Tadakatsu awakens in the outer districts of East Rukongai, with vague memories of the things immediately preceding his waking. Remembering only his name and the events which got him here, he quickly ascertains that he's dead, and this is the afterlife he'd promised to find his best friend in. So Tadakatsu goes searching for Yumeshiro. Only, his sense of direction is not the best, and this is a new, unfamiliar environment to him, and he has no idea how this society works. Where would Yumeshiro be? Was there such a thing as rich and poor here? 

Quickly he learns that there is not only a distinction between rich and poor, but the spiritually defective and spiritually gifted. Those with high spiritual energy feel things like hunger and thirst, unhappiness, and illness, unlike those with little energy, who truly enjoyed an afterlife of paradise. His own spiritual energy is high, so he tries to keep his distance, until he can find a place to stay where his power does not cause others to feel nauseous or give them headaches.

It is not until he hits Aosen Town (青塼町 Aosen-chō — “azure,” "brick") in District Forty that he finds someone who is willing to let him stay. Tetsugaya Ebihara (鉄夏野 蝦原 — "iron," "summer," "plains, field," "shrimp," "meadow, field, wilderness"), a blacksmith, and his wife Sumi Ebihara (墨 — "black ink"), a shinigami, open their doors to him. The both of them are physically in their late forties to early fifties, and could not have children of their own, so they adopt Tadakatsu as their own son. He is so grateful to them for giving him a place to stay that he immediately accepts. Soon after, Tadakatsu figures out that almost everyone in this district does not become ill around him or they do not mind the effects of his spiritual energy, and so he happily spends time there with Tetsugaya and Sumi, while doing odd jobs around town. If this is what the afterlife is like, then maybe it's not so bad! All the while, he wondered to himself what became of Yumeshiro, and if they were going to meet again.

Perhaps unfortunately for him, Yumeshiro was impatient, and was not going to wait for him to get off his ass to come find him. He'd been waiting four years already. Their spiritual energies were inexplicably tied together, and as soon as Tadakatsu had died, Yumeshiro felt it, and went looking for him. Because of the size of Rukongai, it took him about a year of thorough searching to find the idiot. By that point, Tadakatsu had fully integrated into the culture of Aosen Town.

As soon as he feels the spiritual energy, Tadakatsu throws his tools to the ground and runs off to find the source. They lock eyes, and Tadakatsu throws himself over Yumeshiro, hugging him like he'd just found his lifeline, while Yumeshiro grumbled about him being an embarrassingly sentimental moron. Aosen Town welcomes Yumeshiro like he's part of their family, but he's not there to make happy memories, he's a man on a mission, and he's there to instill some discipline in his friend, who he insists must join the Shin'o Academy with him so they could both become shinigami. Tadakatsu didn't care for such a thing, though both his parents desperately wanted him to do so, for they saw how restless and aimless Tadakatsu was, and felt not only shame, but pity for the young man, who had no direction, who floated through jobs unsure of where he was meant to be. That he was so happy meeting with Yumeshiro again had to be a sign, and they urged him to follow in Yumeshiro's footsteps. 

He really really didn't want to, though unsure as to why, nonetheless hesitant at the thought of competing against Yumeshiro. Yumeshiro notices this, and threatens to pummel him for being a coward. Not wanting to lose to his friend, he stubbornly takes the entrance exam, only to fail it miserably. Yumeshiro passed with flying colours, and punches Tadakatsu in the face the next time he sees him, pissed beyond relief at his friend's idiocy. What the hell was the point if they weren't going to be doing it together? Shameful, disgusting, embarrassing! What would people think of him, being friends with a failure? Yumeshiro told him to get his ass in gear for next year's entrance exam. If he didn't pass, they could not be associated anymore.

This one year is incredibly depressing for Tadakatsu, who genuinely expected to pass, who couldn't understand why he didn't pass, who thought that maybe it wouldn't be worth it to pass if he failed it the first time. It did not help that his parents were pressuring him to quickly rectify his problem areas. Who says he wanted to be a shinigami anyways? Clearly he wasn't cut out for it. Yumeshiro on the other hand, now that's where he was meant to be. Disappointed as they may be, Tetsugaya and Sumi tried their hardest to encourage him and motivate him. They weren't very good at it, but... they tried their best. As Tadakatsu worked in Tetsugaya's smithy, and helped farmers till their land, he thought that maybe being a farmer or a farmhand or a blacksmith was more his style. He was much happier doing these jobs. That is, until one year flew by in the blink of an eye, and Tadakatsu was passing the entrance exam by the skin of his teeth. 

Now he had no excuse. With everyone's blessings, he entered the Shin'o Academy.

Tadakatsu is easy-going and good with people, making many friends not only in his own classes, but with his senpai in higher classes. It helps that now Yumeshiro recognizes him and freely associates with him, as the man is just as much of a people magnet, and this boosts Tadakatsu's popularity even more. People lovingly refer to him as aniki and treat him like their older brother, and he willingly takes on this role, helping others even though he arguably needs more help than they do.

With his natural talent and his affinity for swordsmanship, and his amazing physical endurance and strength, he excels at Kendō, Hakuda, Hohō, and all practical and physical aspects. Kidō and any written exams are his weakness, and because many of the basics focus on theory, Tadakatsu struggles in his first year at the academy. When the end of the year exams are rolling around, he is in danger of failing and having to repeat the year, but out of the goodness of his own heart, a fully fledged shinigami and adopted son of the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Hideyori Matsunaga Yamamoto, offers to tutor him, which Tadakatsu readily accepts. Tadakatsu passes his final exams with flying colours, and this becomes a trend, where Hideyori tutors him throughout the year and then intensifies his training by the year-end exams.

In his third year is when everyone begins to talk about the Gotei 13, and which divisions they were looking to get into. Tadakatsu wasn't certain he was even going to pass, let alone join one of the divisions! And where the hell was he going to go, anyways? Oh gosh, he really was halfway there, wasn't he. This anxiety halts him in his tracks, and he fails the spring exams, and is forced to take summer school to make up for his sudden drop in performance. "It just doesn't make sense!" his parents say. He was doing so well! What changed? Tadakatsu doesn't know how to verbalize exactly what's bothering him. They call him lazy and shameful, and he just takes it.

Over the break, he and a group of students are assigned under the charge of an upperclassman, and they are sent to scout a suspicious spiritual signature in the Living World. It turns out to be a Hollow that is well above the level of any of them, and as the upperclassman is sending for backup, he is torn apart by the Hollow. It's then that the underclassman realize they'd wandered into a nest of Hollow, and were hopelessly outmatched. Tadakatsu doesn't want to die here! He also doesn't want any of his classmates to get hurt, and he doesn't want to let these Hollow go, lest they hurt living souls! So he strikes his chest, tells them to believe in him! He will not let a single one of them be harmed as long as they stay behind him and trust in his blade! ...His blade, which shakes as he draws it. Closing his eyes, he focuses, thinks about living through this so that he can fight another day. It's then that his blade speaks to him, and he learns its name: Hyōrikō  (表裏衡 — Two-faced Equilibrium). He asks Hyōrikō to lend him its strength to protect his fellow man, and Hyōrikō responds in tandem.

He manages a handful of kills, before he is caught in the jaws of a particularly high-level Hollow, and is overwhelmed. One of its fangs pierces Tadakatsu's right hand, and he can no longer properly hold his blade. That is when he hears the ringing of bells. Is it his time to die, yet again? No! It is Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the Eleventh Division, his Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, and the Fifth Seat, Yumichika Ayasegawa, as well as a team of Eleventh Division shinigami, who swiftly take down the rest of the Hollow. Kenpachi slices the one with Tadakatsu in its hold, and lets him fall unceremoniously to the ground. Tadakatsu apologizes to Hyōrikō for not being a stronger combatant, which earns him Yumichika's impressed fawning. To be only a third year and already know the name of his zanpakutō? There's promise in this one.

Tadakatsu introduces himself to their saviours, and thanks them profusely, to which Yachiru responds, "No problem, Ebi-chan!" And truly, he believes them, that this was no problem, for they so easily defeated these Hollow! Amazing!

But Tadakatsu is not done. He's so amazed by Captain Zaraki's strength, that he proclaims, "Zaraki-dono! I, Tadakatsu Ebihara, have been inspired by you! Hear me! I will one day defeat you!"

To which Kenpachi responds, "Oh yeah? How about you defeat me right now?"

Uh-oh. To say that the defeat is humiliating is an understatement. Yet Tadakatsu is  undeterred, regardless of how long he lasted (two minutes). He promises that the next time they spar, he will have increased his maximum! Kenpachi tells him to go for it, though when they leave the students to their own devices, Tadakatsu collapses to his knees, holding his bleeding hand and vibrating with excitement. That man, truly a man among men! What strength! What showmanship! What overwhelming presence! To think he'd been in the clutches of death not moments ago! The humiliation of defeat is nothing! He has never so thoroughly enjoyed losing before! The spirit of the fight has invigorated his very soul! He must join the Eleventh Division, he must defeat Kenpachi Zaraki!

Later on, when he recounts this experience to Yumeshiro, his friend snorts, and remarks on his new-found passion. "So, he lights a fire in you, does he?"

That he did. Even Hideyori notices Tadakatsu's vigour in his studies, and though there was some doubt instilled in his classmates before, by the time he is graduating, he has done so in the top ten of his class! Yumeshiro graduated one year early, but he elects to attend Tadakatsu's graduation ceremony. The festivities are not done, however! Aosen Town planned a huge ceremony of their own to welcome the prodigal son back home, and not only was Yumeshiro invited, but Hideyori as well! 

It is then that the townsfolk meet the source of Tadakatsu's success, except they seem to misunderstand the nature of his relationship with Tadakatsu, as well as who he is fundamentally. They assume that Hideyori is a woman (which is not so odd, considering he truly is gorgeous, a beautiful cherry blossom flowering in the darkest of lands), but they also assume that Tadakatsu is bringing Hideyori home to meet his family because he has plans to marry Hideyori! Everywhere they go, it's, "Katsu-chan, you hound!" and "Woah, Katsu-kun, you really know how to pick 'em!" By the tenth time, he has given up trying to correct anyone on the matter, until he is formally introduced to Tadakatsu's parents, and after an embarrassing misunderstanding, Tadakatsu yells at the top of his lungs that Hideyori Matsunaga Yamamoto is the Captain Commander's son, that Tadakatsu would never dishonour him, and that even if Hideyori was a woman, them being married was nigh impossible! He really does receive a head-pounding for that one. 

As with Yumeshiro, Hideyori is accepted quite readily by Aosen Town and by the Ebihara family, and they thank him for all the time he spent with Tadakatsu setting his head straight. It's after this that the question hangs on everyone's tongues. Which division will you join, Tadakatsu? 

And Tadakatsu has never been more sure of himself than when he answers, "The Eleventh Division."

Tadakatsu joins the Eleventh Division with the expectation that he will defeat the Captain this time for sure. First day in, when they're doing their introductions to their senpai, Tadakatsu steps forward and declares his intention to do so. The new recruits erupt in an uproar. Defeat the Kenpachi? The strongest man in all of the Seireitei? Is he insane? Or is he just stupid? Yet there are some of them that wonder, with such confidence, what if he could? Speaking of the devil, Kenpachi happens to show up just as Tadakatsu is saying this. Tadakatsu has all of two seconds before he's being sent flying through the wall into the courtyard, where Kenpachi proceeds to beat the ever loving soul out of him. It wasn't a fluke, then. He lost the first time, and he lost now, and he did so because he was not good enough.

Then Kenpachi says something... amazing. "Oi, you're that brat, ain'tcha? From three years ago? You did a hell of a lot better. Maybe you'll put up a real fight in another hundred years, ha!"

Though everyone else sees this as a devastating jab, something that no man's ego can ever recover from, Tadakatsu's gazing upon his Captain with stars in his eyes, elated. Only a man like Tadakatsu would take that as a compliment. He'd lasted longer, and Kenpachi remembered him, and remembered their first fight! It only serves as motivation, and Tadakatsu delves into his training like never before. Every day, he challenges the Captain to a fight, every day, he has his ass handed to him. But every day, he learns something new, he gets faster, and stronger, and riskier. When fighting the Captain, one must take a lot of risks. Eventually, he rises above ordinary shinigami, and earns himself the Twelfth Seat.

A little over a hundred years after Tadakatsu is adopted by Tetsugaya and Sumi, he comes home one day to find a young woman staying in his old room. After a violent misunderstanding where she decks him in the face and sends him flying, they learn from Sumi that from that day onward, they are to treat each other like brother and sister. To say Tadakatsu is excited is an understatement. He has a complex associated with little sisters, and he thinks that what he has just been given is a perfect little princess for him to take care of. Ryuuhime is anything but, and it is hazardous to Tadakatsu's health to think otherwise.

She's volatile, and angry, and sensitive. She takes every little thing to heart and responds destructively. She thinks Tadakatsu is a nuisance, an embarrassment, an idiot! She would never accept him as her old brother, not when he's so spineless, not when he's so relaxed, not when he condescends to her and treats her like a child and acts like her having any emotional reaction at all is inconvenient and unnecessary! She would never admire him or rely on him! She feels more like an adult than he could ever! And she hates having to see him as an older brother, so she declares she is enrolling in the Shin'o Academy and becoming a shinigami. Her parents are thrilled! They're proud of her motivation, her drive! So much so that they just have to make a comment on how they wish Tadakatsu had this much ambition from the start. Oh, he was slow, and it's great that he picked up the slack eventually, but Ryuuhime really is their pride and joy.

As much as Tadakatsu says it doesn't matter to him, that he is just so proud of Hime-chan for all her accomplishments, there's a small part of him that wishes his own accomplishments weren't treated as add-ons, but as stand-alone. He wished that he could receive the same kind of encouragement that his Captain provided him. 

Their relationship has significantly improved since then, though a strain remains in their interactions.

Soul Society is under invasion! By what? Hollow? No, humans! Wait, since when were the living able to enter the land of souls? The announcement was made, Rukia Kuchiki's execution date was set, having committed the crime of... eh, he wasn't really listening. It sounded complicated to Tadakatsu. Execution's a little extreme, isn't it? Ah well, it's none of his business, especially since he isn't given any special orders, and the Eleventh Division receives no instruction other than "Stop the Ryoka advance," same as everyone else. 

After Ikkaku and Yumichika are defeated by the Ryoka, Tadakatsu decides to take his squad and investigate. Not that he thinks he can achieve what they couldn't. The reason is simple: Tadakatsu was going to judge for himself whether he'd follow Central 46's orders after he encountered them! He wants a good fight, and if these Ryoka were able to defeat the Third and Fifth Seats of the Eleventh Division, then they must be strong!

He encounters two of them just as they are defeating the Seventh Division's Fourth Seat, Jirōbō Ikkanzaka. Tadakatsu, currently the Eighth Seat of the Eleventh Division, heartily demands the intruders identify themselves at once. The female is Orihime Inoue, and the male, Uryū Ishida. Being the honourable man that he is, Tadakatsu promises he will not aim his blade at anyone who wishes to withdraw from combat, to which Orihime backs away, as Uryū draws a weapon that Tadakatsu has never seen before. Then something in the air changes around them. Gasps leave some of his men, who immediately draw their blades. "Aniki, that is a Quincy!"

Though he is not using a zanpakutō, the Reishi reacts strangely around Uryū, fizzling and fluctuating. This both excites and worries Tadakatsu, who is concerned for the fate of his men around him, but Uryū assures him he shares the same sentiment, and will not attack anyone who doesn't attack him first. So his opponent is respectable! Good! Then he turns to his men and orders them to stand back and hold the line. They try to argue with him, but he is adamant. A group of shinigami versus one Ryoka is not a fair fight! He wouldn't hear anything to the contrary! If they even think about defying his order, he's going to make them run laps around the Seireitei!

That out of the way, Tadakatsu steels himself, and he strikes first, shaking the ground they stand on. His style relies on powerful strikes and steady feet. He is not easily sent flying or pushed back. Uryū fights with quick strikes and nimble movement, avoiding being struck and targeting an opponent's openings, things that Tadakatsu struggles against. Luckily for him, he has developed a way to make up for this, where he pivots quickly on one foot so that he can combat strikes from all around him. The downside is he is less maneuverable overall, and when things get heated, and more and more of the battlefield is being destroyed, Tadakatsu has to switch to his regular style so that he can keep himself from falling into a hole.

The battle takes a turn when a particularly strong blast from Tadakatsu tears apart the earth, and the woman, Orihime, falls into danger. Being closest to her, Tadakatsu uses Shunpo to grab her before she hits the ground, and he jumps up to set her somewhere safe. "Thank you, Ebihara-san." Her smile is warm, and her gratefulness genuine. Tadakatsu responds like he always does, "No need for formalities! Call me Ebi-niisan!" and is almost taken aback when she says it with fervour, "Thank you, Ebi-niisan!"

Flustered, he almost doesn't notice Uryū coming from behind, and just narrowly avoids a direct hit. He is still grazed and injured however, and he becomes aware that this battle is dragging on when he begins to see double and stumbles. Uryū remains on guard, weapon drawn, but when Tadakatsu sheathes his blade, the Ryoka's own weapon dissipates. Tadakatsu has one question.

Uryū narrows his eyes, suspicious. "What do you want?"

"Why did you invade Soul Society?"

"That's none of your business."

"Don't be like that, Ishida-san." Orihime climbs down from her safe ledge, and faces Tadakatsu head on. "Kuchiki-san is our friend. After all she's done for us, we can't let her be executed."

That does it. Tadakatsu is convinced. He nods, definitively. "Then you can go." 

"What...?" Uryū is confused. 

"Do not question it! Hurry off, before I change my mind, Uryū Ishida!"

Orihime dashes over to Tadakatsu "Wait! Let me do something for you." She holds her hands over Tadakatsu's upper back. Reciting a simple incantation, his wound closes up. Wow, amazing! And now they're even! Returning to the other Ryoka's side, Orihime grabs Uryū by the sleeve, and as they run off, she turns around and waves to Tadakatsu. "We'll see you again, Ebi-niisan!" Oh, ouch! An arrow straight through the heart! Orihime is so cute, Tadakatsu didn't stand a chance! What a cute little sister he'd just acquired!

It's after they're long gone and the squad is returning to the Eleventh Division barracks that his decision is questioned. Why hadn't he been striking to kill? Won't they get in trouble for letting the Ryoka go? Why would Tadakatsu disobey direct orders? Tadakatsu puts his hands on his hips and laughs. "Would you men not do the same for me?" What?! How could Tadakatsu ask such a thing? That isn't even a question, of course they'd fight for him! Tadakatsu's gaze softens at that. "Then you should know why I let them go, men!" He hits his fist to his chest. "Just as I would fight the world for each and every single one of you, they are fighting Soul Society for their friend! That's all!" A resounding aniki! and a group hug resolves that, but a bad feeling makes it hard to wipe the matter from his mind.

The next day Captain Sōsuke Aizen is found dead, and the blame is put on the Ryoka. When questioned on it, Tadakatsu pretends he has no idea what anyone's talking about, and he pretends he isn't hearing all the whispers between shinigami, because he is scared of what that could mean for him and his men, who let two of them go the day before. Did the Ryoka really go and kill Captain Aizen? They... They couldn't have. They aren't bad people, he's sure of it! When his own men express their own trepidation, Tadakatsu plays up his confidence. Don't worry about it! It doesn't mean anything! Chill out, guys! And that does it. They quiet their fears. All the while, his own are choking him.

The fires of fear are further stoked when the Captain disappears with Yachiru, and his spiritual pressure fluctuates wildly all over the Seireitei. Tadakatsu believes in him, the Captain is the strongest man in Soul Society, so why do his hands shake as he receives the news that Kenpachi's been injured so heavily that he was in need of treatment by Captain Unohana? He's restless as he leaves another man in charge of his squad and marches off. Questions pop into his mind, questions he never knew he had. What does it mean to be the strongest? Where do you find strength? What happens if you run out of it? Is it possible for Kenpachi to lose his strength? Could he have lost?

When he finds Kenpachi asleep with Yachiru sitting by his side, all his worry drains, and he takes a seat beside the Lieutenant. He doesn't have to ask what happened because it's written on Yachiru's face, in her blushing cheeks, her sing song "Hiya, Shrimpy!" and her swinging legs. She's happy that the Captain is happy, so a smile finds its way onto Tadakatsu's face as he waits for the Captain to wake up, and when he does, he returns that smile a hundred fold. 

"Watch out, Katsudon," Kenpachi warns. "I'm going to get stronger. You better keep up."

Something's happened. A look in his eye, a tight grip on his zanpakutō, a growl to his voice. Something's happened to the Captain, something to inspire him, bring newfound motivation. The fire in his eyes lights one in Tadakatsu's heart, and he nods, confident.  "Of course, Zaraki-dono!"

Kenpachi isn't a man who seeks comfort, nor does he seek advice. He isn't going to want to hear empty words of praise, won't listen to naive motivational speeches. Tadakatsu cannot hand-wave away the Captain's uncertainty or fix his struggle the way he can for himself and his own squad, he can't just say "Believe in me!" and have the problem go away, because Tadakatsu doesn't even believe in himself at times, and if he can't, then how could the Captain? Tadakatsu leans his weight on Kenpachi. He doesn't have anything to say. He just won't talk. Kenpachi appreciates this. Tadakatsu's presence is sobering, and they take this moment to just enjoy the silence.

It's not too long afterwards that Yachiru senses a spiritual pressure similar to Ichigo's and decides to investigate, though not before ordering Tadakatsu to take care of Kenpachi, and then she's off. The Captain says he is feeling up to 100% again. Oh no, they all know the game by now. Tadakatsu has to basically wrestle Kenpachi back into bed, and thus ensues a hilarious and embarrassing scenario where Yumichika and Ikkaku walk into the room and misunderstand the position those two are in.

Eventually Yachiru returns with Makizō Aramaki and... oh! It's Orihime! She's so happy to see him again that she hugs him real tight while crying out "Ebi-niisan!" and immediately sends Tadakatsu to his death for a second time that day. They question Orihime on the whereabouts and fate of Ichigo. She has no idea, though Kenpachi is confident that he is alive and getting stronger.

They hide out until the day of Rukia's execution, and then the Captain, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Tadakatsu, and Makizō head out to break Uryū, Ganju, and Chad out of the Fourth Division's Underground Medical Care Detention Area, and they get lost on their way to the execution platform. They do not have much time to gather their bearings, as the Seventh Division's Captain Komamura and Lieutenant Iba, and the Ninth Division's Captain Tōsen and Lieutenant Hisagi appear before them to stop their advance. Kenpachi challenges the four of them, and Yachiru leads the rest of them away. While Orihime muses on whether Kenpachi will be okay, Tadakatsu notices Ikkaku and Yumichika have not followed suit, and understands they stayed to fight with the Captain. Those guys... he wanted to stay and fight, damnit! 

He should've been careful what he wished for. Tadakatsu almost misses the familiar signature, but he gets a whiff of the rancid air and he's shouting out "Stay back, don't breathe!" while barely managing to leap ahead of Yachiru and halt a fatal strike from Yumeshiro. Of all people, it had to be him? Yumeshiro scoffs, remarking on how he just knew the dispatched Seventh and Ninth wouldn't be able to handle a mission like this, how it's shameful they still allowed the Ryoka to escape with their traitorous shinigami companions. Yumeshiro goes on and on, but Tadakatsu knows the real purpose. It has nothing to do with law and order. It has nothing to do with his personal feelings on right or wrong. He's using the chaos to get in on the action. He just wants to hurt someone under the guise of punishment.

With a finger in his ear, Tadakatsu interrupts Yumeshiro. "Sorry, can't hear you. Guess I gotta clean all your bullshit outta my ears." From behind him, with her sleeve over her mouth, Orihime asks Tadakatsu if he'll be alright, since he's already breathed in Yumeshiro's noxious spiritual energy. He reassures them he will be fine, and that he'll hold off Yumeshiro's attack so they can retreat. This angers Yumeshiro, and he aims for the Ryoka with fatal force, only to be stopped once again by Tadakatsu, who grins in his face. "I'm stopping your shikai with my unreleased blade? Have you gotten weaker, Shiro-chan?" It's exactly the right thing to say to make sure all of Yumeshiro's anger would be directed at him, and he can fight more freely once the Lieutenant has gotten the Ryoka out of there. The last he hears from them is Yachiru calling out to him to hurry up. 

He is not fine, however. Even with his large spiritual pressure, Yumeshiro's is still larger, and in its released form it has the added special effect of making those in close vicinity ill. Tadakatsu has seen it before, the boils and blisters and bruises, the nausea and vomiting, the hemorrhagic fever, and the death of common souls in Rukongai. Tadakatsu's already feeling the dizziness and nausea. He has no choice, however. He must fight this, for the sake of his friends, and for his own honour as a man! So he holds out his zanpakutō across his body, and as he declares his release command, "Show your true face, Hyōrikō!", he swings it outward, and the zanpakutō seamlessly switches form into a folded switch-axe.

Now that's more like it. Yumeshiro strikes without hesitation. Tadakatsu is immediately on the defensive with his Axe Form, cursing, as this is always his starting position with Yumeshiro. Just once, he would like to have the upper hand. Yumeshiro is merciless, striking with such force that the ground beneath their feet shakes and crumbles. He really is aiming to kill. This wouldn't be the first time.

Every wound Yumeshiro gives him, he gives one back. Their battle only takes pause when the Captain Commander releases his zanpakutō, otherwise they fight on, causing immense destruction to the area around them. Tadakatsu's eyes sting, and bleeding blisters stretch all the way up his arms and upper chest. He can't go on much longer like this, swaying and unsteady. Tadakatsu plays his trump card. He manages to strike Yumeshiro's kanabō out of his hand, right at the moment that he's lost too much blood to maintain his shikai and the blade seals itself, clattering to the ground from his loose grip. Now it becomes a battle of fists, one that Tadakatsu knows he will lose, but he puts up as good of a fight as he can manage. Yumeshiro orders him to stand down. The order is futile. It was the first two times, it will be the third time too.

Then Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division calls to the Gotei 13 and the Ryoka through Binding Spell Seventy-Seven: Tenteikuura to outline the emergency situation, that of the betrayal of Soul Society by Sōsuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru, and makes an immediate call to action. Yumeshiro grumbles about the sudden switch in orders, and gets off of Tadakatsu to heal him with a rudimentary Healing Kidō. Once he's got enough energy, Tadakatsu punches Yumeshiro in the jaw. "You deserve that, jerk!" 

And Yumeshiro laughs. "Yeah, I did."

In the aftermath, Tadakatsu is too exhausted to listen to everything that was going on, barely conscious in the Fourth Division medical bay. It's when he hears that Hideyori was in league with Aizen that he wakes up and is ready to fight. Captain Unohana has him sedated. He drifts off to sleep still mumbling about it being impossible for Hideyori to betray Soul Society, and when he wakes up again a day later, groggy with clouded vision, the first thing he asks the nurse is if it's true Hideyori left Soul Society with Aizen, but the nurse avoids his question and instructs him to rest. 

That's not gonna happen. He rips out his IV and wrestles out of the bedsheets, grabbing the nurse with as much strength as he can muster, and slurring out, "Where is Hideyori?" The nurse fights to get out of his grip but she can't, even though he's still partially sedated. She calls for assistance, and another two male medics rush into the room to free her. This time he's strapped to the bed, and wakes up a half day later.

The thing that wakes him up that time is Kenpachi. From somewhere in the Seireitei, the Captain's spiritual energy comes roaring to life. Fired up, Tadakatsu shakes off his sleepiness and busts out of the straps, grabs his zanpakutō, and is off running. He finds Kenpachi in town. Tadakatsu announces himself by a booming "Morning, Captain!", and strikes at him hard enough to send shinigami around them flying. Unbeknownst to him, Tadakatsu has just interrupted Kenpachi's dogged pursuit of Ichigo, and that gives Ichigo just enough wiggle room to get away from Kenpachi (he whispers a thankful "Thanks, Ebi-niisan" as he gets away), not that Kenpachi minded, as his attention was suddenly completely on his partner.

Orihime runs past them moments later and greets out a cheery "Good morning, Ebi-niisan!" If this wasn't enough of a knockout, the momentary distraction gives Kenpachi an opening that sends Tadakatsu flying. One-hit K.O!

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