Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to KanColle.

Chapter 3

Kazuki rubbed his face in frustration as they left the training ground for the Kagerou class destroyers. Upon reading the dossiers that Kenichi had provided him, he was certain that Shimakaze would be a perfect addition to the squad. A quick destroyer like her would do wonders under the constraints of stealth missions. What he received upon meeting her was quite different.

Instead of the professional he had expected, Shimakaze turned out to be a boisterous ball of energy. Practically bouncing off of the walls, the rabbit eared girl was certainly charming, but wasn't what he needed as part of the squad. She would prove to be a greater liability than an asset. It was a disappointment, but there were definitely more destroyers out there.

They had, after all, already recruited Isokaze. Granted, that had also been a frustration.

"What is with the destroyers on your base?" he asked Kenichi as they made their way to the classrooms.

"They're definitely a different bunch that's for sure," Kenichi chuckled. "But you get used to them quickly."

"You'd have to if you wanted to survive," Kazuki groused.

Although Isokaze had actually been quite willing to join, her desire to have Hamakaze join as well had led to a long and frustrating confrontation between Nagato and Isokaze over fleet construction. Kazuki had tried to sit out, after Commander Matsuoka and the submarines; he felt that Nagato had a good handle on these situations. However, he had still been pulled in. It was his personal squad that was being built, and he had final say.

If it weren't for the fact that he was already frustrated, Kazuki would have definitely applauded Isokaze's ability to outmaneuver Nagato in a conversation. However, he was frustrated and had no time for it. Putting his foot down, he knew that he would be facing an uphill battle with the girl come tonight. There was no doubt in his mind that she would struggle and gripe over the fact that her beloved Hamakaze wasn't joining them.

But that would be later. For now, he wanted to get the remaining four members of the fleet determined and assigned.

"Don't be such a sourpuss Kazuki," Kenichi said, breaking Kazuki's train of thought. "This base has to be more enjoyable than the last one you served on."

"You know that I served alongside Kyoko, right?" he replied.

"You mean Admiral Fujisaki?" Nagato cut in; her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, I forgot to mention that to you Nagato," Kenichi started. "He served alongside Admiral Fujisaki when she managed to force the war into a stalemate."

"Amazing," the Fleet Girl said, her attention turning to Kazuki.

Blushing under the look of awe that his friend's secretary was giving him, Kazuki scratched the back of his head; attempting to figure out how to respond.

"It wasn't much," he finally said, feeling really awkward now. "I was just her secretary when Taihou had to be launched. Other than that, I was on desk duty."

"And unofficially, he was her personal tactician," Kenichi said. "It's the reason I was so adamant that he help us here. He came up with the operation that ended the northern conflict."

"I didn't come up with it," Kazuki argued. "That was still Kyoko. I barely did anything on it, just ironed out a few of the positions."

He was blushing now, Kazuki was certain that his face would melt with how embarrassed he was getting. It was one thing to know that you played a major role in such a conflict; it was another to have someone talk about it like it was something amazing. He barely did anything.

"Anyway," he started up, turning all conversation away from his past. "I was wondering what destroyers were looking at next. I want to be more prepared than I was for the previous group."

Kenichi gave him a grin, before starting his explanation.

"The next group we're off to see is the Fubuki class. I'm certain you'll find the second destroyer you wanted there," he said. "They're… well they're a relatively calm bunch; although you do have to be wary of Murakumo. She's just as likely to kill you as she is to accept you. I swear she acts like a tsundere."

Kazuki let out a sigh. That was just perfect. First he had to go through one group of crazies. Next he had to go past an anime archetype. What was next a girl with chuunibyou?

"Wait… don't answer that."

"Don't answer what?" Kenichi asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Never mind," Kazuki waved them off.

Reaching the door to their destination, he took a deep breath for stepping inside. It was still weird to be walking around with the captain's bars on his uniform. The last time he had been in uniform was two years ago and at that point he didn't have any bars. He was practically a 'nobody' back then; at least in the eyes of those who mattered in the navy's leadership.

Stepping through, he held the door open for Kenichi and Nagato as they took the lead, leading him towards the specific classroom. Reaching the door, he waited for them to open it and enter. Following after, he took in the group inside.

Listening intently to their instructor, Haguro if Kazuki remembered correctly, were six Fleet Girls. Five of them shared similar appearances, which he was certain, would end up being a hassle when trying to tell them apart. One stood apart, however, as she switched attention from the class to those who had just entered. Her appearance was wildly different from the others, and, if Kazuki hadn't been alerted to the fact that these were all Fubuki Class Fleet Girls, would have assumed she was of a different class. Her long silver hair and vibrant orange eyes were in stark contrast to the dark haired and dark eyed girls that were also in the room.

"Miss Haguro," the girl said, her silver hair swaying as she turned her head. "The admiral is here."

Haguro stumbled over her words as she turned to face the three of them. Kazuki felt a desire to go over and tell her that it was alright, but he was well aware of the fact that he would only make it worse. When they were younger, Kenichi would tease him about the fact that his tone of voice tended to chill the souls of everyone he spoke to. As he got older, he came to believe it: mostly. There were certain people who weren't put off by him. He tended to treasure these people closely.

"W…welcome admiral, secretary ship," Haguro said, bowing as she spoke. "And who are you?"

"Captain Chiba, I've been newly appointed to this base," Kazuki said, shooting a quick glare at Kenichi to silence him. "I'm here to run operations that require a mix of ships and came by to observe your class, see if any of the destroyers here fit the requirements."

"Welcome Captain Chiba. By all means, come on in and sit down," Haguro said. "I'm currently teaching the Fubuki class of ships. There are many bright young girls here."

"I have no doubt," Kazuki said with a smile. "Thank you for your cooperation Miss Haguro."

Moving over to the far wall, he leaned against it as the class resumed. Nagato and Kenichi joined him at the wall soon after, the two of them just as focused on the destroyers as he was. While not the ideal method of observing this set of destroyers, Kazuki couldn't complain about the relaxed atmosphere. So far, no one was bouncing off the walls. He could genuinely appreciate that.

However, the fact that the silver haired destroyer was watching him closely was intriguing. Rather than focus on her lesson, she seemed more interested in his, or the admiral's, presence in the room. With the two of them standing side-by-side, Kazuki wasn't totally sure of who was the target of her attention. But she intrigued him.

"That's Murakumo," Nagato whispered to him from her place on Kenichi's other side. "She's one of our most skilled destroyers. She's been on the base since Ken…Admiral Sakata set up shop."

Kazuki nodded his head in understanding. Crossing his arms, he settled himself more comfortably against the wall. It sounded like speaking to Murakumo may be the best option. If she had more experience than the others, she may prove to be a tactically sound addition to the squad.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The class ended within an hour of their arrival, and Kazuki wanted nothing more than to leave the room. Sitting through Haguro's stuttering lecture had been an experience. Not one that he wanted to repeat anytime soon. She was definitely charming, but there was no doubt that her teaching… well it could use some work.

Stretching himself out, he stepped away from the wall and walked over to where Murakumo was preparing to head out. In hushed tones, he had spoken with Kenichi and Nagato about each of the destroyers. He didn't want to make a biased decision, but it seemed that most of the others were busy with other duties, and only Murakumo was a valid option.

"Now I'm being blocked by the same restrictions," he mused, thinking back to Isokaze. "It's quite ironic."

Shifting his thoughts, he didn't want to make her feel unappreciated when he spoke to her. She wouldn't be, as Kazuki found that the Fubuki class offered multiple skilled girls that would complement his squad. He just didn't want to field a squad full of destroyers.

Up north, he had seen the folly of numerous undertrained admirals deciding that the destroyers' torpedoes would be the best option for all situations. Not that he could completely fault them. When new admirals were only given access to destroyers, one started to rely heavily on them in the wrong situations.

He wanted a balance, a balance of lighter and faster ships than the battleships that dominated most battlefields. After all, he wasn't intending to fight in open warfare. Instead, he was meant to be performing covert operations. Ones that would rarely, if ever, end up in open warfare.

"Murakumo, may I speak with you," he said as he approached her.

"And why should I?" she asked, her voice a mixture of disinterest and haughtiness.

"Because he is an officer on this base, and your superior," Nagato cut in.

Kazuki was noticing that she had to do that more than he thought she would. But he was appreciative of the fact that nearly everyone bowed down when she spoke up. However, Murakumo didn't seem to react the same way.

"Oh? And what will the mighty battleship do if I don't?" she questioned. "You know you can't touch me. The admiral won't allow it."

Nagato's face flushed in anger, and Kazuki shot his friend a look to see what Kenichi was up to. To his surprise, Kenichi's eyes were narrowing, and a scowl was forming upon his typically smiling lips.

"Murakumo, you do not have any right to speak to Nagato like that," he said, his voice a low growl. "She is your superior, and deserves the respect that any other superior would deserve."

Murakumo turned away from Kenichi, blushing with a scowl on her own face as she started to mumble. Sighing again, Kazuki decided that he would do his best to get through to this girl. He needed at least one more destroyer on his squad, and she was his last hope.

"Excuse me, Destroyer Murakumo," he started, trying to find the best way to relay his message without provoking the girl's hostility. "I'm here to perform clandestine operations for the navy. For that reason, a squad of Fleet Girls from this base is being put under my control. I want you to be a part of that squad."

Taking a calming breath, he hoped he didn't come across to hard, or too soft. He never knew if he had struck a balance or not, but he was sure that he could at least get his point across.

"And why do you want me to be a part of your squad?" Murakumo asked.

The hostility that she had shown towards Nagato no longer present, Kazuki wanted to pump his fist in victory.

"I believe that you are the destroyer that could best protect the other ships in the squad," he said. "With the skills that you have, I'm certain that you're the best choice for the squad. Capable of effective close combat, as well as a crack shot. You're everything that my squad needs in a protector."

At this point, Kazuki was aware that he was laying it on thick, but it seemed to be working as Murakumo perked up further and further.

"I'll do it," she said proudly. "But not for you… or anything."

Kazuki gave her a grin, before standing ramrod straight; as expected of an officer.

"Then I expect you to come to western docks for 21:00 hours tonight."

Murakumo nodded, before running out of the classroom, leaving only the admiral, Nagato, himself and Haguro.

"Umm…" Haguro started. "I'm sorry. I should have stopped her."

"There's nothing you could have done Haguro," Kenichi said. "She's been like this for months. I doubt that the sudden appearance of a new officer would have made her still her tongue. You have nothing to apologize for."

Haguro seemed to be mollified, but was still exhibiting clear signs of being uncomfortable.

"She seemed to respond well to my request," Kazuki finally cut in. "I thank you for providing me with the opportunity to speak with her. Hopefully, the time in my squadron will help prevent any of these outbursts from occurring again."

"Y…yes Captain Chiba," Haguro said. "I hope so a…as well."

"Wonderful, everything's better," Kenichi interceded, a beaming smile on his face. "Now, Kazuki, let's go get some food before we continue on. I think it would be best to introduce you to the rest of the camp at the mess hall. Coming Miss Haguro? Nagato?"

"Y…yes admiral!" Haguro nearly yelled.

"Right away," Nagato added.

Knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to get out of this, Kazuki sighed and waited for the others to exit the room before following. It was going to be a long day. He still had three members of his squad to determine and then brief them on the expectations of their new positions.

However, getting something to eat; that wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe it would reenergize him for the next wave Fleet Girls he had to meet. After all, he had yet to meet any of the light cruisers on Kenichi's base.

End Chapter 3

A/N: And another chapter is done. I'm hoping that any readers of this story are enjoying, and I promise that the story is progressing ever forward. So, the next update shouldn't be too long from now. I hope that any readers do continue to follow the story, as we start to build up to the real meat of the story. So, until next time:

Nanashi Wanderer