Author's Note: As you can see from the title, this is a revamp. After several attempts at writing other GuP fanfictions, writer's block decided to hit me and as a result those fanfictions haven't been successful in terms of writing or progress, given my ideas just ran out by then. So, when sitting on the toilet one day, I decided to just put all the other fanfics on hold and rewrite ASoJ to hopefully fix the issues I have with the fanfic, me being inexperienced in this website to take risks with shuffling the chapters around.

I will try to add more character moments, personality, combat, and whatnot to the story to hopefully give it more quality. Even so I don't expect the battle scenes to be the best, I'm not a bookworm and I haven't really read any books on military theory, so feel free to leave some suggestions in the reviews so I can pump out more thrilling battles than the not-so-interesting ones in the original.

Thanks for checking this out, I hope I can actually finish this. It's probably my best story, yet there is much to be fixed.

Saariselkä forests, Upper Lapland

"A bit more to the right, always mind the wind."

The dead tree was over a kilometer away, it was relatively small and hard to hit. There was nobody else there, just father and daughter and the few animals roaming around, curiously looking on from a distance. The air was still, save for the occasional blowing of the wind and the rustling of the trees that resulted from this blowing.

For the past 6 months after she had turned 7, Jouko had been practicing with her father's old rifle, seeking to emulate Simo Häyhä in possessing his legendary aim. She had always admired him, the great Finnish sniper of the Winter War, how despite his use of iron sights was able to rack up so great a kill count. It turned out he was a good friend of her grandfather, and by extension, her own family as well, and had trained her father in the ways of shooting. Now, it was her turn to continue the tradition, and this was her final trial. She eagerly wanted to pass it as soon as possible, and after weeks of practice, today was the day.

But at this crucial moment, Jouko's mind began to wander to possibilities of the future. Ever since she learned of this sport, or martial art, called "Sensha-do", a sport involving girls fighting using old tanks from the Second World War, she had expressed interest in going to Japan, to see if she could emulate her hero with tanks. She would also get to meet new friends, and though she already had several good friends, but it wouldn't hurt to get some more.

"Focus, Jouko, this is your longest shot yet."

With the stern words of her father snapping her back to reality, she peered down the scope, held her breath, took careful aim for a few seconds, moved her rifle a degree to the left of the tree to mind the wind, and pulled the trigger, launching the bullet. A loud crack echoed through the thousands of trees surrounding the two beings, startling the animals looking on and forcing them to run in all directions.

Seconds that felt more like eons passed by as the shot traversed the distance, but still peering through the scope, Jouko watched as the small twig in the distance snapped in half, a very subtle "tick" coming seconds later: the sound of the poor thing breaking in two. Pats on the back came from her father, proud of this feat, and the two exchanged a bout of laughter, happy to relieve some stress.

In the previous few months, Jouko had shown improvement in shooting targets from longer ranges, practicing with another target that was farther away if she hit the previous target. From 50 meters, to 100 meters, 250, 500, now, she had hit the kilometer-long shot at last. But, there was still one challenge her father had for her, one she knew well was coming up right now.

"You've finally hit the distance! But now, let's see if we can do it using the good old iron sights."

Pulling another rifle from the bag, this was the same class of rifle, albeit without a scope, the aim now simply iron sights, like what Simo performed with when out shooting green-clad Soviets and their officers.

"My grandfather's friend Simo always used iron sights, he feared a scope would expose his location; even with that, 500 enemies fell from his bullets. It's important to get used to this, should you find yourself in a similar situation."

Jouko took one long look at the rifle, and again her heart seemed to beat. No scope, just the iron sights, 100 times harder to hit the target, at least to her. But, Jouko was prepared. She had worked with iron sights before, although not at this distance, the last time being 500 meters, she hadn't even tried a kilometer-long shot with the iron sights, but she was going to give it her best shot. Nodding to her father affirming her readiness, Jouko stood up and followed her father to a different location in the forest.

The two trudged through the thick snow, leaving prints of contrasting sizes behind them that would soon dissipate once the snow fell again. Spotting another dead tree around the same distance off, Jouko tugged on her father's hand, and indicated its position. She had practiced indicating positions and finding the perfect place to use as a firing position. Both assumed sniping positions as Jouko's father pulled out his old pair of binoculars, watching closely and waiting patiently for the old tree to snap.

Holding her breath and memorizing her previous pose, as well as making calculations in her head about the wind, trajectory, and speed of the bullet, she angled her rifle ever so slightly downwards, and, after waiting for the wind to die down, gently pulled the trigger, causing the rifle to recoil and making her heart skip a beat. The bullet whizzed through the air, and landed only a few mere inches to the left from the target, causing both to let out a huff of frustration.

Instinctively, Jouko swiftly reloaded, took a deep breath, held it, and took careful aim again. This time, she aimed more to the right, she fired second time. With baited breath she waited for several seconds again, she wanted to hit this shot, it was what she had been working towards for the past half year of her life. Silently praying for her shot to land on target, it took several seconds for the round to make the distance. After what felt like a century, the small tree fell over, eliciting a jump of joy from Jouko. It more than pleased her father, who tightly embraced her daughter, who eagerly returned the favor.

"By Mannerheim, excellent shooting, dear, you are a fast learner!"

She smiled, and after packing everything back into the bag, the two traveled back to eat a well-deserved dinner.

Jouko's family home

That evening, the family gathered for dinner: the usual fried vendace and loimulohi, with a side of Baltic herring and some rye. For dessert, pulla and kiiselli, with a few pihlaja bars as sweets. It was a relatively heavy meal, but for Jouko's family, it was normal, which could explain their bigger-than-usual sizes. Normally, the table was full of chatter about this happening and that happening at school, the adults talked about politics and shenanigans and complex things only an adolescent would understand, and other things. But, tonight, the focus was on Jouko's achievement.

"And I aimed to the right, and the tree snapped in half! I never felt so good!"

After excitedly boasting of her achievement earlier that day, to the bemusement of her parents, she brought up her interests of going to Japan to take up Sensha-do, which quickly changed the mood of the adults.

"Simo, but with tanks, Mama! Think of it!"

Caught off-guard by this sudden want from their daughter, there was silence from both adults as they thought of a way to diffuse the situation. Finally, Jouko's mother spoke up.

"Well, Jouko, we'll have to talk about it first, Daddy and I."

There was much deliberation behind Jouko's back after dinner, expressing their concerns, but also the potential that came with their daughter pursuing such a sport. On one hand, Aiko, the father, wanted to support Jouko's endeavors. On the other hand, Maina, the mother, wanted her to stay, not willing to be separated from her precious child for so long.

"We can't afford to lose her, she'll be in a completely different environment and... please, Aiko, let her stay with us, it will be unsafe for her to go alone."

"Maina, she wants it so much, I know you and I don't want to see her sad. Besides, it is a great way to help nurture her on becoming the perfect woman for her adult years, if what they say is to be believed."

"Aiko, I don't know. 'If what they say is to be believed' doesn't help."

"Well-"

"Plus, aren't we already raising her to be a good Christian lady, with the Bible's teachings and the theological doctrines relating to how to raise a child? So far, I'd say we've done extremely well!"

"Well, Maina, I think we should honor her wish. Besides, she said she wants to become Simo, but with tanks. I feel that's a good way to honor our late friend."

"I suppose, but I just don't want to see her leave us for such a long time."

"Maina, she won't be gone forever, just be comforted by that. We'll see her again for sure."

"I know."

"Besides, you know how Japan is mostly non-Christian, right?"

"Ah... I see what you're getting at!"

"A possible missionary!"

And with that, mother and father reached a mutual agreement.

Both parents announced their decision to Jouko on a Monday breakfast, shortly before she was to go to the local elementary school, dropped off by Aiko in his old truck.

"We've decided to let you go to Japan for high school. Sensha-do seems a very giving opportunity for you to grow to become a strong woman, and that's what this family is all about. For now, though, focus on your studies and feel free to roam the forests for training your skills. Your grades are good so far, which we are proud of."

Jouko excitedly nodded, beaming and grinning from ear to ear, before a voice from her mother added to the joy.

"And, I'm sure Simo would be very proud of you."

This further increased her excitement. Only 6 more years, then she'd be heading off to Japan. Each day would pass with growing excitement, for she dreamed of doing Sensha-do once she had learned what it was, and reading more about it further fueled this eagerness.

Years had passed since the triumph in the forest, as Jouko continued to mature, improve, and expand on her shooting skills. She remained transfixed to her studies when not busy sniping, or hanging out with her friends. She knew her parents weren't really concerned about keeping those grades high, and they were content as long as she didn't fail, but Jouko wanted to make sure she didn't get anything below a B, being the perfectionist she was. Everything was going great in this regard, and each day she continued to progress on learning Japanese to prepare for her journey to Japan.

Telling them of her plans, Jouko's fellow female friends were excited upon hearing of her move. Among the most prominent were Löfström, a dark-long-haired, very strong, tough girl who was known for putting dents in the thickest and healthiest of trees, dense bricks, or the toughest of metals, and emerging without a scratch on her knuckles. She wasn't the brightest mind, and her short stature at only 5'5" was a bit laughable, but when up against in a fight, you could expect to be toothless in one punch. She was quiet and reserved, though it was more indifference than shyness that made up this personality.

There was shoulder-length blonde Frisell, an eloquent communicator who was also very skilled in conversation, often winning class debates and willing to engage in philosophical discussion, with an inside joke being that it was impossible to engage in a philosophical discussion with Frisell and not fall asleep, given how long and how strenuous discussions like these could become. A friendly, wholesome person, she had a special charm in a lovely voice that could soothe even the hardest-hearted of men. She was taller than Löfström, though only by an inch.

Finally, there was auburn, medium-length-haired Hannes, taller than the others, though two inches short of Jouko's remarkable six-foot height, who knew her way in navigation and exploration, well-versed in the old styles of celestial navigation, as well as hoping to be a taxi driver once she grew up. Out of the four, she had the most outward personality. Easily excited, hyperactive, and possessing a rather loud voice, if not restrained properly, a bout of excitement could mean an entire classroom being flipped upside down, but that was Hannes for you.

These three friends were each different in personality and quality, but Jouko could see that together, they could work like the most well-oiled machine in Finland. When they had all collectively decided to join Jouko in her journey to Japan, it was something Jouko was very grateful for. Little did she know, this would be the team that would change Sensha-do history for many years to come.

Saariselkä forests

Bearing her trusted iron sights rifle, Jouko was taking a peaceful trek across Saariselkä, looking for more dead trees to practice on. Before this shooting session, however, she had been given a thick helmet by her father, for some reason. Not minding this seemingly unimportant detail too much, other than better safe than sorry if she fell off a cliff or another incident that could get her a skull fracture, she trudged along the familiar pathways and across the woods she knew like the back of her hand.

She had just graduated 8th grade with flying colors: she had been tied for valedictorian with another bright student, but voluntarily allowed that student instead to be valedictorian, being the humble girl she was raised to be by her parents. She was first across the stage, grinning ear to ear as she received her diploma and certificate of being in the Honor Roll, with highest honors. That was to be her last day in a Finnish school, however. Once the vacation had wrapped up, she would be thousands of miles across Europe and Asia, all the way in Japan to join a new school.

As she made her way to a more mountainous area of the forest, she was listening to some classic pieces by Sibelius on her headphones, a good accompaniment when making your way through an area surrounded by nothing but pure nature and a peaceful atmosphere when she felt something whizz by, dashing the atmosphere to pieces. Instinctively, she paused the music, packed her phone and earbuds into her pouch, and ran to find suitable cover as more objects shot through the air, some coming inches from her head.

So that's the fuss about the helmet.

Frantically searching for a plate in her sack, she lifted it above her head, firmly gripping it, and a few seconds later, felt impact as the plate recoiled. It did not shatter the plate, but merely cracked it. Quickly taking out her compass to determine the direction, she began assessing her situation.

It's very far away then, and it feels it came from the west.

Grasping her rifle after placing back the compass, she loaded a dummy bullet into the chamber. Taking aim in the general direction of where she felt the shot come from, she saw very subtle movement in the far distance combined with a slight flash. Aiming accordingly, she fired a single shot. A few seconds passed before she caught sight of the object shooting upwards, waving his hand.

Standing up to move, she was met with another bullet. It whizzed by her, forcing her into the ground, but feeling its direction, she steadied herself, peered through the scope, aimed more to the right, and seeing more movement, fired a second dummy bullet. The figure sprung up as well, waving his hand in similar fashion to the previous one. The two figures afterward seemed to be bickering, which made Jouko giggle a bit. Aarne and Antero were known for that when not in Jouko's presence. How they stayed friends remains a mystery, but they still stayed strong despite all their disputes.

Too easy.

The family sauna, Saariselkä

"Ai ai ai, it looks like we've got the next Simo Häyhä sitting right in front of us!"

Aarne belted out hearty laughter as his friend Antero handed Jouko a hot cup of coffee. The sauna was a source of great relaxation and relief after many hours in the cold, snowy winter. Aarne and Antero were two of Jouko's best friends, they were experienced snipers who also practiced using dead trees in their free time, though not as good as Jouko, of course.

Aarne continued: "Say, you're going to Japan soon, to practice that 'Senshi, Sendash, whatever' stuff, what do you expect from it?"

After a short giggle, Jouko corrected him: "'Sensha-do', and I don't know, but from my research it looks like the big high schools who participate there are based off of real-life countries. Saunders is based off of America, Chihatan off of Japan, Kuromorimine off of Germany, minus the, you-know-what, there's even a Finnish-style school called 'Jatkosota', or Continuation. I think I'll be joining that, obviously."

Antero, the quiet type, spoke up: "I've heard stories that Continuation always steals tanks from other schools, and they call it 'borrowing'. Pretty similar to what we did in the Winter War, right?"

As the conversation dragged on, the three friends left the sauna and went to Jouko's home for more delicious dinner.

"Are you sure it's for girls only? Handling tanks is usually a male business or whatever."

"Well, from what I've gathered, Antero, it is, indeed a female sport and considered girly there, like how dolls are considered girly."

"Well that sucks, was hoping to teach some kids there how to drive tanks, but, I guess what goes goes, though that doesn't really make sense to me."

"Ai, don't worry about it, Aarne. Just focus on sniping, Antero, you as well, it seems that's you two's calling here. I'll be fine in Japan, don't express any worries."

Aarne belted another hearty laugh. "What worries? For a girl of your caliber you'll be more than fine! Get it, caliber?"

The others shared a groan as Aarne chuckled.

Ainola, near Helsinki

Two months passed, and Jouko was ready to fly to Japan to start high school at Continuation High School, but there was something she needed to do, or rather go somewhere to first. Being a lifelong listener and admirer of Sibelius, as well as a decent violinist who could play some pieces of Sibelius and even the Sibelius concerto, she traveled to visit the great composer's home of Ainola, not too far from the Finnish capital of Helsinki, shortly before her flight.

Walking through the peaceful, quiet landscape was a source of great relaxation to Jouko, admiring the great Lake Tuusula that was a short walk away from the house. Inside, she gazed at that infamous fireplace where Sibelius was purported to have burned his Eighth Symphony, deeming it imperfect to his standards. She gazed at that piano where so many ideas must have sprung up from its keys, that sauna the Sibelius family regularly used, all of those places.

Finally stopping at the grave of the great Finnish icon, it was a simple large slab with Sibelius' name engraved in massive letters, whilst to the corner was the name of his wife Aino. She laid a flower on the grave, paying respects to her hero of music. Spending a few moments more at the residence, Jouko continued to reminisce and imagine what life was like in that house, almost seeing Sibelius walking about with Aino and the children, which brought a smile to Jouko. Throughout the visit, Finlandia was playing in her mind, that piece that so perfectly encapsulated the Finnish spirit, written in a time of oppression and censorship.

Here, in Jouko's mind, it was playing as if it was heralding a new age.

Helsinki International Airport

At the airport terminal's assigned gate for Tokyo, Jouko and her friends met to bid farewell to their own friends and families shortly before they boarded the flight. Aarne and Antero wouldn't be joining them as Sensha-do barred male participants. Taking this final opportunity to talk in person, Antero spoke first.

"We're gonna try to improve our sniping, and hopefully get Finland some coveted gold medals at the Olympics!"

Aarne chimed in, "Better not disappoint the big man himself, he's watching us from above, you know," followed by a chuckle from everyone.

Jouko's parents were there as well to greet her goodbye. Her rifle, clothes, gadgets, and other necessities had already been packed and shipped off for Kanazawa City, and she expected them to arrive within 5 months.

"I'll keep in contact with you all as much as I can. I'll focus on my studies, and I'll try to make some new friends. I hope we can meet again in person soon."

But there was one last thing Aiko needed to tell his daughter.

"One more thing: win some souls, will you?"

Taken aback, Jouko struggled to put together a cohesive sentence, but a rub from her father quickly calmed her down.

The family and friends tightly embraced one another, and watched as Jouko joined Löfström, Frisell, and Hannes lined up at the gate. Waving goodbye, the four boarded the Japan Airlines plane bound for Tokyo.

Jouko spent the journey listening to pieces by Sibelius and Dvořák on her tape recorder and headphones, the latter's 9th Symphony bearing symbolic meaning as she was traveling to a place she had never been to or seen in person before. The flight itself was uneventful, save for a few spots of turbulence, but overall it was a smooth, peaceful flight to Japan, the four friends sharing center aisle seats and conversing about whatever topics came up in their mind or watching whatever movies were on the plane's screens that best suited their mindsets.

Japan

After landing in Tokyo and admiring the scenery and the city, and visiting and climbing Mount Fuji the day of their arrival, the four boarded a domestic flight to Kanazawa City a couple of days later, to the port where Continuation's school ship, which was essentially a full town on a massive, miles-long carrier, was stationed. Two hours later, they arrived at the motel where they would be staying for the next 3 days as they waited for the school year to begin.

Over the next 5 days, all tried their best to adjust to the new time zone as fast as possible, going sightseeing and meeting some of their future classmates. They also took to better studying Continuation's Sensha-do roster, to get an idea of what possible tanks they could be able to crew that fit their size and their qualities. There was an issue with Jouko's nosebleeds, however. Arriving at a new climate meant that you would have to deal with such occurrences on a semi-regular basis at first.

The time finally came for the school year to start. The fresh morning air greeted Jouko and her friends as they rode from their motel to the large ship awaiting them and hundreds of other students milling about at the harbor. There was a stark height difference between the Finns and the Japanese: Jouko had grown healthy and strong during childhood, eating and exercising a lot, and stood at a rather tall six feet, while her friends ranged from 2-7 inches shorter than her. In contrast, many of the students were at most 5'5" or shorter on average, and the students murmured about these veritable giants, save for Löfström, standing in their midst.

"Look at those students over there, they're skyscrapers compared to us!"

"I've seen many tall people before, but I never felt what it was like having some as classmates!"

"I wish I was as tall as them..."

"And they're from Finland, too! Especially that tall one there, is that the average height there?"

"Her other friends are shorter."

"I think it has to do with the upbringing."

"I should've eaten more!"

Turns out they weren't lying when they said people from Asia were usually shorter than people from Europe or America.

The four's thoughts were interrupted by an announcement that boomed from the carrier.

"The carrier doors have been opened. Please make your way towards the school assembly hall. Please follow those who are holding signs to guide you to the assembly room."

Jouko watched as the carrier opened its doors, allowing the students to begin flooding in. She could see the signs that would serve as her guide to the assembly hall.

Taking several deep breaths, taking in what was about to happen, she walked up the gangplank into destiny, her three friends following close behind her.

Nishizumi Residence

"Foreigners from Finland, hm?"

"One of them is said to be related in some way to the White Death himself."

"Unfounded nonsense. No matter what, Continuation remains a pushover for Kuromorimine. Am I correct, Maho?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Now, Maho, this is your first year as Sensha-do Commander. Many will be opposed to you, seeing you as a mere familial appointment influenced by our standing in Sensha-do. I want you to prove them all wrong. Prove that the Nishizumi Style does not care about physical quality, only the quality of the mind, of prowess, of stern, iron discipline and ruthless, yet effective efficiency."

"I will prove them all wrong, Mother! I'll see to it that under my tenure, Kuromorimine will get that tenth consecutive win!"

"Good. Do not disappoint me, Maho. Much lies on you as the heiress to the Style. I trust my training and faith has not been in vain."

"You are never mistaken, Mother, and you will certainly not be mistaken now!"

"I've truly raised you well, then. As for your sister..."

"I trust she will do well, I give her my full support to be as good, if not, perhaps superior to me."

"You will remain the supreme daughter. Miho is simply the lesser sister. You are more important, you must be the best out of all. Do you understand me, Maho?"

"Yes, Mother..."

"This year, Miho will be joining, the year where we will be hopefully gaining our tenth consecutive win. I trust you will enhance her skills enough to ensure our victory."

"I'll see to it, Mother."

"Good. This talk is concluded, you may dress for bed. If you need anything, I'll be here, reviewing the documents regarding these... foreigners."

"I understand. Good night, Mother."

"Good night, Maho. Greet Miho for me."

"I will."

As Maho left the room, Shiho sat back down in her desk, and stared at the documents regarding the four new students from Finland. Jouko, Löfström, Hannes, and Frisell. Jouko was one that particularly interested Shiho. A granddaughter of a friend of the White Death himself, she was quite popular at school from this status. Her grades were also remarkably excellent, demonstrating academic prowess that could assure a waive of an entrance exam from Keizoku. But, that would be the decision of the headmaster, not her. Still, it was remarkable grades from this large girl.

What stuck out the most, however, was reports detailing her shooting abilities. She could hit a target a kilometer away, even without a scope, a remarkable feat rivaled by very few. If she was capable of this, what things could be accomplished on the battlefield? The amount of kills she would rack up each match would make it so her barrel would be completely painted white, full of kill rings in no time. She was well-versed in forested areas, meaning that if Kuromorimine were to go against her in a match, there was a chance their Blitzkrieg tactics would be checked.

But they had just arrived, she hadn't seen anything from them yet. One shouldn't allow their expectation to rise too high, for it could be dashed to pieces at the first test. However, there was something to this particular foreigner. Judging by school behavioral reports, she was charismatic, bold, and encouraging. She never gave an insult or harsh reprimand for a failure, she simply addressed the mistake, gave quick solutions, and moved on, just like that. It was different from the Nishizumi line of thinking, which usually involved a lengthy reprimand, or worse, a beating for failure.

Shiho was starting to get weary. It was past bedtime, and Kikuyo was knocking on the door, ready to tell her that her bed was ready and everything set to go to sleep and catch some final hours of sleep before Maho would leave for her first day of high school. After brushing, washing, and changing into her nightwear, bidding Kikuyo goodnight, she lay down, but again the same feeling of loneliness had come.

Ever since the dispute and separation with Tsuneo back when the sisters were mere toddlers led to him leaving the house, presumably for good, Shiho had felt more lonely than before. Granted, she still had her daughters, but without Tsuneo, the environment wasn't as warm as it used to be. However, that was what the Nishizumi Style was. Cold, iron, hard, tough-as-nails discipline that resisted all attackers. Tsuneo had dared to criticize the Nishizumi Style, and his departure was a necessary evil to preserve the integrity of the Style. Yet his parting words still rang clear in Shiho's ears.

"All you need to do is warm up and listen! Stop being this cold, heartless woman and be the Shiho I knew for a decade again!"

She remembered how she slammed the door, locked it, and ordered Kikuyo to bar all the windows and the other possible openings to the house. She had tried to repress those words, but they refused to leave her mind. In fact, it seemed the more she tried, the firmer it was founded in her mind.

Yet, she had to power on. The Nishizumi Style stopped for nothing, no matter the scale. Hit the target when you fire, let your defences be of iron, and advance in perfect order... That is the way of Nishizumi Style. Those were her own words. If she broke this saying, it would be hypocritical, a veritable crime in Nishizumi culture. For the sake of the Style, she had to keep going. No loneliness was going to stop her from pursuing her duty as the Mistress of the Nishizumi Style.

Even if all her acquaintances turned against her, she thought, she would never bow. A Nishizumi bowed to no one.