Senbonzakura's Bankai! Offense and Defense of the Living World

In Soul Society, Kenpachi endures the brutal Bankai of Tenken, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, cheerfully lopping off one of its horns, while Yoruichi runs rings around Haineko and Tobiume and warns them that Muramasa has deceived them all. Trapped inside Ryūjin Jakka's flames, Yamamoto and three captains resolve to reclaim the rogue fire spirit together.

In the Human World, Uryū and Sado battle Muramasa and the manifested Senbonzakura to protect Orihime. Muramasa wields illusions, conjuring Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa to break Sado's spirit, and Senbonzakura releases his Bankai against Uryū. Rukia arrives, having followed Byakuya's Reiatsu, and reveals that Muramasa is the spirit behind the entire uprising.

Bleeding and running out of time, Muramasa summons Hollows and pushes toward a sealed island at the lake's center. Uryū defeats Senbonzakura by draining his blade petals into a Seele Schneider, but cannot stop the ritual. Muramasa shatters the seal to revive his imprisoned master, Kōga Kuchiki, just as Ichigo drops from the sky, arriving too late as Kōga opens his eyes.

Kenpachi contends with Tenken's Bankai while Yoruichi outmatches Haineko and Tobiume. Uryū and Sado fight Muramasa and Senbonzakura in the Human World, and Uryū breaks Senbonzakura's Bankai using a Seele Schneider. Rukia exposes Muramasa as the mastermind of the Zanpakutō rebellion. Muramasa unseals and revives Kōga Kuchiki despite Ichigo's arrival.

Episode 249 is an anime-original installment of the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc and adapts no manga chapters. Its Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book segment has Yamamoto fondly recalling how Ryūjin Jakka once helped him bake sweet potatoes. Two fights conclude here: Kenpachi against Tenken and Gonryōmaru, and Uryū and Sado against Muramasa and Senbonzakura.