"Something about it?" asked Kakashi, not entirely sure what had caught the sword-priest's interest.
"Part of my training was to get familiarized with other shrines and faiths within the Elemental Countries," said Naruto. "That looks a lot like a shrine from the nomads in Wind Country."
"Professor Dreamwisp is from one of those nomadic tribes," said Madeline Madison, sounding slightly surprised. "Sword priest?"
"Yes," said Naruto, looking up.
"Ah," said the Mad Scientist. "He suggested it and we immediately experienced a lessening of the allergenic effects and so we've kept it. If it's crazy and it works, after all, it's something for theorizing about later."
"Wolf totem spirit?" asked Naruto.
"Yes," said Madeline. "And we used wolf genetic material. Canis lupus primarily."
"Uhng," managed Sakura, slowly getting up. To say she felt bad was a massive understatement. She was aching in places she hadn't known were there. She felt heavy, had a bad taste in her mouth, her ears were flat against her head and she was sitting on her tail.
Sakura blinked as higher functions rebooted. She was sitting in a hospital bed. Sitting on her tail.
Sakura slowly reached down and freed her tail, then brought the tip out where she could see it. Pink hair where she'd never expected to see it. Her HAND looked perfectly normal. "Wha?"
"Slowly, Haruno-san. Slowly."
Sakura slowly looked up from the tail to see the person she'd spoken to earlier. Igor.
With that came the flood of memories. Signing up for a research project, finding out that she'd ended up a research SUBJECT, the flood of chemicals, the cramps, the feeling of SOMETHING shifting within her.
The tunnel of light, the forest, the white wolf with the red markings, the blessing - a thoroughly weird dream she immediately blamed on the chemicals roaring through her body at that point.
Then there'd been that running with a pack dream.
"Congratulations, Haruno-san," said Igor happily. "Not only did you survive - the experiment was an unparalleled success. So far. You'll need some training and monitoring but you're entirely stable. For now."
"Stable?" asked Sakura, wanting to tuck her tail down between her legs and getting really alarmed at that impulse. "This is STABLE?!"
"Yes," said Igor. "The chance of you dissolving into a lump of primordial goo is almost nonexistent."
"'ALMOST'," exclaimed Sakura.
"Are you ready for visitors? We've actually got some visitors for you," said Igor, momentarily turning depressed. "I never got visitors. Even after these years I'm don't even get invited to any of the good parties. Or bad parties. I'd settle for someone at least bringing me the occasional piece of birthday cake or something..."
"Visitors?!" said Sakura. "Who?"
"Hello," said Kakashi Hatake, walking in. "Sounds like she's up."
"Hn," said Sasuke, following.
"Haruno-san," indicated Naruto, bringing up the rear.
Sakura stared for a moment at Sasuke being here. In her hospital room. While she was wearing a hospital gown. Still holding her tail.
"YIPE!" yelped Sakura as she covered herself with the blanket.
"I have a feeling that this might take awhile," said Kakashi with a sigh.
"I'll bet the Inuzuka Clan will be quite interested," said Igor. "They might even have a party. I hear the Inuzuka really party most strenuously. Not that I ever get invited..."
"Haruno-san?" asked Naruto. "Not only is your tail sticking out of the blankets - my understanding of professional ninja is that they really don't hide under blankets that often."
"True," said Kakashi, rubbing his mask over the chin. "Though there was this one time in Water Country. But the details on that are classified."
"Too bad," said Naruto. "That sounds like it must have been interesting."
Kakashi sighed. "Yes. She was."
"Haruno-san," said Igor. "You're being shipped back into the ninja team program. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Someone finished tucking her tail away and peeked out of the blankets. "I'm what?"
"Well, we'll have to work on the teamwork issue, but I've got a very interesting team to work with this time," said Kakashi.
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(Posted Mon, 19 Jan 2015 15:50)
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