The New Shinigami Guardians & the Broken Balance

 is an event which marks the start of the Quincy Blood War, revolving around Karakura Town receiving two new protectors while the Gotei 13 investigates strange disappearances in the Rukongai

Prelude
In the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi inquires about the status of the Shutara Scale, prompting his 3rd Seat, Akon, to relay that it is at category 4 and quite serious as the two of them ride an elevator down through the building. When Mayuri admonishes him for taking so long to report this, Akon apologizes and explains that they have been able to handle minor instances of this in past years with only slight adjustments, which led him to not take this to Mayuri until it became serious. While Mayuri and Akon reach the central monitoring room below, several technicians express alarm over the readings they are getting from various sectors and rush to correct them before a researcher approaches Akon and informs him that Hollows are continuing to disappear. With Akon asserting that he already knows the boundary between the Human World and Soul Society will be at risk of collapse if this continues to occur for a few more days and dismissing the researcher since he has nothing else to report, Mayuri affirms Akon's inference that only they could be capable of completely erasing Hollows like this.

The New Mission in Karakura
Meanwhile, Ryūnosuke Yuki is woken up by an irritated Zennosuke Kurumadani, who responds to Yuki admitting he was not listening by admonishing him for falling asleep while his superior is briefing him on the first day of his assignment, and when Yuki explains that he had to do this since he was too nervous to sleep well last night, Zennosuke counters this by asserting that sleeping during the day was not the only choice Yuki had and points out how Yuki used this same excuse when he arrived late on a previous day before concluding he has paid attention to what Yuki has said. Though Yuki praises him for this, Zennosuke merely tells him to open his eyes.

Shortly afterward, while walking along one of the streets, Yuki is observed to have been criticized harshly again by Shino Madarame, who slaps the side of his head when he looks back to see her and claims that this is the only way to get his attention when he complains about this. Shino tells Yuki to display some confidence since they are heading out to their new post this afternoon, only for Yuki to explain that he is just nervous. When Shino claims that there is no reason for this when he is with her, Yuki elaborates that the rate of Hollow appearances in Karakura Town is high, which makes him question whether he is the right person to be sent in here in addition to the area already having a strong Substitute Shinigami protecting it. In response, Shino angrily grabs Yuki by the collar and demands that he stop being so pathetic.

Though Shino clarifies that the Gotei 13 increased the number of Shinigami stationed here to two precisely so that they would not need to rely on the Substitute Shinigami as much, drawing the attention of other Shinigami nearby in the process, and concludes this proves his abilities were acknowledged when he was selected for this, which is why he should puff out his chest more, a chuckling Yuki merely notes that she does not have much of a chest to puff out herself, causing Shino to swiftly punch the left side of his face in response.

That night, a mysterious figure crushes and disperses a piece of Hollow bait on a rooftop in Karakura Town before moving back upon seeing Yuki and Shino exit a Senkaimon in the air nearby with Zennosuke, who asks a bruised Yuki about what happened to his swollen face. With Yuki claiming that he was born this way, Zennosuke rubs his chin and accepts this, to Yuki's disbelief, prior to stepping back inside the closing Senkaimon and encouraging Yuki and Shino to devote themselves to exterminating Hollows across the area without fighting each other, which he assures them he is sincere about.

Once the Senkaimon closes, Shino declares that they should split up and that she will be patrolling the north side while Yuki takes the south. When Yuki expresses shock at her not wanting to stay together for this, Shino questions why two of them would be sent if this were not the optimal solution and asks Yuki if he is scared, only for Yuki to respond to her demanding that he say so by bluntly confirming he is, causing an annoyed Shino to leap away and tell Yuki to find his resolve, to Yuki's chagrin. Suddenly, Yuki hears a loud crashing noise and looks behind him to see a large, mono-eyed Hollow with four legs grinning at him from behind a nearby building.

In turn, Yuki begins frantically running away as it gives chase and narrowly dodges strikes from its legs while calling out to Shino, whom he expects to reprimand him for announcing the Hollow's appearance like a new product is going on sale. However, Yuki is stunned to find a bloodied and motionless Shino being held in the grasp of an ape-like Huge Hollow while three others stand around them on a rooftop. Terrified by the sight of this, a trembling Yuki draws his Zanpakutō and mentally asserts that he has to be the one to save Shino since it is just the two of them, but the Hollow who was pursuing him slams one of its legs into Yuki, who is badly wounded and sent flying across the rooftop. A heavily bleeding Yuki realizes that he cannot move his hands or body after a single strike from the Hollow and expresses shock at how much blood he is losing before realizing that he might die at this rate without even saving Shino.

Suddenly, the Hollow preparing to kill Yuki is cut in half when a Getsuga Tenshō hurtles across the rooftop. As the Huge Hollows turn to look at this, a Heilig Pfeil rockets through the air and cuts off the hand holding Shino, who is quickly grabbed out of the air by Yasutora Sado while Ayame and Shun'ō fly down to Yuki and form Sōten Kisshun over him. After dispersing the technique, leaving Yuki to sit up in confusion, and healing Shino as well, Orihime Inoue informs Yuki that she will finish healing them when the battle is over as Ichigo Kurosaki confidently walks forward to join his friends with his Shikai, Zangetsu, over his shoulder and declares that they should finish this quickly, leaving Yuki speechless.

, and In response to this, the three Huge Hollows roar loudly, which results in dozens of other Huge Hollows emerging from between the nearby buildings and approaching the rooftop that they are located on. Though Yuki cannot comprehend how anyone can fight off so many Huge Hollows, Orihime responds to one of them reaching for her by initiating Shiten Kōshun in front of herself, stopping the Huge Hollow in its tracks and blowing it back into two others with the rejected force. Upon seeing this, Sado leaps up with his Fullbring, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, and performs La Muerte by punching the Huge Hollow hard in the stomach.

The Huge Hollow and the two others behind it are blown back several hundred meters into the side of a building, where they are destroyed on impact as a massive skull forms in the wall they hit. When two other Huge Hollows attempt to attack Ichigo, Uryū destroys them with a single Heilig Pfeil each and skates around with Hirenkyaku as he obliterates several more before running up the side of a billboard, leaping into the air, and firing Licht Regen downward while upside down, resulting in half of the remaining Huge Hollows being blown apart while Ichigo expresses alarm at nearly being hit by the resulting explosions that surround him.

As Uryū comments on how close this was and Ichigo claims that his Heilig Pfeil were much more dangerous, an awestruck Yuki fails to notice a Huge Hollow reaching for him from behind, only for Ichigo to intercept the Huge Hollow's hand with Zangetsu and promises to take them all on prior to activating his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, in a large explosion of Reiatsu and firing a black Getsuga Tenshō that engulfs the remaining Huge Hollows in a massive explosion. In the aftermath, with Yuki questioning who he is, Ichigo introduces himself as a Substitute Shinigami.

Distortions and Disappearances
Two days later, Hiyori Sarugaki walks along with a towel wrapped around her head and a basket of conditioners and shampoos balanced on top as she praises how nice it feels to take a bath early in the day. When she is met with silence in response to this, Hiyori demands to know why none of her fellow Visored are answering her, and when Lisa Yadōmaru explains that Love Aikawa left to buy a copy of Jump and coffee-flavored milk, Hiyori points out that Lisa could have answered her and demands that Lisa give her the key to open the door to their warehouse, but Lisa reveals that Hachigen Ushōda is carrying the key and went to a café to cool off, leading Hiyori to note with irritation that Hachigen should have known he would get hot if he wore a suit to a public bathhouse. Suddenly, Hiyori smells a Shinigami and looks to her left to see a distortion forming in the air nearby, to her confusion.

Some time later, Yuki regains consciousness on Ichigo's bed at the Kurosaki Clinic and bolts upright while admitting that he was not listening, only for Ichigo to bluntly assert that no one said anything and tell Yuki that he is free to leave if he is awake. Suddenly, Orihime bursts into the room with a tray of bread from the bakery she works at and expresses relief at Yuki being awake, though Ichigo wonders if the bread she brought is really good to eat since it being leftover from the bakery sales means that it did not sell well. In response, Orihime teasingly asserts that people who say this will not get any bread from her.

Uryū walks in and observes that Orihime is correct since Ichigo always enjoys the bread she brings the most, and when Sado joins them and affirms this, Ichigo tells them to shut up and demands to know why they are coming in without ringing the doorbell, which leads Uryū to explain that they met Yuzu Kurosaki outside prior to suggesting that Ichigo stop talking and get them some plates, though Ichigo is left irate at the idea of taking orders from him. While Uryū states that he is merely giving advice rather than orders and Ichigo tells him to shut up once more, Yuki screams in astonishment once he recognizes Ichigo as the Substitute Shinigami he met last night.

Deducing that this delayed realization is why Yuki was so unresponsive until now, Ichigo clarifies that their first meeting took place two days ago and that Yuki has been asleep for over a day. Upon recalling the battle he witnessed, Yuki ruminates on how surprisingly strong Ichigo and his friends proved to be against the Huge Hollows before Ichigo hands him a plate of breads to sample. Ichigo notes that Yuki will not be able to eat like this and suggests that he get into the Gigai next to him, leading Yuki to scream in fright upon seeing a blank-eyed Gigai with his appearance lying in bed next to him.

When Ichigo wonders if he has to scream at everything, Yuki explains that he does not have time for this and frantically inquires about Shino's condition just before the latter walks into the room. Carrying two shopping bags with cola that she announces to the group, Shino stops in surprise and drops them upon seeing Yuki, whom she tearfully addresses before calling him pathetic and delivering a flying clothesline to a relieved Yuki. As Shino continues to berate and wrestle with Yuki in the background, Orihime laments Shino dropping the cola and Uryū suggests that they set aside the yakisoba bread since he believes Yuki would like it, but Ichigo immediately discerns that Uryū is really saying this because he does not want it.

Simultaneously, in the Rukongai in Soul Society, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame runs through the forest alongside 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, where he confirms to the latter that he is running because he heard the report and refuses to believe that residents of the Rukongai simply disappeared as he proclaims that someone messed with the wrong division's jurisdiction. Shortly afterward, in the west 64th district of the Rukongai, Sabitsura, Yumichika comes to a halt in a village and muses that there really is no one here while Ikkaku observes that this means the situation is getting worse.

In turn, Yumichika points out that the villagers may have gotten scared and left because of the disappearances, though Ikkaku counters that the Shinigami Research and Development Institute would be tracking them and keeping the rest of the Gotei 13 up to date if this were the case. Two of their subordinates approach and reveal that they could not find even a single child after searching the entire area. When Yumichika comments on the entire village disappearing like this being almost supernatural, Ikkaku refuses to accept such an explanation prior to one of the subordinates bringing them to a set of footprints in the dirt that converge and suddenly cease. After confirming Ikkaku's observation that there are only marks of bare feet and sandals, Yumichika deduces that the residents of this village abducted each other. In response, Ikkaku proclaims that they will determine what this means by continuing to investigate, which his subordinates affirm.

Aftermath
Back at the Kurosaki Clinic, when Ichigo asks for Yuki's name, Asguiaro Ebern lands on Ichigo's bed and introduces himself, but in response, Ichigo states that he does not know who Ebern is and demands that the latter get off his bed. At Ebern's request, Ichigo reiterates this, only for Ebern to refuse, and upon hearing this, Ichigo kicks Ebern hard in the face, sending him flying out of the window that Orihime quickly opens behind him, which causes Yuzu to assume that he is fooling around with his friends upstairs as Sado questions who he was and Uryū infers that he is probably an Arrancar due to the mask fragment on his face. Grabbing his Substitute Shinigami Badge, Ichigo promises to drive Ebern away since it will be a pain if he comes back and enters his Shinigami form, where Sado promises to join him alongside Uryū once they finish eating despite Ichigo promising him that it will be over by then, leaving Yuki to wonder who Ebern was while he and Shino clutch each other as Orihime chews on more bread and admits that she does not know.