Kaga learns that Zuikaku has been hiding her skills

xxx
0620 Hours  
xxx

Kaga walked past the Fifth CarDiv dorm room once more. The room had been empty for the last month, with the younger carrier Zuikaku having been transferred to another base to offer a much-needed air support to a base closer to an area of high Abyssal activity. Meanwhile,  Her older sister had moved to stay with the First CarDiv, or more specifically, with Akagi. 

Long before Zuikaku's transfer, it had been known that the two carriers had been an item, and much to Kaga’s dismay, the two had done well together both in and out of missions. They made a perfect pair. 

Kaga moved on, past the room and back to the archery range. It would not have been unusual to find the younger of the Fifth CarDiv practicing out here at this time, but now the range was empty. No one but Kaga and Zuikaku would be out this early to train. 

Alone,  Kaga prepared to begin her training. She tested her bowstring and took her stance. There were no targets on the range itself, but just beyond the range, on the ocean, there was a lone iron pike sticking out of the water. The pike was small that it's impossible to see for the untrained eyes, and even smaller still was the hole near the top made by a bullet.
 
Kaga took her stance, steadying her breathing as she slowly drew her bow.  She held her breath when she released the arrow. 

The arrow took flight and transformed into a single zero fighter. the plane flew towards the pike and fired. Most of the shots missed, with those that hit do no damage to the pike. Kaga released the breath she had been holding in a quiet sigh. Again she had tried, and once again she had failed. 

xxx
4 Months Ago, 1600 hours
xxx

Kaga, once again, was digging into the performance of the Fifth CarDiv's Zuikaku, sending out constant critiques of stance and technique. It was during this particular session that Admiral Goto appeared. she had been watching them quietly for several minutes when she finally spoke, interrupting Kaga.

“Zuikaku, I have a proposal for you, but before that, I request that you show me your proper form.” said the admiral.

Zuikaku and Kaga saluted, as did several other girls at the range who had not noticed the admiral’s arrival.

“Hit the top of that post. Single fighter.” the admiral commanded, pointing at the pike on the middle of the ocean.

Kaga immediately interjected. 

“My apologies admiral, but that is not possible for her. I have-”

“Yes, yes, I hear you Kaga, but enough. Zuikaku, hit the top of that pike, and just the top.” the admiral repeated.

Zuikaku looked at the admiral as if to protest. 

“That is an order, Zuikaku.” the admiral continued. 

“Yes, admiral.”  Zuikaku responded with a sigh.

Zuikaku took her stance and drew her bow, letting loose an arrow that immediately turned into a single A6M Zero fighter. The fighter flew past the range and straight towards the pike. It then fired a single burst, cleanly puncturing the top. 

Kaga was surprised. Not only had she hit the post with such accuracy, but she had also managed to penetrate the post with small caliber fire, a feat Kaga had not even thought possible for any carrier once she herself had failed to even hit it.

“It has come to my attention that you were holding back in your training in the presence of others.” the admiral stated.

“I did not-”

“Did you not wish to cause a scene, hm? Trying to not overstep the apparent hierarchy in the base?” continue the admiral, cutting Zuikaku’s response. “We are at war. if you hide your abilities for the sake of not 'rocking the boat', then you are not helping your comrades. If you have the skill, use it to help others improve and do not stay at the same level!" the admiral switched her attention to the rest of the carriers in the range. "I tell you, all of you, that our enemies are growing stronger. Assuming that you are stronger than them because of past glory will not help but to get you and your fleet sunk. Hubris is the enemy."

The admiral turned and started heading back to her office, a pink haired destroyer following closely behind with a clipboard in hands.

 "Zuikaku, come with me. I have something to discuss with you”  

Kaga did not hear nor see Zuikaku as she left the range to go to the admiral's office. She, much like the others, was still surprised by the display of skill from the carrier she had deemed beneath her in terms of skill and experience. 

An hour later in the dining hall, rumors of the display had started circulating wildly. Akagi was already in the hall when Kaga arrived, sitting with Shoukaku while a group of destroyers and cruisers asked question after question about the incident. No one noticed Kaga’s approach until Akagi had greeted her, but the questions immediately started being directed to her as soon as she was noticed.

“Did you know she could do that?”

“Can you do that?”

“Are you hiding your skills too?”

“Why did the admiral call Zuikaku?”

As more questions kept coming, Kaga kept her face strained neutral as she too wanted to know the answers for some of those questions herself. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. She turned to face Akagi and Shoukaku.

“Fifth CarDiv, can you do that as well?” Kaga asked Shoukaku in a tone that seemed neutral, but the flicker in her eye held a small look of desperation. Maybe it was a fluke, how could the Fifth do something she as the First had deemed impossible?

Shoukaku was about to respond, then she looked at Akagi and paused. 

“Yes, she can do it as well.” Akagi answered for her

Kaga was taken aback by the response.

“You've seen her do it as well?” Kaga asked 

“No” was the response from Shoukaku “She has not seen me do that.”
 
“But I have seen them compete with each other doing incredible things at the range when no one is around.” Akagi continued. “The pike was not as amazing as what I have seen them do. Kaga, have you ever looked at the targets after they train?”

“Yes, they have acceptable accuracy but they rarely hit the dead center-” Kaga started, but was cut off.

“No, not the location of their shots, but the shots themselves. Every training, they do not aim for the center but instead for the holes of their earlier shots.” Akagi spoke as she wrapped an arm around the silver haired carrier.

“WHAT!?” echoed from the surrounding girls.

“How long have they been doing this?” a voice asked. 

“Months.” came the reply from Akagi. giving Shoukaku a light squeeze.

“You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?” Kaga asked. 

“To maintain the status quo.” Came the booming voice of Nagato as she entered the hall.

All eyes turned to look at the figure of one of the Big Seven striding into the hall.

“First CarDiv Akagi and Kaga, Fifth CarDiv Shoukaku, the admiral requires your presence in the meeting room as soon as possible.” having stated her objective, Nagato went to get her meal. 

The three carriers stood from their seats and headed directly to the meeting room.

xxx
Meeting Room
xxx

Akagi knocked upon arriving at the meeting room.

“Carrier Akagi, reporting with Shoukaku and Kaga.”

“Enter” came a voice from behind the door.   

Upon entering the room, they were greeted by the sight of Admiral Goto. Another admiral was speaking to Zuikaku further into the room, at a desk covered in paper folders and photos.

The three carriers saluted.

“At ease." stated Admiral Goto. “I have called you here today as we are getting ready for a long term mission that could last for five to six months.”

“Months?” Akagi queried 

“Yes” answered the mystery Admiral.

“This is Admiral Nishimura” Goto introduced. “We will be assisting him in preparing and executing an operation in the coming months. The Admiral will explain the situation.”

“Thank you, Admiral” he said as he stood up.

“What I have come for is the expertise of the First Carrier Division. In the coming operation air superiority is key and so we will need both the power and the technique, which is why I have requested to have a carrier transferred to my fleet in order to offer counseling and training for some of the newly summoned carriers and their escorts.”
 
He walked over to where Zuikaku was standing. 

“I have requested Zuikaku to be transferred to my fleet for this operation.” he said as he patted Zuikaku on the shoulder.

Kaga’s mind was screaming. She was not the First CarDiv! Kaga wanted to protest, yet she remained silent.

“In the time Zuikaku is away, Shoukaku will assess the skill level of the carriers in our own base to get coordinated for this operation.” stated Goto. 

“Zuikaku will stay here for two weeks before she embarks with a task force from my HQ at one of several meeting points.” Admiral Nishimura stated as he moved back to the desk and turned to Zuikaku. 

“Zuikaku, thank you for your assistance. You may go." Admiral Goto then turned to the older Fifth CarDiv member. "Shoukaku, I expect to have the draft of your training plan in the weeks before Zuikaku departure."

Shoukaku immediately answered in the affirmative.

"Once again, thank you for coming. you may go now.”