A/N: Sooo…does everyone remember Senbonzakura's reaction to buttons? Byakuya in the living world should be fun, haha.

FYI, I am horrible at describing outfits, so bear with me. Suffice it to say that Yuzu managed to make him look sophisticated but not overly formal.

The story is set about 19-20 years after the first events of Bleach, so it's about 2020 right now. I'm working under the assumption that nothing major will change as far as fashion goes in the next eight years. XD

By the way, I had that age discussion written out before people asked about it in reviews. Funny how things go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 5: The flow of time

Yuzu smiled in front of the mirror, tugging at the hemline of her white one-piece dress. It felt odd to be wearing clothes like this again after being in Seireitei for sixteen years, but it wasn't a bad feeling. If anything, it made her feel somewhat nostalgic. She tugged on a solid-colored jacket, aware that even though winter had passed, it was still fairly cold in Japan. The vice-captain of the Sixth frowned at her reflection in the mirror, tugging off the headband that someone had given her and instead pinning her hair away from her face with a clip.

Being in a gigai felt a little strange. Aside from the fact that her powers were limited by the camellia-shaped mark the Kidou Corps had placed on her when she and Byakuya had stepped through the gate, her shinigami abilities felt muted, hidden beneath an extra layer. Urahara had built their gigais specifically to allow them to use kidou, in order for them to fake having special abilities, but even then, the body she was in didn't really feel like hers.

It felt almost like an extra set of clothing—not horribly uncomfortable, but still somewhat restricting.

Still, it wasn't like they had much of a choice. She folded her arms, her frown going thoughtful as she went over the mission plan in her head.

Byakuya was in the next room, getting dressed. Once he was ready, the two of them would take the train from Karakura Town to Tokyo, where they would then attempt to make contact with the New Dawn, under the guise of being members of Kusanagi. If accepted, they would remain with the New Dawn for several days, attempting to gain information without seeming too suspicious. They would also stay on the lookout for any Arrancar activity, although that wouldn't be their primary focus. Another team of shinigami would be combing the area, keeping their distance from the two of them so as not to appear attached.

She grinned slightly, remembering Kohaku's farewell when she had stopped by the Third to tell her best friend what she would be doing.

"Ooh, so you'll have you-know-who to yourself for a couple of days, huh? Here's your chance! Ganbare, Yuzu-chan! Fight on!"

She shook her head. Kohaku could be so silly sometimes.

The sliding door behind her slid open. "Kurosaki, is this attire acceptable?" asked a familiar voice.

Yuzu looked over her shoulder, glancing back at her captain. Her eyes widened. Byakuya was dressed in formal attire from times long gone, in a white silk dress shirt, black waistcoat, black overcoat, pants, and tie. He wore a pair of white gloves with the outfit, and had forgone his kenseikan, instead replacing the hair ornaments with a black top hat. She stared. He even had a slim black cane tucked under his arm.

Yuzu sweatdropped. Suddenly, she knew why she had been asked to come along on this mission.

"What?" he asked with a frown as he looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

"A-Ano…taicho…" she said, walking over to him. "Um…when was the last time you were in a gigai in the living world?"

"…I believe it was around a century ago," he said. "It was shortly after my Academy graduation. Why? Is it relevant?"

"Ah…well…" She laughed nervously. "…Fashions have changed a bit since then…"

"Is that so?" he asked.

At her nod, his frown deepened. "I see," he said. "Humans can be fickle creatures. Very well. What is the appropriate attire for a gentleman in this day and age?"

Yuzu frowned in thought, tapping her finger on her chin. "Hmm…" she said. "E…to…it's Tokyo, so I think maybe a modern-day suit would be alright. We could always say you were a visiting businessman…but then people would ask you where you work…but I can't really see taicho in too casual clothes…um…You know what? One second."

She darted away, looking through the pile of clothes in the corner and pulling out various articles of clothing, draping them over one arm as she continued to search. Byakuya tilted his head slightly to watch her, a somewhat intrigued expression on his face. She returned, presenting him with a bundle of clothing. "Here," she said. "Try these. And…um…no top hat or cane."

Byakuya frowned in thought, accepting the clothes from her. He nodded once. "Thank you," he said, stepping back and closing the sliding door of the room.

When he emerged a few minutes later, she breathed a small sigh of relief. The early 20th century suit was gone, replaced by a white button-up shirt, a pair of business-style dark slacks, and a dark suit jacket. He'd buttoned the shirt all the way up to the top, probably in preparation for a tie. Yuzu frowned in thought, reaching forward before she had fully realized what she was doing and unbuttoning the first button.

He stared at her, but said nothing.

She stepped back, frowning in thought and studying Byakuya.

"It needs…something…" she mused. The Sixth Division fukutaicho snapped her fingers, an idea coming to her. "I've got it!" she said, running off to the pile of clothes again. She pulled out a white scarf, walking over to him and holding it out.

"Can I?" she asked. "I can't really picture you without it."

Byakuya frowned at her, but nodded once. "You may proceed," he said.

She nodded, getting up on her tip toes and slipping the scarf around his shoulders. The younger Kurosaki twin frowned in thought, looping the scarf around once and letting it rest there. For a moment, she was suddenly aware of how close they were. Yuzu lowered her eyes, to hide the slight flush on her cheeks, scolding herself mentally for thinking such thoughts and taking a step back as she finished.

"Hai," she said with a smile, taking a step back. "I think that works."

"Very well," he said. "I will send a message to confirm our status. Gather our gear."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu, smiling as he left.

Once the door closed behind him, she turned, heading over to the shelves where Urahara had told her she could shop for what they needed. Yuzu touched her fingers to her cheek, feeling the warmth there. Her heart was still beating quickly in her chest and she focused on picking up the items on her list. She felt suddenly restless and excited, her fingers still tingling slightly from where she had touched him.

She resisted the sudden urge to squeal into the nearest cushion like a schoolgirl, grinning to herself as she picked up several useful items and slid them into her pack. She grabbed a pair of Soul Candy dispensers, making sure to read the labels thoroughly about the personality of the artificial souls. Ichigo had told her too many horror stories about the trouble gikon could get into.

Once that was done, she had calmed down somewhat, and her heart was no longer racing. Yuzu shook her head, giggling slightly to release some of that nervous energy as she studied the shelf, picking up a large crystalline ball and staring at it. She poked at it, wondering what it did.

Urahara had the weirdest stuff in his store…

The door behind her slid open again.

"Kurosaki, what is our relationship?" demanded Byakuya.

Crash!

The glass ball slipped from her fingers, landing on the wooden floor and shattering into a million tiny pieces. Yuzu's eyes widened, and she whipped around to face him.

"E—EH?"

"Should they inquire, what shall we say our relationship is?" asked Byakuya again, seemingly unperturbed by her reaction.

"Oh." Yuzu let out the breath she was holding, relaxing slightly. She took in another breath slowly, trying to calm her racing heart as she tried to casually nudge the shards of glass under the shelf with her foot. "Ah—of course...hmm…we could always say we're coworkers."

Byakuya shook his head. "Unacceptable," he said. "We must at least have some sort of friendship or familial connection, for them to believe that you would follow me from Karakura to Tokyo."

Or that you followed me…thought Yuzu, sighing inwardly. She frowned, thinking it over. "How about something like this?" she asked. "You're a friend of my brother. When you decided to go to Tokyo, I wanted to come along, because I wanted to improve my skills. You agreed to take me with you."

Byakuya frowned, thinking the story over. "…That is acceptable," he finally said. "But must I be friends with your brother?"

"Er…sister?" offered Yuzu.

Byakuya gave her a flat stare in reply. Yuzu tried again. "…Father?" she asked hopefully.

Another flat stare, this one more intense than the last.

"U-Uncle?" she asked uncertainly.

"Very well," said Byakuya with a nod.

Yuzu let out a sigh of relief. Sorry, Sei-jisama…she thought.

"If that is settled, we should begin our mission."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu with a nod, slinging the bag with their supplies in it over her shoulder.

Karin jumped back, spreading her hands apart on Ongetsu's shaft and using it to block Houzukimaru's attack. The impact jarred her arms all the way up to her elbows, and she let out a grunt of pain as she landed on the ground, removing one hand and letting the other pull the scythe behind her. Ikkaku moved forward with a shout, spinning Houzukimaru over his head before bringing it crashing down towards her. She jumped out of the way lightly, sliding her hands down to the very end of Ongetsu's shaft and swinging the scythe in a wide arc. Ikkaku jumped back in time, catching the side of the blade with the back of Houzukimaru's.

A sharp whistle in their direction cut the fight short. Karin frowned, looking behind her.

Toshiro walked through the Eleventh Division grounds, heading purposefully towards her. She lowered Ongetsu, wiping the sweat from her forehead and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she turned to him.

"What's up?" she asked as he reached them.

"Madarame, I need to borrow your fourth seat," said Toshiro, turning towards Ikkaku.

The Eleventh Division third seat shrugged in reply. "We should start charging you by the hour," he joked.

Karin frowned. "Borrow me?" she asked. "What for?"

"You said if I was called out, you wanted in," said Toshiro, frowning as he glanced over at Karin. "The soutaicho wants me to provide back-up for Kuchiki-taicho and Yuzu. But seeing as my fukutaicho is still out of commission, I'm finding myself in need a partner. Are you in?"

Karin grinned. "Let me grab my stuff," she said, reverting Ongetsu to his unreleased form and sheathing the blade. "Two minutes." She ran off, heading towards the barracks.

Byakuya frowned, looking over his vice-captain's shoulder as she pressed her finger to the screen in front of her, the display changing accordingly. It seemed as though she was looking at…train schedules? His mind worked, watching as she pressed a red box in the corner of the screen, the screen automatically changing to reveal the schedule for the train from Karakura to Tokyo.

…So the screen detected which portions of it were being touched and changed accordingly. He wondered what would happen if he leaned over and pressed the other red box, marked CANCEL.

He considered it briefly, then decided against it, placing his hands in the pockets of his jacket to guard against the temptation.

"…Kurosaki," he said, looking around the station. "The train arrives in five minutes. When are you going to purchase the tickets?"

"I am purchasing the tickets, taicho," replied Yuzu, pressing a green button this time. He watched, intrigued, as she slid a small plastic card into a slot, and the machine printed out two tickets. Yuzu took one of the tickets, handing him the other.

"I see," he said to himself, taking the offered ticket. "So this machine has replaced the necessity of a human teller."

"Hai," said Yuzu with a nod. "We should wait on the platform. Other people are waiting in line."

"Of course," said Byakuya coolly, casting the machine one last look before following her out onto the platform. The group of girls behind him stepped forward. They looked to be about her age, and were dressed in the white and gray uniform that he knew belonged to Karakura High.

For some reason, they were looking in his direction and giggling.

Yuzu's frown deepened as she looked back at them, before stepping through the automatic doors. He wondered at his vice-captain's odd behavior. Did their presence disturb her?

Admittedly, they were rather loud. Perhaps that was it.

But the platform was just as loud as the ticket office had been, perhaps louder. He stood with his vice-captain as they waited on the platform for the train, frowning as he eyed the glowing red Japanese characters on the screen that told them when each train would be arriving. The last time he had been on a train, those had been written in pen and ink. Had things really changed so much in a century?

He watched the numbers solemnly as they ticked down from four to one, a large white train shooting into view. An automated voice in the speakers above reminded them that this was their train. He allowed Yuzu to lead the way, seeing as she was more familiar with the territory. She slipped through the sliding doors as they opened with a hiss, and he frowned, watching as they closed behind him again.

The doors opened and closed without any manual effort. It was much like the Senkaimon's sliding doors, now that he thought of it.

"Taicho, over here," called Yuzu, glancing back at him from further down the corridor.

He looked away from the doors, following her into a small side compartment. This was something he was familiar with, although the overall appearance of the train compartments might have changed a bit since he last saw them. She lifted her luggage into the overhead compartment, and he did the same with his, closing it so that the bags would not fall out. As he watched, his fukutaicho collapsed into one of the seats with a tired sigh. He frowned, slowly moving to sit across from her.

"Are you ill?" he asked.

"What?" asked Yuzu, frowning as she looked up at him. She shook her head, realization dawning on her face. The train began to move, the scenery flying by at an amazing speed. It was almost as fast as shunpo, but not quite. Still, it was admirable for its consistency. "Oh, no. I'm not sick…I'd just forgotten…"

"Forgotten what?" he asked.

"How much attention you'd draw," she replied.

He frowned at her, looking down at the clothes he was wearing. "You said these clothes were appropriate…"

"Ah—they are—don't get me wrong!" she said. "It's not the clothes. It's…um…well, it's just you." Her face colored slightly as she spoke, and she glanced out the window.

"I see," said Byakuya. He was used to stares. By now he had simply learned to tune them out. They weren't worth his time. "So even in this present day, they still recognize my nobility?"

"…You…um…you could say that…" said Yuzu. "I mean, I guess just the way you carry yourself makes people think you're someone important…"

"Of course," he replied stiffly. "If you are in a position of authority, you must act the part."

"Hai, taicho…" she said quietly. The scenery continued to pass by, city giving way to forest, and Yuzu changed the subject. "…Um, so…how long has it been since you've been in Tokyo?"

"A while…" said Byakuya with a shrug.

"Was it already called Tokyo then?" she asked.

He gave her a flat look. "…I am not that old, Kurosaki," he said.

"Ah—sorry," said Yuzu with a nod. She frowned, twisting her hands around in her lap. "So…how old are you?" she asked.

He frowned, considering the question. After a certain amount of time, counting age exactly became a useless venture, especially since it meant so little in Soul Society. "…A little over two hundred," he said.

"Oh, I see," said Yuzu. She frowned for a moment, as if thinking about it, then smiled, shaking her head. "Gomenasai," she said. "I guess I can't imagine it. It just seems like so much time to me…I can't really relate it to anything."

"…Older than your cousin, younger than your father," he responded. "…Younger than Shihouin Yoruichi, by a small amount."

"I see…"

"Had you been born in Soul Society, you would perhaps be a little under or over one hundred and fifty years old," said Byakuya. "…It would depend on your bloodline and your reiatsu. Some people simply age slower. It is reasonable to expect that you would age at a somewhat slower pace, considering your Ankoujin heritage."

"Sou ka…" said Yuzu, thinking it over. Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute, how old is my father then?"

"How old did he say he was, when you were younger?" asked Byakuya.

Yuzu frowned. "…The year we died, he said he was forty-eight," she said.

"…He is probably drawing close to four hundred, if he hasn't already passed that mark. He was an Academy student when I was a child."

"Wow," said Yuzu. "That old?"

"Your cousin is easily over a century old," said Byakuya with a frown. "Rukia is at least one hundred and seventy. You should not be surprised."

"The soutaicho must be ancient," mused Yuzu, thinking out loud.

"…He is old," agreed Byakuya. "Even for shinigami. I do not know the exact number, but he was soutaicho in my grandfather's time."

"I guess I really am still getting used to things," she said with a smile.

"The three of you are remarkably adaptable," Byakuya conceded. "For what it's worth."

"It's easier, because I have family with me," she said, smiling as she glanced out the window. "But if you're over two hundred, you were alive when Edo became Tokyo."

"Yes, but I was a child then. Noble children are not permitted to access the living world. Their powers are large enough to attract Hollows, but they do not yet have the ability to defend themselves. It is too dangerous."

He frowned as he spoke, watching her. It was easy to forget on some days that had things played out differently, the three Kurosaki children could have been members of the Ankoujin Clan. He imagined they knew all about the dangers of children with high spiritual power remaining in the living world…

"If you want to know about ancient Japan, ask your father or grandfather," he said. "They would know." He paused, looking out the window and watching the scenery go past. "Once we arrive, it will be nighttime. The Tenth Division has provided us with accommodations. We will rest and begin our search tomorrow."

"Hai," said Yuzu with a nod, turning to look out the window as well.

Rukia frowned as she watched her husband cross into her field of vision for what seemed like the hundredth time, looking up at him from over the book she was reading.

"Ichigo, please sit down," she said. "You're making me nervous!"

"Yuzu and Karin are both out in the living world with that Arrancar out there, and Yuzu has a power limiter on," replied Ichigo, frowning at her. "How the hell am I supposed to relax?"

"They'll be fine," said Rukia, putting down her book. "They're with Hitsugaya-taicho and Nii-sama! So please, sit down and stop wearing a hole in our floor."

Ichigo gave her a flat look. "…How is that supposed to help me relax, exactly?" he asked.

Rukia gave an exasperated sigh. "You're impossible," she said, getting up. "I'm going to bed, because some of us have Divisions to run in the morning. You're welcome to join me, if you promise not to talk about how worried you are until tomorrow."

Ichigo watched her stalk off, a somewhat thoughtful frown on his face as he considered that.

Urahara Kisuke sat on the porch outside of his shop, running two small green balls through his fingers. There was a grin on his face as he watched the road in front of him.

Behind him, a dark-skinned woman leaned forward, her hands on her hips as she looked down at what he had. A sly smile appeared on her face. "Kisuke," she said. "Don't tell me that those are the gikons from the dispensers that Yuzu took with her."

Urahara grinned, tilting his head slightly and looking up at Yoruichi. "Alright," he said. "I won't tell you."

"So…" said Yoruichi, folding her arms. "What's actually in their Soul Candy dispensers?"

"Hmm, I wonder," said Urahara, laughing behind his paper fan.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake:

"Yuzu seemed inordinately pleased at being asked to go undercover with Kuchiki-taicho," commented Masaryu, the day after they left, glancing at the brown-haired shinigami across from him as he took a sip of tea.

"Oh, believe me," said Kohaku, with a grin, lying back on the porch of the Fifth Division and looking up at the ceiling. "She'd probably be happier if it was a different kind of undercover."

Masaryu choked, the color rising to his face as he spit out the tea he was drinking. "I-IWASE!" he yelled, turning towards her. "A-Are you insinuating that my cousin has feelings f-for—?"

Kohaku smiled slyly, sitting up and folding her arms. "First lesson about women, Masa-chan. There are some things a girl will tell her best friend that she won't even tell her family." She unfolded one of her arms, patting his arm twice with the back of her hand. "Not that you would know, of course."

Masa blinked in surprise, staring openly as Kohaku jumped to her feet. "Well, I'm off," she said, stretching. "Promised to help Kira-fukutaicho with some things." She waved goodbye, walking away.

Masa blinked at her for a moment.

"I-IWASE!" he called. "…K-KOHAKU! Don't walk away from me! Answer the question!"

Kohaku rested her hands on her hips, throwing her head back and laughing as she flash stepped away.

"KOHAKU! GET BACK HERE!"