After the battle against Fishbone D, Isshin Kurosaki crashes into a sleeping Ichigo Kurosaki while greeting him. Ichigo wakes up and screams in anger, then pins his father to the ground and berates him for attacking his own son in his sleep. Isshin compliments Ichigo’s skill and declares that he has nothing more to teach his son.
Ichigo suddenly remembers the events of the previous night and hoists his father up by the collar, frantically asking about the injuries of his sisters. A confused Isshin wonders what he is talking about, which surprises Ichigo. Taking Ichigo outside to look at the damage done to the Kurosaki Clinic, Isshin cheerfully proclaims that it is a miracle that no one was hurt by the truck crashing into their house.
Karin claims it’s more miraculous that no one woke up during the incident and the culprit got away. Isshin predicts they will come back to apologize at some point. A stunned Ichigo notes his sisters’ wounds are gone and their memories of the incident have been altered. He wonders if this is the work of a Shinigami. As she and Karin walk back into the house, Yuzu tells Ichigo to eat breakfast before he is late for school. A distracted Ichigo agrees to do before recalling Rukia Kuchiki and wondering if she returned.
Later, at Karakura High School, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa walk through the halls while Tatsuki asks Orihime if she brought lunch today. Confirming this, Orihime details how she brought taiyaki-style ramen with wasabi and honey before asking Tatsuki if she wants any. Tatsuki is bemused at the combination of food and denies the offer. As she tries to convince Tatsuki that it tastes good, Orihime walks into Ichigo, who inadvertently knocks her down before noting her presence. Orihime apologizes for the mishap.
After realizing his mistake, Ichigo turns to Orihime to ask if she is okay, which she affirms. He extends his hand to help her up, but Orihime is startled by his expression and manages to stand on her own. She then tells him she has to go to volleyball practice and runs off. Tatsuki calls after her as Ichigo wonders what her deal is. Tatsuki tells him he has a mean face and asks why Ichigo is so late. Ichigo says he’ll explain later and leaves for class. In his classroom, Ichigo sits with Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima. Keigo notes that
Mizuiro asks him if his family has finished cleaning up the place yet, which Ichigo claims is not as easy as it sounds. Yasutora Sado asks if they will need help, prompting a surprised Ichigo to deny this. While Keigo tells Sado he will end up damaging the house further if he helps, Ichigo asks what class is next, which Mizuiro identifies as modern literature. Suddenly, a girl walks up behind Ichigo and asks if he is Ichigo Kurosaki. When Ichigo turns around, he is shocked to see Rukia standing before him in a school uniform.
When Keigo asks Ichigo if something is wrong, Sado wonders if he and Rukia know each other, prompting Rukia to claim that this is their first time meeting each other. While Mizuiro identifies Rukia as a transfer student, Rukia holds out her hand to Ichigo, who sees that she has written a warning not to make a scene on it. Shortly afterward, Ichigo and Rukia meet outside as Ichigo demands to know what Rukia is doing, leading Rukia to mockingly ask him if he plans on doing something to her out here. When Ichigo demands that she stop talking like this,
Ichigo asks why Rukia is still here since she was planning on returning to Soul Society, but Rukia asserts that only Shinigami can do this before informing him that she does not have this ability at the moment. With Ichigo expressing confusion at this, Rukia details how Ichigo took most of her Shinigami powers last night. Ichigo denies knowing anything about this, and goes on to state that she is now stuck in a Gigai, prompting a confused Ichigo to question what that is.
As Ichigo slowly starts to understand why his classmates could see her, Rukia tells him that he has to perform her Shinigami duties until her power come back, much to his surprise. She explains that it’s only natural and because he has Shinigami powers, he doesn’t have the right to refuse. Even though Ichigo refuses anyway, Rukia is still in shock before he states that he doesn’t want to fight Hollows ever again. When Rukia points out that he did a great job yesterday, Ichigo tells her the only reason why he did well was because his family was in danger and not for complete strangers. He then tells her that he won’t fight for them before walking away.
Rukia puts on a Gokon Tekkō and gets Ichigo’s attention before rushing at him and pushing his soul out of his body. While Ichigo freaks out over seeing his own body lying on the ground and demands to know what she did to him, Rukia tells him to come with her.
Shortly afterward, as he and Rukia walk by a memorial set up on a telephone pole near a park, Ichigo asks where they are going. Rukia then pulls out her Denreishinki and reveals that she has received an order from Soul Society revealing a Plus who lives in the nearby park will probably be attacked.
Plus boy is being chased by Hexapodus across the playground that is now in ruins. The boy cries for help as Ichigo prepares to intervene, but Rukia tells him to wait first. She points out that the boy is a complete stranger and asks why Ichigo is helping him. Ichigo says he cannot just stand by when the boy is being attacked right in front of him, but Rukia tells him to stop being naïve. She asserts that a Plus like the boy cannot be harmed by a Hexapodus and tells Ichigo not to get involved.
While the frightened boy continues to run from Hexapodus, Rukia orders Ichigo to not help him until he decides to help all spirits and declares that he must be willing to go anywhere and sacrifice his own life as a Shinigami. However, while the boy falls and Hexapodus prepares to attack him, a determined Ichigo draws his Zanpakutō and cuts off both of Hexapodus’s front legs, causing it to fall back in pain and retreat to Hueco Mundo.
Rukia asks him if he is committed to this, Ichigo denies this and declares that he saved the boy because he wanted to before asking a stunned Rukia what she would have done if she was in his position. Rukia is left speechless as Ichigo walks away.
Ichigo shoves his Zanpakutō into Hexapodus’s face, causing the creature to collapse and fade away. He then turns to the crying boy and asks if he is alright. After telling the boy that he does not have to experience something scary like that again, Ichigo presses the hilt of his Zanpakutō
As the Jigokuchō flies away from the fading pool of light, Rukia walks up to Ichigo and compliments his Konsō. Ichigo merely states that he is leaving and walks away. That night, as Orihime reads a magazine in her house, her deceased brother Sora Inoue watches from the air while smiling. However, he becomes concerned when Orihime closes the curtains on her window. Suddenly, two Hollows appear in the air next to Sora and bind him with their tentacles. They transport him to Hueco Mundo while he screams in terror. In Hueco Mundo, after the Hollows bring him out of the shadows,
Grand Fisher sudden rises and tells the other Hollows to devour Sora’s soul, who then runs away in terror. Catching up, the Hollows surround and trap Sora before leaping back as he begins to glow with energy. While growing a large tail and gaining a muscular upper body, white fluid emerges from Sora’s eyes and mouth, covering his face and forming a Hollow mask. The next day, Rukia reads from a dramatic novel as she walks down the street.
While Ichigo and Rukia are walking away, they hear a car screeching and turn around to see Orihime lying in a nearby intersection with a bag of groceries next to her. While Ichigo runs up to her in concern, Orihime sits up and sees him. When Ichigo asks if a car hit her
Orihime insists that the car accident was minor and that she is unharmed, but when Ichigo inquires about the car, she confesses that it drove away. This frustrates Ichigo, but he quickly calms down when Orihime apologizes profusely. When Rukia notices her, she rudely asks who Orihime is. Ichigo quickly informs her that Orihime is a classmate of theirs and Rukia politely greets her. Orihime seems confused by this gesture but greets Rukia nonetheless. Rukia then asks if Orihime has been out shopping.
When Orihime reveals the contents of her shopping bag to Ichigo – leeks, butter, bananas, and bean jam – he’s immediately perplexed as to what she could possibly be planning to make with all of those ingredients. Rukia interrupts his train of thought when she notices a large bruise on Orihime’s left leg and asks her how she got it. Orihime is surprised to see the bruise herself and speculates that it must have happened when she was hit by a car. Seeing the worried look on Rukia’s face, Ichigo chimes in to say that the bruise looks painful. Orihime nods and tells them both that it does hurt a little, but she’s confused as to why Rukia looks so serious about it.
When Ichigo offers to walk her home, a flustered Orihime declines his offer and claims she is fine before bidding them farewell. As Orihime walks to the other side of the intersection, Ichigo and Rukia watch her, with Ichigo noting that she needs to be careful while Rukia stares at her in concern. Later that day, while the sun begins to set, Ichigo and Rukia walk along a riverbank. When Rukia asks him if he and Orihime are friends, Ichigo denies this and admits that he has not spoken to her very much. Explaining that she is close to one of his friends who lives in the neighborhood, Ichigo says that he does not really know her.
With Rukia’s interest piqued by this admission, Ichigo details how Orihime’s brother was her only family and was badly injured in a car accident. In the past, a young Orihime stands outside the Kurosaki Clinic while her brother is being wheeled into an ambulance and tearfully begs him to not die and leave her by herself. In the present, Ichigo admits that he only recently learned Orihime was the girl crying that day, and when Rukia asks him how his spiritual perception was at the time, Ichigo states that it was not as strong as it is now. He goes on to explain that if he had been able to see her spiritual energy at the time, he would have been able to tell she was in pain and might have been able to do something to help her.
Ichigo asks Rukia what is wrong, prompting Rukia to claim it is nothing before bidding him farewell. When Ichigo asks her where she is going, Rukia states she is going home, and when Ichigo wonders where this is, she teasingly asks him if he is interested, which Ichigo denies. Telling Ichigo to not ask if this is the case, Rukia walks away while an irritated Ichigo curses her. That night, at Orihime’s apartment, Tatsuki brings her stewed beef with potatoes that her mother prepared. Inside, while Orihime gratefully eats her mother’s food, Tatsuki tells her that
Yuzu Kurosaki opens the door to her brother Ichigo’s bedroom and asks if he has seen her pajamas. Ichigo, who is clearly annoyed, asks her to knock first. Yuzu claims that he has gotten mean after entering high school, but Ichigo denies this and says that he doesn’t know where her pajamas are.Yuzu then notes that her dress is also missing, and Ichigo asks her why she has to ask him about everything. Yuzu bid him goodnight as she closes the door.In Ichigo’s closet, Rukia Kuchiki, who is wearing Yuzu’s pajamas, hears the conversation between the two siblings.
When the screen turns from blue to yellow, Rukia is shocked and throws open the closet door. Ichigo demands to know why she is there and wearing Yuzu’s pajamas. Rukia tells him to save this for later and reveals they have received a Hollow alert. She puts on her Gokon Tekkō before shoving Ichigo’s soul out of his body just as Acidwire grasps at the place where his body was sitting with his hand from a portal of darkness. With Ichigo and Rukia looking on in surprise, Acidwire flattens Ichigo’s bed and pulls himself fully into the room as he roars at them.
Ichigo looks up while Rukia tells him to aim for the head. Drawing his Zanpakutō, Ichigo drags it through the ceiling toward Acidwire and hits him in the face, but fails to actually cut him as Acidwire hits him with his tail. While landing on the ground and rolling to his feet, Ichigo dodges a swipe from Acidwire and cuts into his arm, causing Acidwire to reel back in pain. When Rukia tells him to not just swing his Zanpakutō around, Ichigo claims it is fine as long as he defeats Acidwire before running forward as Acidwire charges at him in turn.
However, the blow does not strike deep enough, allowing Acidwire to grab Ichigo’s Zanpakutō by the blade with both hands and attempt to force it back. Angered by this, a yelling Ichigo pushes down on his Zanpakutō, causing it to sink just deep enough to dig into Acidwire’s mask and shatter the portion covering his left eye. Seeing this, Ichigo can only stare in shock as a screaming Acidwire retreats into Hueco Mundo. Though Rukia declares that they are going after Acidwire, Ichigo simply stands still without saying anything, and when Rukia asks him if something is wrong, he silently walks away with a worried look on his face.
In Hueco Mundo, Acidwire is in pain and surrounded by a violet mist. His mask is regenerating and he begins to roar. Back in the Human World, Ichigo is standing in stunned silence while Rukia tells him that attacking a Hollow from behind and splitting its head with one blow is the best way to purify it. When Ichigo asks her what she means, Rukia explains that this will minimize a Shinigami’s injuries and also prevent them from finding out a Hollow’s identity. With Ichigo wondering what a Hollow’s identity
Rukia tells Ichigo that Acidwire is just a monster now and needs to be destroyed. Ichigo is surprised to learn that Hollows were once human. Rukia explains that when humans die with grudges and regrets, they sometimes become Hollows. Other times, they are devoured by other Hollows, which then turns them into new Hollows. At Orihime’s apartment,
As Orihime asks her what the matter is, Tatsuki admits that she did not think Ichigo was such a fast worker before pointing out that he did not walk Orihime home even though she was hurt. Clarifying that Ichigo did offer to walk her home, Orihime silently plays out the scenario in her head before suddenly warning herself that she is about to win, prompting a confused Tatsuki to wonder what she is imagining. While Orihime continues to envision the scenario and mentions a gun, a crash shakes the apartment, prompting both girls to investigate.