Giovanni had his work cut out for him for sure. The entire three months had been spent training everyone, himself included. The regiment was once again made more rigorous. For his squad it meant less patrols and a lot more work. The kido corps began the process of being militarized, in that they would be available for combat.
Since Gio’s personal experience in fields outside of Kido was limited he allowed the more experienced members of his squad to lead the training exercises. However for the most part he drilled them on endurance and technique. Additionally he required them all to attend the kaido classes offered at the squad 4 barracks at least once a month so the would have a basic level of healing kido. They worked on a rotating style schedule: Zanjutsu, hado, zanjustu, Bakudo, day off. And then repeat. The squad was broken into 5 not so randomly assigned units and rotated between the trainings by day. The day off wasn’t actually a day off though, it was a day for Patrols and assignments really. Just a day off of training.
He trained along with his own men, but of course he trained on his own. He pushed himself harder and harder, never being sure what the next day would bring. His skills in Zanjutsu have improved because of it as well as use of shunpo. Everyone still has room for improvement but that’s the promise that each day holds for squad 5. The hope to get better.
The training has been paying off its own way. The missions and assignments that the squads receive have all been successes. But right now is real test
Current mission
Party of 5.
One badly wounded, one treating him
. Leaves three to fight.
Small swarm of sentient hollows and an Adjuches. The had already put a dent in the swarm but it only pissed them off. The forest they were in gave the hollows more of an advantage but it did allow for cover. They wouldn’t be able to make it far with the wounded but they didn’t manage to put some distance between themselves and the enemy. It gave time to set a trap.
With a Kido net hidden with another Kido set around them by Yumi, and Kaito was ready with hado 32 Okasen. Giovanni stood at the ready with a charging Kido in his left hand and his Released zanpakuto in his right. “contact in 5. Get left I have right. Maintain the net” As the hollows tried to flank their positing and got caught in the net. Gio and Saito fired their Kido into the hollows. Wounding them. “you two stick together.” They flash stepped moving to finish off the wounded hollows. With them dead the remainders came out of the wood works. Unsurprisingly Gio got separated from the other two. Not by much difference but with all the trees it was difficult to see them. But he went for the Adjuches, clashing with it in mid air. The beast struck at Gio with a spiked tail but Gio raised his hand and erected an El Escudo barrier that rebounded the attack. Gio pushed the Adjuches back while it was off balanced and threw a kick into its midsection, throwing it to the ground. “Shakkaho” he fired several shots into the hollow as it fell before “Raikoho”. Even amongst the chaos and debris he know the hollow wasn't dead. The cero shooting out of the smoke was also a pretty good indication as well. It also indicated the adjuches’ position. So when Gio shunpo’s out of the way he went downward, right beneath the hollow. His first slash cleaved off a leg with an electric hum. The second took off the arm that fired the Cero. In quick succession Gio punched the creature in the throat sending it flying toward a tree. But when it hit the tree Gio was already on top of him, Stabbing it in the head and pinning it to a tree. Thankfully strategy won out in this fight, overwhelming the enemy to cut his reaction time, utilizing the enemy’s attack as cover. Truthfully this Adjuches was far weaker than the last one he had the misfortune of encountering but the mission could have turned out a lot worse.
Withdrawing his blade he returned immediately to the rest o his unit. Yumi and kaito were still alive, watching each other’s backs, parrying for each other so that they could attack. They were surrounded by 4 remaining Hollows but were clearly keeping them at bay. Gio played it smart. “Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat. Bakudo 9 Geki!” The four hollows were paralyzed by the Bakudo allowing Yumi and Saito to make very easy kills. As soon as the last one fell the other two members of the unit revealed themselves. They had been in a hidden barrier that Gio had placed them in. the injured man wounds had been tended to but fighting as out of the question. Slowly they made their way back to the seireitei to get the shinigami properly looked at. Once he was situated Gio returned to squad 5 to fill out the report.