Ichigo stayed with the Kuchiki family, teaching Byakuya how to fight, being his mentor. The calculations and experimenting was taking longer than Urahara expected and so the years began to pass. With each year and with the help of the serum that Urahara had made for Ichigo, Urahara actually found out that by Ichigo being in the past, his reiatsu was slowly regaining itself. With that knowledge, Ichigo felt a little better about teaching Byakuya and was even able to show him his shikai.

Training one on one with Byakuya drew the two closer than Ichigo ever imagined they could be. It almost felt like he had a real younger brother, not Karin being a tomboy but a real brother. Byakuya was becoming so accustomed to Ichigo's presence that he began to call Ichigo Nii-sama. He respected him and had grown to love him.

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

"Nii-sama!" Byakuya yelled, kicking Ichigo in the back as he walked back to the mansion.

Ichigo got up and clenched his fist.

"Bya-ku-ya..."

"When do I get to see your bankai? I've seen Getsuga Tensho but I want to see your bankai."

"You'll see it."

"Really?"

"Guaranteed... in the future." Byakuya made a face. "You need to be getting dressed."

"For what?"

"In observation of the five great houses of the Seireitei. You should know this."

"But I wasn't invited last time. It only happens every fifty years and I wasn't old enough then."

"I just got here nine years ago and even I know about the banquet. You really need to focus on your studies instead of trying to fight me all the time." He said, hitting Byakuya on the head.

Byakuya kicked him in the stomach.

"You can't tell me what to do."

"Oh, we're being an angsty thing now aren't we?" Ichigo said with a laugh.

Even though nine years was a short time for a Soul Reaper, Byakuya had grown a lot and seemed to be developing a sour attitude. Ichigo wondered if this marked the start of the stoically annoying Byakuya that he remembered.

Byakuya frowned and moved in front of Ichigo.

"I'm not angsty. Besides, I'm the heir to the Kuchiki Clan @and@ almost taller than you. I can defeat you."

Ichigo stifled his guffaw horribly. "I've defeated higher statused, taller, bigger, and faster! Try it!"

Byakuya narrowed his gray eyes and took out his sword. Ichigo watched him and just as Byakuya through he had him, Ichigo was suddenly gone. Byakuya gasped when he felt a sharp point at his neck.

"Lose."

Byakuya moved out Ichigo's hand and put his hand to his neck.

"How did you do that? What kind of flash step was @that@?"

Ichigo realized he's used sonido instead of shunpo and looked away, hoping that the strange spiritual pressure didn't alert any of the guards.

"You'll never learn it... Come on, enough fooling around."

They walked into the grounds of the mansion and went to separate rooms to get ready for the banquet.

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

"Byakuya, I would like you to meet the head of the Shiba Clan, Isshin Shiba." Ginrei said, motioning to the man in front of him.

Byakuya made a face, though he bowed in respect. His square jaw and slightly large eyes made him think of Ichigo but he quickly dismissed him since he didn't really look anything like this man. Then again, Kaien Shiba looked just like Ichigo but with black hair. He found it odd that the two of them were talking in a corner together. Black hair and orange hair...

"So, you're the heir to the Kuchiki Clan, eh? You don't look like a leader yet."

Byakuya made a face and crossed his arms.

"For your information, Old Man, I have Ichigo Kurosaki teaching me how to fight and my studies are going well."

"Is that so?" Isshin said and Byakuya swore he saw the same type of smile Ichigo gave him on occasion.

"I'd like to meet this Ichigo you speak so fondly of."

"He's over there... Kurosaki-sama!" he yelled across the way.

Ichigo looked over as Byakuya waved to him. Ichigo immediately saw Isshin standing there and opted to wave back like he thought Byakuya was just waving. He put his hand down and turned back to Kaien.

"Are you avoiding your master?"

"Not him... the man in front of him."

"Hmm... He's my uncle." Kaien said with a hand on his chin.

"What?"

"Yup."

"Who are we talking about?" a woman asked as she walked up to Kaien.

She was very beautiful and was dressed in a beautiful grey kimono with white cranes and clouds as the pattern.

"Ah, Misaki..." Kaien said, putting his arm around her waist.

"Who is this... ironically familiar faced man?" she asked with a quirky smile toward Ichigo, obviously a little taken aback at their similarity.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, Byakuya Kuchiki's sword trainer."

"Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure-"

"Ichigo!" Byakuya growled, hitting Ichigo square in the spine as he walked up, making Ichigo pitch forward. "I called for you."

"I am deaf..." Ichigo twitched.

"Hello, Young Master Kuchiki." Misaki said, stifling a giggle behind her kimono sleeve.

Byakuya turned to her and bowed to her respectfully, his ponytail flopping over his head. Misaki curtsied to him.

"Lady Shiba..."

"You're lively tonight."

"Do forgive the child, he knows not how to act." Ichigo said with slightly evil grin.

"I do-"

"Whoops, got your hair tie."

Byakuya turned as Yoruichi smiled at him and held up the string to his hair. Byakuya was a little taken aback by his shunpo teacher's very elegant kimono that were light shades of purple and had very elegantly designed cat on the back of it.

"Your guard is terrible. Ichigo, what are you teaching this kid? Have you not done anything to help his awareness?" she growled to Ichigo.

He just shrugged. "I could have told you that I was the last person to ask in regards to keeping up with people. I usually go in without reservations and figure it out on the way."

"Yeah! It's a great way to do it. Cuz things could happen that you didn't expect and you'll be able to do defend yourself easier."

Yoruichi, Kaien, and Misaki all looked at Ichigo with disapproving looks and he waved his hands in the air in denial.

"I never taught him that! Besides, I never said it was the right way to do things but just how I do it..."

The three looked at each other and Yoruichi bonked Byakuya on the head.

"Start trying to look at your surroundings, please... I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to speak with Kurosaki-san for a moment." She slipped her arm in his black clad one and they walked away. "Kisuke wanted me to tell you to meet him at the Research and Development Center. He had some news for you regarding returning home."

"Really?"

"He also has some concerns over some matters that have been happened around the Seireitei."

"As in?"

"Disappearing people... More to discuss later without so many meddling ears... Tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki, are you getting comfortable here?"

The two stopped and Ichigo looked down at her as she looked at him with a waiting look. He didn't say anything and after a bit of staring, Yoruichi smirked slightly.

"Don't get too "attached". You don't belong in this time, remember that."

He nodded and they walked around for a little bit.

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

Ichigo went to the Research and Development Center and opened the door to one of the labs. Urahara was looking at specimens in a microscope on the table.

"Yoruichi said you wanted to see me?"

He looked up. "Yes, I'm glad you're here. I have found a way to get you back to your own time."

"So I've heard."

Urahara smiled, leaning back on his chair.

"You've gotten accustomed to this life, haven't you?" he asked with a smirk.

"I don't really have a choice-"

"You've gotten attached to Kuchiki-sama, haven't you?"

"If you mean dealing with a whiny, angsty-"

"Ichigo."

Ichigo saw that Urahara was seeing right through his façade. He couldn't deny the fact that Byakuya reminded him of Karin a lot and also reminded him of home. Besides, Byakuya was the only person besides the captains, the Kuchiki family, Urahara and Yoruichi that knew about him being from the future, but Byakuya was the most familiar person he knew. Sure, the normally stoic Soul Reaper was much different than he remember but he was also a very young child.

"Kurosaki-san, you must cut ties with him. You've already changed things because of your presence here... especially since it has been for so long."

"I know."

"Kuchiki-sama will be fine without you. I should be able to get things ready by next week, so you need to relinquish your duties as personal sword trainer to the Shino Academy. It will help him to hone on his other abilities and learn other abilities. You can no longer teach him anything useful... unless you show your true power to him." Ichigo looked at him. "I know you have some sort of hidden power within you that you have been keeping at a minimum. If you're keeping it back then you believe that it will complicate things now. If that's the case, you cannot teach the young master anything more. It's time to let go."

Ichigo nodded. "I understand."