With their fight concluded Hitsugaya stayed at Urahara's shop and when many Shinigami came to ask from Sora and Senna about him they simply played it by the book and said they didn't know...
At this moment in Soul Society, a masked man was watching Seireitei with two figures behind him.
Yin: "Hitsugaya so far hasn't made attempts to contact the Gotei 13."
Yang: "Would you like us to capture him before they take him into custody."
Kusaka: "No, I wish to see how this all plays out. There is no place for him here as long as they wield the same power, he will have no choice but to submit to my will."
At the Urahara Shop, Sora was speaking to Hitsugaya.
Sora: "Hey, since you grew up with 5th Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori and you were very close, does she knows something??"
Hitsugaya: "No, i do not like to talk about my past, so she would not be much help to them."
Sora: "True and that's the kind of person you are."
In Soul Society, Rangiku looks at a rock garden through a slat in the wall, but is startled when she hears a guard telling someone she is not allowed to have any visitors.
As the guard and the newcomer continue to argue, they are interrupted by the arrival of 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, who asks what all the shouting is about with his lieutenant, Nanao Ise.
The asked Omaeda if it would be okay if he went in with Renji, making Shunsui wonder if he trusts him a bit at all.
Inside, Rangiku said to them that she has not heard Hitsugaya mention the name Kusaka before. Rangiku then notes even though she is his lieutenant, she does not know very much about Hitsugaya.
Nanao noted this and left them with several mysteries to solve, namely how Hitsugaya is connected to Kusaka, who he is, and if he has anything to do with the theft of the Ōin.
Although Shunsui knew about the whole story or at least a major part instead of all of it he chuckled, which made Nanao ask if she said something wrong, prompting Shunsui to say she is dead-on, and they knew they could count on her to figure this out.
As they were talking Renji said there is something else, and brought out a package, before leaving from there as he gave it to Rangiku. Inside the house, Rangiku opens the package and lifts up Hitsugaya's haori.
As everyone was in their own world about their own problems somewhere in the Seireitei, someone was remembering his past.
In the past, in a snow-covered land, the spirit of Hyōrinmaru lands before the boy and introduces himself. When he asks if the boy believes he is capable of mastering him, the boy says he does and raises his hand.
As he commands Hyōrinmaru to obey him, he is surrounded by snow, and the sealed Zanpakutō of Hyōrinmaru appears in his hand.
As the snow-covered land fades, leaving the boy in a cavern, the boy states he did it. Waking up next to a stream, another boy uses Hyōrinmaru to push himself up. Walking on a bridge as a train speed past, he walks up a flight of stairs and past a villa as a plastic windmill spins.
When they met up, the boys realized they both obtained the same power and said it is incredible.
As the figure came back on his senses he looked towards a certain direction where Nanao and Shunsui had gone earlier to investigate in the Library.
Having found a few clues, Shunsui sensed something and left Nanao to keep searching as he went out only to be great by snowflakes.