to eat with a friend, her bear, Enraku, that she has sitting on her mantle gets its face cut by an invisible force and falls to the ground. Both Inoue and Tatsuki notice the bear on the floor and go to it to see what happened. Inoue picks up Enraku and questions why it is ripped. They then hear banging so they look around but don't know where it is coming.
Ichigo is leaping from one rooftop to the next rushing to Inoue's house. He asks Rukia, riding on his back, why Hollows would attack their own relatives. She explains that Hollows are fallen souls, souls that weren't led to Soul Society by Death Gods, souls that weren't protected by Death Gods who lost their hearts and became Hollows. Since his soul became a Hollow when it failed to "eat" him, the Hollow will seek out the soul of the person it loved most in life in order to bury its lost heart. She goes on to explain the odd bruise that Inoue had on her leg just after the car accident was the mark of a Hollow's touch.
Inoue and Tatsuki look around desperate to find out where the sounds are coming from. Inoue's attention is drawn to the blood dripping from her hand. Suddenly, the Hollow's hand punctures through Inoue. Her face goes blank and she falls to her back much to the surprise of Tatsuki who rushes to Inoue's lifeless body. A shadow moves in on Tatsuki and knocks her across the room into a wall. Confused as to what is happening and what cut her arm, she is thrown across the room to the ground. The ghostly image of the Hollow stands before her and continues to beat her to the ground as an impression of his hand print is left in the carpet. Across the room, Inoue is curled up, shivering in fear unable to discern what is happening to them. She can see the "monster-looking thing" over Tatsuki and sees her own lifeless body on the other side of the room. Disregarding the pain she is feeling in her chest from the attached chain, she hurls her body into the arm that the Hollow is choking Tatsuki with. Tatsuki gasps for air and backs up into the wall unaware that Inoue helped her and is speaking to her. The Hollow tells her that Tatsuki can't hear or see them. This confuses Inoue and she asks how he knows her name. The Hollow assures her that "it's me", and get angered that she doesn't remember his voice. He proclaims that he is sad and tries to strike Inoue but is blocked by Ichigo who has finally arrived.
Ichigo yells that the Hollow is supposed to be after him and cuts the Hollow's hand. Ichigo moves to strike again but it disappears into a portal. Confused as to why Inoue can speak to him and see him, Ichigo sees the chain attached to her chest. A flashback occurs of Rukia explaining that Death Gods are spirits and can only be seen by other spirits and not normal people. The Hollow reappears and proclaims that Inoue is dead. Ichigo leaps to attack but the Hollow dodges, grabs the chain attached to Inoue's chest and knocks Ichigo outside through the wall with his tail. Using Inoue as a hostage he tells Ichigo not to move and tail whips him to the ground. The Hollow asks Inoue if she forgot about him and looks into her eyes. Inoue comes to the realization that the Hollow is in fact her brother.
Rukia runs to Ichigo who tells her he is uninjured and she reiterates that the Hollow is no longer Inoue's brother, that he is lacking a human heart and needs to be killed.
Inside, the Hollow restates that he is her brother but Inoue ssays that her brother would never do something to hurt her or anyone else. He explains that after he died she used to pray for him everyday, which made him feel like he could be saved. However, after about a year she met Tatsuki and slowly began praying less until she started high school and stopped praying altogether which made him feel lonely. He tells her that everything will stop if he is able to kill Ichigo. He blames her making him turn into a Hollow, grabs her throat and says he will kill her first if she doesn't cooperate. As he is choking her Ichigo comes back and stabs his tail repeatedly making him drop Inoue. He lunges for her but Ichigo appears in front of him and cuts off his hand. Ichigo explains that big brothers are born first to protect their younger brothers and sisters at all costs, even if it kills them. The Hollow retaliates that he has always protected Inoue especially when their parents abandoned them when she was three. He pleads with Inoue that he won't hurt the others (Ichigo and Rukia) if she leaves with him. Rukia cuts in and tells Inoue it's a trap, that he no longer has the heart of her brother. The light shimmers off of Inoue's hairpin which makes the Hollow have a flashback of his baby sister. Unable to cope with his human emotions, he slams his face against the wall. Saying Inoue belongs to him, he lunges for Ichigo trying to bite him in half. Ichigo blocks the Hollow with his sword and shoves him through the wall.
Chasing after the Hollow, Ichigo soars through the air but is hesitating to strike it from behind. Just as Rukia screams for Ichigo to stop hesitating, the Hollow spits a liquid on Ichigo's hands that burns him and forces him to drop his sword and fall to the ground. With lightning speed, the Hollow charges Ichigo as he is turning around and the screen goes black.
Arms extended, hugging the Hollow in his bite, Inoue apologizes to her brother telling him it's her fault and because she said, "Don't leave me alone" the day he died. That is why he was unable to go. She could feel him nearby all the time, even when she was about to get hit by the car. He protected her and pulled her out of the way, leaving the "mark of a Hollow" on her leg. She knew if she relied on him forever then he would never be able to rest so she wanted to show him her happiness and show him he wouldn't need to worry any longer, but that only made him lonely. Again, feeling human emotions his mask begins to disappear. Rukia explains that he is struggling against the Hollow within him, that he must have been taken by other Hollows against his will. Ichigo questions why, and Rukia continues that souls taken by powerful Hollows end up being manipulated by those Hollows. Whatever Hollow that's after Ichigo, took a soul that he would find hard to fight. Inoue's brother continues to fight and his mask shatters causing Inoue to faint.
Ichigo rushes to her and Rukia tells him the chain of fate on her chest hasn't broken, meaning she hasn't died. She pushes Ichigo out of the way and starts to heal her with Kidou (demon magic). Ichigo tells Inoue's brother that she wears her hair pins everyday, she tells people her brother gave them to her. Her brother picks up Ichigo's sword and tells Ichigo that if he stays there he will eventually become a monster again, so while his mind is still clea he will disappear. Ichigo tries to stop him but Rukia interrupts him telling him he made the right choice. Those who become a Hollow can never return to normal so he should do as he wishes. She goes on to explain that slaying a Hollow does not mean you are killing it, it just means that you are making it able to enter Soul Society (the home of all souls) by washing away its sins. Inoue wakes up and tells her brother that the day he gave her the hairpins she fought with him because she thought they were childish. She didn't say anything to him as he went to work and that was their final goodbye. So before he leaves her again she properly wants to say, "See you later". Her brother replied, "See you later" and plunges the sword into his chest, fading away into a blue mist. Ichigo's sword hits the ground and Inoue bursts into tears.
The next morning Inoue tries to explain to her friends that a Sumo champion REALLY came to her apartment and blew a hole in her wall with a gun. He friends tell her to stop telling that story and say something with a little more realism. Ichigo turns to Rukia and realizes what Rukia did to Inoue the night prior. With a duck shaped PEZ dispenser thing, a memory modifier, she erased Inoue's memory of the night and put in a random replacement. He asks her if she used that on his family and she proudly says yes. After an awkward silence Ichigo tells her is isn't exactly prepared, but he will accept the responsibility of that "Death God" work. Rukia, "I'm looking forward to it."