Chapter 3: Tell Him We Found Him

After Yumichika got over the insinuation that he had a crush on the young boy, The two soul-reapers decided that; one, they would try to convince Keigo to join the academy and become a soul reaper; and two, the next time either of them had a mission to the living world they would tell Ichigo Kurosaki that they had found his friend. Neither of them was sure why they were doing this for the boy, except that he was entertaining, and maybe they owed him for letting them stay in his apartment last time they had been in Karakura Town.

Not long after that Yumichika said, "Well I guess we could go talk to the boy today, I don't have anything better to do."

"I can't today I promised to got to the academy to observe sword training this week," Ikkaku did not sound convincing.

"Are you trying to make me go by myself?" Yumichika frowned.

"Nobody said you have to do it today. We can go next week," Ikkaku said in an even voice not giving away the internal laughter. For some weird reason his old friend had taken a shine to that boy. The boy was not like that. He remembered that little pervert going after Rangiku's chest like a dog after a rabbit. He hoped his friend wouldn't do anything stupid.

He had actually never known him to be more then superficially interested in someone. Well besides the unusual friendship he and Yumichika shared. He sure as hell had never seen the man blush since he had known him.

Yumichika made a dissatisfied grunt, he wanted to go, just not alone. This bothered him, because he had not cared about the kid when he was alive, he really never remembered caring much about anybody but himself before. The boy was not what you might call beautiful, but that was not what was interesting about him anyway. 'Maybe it was the contrast between the two,' he meant Ikkaku and Keigo.

They were so different and it was refreshing to be around someone less serous then old stick up the ass Ikkaku. He finally decided it was just too boring there and left, saying, "Have fun with all those smelly sweaty rookies. I guess I'll go check in on Asano." Ikkaku smiled a little to wide. If Yumichika saw he chose to ignore the implication in the smile.

"I'm finished chopping wood, Granny!" Keigo came in carrying a big stack of logs. He set them down in the firewood box next to the oven, "I'll go get the rest, 'kay?"

She smiled and nodded, "You work so hard Keigo. Why not take a break. Let's have some tea and I made cookies too." He ran and got the wood then when he had placed it with the rest. He came over in a most comical fashion. He looked like a melodramatic jester in a royal court.

"Grannnnnny, You made cookies!" He jumped up and down making her smile. He loved doing that do her. He kissed her cheek. She just brightened up and chuckled at him.

"Calm down and sit with me," She laughed, "Keigo I don't think I had ever laughed so much since I came to the soul-society." The boy blushed. He loved the old lady, she was family now.

"Granny Mim, you know I love you," He bit into one of her cookies. That was a rare treat. She didn't often have sugar or vanilla to spare, but she would request special ingredients occasionally. If it was for her own personal use the cost came out of her monthly pay, but Keigo was worth the cost. He was a blessing to her.

She hated to think about the day those two soul-reapers bringing him home. She feared they sensed the potential in him to become a killer like so many souls had. She tried turned from the thought, but she knew they would be back. She felt the boy's power to. Sometimes it was painfully strong, when he was sleeping. When he was awake he was so sweet and kind to her she could not believe that power came from him.

Yumichika chose this moment to intrude, "I am sorry to bother you ma'am. I was wondering if I could speak to Asano?" The woman nodded coldly. To Keigo it felt like the temperature had dropped twenty degrees in the normally hot humid kitchen. He got up uncomfortably and went to see the man that he met the other day, who said he knew Keigo before he had died.

"What do you want with me," The kid was unusually shy, "You know Granny Mim doesn't like you guys." He slapped a hand across his mouth. Fearing the wrath he may have brought down on himself, or worse his Granny.

Yumichika sniffed at this, "Yeah a lot of these souls mistrust us. We don't mean any harm to the old lady, or to you."

He allowed his hand to fall to his side.

"It is just you should be going to the soul-reaper academy," Yumichika tried to keep a straight face. One minute this kid was bold, the next he was spastic then sweet and loving and shy.

"I-I can't leave Granny, she needs me. Who's gonna chop fire wood for her? She'll have to scrub the floors and wash the pots by herself. I mean I hate the work, but she is my family now!" He was too serous to look natural at the moment, "Anyway, I'm not strong. You guys have me all wrong I'm a coward, I'm useless, except for doing chores. I'm not cool in anyway," 'Where did that come from,' Keigo thought to himself.

Yumichika frowned at him, 'This is getting annoying.'

"Hey I- uh," Keigo was at a loss for words for once in his, um well life.

"Hey kid, you have potential. I don't understand why you would waste it chopping firewood, or helping a silly old woman." Yumichika was about to go on when he felt Keigo's hand connect with his face.

"She's not just some old woman, JERK!" Keigo frowned, "She is my family!" He was angry at Yumichika's comment about Granny Mim. Yumichika was stunned this was a different boy. This Keigo looked righteous in his anger, and formidable. He was, there was no other way to put it, breath taking in that moment. He had spiritual pressure rolling off of him in visible waves. Yumichika still could not believe that the boy had actually dared strike him in the face. After the shock wore off he realized he was feeling the weight of Keigo's locked up power.

Before either of them could continue to speak, or hit. There was a crash from just inside the kitchen. Keigo forgot about the older man and ran to help his granny. She was laying in the floor her teacup broken with hot tea spreading out and soaking into the wooden floor.

"Granny! What's wrong?" She was not knocked unconscious, but still really weak.

"I'm sorry I just felt a little dizzy. Your power is just a little too much for me sometimes," She smiled up at him.

"Keigo, you should go to the academy. So you can learn to control your spiritual pressure." Yumichika interrupted.

Keigo helped his granny up and cleaned up the mess. He glared accusingly at Yumichika as he walked through the door, "I think you should go…soul-reaper," Keigo spat out the words. Yumi left grateful to be away from that awkward situation.

By the time he got back to his division Ikkaku was waiting for him. Without looking at his friend Ikkaku asked, "How'd it go?"

"How do you think?" Yumi snarled.

Ikkaku looked up to see Yumichika with a swollen black eye, "That well, huh? Who hit you?"

"What?" Yumi asked.

"Who hit you? The kid or the old lady," Ikkaku was not smiling, but his eyes were.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Yumi fumed

"Did you hit him back?" Ikkaku was starting to get interested.

"No," Yumi was about to leave.

"Hey, wait. I know you. I'm surprised you didn't kill the guy." Ikkaku now smiling broadly.

"I guess I insulted the old lady. He got mad. He hit me," Yumi shrugged like it was a natural thing that he be given a black eye by a scrawny little kid.

"That little guy, gave you a black eye," Ikkaku stated again.

"Yes, can we drop it, please," Yumi turned to leave.

"Wait, why?" Ikkaku asked finally not smiling at all.

"Why what?" Yumi did not look back.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Ikkaku asked again.

"Well, I think I hurt the boy's feelings," Yumi sounded embarrassed by the fact that he actually cared about someone's feelings besides his own.

"Oh," Ikkaku nodded.

"Anyway he needs to go to the academy. When I made him angry his power spiked. We were outside away from her house, but the pressure caused the old woman to faint." Yumi explained.

"Yeah, that Keigo is full of surprises, Let's let him cool down before we try to talk to him again." Ikkaku said, then added, "Next time don't insult the old lady."

"I don't understand it, I could have insulted him all day and he would never have gotten that angry. He'd have acted angry, but then I think he'd have forgotten in five minutes," Yumi sighed heavily, "I guess I hit the right button, didn't I." Yumi looked almost sheepish.

"Just wait, that kid doesn't seem to know how to hold a grudge," Ikkaku slapped his friend on the shoulder encouragingly.

They waited a month. And surprisingly the were greeted coldly by both the old woman and the boy. They came back again after two months then three. Only once a month, but the kid was still angry at Yumichika. If Ikkaku went by himself it was not so bad, but Keigo associated him with the, 'eye brow guy,' as he referred to Yumichika. Ikkaku thought it was hilarious, but Yumi did not.

Finally it had been almost a year. They were still waiting for a chance to go to the living world. They still made their once monthly visits. Keigo was still angry, but something was wrong. The old lady was not looking so well.

"Yumi, the kid is killing her, ain't he?"

"Yes, I think you are right."

"This scenario sounds familiar, don't it?"

"Sort of, as in, our boy genius Captain of the Tenth Division, familiar?"

"Yeah, sort of like that," Ikkaku smiled coldly, "That damn kid won't leave her, he doesn't realize he is going to snuff her out with the force of his power."

"Well what can be done, he is turning out to be very stubborn," Yumichika said, "To bad he was kind of cute." Yumi blushed realizing he said that last part out loud.

Suddenly a messenger called to the two of them, "Captain Zaraki needs to see you two." They went.

Zaraki was lounging on the floor of his office his eyes were closed if you didn't know him better you might suspect he were sleeping. Yumichika and Ikkaku knew better.

"Ikkaku, Yumichika, you two are going to the living world. You are taking a couple of the new recruits with you. I guess there have been some strange things goin' on back in the living world. Looks like Karakura Town is heatin' up again." Kenpachi grinned manically.

The two recruits were waiting, both on their knees, "Thank you for this opportunity, Captain Zaraki, Third seat Madarame, and Fifth seat Ayasegawa."