Reigai Uprising

The Reigai Uprising is an event in which Kagerōza Inaba creates modified soul copies of many members of the Gotei 13, placing them in Reigai bodies. Inaba sought to capture Nozomi Kujō in order to fuse with her and once again become their original being Ōko Yushima. Upon fusion, Yushima sought to destroy the Soul Society.

The event began when several Shinigami began disappearing in the Dangai. Launching an investigation into the disappearances, the Gotei 13 recovered Ichigo Kurosaki's substitute Shinigami badge, leading to him being arrested.

The event ended when Yushima's own reigai creations united against him to take down his ultimate attack. During the attack, Nozomi regained control for a moment and stabbed Yushima. Her fusion with Inaba is undone and the two fade away.

Prelude
After several Shinigami start disappearing in the Dangai, an investigation is mounted. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi finds that the time axis has slipped and that there is now a difference in time between the Dangai and Soul Society. After returning from a trip into the Dangai to find the cause of the problem, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki returns with Ichigo Kurosaki's substitute Shinigami badge. Meanwhile, Kon finds a mysterious girl lying in a parking lot. Taking her home, Rukia notices that there is nothing emanating from her. After talking with Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo and Rukia are convinced to go to the Soul Society to find out more about the situation there. They charge through the Dangai but are promptly arrested after arriving in Soul Society for having a part in the disappearances in the Dangai.

In jail, Ichigo sits, wondering what is going on. Rukia sneaks up to his cell, carrying Zangetsu. The two break out but are confronted by Lieutenant Renji Abarai and 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame. The two try to get Ichigo and Rukia to return to their cells but they refuse. The two officers then reveal to Ichigo why he was being jailed. Byakuya's investigation team found his badge in the Dangai. Ichigo notes that he lost it on his way there but Ikkaku says that the badge was found several days ago. After Ichigo continues to refuse to return to his cell, the four enter combat. Renji forces Rukia back, prompting her to wonder when he became so strong. Ikkaku unleashes his Bankai, forcing Ichigo to get serious. However, before they can finish, the two officers are sealed away in a Tozanshō by Yoruichi Shihōin. Yoruichi takes the two to a small cave where she states that the Shinigami are being replaced with Reigai and only the 12th Division could have made them. The three break into the Shinigami Research and Development Institute where they find a message giving orders to capture the girl from Ichigo's room.

The three formulate a plan to escape from the reigai controlled Seireitei and get through the Senkaimon. They charge the gate, fighting off the reigai as they come. As the reigai attack, the three suddenly pop, revealing themselves to be inflatable Gigai. The real ones continue to charge through towards the Senkaimon. They reach the Senkaimon but are trapped. Yoruichi takes front and tells Ichigo and Rukia to go. After the two say they will stay with her, Yoruichi once again tells them to go as she will fend off the reigai. The two leave and Yoruichi faces off against the many reigai, defeating all but the Reigai Byakuya. The two attack each other and Byakuya releases his Shikai. Yoruichi tries to escape but the blades catch up to her.

In the Human World, Kagerōza Inaba, 7th seat of the 12th Division and creator of the reigai, appears at Ichigo's house and attempts to take Nozomi. Nozomi runs and Inaba and his reigai pursue her. Finally pinning her to a wall, Inaba goes to retrieve her but is stopped by Uryū Ishida who fires and arrow at him. The two face off and Uryū notes that he is quite similar to Mayuri. Inaba says he respects Mayuri but he is the better scientist. As the two continue to fight, Uryū finally manages to put an arrow through Inaba's back, seemingly killing him. However, Inaba reappears atop a building. He uses his Shikai and appears behind Uryū, dealing a heavy blow to him. Suddenly, Orihime Inoue appears and begins to heal Uryū as Yasutora Sado launches an El Directo at Inaba. Inaba dodges and strikes Sado, severely wounding him. As he is about to finish them off though, Ichigo appears.

Inaba attacks, knocking Ichigo away. Ichigo recovers and goes on the offensive. Inaba states that out of respect for Ichigo's battle with Sōsuke Aizen, he will not use his Shikai ability. However, Ichigo is caught off guard by Inaba's Zanpakuto swings and is cut. Ichigo puts his mask on and fires a point blank Getsuga Tenshō at Inaba. Inaba struggles at first but manages to deflect it. With Ichigo now worn out, Inaba goes to finish him off but is knocked away by Renji, who has made it out of the Dangai along with the rest of the Gotei 13. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya attacks Inaba, pummeling him to the ground and taking Nozomi away from him. As Inaba pursues him, he is faced with Byakuya's Shikai. The rest of the Shinigami appear and Mayuri tells Inaba he will punish him a million times over. Inaba retreats for the time being, saying once he has Nozomi, he will rule over Soul Society and the Human World.

Early Stages
Now headquartered in Ichigo's room, the Gotei 13 discuss the recent events. Mayuri tells them who Inaba is and the group tries to think why Inaba wants Nozomi. Believing that perhaps Inaba has hidden something in her, Ichigo vows to stop him. They dismiss and begin setting up a barbeque in order to make Nozomi feel welcomed. Heading off on her own, Nozomi wanders to the shore and Kon chases after her. After the two fight. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto arrives and offers help. Kon thanks her and walks away as Rangiku and Nozomi leave. However, while walking, Kon comes upon Rangiku in different clothes and realizes that the other Rangiku was a reigai. Kon informs everyone and they rush to save Nozomi. Ichigo arrives and defeats the Reigai and the group heads back to the barbeque. Meanwhile, Inaba states to his reigais that his plan is in motion. He states that he has plans for Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and leaves.

In Seireitei, Captain Shunsui Kyōraku begins to get suspicious about recent events. Talking it over with Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, the two try to explain their views to the other captains but are shot down. Speaking with Akon they obtain the Dangai records to try and see who is manipulating things. On his own, Akon is approached by Inaba as Captain Suì-Fēng approaches Shunsui to arrest him for manipulating the Dangai records. Meanwhile in the Human World, Nozomi runs away. Kon chases after her but she subdues him. However, she suddenly senses a huge Reiatsu as the reigai arrive. Elsewhere, Lieutenants Shūhei Hisagi and Marechiyo Ōmaeda, 3rd seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th seat Yumichika Ayasegawa come upon their reigai copies. Yumichika bursts out into laughter when he sees Marechiyo's reigai, who has been modified to be in shape and good looking. They each take on their reigais but prove to be no match and are defeated. Uryū Ishida arrives to stop the reigai but they flee.

Elsewhere, Rangiku encounters the reigai of Izuru Kira. The two recount their last match in Soul Society and Rangiku learns that the reigai has been enhanced so his Zanpakutō now increases the weight of objects ten fold. As they clash, Rangiku finds herself unable to hold on to her Zanpakutō due to the weight. She runs and finds a metal pole which she hides underneath her scarf. Asking the reigai if he could cut through her scarf, he finds himself unable to, repeatedly cutting but not penetrating. Rangiku then reveals her trap, releasing the metal pole which falls on to Wabisuke and traps it. Rangiku then finishes him off with her own Zanpakutō. On the other side of Karakura Town, Rukia Kuchiki comes upon the reigais of herself and Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi. Rukia engages them both but finds herself overwhelmed by the reigai Nemu's speed. Combined with her own duplicate, Rukia can barely keep up. She runs, trying to formulate a plan. As the reigai catch up, she releases her Zanpakutō at the same time as her reigai, both trapping each other in a pillar of ice. The real Nemu shows up and takes on her reigai using Hakuda. Defeating her, she crushes the red pill left behind. The ice pillars then begin to break apart as the reigai Rukia falls into the river below. Rangiku arrives and helps Rukia up. The three women then begin to walk off, wondering where Nozomi is but are stopped as Rukia reveals herself to be the reigai, She attacks the two Lieutenants and knocks them into the river, cackling as she does so.

In Soul Society, the reigais of Captains Jūshirō Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku come across Captain Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The two reigai engage the old Captain but even with only one arm, Yamamoto proves he is an extraordinarily formidable opponent. In Karakura Town, Ichigo, Sado and Orihime search for Nozomi. They decide to split up and Ichigo goes one way while Sado and Orihime go another. Sado and Orihime come across the river bank where Rukia, Nemu and Rangiku have washed up, injured. The reigai of Lieutenant Renji Abarai appears. Sado tells Orihime to take care of the injured while he fights Renji. Reigai Renji hurdles his Shikai at Sado who deflects the attack. The two trade blows before Renji releases his Bankai. Sado is overwhelmed and barely manages to hold on before the real Renji arrives, releasing his own Bankai to counter the reigai.

As the battle continues, the reigai overpowers both Renji and Sado. Sado finally uses his left arm, which surprises the reigai and creates an opening for Renji to use Hikotsu Taihō to end the battle. Meanwhile, Nozomi runs to a shrine where a natural Senkaimon is. She tells Kon who is following her that she plans to seal herself inside so Inaba cannot get her. Kon tries to stop her but she ties him to a tree. As she prepares to enter the Senkaimon, a force of reigai appear to abduct her. As they prepare to take her, Ichigo arrives and engages them all. Taking them all on, Ichigo pleads with Nozomi to trust them and states that he will protect her no matter what. Ichigo manages to defeat all six reigai and convinces Nozomi to stay with them and trust them.

Middle Stages
In Soul Society, Captain Retsu Unohana becomes suspicious of the recent events that transpired. She and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu begin to search for evidence of something wrong and Unohana believes it is Kagerōza Inaba. Inaba finds them and Isane attacks. The two confront Inaba when the reigai Unohana shows up. Isane reveals herself to be a reigai and draws her sword on Unohana. The Unohana's face off in a match of Kidō before the real Unohana escapes. Back in the Human World, Kisuke Urahara prepares a Senkaimon for Captains Byakuya Kuchiki, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Kenpachi Zaraki and Sajin Komamura. Urahara advises them to be careful as Inaba controls the Dangai. The four captains rush in but the Kōryū moves quickly, forcing Komamura to release his Bankai in order to stop it. Komamura holds the flowing current back and tells the others to go on ahead. They do so and manage to make it to Soul Society safely.

As Yamamoto's battle with the reigai Ukitake and Kyōraku continues, Yamamoto begins to wear them down, dealing heavy damage to the both of them. However, Yamamoto soon realizes they are stalling and wonders for what. Soon, he gets his answer as the reigai Unohana arrives and heals them both, renewing their strength. Elsewhere, Kenpachi Zaraki runs into his reigai counterpart and Byakuya runs into the reigai Hitsugaya. Kenpachi faces his counterpart at full strength, barely coming out on top while Byakuya resorts to trapping both himself and his opponent in Gōkei to win.

As Kenpachi recovers, he heads through a bamboo forest where he encounters the reigai Suì-Fēng and the Onmitsukidō. In a stunning battle, Kenpachi overpowers the entire Onmitsukidō squad before facing the reigai. However, as the battle starts, Komamura arrives, having made it out of the Dangai. He tells Kenpachi he would take the fight and tells him to continue on. Elsewhere, Hitsugaya travels through Soul Society where he comes upon Momo Hinamori. The two chat and Hitsugaya expresses he had no idea she had recovered. Soon though, Momo turns on Hitsugaya, revealing herself as a reigai. She stabs him and as he recovers, a second Hinamori shows up to fight too. Hitsugaya holds off the emotional reigai until Yoruichi Shihōin arrives and finishes the two with a Shunkō enhanced kick.

Back in the bamboo forest, Komamura takes on reigai Suì-Fēng. The reigai uses her speed to create a multitude of clones but Komamura deals with them with his strength. As the battle wares on, the two release their Bankais in order to finish each other off. Komamura's Bankai fends off Suì-Fēng's missile, the aftershock of which can be felt across Soul Society. Bloodied and wounded, Komamura emerges victorious but collapses. Meanwhile, Byakuya comes across his reigai counterpart and finds they are evenly matched. The two release Shikai but cannot out do each other. Finally, the two release their Bankai to end their battle. Back in the Human World, Ichigo enters the Dangai and after encountering the Kōtotsu, he manages to make it out and encounters Inaba. However, Inaba releases his Shikai and sends Ichigo back into the Dangai where he is swallowed by the cleaner. Ichigo sees a mysterious figure though which guides him out.

Having run into each other, Hitsugaya and Kenpachi face Inaba. The two captains attack but Inaba releases his Zanpakutō. Hitsugaya finds he cannot sense any change in reiatsu. The captains attack but Inaba reveals the ability of his Shikai, to duplicate space and time. Inaba fends off the two before more captains and Yoruichi arrive. Inaba summons his reigai forces to do battle with them and the captains do their best against the reigai. Suddenly, the reigai Mayuri Kurotsuchi stabs Inaba with his Shikai. Removing contacts from his eyes, he reveals he is the real Mayuri and tells Inaba of a drug he injected into him. Greatly angered, Inaba strikes down the reigai Isane, swallowing the pill she leaves behind which forces her into his body and him out. More reigai arrive, overwhelming the Gotei 13 who are only saved by the arrival of Kūkaku Shiba and Jidanbō Ikkanzaka who break them out and help them flee.

Pulling Ichigo out of the Dangai, Urahara reveals to everyone why Inaba was after the Dangai. He says inside the Dangai was hidden information about mod souls. Nozomi then reveals that Inaba created the mod souls and that she was the first mod soul created. Ichigo then makes arrangements for Nozomi who begins to feel trapped. She takes off one night only to come across a Hollow. Kon follows her and the Hollow knocks them around. Suddenly a purple light surrounds Nozomi who is transformed into a Shinigami with a Zanpakutō. Later, Nozomi meets with the other Shinigami and offers to help but they are weary. Ichigo and friends decide to train her and Nozomi finds her Zanpakutō absorbing reiatsu from others' attacks. They continue to launch reiatsu based attacks at her until finally a Getsuga Tenshō gives her the energy needed to release her Shikai which fires back all the reiatsu it absorbed. As they train her, reigais arrive in Karakura Town. Ikkaku Madarame takes on the reigai of his Captain while Kira and Hisagi take on the reigai Hitsugaya and Ichigo, Sado and Ragiku take on the reigai Komamura. All are overwhelmed, barely able to hold on. Nozomi steps in and manages to deal a great amount of damage with her Shikai. Finally, Yamamoto arrives to defeat the last remaining reigai.

Their relief is short lived though as the reigais of Ukitake and Kyōraku arrive. Yamamoto releases his flames once more and he and Ichigo attack. Nozomi tries to help but is injured. The reigai Unohana arrives to support and Yamamoto continues to burn them away. As they manage to gain ground though, Inaba arrives. Inaba is able to fend them all off but is surprised when Nozomi unleashes a surprise attack on him, having absorbed some of Yamamoto's reiatsu. Their battle continues and all combatants eventually fall, heavily injured. Inaba manages to find the strength to get up and cuts down all that try and stop him. Ichigo unleashes the last of his fading power in a Getsuga Tenshō to stop Inaba but Inaba reveals he made a clone of himself with his Zanpakutō. With no one left in his way, Inaba walks off with Nozomi as a powerless Ichigo watches.

End Stages
After losing his powers, Ichigo and everyone regroup at the Urahara Shop. Urahara explains that Inaba was weary of Ichigo due to his Hollow powers since he could not make a mod soul copy of him due to it. Urahara then explains that he might know a way for Ichigo to recover his powers but doing so would require him to travel back into the Dangai to be swallowed by the Kōtotsu. He agrees and heads in where he is promptly swallowed and uses a device to track his reiatsu. He comes across an earlier version of himself from before and pulls him out after recovering his reiatsu. In Soul Society, Inaba places Nozomi into a glass chamber and says the time is right. With his reiatsu recovered, Ichigo prepares with Urahara to leave for Soul Society to finish restoring his powers. After some argument, they allow Kon to tag along. Uryū, Renji and others act as decoys to attract the reigais while Ichigo, Urahara and Kon sneak in to Soul Society through a natural Senkaimon. Meanwhile, Inaba changes into a simple robe as he prepares for his fusion with Nozomi. He enters the tank and lets the reigai Nemu start the process.

Arriving in Seireitei, Urahara, Ichigo and Kon locate a hidden entrance to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute where Urahara successfully creates a mod soul pill of Ichigo's power. Ichigo swallows it, restoring his power. As they head out though, Ichigo collapses and Urahara binds him to the floor due to the realization that his inner Hollow is taking over. Urahara and Kon leave Ichigo behind but as they leave, they are confronted by an army of reigai. However, the Gotei 13 arrives to do battle with the reigais, allowing Urhara and Kon to escape to begin research into Inaba's true past, discovering the original head of Project Spearhead was Ōko Yushima. They track him down to the Nest of Maggots where they find he is in a comatose state.

Having found Yushima, Urahara begins to follow a trail of blood left by Inaba back to his lab. As they head there though, Urahara encounter his reigai. The two face off in a battle of Kidō, each capable of blocking the others' attack before unleashing their own attack. Meanwhile, the Gotei 13 takes on the reigai, initially all fighting their clones. Neither side makes any significant progress in stopping the others. Back near the Senkaimon, Mayuri arrives after faking his death to help stop the reigai Urahara. After doing so, the two men get to work on stopping Inaba. Elsewhere, Ichigo's inner Hollow manages to fully take over, transforming Ichigo into his full Hollow form and breaking the binding Urahara put on him. Ichigo rampages through the streets, as no forces can stop him.

Finally, the newly completed mod soul form of Yushima, formed by the fusion of Inaba and Nozomi, arrives and takes on Ichigo. As he fights, Yushima knocks Ichigo back to Sōkyoku Hill. Yushima binds Ichigo to the ground before Ichigo's friends arrive. Attempting to take him down, they soon find the true power of Yushim's Zanpakutō, capable of doing both what Inaba and Nozomi's Zanpakutōs were capable of. Unable to stop him, they try to think of what to do when the reigai Nemu arrives with more fusion stabilizer for Yushima. However, the reigai reveals herself to actually be Kon, who was placed into that body by Urahara to weaken Yushima and deliver to Ichigo a new mod soul pill, which fully restores his powers. Now with his powers back, Ichigo activates Bankai and takes on Yushima.

As their battle rages, Ichigo puts on his mask and finds Yushima is unable to absorb Hollow powers. Though Nozomi regains control momentarily, Ichigo is unable to finish the battle then. Seeing no other option, Yushima activates Renzan-Hajō Kūri, a massive attack capable of destroying all of Soul Society. As the massive tower rises, the reigai below take notice. They leave their battle with the Gotei 13 and charge the tower, destroying them and the tower in the process. Defeated but not willing to give up, Yushima continues to attack Ichigo, grabbing onto pieces of his Zanpakutō as they break off and trying to stab Ichigo with them. Ichigo finally ends it by making a long, deep cut across Yushima's chest, sending him to the ground.

Aftermath
Now defeated, the fusion between Nozomi and Inaba is undone. Inaba asks Nozomi if his plan was mistaken but she says she does not know. Inaba then begins to fade away as Nozomi whispers to him. She tells him that next time they will be friends. Kon then says it is time they return to the Human World but Nozomi begins to fade. She reveals that during Yushima's ultimate attack, she regained control of their body momentarily and used the time to stab herself, effectively killing her and Inaba. She apologizes to Kon as they both cry before she finally fades away for good.