The Shooting Star Project (ZERO MIX) (episode)

For the chapter of the same name, see The Shooting Star Project (ZERO MIX).

The Shooting Star Project (Zero Mix) is the eighth episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the three hundred and seventy-fourth episode of the Bleach anime overall.

In the aftermath of the Wandenreich's first invasion, the Gotei 13 tends to its wounded as the Royal Guard come to help rebuild.

Summary
As rain falls across the rubble of the Seireitei, 4th Division 3rd Seat Yasochika Iemura orders units 11 through 16 to the west 56th district and the rest to accompany him while prioritizing the injured and leaving the dead Shinigami for later. In the crowded Fourth Division barracks' Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho, 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada has a critical patient on a stretcher taken to room 203 as Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu watches the commotion from above and turns to her captain, Isane Kotetsu.

When Isane wonders if it was really the right choice for them to remain in the barracks during the battle earlier when they could have saved more lives on the front lines, Unohana counters that Isane should not let her feelings dictate what she says and asserts that while they could have easily vacated the barracks out of concern, Isane is not so short-sighted that she needs to be told why this would have been wrong, prompting a weeping Isane to apologize. However, Unohana tells Isane not to cry because Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's final order was for them to not leave their barracks no matter what.

Meanwhile, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku stands solemnly in front of the large crater left by Yhwach's obliteration of Yamamoto's body. Shortly afterward, Ichigo Kurosaki is handed a communication from Kisuke Urahara assuring Ichigo that he, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado are all safe, though further details are unknown, before a bandaged 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame begins screaming at one of the nurses upon being told that his captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, was grievously wounded and defeated in the earlier battle, which he steadfastly refuses to believe, while the nurses urge him to calm down.

Suddenly, Hanatarō tells him to come over for medical treatment, and when Ichigo states that he has already received first aid, Hanatarō denies this being sufficient since Ichigo is still obviously wounded before 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako approaches Ichigo to inform him that 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai are out of surgery. After traveling to the room that the heavily bandaged Rukia and Renji are resting in, Ichigo is told by a nurse that they are no longer in critical condition and asks him to call her if anything comes up prior to departing.

Addressing Ichigo, Rukia responds to him questioning if it is okay for her to talk by reminding him that the nurse just said she was out of critical condition, which he notes with a smile means her mouth is working just fine. After Rukia thanks him for coming to protect Soul Society, Ichigo admits that he was unable to do anything this time, but Shinji counters that he drove the enemy leader away and should be holding his head high for preventing the situation from getting even worse. When a member of the Twelfth Division arrives and informs him that Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi wishes to see him about his Zanpakutō, Ichigo runs off.

As he watches this, Shinji muses that Ichigo is always busy and worrying about everyone's wounds while ignoring his own. Upon being asked by Rukia about why Ichigo had such a pained expression, Shinji informs her that he had a rough time by getting his Zanpakutō broken without being able to save anyone and asserts that there is no need to worry since he is likely just exhausted, but Rukia wonders if this is really the case and theorizes that Ichigo is hiding something much more serious that he is grappling with while Ichigo continues running through the rain. Simultaneously, the captains gather around the remnants of Yamamoto's Zanpakutō.

With 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake noting that they were unable to recover Yamamoto's body because the enemy destroyed everything, a Riteitai enters the meeting hall they are gathered in and reveals that both Kenpachi and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki have survived, though it will be difficult for them to resume their duties as captains and they may never regain consciousness, leading 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng to angrily tell him to get out because they are already mourning the loss of Yamamoto and cannot be expected to deal with other heavy matters right now.

Though 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma advises her to stop this because she is embarrassing herself, Suì-Fēng counters that this is easy for him to say because he and the other Visored held a grudge against Yamamoto, to Kensei's irritation, before 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura demands that she be silent because she is not the only one who wants to scream about this. In response, Shunsui repeatedly claps his hands and approaches them while insisting that they not fight since Yamamoto would have lined them up and smacked them for doing so in front of the articles he left behind if he were still alive.

As Suì-Fēng seethes at this, Shunsui reminds the captains that the Gotei 13 does not exist to mourn the dead or cry over the destruction of Soul Society, but rather to protect Soul Society, and encourages them to look ahead since they are the Gotei 13 while the rain outside ceases. Simultaneously, in the Twelfth Division barracks, Ichigo is told that his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, cannot be repaired and expresses disbelief at this since Mayuri repairs his whenever it is broken, only for Mayuri to arrogantly clarify that he just modifies his and explain that a Zanpakutō can only be repaired by its owner's mind, Reiatsu, and time to infuse both.

However, when Ichigo assumes that he is being told to take his sword back and fix it himself, Mayuri states that he is not done explaining and notes that this method only works for Shikai because the destruction of Shikai and Bankai have very different meanings before asserting that a destroyed Bankai can never be repaired, to Ichigo's shock. As Mayuri is contacted on his headpiece, a door opens behind Ichigo to reveal Kon being frantically chased by unseated Shinigami, leaving Ichigo stunned at this being Kon's situation after not seeing the latter for so long. Announcing that he is on his way, Mayuri tells Ichigo to come with him.

Mayuri reveals that though he does not want to meet them at all, Ichigo should meet the Royal Guard that is coming to the Seireitei. Some time later, with dawn breaking, Ichigo joins the captains outside the Seireitei and calls out to Shinji, who advises him against being here. With Ichigo questioning where the Royal Guard is coming from, why they are only showing up after the Seireitei's devastation, and where they usually stay, Shunsui informs him that they are stationed at the Soul King Palace, and when Ichigo wonders if this is not in the Seireitei, Shunsui asks him if he recalls the walls that fell around the Seireitei when he first entered Soul Society.

Musing that the walls have been down ever since because the Seireitei has experienced a chaotic period, Shunsui clarifies that it was only meant to protect the Seireitei during emergencies and asks Ichigo what it usually surrounds when the Seireitei is not in the middle of an emergency. Suddenly, with Shunsui observing that they have arrived, the Tenchūren parts the clouds above as it falls from the sky and slams into the ground before the captains, where Shunsui explains that it is the method of transportation for the Royal Guard because the latter is comprised of only five members, to Ichigo's astonishment.

After revealing that the Royal Guard are all captains with no division members, Shunsui concludes that their combined strength is greater than that of the entire Gotei 13. As they step out of the Tenchūren, Ichibē Hyōsube and Kirio Hikifune stand before the captains while Ōetsu Nimaiya dances, Senjumaru Shutara plays several instruments with her robotic arms, and Tenjirō Kirinji waves a flag with the Zero Division symbol and announces that they are finally here. With Kirinji questioning if the captains have been eating right and getting enough sleep, Shinji admits that this is different from what he expected.

Suddenly, Hikifune slaps the back of Shinji's head, to his aggravation, and declares that it has been a long time since they last met as she notices that Hiyori Sarugaki is not with him. Though he initially does not recognize her, Shinji realizes from her question about Hiyori that she is the former captain of the Twelfth Division and notes that she has changed since they last met, but Hikifune denies having changed that much and proclaims that she is hungry when her stomach growls. Meanwhile, Kirinji confronts Unohana over whether she is using the healing techniques he taught her effectively, which Unohana confirms.

However, Kirinji brings up the recent loss of many Shinigami for the Gotei 13 and wonders how Unohana's statement reconciles with that, to her annoyance, prior to Ichibē throwing his arm around Kirinji's neck and observing that they should save the catching up they have to do for later, leaving Kirinji irritated. Shunsui tells Ichibē that the Royal Guard are the same as always and questions what they have come here for this time, prompting Ichibē to look past him, identify Ichigo, and explain that the Royal Guard have come to help rebuild the Gotei 13 at the behest of the Soul King, starting with taking Ichigo back up with them.

In response, Suì-Fēng decries this and admonishes the Royal Guard for relaxing in the sky during the siege on the Seireitei until they decided to come down and rebuild the Gotei 13 later. When Ichibē attempts to continue speaking after a pause, Suì-Fēng attempts to strike him, only for Kirinji to move behind her with Shunpo and grab her fist while telling her to shut up, leaving Suì-Fēng astonished by his speed. Asserting that Suì-Fēng's complaints should be the Royal Guard's own, Kirinji reminds her that the Gotei 13 are the ones tasked with protecting the Seireitei while the Royal Guard protect the Soul King Palace.

With Kirinji concluding that no proper Gotei 13 would cry for help after failing to do their job and asserting that they do not deserve the name, Ichibē brings his hand down onto the top of Kirinji's head in a powerful chop, causing the latter to collapse in pain, and reminds Kirinji that he was told to save this for later prior to declaring that they should finish what they came here for. Suddenly, Senjumaru informs him that there is no need since she has already collected what they need as the others see her holding large capsules that contain Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, and the broken sword of Tensa Zangetsu, to their shock.

Once Senjumaru extends a mechanical arm toward Ichigo and asserts that he is the only thing left, Unohana declares it unacceptable for Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya to be taken since they are in no condition to leave the Seireitei, but Kirinji counters that this is exactly why they are being taken since Unohana is not strong enough to fully heal them and reminds Unohana that medical care is not what she should be focusing on right now. When Mayuri chastises her for breaking into his lab for Tensa Zangetsu, Senjumaru claims that this is an exaggeration because the door simply slid open when she placed her hand on it.

After Senjumaru muses that security is a lot weaker than it was when she was last here, Ichigo demands to know why he is being taken as well when he can recover from his injuries without issue in the Seireitei, and as Ichibē confirms that he is being taken for a different reason, a large screen is projected in the air behind the captains while Kisuke Urahara greets them and observes that it has been a long time since they last saw each other, only to be disappointed by the lack of reaction. With the screen being projected out of a panicking Kon's head, Orihime Inoue enters the frame and greets Ichigo and expresses relief at him being alright.

While Yasutora Sado joins Orihime and Urahara to greet Ichigo as well, Ichigo admits that he was worried about them, and as Urahara explains that the situation was too complicated for him to contact Ichigo sooner, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez opens the flap of the tent they are in upon hearing Ichigo's voice, prompting Urahara to frantically have Orihime and Sado push him back out of the tent. Though Ichigo is left aghast at Grimmjow being with them, Urahara assures him that they are alright and tells Ichigo to decide on his own what he truly wants to do before asserting that they have reached a nice agreement with Grimmjow and bidding him farewell.

With the projection closing, in Hueco Mundo, Sado asks Urahara if it was right to tell Ichigo this, leading Urahara to explain that Ichigo doing what he truly wants to do will surely lead to him protecting all of them in the end, which both Orihime and Sado should know and which Ichigo himself knows better than anyone. Back in the Seireitei, Ichigo asks Ichibē if they can fix Tensa Zangetsu in the Soul King Palace, only for Ichibē to clarify that while fixing it is impossible, they may be able to reforge Tensa Zangetsu into something resembling his original sword, which prompts Ichigo to decide that he will go with the Royal Guard.

Moments later, at the Shiba Clan residence, Kūkaku Shiba proclaims that it is time to launch. Crammed inside the Tenchūren with the Royal Guard, Ichigo expresses confusion just before the doors close and Kūkaku uses Kagizaki to fire the Kakaku Taihō, sending the Tenchūren hurtling into the sky while a screaming Ichigo questions why there are no seatbelts inside. On the ground below, Ganju Shiba wonders if this was a good idea, only for Kūkaku to point out that Soul Society is doomed when the next invasion comes if Ichigo does not go now and they have no choice but to let Ichigo go, even if it makes their uncle sad.

Turning to face Ganju, Kūkaku tells his group to return to the training hall and not forget who took them off the streets of the Rukongai, prompting Kūgo Ginjō and Giriko Kutsuzawa to muse that they are getting sick of her attitude as they walk away with Shūkurō Tsukishima. When Kūkaku tells him that he is being thrown into the next battle no matter how much he cries or screams, Ganju readily affirms this. Shortly afterward, the Tenchūren lands on a platform in the sky and its doors open while Ichigo is told that they have arrived and walks out to behold the Soul King Palace, which stuns him.

Ichibē tells Ichigo that he should feel free to brag about seeing the Soul King Palace since ordinary Shinigami are not allowed here, though he admits that he is unsure if Ichigo can be called ordinary. As he muses that this is what Sōsuke Aizen wanted so badly to reach, Ichigo recalls that they need an Ōken to enter this place, but Ichibē reveals that the Ōken is actually the bones of the Royal Guard members, transformed by the Soul King when each of them joined, and details how the two methods of entering the Soul King Palace are for the Royal Guard to allow someone in or for someone to travel with them.

With Ichibē concluding that Aizen's attempt to create an Ōken was him trying to make a member of the Royal Guard with his own spiritual powers, Senjumaru tells Ichigo that Aizen was evil personified for plotting to become a god by killing the Soul King and taking his throne, but warns Ichigo that the Wandenreich is an even greater evil. Seconds later, Ichigo finds himself standing on a platform as Kirinji prepares to smash a nearby button with a hammer, and when Ichigo demands that Kirinji wait and questions if he is going to meet the Soul King, an unimpressed Kirinji wonders if Ichigo is talking in his sleep.

However, when Kirinji declares that there is no way someone like Ichigo would be able to meet the Soul King, Hikifune smacks the back of his head for not explaining it properly and tells Ichigo that while they are currently at the Vestibule Road entrance, the Greater Soul King Palace is floating miles away and is surrounded by five dish-like structures containing palace cities overseen by each of the Royal Guard, with Kirinji clarifying that they are all going to his Kirinden first. Moments later, Ichigo finds himself in a hot spring alongside the unconscious Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya, where he wonders what they are doing.

Bluntly stating that they are soaking in a hot spring, Kirinji responds to Ichigo claiming that he is drowning Byakuya by keeping him underwater and noticing blood leaking from the latter's wounds by explaining that this White Bone Hell squeezes out the blood and damaged Reiatsu of individuals within it, to Ichigo's confusion. After drawing Ichigo's attention to the red and boiling Blood Pond Hell nearby, Kirinji tosses Byakuya into it, leaving Ichigo aghast, and elaborates that this hot spring replenishes the lost blood, with this process being repeated several times until all the damaged Reiatsu and blood is replaced with his hot spring water.

Though Ichigo is left uncertain at this working, Kirinji declares that one night in his hot springs is enough to make someone with injuries like Ichigo's feel twice as good as normal. Elsewhere, Ichibē senses that the Soul King has awakened as the latter opens his eyes within the crystal encasing him.

Fights & Events

 * The Royal Guard Arrive (concluded)
 * Royal Training

Powers and Techniques Used
Hohō Techniques:

Kidō Techniques:

Zanpakutō released:

Bankai:

Anime Notes
Removed Content= Added/Expanded Content= Censorship= Changes=
 * Isane Kotetsu noting that the wounded Shinigami are finally being brought in after none were during the battle.
 * Isane mentally noting that Retsu Unohana wanted to help the wounded even more than she did.
 * The nurse explaining that Reiatsu treatment was not enough for Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, whom they applied Reishi suturing to in areas that were severely damaged.
 * Ichibē Hyōsube asking the other members of the Royal Guard if they are all here as they prepare to drop down to the Seireitei.
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi explaining that Sajin Komamura's Bankai reflects both the injuries and healing of Komamura himself, Ikkaku Madarame's Bankai was only superficially repaired by Akon following its destruction and is far weaker than it was before, and Renji Abarai's Bankai still has broken joints from his battle against Byakuya Kuchiki.
 * Tenjirō Kirinji telling Unohana that Byakuya will definitely die if he stays in the Seireitei.
 * Ichigo Kurosaki mentioning that there is something he needs to investigate outside of the Soul King Palace.
 * Kisuke Urahara frantically denying Ichigo being on the call to Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and telling Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado to keep him out.
 * Urahara inferring that Ichigo wanted to rescue them from Hueco Mundo and assuring him that this is not necessary anymore.
 * Urahara promising Ichigo that Grimmjow is not a threat to their lives.
 * Ichibē musing that there is a special technique available only in the Soul King Palace that can be used on Ichigo's Zanpakutō.
 * Ichigo wondering why he is at the Kakaku Taihō, prompting Ichibē to explain that the Tenchūren has no way of returning on its own and reiterating that there is a special technique available only in the Soul King Palace before Kūkaku Shiba responds to Ichigo wondering where Ganju is by claiming that he turned into a huge stone statue that she is using to hold her flag, though Ichigo refuses to believe this.
 * Ichigo questioning why the rocking fountain in the White Bone Hell has to be so loud.
 * Kirinji telling Ichigo to not let the towel fall off his head.
 * Kirinji claiming that the hot spring is therapeutic and pushing Byakuya below the surface of the hot spring when he floats up before pulling up Renji by his hair as Ichigo sees Rukia floating by face-down.
 * Kirinji bringing up Ichigo being Urahara's pupil and the healing hot spring he found in the Study Chamber within Sōkyoku Hill, which Kirinji reveals was Urahara's attempt at recreating the White Bone Hell and Blood Pond Hell.
 * Kirinji warning Ichigo that dropping the towel from his head will kill him because the Reiatsu will get sucked out of his body.
 * Grimmjow's torso is shown in addition to his arm and voice.
 * Ichigo clenching his fist upon being told that the Royal Guard cannot repair Tensa Zangetsu.
 * Ichigo being crammed into the Tenchūren alongside the Royal Guard.
 * Isshin Shiba being depicted from behind alongside Kūkaku and Ganju when Kūkaku mentions their uncle being sad.
 * Rukia is not shown with her bare rear end floating above the water.
 * In the manga, Rukia's hospital bed is on the left side of the room while Renji's is on the right; here, the position of the two is instead reversed.
 * In the manga, the broken Tensa Zangetsu is laid out on a table; here, it is instead suspended in the same container that Mayuri analyzed Gonryōmaru in.
 * In the manga, Kon runs into Ichigo in his muscular form and explains that he has been through much suffering at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute before being returned to his normal form and running off again; here, Ichigo instead sees him running through a hallway in his normal form and muses that he has been at the SRDI this whole time.
 * In the manga, Ichigo's encounter with Kon occurs before Mayuri is informed of the Royal Guard's impending arrival; here, it instead occurs while Mayuri is being contacted.
 * In the manga, when berating the Royal Guard for their nonchalance about the Seireitei's destruction, Suì-Fēng is standing behind them; here, she is instead standing in front of them.
 * In the manga, Kon admits to Mayuri that he does not know how he is projecting Urahara's video call, prompting Mayuri to have his subordinates capture Kon again and attempt to turn the call off using the controls in Kon's eyes, only for Urahara to note that he has disabled those for now; here, Kon instead frantically questions what is happening without any reaction from Mayuri.
 * In the manga, Orihime and Sado keep Grimmjow out of the tent by barricading the entrance with X-shaped tape; here, they instead do so by distracting him with maracas and catnip.
 * In the manga, Shūkurō Tsukishima has Book of the End summoned and is not wearing suspenders; here, he is wearing suspenders but does not have Book of the End summoned.
 * In the manga, an attendant of the Soul King is the one to note that he has awakened; here, Ichibē Hyōsube does so instead.
 * In the manga, the Soul King initially appeared to have all four limbs intact before later appearing with them missing; here, he is instead missing all four limbs from his first appearance onward.