Pursue Byakuya! The Confused Gotei Divisions

Rukia rushes toward the clash between Byakuya and Kenpachi despite Renji's warnings. Nearby, Ichigo weaves through Senbonzakura's storms of blade petals and answers with a Getsuga Tenshō, only for the rampaging Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō to burst through a wall and flood the area with poison gas. Ichigo is pushed into the cloud, coughs up fluid, and collapses alongside Renji, Rukia, and Izuru.

Elsewhere, Suì-Fēng struggles against Suzumebachi, whose repeated hits mark her with the Hōmonka while the tiny spirit taunts her about Yoruichi. When Suzumebachi aims her killing strike at the mark on Suì-Fēng's cheek, the captain activates Shunkō, concentrating its force to blunt the stinger and then sever it. Yachiru, meanwhile, playfully corners Ashisogi Jizō, and after Kenpachi grabs it, Mayuri triggers its self-destruction rather than let anyone else claim his spirit.

Shunsui, Ukitake, and Unohana arrive to find Kenpachi's Reiatsu deflected the poison. Unohana's division treats the fallen, having already analyzed the toxin, sparking a barbed exchange with a proud Mayuri. Ukitake tends to Rukia while wondering what drives Byakuya. In a distant cave, Byakuya coldly waves off a Hell Butterfly and follows Muramasa to a pyramidal barrier, where the Captain-Commander sits imprisoned by several Zanpakutō spirits.

Suì-Fēng defeats Suzumebachi by turning Shunkō into a shield against the Hōmonka. Mayuri destroys his own Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō to study the spirits' brainwashing, breaking his sealed sword in the process. Unohana's Fourth Division treats the poisoned lieutenants and clashes verbally with Mayuri. Yoruichi returns and reveals she has located where the spirits hold Yamamoto, and Byakuya is led by Muramasa to that very barrier.

This anime-only installment falls within the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales storyline. A lighthearted Illustrated Picture Book segment shows Rangiku and her spirit Haineko unknowingly picking the identical outfit from a clothing catalog. The episode debuted in Japan on November 10, 2009, with the opening Anima Rossa and the ending Sakurabito.