Yasutora Sado knew from that very first moment that he had met someone extraordinary. It wasn't the boy's vibrant orange hair, or his blatant disregard of the school's dress code. It was the way that the teen carried himself, that even though he was bruised and bloodied, he was someone you should respect.

And then when the thugs attacked him on the riverbank and Ichigo had saved Sado when he wouldn't fight back. Ichigo had even understood his reasoning for not fighting them. Ichigo acted tough, but Sado could tell that he was just a softy underneath.

Ichigo proved himself yet again when those self-same thugs had knocked him out and restrained him, beneath the bridge. Ichigo had saved Sado's precious memento, the only thing he had left of his grandfather.

They had made a promise, then. Ichigo would fight for Sado, if Sado would fight for Ichigo, that way, Sado would be able to fight, instead of just taking what was dished out.

And so Ichigo and Sado had passed their days, fighting as a team, as friends. They were equal in all ways, they watched each other's backs.

When Kuchiki Rukia came, Sado knew something had changed. Ichigo wasn't telling him something. Sado knew Ichigo would tell him in time, Ichigo was too honest to keep secrets for too long.

Sado would wait.

Many things happened, then. Sado fought with Rukia against a monster he couldn't see, just hear. When he thought all was lost, Ichigo appeared, saving the both of them.

Later they explained it all to him. Soul Society, Hollows, Blanks, Shinigami, everything.

And Sado knew, Ichigo and him were no longer equal.