Ramen Doodles
By Andrew J. Talon
Disclaimer: I do not and probably never will own Naruto or any other copyrighted works mentioned in this story. I am not writing this for profit.
Author's Note: When I have writer's block, I often write a lot of random snippets of ideas, omakes, and continuations of other author's ideas that kind of petered out. As I'm afflicted with a bit of writer's block regarding Key Through the Heart (again), I've decided I'm not going to leave you guys in the lurch. Therefore, enjoy some writing I've been doing over at The Fanfiction Forum.
Not a crossover with Ben-10.
Orochimaru's labs were far more extensive, and far more disturbing than Minato had ever imagined. The twisted souls within, their bodies disfigured and mutated beyond the point of recognition as humans.
He could only pray that their suffering was over. If not, it soon would be.
He noticed Sarutobi nearby a bookcase in the dusty chamber, slowly pulling notes and scrolls from the shelves. His practiced eye could discern any trap his former student might have left, so the ANBU were tasked with exploring the tunnels and chambers beyond.
It was more than that though. Minato could tell.
"Hokage-sama?"
Sarutobi sighed, and placed one of the tomes down. "I'm fine."
A rueful smile on the blonde. "I've heard that before."
Sarutobi shook his head. "Hopefully you won't hear it for very much longer."
"Now stop that, Old Man," Minato admonished. "Regrets don't become you."
"Ah, but I have little else to wear," the old Hokage chuckled. "That's the price of getting old..." He trailed off, and frowned at a single black book in the center of the shelves. "Now this... This is odd..."
He reached up and examined it. Minato put down the scroll he was studying, and walked behind the old Hokage.
"What is it?"
"This. It isn't a trap, but..." Sarutobi tugged on the book, and the entire bookshelf crumpled, folding down into the floor below. Minato whistled as he beheld the chamber inside.
"Didn't even get a hint that was there..."
"Neither did I," Sarutobi said. His eyes narrowed. "Follow me."
Minato was about to insist he go first-After all, he wasn't the Hokage-But he thought better of it by the feel of the old man's chakra. He was set on this, and Minato, being a teacher himself, could appreciate that.
They entered the darkness beyond, Sarutobi raising his hand and forming a simple ball of light in his palm to display a dark hallway. The two ninja walked, every sense finely tuned for a sign of a single trap.
A low blue light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and the two men followed it, emerging in a large, round room filled with large, transparent cylinders. Minato felt his stomach turn as he beheld their contents, illuminated by the sources of the light.
"What the...?" Minato mumbled. He walked up to the tank, and peered intently at the strange, metallic skeleton within. From his anatomy studies he knew it to be that of a girl-Probably in her teens. Why it was made of metal, and covered with seals, he didn't know. What confused him most were the eyes in the skeleton's skull... Eyes that glanced at him as he drew close.
Minato stayed calm only through sheer force of will. A computer screen lit up behind him, and he turned. Sarutobi worked at the keyboard, old eyes squinting slightly in the dark.
"Old Man Hokage?" Minato asked. Sarutobi shrugged.
"What? It pays to keep up with the times..." His frown deepened. "It seems my student was working on another project... Involving the combination of chakra-sealed metal with organic tissue."
Minato turned back to the tanks. In them were variations on the same thing-A girl made of flesh and metal, some obviously alive, others not so obviously.
"He called it 'Project Ten'," Sarutobi murmured, soft voice strangely loud in the dark chamber. Minato snorted.
"'Heaven'?"
"He was not without a sense of irony," Sarutobi mumbled. "He wanted to mass produce them, make them his slaves and servants. He downloaded basic data into each one on how to be kunoichi, and cloned their organic parts to be able to include 'upgrades' in the form of bloodline limits and new seals. He gave up on it though... It wasn't progressing as fast as he wanted."
"As fast as he wanted? Are you kidding?" Minato murmured. "The sealing complexities alone..."
He came across a certain chamber, where the girl within appeared totally complete. Long brunette hair waved in the liquids of the tank, as large, strangely warm brown eyes stared back at him. Wires came down from the top of the tank onto her head, and Minato could feel the chakra within. Her higher brain functions were being suppressed-Chakra canceling out chakra.
Despite this... The girl could lift a hand up, and press it against the glass. Minato found his hand rising to press back over hers. He took a deep breath.
"Old Man... What are you thinking?"
"... I don't know what to do with them," Sarutobi admitted. "By all rights... They should be destroyed."
Minato swallowed. Sarutobi looked over at the student of his student... And smiled slightly.
"But that isn't what you want to let happen... Is it?"
Minato looked back, and smiled. He then turned his smile back on the girl, floating silently in the tank.
"No..." He leaned close and pressed his other hand against the glass. The girl copied the motion. "We shouldn't treat them like... Failed experiments."
"Then what would you have me do, Minato?"
"First... We need to figure out how he did all this, so we can... Finish, the other ones," Minato said. "After that... They should be allowed to live as they wish to."
"Experiments of Orochimaru? Walking around at will?" Sarutobi sighed. "The Council will flip over that..."
"So we just don't tell them," Minato said. The two men stared at eachother for a while.
"We have to tell them something... A group of identical girls walking around? Even in this village, we can't cover up something like this, Minato," Sarutobi said. The Yellow Flash looked thoughtful for a while... Before a wicked grin emerged.
"In that case... Here's what you should tell them..."
The girl in the tank smiled back. Minato patted the tank, and his hands slid down to the pedestal. They rested on a plate, which Minato paid only enough attention to read the writing on it.
Ten-10... Hmmm...
Years later...
"Hokage-sama, the assassin."
The Hokage glared down upon the ninja before him. The prisoner's hands were bound with shackles. The ninja snarled up at him.
"I love this village, Hokage-sama! So much so I'd go against even your orders to kill that damn de-!"
"ENOUGH!"
The room shook violently, and the Hokage's formidable killing intent flooded the entire tower for a moment. Everyone within the room (and outside it) were frozen in terror. Sarutobi sighed, and held a hand to his forehead.
"... Get him out of here," he ordered. The ninja was dragged off. Only one of the ANBU holding him remained. Sarutobi raised his eyes to this straggler.
"Kakashi?"
"Hokage-sama..." The man paused, and stepped closer, the doors closing behind him. "This has been the ninth such attack in three weeks."
"I know," Sarutobi groaned, feeling so very, very old.
"Even with round the clock ANBU surveillance, we cannot protect him like this forever," Kakashi added. "Not unless you are willing to allow us to kill everyone in the village who seeks Naruto's death."
Sarutobi sighed. "This is just getting out of hand," he grumbled. "This, and the Council's squabbling over Minato's estate..." He trailed off. Kakashi didn't interrupt the silence-He missed his sensei too.
It was then Sarutobi smiled.
"Kakashi... I believe Naruto could use a round-the-clock protector, don't you think?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"One with above-average abilities than the average ninja, correct?"
Kakashi nodded. He could see where this was going. He was willing to do anything for the Hokage, after all. Guarding this precious boy was not a dream assignment, but at least he'd be honoring his sensei's last wishes and-
"A ninja that has not been born, but rather, made," Sarutobi said. Kakashi blinked.
"Sir?"
The Hokage smiled, and stood up. He pulled out a scroll from the desk, and placed it on the surface. Unfurling it, he bit his thumb and signed the scroll. He then cracked his knuckles, and quickly performed handseals.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu," he called, and there was a poof of smoke. When the cloud cleared, Kakashi was left staring at a lithe girl with her hair in buns. Her clothing consisted of plain Sino-style top and pants. She stared at the Hokage with blank eyes.
"Unit Tenten, online."
"Unit Tenten, your mission is to protect and care for Naruto Uzumaki. This mission is ranked A, duration is indefinite." The Hokage smiled. "Engage 'Nee-chan' mode."
"Nee-chan mode engaged," Tenten stated. In a moment, her entire body language changed-She carried herself like a kunoichi still, but there was softness and warmth in her visage. Albeit a softness and warmth that could turn to cold rage in an instant if pressed, if her stance was to say anything.
"Executing mission," Tenten stated, before she smiled. "I'll see you later, Hokage-sama!"
With that, Tenten turned and leaped out the window. Kakashi stared after her, and then slowly turned to look at Sarutobi.
"... Hokage-sama... What... The hell... Was that?"
Sarutobi chuckled. "That? That, Kakashi-sensei, was Minato's last gift... To his son, and to Konoha."
This idea came about with the thought that Tenten has still not been given a last name, and after re-reading my Naruto/Terminator idea. I think this has a lot more potential though.
Basically, Minato finished Orochimaru's work and finished these Cyborg Kunoichi. How many there are I leave up to the author. He was allowed to keep them for himself on the condition that they would be used to serve Konoha, as with Orochimaru AND Minato's genius behind them these Ten-Series cyborgs are faster, stronger, and more durable than most normal ninja. And they can use chakra.
Minato's idea was that the Tens could be employed to support Konoha, since they're a lot harder to kill than regular ninja. But he didn't want them to just be killers-He felt that they could help teach genin and protect the village as full-fledged kunoichi. To this end, Sarutobi decides to employ them in various disguises as kunoichi who are every academy student's "Nee-chan" or "sempai" who can fill in gaps that regular teachers leave. They're generic enough in their appearance that they can quickly slip away into a crowd and be forgotten.
Sarutobi would also have Tens go on real missions and serve in Genin teams to gather information on how to improve training, and would adjust the Tens' specialties accordingly. After the Kyuubi attack, the Tens are employed more often to make up for Konoha's flagging numbers. But nobody knows just what they are or where they came from...
Until Naruto receives their summoning scroll from the Hokage.
This is not an idea I intend to write, so if anyone were to take it up, whether as a comedy or a dark dramatic fic, I would be very grateful.