The Way of the Onmitsukido

"So, you finished saying goodbye to your subordinate?" mocked Ggio Vega.

"Why would I do that?" asked Soifon coldly.

Ggio grinned. "You are about to die. Might as well say your farewells."

Soifon tossed her head impatiently. "Even if I were about to die, I would not feel compelled to bid farewell to that fool."

"My, harsh, aren't we? You do not care much for your subordinates do you?" Ggio cocked his head.

She pulled her lips into a grim smile. "I do not believe in being close to my subordinates. It is better for their training."

**************

"Never turn your back to the enemy. If your ally is fallen, try to defeat your enemy from behind with a stealth attack. If you cannot overcome him, flee instead of helping your ally. Even if the one fallen is your Commander. Live to fight another day. That is the Way of the Onmitsukido. Do you understand, Soifon?"

"H…hai, senpai." The young girl nodded her head and she rubbed her head ruefully, having been surprised by her instructor during a hand-to-hand combat training session. She had tried to stand between the instructor and a fallen classmate and had paid the price for it when her senpai disarmed her and rapped her hard on the head for her failure.

"Fail to understand this, and you will fail to make it into the Onmitsukido when the time for your examination comes. Never forget this, Soifon." The young girl nodded vigorously and committed his words to heart, determined that she would not fail her family.

It was a lesson that Soifon never forgot, one that was drilled into the troops under her with regularity. She could be found in the mornings instructing them in their drills, yelling out this mantra, making sure that it seeped into their everyday consciousness.

She recalled one particular upstart who had dared to ask "But Commander, what if the protection of our comrades is our mission? Wouldn't abandoning our allies result in the defeat of the mission?"

She had not given him an answer them, but had silenced him with a few blows. He dared not question her again, but committed the mantra to his heart, reasoning that dedication to the cause would always be greater than one's dedication to any individual comrade.

He never realized he had hit a particular sore point in her. The truth was, Soifon stopped subscribing to the Way of the Onmitsukido the moment she entered Yoruichi Shihoin's service. From that moment on, she had committed herself to standing between any enemy and Yoruichi, at the cost of her life. She would only strike at the enemy from the back if there was absolutely no chance he could attack Yoruichi from the front. One can flash-step behind or in front of the enemy, but not both, and Soifon knew she would always be at the shortest distance between the sword point of the enemy and Yoruichi.

She had buried this tension when Yoruichi left, surfacing only the training that had been embedded deep into her mind by her senpai. In fact, she prided herself on her ability to instill discipline into the Onmitsukido, that they would unwaveringly obey all that she had taught them.

And hence, when she found Omaeda standing between her and her prey, she was thoroughly annoyed at his ignorance of her training, his disobedience of her orders, and his presumption that he would even bear her the same sacrificial loyalty she bore Yoruichi.

Moreover, she had really wanted to see the Arrancar's Resurrecion form, and Omaeda had ruined the moment. I will have to find some other way to provoke the Arrancar, she thought drily.

She had flinched momentarily when Ggio was gathering his Cero against Omaeda, who had gripped him in a bear hug. The fool! He does not know what he is up against! She wanted to believe that he was actually trying to protect her – the idiot has not actually let go! – her mind could only conceive of the possibility but her heart was not convinced.

Time to stop playing. I have had enough of this. In a flash, the Captain of the Second Squad had freed herself from the fangs that pinned her to the wall and had interrupted Ggio's Cero and kicked Omaeda to safety.

She nodded curtly to Omaeda, and dismissed the gush of concern he expressed. "Was it blind loyalty? Or were you doubting my abilities? You were just worried you would be next if I died, is that not true?" The shock and horror on Omaeda's face bored her – she had seen this expression all too often since the battle started. You are out of your depth, Omaeda. Perhaps it really would be better if you had died in a corner instead.

Her conscience pricked her. Yoruichi-sama never treated you this way… but no, Yoruichi-sama is different… I…

She looked back at Omaeda, and tried to keep her voice even and dispassionate. "Your enemy still moves. You had best finish him off."

"I… you don't have to treat me like I'm in the way!" sputtered the Vice-Captain, indignant.

"Just go! Kill him, and then join me."

Those were the six most beautiful words Omaeda had ever heard in all his years in the Second Squad.