Byakuya awoke in a strange room, a splitting headache drilling through his brain, splitting it in two and stretching it apart. Not only that but it felt as if something were trying to crawl out of his brain, scraping deep sharp nails on the inside of his head slow and deep. He winced, closing his eyes again to keep out the piercing light that wasn't helping his mind. The darkness alleviated the pain somewhat, though there was still a very dull throb in the back of his eyes.

"How are you feeling, Byakuya?" someone asked.

Byakuya moaned a little dared to open an eye to look at who was speaking to him. He barely made out his grandfather in front of him.

"Ojii-san..." he croaked.

"You have been asleep for many days."

"My head hurts..."

"You were hit in the head by what might have been a rock."

"No... On the inside... It's like someone scraping my brain, hammering at my eyes."

Ginrei looked at his grandson in concern as Byakuya moaned again and put his arm over his eyes.

"I will get Captain Unahona to come and take a look at you again."

"Nii-sama... where is Kurosaki-sama?"

"Kurosaki-san left to go back to his own time."

"No! He was just here!" he yelled under his arm. "He didn't let me answer his question..." He moved his arm and looked at his grandfather. "Ojii-sama, I have to let him know that I understand his question."

"Byakuya, you are not well. Kurosaki-san told you that you would meet again. You can tell him then."

"But that's years from now!"

"I cannot help that, for I cannot change time." Byakuya turned away from him as Ginrei sighed silently. "Kurosaki-san is expecting you to be a fierce warrior. Show him that you and be everything he expected and more. You are a Kuchiki and we keep our promises."

Byakuya breathed in deeply, closing his eyes again. I will be everything you expected of me, Kurosaki Ichigo.

SOME YEARS LATER

Despite the constant urges to keep private training within the Kuchiki Mansion, Byakuya didn't want to be alone any more. He had spent so many years training by himself and although he didn't really like people, he liked having them around him. And not just regular people, for he could have had that if he asked at the mansion. No, these were students that were the same age as him. These people were lower than him by far but at least he could listen to interesting conversations that were far more entertaining than the ones with his guards.

Today was a special day for him and though he wished Ichigo was there with him to see the progress that he had made, he knew that Ichigo was waiting for him to reveal himself and impress him like he was waiting for him to do.

*******************

"Are you ready to achieve your zanpakuto's name, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"Yes. I have had the dreams and am ready to go into its inner world."

"He's so dreamy." Matsumoto said to a young Nanao beside her.

"Matsumoto, hush! He has to concentrate." She said with a blush at thinking the exact same thing.

Byakuya sat down on the floor, crossing his legs and setting his zanpakuto over his knees. He closed his eyes and began to meditate to perform jinzen. He had trained so hard to get to this point... He felt like he was falling for just a moment as darkness engulfed him. He suddenly felt a nice warm breeze all around him and opened his eyes. He was laying on a plain of lush green grass with hundreds and hundreds of sakura trees around the plain.

He sat up slowly, taking in the realm of his zanpakuto. He was happy to know that it was peaceful and not full of challenges right at the beginning of entering. Ichigo had told him once on how Zangetsu's world was very metaphorical to his aspirations. He wondered what it meant with the fact that there was not much going on. He decided to take a walk and see if he came across any buildings when he heard what sounded like tiny bells or tinkling. He made his way up a hill and upon ascending it, he found a flurry of sakura petals in a blizzard down the hill. Curious, Byakuya made his way down the hill when the blizzard came at him.

He blocked his face with his arms but was surprised that he felt tiny scratches all over his arm. When it stopped, he moved his arm and looked at where it looked like someone had whipped his arm. He looked up to see where the flurry had come from and found a samurai in the middle of some trees with full regalia as well as mask over his face. Byakuya made his way down the hill and went up to the clad warrior as it looked down at him.

"I've seen you in my dreams... you're my zanpakuto." The warrior gave a slow nod. "Then speak your name!"

The warrior turned its head and lifted up his sword.

"Scatter!" he yelled in a deep voice.

The cherry blossoms flew off of the trees and encompassed the blade of the sword before the warrior slashed his sword, sending a wave of cherry blossoms Byukuya's way. Byakuya moved away from the cherry blossoms as the warrior walked closer, the sakuras floating around him.

"You dare demand my name? Insolent boy! What are you to come into my abode uninvited and order me about? Who is Kuchiki Byakuya to travel here and think he can rule me?"

"I am your master! You will do as I say."

"I don't think so, little boy." He seemed to disappear and reappear with the blade at Byakuya's neck. "Not with that attitude."

Byakuya growled and moved away from the sword, drawing his own sword to fight his zanpakuto spirit.

*******************

For what seemed like hours, the two fought inside Byakuya's inner world. The warrior seemed to tease Byakuya, making him get angry at the taunting and strike with unsure strikes. Finally, Byakuya had enough and closed his eyes to calm down when he felt how his zanpakuto was moving and turned at the right moment, slicing a piece of the mask off of the warrior. The mask fell away and Byakuya took a step back in confusion.

"What are you?"

"Well, you finally caught me. You took long enough..." the zanpakuto spirit chastised.

The man under the mask looked almost like Byakuya with some slight variations, not including the fact that the man under the mask was stark white, sporting black sclera and beady red eyes with white pupils. He gave a maniacal smile and put the sword on his shoulder.

"You're insulting me, Byakuya."

"Why do you look that way?" he asked, feeling for some reason that he shouldn't look like that.

"You're a bit on the rude side... What does it matter what I look like? All you really want to know is my name and so far, you're screwing up your chances by being so damned rude."

Byakuya was used to the teasing but it seemed like the spirit was almost obnoxious. The warrior scoffed and ripped off the headdress and the armor he was wearing. Long flowing white hair flowed behind him like a cape and the clothing he had on under the armor seemed to resemble Ichigo's clothing that he was wearing when he had saved Byakuya so many years ago.

The man stared at Byakuya with a sigh.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"Should I?"

He rolled his eyes as the scenery seemed to change, turning more into a dark, twisted forest, clouds thundering in and lighting striking.

"Don't get stupid on me, Byakuya. I've been with you for a long time and you've been a pretty good host; strong, powerful, and completely oblivious to my presence. You never knew that I was lurking in the shadows of this inner realm, watching and mimicking what that stupid warrior did just so I could catch you. You didn't even notice the change inside of you! Stupid boy..."

A shadow suddenly descended on the man and he looked up, blocking a shot from another clad warrior.

"Say my name." a deep but calmer voice said to him.

"Hey, back off!"

"I don't know it!" Byakuya yelled.

"You know it. You must listen... My name is-"

"What?"

"He is blocking you. Concentrate, Byakuya... listen closely..."

The two men continued to fight but Byakuya closed his eyes and drowned out everything so that he could listen.

Senbonzakura...

Byakuya gasped.

++++

"Just say, in your *most* serious voice now, 'scatter, Senbonzakura', and go like this with the sword."

Ichigo put his sword in front of his face, the back of the sword toward him, almost making a line to separate his face.

++++

Byakuya moved his sword just like Ichigo had and smiled, triumphant.

"Scatter! Senbonzakura!"

***************

Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself lying on his back with a bunch of faces staring at him from above. He blinked at them as Matsumoto got lower.

"Are you alright? You were taking forever!"

"What happened in there?"

"Did you get the name of your zanpakuto?"

"Kuchiki-sama, are you alright?" the teacher asked.

"I'm fine and yes... I got a name."

"That's great! What is it?" Matsumoto asked.

Nanao gasped. "Your arm!"

Byakuya looked at where his arm was bloody.

"So, what is it?"

He looked at the sword and smiled.

"Senbonzakura." He said as he held it up.

Don't forget that I'm here too, boy. Just you wait. I will conquer you and I will rule you.