Nextgen Kids: Legend of the Nine Newborn

Cadet Shino

This idea just came to me today and it was too sweet to pass up! This take places after Operation: PIKMIN, starring the best girl from SAO, as well as a Nextgenner that doesn't appear as much.

The heart. Right shoulder. Forehead. Left knee. The cadet sniper aimed dead center at the targets, whichever body part on which dummy they were marked. A dummy dropped above her—she shot, but was off the mark of the stomach target. One sprung out of the floor, she aimed for the pelvis, but only hit the stomach. ...She wondered which worker put the target on the pelvis.

Shino Asada wore a blackish-gray sweater that went with her skirt, stockings, and combat boots. Her hair matched her attire, with bangs tied by braids, and glasses supported her dark eyes, her left closed while her glaring right focused through the scope. The score counter increased with each successful shot, with less points for the imprecise. A decent 11,000 is what awaited her at the end.

Shino marched back to the training hall lobby, giving her eye a well-deserved blink. "Impressive work, Cadet Shino." Marcus Drilovsky nodded. Dark eyes and blonde hair, the Drill Sergeant was a well-toned young man, albeit hiding his muscles under a gray sweatshirt, black gloves, and matching pants with boots.

He was a model of a long-standing operative that he hoped other cadets would aspire to be... if not for him being 4 feet tall. Marcus was a victim of the Great Reduction like many other ops, so while on the verge of fully returning to his 5'8" size, Cadet Shino stood a full foot taller. It was certainly an embarrassing time to join the KND, but on some level, it alleviated Shino's fears. There had been a fair amount of pressure and warnings on joining the crew, but seeing several sectors turn into munchkins only brought her a smile. "You still seem to have trouble with the more 'unexpected' ambushes."

"I tried to hone my Haki with Maddy's help, but I haven't really got it down yet, I guess."

"Well, Haki ain't much good on harmless dummies, anyway. I'll have to bring in some live bait to help you hone it."

"Hahaha!" Shino let out a passive laugh. "Just make sure you get their permission, sir."

"Noted. Well, wanna round up the other cadets with me? We'll be jogging in the snowfield next."

"Are you sure the others are... fit for that?"

"We sized up enough to where it can be a manageable challenge. I still expect you to keep at most 10 paces behind me."

"I'll do my best, sir!"

Marcus was silently thankful to her cordial tone, refraining from any quips about his diminutive situation. Cadets like her were rare nowadays, but her readiness was always welcome. She wasn't an impatient teenager attending some "boring" class, she was a cadet genuinely wanting to train and join the KND. It helped that she already had experience with Sector SA and was privy to the kinds of dangers they face, but Marcus could only hope the danger wouldn't be too much and she would stick with it.

Granted, he could say the same about the other cadets who were involved in the Aincrad or prior incidents, but Shino felt a bit more special to the Drill Sergeant. Maybe it was because she was spared of the Reduction, yet she was still asking Marcus for help with Haki or seeking recognition for her training. As far as non-operative teenagers go, it was hard to find such a respectable girl. Marcus could tell you firsthand that normal teens were much worse than kids in terms of respect.

"So, Instructor Marcus," Shino began amidst their walk, "where would you rank among the strongest operatives? I'm a little curious."

"Well, my last Tattle read me at 4,500."