The Profusion of Blooming Crimson Flowers

The Profusion of Blooming Crimson Flowers is the one hundred seventy-first episode of the Bleach anime.

As Ichigo is forced to take care of Rurichiyo, another assassin appears to kill her.

Summary
On the way home from school one day, Ichigo shows Rurichiyo the wonders of a drink vending machine, and Rukia takes her to an arcade for some fun. In the process, Ichigo nearly lets slip that he’s doing a favor for Kenryū and Enryū, but he corrects himself in time. Afterwards, the group arrives at Ichigo’s house, as Yuzu invites Rurichiyo inside for dinner. Rurichiyo enjoys the curry until she notices that there are carrots in it, refusing to eat them. Ichigo insists that she should eat them anyway since farmers did a lot to grow them, but Kenryū opposes forcing her and wants Ichigo to stay out of it. This gets Ichigo angry, primarily because Kenryū and Enryū were the ones who had asked him to look after her in the first place. When Rurichiyo hears of this, she suspects that the two guards are hiding something from her, and the fact that they never told her about the farmers who grew vegetables only reinforces that belief. She runs out of the house after saying that she hates them, and this depresses the pair greatly. They later find Rurichiyo back at her house, but discover that it is only her Gigai. She then wanders around the river in her soul form.

Rurichiyo trips at one point, and right as she begins to cry, she is discovered by Orihime. When she tells Orihime about what happened, Orihime states that Kenryū and Enryū only want the best for her. Rurichiyo, however, feels that she’s being treated like a child, so Orihime tries to make her understand that if she continues to take people for granted, she will come to regret it once they are gone. This succeeds in getting the young girl to see the error her ways, but before they can return home together, they are attacked by another assassin. When Orihime protects Rurichiyo, the assassin brings out a special polearm that attaches to his arm and can create walls of stone in the path of wherever it shoots. The assassin is able to trap them within his walls, and right as things take a turn for the worse, Kenryū and Enryū save them. Rukia and Ichigo also arrive on the scene and engage the assassin in battle, but the assassin gets both of their weapons caught in his walls. That leaves Kenryū no choice but to bring out his own Zanpakutō, and Ichigo is shocked to see flowers suddenly sprout on it. Kenryū explains that his Zanpakutō emits pollen and allows him to make other people’s weapons useless by sprouting flowers on where the pollen hits.

Unfortunately, the wind from Ichigo and Rukia using powerful techniques in order to free themselves blows the pollen away. This allows for the assassin to take Rurichiyo and company hostage. Kenryū, though, has another trick up his sleeve: he uses his flowers to cover the assassin’s face, blinding him for long enough for him to escape with Rurichiyo. He and Enryū leave the scene with Rurichiyo, thus leave the fighting to Ichigo and Rukia. Although the two are ultimately victorious, the assassin commits suicide by crushing himself under the weight of his walls. After the fight, Rurichiyo is angry that Kenryū and Enryū don’t want her to worry about who her assailant was. However, after seeing all the scrapes and bruises that they have endured for her sake, she forgives them and decides to go back and eat her carrots. After the company leave the scene to return to the Kurosaki Clinic, the leader of the assassins arrives and retrieves the assassin's weapon from within the rubble. The following day, Ichigo wakes up to a frantic Kenryū and Enryū rapping at his window. They proceed to crash through his window, proclaiming that Rurichiyo has gone missing again.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
In the men's bathroom, the Shinigami Men's Association's discussion of "manly" cellphone designs continues. Izuru Kira and Jūshirō Ukitake present their ideas, but both are rejected by Tetsuzaemon Iba. Exasperated, Iba comes up with a design himself, but, just as everyone agrees on it, Akon comes into the bathroom and announces that the Shinigami Women's Association has just cut their budget.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Rurichiyo Kasumiōji
 * 2) Ryūsei Kenzaki
 * 3) Rusaburō Enkōgawa
 * 4) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 5) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 6) Yuzu Kurosaki
 * 7) Karin Kurosaki
 * 8) Orihime Inoue
 * 9) Kakuyoku-Wielding Assassin
 * 10) Hanza Nukui

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki & Kenryū vs. The Assassin (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:
 * Hadō #33

Techniques used:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Bakkōtō used:

Other powers: