6800. With the results of last week's paintball game in hand, we want to congratulate Ooyodo, Niyodo, Akashi, Mihara, Momotori, and the Yubari's on their win and ask why so many of you fell for the obvious trap they set.
6800a. "It was literally a box that said free food! What did you think was going to happen?" the rest of the losing team.

Yokosuka.

"Ooyodo, Niyodo, I need the two of you for something." said Akashi as she burst into the secretaries' office.

"What is it?" asked Ooyodo, only for the repair ship to slam a poster down on her desk.

"Paintball. Next month." said Akashi. "We need two more players."

Both light cruisers glanced at each other for a split second before Ooyodo gave Akashi an answer.

"NO!"

"Please?" begged Akashi. "Our team has to be at least six players."

"We are not playing paintball." said Ooyodo. "We have too much to do. There's inventory, reports, we have to comply with Iku's latest indecent exposure complaint and.."

"I'll join." said Niyodo, cutting her sister off, to both Ooyodo's and Akashi's shock.

"But, but, what?" sputtered Ooyodo.

"You're serious?" asked Akashi.

"Sure. It'll be fun, and you're always saying that the two of us need to take more time off."

"But, what about all of the work we have to do?"

"Sis, we have an accounting department. Granted, it at the moment consists only of Inazuma, Hibiki, Fubuki, and Shigure, but they can handle it for a day or two. Heck, they handled it for a month while we were unconscious."

"Come on, Ooyodo. Please?" pleaded Akashi, but the light cruiser held firm.

"Akashi, nothing you say is going to convince her." said Niyodo. "However, there is something I can do."

Ooyodo's expression suddenly turned fearful. "Sis, you promised you wouldn't do that ever again."

Niyodo simply took off her glasses and faced her sister.

"Please, no. You know I can't handle that."

Niyodo's normally serious expression transformed into what had to be one of the cutest and most adorable puppy dog faces Akashi had ever seen.

"Please, onee-sama, please?" she pleaded. "Pretty please? With cherries on top?"

Try as she might, Ooyodo's resolve shattered with those words, and she grudgingly nodded her affirmation to Akashi.

"Great! This is gonna be fun."

A month later...

Shoukaku sighed as she led her group to the water fountain. The carrier and battleship teams had been skirmishing for the past two hours for little gain, while the cruisers preferred to stay back and perform flanking shots. And the office workers, well, no one had actually seen them yet, so it was assumed they were either cowering in fear, or had simply surrendered.

"Next time, let's schedule one of these things for December. This vest is not made for summer." groaned Ryujo.

"I, Shinano, agree." panted the youngest Yamato.

"Is paintball normally like this?" asked Hakuryu.

"Not really. Last time, both teams went for the jugular immediately." answered Zuiho.

"And now that there's four teams, both Hiryu and Nagato went for the cautious approach." added Taiho. "Oh, look. The cruisers are here too."

The part of the base being used consisted of a few old warehouses and storage units, with only one functioning water fountain near the entrance. Realizing the need, especially for any humans taking part, to refill their canteens regularly, that part had been declared a neutral spot by all four team captains, to be manned by Hiei, Haruna, and their kids. After turning over their weapons and refilling their canteens, they all settled down for a brief chat.

"So how goes the war, Shoukaku?" grinned Ashigara.

"Oh, fine, Ashigara. I'll admit that ambush almost went perfectly. Almost." she retorted.

"Say, who's the one with the pink hair?" asked Haguro's boyfriend, on leave from Futenma.

"That's Akashi. Huh, didn't think her team was still in this." answered Haguro.

Everyone watched as Akashi dragged a huge cardboard box to the middle of the street. Checking to make sure she was in the clear, she held up a megaphone and yelled "Free Food!" at the top of her lungs before running back to cover.

'No one's gonna fall for that one, right?" asked Yonehara. "It's way too obvious a trap."

"Food!"

"Food!"

Everyone at the water fountain watched as the entire carrier and battleship teams ran towards the box, grabbed it and ripped it open. Immediately, all hell broke loose. The paint bomb inside the box went off, splattering at least a dozen girls. Before anyone could react, Akashi, Mihara, Momotori, Ooyodo, Niyodo, and the Yubaris' leapt out of their concealed positions with miniguns in hand, cutting down any survivors.

Haguro was the first of her team to recover from the shock, just in time to notice Shoukaku lead her group out of the safe area with their hands up.

"Where are all of you going?"

"Surrender, then lunch." Taiho said simply.

A hour later, Goto proudly awarded the contest trophy to Akashi's team, who were celebrating happily at Hosho's.

"I'm not sure." said Goto in a low voice that only Kongou heard.

"Not sure about what?"

"Whether to be happy that those five pulled off a brilliant ambush, or saddened that all the rest of my fleet fell for a cardboard box marked free food."

While they talked, Akashi and Ooyodo were smiling as the rest of the team celebrated.

"So, I've finally found you're weakness." whispered Akashi.

"Using my own sister against me. That's a very low blow, saihai."

Akashi merely smiled. "You know what they say. All's fair in love and war."