Chapter 168: Intelligence Unit

Intelligence Unit (諜報班, Chōhō Han) is the 168th chapter of the Kekkaishi Manga written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe.

Summary
Yoshimori is exhausted as he begins his third year of middle school, due to Kekkaishi duties the previous night. Tokine merely tells him he should be more mature and try harder, before leaving him behind on the way to school. Left alone, Yoshimori suddenly thinks of Gen Shishio, but doesn't know why.

At Karasumori Academy, students are looking at their new classrom assignments. Yurina Kanda is worried because her friends Kyoko and Ayano are in a different classroom, but Ayano points out that Yurina will be in the same class as Yoshimori again. Yoshimori learns from his friends that Tomonori Ichigaya is still his classmate, and they still have Mr. Kurosu as their teacher. In typical fashion, Yoshimori sleeps through the entire school day, and Tomonori wakes him up as school is ending. Yoshimori is stunned to find that his desk is directly in front of Mr. Kurosu's (Yoshimori nodded in his sleep, which Mr. Kurosu took to mean Yoshimori had no objection to being placed there). As Yoshimori desperately tries to get Tomonori to exchange seats, a familiar voice calls him. He is shocked to see Shu Akitsu from the Night Troop at the classroom door in a school uniform. Shu explains that he is now a student there and introduces himself to Tomonori. Yoshimori drags him aside, and Shu confirms that he has been dispatched there along with Sen, who is in fact in Yoshimori's class. Tomonori points out that the new transfer student (Sen) was absent, which shocks and distresses Shu. Shu later explains that he and Sen are now part of the Night Troop's Intelligence Unit (they used to be in the Combat Unit on Sen's suggestion), and specifies that they are there to investigate Karasumori, not assist the Kekkaishi as Gen did.

Yoshimori and Shu meet up with Tokine after school, and Yoshimori is bothered by how familiar the two seem with each other. Shu begins to explain how membership in the different units of the Night Troop works, but Sen finally appears to interrupt him. Shu immediately demands answers from him. Seeing Sen in his uniform, Yoshimori suddenly realizes why he thought of Gen that morning: Gen will never move past his second year of middle school. Sen is a little annoyed that Yoshimori seems so spaced out, and wonders if he has a problem with them being there.

In a flashback, Sen seriously considered leaving the Night Troop so he could travel with Kei Sazanami. To his surprise, Sazanami said things had changed and that he'd be staying after all. He also said that he put in a good word for Sen with Masamori. Later, Masamori assigned Sen a mission to officially investigate Karasmori, but to actually investigate the people Karasumori has chosen: Yoshimori and Tokine.

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Tokine Yukimura
 * Gen Shishio
 * Kyoko
 * Yurina Kanda
 * Ayano
 * Mr. Kurosu
 * Shu Akitsu
 * Tokine Yukimura
 * Sen Kagemiya
 * Kei Sazanami
 * Masamori Sumimura