The Wolf of Mibu

“I was reading… A strong mind is necessary if you want to plan something flawless. If someone is stronger than you at a completely different level,then you must use you cleverness to beat them.”

"Correct. Victory is only achieved through the application of strategy and force combined. However, what use is your mind if you do not use it? What use are your strategies if you cannot convince others to follow them? A strategist is useless if they have no troops to command or people to follow them; in battle they are equally as mortal as anyone else, and their minds will not save them." 

"I guess we could always use another watcher around the guild to keep some of the members in line."

"Well, it is less about your one guild, and more about the country in general. It has had a great deal of upheaval as of late." 

"Of course. I thank you for honoring me with the truth, Saito-san." But then again, perhaps she could trade her silence for—no. She cut off bloody thoughts before they could start. “However, would you mind telling me why you wish to keep your identity secret?”

"Revealing who I am would only cause issues. The only way to determine flaws in a system is to see it from a position that does not make others want to hide their flaws. Higher ranking officials often think themselves invincible when dealing with those below them, and those below often think they can get away with anything simply because no one above them is watching. Thus, remaining inconspicuous allows me to get a better grasp on the issues that must be addressed. For a military organization, the majority of those here are useless. I do not know who told those enrolling that laziness and sloppiness are permitted when lives are on the line, but once I identify the cause perhaps then it will be time to truly begin trying to move through the ranks. The best way to be ambitious is to convince everyone else that you are not in fact ambitious." 

— ‘Pets? Particularly I like cats. But have you ever stopped to think how difficult it would be to disguise if you were the size of a tiger for example? I am the former head of Onmitsukidō and second division. That would not be very wise, right? And cats are very useful and agile you know.’

"A tiger has little reason to disguise itself; for a tiger intends to kill those that mean it harm. But again, cats are the most cunning of household pets. But that does not mean that they are any less adept than the tiger; for while a house cat might adapt to the jungle, a tiger will not adapt to human life very well." 

"…While you are correct about me to some extent, however, it’s not quite pretense that you see."

His motivations had not changed in death; he still believed in the things that he had in life. It was partially why he had joined the seventh. "I certainly hope that you are willing to keep my secret captain, until I am ready to reveal it." 

  “Yeah.” The brunette nodded slightly. “You are close to the outskirts of Suna, May i ask if you’ve been here before?”

"I have not personally been there before, but I recognize your headband. Although you seem to wear it more as a necklace."

"It is a possibility to which you would gain a seated rank. I’m only calling it potential at the moment by merely sensing your reiatsu. I have yet to see actual skill in any form." She found it irrelevant to even comment upon  a fukutaichou’s possible flawed assessment. Even being only one step to captaincy, it could not compare to the sharpness of a taichou —much less the leader of the Onmitsukidō. "Faith is a futile feeling within the Onmitsukidō. It is either live or die."

"Well, I think that it is quite impossible here. My lieutenant does not think me to be intelligent or skilled enough." Entirely on purpose, but still. "Even so, you have shown faith in me; and no faith is entirely futile even if a life or death division. If one did not have faith in those that were being sent out, then it would be a waste of time and resources to send them at all; not to mention if they were captured it might be a very bad situation depending on what they knew. Even if you believe that every member would sooner die than talk, there are always a few who find themselves unable to die for their job when push comes to shove." 

"I have no ability or desire to be a commander, my loyalty is totally to Halibel-sama. I lack the strength that a superior has to be, I wouldn’t be able to support a cause that I have already failed, it would hypocrisy."  

"If you are alive, the cause has yet to be over, so you have not yet failed. But considering your leader is captured, someone has to lead. if you will not, will you leave it up to the ones that you called beasts? Or will you simply wait to be rounded up like all the others and forced to fight to the death? If you lack strength, you should be working to gain it, not sitting on a rock bemoaning your weakness." 

"Forgive me, Saito-san," she said suddenly, "but who were you when you were living?"

Instantly, the facade vanished, replaced with what one might have expected with such a man. "I am Saito Hajime; third unit captain of the shinsengumi during the bakumatsu period of Japan." 

She replied with a friendly voice and soon rose from the chair which she was sitting.

"Thank you for thinking so; your praise means a lot to me. Are you certain you are alright lieutenant? You seem rather nervous." 

'I'm sorry, what? Why are you interested in that? I fulfill my duties as a lieutenant, that's all I'll say to you. If I don't change something in me is because I'm this way.'

"Apologies, I did not mean to anger you. I was simply asking if the rumors were true. If they were not, I intended to set those right who told them to me; for disrespecting a lieutenant is wrong is it not? But I would not feel good doing it if it turned out the rumors were in fact partly true, and it stands to reason that you would want them quashed as well, yes?"

"O-Oh! Hello!"

"Anything that you need?"

"That may be true, although it would seem quite logical to go up the hierarchy within a division. Unless the responsibility that being a seated officer entails is not of your liking; being unseated with such potential would breed suspicion, or at most, curiosity and unwanted attention."

"No, it is not that. As I said it simply did not make sense to go anywhere if I did not start from the bottom. Besides, potential for skill is not the same thing as having skill, and you are the first to see potential in me. My lieutenant would likely not agree with your assessment." He knew that the man did not really like him, but Saito did not care. He could tell the other man had no clue that his face was a facade. "Are you saying that I would be seated in your division captain? It does not sound like you have much faith in your seated officers." 

'I appreciate that, but gossip is not required.'

"You are correct; gossip is of little use to anyone. However, you have yet to say if it is truly gossip or if it is merely an over-exaggeration of your own flaws. If it is the latter, I would be questioning why you have not changed your own actions. But of course, I am not questioning you or your decision making; you are a lieutenant for a reason and they would never put someone unqualified or unfit into the position." 

“Where the fuck do you think you are.”

"Clearly, this is Hueco Mundo. I am simply asking where in Hueco Mundo that I am; I assumed the residents of this place have names for the various locations. Obviously you don't just wander aimlessly around."