Keigo Asano's sister Mizuho asks Ikkaku Madarame to help train a group of kendo students at his school. Ikkaku's brutal training causes most of the team to quit, except for a boy named Shinji, who is dedicated to become stronger. To recruit more team members, Ikkaku asks his fellow Soul Reapers Hitsugaya and Renji Abarai to participate in the kendo tournament. The Soul Reapers easily defeat their opponents. However, a hollow appears nearby, forcing them to leave in order to fight it. Shinji fights the final opponent in the tournament, and manages to defeat him as Ikkaku kills the hollow. Ikkaku, enraged at having missed an opportunity to fight, proceeds to attack the entire opposing team on his own.