Battle of the Kasumiōji Assassins

 is a battle occurring in the World of the Living, as part of the Kasumiōji Conspiracy. It is another of the many assassination attempts on Rurichiyo Kasumiōji ordered by Gyōkaku Kumoi.

Prelude
Kumoi addresses his new group of assassins and their leader, Hanza Nukui. He presents Nukui with his own Bakkōtō, which is taken with gratitude, and tells Hanza and the other assassins to eliminate Rurichiyo in the Real World. As the Bakkōtō attaches itself onto Hanza's arm, he smiles as the power courses through his body.

In the Human World, Enryū stands guard outside Urahara Shop while Ririn, Noba, and Kurōdo try and tell him to leave. Behind them, Rurichiyo is preoccupied with a ping-pong ball strapped to a racket while Jinta and Ururu watch on. Ururu Tsumugiya comments on her natural skill, but Jinta says it is just beginner's luck. When they get in an argument, Enryū is quick to break it up.

Kisuke Urahara explains there is a shortage of Reishi in Soul Society, which is limiting the supply of merchandise to his shop. He assumes this is no natural incident; someone is doing this on purpose. He goes on to say the decrease in Reishi occurred around the time Rurichiyo appeared. Yoruichi, interrupting, says this has never occurred before and the two incidents are connected.

As Hanza and the other assassins appear on the outskirts of Karakura Town, Hanza instructs the assassins to separate Ichigo and the others from Princess Rurichiyo. As they move out, Hanza wonders how good the Substitute Shinigami really is to have defeated the other assassins.

Battle
While Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends are walking with Kenryū, Enryū, and Rurichiyo, they all feel an unusual Reiatsu rippling throughout the town. Ichigo, telling Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue to escort Rurichiyo back to her house, heads off to find the source of the unusual Reiatsu, with Uryū and Sado following him. The three of them, noticing the Reiatsu has diffused, realize they were lured into a trap.

When Ichigo and his friends split up, Ichigo comes across the leader of the assassins, Hanza Nukui. Ichigo matches the Reiatsu of the man to what he experienced in Soul Society. Hanza, introducing himself to Ichigo, states he wants to see how much skill a Substitute Shinigami has. Meanwhile, Uryū Ishida, running down a road, jumps to dodge several daggers.

Uryū notices four assassins standing before him. Yasutora Sado has also encountered the assassins, and, dodging most of their strikes, releases his Brazo Derecha de Gigante to take the offensive. As Rukia and the others run to the house, four assassins, emerging from the nearby river, proceed to surround them.

Ichigo, clashing with Hanza, recognizes Hanza's sword as the one the previous assassin utilized. As Ichigo parries all of Hanza's attacks with ease, Hanza backs off momentarily. When Ichigo states the previous assassin was a lot stronger than him, Hanza accepts this as the truth, as he cannot defeat Ichigo with strength alone.

As purple Reiatsu surrounds Hanza, his Bakkōtō's tentacles wrap around his right arm, and he releases the abilities of his Bakkōtō, Saiga, causing the dial on the hilt to light up brilliantly. Ichigo, blocking the glare with Zangetsu, assumes he has the ability worked out, but Hanza reveals the weapon is more powerful when used by a person with higher Reiatsu. Ichigo yells out as the light completely swathes his body.

Meanwhile, Uryū uses his Ginrei Kojaku in order to fight against the assassins, who dodge the arrows with ease. Uryū, amazed at their significant speed, dodges a direct attack from another assassin and resolves to move to a more open area in order to fight better. As he goes on the move, the assassins continue to pursue him.

As Sado, struggling against the assassins, thrusts with his right arm, the assassin blocks his attack with his sword. Rukia is also experiencing difficulty against the assassins, who, continuing to dodge her attacks, try to launch a surprise attack on Orihime, who is guarding Rurichiyo. Orihime, shielding them with her Santen Kesshun, counterattacks with Koten Zanshun.

As Orihime and Rukia are surrounded by assassin, she tells Kenryū and Enryū to run for it. Meanwhile, inside Saiga's mirror, Ichigo realizes he cannot move his body. Hanza, laughing wildly, states his body will be paralyzed so long as he is trapped inside the mirror, revealing that the more Reiatsu the user has, the stronger the sword becomes.

As Hanza says he will kill him in one strike, Ichigo, refusing to believe this, begins to emit black Reiatsu, which cracks Saiga's mirror. Hanza, unperturbed, proceeds to strike the immobilized Ichigo, who wills his body to move. Before Hanza can strike him, the mirror breaks, much to the surprise of the combatants. Yoruichi Shihōin, bursting through the mirror with Shunkō, sends Hanza recoiling backwards.

As Ichigo thanks Yoruichi for saving his life, Yoruichi shrugs him off. When Hanza tries to attack first, Yoruichi tells him to check the Reiatsu of the other assassins. Uryū fires off incessant arrows at the assassins, with each hitting its target, as Sado and Rukia successfully defeat their opponents. Hanza, gasping in surprise, tries to retreat, but Ichigo follows him.

Hanza shines Saiga's light at Ichigo, forcing him to evade, resulting in him fleeing the scene. At the other areas, the assassins, simultaneously committing suicide, explode in brilliant bursts of blue energy. Hanza, cursing the intervention of Yoruichi, states Ichigo's Reiatsu was unnatural, saying defeating them will not be an easy task.

Aftermath
Gyōkaku Kumoi allows Shū Kannogi to ascend to the throne of the Kasumi-Oji herald, with the members who objected to his decision being killed. The other members bow towards the new 18th head of the family. Kumoi, offering his congratulations towards Shū upon becoming the new head of their family, smiles wickedly while he says this.