"This would be the first major villain," guessed Itsuki, the esper basing this on character and set design.
"It seems a logical conclusion," agreed Yuki.
"Why do you even bother with this quack?" asked the glasses-wearing youth.
"Patience, Kabuto," counseled the pale-faced ninja, briefly pausing to extend his tongue and lick an errant hair and move it from out of his line of vision. "Some degree of 'eccentric' is to be expected from those who are considered 'genius' in a particular field."
The two moved into the lab area where a short wild-eyed person in labcoat moved to greet them. "Lord Orochimaru! And you brought your medical minion. Great!"
"'Minion'?" asked Kabuto, almost sneering.
"You prefer 'lackey'?" asked the labcoat-wearer.
"Now now, children," said Orochimaru with amusement. "Goldfoot, what of your experiment?"
"As you commanded, Lord Orochimaru!" said Goldfoot, chortling and rubbing his hands together. "We have taken the best parts of dozens of dead girls and put them together. Subject A1 was deemed a failure as she was comely enough, but lacked the intestinal fortitude necessary for an assassin. Which is strange, because I know I worked on those intestines and they should have been ready for just about anything."
"Yes, yes," said Orochimaru. "So what of the test I ordered you to do?"
"I released a few of the early experiments to prime the area," said Doctor Goldfoot. "Then I released A1 and told her about A2. Then told A2 that she would be sent on to you and allowed to live if she just managed to bring back A1's head. Without the rest of the body."
"What would you do with some dead girl's head?" asked Kabuto.
"I was thinking of a nice glass case and putting it on the bookshelf over there," said Goldfoot, pointing. "Room could really use something to brighten it up a bit."
Orochimaru gave a tittering laugh. "You always concern yourself with the strangest things, Doctor."
"Well, with the Patchwork series, removing the head from the body doesn't necessarily kill them," said Goldfoot with a shrug. "I could always stitch her head onto something else."
"Removing the head doesn't kill them?" asked Kabuto, suddenly getting a few ideas about why Orochimaru tolerated this flake. "They're immortal?"
"If you mean 'immortal' in that you could chop one up and it'd still be capable of holding a conversation, yes," said Goldfoot whose voice turned disappointed as he continued. "You can disable them by cutting the head off though. They can still be destroyed by a hot enough fire or acid or being crushed into paste."
"It's a start," said Orochimaru.
Brightening slightly, Goldfoot smiled as he continued. "But through the sealwork and the Patchwork process, we have managed to give them some enhanced qualities. A1 has superior strength and durability, while A2 is nearly as strong but much faster and much better at wielding weapons. A1, as you know, was a failure when it came to the murder and assassination parts. While A2 performed admirably in both tests."
Orochimaru smirked. "I expect results, Doctor. Let me know when A2 has successfully returned from its mission. Using the success to clean up the failure has a certain appeal to me."
Kabuto followed Orochimaru out of the lab, and they were well outside before he spoke again. "So... these 'Patchwork' are stitched together from dead bodies, given a semblance of life, and then become nearly unstoppable troops?"
Orochimaru smirked in reply.
"So he's a flake, but a useful flake," mused Kabuto.
"Exactly," agreed Orochimaru. "Of course, if A2 - this 'Ryoko Asakura' - fails the test? So does the flake. I'll let you clean up the mess."
Kabuto smirked himself at that. "With pleasure."
"They are gone, herr doktor."
"Good, good," said Goldfoot, smirking again. "The seals were not disturbed?"
"No, herr doktor," said the girl stepping out of the shadows.
"Excellent," said Goldfoot. "They saw only what they expected to see. But soon, SOON, I shall be a fully fledged mad scientist and arch-villain myself! Bwahahahahahaha!"
"Doubtful," said the girl.
"What?" asked Goldfoot.
"I said 'of course, herr doktor'," said the girl.
North High School:
"Okay, that guy is officially creepy," said Haruhi. "Mikuru is a super-strong monster though? That's too much of a stretch."
"That she'd be considered a failure as an assassin though, I find that oddly believable," said Itsuki.
"M-m-me?!" squeaked Mikuru. "An assassin?"
"Yeah, that's right," said Haruhi dismissively. "I'd have trouble believing Mikuru could kill a roach."
"Eh?" asked Mikuru.
"What's with Asakura being a wandering monster anyway?" asked Haruhi.
"W-w-w-wandering monster?!" asked Mikuru.
"Whatever the case," said Haruhi, folding her arms in front of her and watching the screen, "tomorrow afternoon we're going to have words with this writer! Write down the address, Yuki!"
Doki-doki village.
The changes in posture from Kakashi Hatake were subtle and nobody would have blamed a bunch of raw genin for not picking up on it, despite Kakashi not trying to hide it from his genin. So Kyon missed it entirely, but the other two of the team did spot the cue.
Naruto's grip on Hinata shifted slightly and one foot slid slightly further out and to the right. Sasuke slid a hand closer to his kunai. Kyon wondered about the odd 'stitches' adorning the skin of this 'Asahina' before him.
The door was apparently ignored as someone ripped the side of the building open as she made her own entry.
"Asakura?!" yelped Kyon as the blue-haired girl jammed a blade into Kakashi's ribs, then turned to deal with the next highest-threat target.
"That's one down," she said cheerfully with the same pleasant smile as usual. "Just hold still and I promise I'll be quick!"
Kyon found himself under assault while still reeling from the sudden appearance of his would-be killer and that Kakashi had just been knifed in a similar manner to what had happened to him on that day.
Naruto had apparently gotten into position. "EVIL CUTTING SWORD! Shinmei Ryuu: Zanmaken!"
Kyon had just taken a slice to the arm he was using to defend himself, so he had a clear view of what had just happened. He had been hit by that technique himself, and it hadn't done much more than damage his clothing and disorient him for a few moments.
Ryoko Asakura, on the other hand, was blasted back through the wall and made a short arc through the air where she bounced and slid to a heap on the ground. She'd also screamed, which was VERY out of character for the Stepford Smiler that he was familiar with.
"Wha-What was that?!" asked Ryoko as she slowly got up as far as hands and knees. She turned her head up and focussed on the ninja now coming out of the house. "What is this feeling? I don't like it."
Kyon was taken aback by several things. Her eyes were teared up, there was even a trail of something from her nose. Her expression had changed too. Even when Yuki had dissolved her back in his world, she had just kept the same pleasant smile and largely-neutral expression going. When she'd killed Kakashi and attacked him - she'd done the same thing.
Now Ryoko Asakura looked frightened?
What is this? I estimated that within thirty seconds I could eliminate the obstacles and complete the mission. I eliminated the jonin, but the chunin was able to deflect my initial attack and the poison is not slowing his movements.
The one with the wooden sword though. He struck me with some sort of ninjutsu. Movement speed decreased by 60%, physical strength decreased by 25%, recovery abilities decreased by 87%.
Is this what pain feels like? I do not like it.
Kyon stared as Ryoko Asakura got slowly to a wobbly-looking dual-wielding stance he'd seen Sasuke use in sparring matches. She had a combat knife in either hand, but her expression hadn't changed much. Fear was showing in the face that had maintained a gentle smile as she'd discussed carving him up to provoke a response from Haruhi.
Kyon was also aware, though not an object of focus the way he was with Asakura, of his two team-mates taking positions where they had a clear line of attack.
Asahina was hiding partway behind a section of ruined wall and whimpering in fear. "Th-that's not enough to stop her. You have to run, she can't be hurt."
That's not right, realized Kyon. Naruto's Shinmei style is for hunting and killing supernatural monsters. In THIS setting, Asakura somehow qualifies. She IS hurt.
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(Posted Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:54)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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