Previously: Kazui's in-depth knowledge of Hell draws concern. Upon entering Hell, Ukitake is greeted by Yachiru Kusajishi. Ichika tries to learn more about her mystery gal-pal that few can see.

New Yells from Hell
A Bleach Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)

Chapter 2: Waiting with Re-chan

Kazui understood very early in his life that he was not normal.

This was not a problem, at first. His family was not normal. So it was a perfect fit.

Until the day he sneezed in the kitchen, and very nearly destroyed the oven via a glowing sword that appeared out of nowhere. It took an hour to get rid of the sword, but it returned the following morning, and was even harder to dismiss then. At the time, he'd been so focused on getting rid of it, that he hadn't stopped to think of what was staring him in the face.

The sword belonged with him. It didn't want to leave him. It was never supposed to. That was why forcing it do so was so difficult.

Oddly, his parents had been mildly concerned, but not greatly worried, as he thought they should have been. They said what mattered was that he wasn't hurt, and the oven could have been replaced, if needed. Not so with him. He didn't get punished at all. In fact, he got extra dessert that night, along with more hugs and kisses from his mother than could be considered normal.

The next day, Aunt Rukia came to visit. Kazui liked her right away. She brought candy for him, said he was very handsome, and predicted that he would be an important man with a huge family. Kazui wasn't sure how true that was, or if he even wanted that for himself, but she sounded like she believed it, at least.

Rukia asked Kazui if he would like to attend a school for people with... swords that didn't necessarily behave. It was very hard to say no to that type of offer.

His parents were hesitant to allow this. Or his mother was, anyway. But his parents didn't argue with each other. Never had. The worst he'd seen was them debating, calmly, without raised voices.

In the end, his mother agreed, but on one condition. She was not going to entrust her only child to the special school... but she would entrust him to Rukia. It was a very mom thing to say, so Kazui was not surprised. He was surprised, however, when Rukia burst into tears, and then there was much hugging and more sobbing, while Kazui and his father sort of looked away in silence.

Rukia took the arrangement very seriously. Kazui had no idea where the other students lived, but he lived with Rukia. She woke him up in the mornings, ate breakfast with him, and waved him off as he left for school. In the evenings, she ate dinner with him while they talked about his day, and squeezed in some light training when they could. She was more attentive to him than his own mother was, which should have been annoying, but he understood both the difference and the necessity.

Rukia had been entrusted with a friend's child, and that was very serious. It was less serious when the child actually belonged to you. Kazui based this on the fact that his parents more or less let him get away with anything. The same definitely applied to Ichika, who only seemed to live with her mother half of the time, and sometimes went days without sleeping under the same roof as Rukia. Kazui was certain that Ichika spent those other nights either with her father or uncle, but the concept of a family not being largely focused under one roof was new to him. It in no way decreased the love that Rukia's family had for each other, and perhaps even increased it, but the setup was still odd to him. And since it made the occasions where Kazui had to sit through tea ceremonies at the Kuchiki mansion very infrequent, he was not about to complain. He much preferred Rukia's tea, anyway, and there were no mugs with rabbit designs on them at the Kuchiki mansion.

Rukia tried not to let her thoughts show on her face that morning, but she suspected that Kazui could see right through her. She had worked closely with him, to ensure that he was shaping up into the best shinigami he possibly could, and as a direct result, they had become very close. She was convinced that Orihime would do the same, if Ichika was ever asked to pass for a standard human. And that day was likely not too far off.

Kazui was not the type to do nothing if he noticed a problem. And he cared entirely too much about Rukia to ignore it, once he noticed something was bothering her. Doubly so if he thought he was what was bothering her.

So she was not too surprised when he pushed the remains of his breakfast aside and asked, "What's wrong, oba-chan?"

Rukia debated lying or saying nothing, then decided that both were ineffective. "It's not wrong, exactly, but there are some things I need to look into today, and they won't be simple."

Kazui frowned. "Am I one of these things?"

"Less you, and more your performance in school." Noticing his look, she quickly added, "You aren't in trouble."

He did not relax. "Then why does this need to be looked into?"

"Your father had some unique circumstances during his training that will likely impact you. It's best for me to stay very involved. Sorry if that makes you feel spied on."

Kazui shook his head. "It doesn't feel like spying, when it's you."

"I hope you really mean that. I was thinking about going to school with you today."

He blinked. "When you say 'thinking about-'"

"They're expecting me."

Kazui sighed. "I don't really get a vote, then."

"This one time, no. I promise not to embarrass you too much."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Rukia stared at him. "Then what are you worried about?"

"You'll know when it happens." He sounded very confident of that.

"Kazui, you know you can come to me any time, if you're worried about anything at all. I'm here to help. Or to listen and do nothing, if you prefer."

He nodded. "I know, oba-chan. Really. Thanks."

"This would be the part where you tell me what you're worried about," Rukia offered. "So I know before it can happen. So we'll have a plan for what to do if it happens." When this did not get a response, she reached across the table and put her hand on his. "Please, Kazui. Let me help."

"You can't-" he began, then stopped. "It's not that simple. And it's not like I won't tell you, eventually. But it's easier to accept after you've seen it for yourself. Not before. Trust me on that. I'm not keeping it secret from you, I swear. You're the only person I feel comfortable talking to this about."

That made Rukia feel much better. "If you're having trouble talking to Ikkaku and Yumichika, then-"

"No, it's not that. They're fine. I'm learning a lot. It's way better than human school. You get expelled for fighting in human school."

That seemed rather harsh to Rukia, until she reminded herself that only meant being kicked out of the school, and not sent into exile. "What do you like most about being here?"

Kazui blinked. "That's easy. You and Ichika are here." He said it so bluntly, like it should have been obvious to her. He was far too genuine sometimes. It was very hard for her not to hug him all the time. He had never complained, nor pulled away too quickly, but she didn't want to smother him with affection, either. Orihime had encouraged Rukia not to hesitate in disciplining him, if needed, but thankfully there had been very little need for that. He got into far less trouble than Ichika did. Although that might simply mean he was better at not getting caught.

The thought had barely crossed Rukia's mind when a door slammed, and loud footfalls announced the arrival of her daughter, who was chewing something vigorously and had her mouth half-open, about to try speaking in that state. Rukia coughed loudly, and Ichika shot her a half-guilty look and forced a prolonged swallow that made Rukia and Kazui both wince as they watched.

"Good morning, Ichika," Rukia said calmly.

"Hi, kaa-san," Ichika responded automatically. Perhaps if Kazui had not been there, Ichika would have greeted Rukia with a hug. But Kazui's presence had the not entirely unexpected impact of Ichika wanting to seem more mature than she actually was. Rukia suspected the pair would be dating each other rather sooner than she would have liked, but if that was to be her fate, there were far worse fates than the Kurosakis becoming her in-laws. She was honestly looking forward to it.

"I don't think you needed to pick me up today," Kazui said to Ichika, which she immediately took the wrong way.

"You better be grateful that I-!"

"Your mom said she'd walk with me. I don't think they can yell at me if I walk in with a Captain."

Ichika paused and glanced at Rukia, who nodded to confirm. "Oh. Well, in that case." She reached over, snatched a half-eaten rice ball from Kazui's plate, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Far from being upset, Kazui also handed her his cup to drink from.

Rukia was never sure what to make of this type of sharing. She knew it wasn't exactly normal for people who weren't extremely close... which implied that the kids were, or thought they were. And she didn't mind that, much. She preferred that they got along, and had been worried that they might not. Ichika was sometimes an acquired taste.

There had always been an unspoken agreement, when it came to the kids: Rukia would handle Kazui, and Renji would handle Ichika. It was less complicated that way, at least in that Rukia had personally sworn to look after Kazui. Renji was still included in that, of course, but the only reason Rukia had been able to make that promise, was because she knew Renji would look after Ichika while Rukia was occupied with Kazui.

This, however, also meant something else: when there was trouble with Ichika at school, Renji had to talk to Ikkaku. But if there were any incidents involving Kazui, then Rukia had to talk to Yumichika. Again, this was less complicated. Rukia could not say that she was a big fan of Yumichika's fashion sense, but he did understand that Ikkaku's approach, which was to treat Kazui like any other student, was going to run into some obstacles.

Rukia could not request special treatment for Kazui (not yet, anyway), not with all the benefits that Ichika was already getting, even as deserved as some of them were. While Ikkaku was among those willing to treat Kazui differently as a favor to Ichigo, that only went so far. Until Kazui had personally impressed Ikkaku, any further requests would be ignored. Not only did this make sense to Rukia, but there was no point trying to go over Ikkaku's head, either. Captain Zaraki never interfered with Ikkaku's training methods, and was far more likely to kick out anyone who couldn't handle it.

Not that Kazui was having any such issues. All of his issues came from the non-physical portions of training, which Rukia had expected. It was part of the reason she had wanted to be his sponsor. Unlike Ichigo when he was starting out, Kazui actually was interested in learning all he could, and not merely hacking and slashing his way to victory. And Rukia was happy to teach Kazui, or at least to review anything he had not understood right away.

According to Yumichika, however, Kazui's problem was the exact opposite of not understanding right away.

"He knows too much," was how Yumichika put it as he and Rukia watched Ikkaku guide Kazui and Ichika through some sword drills.

"He is Ichigo's son," Rukia reasoned.

"I don't think Ichigo would have told Kazui some of these things. Or shouldn't have, at least."

"I could check. What is it you think that Kazui knows?"

"Kazui doesn't want to be a Captain."

Rukia shrugged. "It's not for everyone."

"I think he knows what happens when they die."

That got Rukia's attention. "What did he say? Exactly?"

"He never wants to be a Captain, and wants to stay a 7th Seat forever."

"That doesn't sound like an idea that Ichigo put in his head."

"I know." Yumichika paused, then added, "Nobody around here should have been thoughtless enough to tell him. He's even gotten Ichika to worry. I've never known her to scare easily. That she is scared, means this is serious."

"Agreed." Rukia started to add something, but that was when she saw it. When they both saw it.

A hell butterfly had flown in. Rather than taking a direct route to its intended recipient, as they generally did, it circled above the dojo's occupants for several moments, and then finally landed squarely on Kazui's back. His motions slowed at once, and then stopped entirely. The change that came over his face was more striking than anything else, however. He bowed to Ikkaku, thanked him for the lesson, and then walked over to Rukia. Before she could ask, he spoke.

"Oba-chan, I need to go home right away."

For a few seconds, Rukia had no idea why he'd bothered to announce that. He knew very well where they lived, and could walk by himself if necessary. If he'd left without saying a word, she wouldn't have worried at all. He was a child, yes, but old enough to handle a sword, and so not an infant.

But then it clicked. He wasn't telling her he was going back to their home. He was asking for permission to return to his home. In the human world. Which would need to be specially arranged. And he wouldn't ask for that if it wasn't needed. The semi-regular pre-arranged trips had always been enough for him, and he only returned more than that if his family asked him to (which Rukia understood being more at Yuzu's request than anyone else's, she had never really gotten used to those long absences).

Rukia chose not to question the request at the time, since she had planned on speaking to Ichigo and Orihime soon, anyway. "Okay, Kazui. I'll set it up. If there aren't any issues, we should be able to go later today."

He nodded, paused, and then, much to Rukia's surprise, gave her a big hug. She ignored the scowl coming from Ichika, who felt such displays were beneath them, if only in public. She ignored the looks from the other students (ranging from disgust to amusement to even envy). She even ignored the smirk from Yumichika (but was mildly thankful for Ikkaku's insistence on ignoring the display). If Kazui was embracing her in public, something truly was bothering him, and she would never ignore that. She ruffled his hair fondly, and had started to bend down to kiss his forehead when she caught herself, realizing that might be pushing things firmly over the line of comfort and into embarrassment territory.

No, kisses in public were solely reserved for punishing Ichika when she had truly been bad, thus far. Kazui hadn't done anything that terrible.

Yet.

Rukia was not an uncommon guest at the Kurosaki Clinic, even after she got promoted to Captain, but she did usually only bring either her husband or daughter with her. Ichigo and Orihime would have been delighted if any other friends came along, but they knew things were likely too busy to allow that.

So when Rukia did show up with Akon accompanying her, it was odd, but not really unpleasant. At least, not right away.

While Orihime prepared snacks, Ichigo was asking after comrades he hadn't seen in a while. Rukia was eager to fill him in, but Akon seemed to be getting more and more frustrated. Ichigo mistook that as Akon wanting to be included in the conversation, and made a point to ask how he'd been.

Akon's answer was simply, "Fine." He said nothing else, not even when prompted to elaborate.

Rukia coughed falsely and changed the subject. "Ah, Ichigo. This isn't purely a social visit. We need to talk about Kazui." The situation was serious enough that Kazui hadn't even wanted to be present when she told him, and had instead retreated upstairs with barely a word.

"What did he break and how much will it cost us to get it fixed?" Ichigo asked automatically.

Rukia stared at him. "Uh... no, that's not the issue. I was the one who suggested you send him to Soul Society for training, and I still think that was the right decision. He's an excellent student-"

"Too excellent," Akon chimed in.

Rukia glanced at him, clearly uncomfortable. "Anyway, um... how much had you told him about Soul Society? Before, I mean."

"Very little," Ichigo admitted. "We thought it was best to leave that up to the teachers, and then we'd answer any questions he had about what they told him. But he never had any questions. He did say that he was having fun at school, though. What exactly is the problem?"

Rukia cleared her throat. "What all have you told him about... Hell?"

Ichigo blinked. "That he doesn't want to ever go there? Seriously, nothing. And it doesn't come up in conversation, ever. Not unless you guys told him. Wait, are you sure this isn't about his behavior?"

Rukia shook her head, but Akon nodded. They traded uneasy glances, and then Akon spoke up.

"Your son regularly displays... what we consider to be very advanced knowledge of Hell. As if he'd been there for an extended period. And when you consider that residents of Hell do not typically emerge and live among us, understand that our own knowledge of it is somewhat limited, or rather, restricted to specific shinigami. I'm telling you that Kazui knows more about Hell than we do."

Ichigo glanced between them. "Is it at all possible that he's exaggerating? Or lying? I love my kid, but he's not perfect."

Rukia frowned. "Ichigo, he isn't lying. He has proof."

"Proof? Like what?"

"There was a note. The paper and ink were unlike any materials we've ever encountered. We're mostly convinced the ink is actually blood from an unidentified creature. Hell-born is our guess."

Ichigo seemed slightly alarmed. "Who wrote this note?"

Rukia answered in as straightforward a manner as she could, but it was still easy to see the tension in her face. "Captain Unohana."

Ichigo went pale. "And... there's no chance that Kazui found an old note that she wrote before she died?" His shaky tone implied that he already knew it was pointless to ask.

"No, the note was about him. It's basically a progress report. She thinks he's a good student, too. Although we have no idea what she taught him."

Ichigo said the first thing that occurred to him. "Have you asked her?"

Rukia stared at him in total disbelief. "Sorry, what?"

"I didn't know her well, but she never seemed unreasonable. I'm sure if we ask-"

"Ichigo, it's Hell!" Rukia snapped. "There isn't a phone!"

"That... is not entirely accurate, Captain Kuchiki," Akon disagreed slowly, as if he'd realized something important.

Rukia glared at him. "If you are about to tell me that you've been having regular exchanges with-"

"No," Akon said at once. "However... in theory... it shouldn't be impossible."

"And you choose now to say that?!"

"Yes. It's not exactly protocol to bring up such ideas in a formal setting. Captain Kurotsuchi has neither encouraged nor forbidden research in this sector, and may in fact already have some more concrete methods in the works, or outright completed. But he has not seen fit to share them. So I can tell you that I don't believe the idea is impossible, only that it won't be easy, and that we don't officially have any completed projects that would be of any use."

Ichigo shrugged. "So you guys work on your Hell phone, and I'll get Orihime to talk to Kazui."

"Wouldn't you be the best person to talk to him about Hell?" Ruki asked.

Ichigo shook his head. "Only if we were trying to tell him about Hell. But we're trying to find out what he knows about it. And there's one thing that hasn't changed in my family. When you're a kid, there are things you would only tell your mother."

The building was on fire, but it did not burn. And the feel of those flames, he would have known them anywhere.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were all composed of a glossy black stone. With every step, he could hear the wails of lost souls. It bothered him a great deal, but he put it aside, focusing instead on the one positive thought he kept at the forefront of his mind.

He was going home. And he would be surrounded by family again. It was going to be okay.

It was easier to think that, when he looked at Yachiru's smile.

They were indeed waiting for him, as Yachiru had promised they were. But they were not unchanged, as she was.

The old man was still scarred. But the scar itself seemed to have deepened, and was now tainted with a black substance that was difficult to identify.

The edges of Unohana's haori were stained with blood that could not wash out. Or perhaps she had given up trying to wash it out. Perhaps she had never bothered trying in the first place. There was no kindness in her face anymore, though it was difficult to say if that was due to the environment at all.

Yachiru moved with no warning, hopping down from his shoulder and hurrying across the room. She stood a few feet behind Unohana's chair, her eyes locked on the sheathed zanpakuto at the woman's side.

No one spoke, but he knew what was expected of him. He took the empty seat across from Unohana.

Yachiru was silent, her face void of all emotion. She was too quiet. It bothered him.

The next time he looked, the twin boys had joined her, one on each side of her, and she was holding their hands. She still made no sound, and for once, neither did they. But no one was alone, and it was enough, for that moment.

Continued in Chapter 3: Playing Tag with Yam-Yam

Rukia and Orihime debate whether Hell-sent Captains are "former" at all.

Theory 2: Kazui will develop his powers rapidly.
Not so much a theory, really. When you consider the origins of each aspect of Ichigo's total power, and that Kazui may have even more aspects, I think it's unlikely some wouldn't slip out early.
I am likely reading too much into his ability to summon spirit fish... although, Unohana's zanpakuto spirit animal is basically a manta ray, so she could be involved there.

Both Orihime and Rukia seem content to let their kids wander, though Orihime at least has her fairies to keep an eye on Kazui. I assume they'd be a bit more careful with each other's children, though. If for no other reason than look how much trouble Ichigo gets into, even when someone is watching him. And I suspect that's a genetic thing. From both sides of the family.

Very curious if we will ever see these select shinigami stationed in Hell. I'm starting to suspect they're either randos we won't know (which would explain the escapees getting past them), or Captains (in which case, the escapees have been killed enough to become especially determined and skillful). Seems reasonable they'd need to either be very strong, or especially empowered by Hell itself to maintain things. And I doubt the latter happens often, outside of protagonists.