The Cursed Parakeet

 is an event taking place during The Death Trilogy Overture which revolves around Yasutora Sado adopting a parakeet that is rumored to be cursed, which in turn leads to him defending the intelligent bird from a fate worse than death with the help of Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki.

Prelude
At night, as Yasutora Sado and his friends sit next to a construction site with a parakeet in a cage, Harutoki Ide explains how the parakeet is rumored to bring bad luck to his owners, all of whom have died so far. When Gitano Shigeo refuses to take the parakeet off his hands, Ide offers him to Sado, who takes interest due to liking cute things.

Suddenly, an I-beam falls onto the group from the building under construction overhead, prompting Sado to stand up and catch the beam with his arms and back, much to his friends' amazement. While Sado claims he is fine despite bleeding, the parakeet thanks Sado for saving him and introduces himself as Yūichi Shibata, leading a stunned Ide to note that he is speaking like a regular person as Sado introduces himself in turn.

A Mystery Builds
Suddenly, Reiichi Ōshima knees Keigo in the back and confronts Ichigo for trying to copy his appearance instead of dying his hair black, prompting Ichigo to remind him that this is his natural hair color before calling him a drag queen and telling him to leave. Seeing Ōshima enraged by this, Keigo attempts to defuse the situation by claiming no one can beat Ōshima anyway, only for Ichigo to proclaim that he will beat Ōshima down himself. As Ōshima reveals a pair of brass knuckles and prepares to go one-on-one with Ichigo, Sado appears and flings him across the roof into the stairwell entrance nearby.

While Keigo thanks Sado for saving them despite using more force than necessary, Ichigo asks how Sado got hurt, prompting him to reveal that he had an I-beam fall on him last night and ran into a motorcycle this morning while shopping for groceries, which hurt the driver badly enough that Sado had to carry him to the hospital, unnerving Ichigo and Keigo with his durability. When Sado sets down his cage, Yūichi introduces himself to the group, prompting Ichigo to look at him in shock. With Keigo testing how much Yūichi can say, Ichigo asks Sado where he got Yūichi, only for Sado to give a short summary instead of the full story, prompting Keigo to criticize him for being lazy.

Privately, Rukia confirms to Ichigo that there is something inside the parakeet, but it is harmless and likely nothing more than a lonely Soul which they will have to perform Konsō on tonight. While Ichigo complains about having another night without sleep, Rukia notes that he was worried for the safety of others as soon as he sensed the Soul's presence and that he may be understanding what it means to be a Shinigami. Later, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Yuzu Kurosaki rushes past Ichigo with two boxes of medical supplies while telling him to move out of the way, prompting Ichigo to ask her where the fire is before avoiding Karin Kurosaki wheeling an injured man past on a gurney.

As Yuzu reveals there was a big car accident at the nearby intersection, Isshin Kurosaki yells at someone at the Karakura Hospital over the phone and demands that he tell his boss that Isshin is in need of free beds there for the patients he cannot fit at his own clinic before hanging up in anger. While Ichigo stays out of the way at his father's behest, Isshin calls him over to help with a larger patient, only for Ichigo to stop upon seeing that it is Sado while Karin freezes upon seeing Yūichi. Taking Sado's shirt off of him, Yuzu cringes in horror upon seeing the large wound on his back, which Isshin identifies as a burn that is still bleeding. Sado claims he is fine and tries to leave, but collapses at the doorway, prompting Isshin to tell Karin and Yuzu to get a bed ready for him. That night, while Sado lies in bed with Yūichi on the table next to him, Rukia confirms to Ichigo that the wound on his back was definitely inflicted by a Hollow as Sado escapes with Yūichi through the window.

The next day, in the Kurosaki Clinic, while a television broadcast details the previous day's five car collision in the third district of Karakura Town with zero casualties, Yuzu calls Ichigo down for breakfast. Entering the dining room, Ichigo asks where Karin is, prompting Yuzu to explain that she does not want to eat because she is not feeling well, which surprises Ichigo. Suddenly, Isshin bursts through the door and frantically informs Ichigo that Sado is no longer in his room. Soon afterward, at Karakura High School, Ichigo runs through the halls to his classroom and is greeted by Mizuiro, whom he asks about Sado's location, prompting Mizuiro to reveal Sado has not shown up at school yet.

Keigo notes that this is strange because he is usually here ten minutes early and is not the type to miss school over something like being sick. As Keigo asks him if he wants to play with Sado's parakeet Yūichi, Ichigo rushes out of the classroom just as the bell rings, to Keigo's shock. Walking in, Misato Ochi tells the class to get ready to study contemporary literature before noticing Ichigo running down the hall, and after failing to call him back and learning that he is looking for Sado, Misato brushes his absence off and prepares to take attendance, leaving Keigo bewildered. At Karakura South Elementary School, in the women's bathroom, Karin vomits and groans loudly inside a stall while a concerned Yuzu stands outside and asks her if she is okay.

While Karin tells her to go away and get to class before continuing to vomit, Midoriko Tōno walks up and asks how Karin is doing, only to comment that it does not sound good as she hears what is happening. As Yuzu and Midoriko notice Karin has finally stopped, Karin slams open the stall door and bluntly orders Yuzu to get her bag from the classroom because she is going home. Midoriko tries to assure Karin that it seems like the worst is behind her, but Karin angrily tells her to get lost, prompting an intimidated Midoriko to do so while noting that Karin is scary when she is sick.

Meanwhile, as he runs through the streets, Ichigo is met by Rukia, who leaps down off a wall as she asks if he has found any clues. When Ichigo denies this, Rukia admits that she has not either and explains how Soul Society cannot detect Hollows until they show up in the Human World to pursue Souls, as until that time they hide in a space between the two worlds, which is why they wait for orders from Soul Society to hunt them. Noting with frustration that Sado is in serious danger and they cannot wait for the Hollow to attack him, Ichigo asks if they can use Sado's parakeet to detect the Hollow's presence, which Rukia claims is impossible.

However, Ichigo begins to concentrate and focus his spiritual perception, leading a shocked Rukia to realize Ichigo is actually homing in on Yūichi's soul despite it being weak, far away, and partially eclipsed by the parakeet's soul as dozens of Reiraku suddenly appear around them. Grabbing onto one of the ribbons, Ichigo declares that he has found Yūichi and runs off, with Rukia following as she notes that technique is usually reserved for veteran Shinigami and wonders if Ichigo is really developing this quickly. Elsewhere, in an abandoned warehouse, Sado sits under a tarp with Yūichi as he notes that they managed to ditch "him".

When Yūichi tells him that he is in danger, Sado assures him that he is very sturdy before quickly leaping away with Yūichi as a rafter suddenly crashes into where he was sitting. Realizing that they have been found, Sado tells Yūichi that they will make it and promises to save his mother. As he runs onto the street, Sado is seen by Ichigo and Rukia, who run toward him as he swiftly changes direction and begins fleeing them. Ichigo tells Sado to stop running because he needs Ichigo's help, only to stop when a fatigued Karin calls out to him while leaning on a nearby telephone pole.

Expressing concern over Karin's appearance, Ichigo is shocked when she collapses, which prompts Rukia to order him to take her home while she keeps pursuing Sado. When Ichigo protests, Rukia points out that Ichigo will be worrying about her when fighting the Hollow if they leave her here, which will get both of them eaten, and Ichigo acknowledges this before reminding Rukia that she cannot take any chances because she does not have the strength to fight a Hollow by herself at the moment. Promising that a veteran Shinigami never takes risks, Rukia runs off to catch up with Sado as Ichigo picks up Karin and begins running home with her in his arms.

Aftermath
However, as Ichigo runs, a distraught Karin explains that Yūichi's strongest memory flowed into her mind yesterday because they are the closest in age and reveals that Yūichi saw his mother get murdered right in front of him before begging a stunned Ichigo to help him. Elsewhere, as Rukia catches up to Sado, a shadowy presence appears behind her. Karin begs Ichigo to tell Yūichi that he can be with his mother again if he goes to the other side and to make sure he does not have to be alone anymore. Meanwhile, as she runs after Sado and Yūichi, an out-of-breath Rukia angrily curses the weakness of her Gigai for lacking the muscle and flight capabilities needed to catch up to Sado while making a mental note to confront Research and Development over this.

Suddenly, Shrieker appears behind her and declares that Rukia smells like lunch before deciding to eat her soul, prompting Rukia to realize she forgot to watch her back in the midst of her pursuit as Shrieker attacks. Meanwhile, having put Karin to bed at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo runs down the street while noting that he has not seen Karin cry in years and that she and Yuzu stepped up to take care of themselves and the family after their mom died. Recalling how Karin did not cry when she was beat up by a sixth grader while in first grade, when she was berated for throwing a ball through the principal's window when she was seven, or when she broke her leg during a third grade field trip, a solemn Ichigo promises to reunite Yūichi with his mother.