Shiho 10: By Virtue of Merit
After eating some of her dinner, Shiho turned to Masae, who had just finished a bite of her meal.
"I will go back somewhat, before Miho and Maho were born," Shiho said, "to discuss the position Maho will one day inherit from me, just as I inherited it from my mother. While you had to establish something new, I had the burden of living
"That is a steep task in its own way," Masae said. "Of course, I suspect that you had time to ease into your position, even considering your mother's expectations."
"I did," Shiho said. "Even after everything I had learned and everything I had accomplished, I was not yet ready to succeed my mother, but I had learned enough to assist her, and serve as an assistant, much like your older daughter does for you. During this time, I helped my mother at the school, meeting individuals such as Instructor Chouno, Coach Kubo, and Kikuyo."
"I met all three of them today," Masae said. "They seemed to have their own interpretations of what it meant to be a Nishizumi style practitioner, their own goals, and their own... points of disagreement with you."
Shiho simply nodded, not at all surprised to hear that her students did not adopt all of the Nishizumi school's values.
"Not even I can reasonably expect my students to agree with me all the time," Shiho said. "Students come into the school with different sets of baggage, and they take different lessons away from it. In spite of that, my mother and I made it clear to them, long ago, what we did expect from them; nothing less than their full commitment to meeting our standards."
20 years ago
Shiho stood alongside her mother as Hotaru addressed the new students at the Nishizumi school in the assembly area of the school, a large auditorium-like room. Shiho, as Assistant Instructor, helped her mother with teaching the students.
"Some of you may have decided to come here because of the Nishizumi School's prestige," Hotaru said. "It is true that this is a great privilege and an opportunity, and you have been selected because you have potential. However, there are also responsibilities associated with it. As students of this school, you must be constantly working to better yourselves, for our standards are high."
Shiho nodded. The expectations were not solely on the students, as Hotaru had high expectations for her teachers, her heiress and herself. She had not said it outright, but those who were coming to the Nishizumi school understood it well enough.
"Once you graduate, you must be aware that you represent the Nishizumi school," Hotaru said. "Your victories further our glory, and your defeats bring shame to our name. In order to repay us for teaching you, and allowing you to call yourselves part of this illustrious school, you must do everything in your power to ensure that this school remains illustrious."
Shiho, for a moment, wondered if her mother was getting ahead of herself when speaking to those who had not yet graduated, but she soon concluded that it was simply making all of her expectations clear to them from the start.
"Admission to the Nishizumi School is a rare opportunity, but it is just that; an opportunity," Hotaru said. "It is up to you to make the most of that opportunity and become the best tankers that you possibly can. If you are willing to do so, there is no better place to learn tankery. I look forward to seeing how far you will progress."
"Yes, ma'am!" the students said.
Shiho looked around at the determined faces of the students. She would later remember that some of those faces disappeared from the class by the time those students graduated, and, even back then, knew that was likely to happen. Every time one of them faded a way, a small part of her wondered whether, instead of them failing her, she had failed to teach them.
But more than anything, Shiho believed she was not there for those who did not have the will to put he teachings into effect. She was there for the best, the brightest and the most determined, and worked to help them realize their full potential. She had gotten as far as she did by refusing to compromise, and so she hoped to take others as far as possible through the same method.
Present day
"Every organization, including your school, Instructor Atago, has rights and responsibilities for its members," Shiho said. "The Nishizumi school provides students a tankery education, and the right to call themselves graduates of the prestigious school, but also the responsibility to uphold the good name of the school."
"That may be so, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said, "although it does seem somewhat presumptuous to expect the students to think first and foremost of what might benefit their school. My own school notwithstanding, I wasn't asked this at any of my alma maters."
"I suppose you would think so," Shiho said. "But surely you know that in the real world, results matter more than anything else."
"That's true," Masae said, "and I do set my expectations high enough so that my students, by meeting them, can do whatever their superiors expect of them in the future. But at the same time, making mistakes can be a beneficial learning experience, and I've found that sometimes, those who struggle at first end up learning more than those who performed almost perfectly. Perhaps life may be somewhat unforgiving of failure, albeit rarely as much so as the Nishizumis are, but schools of all varieties would be best served by seeing mistakes as teachable moments."
Shiho remained silent, seeing yet another instance in which she and Masae did not see eye to eye, and never would.
Hiroe nodded. She had always been a natural at tankery, but had an unfortunate tendency to let that go to her head. Facing battles that were beyond her ability to win had humbled her to some degree, but she also realized that she had improved as a result of them. Working alongside her more experienced peers showed her that she still had much to learn, and she had learned a great deal from them. But could Shiho, whose daughters, students and subordinates seemed unwilling to openly criticize her, say the same?
"So, Instructor Nishizumi," Hiroe said. "I suppose everyone else who studied or taught at the Nishizumi School knew that you essentially were on track to inherit the school, correct?"
"That is correct, Assistant Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "I suppose you are speaking from your own experience."
Hiroe nodded, having already explained a good deal of what being her mother's heiress meant for her.
"So, how'd they take it?" Hiroe said. "Were they jealous? Did they suck up to you at all?"
"They sought to remain on good terms with me," Shiho said, "although it is only natural to expect that subordinates respect their betters."
Hiroe sighed, wondering if Shiho had intended that as a jab against her, an insinuation that she lacked respect for authority.
"Good one, Instructor Nishizumi," Hiroe thought bitterly. "I do respect my betters; I'm just fortunate enough that you're not my teacher or my boss, since 'better' is a misnomer for you."
Hiroe immediately realized that sentiment was one she was better off not voicing out loud. But after a moment of thinking about her own subordinates, students and colleagues, Hiroe thought of a better rebuttal to Shiho.
"Well, it's actually a little different for me," Hiroe said. "I know the other assistant instructors at my mom's school, and am friends with some of them; we use our titles at work, and first names out of work. They don't hesitate to let me know when I've made a mistake, or to give me advice when they think I could use it. Even though they're all at least a couple years older than I am- they range from being in their twenties to being Mom's age- they don't treat me like a little kid. They're willing to listen when I vent about various things, and talk about pretty much anything with me even though I'm the daughter of their boss, and may one day be their boss."
"I see," Shiho said. "I suppose that can work out in its own way, for a school like yours."
Hiroe shrugged, largely unsure of whether to see that as a sign of Shiho's approval,
"You sound kind of ambivalent," Hiroe said. "I'm guessing your colleagues didn't do anything like that."
"To some degree, they believed it was presumptuous for them to tell me how to do my job," Shiho said, "and for that, they deferred to my mother, since she was head of the school at the time. But that didn't necessarily mean they always agreed with me, or even that they liked me, much less being friends with me."
10 years ago.
Shiho attended a meeting of the assistant instructors of the Nishizumi school, as was typical of her position, even if the meeting was no ordinary one.
Hotaru had convened the meeting to announce that over the past few years, she had been gradually transitioning authority over the school to Shiho, and she now hoped to make it official.
The other women at the table looked and acted the part of typical Nishizumis. They wore dark-colored and conservative business attire and remained silent throughout most of the meeting, save for when Hotaru opened the floor to discussion, or spoke to them first. When Hotaru made the announcement, they had not impulsively called out questions, but waited, trusting their superior to speak, not wanting to ask about anything that would be covered in the meeting.
Once they did get the chance to ask questions, they asked mainly short and to the point questions that were relevant to the school, such as whether any of them would be affected or what Shiho's first plans as head instructor were. They realized that some questions were off limits, such as the nature of Shiho's private meetings with her mother over the past few weeks, or rumors of the instructor's declining health.
But the fact that they could not ask those questions did not mean that they did not want to ask them.
After the meeting ended, Shiho saw two of her fellow assistants walking off, talking indistinctly. The two seemed to be friends, at least judging by the somewhat informal tones they used, in comparison to their formal and businesslike speech at the meetingg.
"...you know that Assistant Instructor Nishizumi's the most qualified," one said.
"I know, but shouldn't the rest of us at least get a shot?" the other said. "It's not that I'm after the position myself, but the way they..."
Both seemed somewhat more emotive than they were with Shiho, and, whatever their disagreements were, they were willing to be frank with each other about them. Perhaps it was because of not being on the job; Shiho recalled the two using their titles all the time.
Of course, both were dedicated to the Nishizumi School, and would do what the head instructor- Shiho, her mother, or her daughter- did without complaint. So long as they were able to do that, Shiho would not confront them about or judge them based on what little she overheard. But that did not mean Shiho had no intentions of proving them, or anyone else who held that sentiment wrong.
Shiho had been chosen from when she was born a girl to be the Nishizumi heiress, and her entire life had been spent becoming worthy of the responsibility, so that people would know that she had the position by virtue of merit, as well as birth.
Present day
"There are those who mistakenly believe that the Nishizumi school promotes rivalries among its students and teachers, but that is not the case," Shiho said. "In a competition, it is no concern of yours whether your rival is doing well or poorly. In our school, it's your responsibility to motivate your colleagues to do well and give them advice if you can help them, even if it is also their responsibility to do what they can on their own. Not everyone understands that distinction."
"No, that makes sense to me," Masae said. "Tankery is all about working well individually and good teamwork, even if that teamwork is against other groups of people. It's thus natural for the Nishizumi school to have a more demanding approach, and a more ruthless way of dealing with those who don't meet expectations."
"I agree with Mom," Hiroe said, "although to use your analogy, I will point out that it's more fun when your opponent can fight on roughly even footing with you."
Shiho nodded.
"There is more meaning to defeating a strong opponent than a weak one," Shiho said. "That's why the Nishizumi school trains its students to defeat whatever enemies they face, regardless of their strength."
As the conversation briefly ground to a halt as some of the group finished off their dinners, Maho pondered the odds Miho had faced. She had to wonder if the Nishizumis had ever gone into a battle with a disadvantage in terms of equipment, or how a Nishizumi-style commander would have fared in Miho's circumstances. It was obvious, even to her, that the Nishizumi style would not have been successful in Oarai's situation. It was also obvious, even to outsiders, why Maho kept that sentiment to herself, even if she was starting to wonder if that idea was truly not to be spoken aloud.
"Perhaps it may be akin to heresy to point out that the Nishizumi style is not infallible," Maho thought. "But the idea itself is common sense, and may yet be what the Nishizumi style needs to reinvent itself. Miho has always known this, which is part of the reason why she does things her own way, even if our mother hasn't yet realized this... or doesn't want to."
"Going back to the school itself, its curriculum and ideology have not changed much from my mother's time," Shiho said, "so what you heard from Kikuyo and the others still applies today. I also had a similar approach to teaching as I did to commanding. In the years since she and her friends went to school, there have been some changes- setting up a website, using online videos and teaching tools- but they're more changes to our means of teaching than our goal."
"All those are important steps," Masae said. "But they're not everything that needs to be done to keep the school current. Times change, and so should tankery ideologies."
Shiho nodded.
"I suppose that I can't convince you to adopt the same mindset that I do, Instructor Atago," Shiho said, "so I will instead tell you a cautionary tale, of an outcome neither of us would want for our schools. Back when we were girls, the Murakami school was highly prestigious. Over the years, however, the current Instructor Murakami- who is the daughter of the school's founder and about a decade our senior- tried to re-brand the school, focusing instead on amphibious warfare. The change was not received well, and many of those who would have found the old Murakami style to their liking were turned away. The school's popularity is declining and there are rumors spreading that Instructor Murakami's daughter, a few years older than Maho, has plans to restructure the school, if not shut it down entirely."
Masae pondered her response for a moment, tempted to call the Nishizumi school itself a cautionary tale against the opposite extreme. But rather than tear down Shiho's beliefs, she decided to affirm her own.
"Change is not always good," Masae said, "but one cannot predict the future, only prepare for it. That's why Hiroe is a good successor, as someone who is not the same as me, but whom I trust to carry the school into the future."
"My mother believed I would be a good successor for the same reasons," Shiho said, "even considering I was the only real choice. Of course, everyone involved- teachers, students, and those who worked with them- were counting on me, and I was determined not to let them down.
10 years ago
One afternoon, Shiho had her sister-in-law Koharu over to discuss the school, both as family and as an alumna. The two women sat in the living room of the Nishizumi home.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Instructor Nishizumi," Koharu said. While Shiho was her sister-in-law, she preferred to address her by her title.
"Thank you, Koharu," Shiho said. While it was a position for which she had prepared all her life, she was still getting used to hearing herself being addressed the same way that he mother had been.
"How has your work been?" Koharu said.
"It's largely what I've prepared to do over the years," Shiho said. "I feel completely prepared to be the top authority in the school, and feel as though I am doing well enough to satisfy those who might criticize me. But, of course, that never has been the problem."
"Then what has?" Koharu said.
"The greatest problems the Nishizumis have faced have never been among their enemies, but their allies," Shiho said. "An indecisive or incompetent subordinate at a crucial moment can be more damaging than a strong offensive from the enemy."
Koharu nodded.
"And your job is to make those who start out as indecisive or unreliable be people whom you can personally count on, Instructor Nishizumi," Koharu said. "I was once one of those people."
"Perhaps," Shiho said. "But while everyone starts out that way, not everyone gets beyond it. And it's not always a question of time, effort or skill in teaching them"
Koharu paused, evidently wondering what brought on a sudden change in Shiho's normally calmly confident attitude.
"Might this be about Miho?" Koharu said.
Shiho hesitantly nodded, and Homura also nodded in agreement. She found it difficult to talk about Miho, who, despite not being held to the same standards as her sister, continued to fall short of Shiho's expectations in some ways.
"Yes," Shiho said. "Miho has grown up in circumstances similar to mine, but continues to be less than sure of the Nishizumi doctrine. "
Koharu looked somewhat surprised. It was unusual for Koharu to hear her sister-in-law be so up front and honest about one of her own failings. Clearly, Shiho considered her inability to properly indoctrinate Miho a failure as a parent and a teacher.
"Even in my time, there were students who were unable to live up to Hotaru-kaa-sama's expectations," Koharu said. "There will always be those who do not meet your expectations, and it is never a prudent idea to relax those standards for their sake."
"But Miho is no ordinary student," Shiho said. "I have invested far more into her own training than anyone else's, save Maho's. At the very least, she should understand that it is best for all of us if she does what she is expected to do."
"That is true," Koharu said, "and that's a sentiment my brother has often expressed. When we talk about his family, he often seems worried about Miho not becoming a good Nishizumi, even if the school is most important in the end."
"Yes, and I feel the same way," Shiho said. "I will continue to uphold the good name of the Nishizumi school by any means necessary. To ensure that it remains the same place as where you learned tankery so long ago. It is my hope that Miho will understand the importance of what we do one day, and my belief that if she does not, there is no place for her in our family."
Shiho paused to think for a moment, wondering whether, if everyone understood her as her husband and sister-in-law did, that the Nishizumi school's critics would come to see why they chose to adhere to tradition. At the very least, she hoped that those closest to her would share her commitment to the family's goals.
But the Nishizumi school did not exist to cater to the lowest common denominator, but to be the best in the nation. Shiho saw no reason to compromise her standards for her younger daughter, but raise her into someone who could meet them. Miho would no longer be proof that even Shiho's own daughters rejected her ideology, but a success story that proved that the following the Nishizumi way would lead women to perfection in tankery.
Present day
"After I was officially appointed head, my duties were the same as my mother's," Shiho said, "to teach the students of the Nishizumi School, uphold my family and school's honor, and one day raise a successor to do all this. Maho has assisted me in my lessons, and, in the coming years, will learn more about becoming a teacher on her own."
"But as you said, Instructor Nishizumi, you faced challenges of your own," Masae said. "You are not your mother, no matter how much you try to emulate her, and neither of your daughters are you, regardless of whether you wish this were not the case."
"Maybe so, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "But this is still my school, and I have a responsibility to it. Even after retiring, my mother often visited the school to see how I was doing in her stead, and she did often check in on my daughters' progress in tankery. She was no longer head of the school, but having devoted most of her life to it, still wanted to see the school continue to prosper"
"So what did she think?" Kinue said.
"Grandmother approved of my progress," Maho said, "at least as much as someone like her would. She saw that I was still young, and had room for improvement, but was on the right track. As for Miho, Grandmother believed that with time and the proper instruction, she would become a proper Nishizumi style practitioner."
"Which never happened," Hiroko said. Maho nodded in agreement, a smile slipping across her face in spite of herself, before Hiroko continued. "How did your grandmother react to that realization?"
Maho turned to her mother, silently deferring to her.
"My mother did not live to see it, but that's beside the point," Shiho said. "She saw potential in Miho and Maho, trusting me to guide them on their path, and them to walk that path themselves."
Five years ago
After Maho won the middle school tankery tournament for the first time, her mother and grandmother called her home to discuss the match.
"Congratulations, Maho," Hotaru said. "You have met my expectations as a heiress of the Nishizumi School."
"Thank you, Grandmother," Maho said, appreciatively yet modestly. "But I still have a long way to go before I can inherit the school, like Mother did."
"Indeed," Hotaru said. "Winning the tournament over all other competitors is a good first step, but there is more to being a Nishizumi than the skill necessary to win. You must have the determination to achieve consistent results, the ability to pass on your teachings to others, and the drive to keep succeeding. All that will come in time, although I may not be the one who helps you attain those qualities."
"What do you mean?" Maho said.
"I will speak plainly," Hotaru said. "By the time you attain leadership of the Nishizumi school, I will likely no longer be able to watch you. Therefore, all I can do for you is ensure that you will be well-equipped to succeed your mother."
Maho's expression turned somber. Shiho had kept the results of some of Hotaru's recent doctor visits from her, but Shiho knew that Maho realized all was not well with her grandmother. This was not the time or place to discuss such things, however, and with the discussion of the tournament finished, so had Maho's part in the conversation.
"I believe we've talked enough about the tournament," Hotaru said. "You are dismissed, Maho; I would like to speak to your mother in private."
"Yes, Grandmother," Maho said, before taking her leave.
After Maho exited the room, Hotaru turned back to Shiho.
"She's promising for her young age, but she's still just a child," Hotaru said, "just like you once were, Shiho."
"And what about Miho, Mother?" Shiho said. "She has expressed unease with the Nishizumi style before. It is... troubling."
"I understand your concern," Hotaru said. "But thoughts do not always lead to actions, and there is still some time before she does tankery. It is your job to ensure that we can count on her to obey our principles, even if she does not agree with them."
"Yes, Mother," Shiho said, deferring to her judgment. So long as Miho did what she was told and met her expectations, Shiho did not need to act on her younger daughter's discontent.
Shiho's mother did not live to see Miho decide to save the tank in the finals of the tournament. But every time Miho defied her family's style, Shiho's thoughts turned to what her mother would do to uphold her family's ideals and safeguard its legacy. The most important step was to ensue her daughters did the same, and Shiho was willing to do anything to achieve that goal.
Present day
"As the years go on, Maho will go through the same experiences that I went through as a teacher, and one day, she will take up leadership of the school," Shiho said. "This is the goal to which I have dedicated the majority of my life- ensuring that the Nishizumi School will remain run by our family, in good hands and true to its principles."
Maho felt an odd feeling inside of her. She had long seen her status as the Nishizumi heiress as a burden to bear in her younger sister's stead, but for the first time, she had to wonder- did things have to be this way?"
Masae paused, coming to terms with the realization that Shiho still believed, after everything she had heard, that her decisions were justified.
"My in-laws had a similar mindset," Masae said. "Because their eldest daughter was unsuited to their plans, they passed her over in favor of their middle child- their eldest son. They cast aside their younger son when he did not do as he was told."
Shiho nodded, her attitude on her family too firmly established to be shaken by Masae's reminding her of this story again.
"I know," Shiho said. "I may be repeating myself yet again, but I believe that their approach was justified, even if they could have done more to prevent things from coming to that."
Masae paused, not surprised, as she stared at her empty plate. She had hoped to elicit a reaction out of Shiho with that statement, and that reaction was what she had expected. But would Shiho continue to maintain her present attitude once she told them what had become of Masaru's parents?
Author's Notes
Apparently, people in Japan refer to their spouses' relatives the same way they would if they were their own relatives. For example, one might call one's spouse's older sister "Nee-san". I tried to replicate that here with Koharu's mother-in-law, since Hotaru is no longer "Instructor Nishizumi."
The Murakami school is one of those schools that exists in canon, but is largely only mentioned in supplementary materials. Apparently, the Nishizumis are not the only tankery family in canon, with others including the Shimadas and the Kumanos. The Nishizumis are merely the strictest tankery family.
Incidentally, the Maginot manga is progressing nicely. It's interesting to see the character development of the Maginot team, which would have been nice to see for the canon teams, especially Black Forest.
Again, Paths Toward Victory is nearing its conclusion. Masae and Shiho have told each other many things, about their experiences growing up, learning tankery, doing tankery, falling in love, having children, teaching their styles of tankey and raising successors, but now one more story remains for each, describing what matters the most to them in the end.
Edited to correct some of the ways the in-laws refer to each other. In particular, I accidentally forgot that Koharu is Homura's younger sister this time.