y'know the funny thing about yamaguchi and futakuchi having the same birthday is that three years ago i gaslighted myself into believing that they met in a grocery store while they were in uni because they both wanted to buy a cake for themselves at like eight in the evening, but ended up arguing over it because there was only one left. only for it to be taken by a child. then long story short they ended up buying one together elsewhere and hanging out for hours in what they consider to be their first accidental date nowadays :)
my brain genuinely believes it to be canon. no intention to rectify tbh it's so funny to me because their personalities are opposites so their friends are all like. how did this even happen wth yamaguchi are you okay? (he is, don't worry!)
Yamaguchi was taken aback, and he recounted the events to Kuroo, who listened silently and intently. “So, now I have an ex who wants to kill me, bounty on my head, and being offered by a powerful ghoul with an eternal bedhead to be pierced. No offense.”
“I’m guessing that's a no, then.” Kuroo laughed, “That’s a lot of shit, Yamaguchi, I’m not gonna lie.”
Moniwa’s serious tone silenced the room instantly, and Kenji’s gaze never left the shorter man in front of him.
“Karasuno’s attacks keep rising – whether it means they are being especially gluttonous or whether they are gaining new members is currently unknown, but both are worrying in their own ways.” Moniwa raked a hand through his hair, “We do, however, have people from our side monitoring them. Oikawa and Iwaizumi are on lookout constantly with their guys backing them up, so we are focusing on infiltration.”
“Silent, spontaneous, gives them no time to prepare, right?” Kenji grinned, and Moniwa nodded.
“Last thing we want is a casualty because of a stupid mistake,” Moniwa eyed Kenji and Aone with intensity, “And don’t try and rile any of the ghouls up, Futakuchi. We’re not entirely sure on their numbers, but all of them are to be treated as SS+, is that understood?”
“Not even one little taunt?” Kenji pouted, and Moniwa gave him a look.
“It’s going to be quite the challenge for you, huh, Futakuchi?”
Kenji’s head whipped around, and he gave a pleasant smile, “Why don’t you shut your mouth, Kamasaki?”
“Futakuchi, just-“ Moniwa sighed, “Can we go over this?”
“Sure, sure.”
~
Overall, the plan was the same as any other that their squad dealt with – infiltrate and exterminate. Only with slightly more planning than that, and even more risk.
The Karasuno ghouls were incredibly clever, and in Kenji’s point of view (pardoning the irony), quite omnivorous. They always found new ways to escape, to eat, to survive. Damn pain in the ass in terms of doing his job, but credit goes where credit is due – they are crafty buggers, and they really do put Kenji’s squad mates through a world of paperwork hell.
Oikawa and Iwaizumi informed them that the person they trailed was most definitely a member of Karasuno, and they have a definitive location for their hideout. There was absolutely no doubt about it; the build and mask the ghoul had were absolutely remnant of the Karasuno they knew.
Karasuno had taken to jet black masks, the only colour to break it up was the orange of the eyeshades. The sides flicked out almost like wings, and they lived up to their karasu name.
The omnivorous crows, hunting and killing innocent people for their own food.
~
“You sure you were being tailed, Nishinoya?”
“Yep – the two guys were ones we ran into before, back in the thirteenth ward. Doves, and good ones at that.”
Daichi considered these facts carefully, and nodded. “The doves from the Seijou squad?” Nishinoya nodded in confirmation, and there were whispers amongst the entire group again. “They saw you enter in the fake hide-out?” Nod. “Good. It won’t bring them here, then.”
“They usually set up a perimeter, if we don’t get out before they get in were done for.” Sugawara stepped in, and Daichi and Nishinoya both gave a sound of confirmation.
“I don’t think they would send Seijou in, though.”
“Hm?”
Nishinoya shifted his weight from his right to his left leg, “Only two of their guys were there, and if Seijou would be going, they would have already done it. That’s how they work.”
“They could have gone back for more resources?” Yamaguchi piped up.
“I think their quinque’s would have been fine against us,” Sugawara denied that, “If they were going back, it would be to get the rest of the squad.”
“If not Seijou, than who?” Tsukishima asked quietly, and the room stops.
“They wouldn’t send Shiratorizawa, would they?” Hinata asked, but Nishinoya shook his head.
“Yamaguchi, do you think you can get word out of that dove you know? Whats-his-name, uh-“
“Futakuchi? I can ask, but I doubt he’d tell me.”
“On ya, Yamaguchi!” Nishinoya clapped his back, and Yamaguchi nodded.
“Just be careful, alright, Yamaguchi. You might want to head back now?” Sugawara suggested, and Yamaguchi nodded, taking his bag and wishing his goodbye’s to everyone.
“Report back at midnight if you can, alright Yamaguchi?”
“Okay, is the password sill the same?”
“Yep, Kuroo’s bedhair.”
“Best passcode ever, to be honest.” Daichi snickered, as though it would never get old (and it probably wouldn’t, as as soon as Tsukishima had suggested it in the ghoul in question’s presence, he gave the most wounded sound and wailed, hugging tightly on Tsukishima’s waist until he apologized).
“I’ll be here at midnight, then.”
“Good luck, Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima told him, and Yamaguchi gave him the brightest smile he could muster.
“Thanks, Tsukki! Bye!”
~
“Why’re you so interested in my work, Tadashi?” Kenji had asked, almost flustered by Yamaguchi’s sudden stream of questions.
Yamaguchi cocked his head to the side, “Well, it is a dangerous job, especially with those monsters hanging around. They kill people every day, so I want to make sure that you’re going to come back okay.”
“There’s never really any guarantee that I will come back alive, you know.” Kenji answers, “Besides, I’m not really sure ‘monsters’ is the best word for them anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi swallows, and Kenji sighs, and rakes a hand through his hair.
“There has to be a reason they act like this, why they kill so many. I mean, only psychopaths kill for fun, and it’s statistically impossible for every single ghoul to be a psychopath.”
“Hm?”
“I mean, we – the CCG as an organisation – kill kids if they’re ghouls. Is it really just? And what about peaceful ghouls, who really do only take what they need to survive.”
“Sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of thinking because of this band of ghouls.”
“Karasuno have broken into Cochlea to rescue a child ghoul before, and this case has got me thinking about that. I dunno, but it’s just…”
“Hard to stomach what happens to ghouls?”
“Something like that,” Kenji nods, wrapping his arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulders, and playing with the ends of his hair, “But don’t worry about me, I’ll come back safe.”
“I hope so.”
~
Yamaguchi managed to arrive at Karasuno around when promised, and met Sugawara at the door.
“Datekou is assigned to us, and the raid will happen by the end of the week.”
“Datekou? You mean the one Futakuchi is in?”
Yamaguchi sighed, “That’s the one. But that’s not the worst thing.”
Sugawara looked at him curiously, “What’s worse than his squad coming after us? Well, Shiratorizawa or Seijou, but not the point.”
“He’s… questioning things, questioning the CCG, and the way that society views us. And that’s dangerous for him. Good, but dangerous.”
“You’re worried about him?” Sugawara wrapped his arm around Yamaguchi, just as Kenji had done hours before, and Yamaguchi shrugged. “Be careful with that, Yamaguchi. It’ll be bad if he finds out – for both of you.”
“I know, it’s just…”
“Humans rarely have those kinds of thoughts?”
“Something like that.”
“You’re growing fond of him?”
“Something like that.”
~
The battle did reach Karasuno’s actual base (it was discovered the original location was fake, so they searched), and it was all guns blazing (and by guns, Kenji really meant quinque’s were being swung in failed attempts to hit any ghouls).
They all dressed in their trademark black, and masks, fighting with their usual omnivorous style. They generally fought in pairs or threes, and they fought well.
Kenji focused on two of the taller members – both were around the same height, and had dark hair. One was a bit more built than the other, and his hair was raven black. The other was almost gangly, and lanky, and fought with far less distinction than the other.
That’s the one I want.
To Kenji, it seemed like the lanky one was hesitating, not giving his full strength. Considering their lives were on the line, Kenji would have thought that the ghoul would be actively attempting to defend himself, but he seemed… distant, almost as though he was trying to hold himself back.
Kenji knew though, the second the first casualty would be made, that all of the ghouls of Karasuno would not hold back, not even for a second. It made him stand his guard just slightly more.
~
Watching Kenji fight was both beautiful and horrifying, Yamaguchi noted, keeping his form simple and relaxed. Kageyama didn’t hesitate in using his kagune to attack, jumping about and actively attempting to maim or kill their attackers.
He could hear Hinata yell something to Nishinoya, who yelled to Daichi, who made a clunking sound a second later.
“Move, move!”
Nobody in Karasuno dared to disobey Daichi when he yelled, so they all stopped fighting and sprinted off, those with enhanced speed due to their kagune’s zipping ahead (Hinata went by in a blink of an eye, all that could be heard of Nishinoya was his yelling).
Yamaguchi looked back, though, and he let himself smile bitterly under his mask, following Tsukishima sprinting in front of him.
