Chapter 015: Yoruichi Shihoin's Idea of Fun
The students had been split into two groups with different assignments. Broad strokes, not granular.
It might have sounded like a rough approach, short on nuance. But that was actually the whole point when it came to managing a large group in the field.
When you were giving orders to a crowd, one rule held above everything else.
Keep it simple. Keep it clear.
That was how you made sure the intent actually carried. Kishinoshin had handled it well. Everyone understood what was expected of them.
Then came the second split.
"Further breakdown into smaller units. I've got the rosters here. When I call your name, come and group up."
Reconnaissance. Assessment. Support.
The work divided down into those three roles, and Matsushita Yusuke landed in the support group. Kishinoshin spent three minutes running through the specifics with their eight-person unit, covered the key responsibilities, and moved on to the next group.
No exaggeration: this vice-captain was operating at a significantly higher level than the title suggested.
A family that had held its position for centuries without losing ground to rival noble houses -- there was a reason for that. The Omaeda family, at least in this moment, was putting in work that the original story had never given them credit for.
Impressed, Matsushita Yusuke fell in and got moving.
The mood among the students was easy enough. Kishinoshin had done a thorough job of briefing them in advance, and the lack of mystery kept the nerves down.
"There's only supposed to be two Hollows causing trouble out here..."
"And they're on the weaker end, right? We've got close to a hundred people between all the groups. I can't see how we lose this."
"Honestly, someone else might have already dealt with them before we even find them."
No problem with keeping a positive attitude.
But something about this felt off to Matsushita Yusuke.
Because the quest had said something fairly specific.
"Let them see what you're capable of?" In a situation like this... where exactly was he supposed to get the room to do that?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the operation.
Kishinoshin had finished every prep task, wrapped up all the briefings, and made his way back to the assembly point. He exhaled slowly and settled onto a roof beam beside Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi-sama. Everything's been passed down."
"Good work, Kishinoshin!"
"If you're feeling charitable, you could consider handling the mission briefings yourself next time. It's a fairly unusual arrangement, having the vice-captain do it for Squad 2."
"Ha ha, Kishinoshin, you're as funny as ever! Please don't make jokes like that, I don't like them!"
"On the subject of my retirement..."
"Absolutely not! You're still perfectly capable. Thinking about grooming a successor this early? Way too soon. Give it a few more decades at minimum."
Shinigami were spiritual beings and could push their natural lifespan significantly further than humans. That didn't make them immortal. Souls still aged, still declined, still reached the end of things -- just over a much longer span than a normal human life would allow.
Kishinoshin was solidly in his prime by any measure. But he could feel it, the subtle shift in what his body was willing to do. The gradual turn of the tide.
He'd hoped to hand things off while he still had enough left to keep watch from the sidelines, help the next person find their footing. A clean transition.
Didn't look like that plan was going anywhere.
"Kishinoshin. Don't sell yourself short. I can tell you've still got plenty left to give. Help me out for a few more years. Alright?"
Well. When she put it that way.
You're the captain. Your call.
That was the thing about years of working together. Kishinoshin knew exactly what she was like, which meant he could occasionally get away with pushing back a little. It also meant he knew exactly when to stop.
"As you wish..."
Out in the street below, the organized units were jogging along the road's edge, loud and visibly enjoying themselves, more like a school trip than a field operation.
Kishinoshin watched it and sighed quietly.
Young people these days.
He wasn't expecting them to carry the full weight of the job. But a baseline level of awareness during an active mission didn't seem like too much to ask. The gap between the young and the experienced always looked the same from the other side, and right now he was firmly on the experienced side of it.
"Kishinoshin. Looking at this group... anyone here you think would be worth recruiting into Squad 2?"
An abrupt question.
Not one he could pretend not to hear, either. She was his captain, and he respected her.
He thought about it briefly, then gave an honest answer.
"Honestly? Probably not."
Not dismissiveness. Just a straightforward read.
"Squad 2 prioritizes efficiency and execution. Even if someone's baseline ability isn't exceptional, the attitude still has to be right."
And the counterpart to that.
"These students are lacking on the professional side of things. I don't mean to be too blunt about it, but looking at how they're carrying themselves right now, their approach doesn't match what we're looking for."
If any of those students could have heard that, they'd have gone cold on the spot.
Coming from the actual operational authority of Squad 2, that assessment carried real weight. If someone was hoping to sign up, they'd just closed that door without knowing it.
Yoruichi, however, didn't seem to share the read.
She let out a short, sharp laugh, her canines catching the light, her expression taking on something like anticipation.
"You're strict."
"You're just too hands-off, Yoruichi-sama. That said, you're still the captain of Squad 2, so I'm only offering an opinion."
He knew the hierarchy. He knew his place in it.
That clarity was exactly why he belonged in the role.
"Fair enough. But the way I see it... this mission is going to get interesting."
"...?"
Kishinoshin looked up, genuinely uncertain.
Interesting how, exactly?
Two freshly turned Hollows. Challenging for students, sure. But there were nearly a hundred people spread across this operation. Weight of numbers alone would handle it.
So where was the interesting part supposed to come from?
He knew her well enough to take the comment seriously, though. Yoruichi Shihoin didn't say things like that without a reason.
She was pointing at something.
He thought about it. Sat with the silence. Then understood.
"Are you saying that..."
"Quick as always, Kishinoshin."
She crossed her arms, and the smile that had been playing at the corner of her mouth settled into something more deliberate.
"The mission isn't two weakly turned Hollows. It's one enhanced type that's already consumed over twenty souls, and one separate individual displaying unusually aggressive feeding behavior."
In other words.
"The kind that could kill even a mid-ranked seated officer if they went in unprepared."
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