The Cold War

 marks the beginning of the Arrancar Invasion and the first of many times Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies face off against the Arrancar, who serve Sōsuke Aizen and begin waging a proxy war on his behalf; additionally, multiple new combatants reveal themselves as they make preparations for the larger conflict to come, with Isshin Kurosaki revealing himself to be a Shinigami, Ryūken Ishida demonstrating that he is the true Last Quincy, and the Visored expressing great interest in Ichigo, whom they consider to be one of them as a fellow Shinigami-Hollow hybrid.

Prelude
At 7:34 AM on September 1st, a damaged Kon stands before Ichigo Kurosaki, who is left speechless, and swipes at him angrily for his lack of reaction before demanding that Ichigo fix him rather than stare at him in pity. After performing minor repairs, Ichigo promises to bring Uryū Ishida back to his house after school to fix Kon properly because Ichigo is not secretly a seamstress as he places his bag in his pocket, only to be surprised when the charm that Isshin Kurosaki gave him prior to departing for Soul Society falls onto the floor.

Ichigo attempts to return it to Isshin as promised, only for Isshin to casually toss it away and declare that he does not want it as Ichigo questions why he still had it. With Ichigo shocked by this, Isshin ties it to Ichigo's uniform and claims that he does not need it anymore, and as Ichigo realizes that he cannot undo the knot, Yuzu Kurosaki warns him that he is going to miss the bus, prompting Ichigo to hurry off while accusing Isshin of lying to him about the charm being a precious belonging given to Isshin by Masaki Kurosaki and vowing to bust Isshin's jaw when he gets home.

At school, Keigo Asano attempts to enthusiastically tackle Ichigo, who clotheslines him with an outstretched arm while offhandedly greeting him. While Keigo wonders where both he and Ichigo have been, Mizuiro Kojima greets Ichigo, who returns the greeting, and stands on Keigo's head while bidding him good morning, to Keigo's chagrin. Ichigo is greeted by Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū, the latter of whom merely states that Ichigo's hair looks stupid. As Ichigo glares at Uryū, Keigo asks him why Orihime, Sado, and Uryū are hanging out despite not having been friends prior to the summer, leading him to wonder what could have happened to form such an alliance before tearfully demanding to know what Ichigo is doing with them when he walks over and tells Keigo to relax.

With Keigo claiming that this is a tragic end to a beautiful friendship, Chizuru Honshō gropes Orihime's breasts from behind as she greets her, prompting Tatsuki Arisawa to send Chizuru flying with a kick to the face, and as she clutches her bleeding nose, Chizuru observes that Tatsuki's comedic timing is as sharp as ever despite the summer they spent apart, only for Tatsuki to declare that there is nothing comedic about it and admonish Chizuru for always being lecherous no matter the season, though Chizuru takes pride in this, to Tatsuki's irritation.

Watching this, Keigo claims to wish that he could be as uninhibited as Chizuru is and asks Mizuiro if he feels the same way, which Mizuiro denies. When Ichigo greets her, Tatsuki brings up how he was missing in action all summer and was never around when she stopped by the Kurosaki Clinic even though he apparently got back from vacation early before questioning what he was doing, only to notice something near Ichigo's waist and inquire about it. With Ichigo assuming that she is referring to the charm tied to his shirt, Tatsuki bluntly asserts that she can tell it just a joke gift from his dad since no one else would give him something like that and clarifies that she is referring to the Substitute Shinigami Badge hanging out of Ichigo's pocket. As he claims that he bought it at a shop, Ichigo expresses astonishment upon realizing that Tatsuki can see it, to her confusion. However, before Tatsuki can inquire further, Misato Ochi slams open the door to the classroom and greets her students as she tells them to sit down. After everyone gets seated, Misato asks if everyone is here and dismisses Reiichi Ōshima and Keisuke Sorimachi's absences since they are hoodlums and will be fine, to her students' surprise.

Misato announces that they have a new student entering the class while Ichigo recalls 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake explaining that the badge is more powerful than it looks and would be dangerous in the hands of anyone other than a Shinigami, so it automatically creates a visual barrier to avoid being seen by humans. Suddenly, the badge begins loudly emitting a shrill and beeping Hollow alarm, shocking Ichigo, who is asked by Mizuiro if he is okay. Claiming to have gotten a stomachache, Ichigo internally expresses relief that normal Humans cannot hear the badge either, and after confirming with Sado that a Hollow has been detected, Ichigo slips past Misato as she looks out into the hallway for the new student and runs off while telling her that he needs to use the bathroom.

Confused by this, Misato sees Orihime and Sado running after Ichigo as well and admonishes Orihime for running like this, only to relent when Orihime asserts that she is in pain before denying Keigo when he attempts to go as well. With Keigo bemoaning the favoritism that Misato shows to Ichigo and the others while Uryū remains seated, Tatsuki looks out the window, where she is shocked to see Ichigo running across the field in his Shinigami form. Shortly afterward, Ichigo blocks several projectiles from a Hollow with a pig-like mask and slashes through it vertically with his Shikai, Zangetsu, as he questions whether it is veal or pork.

As the Hollow proclaims that it is pork while dissipating, Ichigo turns to Orihime and Sado as they approach and observes that they did not need to cut class since he was able to handle the Hollow by himself, leading Orihime to admit that she has always wanted to lie her way out of class while an unnerved Sado comments on her extreme honesty. When Ichigo wonders where Uryū is, which Sado takes as proof of his personality, Orihime nervously informs Ichigo that Uryū has not been doing well since before they left Soul Society. Sado admits that he did not knows this upon being asked by Ichigo about it, and as Orihime explains that Uryū did not want them to know because he likes keeping things to himself, Ichigo points out that she should not have told them if this is true, which prompts Orihime to realize that he is right and begin worrying as Ichigo assures her that they will pretend to not know. In the air above, Shinji Hirako stands upside-down with a bottle of water and observes Ichigo smiling alongside Orihime and Sado with a smile while identifying him.

Later, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon stands with his body repaired and a frilly bonnet added to his head, and when Uryū asserts that this is perfect, Kon angrily swipes his face and declares that it is perfectly lame before reminding Uryū that he did not ask for frills. When Uryū claims that he simply added his personal touch, Kon is further angered and points out how he is a lion rather than a Southern belle as Ichigo watches silently nearby and observes that Uryū added a Quincy cross to the back of Kon's head as well, though he decides to keep this to himself while Kon proclaims that his cuteness remains undiminished. After restoring Kon to his original appearance, Uryū prepares to leave, only for Ichigo to stop him. However, when Uryū questions what he wants to talk about, Ichigo remembers Orihime's explanation and drops the subject.

With a confused Uryū calling him weird as he leaves, Ichigo watches Uryū walk across the street and internally notes that he cannot detect Uryū's Reiatsu, meaning that he has lost his Quincy powers. At school the next day, Shinji introduces himself to Ichigo's class by writing his name backwards on the chalkboard and giving context for each kanji before bowing. When a confused Misato points out how it is backwards, Shinji asserts that doing things in reverse is his specialty, prompting Misato to ask him to tell them a little about himself. While Shinji continues to introduce himself, Ichigo recalls Ukitake telling him that Uryū fought 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, which leads him to deduce that Uryū lost his Quincy powers from expending too much of his Reiryoku and thus sacrificed his powers to help them save Rukia Kuchiki.

With Orihime looking at Ichigo in concern, Misato has Shinji take a seat in the back of the class, leading Shinji to take the seat next to Ichigo and express hope they can be friends now that they are neighbors. However, before Ichigo can finish greeting Shinji, his Substitute Shinigami Badge alerts him to the presence of another Hollow, and while Ichigo runs out of the classroom with the excuse of needing to use the bathroom again, Sado assures a staring Shinji that he does not need to take this personally because it is just how Ichigo is, only for Shinji to dismiss this due to Ichigo being exactly how he imagined.

That night, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo reads a magazine on his bed as Kon declares that he does not want to live like this anymore due to his desire to go out and meet well-endowed young women. With Ichigo telling him to shut up because Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki will hear him, Kon refuses and threatens to sue Ichigo for cruelty toward stuffed animals before wishing that he was still inside Ichigo's body, as this allowed him to act pervertedly with only Ichigo's reputation being ruined. While a mortified Ichigo demands to know if he really did this, Kon proclaims that it was not so painful when Rukia was here and begs her to come back.

When his badge alerts him to the presence of a Hollow once more, Ichigo notes that he is beginning to get used to it and uses the badge to enter his Shinigami form before removing Kon's Gikongan from the plushie and dropping it into his body. After instructing Kon to take care of things and stay quiet until he gets back, Ichigo leaps through the open window, leaving Kon to cheekily acknowledge this as he grins pervertedly.

Recruitment
Shortly afterward, Ichigo slashes through the targeted Hollow with Zangetsu and stands on a rooftop while it dissipates behind him. As Ichigo observes that this should do it, Zennosuke Kurumadani calls out to him from a nearby rooftop and demands to know who Ichigo is, as well as why he is dressed like a Shinigami. Upon having the question turned back on him by Ichigo, a sweating Zennosuke identifies himself as the Shinigami assigned to this district in place of Rukia after she was jailed for a crime. However, when Ichigo holds up his badge and identifies himself as a Substitute Shinigami in turn, a confused Zennosuke declares that he has never heard of such a thing, prompting an annoyed Ichigo to assert that his badge is useless.

Suddenly, Shinji appears in midair behind Ichigo with an unsheathed Zanpakutō and attacks, forcing a shocked Ichigo to block with Zangetsu. With Ichigo realizing that he is wielding a Zanpakutō and demanding to know who he is, Shinji simply holds a finger in front of his lips and advises Ichigo to not make so much noise because someone with his caliber of Reiatsu should not be so easily rattled. While Shinji claims that the noise Ichigo makes will echo around the world and cause others to feel his presence, Ichigo questions whom he is referring to, leading Shinji to wonder if he has to spell it out for Ichigo as The Menos Grande emerges from a Kūmon behind Uryū, who turns around in astonishment. Elsewhere, Kon hears a booming sound while standing in a street, and after confirming that it is not Ichigo coming after him, Kon runs off to enjoy what little time he has in Ichigo's body and wonders gleefully if he will be naughty. In the air above and behind Kon, Grand Fisher emerges from a Kūmon with a new, larger body as he mistakes Kon for Ichigo. In the park, a shocked Uryū evades a strike from The Menos Grande's prehensile tongue and questions if it is a Menos Grande upon seeing it finish emerging from the Kūmon.

Elsewhere, Kon is sent flying back when something slams into the ground in front of him, and as he wonders why everybody gives him grief, Kon is mortified when the dust clears to reveal Grand Fisher, whom he recognizes. At the Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara stands outside the front as Yoruichi Shihōin opens the door behind him while wearing a bathrobe and observes that she can sense something. Meanwhile, on a rooftop in a different part of the city, Ichigo forces Shinji back into the air with Zangetsu while Zennosuke cowers behind another building's ledge nearby and comments on their monstrous Reiatsu. As Shinji notes that it is here and points to this as proof of why Ichigo should have contained his Reiatsu, Ichigo demands to know who he is.

In response, Shinji claims Ichigo is a pain before instructing Ichigo to take a good look as he forms a pharaoh-like Hollow mask over part of his face and inquires if Ichigo recognizes it. With Ichigo realizing it is a Hollow's mask, Shinji confirms this and describes himself as a Shinigami who crossed into the realm of Hollows as Ichigo recalls being briefly taken over by his inner Hollow prior. Revealing he is part of the Visored, Shinji concludes he is just like Ichigo and invites the latter to join them because he does not belong with the others. Back in the park, Uryū runs from The Menos Grande and deduces its identity from its Reiatsu, only to mentally assert he is prepared for a Hollow attack despite losing his Quincy powers and can still fight with what little Reiryoku he has left as he pulls multiple Gintō from his shirt pocket and throws them at The Menos Grande. While the Gintō bounce off The Menos Grande, Uryū initiates Heizen, creating a rectangular beam of energy that severs The Menos Grande's left arm.

Internally, Uryū details how he filled the Gintō with Reiryoku when he was training his Quincy powers and consequently may be able to discourage The Menos Grande with them even if he cannot kill it. However, The Menos Grande merely regrows its arm with High-Speed Regeneration, to Uryū's shock, and throws a punch with it, causing Uryū to leap back while its fist crashes into the ground and begin stringing the Silber Draht attached to his arm between two nearby trees, only to find that the top half of The Menos Grande has disappeared.

With the top half of The Menos Grande reappearing in the air above him, Uryū realizes that it and the bottom half were two separate Hollows to begin with as the top half prepares to strike with its tongue once again. Suddenly, The Menos Grande's tongue is severed by a large Heilig Pfeil that rips through it near the mouth, shattering part of its mask in a shower of blood, and Ryūken Ishida approaches while admonishing Uryū for his clumsiness, startling the latter, who recognizes and addresses him by name.

Secrets Revealed
With Ryūken questioning Uryū's rude manner of addressing his father and claiming that the latter has not changed since they last met, The Menos Grande begins roaring as it attempts to regenerate its tongue, only for Ryūken to bluntly tell it to shut up and shoot it with another Heilig Pfeil that destroys its body above the Hollow hole. Ryūken asserts to a stunned Uryū that High-Speed Regeneration is not a big deal if one simply destroys the enemy before they can use it, and when a confused Uryū questions why he has Quincy powers despite despising the Quincy, which had led Uryū to believe that Ryūken had given up his powers a long time ago, Ryūken criticizes this line of thinking and reminds Uryū of his specific words on the matter when they discussed it: he has no interest, and Uryū has no talent.

After noting that his powers are harder to get rid of than Uryū's were, Ryūken describes himself as the sole heir to the powers and skills of the late Sōken Ishida whether he is interested or not, making him the last Quincy, as he pulls out his five-pointed Quincy Cross, which Uryū recognizes as belonging to Sōken when he was alive. Suddenly, the lower half of The Menos Grande attacks Uryū from behind, only to be shot with another Heilig Pfeil from Ryūken that destroys part of its body and kills it, causing it to dissipate into the air, as Ryūken berates Uryū for going to Soul Society before he was strong enough and losing the feeble powers he once had. However, Ryūken reveals that he can restore Uryū's power if he chooses to do so, and as Uryū expresses shock at this, Ryūken promises that he is telling the truth before asserting that Uryū must agree to the single condition of never involving himself with the Shinigami again.

Elsewhere, Kon runs up the side of a building and leaps into the air from the roof as he flees from Grand Fisher, who smashes through the roof behind him as Kon frantically requests they not fight in the street. Questioning why Ichigo runs, Grand Fisher demands he enter his Shinigami form and destroys part of another building's roof after Kon leaps off of it. Internally, Kon bemoans how this always happens to him and declares Grand Fisher will never believe he is not Ichigo before wondering why the latter's mask is halfway off his face, which is partially exposed, which leads Kon to question if he is really a Hollow. Suddenly, Grand Fisher catches up to Kon and states time is up since he is tired of waiting for Ichigo to enter his Shinigami form as he leaps down to the street below and slams Kon into the ground.

With Kon coughing as the dust settles, Grand Fisher decides that Ichigo refusing to transform is fine because he will simply crush the latter's bones to dust while he is in his Human form and moves to slam his other hand into Kon, who realizes that he cannot move his legs. Suddenly, a barrier of energy forms around Kon, protecting him from Grand Fisher's strike, and Kon realizes that it is emanating from the charm that had been tied to Ichigo's shirt. As he approaches the two of them and reiterates his instructions to always keep the charm handy, Isshin, now wearing a Shinigami uniform with a Zanpakutō on his hip, offers to fight Grand Fisher in Ichigo's stead since the latter is busy right now. When Grand Fisher demands to know who he is, Isshin apologizes for not introducing himself and tells Grand Fisher his name. Elsewhere, Ichigo and Shinji sense the intense Reiatsu of this confrontation.

As Ichigo wonders who they belong to and if one of them is that of a Hollow, Shinji is left aghast at him only just sensing the Hollow and observes that he does not recognize the Shinigami whom the other Reiatsu belongs to. Suddenly, Ichigo leaps away from Shinji, who demands to know where Ichigo is going because he is not done talking yet, and asserts that he does not care about what Shinji has to say despite the latter's protests. Refusing to join Shinji's group regardless of what he is, Ichigo declares that he is a Shinigami and not a Visored like Shinji before running off, leaving Shinji to comment on his attitude.

Shinji pulls a cell phone out of his pocket, which he uses to call Hiyori Sarugaki. After admitting that he failed, Shinji listens to Hiyori scream at him over the phone and states she does not have to yell as he assures her that it is only a matter of time, meaning that she needs to be patient. Back on the street, Isshin confirms Grand Fisher's suspicion that he is Ichigo's father as he picks up the charm off the ground and tosses it to Kon, whom he notes it was made for anyway. Realizing that Isshin knows his name, Kon questions when he deduced that Kon was not Ichigo, prompting Isshin to reveal that he knew from the first time he saw Kon inside Ichigo's body at the graveyard and point out how he never once called Kon by Ichigo's name when he was inhabiting Ichigo's body.

Suddenly, Grand Fisher slams his hand into the ground, rupturing it, and observes that Ichigo's father being a Shinigami means that Ichigo himself is a true blood, explaining why Grand Fisher lost to him, but asserts that he has no interest in Isshin himself since he came here tonight to kill Ichigo before demanding to know where Ichigo is due to a father likely knowing his son's whereabouts. However, Isshin merely claims that he does not know because Ichigo is not a kid anymore and he has always been relaxed with his children, though Kon interjects that he is strict with the girls, leading a flustered Isshin to claim that this is a different thing since Karin and Yuzu are special.

Turning back to Grand Fisher, Isshin declares that he came here to kill Grand Fisher and inquires if the latter is interested now. As he grins and laughs maniacally at this, Grand Fisher berates Isshin for thinking he is some ordinary Hollow who could be killed so easily and instructs Isshin to behold his true form as he transforms into a larger being with horns jutting from his body and less fur, shattering his mask in the process. When a stunned Kon wonders if he is a Menos Grande, Grand Fisher denies this and proclaims that he is an Arrancar, prompting Isshin to detail how this is a subsection of Hollows who take off their masks in order to gain Shinigami powers, which leaves Grand Fisher surprised at Isshin knowing of them.

Grand Fisher assumes Isshin knows what the sword on his back is as he draws his Zanpakutō and claims the size of one's Zanpakutō reflects that of their Reiryoku before concluding Isshin has no hope of slaying him with his normal-sized Zanpakutō. Despite this, Isshin grips the handle of his own Zanpakutō and cheerily suggests they find out, leading Grand Fisher to assert he is ignorant of the most basic Shinigami lore before attacking Isshin, who slashes at him in return. In the aftermath, Isshin brings up Grand Fisher's mention of the basics and reveals captain-level Shinigami have to keep their Zanpakutō at a manageable size on purpose in order to avoid swinging around swords as big as buildings. Instructing Grand Fisher to never judge an enemy's strength by the size of his Zanpakutō, Isshin criticizes Grand Fisher for speaking of Shinigami lore as the latter is split apart vertically at the left shoulder behind him.

A shocked Grand Fisher embeds his Zanpakutō in the ground and expresses disbelief at having lost before his body begins crumbling and dispersing into the air, leaving Kon to look on in astonishment and wonder how it is possible for Isshin to be strong enough to win in a single strike despite his goofy nature. Suddenly, Urahara approaches them and inquires if this was revenge, prompting Isshin to greet him as Urahara notes that it has been a long time since they last met and observes that Isshin's skill having not degraded is good. When Isshin questions why he is being so unusually civil, Urahara claims that he would not want Isshin to blame him for Isshin's Reiatsu being reduced, only for Isshin to counter that he would not blame even if this were the case because it is Isshin's power. With Urahara inquiring about how it feels to be a Shinigami again after twenty years, Isshin flatly states that it is alright.

Upon being asked by Urahara if he feels better, Isshin admits that he was never bitter at Grand Fisher since he was simply acting on Hollow instincts and that the only thing he has regretted over the past twenty years is his inability to save Masaki on the night of her death. In response, a smiling Urahara asserts that Isshin has not changed at all and that Ichigo is just like him, to Isshin's chagrin, before wondering if Isshin has noticed recent developments, which leads Isshin to confirm that the Visored have made contact with Ichigo just as Urahara predicted as he describes the Visored as a lawless gang of former Shinigami who tried to acquire Hollow powers through forbidden methods and who could potentially cause trouble due to their whereabouts and ideology remaining unknown.

In turn, both Isshin and Urahara note that them contacting Ichigo means the Visored are preparing for something just like they are. After a moment's silence, Isshin assumes that the Visored has probably noticed the sudden change in Arrancar as well, with Urahara picking up on Grand Fisher having been a Visored, and Isshin explains that Grand Fisher's level of development was far beyond any Arrancar he had ever seen before due to him possessing notable power after the Arrancar have been stuck at the same level for decades, which leads him to conclude that Sōsuke Aizen is behind their sudden progress.

Theorizing that Aizen made a deal with the prospective Arrancar to help them achieve their goal by using the Hōgyoku, Isshin muses that the Arrancar are still imperfect despite their heightened level of power, evidenced by their fuzzy Reiatsu, and that Grand Fisher was likely a prototype sent out to discover what level the current Arrancar can fight at. Isshin concludes that, though the Arrancar are manageable for now, the immeasurable power of the Hōgyoku means that Aizen will soon complete his work and try to crush the world with fully-developed Arrancar and an army of Menos Grande. When asked by Isshin if he has any ideas, Urahara promises to think of something since the current situation will be leading them, the Visored, and even Soul Society to mobilize for war.

Simultaneously, in the Seireitei, 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana, Mayuri, 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, 2nd Division Captain Suì-Fēng, Ukitake, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya are summoned, with the latter two grumbling about how annoying it is and vowing to be there soon respectively, and eventually gather in the First Division barracks before Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who stands beside his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe, and thanks them for gathering on such short notice as he commences the captains meeting.

Persistent Invitation
The next day, at Karakura High School, Ichigo sits in his classroom while his fellow students chat around him and ruminates on his confrontation with Shinji the previous night. Nearby, Uryū ponders Ryūken's promise to restore his lost Quincy powers on the condition that he swear to never involve himself with the Shinigami again. Soon afterward, Orihime and Shinji walk into the classroom and cheerfully greet Ichigo, who is stunned by Shinji showing up as though nothing happened last night.

When Orihime greets him by name, Shinji is overjoyed she remembered his name and hugs Orihime, leading a shocked Keigo to protest him acting as though he knows Orihime better than Keigo does despite the latter having been friends with her for years. With Mizuiro lamenting this rocky start to their relationship and Keigo claiming Shinji should let go of Orihime because the latter clearly does not like it, Shinji points out Orihime is not struggling to free herself from him and asserts she obviously does not mind, which prompts Keigo to tearfully declare that his ego is preventing him from understanding how out of line he is.

Suddenly, a furious Chizuru agrees with Keigo and vows to handle it from here, leaving Keigo frightened, as she insists that Orihime is too kind to tell Shinji how she really feels and proclaims that anyone who would take advantage of her kindness does not deserve to live, though Keigo nervously brings up how this logic means that Chizuru should be the first to die. However, before Chizuru can begin her lethal assault on Shinji, Ichigo stands up, grabs a confused Shinji by the collar, and drags him to the hallway outside, leaving an unnerved Chizuru and Keigo to question when Ichigo became so protective.

Silently watching this, Orihime turns to Sado, who meets her gazes and nods. Outside, Shinji is slammed into a railing by Ichigo and chastises the latter for getting so mad about this when Orihime is not even his girlfriend and is out of his league, only for Ichigo to demand he apologize to Orihime or face much harsher consequences. An unfazed Shinji states Ichigo is in no position to tell him what to do, and when Ichigo inquires about why he is here, Shinji reminds Ichigo he is a student and must continue going to school, though Ichigo claims Shinji has no reason to be here anymore since he only enrolled to convince Ichigo to join the Visored.

An unimpressed Shinji realizes Ichigo believes he has given up and asserts he will not be stopping until Ichigo is begging to join them. Elaborating that Ichigo does not have a choice since a Visored cannot go back once their symptoms appear and stating this means Ichigo is already on their side whether he likes it or not, Shinji brings up Ichigo considering Orihime, Sado, Uryū, and the Shinigami to be his friends and reveals this is temporary because Ichigo continuing to be a Shinigami will lead to his inner Hollow swallowing him and driving Ichigo insane, which will result in his power destroying his friends, his future, and his very identity.

After theorizing that Ichigo has already sensed his inner Hollow growing too big for him to handle, Shinji reiterates his invitation for Ichigo to join the Visored and promises to teach him how to save his sanity while Tatsuki watches them from below with concern. At the end of the school day, Keigo cheerfully asks Ichigo if he wants to hang out in the city on the way home, but Ichigo declines due to wanting to be alone right now, leaving Keigo to complain that Ichigo is acting weird to Mizuiro, who points out that he has always been weird as Uryū leaves the classroom. Elsewhere, Shinji walks down a street and expresses exhaustion at not being cut out for school and being assigned a test right after a vacation, which he considers sadistic.

Suddenly, while Shinji questions why he has to be the one to go to school and recruit Ichigo, Hiyori kicks him in the rear end and sends Shinji flying face-first into a telephone pole. With Shinji turning around in fright upon recognizing her, Hiyori kicks off her sandal, grabs it, and smacks Shinji across the face with it while demanding to know what is taking him so long. As Shinji apologizes, Hiyori berates him for requesting more time since she told him to talk Ichigo into it, and when Shinji clarifies that it is not this easy due to Ichigo being stubborn, Hiyori instructs him to use force despite a bewildered Shinji reminding her that she told him to persuade Ichigo.

However, they are interrupted when Orihime appears behind Hiyori with Sado and makes her presence known. With Hiyori angrily headbutting Shinji for allowing himself to be followed, Orihime details how she knew Ichigo would not tell her what was really going on and solemnly asks Shinji who he and Hiyori are and what they want with Ichigo, but Hiyori simply smirks and questions if Orihime believes that they would just tell her. Meanwhile, at Karakura Hospital, Ryūken finds Uryū entering his office and inquires about what choice he has made. When Uryū declares that he wants his Quincy powers back, Ryūken presses him on this, prompting Uryū to vow that he will never get involved with the Shinigami again.

Back in the street, Hiyori bluntly introduces herself to Orihime and Sado, who are left confused, and demands that they introduce themselves in turn. Upon learning Orihime and Sado's names, Hiyori comments on Orihime's name containing the kanji for "princess" and Sado's containing the kanji for "tiger", which she mockingly claims to be fancy compared to hers containing the kanji for "monkey" and Shinji's containing the kanji for "common", though a disinterested Shinji points out that his is an adjective instead of a noun and criticizes Hiyori for shortening everything, which leads her to hit Shinji in the face, causing his nose to bleed.

Hiyori calls Orihime irritating for having glossy hair and large breasts, and when Shinji asserts that she is just jealous of Orihime, Hiyori hits him in the face again and denies having anything to tell Orihime and Sado before concluding that they are going to die here. However, before Hiyori can draw her Zanpakutō, a startled Shinji grabs her and frantically runs away while apologizing to Orihime and Sado. Despite Orihime telling Shinji and Hiyori to wait, Sado reminds her that they cannot catch Shinji and Hiyori with their powers and would end up getting killed even if they did. Meanwhile, in the air above Karakura Town, Hiyori orders Shinji to let go of her so she can beat up Orihime and Sado.

When Shinji counters that they cannot be killing random people while pursuing Ichigo, an irritated Hiyori pokes two of her fingers into Shinji's rear end, leading a shocked Shinji to do the same to her with more force and reply to her outrage over this being done to a young lady by proclaiming that young ladies do not do this to others. After calming down, Hiyori somberly states that she hates Humans and Shinigami, which prompts an understanding Shinji to reiterate that they simply need to be patient for a little longer. Simultaneously, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Isshin welcomes Ichigo home by hitting the side of his head with a flying elbow, only to be shocked when Ichigo does not dodge or respond to the blow and is instead sent crashing into the corner.

When Karin and Yuzu come out to tend to Ichigo in confusion and concern, Isshin assumes Ichigo is sick or scored poorly on a test and claims to not care about tests since good grades are for nerds. With Yuzu aghast at him calling himself a father while saying such things, Isshin asserts a young man in high school should be focusing on things he cannot talk to his parents about like romance, and when Yuzu questions Ichigo not talking to him about romance, Isshin proclaims he should not if he is doing it right, leaving Karin visibly unimpressed. Suddenly, Ichigo gets to his feet and walks past Isshin up the stairs as he apologizes and notes he will be staying in his room until dinner, which leads a flustered Isshin to call after him while Yuzu berates Isshin for not apologizing. As Ichigo slams the door to his room and sets his bag down, Kon pokes his head out of the dresser and admonishes Ichigo for scaring him like this.

After welcoming Ichigo home and claiming to not have been waiting for him, Kon begins to ask him if Isshin was acting strangely, but remembers Urahara politely warning him that everything he saw last night must remain secret and panics at having nearly slipped up, which he believes would have led Urahara to kill him. With Kon frantically assuring him that Isshin is totally and extremely normal, Ichigo lies face-down on his bed and claims that nothing is wrong when Kon expresses concern. Annoyed by this, Kon criticizes him for acting liked a sullen teenager and hops over to the window, which he opens to move onto the sill while declaring that he is going to go for walk if Ichigo wants to sulk prior to leaping into the air and lamenting how difficult it is to be Ichigo's roommate.

Back on his bed, Ichigo ruminates on how he has been hearing Zangetsu calling him from within ever since his battle with Byakuya, where his mask also vanished after coming back repeatedly no matter how many times he threw it away. Ichigo muses that Zangetsu is getting closer and faster all the time and that he does not need Shinji's warning to know that he will be swallowed up if he does not stop Zangetsu. With an agonized Ichigo wondering what he is supposed to do, Karin knocks on the door and enters the room, startling him, before asking about what is bothering him. Though Ichigo claims that it is nothing and that she does not need to worry about it, a distressed Karin reveals that she knows Ichigo is a Shinigami.

The Invasion of Karakura Town
During this, at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute in the Seireitei, Hiyosu and Rin Tsubokura sit in front of their monitors alongside their fellow researchers, who complain about how boring it is to have another day where nothing is happening. While Hiyosu instructs him to stop eating and bring them some tea, a complying Rin sees data on his monitor and realizes that a positional axis has been located in eastern Karakura Town. Upon being approached by 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon about what is going on, Hiyosu informs him that they are here as a massive impact shakes the ground at a park in Karakura Town. While people nearby realize that something fell from the sky, the dust clears to reveal Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo, with Ulquiorra unzipping his top to reveal his Hollow hole in his neck. Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Ichigo is initially stunned at Karin declaring that he is a Shinigami, but smiles and attempts to claim that he does not know what she is talking about.

However, Karin tells him to not pretend like this and recount how she has been noticing things for a while now, with her not fully understanding until Don Kanonji's show taping. Suddenly, the two of them experience a powerful Reiatsu crushing down on them, with Sado, Orihime, Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin experiencing the same sensation around Karakura Town. When Ichigo moves to leave, a concerned Karin grabs onto his shirt and questions where he is going, and after a moment's hesitation, Ichigo apologizes to Karin and grabs his Substitute Shinigami Badge, which causes him to exit his body in his Shinigami form and leap out the window, leaving a worried Karin behind to stare after him.

Meanwhile, Yamamoto is informed by a Riteitai in the First Division barracks in the Seireitei that the Twelfth Division has detected two Arrancar in Karakura Town and that the density and stability of their Reiatsu indicates that they are fully developed. In the crater created by their landing in the Karakura Town park, Yammy criticizes the Human World as boring from his experiences in it back when he was a Hollow and claims that the low Reishi density makes it hard to breathe, but Ulquiorra tells him to stop complaining since he is the one who wanted to come along despite Ulquiorra stating he could do this alone.

Sarcastically apologizing to Ulquiorra, Yammy climbs out of the crater and finds several Humans looking around the area under the impression that a meteor struck the park. After promising to suck out their Souls if they do not stop staring at him, Yammy performs Gonzui, causing the Souls of hundreds of people in the surrounding area to be drained from their bodies and into Yammy's mouth. As she runs with Sado down a street many blocks away, Orihime sees a man nearby collapse and urges Sado to wait so they can help him, but Sado asserts that it is too late because he is already dead and brings Orihime's attention to the sky, where the Souls of hundreds of people in the area are being drained by Yammy's Gonzui, leaving Orihime aghast. While they continue running, Sado requests that Orihime promise to take anyone who is still alive at the center of this event away from the area and points out how only she can heal people and save the injured, which is why he is counting on her.

After finishing, Yammy expresses disgust at the quality of the Souls and claims the people were staring at him like he was a freak, only for Ulquiorra to reveal they could not see him and Yammy and were simply looking at the crater. In response, Yammy bluntly asserts they were annoying him and inquires about how many they have to kill, prompting Ulquiorra to observe they only need to kill one individual here since there are only three powerful enough to fight them in the entire Human World and the rest are trash, making them easy to find. However, he is alerted by Tatsuki, who survived Yammy's attack and is lying weakened on the ground nearby next to the bodies of her fellow martial arts students. Tatsuki finds herself confronted by Yammy, who grins and observes her Soul must be stronger than he expected if it was not drained.

With a frightened Tatsuki realizing that her mind is fading, Yammy asks Ulquiorra if Tatsuki is the one, only for Ulquiorra to observe that her Soul is being crushed just by being close to him and that she is trash as well, which leads an unimpressed Yammy to conclude that she survived his Gonzui by luck and bid her farewell while preparing to kick her. Suddenly, before Yammy's kick can connect, Sado moves between him and a nearly unconscious Tatsuki to grab Yammy's foot with his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, as Orihime moves to Tatsuki to shield the latter with her arm. Mentally, Sado is shocked by the power of Yammy's kick and determines that he is too strong for Orihime to handle prior to instructing Orihime to leave with Tatsuki like they planned, which she agrees to.

When Yammy asks him if Sado is the one, Ulquiorra asserts that he needs to develop his Pesquisa and concludes that Sado is trash as well, to Yammy's delight. Leaping forward, an unnerved Sado charges and fires an energy blast from Brazo Derecha de Gigante, but as she looks back in the aftermath, Orihime is horrified to see an unharmed Yammy dropping Sado, who has had Brazo Derecha de Gigante ripped off at the shoulder and severed at the elbow. After leaving Tatsuki lying against a tree, Orihime frantically runs over to Sado as Yammy asks Ulquiorra if Orihime is trash as well and Ichigo rushes toward the battlefield. With Yammy looming over her and asking Ulquiorra if she is trash as well, Orihime mentally notes that Sado must have known Yammy and Ulquiorra were incredibly strong and that she would not stand a chance against them, which is why he fought alone to protect her and Tatsuki.

After pausing for a moment, Ulquiorra confirms that Orihime is trash, but when Yammy gleefully extends his index finger and jabs it toward her, Orihime activates Santen Kesshun between the two of them to intercept the blow, surprising Yammy as she stands up with a determined expression in the wake of the shield shattering from the impact. While Yammy wonders what she is, Orihime initiates Sōten Kisshun on Sado's mangled Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which prompts a shocked Yammy to comment on the technique healing Sado and the latter still being alive, though Ulquiorra internally denies this being a healing technique since it appears to be regression of space and time in a form he has never seen before, to his intrigue.

Mentally, Orihime initially declares that she has to buy time until Ichigo gets here, only to remember his troubled expression and realize that she cannot always expect him to come to her rescue or burden him with this right now. Admitting that she does not know what is troubling him at the moment, Orihime raises her outstretched palms and resolves to drive Ulquiorra and Yammy away herself since Ichigo has enough to worry about right now and this may be the only thing she can do for him. As she summons Tsubaki, Orihime vows to protect Tatsuki, Sado, Uryū, and Ichigo as she performs Koten Zanshun, sending Tsubaki hurtling forward with enough force to rupture the ground in his wake. Despite being startled by this, Yammy simply holds up his hand and blocks Tsubaki with his bare palm, dispersing the energy around him without injury and causing Tsubaki to crumble into dozens of pieces while Yammy grins and mockingly calls him a gnat.

With Orihime stunned by this, Yammy suggests that they tear off her limbs and take her to Aizen due to her unusual powers, but Ulquiorra concludes that this is not necessary and that he can kill her. However, when Yammy moves to comply by reaching toward Orihime, he suddenly finds his hand stopped by the tip of Zangetsu pressing against it, causing him to demand to know who Ichigo is as the latter stands between him and Orihime. After apologizing to Orihime for taking so long, Ichigo responds to her lamenting her friends' injuries being the result of her weakness by assuring her that it is not her fault and promising that Ulquiorra and Yammy will be punished for this before activating his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, creating an overwhelming surge of Reiatsu that rockets skyward in a pillar before clearing to reveal him wearing his longcoat and wielding his black sword. Though awestruck by her first time seeing the awesome power of Tensa Zangetsu, Orihime mentally observes that Ichigo seems different from the time he used it on Sōkyoku Hill because his Reiatsu is fiercer, grittier, and thick and heavy to the point of being stifling, leading her to feel like it is not actually Ichigo. When told by Ichigo to stand back, an unnerved Orihime complies and presses her hands to her chest in concern.

Watching this, Yammy questions if Ichigo's use of Bankai makes him their target, and after noting that Yammy's tantrums seem to have lured him out, Ulquiorra confirms that Ichigo's orange hair and black Bankai means he is unmistakably their target, leaving Yammy delighted by their luck as he proclaims that Ichigo saved them the trouble of looking for him and throws a powerful punch. However, Ichigo simply holds up the sword of Tensa Zangetsu and blocks Yammy's fist with the flat side of the blade, causing the ground beneath his feet to be ruptured while he remains unharmed. With Yammy astonished by this, Ichigo inquires if he is the one who mangled Sado's arm and promises to start with his arm in return, and when Yammy instinctively draws his arm back, Ichigo moves to his right shoulder with Shunpo and severs Yammy's right arm at the bicep with a single slash, shocking both him and Ulquiorra.

As Yammy screams in pain and Ichigo lands on the ground to resume his assault, Ulquiorra internally chastises Yammy for not developing his Pesquisa and for charging in without testing Ichigo's power first prior to noting that Ichigo managed to slice through Yammy's Hierro and sever his arm with surprisingly hard Reiatsu despite having only achieved Bankai a short time ago, though he does not believe Ichigo is a threat to Aizen. Having wounded an angered Yammy further, Ichigo admits that he is as tough as he looks if he can still stand while Ulquiorra offers to take over if Yammy is having trouble. In response, Yammy tells Ulquiorra to shut up and grabs the handle of his Zanpakutō, which Ulquiorra is bemused that he would resort to against Ichigo.

Upon hearing this, Ichigo is startled by Yammy's sword being a Zanpakutō and notices his and Ulquiorra's broken Hollow masks, holes in their bodies, and strange Reiatsu, leading him to question if they are like Shinji Hirako and himself. Suddenly, Zangetsu washes over Ichigo's mind, causing him to double over and clutch his head while the sclera of his eyes begin to turn black and he repeatedly urges Hollow Ichigo to go away. Though initially startled by this, a grinning Yammy takes advantage of Ichigo's incapacitation and kicks him hard in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood, and when Orihime rushes over in concern despite Ichigo warning her to stay back, Yammy sends her flying with a backhand to the side of the head.

With Yammy resuming his assault by punching him, Ichigo realizes that he cannot move his body and deduces that Zangetsu will sabotage him if he resists the latter. Overjoyed by Ichigo no longer moving, Yammy unleashes a flurry of blows and tells him to die, but Ulquiorra muses that something is off due to Ichigo's Reiatsu fluctuating so severely that its lowest point is trash and its highest point surpasses his own, which he cannot understand the meaning of. Before Yammy can deliver the killing blow, his fist is intercepted by a Chikasumi no Tate formed between himself and Ichigo, and as Yammy reels back in surprises, the shield shatters to reveal Urahara, who stands next to Yoruichi while wielding his Shikai, Benihime, and apologizing to Ichigo for being late, though Yammy simply wonders where all these insects are coming from. Annoyed by Urahara and Yoruichi having intervened in his fight against Ichigo, Yammy declares that they are asking to get killed by interfering and moves to strike them.

However, Yammy finds himself suddenly slammed headfirst into the ground by Yoruichi, leaving him completely bewildered. While an enraged Yammy pushes himself up with his remaining arm, Yoruichi tells Urahara that she will be tending to Orihime and takes the medicine from him as she walks away, only to respond to Yammy reaching for her by moving to the back of his hand with Shunpo and delivering a kick to his cheek powerful enough to draw blood from his nose and mouth before leaping into the air and punching a stunned Yammy in the back of the head hard enough to crater the ground and create an explosion of force that dwarfs the surrounding trees. In the aftermath, Ulquiorra watches impassively while Yoruichi walks away from a motionless Yammy to a bloodied Orihime, whom she assures of Ichigo's safety and has drink the medicine provided by Urahara. Suddenly, a furious Yammy gets to his feet behind Yoruichi and roars, prompting the latter to simply wonder if he ever gives up.

Yammy proclaims that Yoruichi is dead and begins charging a Cero in his mouth that he unleashes in a wide and powerful blast which surges through the surrounding area. With dust swirling around him, a chuckling Yammy assumes that Yoruichi and Orihime must be smeared across the ground now since there is no way they could have dodged his Cero at point-blank range, but he is astonished when the dust clears to reveal Urahara standing on the other side of a deep rift in the ground in front of a protected Yoruichi and Orihime with Benihime leveled at Yammy. When Yammy demands to know how he did this, Urahara explains that he simply neutralized the Cero with an attack of similar power since it would have been risky to outright deflect it and response to Yammy's disbelief by promising that he can do it again and firing Nake, Benihime. Before the vertical energy blast can reach a shocked Yammy, Ulquiorra moves in front of him and slashes through the blast with his bare hand.

Despite Yammy being grateful for this, Ulquiorra suddenly jabs his hand into the former's stomach with a powerful blow, drawing blood in the process, and criticizes a confused Yammy for losing control and not realizing that he cannot possibly defeat Urahara and Yoruichi at his current level. Upon seeing Ulquiorra opening a Garganta with Descorrer and declaring that they are leaving, Yoruichi accuses him of running away, but Ulquiorra tells her to watch what she says and counters that she knows very well what would happen if she tried to fight him while protecting Ichigo and Orihime. As he and Yammy enter the closing Garganta, Ulquiorra asserts that they have achieved their immediate objective and promises to tell Aizen that the Shinigami he has been observing is trash and not even worth killing.

Aftermath
The next day, at the Urahara Shop, Urahara returns with groceries and juice for Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya, whom he asks about the condition of Yoruichi. Further inside the shop, Yoruichi sits in her undergarments with her left arm and leg bandaged. As Yoruichi finishes consuming the contents of a bowl, Urahara enters and observes that her arm seems to be back to normal, prompting Yoruichi to affirm that she should be able to use her arms and legs in her daily routine now. However, when Urahara inquires if she can fight as well, Yoruichi laments her mistake in not activating her Shunkō prior to attacking since the Hierro of the Arrancar is incredibly tough and warns Urahara that the latter are far stronger than they anticipated.

Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, a heavily bandaged Orihime responds to Chizuru's shock over her appearance by claiming that she fell down some stairs, only for Chizuru to refuse to believe this due to Orihime looking like she was run over by a truck after not attending school for five days, which had greatly worried Chizuru. When a bandaged Ichigo approaches her from behind, Orihime cheerfully turns around and questions what he wants to talk about, but a solemn Ichigo denies it being anything important and walks away. Though Chizuru is uncertain of what is wrong with Ichigo, Orihime asserts that she has to go to the bathroom and leaves the classroom.

As he sits on his desk, Ichigo recalls Orihime recovering at the Urahara Shop while assuring him that her injuries are her own fault and are not as bad as they look, which is why he does not need to look so sad. However, Ichigo ruminates that Sado was mangled and Tatsuki was almost killed because he was too weak, something he sees no reason to not feel guilty over. Suddenly, Ichigo senses something and looks toward the classroom door in confusion as 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame wonders which classroom he is in, leading 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto to flatly state that she does not know.

When an incredulous 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai points out that she was supposed to write it down, Rangiku casually reveals that she did and lost it, to Ikkaku's irritation, though Hitsugaya, tells him to relax and observes that they simply have to search for Ichigo's Reiatsu. Renji complains about how hard it is to control his Reiatsu while in a Gigai for the first time, and when Rangiku teasingly finishes his sentence by claiming that he is incompetent, Renji denies this and questions why she is so calm. Simultaneously, Ikkaku laments how uncomfortable his attire is and responds to 11th Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa suggesting that he untuck his shirt like they did by demanding to know where he would put his wooden sword if he did so.

With Ikkaku asserting that they should have let him bring a real sword and being outraged by Yumichika informing him that it was the law of the Human World that decided this rather than them, an annoyed Renji tells him to shut up, only for Hitsugaya to reprimand them both for making a scene and telling Renji to open the door when they reach Ichigo's classroom. Inside the classroom, Ichigo sees Renji open the door to reveal that he, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika are dressed in student uniforms and greet him, which prompts an astonished Ichigo to call out to each of them in turn and address Hitsugaya by his first name, to the latter's irritation. Upon being asked by a stunned Ichigo what they are doing here, Renji declares that they were sent here to help the Substitute Shinigami prepare for battle with the Arrancar.

With Renji irritated when Ichigo does not recognize the term since it means that he does not know who he has been fighting, Ichigo is suddenly told that the Arrancar are the ones who defeated him the other day, and as Ichigo looks at the open window behind him in surprise, Rukia pulls herself up in a school uniform and greets him. Having seen Rukia enter their classroom through the window, Tetsuo Momohara is left aghast by this and Shunsuke Kobayakawa questions who she is as Jun Miyamoto dismisses this in favor of staring at Rangiku and Ikkaku as Chizuru inquires if the newly-arrived Shinigami Strike Force are Ichigo's friends.

However, Rukia swiftly leaps across the room and kicks Ichigo squarely in the face, sending him skidding back along the ground into Renji's arms. With a bewildered Ichigo demanding to know what this is about and realizing that Renji is now restraining his arms, Rukia slaps him across the face on both cheeks and tells Ichigo to look at himself before donning her Gokon Tekkō and pulling his Shinigami form out of his body through the open window despite Ichigo's protests. Behind them, Rangiku comments on this proceeding just as they had expected and Renji criticizes Ichigo's behavior. When Ikkaku mentions to Yumichika that Ichigo's expression indicated he needed a good thrashing, Rangiku claims that she found his expression adorable instead, and when an incredulous Yumichika questions this, Rangiku denies seeking his approval for her opinion on the matter.

In turn, Yumichika inquires if she was seeking Ikkaku's instead while the latter requests that he be left out of this. As an annoyed Hitsugaya orders them to shut up, Jun, Chizuru, and the other students wonder what has happened to Ichigo, whose lifeless body remains slumped in Renji's arms with its eyes rolled back, and assume he is dead. After Renji hears one of the students commenting on his spiky red hair and glares at them, Ikkaku instructs him to ignore this since it is just mindless Human prattle, but hears two of the students comment on his bald head and slowly draws his wooden sword while menacingly daring those students to step forward, though Renji reminds him that it is just Human prattle. With Ikkaku promising to slice the students in two and Yumichika offering to help him, an aghast Hitsugaya wonders why he volunteered for this. Elsewhere, Ichigo carries Rukia across the rooftops of Karakura Town on his back and inquires about where she is taking him.

Despite this, Rukia simply demands that he shut up and keep running. While looking at her Denreishinki, Rukia draws Ichigo's attention to a large Hollow with blade-like fingers below them and kicks a startled Ichigo down to deal with it. Upon crashing into the ground below, Ichigo finds the Hollow slashing at him with the blades on its right hand and narrowly evades the strike by side-stepping it, but Rukia insists that he fight instead since such a low-level Hollow should be easy for him by now. Despite asserting that he does not need a lecture, Ichigo feels Zangetsu taking notice of this within him and is distracted long enough for the Hollow to send him flying back with a slash across the chest.

When Rukia inquires about what is wrong, Ichigo tells her to shut up and begins dodging the Hollow's blade fingers as they embed themselves in the ground around him, with his bandages coming undone in the process, only for Rukia to reveal that she knows he has not been a proper Shinigami since his confrontation with the Arrancar and question what he is afraid of. Bringing up the idea of his fear stemming from Sado and Orihime getting hurt, Rukia dismisses this and asks Ichigo if he is a coward and quitter who is afraid of defeat and being unable to protect his friends before theorizing that it is instead the Hollow inside him, to Ichigo's shock. Rukia tells Ichigo to get stronger if he is afraid to lose, do what he must to protect the ones he loves if that is what he wants, and grow strong enough to crush his inner Hollow if it is so terrible because he must stick out his chest and scream in defiance even if no one in the world believes in him, as this is the Ichigo she knows.

In response, Ichigo draws Zangetsu and turns around to face the Hollow with confidence while claiming he wishes Rukia would shut up, leaving her smiling while he purifies the Hollow with a single slash. Soon afterward, Rukia returns Ichigo to his body and drags him to find Orihime at Karakura High School. After cheerfully greeting Orihime and promising to discuss how long she will be able to stay later when a delighted Orihime asks about this, Rukia pulls an out-of-breath Ichigo over by his collar to Orihime, whom he addresses with hesitation prior to Rukia forcing him to bow and apologizing for being weak on his behalf to a startled Orihime. Catching his breath, Ichigo continues this by promising Orihime he will get stronger so they cannot hurt her next time, which leads Orihime to mentally observe Ichigo is back to his old self and verbally thank him before tearfully thanking and welcoming a smiling Rukia back.

Meanwhile, Keigo walks through the halls with Mizuiro and claims that mixing two parts ginger ale with one part Calpico makes a substance that tastes just like hair tonic, prompting an uninterested Mizuiro to address him by his last name and assume that Keigo drinks a lot of hair tonic if he knows this. With an offended Keigo deducing that Mizuiro is trying to pretend not to know him, Mizuiro hears loud noises coming from their classroom up ahead and wonders what is going on. In response, Keigo decides to investigate and pulls open the door to the classroom while demanding to know what the other students are doing by having fun without him, only to find Ikkaku glaring down at him on the other side of the doorway.

Seeing Keigo staring in fear at the sight of him, Ikkaku questions what he is looking at and threatens to severely beat and injure a trembling Keigo before Rangiku shoves her palm into the back of Ikkaku's head and tells him to leave Keigo alone. When Ikkaku complains about how much this hurts, Rangiku promises to tell 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi about his actions if he does not calm down, leaving him sweating nervously and begging Rangiku to not tell on him. With Rangiku accepting this result and rudely telling the others that they are getting out of here, to the chagrin of Hitsugaya, Keigo gawks at her visible breasts and flings himself at her while commenting on how naughty her uniform is, only for Rangiku to nonchalantly repel and incapacitate him by slamming the back of her fist into Keigo's face. As Ikkaku wonders if he is going to be okay, Rangiku casually leads the Shinigami Strike Force away.

Soon afterward, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Kon is overjoyed to see Rukia and leaps toward her, but Rukia simply stops him in midair with her foot and stomps him onto the floor of Ichigo's bedroom as she greets him, though Kon revels in how only one person would stomp on him without hesitation after not seeing him for an entire summer and claims to be happy enough to cry. While an annoyed Ichigo tells her to stop gawking and come inside, Rukia comments on how long it has been since she has lived in his small bedroom, prompting Ichigo to claim that it is not small and to instruct Rukia to stop comparing it to Byakuya's residence, which she apologizes for. As Rukia sits on the floor and ignores Ichigo's demands that she sit on the floor instead, a blushing Isshin and Yuzu listen through the closed door with cups held against their ears.

Upon being approached by an unimpressed Karin about what they are doing, Yuzu shushes her and reveals that Ichigo brought a girl home, and when Karin points out that Ichigo has been doing this since middle school with girls like Tatsuki, Yuzu claims that this is different because Rukia is girly, only for Karin to remind her that Tatsuki has been attractive since eighth grade, shocking Isshin, and assert that Ichigo would have to bring someone at least as attractive as Orihime home in order to impress her. Hearing this commotion, Ichigo angrily slams open the door and tells his father and sister to get lost, causing them to flee down the stairs and confirm their suspicions with each other as Ichigo laments that he now knows how monkeys feel in the zoo. After closing the door once more and telling Rukia to shut up when she observes that his family has not changed, Ichigo requests that she explain what the Arrancar are.

Suddenly, Renji, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika remove the ceiling light from the ceiling of Ichigo's bedroom and poke their heads down through the hole from the attic while Renji offers to explain instead, leaving Ichigo shocked and confused as to how they got into his room and what they did to his light. As Rangiku cheerfully claims that Ikkaku's head is like a lightbulb, to the latter's chagrin, Kon sees her breasts and flings himself toward her in arousal under the pretense of her uniform being a deadly weapon, but Rangiku simply punches him from the side without even looking and climbs onto Ichigo's bed while Ikkaku wonders if this is a sort of custom in the Human World, which leads Ichigo to deny this and clarify that it is simply how Kon acts. After the Strike Force gets situated in Ichigo's bedroom, Renji explains that Arrancar are Hollows who have removed their masks in an effort to acquire Shinigami powers and that they are few in number.

Renji elaborates that fewer Arrancar still have ever fully developed their powers until Aizen gained the Hōgyoku, which led to fully developed Arrancar like Ulquiorra and Yammy appearing. With Rukia illustrating this in a notebook, Renji asks Ichigo if he understands so far, and when Ichigo confirms this while adding that the visual presentation leaves something to be desired, Rukia throws the notebook at his head in irritation as Renji details how Soul Society was initially going to simply monitor the situation until Aizen made a move since the Gotei 13 had just lost three captains and needed time to rebuild its forces, but the fully developed Arrancar appeared earlier than they had expected and the latter's invasion of the Human World forced the Gotei 13 to take action by selecting the Strike Force.

When Ichigo inquires about who chose the Strike Force, Renji reveals that Yamamoto did so as the acting Commander-in-Chief until the next Central 46 is formed and chose Rukia because she knows Ichigo the best, though Rukia claims that she was chosen for her abilities. Renji elaborates that he was chosen as one of Rukia's superiors and was instructed to assemble a team excluding captains, which led him to choose Ikkaku to accompany him, resulting in Yumichika demanding to come along, Rangiku hearing the commotion and not wanting to miss the fun, and Hitsugaya reluctantly coming along to keep an eye on them, which causes Ichigo to question how casual they all are about this. Sitting on Ichigo's windowsill, Hitsugaya asserts that Aizen definitely has his eyes on Ichigo as Rangiku addresses him as the bore who did not want to hide in the attic with the rest of them.

After responding to Renji pointing out that his choice to wait outside until someone opened the window was foolish since there are not many boys with silver hair around here by promising to remember this when they return to Soul Society with annoyance, Hitsugaya notes to Ichigo that effective Arrancar are not produced by removing the masks of random Hollows, but instead by doing so with Hollows of Menos Grande-level and above, which would allow them to wage war on Soul Society. Picking up on Hitsugaya's wording, a stunned Ichigo wonders if he is saying that there are Hollows more powerful than the Menos Grande.

In turn, Hitsugaya clarifies that there are actually three classes of Menos, the first of which are Gillians, considered the lowest class and foot soldiers of the Menos. With Hitsugaya explaining that the Gillians are numerous, identical, and the Menos Grandes usually depicted in textbooks, Ichigo learns that the Menos Grande he fought before coming to Soul Society was just a Gillian, leaving him astonished that it was just a foot soldier. However, Hitsugaya observes that the Gillians are slow despite their gigantic size and have the intelligence of wild animals, allowing captain-class Shinigami to easily defeat them, and that the next class is more problematic.

Hitsugaya details the existence of the Adjuchas, who are smaller in size and number than the Gillians but are highly intelligent and much more powerful to the point of giving orders to the Gillians, and the Vasto Lordes, the highest class of Menos who are Human-sized and extremely few in number, before revealing that the latter are even more powerful than captain-class Shinigami, mortifying Ichigo. Furthermore, Hitsugaya observes that they have no way of knowing how much more powerful a Vasto Lorde becomes as an Arrancar and the Gotei 13 missing three captains, along with Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen training the Menos right now, means that Aizen having ten or more Vasto Lorde under his command would mean Soul Society is doomed. Simultaneously, in Las Noches, Ulquiorra and Yammy enter the throne room of Aizen, who responds to Ulquiorra's announcement of his return by inviting him to share what he has learned with his twenty comrades.

In response, Ulquiorra complies by pulling out his left eye and crushing it in his palm like glass to initiate Solita Vista, which spreads the shards through the air and among Aizen and the other Arrancar present as they close their eyes and see what Ulquiorra saw, primarily the defeat of Ichigo. Following this, Aizen brings up Ulquiorra determining that Ichigo was not worth killing, and when Ulquiorra affirms this and reiterates his orders to kill anyone who might be a threat to the Arrancar, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez accuses him of being compassionate and claims that he would have killed Ichigo with the first strike had he gone to Karakura Town instead.

As Ulquiorra looks back to glare at him, Grimmjow criticizes Ulquiorra for not using his permission to kill while Shawlong Koufang concurs by noting that Ulquiorra should have killed Ichigo simply because the latter stood up to him regardless of his threat level. Turning to Yammy, Grimmjow observes that he has sustained significant injuries and that it seems more like they could not kill Ichigo rather than them choosing not to. Though an annoyed Yammy reminds him that it was Urahara and Yoruichi who proved too powerful for him to handle, Grimmjow simply counters that he would have easily killed them as well. Before Yammy can initiate a fight over this, Ulquiorra tells him to calm down and clarifies to Grimmjow that Ichigo is not a problem to them at the moment, to Grimmjow's confusion, before explaining that Aizen is concerned about Ichigo's growth rate rather than his current power level since Ichigo possesses tremendous potential.

Ulquiorra elaborates that Ichigo's powers are extremely unstable and that he might prove useful to the Arrancar if he does not simply destroy himself in the future, which is why Ulquiorra let him live, and when an incredulous Grimmjow questions what they will do if Ulquiorra is proven wrong and Ichigo stabilizes his powers in time to fight them, Ulquiorra bluntly concludes that he will deal with Ichigo in this scenario and asks a stunned Grimmjow if they still have a problem. In response, Aizen grants responsibility for Ichigo to Ulquiorra and instructs the latter to do as he likes, with Ulquiorra accepting this as Grimmjow fumes behind him.

Meanwhile, in Ichigo's room in the Kurosaki Clinic in Karakura Town, Renji and Rangiku inspect Kon's Gikongan after pulling it out of his plushie body and express amazement at it being able to animate a stuffed animal like this, with Renji having assumed it was a wind-up doll and Rangiku noting that the Shinigami Research and Development Institute makes interesting things. While Renji puts Kon's pill back inside the plushie, an exasperated Ichigo inquires about when they plan to leave, prompting Renji to assert that they are not leaving until the Arrancar have been defeated.

However, Ichigo bluntly reveals that they will not be able to sleep at his house since there is not enough room for all of them to stay, which leads to a shocked Rangiku sincerely wondering if even she cannot stay. With a flabbergasted Ichigo confirming that she in particular cannot stay and questioning if the Strike Force intended to make themselves at home in the Kurosaki Clinic, Rangiku begins unbuttoning her shirt to expose her breasts. Despite a startled and flustered Ichigo reacting with astonishment to this and ordering Rangiku to button her shirt back up as he covers his eyes with his fingers and claims that he has an iron will, an unimpressed Rukia points out that he is still peeking through his fingers at Rangiku.

Following this, while the sun begins to set, Rangiku decides to stay with Orihime, leading Kon to bleed from the nose at the mental image of Orihime and Rangiku naked together as Rangiku responds to Ichigo wondering if Orihime has been informed of this by cheerfully stating that Orihime will not turn her down when she asks. Nonchalantly chopping Kon down to the ground with her arm when he attempts to join them as a mascot, Rangiku walks off with Hitsugaya, whom she invites to come with her while he stoically refuses.

Ikkaku and Yumichika decide to leave as well, and when Ichigo asks him if they have somewhere in mind, Ikkaku denies this and explains that they will be finding beds on their own since they never intended for Ichigo to take care of them, leaving Ichigo to caution Ikkaku to hide his wooden sword when in public while Renji announces that he is going to the Urahara Shop. After musing on Urahara having been the one who got Ichigo ready to fight the Gotei 13 in just a few days, Renji declares that he has always wanted to meet him and that he has a few things to ask Urahara as he walks away.

While Rukia warns Renji to be careful since Urahara is a strange man, Ichigo asks her where she will be staying, and when Rukia immediately attempts to run back into the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo frantically stops her and reminds Rukia that his family already saw her and that she needs to make up a story to tell them. Nearby, Yumichika smells a Hollow and suggests that he and Ikkaku take care of it, only for Ikkaku to brush this off due to Zennosuke being assigned to the area as Yumichika muses on the strange scent of the Hollow. Simultaneously, at her house, Tatsuki sits on her bed and recalls seeing Ichigo's Shinigami form pulled out of his body by Rukia prior to admonishing herself for worrying about it.

Meanwhile, as Orihime recounts the events of the past few days to her shrine of Sora Inoue, she remembers Rukia snapping Ichigo out of his depressive mood and sadly admits to being somewhat envious of her forceful personality, with Sado lying on his back and looking out the open door of his apartment while Orihime's Sōten Kisshun heals his right arm. Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Keigo finishes detailing his encounter with Rangiku to Mizuiro by proclaiming that even a uniform can be a weapon on the right person by shattering his self-control.

Despite this, Mizuiro bluntly promises to leave him here if he does not shut up, and as a startled Keigo questions what is wrong, Mizuiro assures the person he is speaking to on the phone that he was not referring to them and begins walking off. Suddenly, when Keigo begins chasing after Mizuiro, he notices a winged Hollow flying through the air above and stops in confusion before Mizuiro addresses him by his last name, which Keigo demands that he not do while informing Mizuiro of the monster he just saw in the sky, though Mizuiro continues to address him by his last name as they leave. However, in the sky above them, a Garganta opens to reveal a smirking Grimmjow.

That evening, at the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia tearfully concludes her story next to an exasperated Ichigo by claiming that she has lost everything and does not even have money for food, prompting an openly weeping Isshin and Yuzu to immediately agree with each other that she can stay with them for as long as she wants. Though Ichigo criticizes Rukia for cheekily giving him a thumbs-up because it could lead to his family realizing that it is all an act, he changes his mind upon seeing Isshin and Yuzu telling the poster of Masaki on the wall that Isshin now has a third daughter. With Karin staring at Ichigo during this, a Garganta opens in the air above Karakura Town to reveal Shawlong and Nakeem Grindina.

Meanwhile, Orihime finds Rangiku asking to spend the night at her apartment and admits that it is fine with her despite not knowing why she was chosen, prompting a grateful Rangiku to hug Orihime and assert that she knew the latter would not turn her away as she invites Orihime to take a bath with her since her outfit has left her sweaty and feeling compressed despite Orihime protesting that Rangiku is hurting her. After bluntly telling Hitsugaya that he can join them if he has no other place to go and closing the front door to Orihime's apartment, leaving Hitsugaya sitting on the roof above and dismissing this, Rangiku gets in Orihime's bathtub and begins taking a bath as she assures Orihime, who is sitting outside the door, that the temperature is perfect and that the slightly small size of the tub is not a problem.

When a flustered Orihime claims to be fine in response to being asked about why she is so somber, Rangiku threatens to do painful things to her if she does not talk. Unnerved by this, Orihime brings up how amazing Rukia is for snapping Ichigo out of his depressive state with just one kick despite how long he had been feeling that way and hunches up while calling herself a bad person due to thinking she wanted Ichigo to be happy, only to find herself feeling jealous of Rukia after she cheered him up. With tears running down her cheeks, Orihime declares she considers Rukia to be kind, strong, and beautiful and that she loves her for cheering up Ichigo, but does not know why she feels this way when she is alone at home and not when she is at school.

However, as Orihime criticizes herself for sounding so self-absorbed, Rangiku opens the door to stand naked before a confused Orihime prior to hugging and ferociously tickling her sides, leaving Orihime laughing uncontrollably and hitting her head on the wall. Coming to a stop on top of Orihime, Rangiku calls her foolish for not realizing that she does not need to be jealous since Ichigo needs both her and Rukia right now as a kid who can barely stand on his own. As she elaborates that jealousy is not necessarily a bad thing and points out how Orihime is doing her best to deal with her feelings instead of taking the easier routes of running away from them or lashing out at someone, Rangiku concludes that Orihime doing this means that she is a good person, which leads Orihime to cry into a supportive Rangiku's chest.

Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Grimmjow sits on the corner of a rooftop and looks up to see Shawlong, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeem, and Di Roy Rinker standing in the air before him. After assuring Grimmjow that no one saw them, Shawlong observes that he sensed several different, powerful Reiatsu across Karakura Town despite Ulquiorra's report, prompting an unimpressed Grimmjow to perform Pesquisa alongside his Fracción and deduce that reinforcements from Soul Society were called in, which he asserts would not have happened if Ulquiorra had simply killed Ichigo. Irritated by this perceived mercy on Ulquiorra's part, Grimmjow addresses his Fracción by name and orders them to kill anyone who has even a trace of Reiatsu without holding back.