In the midst of an unfamiliar setting of ruins, destruction, chaos and woe, a young and promising scientist found herself lost. Shinomono Tabane, the eldest daughter of the noble Shinonomo Zoku [Shinomono clan] [1], a distinguished branch of the Orimura-uji [Orimura clan] [4], a renowned buke [samurai clan] with a rich history dating back to the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai [2] era in Japanese history.
This significant period began in 1392 when the audacious Yi-Seong-Gye, a half-Chinese and ethnic Korean military commander, successfully overthrew Kutara, the Japanese province known as Goryeo in the Korean language that had previously ruled over Hanguk [the Korean peninsula] since 918 AD.
Yi-Seong-Gye then established Dae Joeson-gug, a tribute state and satellite kingdom under the dominion of the illustrious Dà Míngguō, the final imperial monarchic dynasty formed by the traditional Han Chinese imperial system. The Zhūshì Huángshì, the esteemed Imperial House of Zhu, governed Zhōngguó [Han China] from 1368 to 1644 as the Dà Míngguō's imperial family and Nước Việt (Vietnam) from 1802 to 1945 when the Dà Míngguō became/was restored as the Việt Nam Quốc [Empire of Vietnam/Vietnamese Empire/Imperial Vietnam].
Following the transformation of the Dà Míngguō, it evolved into the Quốc gia Việt Nam [State of Vietnam/Vietnamese State] from 1949 to 1955, with the Nhà Nguyễn/Nguyễn triều/Nguyen Gia Mieu, the Nguyen dynasty/Imperial House of Nguyễn Phúc, an evolution and nativization of the Zhūshì Huángshì, assuming control during its rule over Nước Việt (Vietnam) from 1802 to 1945, Dae Joeson-gug being dissolved much earlier in 1898.
The Sengoku Jidai ended with the establishment of the Tokugawa bakufu, also known as the Tokugawa shogunate, a de jure absolute imperial monarchy that functioned as a hereditary royal military dictatorship.
Situated in the region of the Japanese Home Islands, it governed over feudal Japan with the Tokugawa-uji [Tokugawa clan] at its helm.
The members of this distinguished family acted as both the de facto military dictators and the de jure kings of feudal Japan. The Daiwa no Koushitsu [Imperial House of Yamato], played a crucial role in the Tokugawa bakufu, serving as its imperial family and chief priests of the prominent Shinto religion. The Tokugawa bakufu itself lasted until 1868, when it was replaced by the Dai Nihon Teikoku, also known as the Empire of Great Japan, as the government of Nihon [the Land of the Rising Sun/Japan].
The reigning heads of the Daiwa no Koushitsu held the combined positions of constitutional heads of state, government, and the armed forces of the empire during the period of the Dai Nihon Teikoku's existence.
They ruled not only over the enchanting Japanese Home Islands but also over territories such as the Korean peninsula, the southern half of Russia's Sahalakin Island and the Russian Kurils, Taiwan and the Pengu Islands, Palau, Okinawa, Korea's Dokudo Island, China's Daiyou Islands, the Carolines, and the Marinas.
This grand empire was restored to its imperial glory through the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which reinstated the esteemed power of the Daiwa no Koushitsu over the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. This historic event marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule over Nihon from 1603 to 1868, and the empire's reign continued until 1947.
The Orimura-uji was not only a buke, but also a familial secret society of the dark forces of Nihon-jin [Japanese] mythology, oni/ogres, maou/demons/devils, ayakashi/sentient animals with the ability to use demonic energy who can transform into a humanoid form and yokai/monsters, hiding away from the rest of Nihon as well as the wider world. [3] It also functioned as a technologically advanced miniature superpower for hire, willing to do the dirty work of assassination and covert ops for anyone with pockets deep enough to pay for its despicable services.
That was part of the reason why Tabane's parents had left...and she had done the same a few months before the events currently being described...although her parents had no idea of the fact that she knew of and had been in contact with their extended family, much less having worked for them. But that didn't matter now to the usually chipper and somewhat hyperactive young girl, as she tried to figure out where her unfortunate mishap had landed her.
The young girl's bright mauve eyes blinked for a split second as she looked around her, her long bright pink hair shifting from side to side as her unusually large bosom bounced underneath her rather loose dress. "What happened here...where am I?" she muttered under her breath, wiping blood from her head as she got off the ground and looked around her, finding herself in an unfamiliar place.
The bustling streets of her hometown, Kyoto, the feudal era capital of her native land of Nihon had vanished, replaced by an entirely different environment, a hidden village of fake shinobi and martial arts wielding xiūxiānzhě [5] who both used chakra, the sublime and ethereal fusion of reiyoku - a force aligned with one's spiritual sensitivity and indomitable willpower - and Ki, tangible energy residing within every living being, known as Konohagakure no Sato, the Hidden Leaf Village, though of course, she was clueless about this and was wondering what the hell had happened to her.
All she knew was that she had been working on some experimental teleportation technology for her latest would-be employer, a head honcho of the US Armed Forces who had shown interest in the theories they had exchanged online, before a sudden power outage caused the machine she had been working on to prematurely activate before everything went black.
Amidst the chaos, Tabane's thoughts raced. She was disoriented and baffled by her sudden change of location.
Unbeknownst to her, the epicenter of her accidental arrival was none other than the spot where Minato Namikaze, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Yondame Hokage [Fourth Fire Shadow], had sacrificed his life to seal the Kyūbi no Bakegitsune, the massive nine-tailed 'demon' fox that was one of the world of faux shinobi's legendary Bijū, within his newborn son, Naruto, who had a darker shade of Minato's blonde hair and inherited his father's bright blue eyes. The scene was scattered with rubble and charred earth, a stark reminder of the devastating battle between the Kyūbi and the Konoha-nin that had just taken place.
The chaotic aftermath of the Kyūbi's attack greeted her senses, but Tabane's scientific curiosity always managed to supersede fear. She carefully observed her surroundings, puzzled by the destruction and devastation around her.
Not fully comprehending the gravity of the situation, Tabane spotted the crying Naruto, who lay wailing beside the lifeless bodies of Minato and his mother, the redhaired, violet-eyed, tall, and buxom xiūxiānzhě Uzumaki Kushina, who in life had been a hyperactive, somewhat headstrong, but good-natured young girl who had always tried to serve others.
She reacted quickly, her slender arms scooping up the infant. Her mind raced, and she struggled to make sense of what she had stumbled upon. Why was a baby left here? And who were the blonde gaijin man and young girl, the girl only being a few years older than the pre-teen Tabane and the man being no older than twenty-five according to her estimations, obviously a couple, who lay dead beside the squawling babe?
The child was perched on top of a ritual alter of some sort, with incantations, spell matrixes, runes and complex formulas she recognized as a combination of Chinese cultivation techniques, Daoist magical and spiritual runes and spell casting, Nihon-jin magical techniques, and even a rudimentary form of Western magic still somewhat scattered across the area. The aura of a powerful runic technique, normally the domain of the hardy Nords of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia and Belarus, was heavy in the somewhat foul air, which she recognized was tainted by Youki, a corrupted form of reiyoku used by oni, yokai, and ayakashi in both battle and civilian life.
Had there been a great battle of some sort, perhaps between a mighty daiyokai [monster lord] and the faction the couple had belonged to, and the couple, in desperation, had tried mixing together various types of magic to try and turn the tide? Tabane despised her relatives, but their harsh instructions and strict lessonson the magical underground that truly ran the world had proven truly useful for once.
"What on earth happened here?" Tabane muttered to herself, her normally high-pitched voice tinged with curiosity and concern. She had no knowledge of chakra, the Kyūbi, or the Jinchūriki concept, being from the world outside of chakra and faux shinobi All she saw was a helpless baby and a dead couple, but there was something in the child's eyes that tugged at her heart.
Such a peculiar situation, Tabane pondered, blinking away her surprise. She approached the crying infant cautiously, taking in the details of the scene. Naruto's bright cerulean eyes were filled with tears, and his tiny form was stark against the backdrop of destruction. His existence raised questions and piqued her scientific curiosity.
Rescuing Naruto was not a matter of conscious choice for Tabane; it was instinctual, driven by a compelling fascination with the unknown, with what lay beyond the limits of her own universe. She did not yet understand the implications of the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki, nor the existence of chakra, faux ninja, and bijū. All she saw was a crying child who needed care and protection, and her heart yearned to provide it.
With a hint of a smile, she whispered, "Don't worry, little one. You're safe now." Her slender arms gently lifted Naruto from the blood-stained ground, cradling him close. Tabane's attire, a white lab coat over a teal dress, fluttered as she moved.
With Naruto securely held in her arms, Tabane focused her scientific prowess. Her thoughts raced as she initiated another teleportation, a calculated maneuver that would bring them to safety in her Kyoto lab. I must get him to a secure place, she thought with determination, her mind flashing with complex equations and technical data.
Before a squad of Konoha shinobi, who had arrived at the scene, could react or apprehend her, Tabane had vanished, taking the infant Jinchūriki with her. A shiver of blue light enveloped them, and in an instant, they vanished from the chaos of Konoha, reappearing within the confines of her pristine lab. Naruto, now cradled within a realm of advanced technology, was safe from the unknown world beyond.
With the teleportation complete, Tabane glanced down at her young ward, who had stopped crying. Her gaze was both curious and caring, contemplating the uncertain future that lay ahead for them. Her unassuming presence belied the magnitude of the events that had just transpired.
Amidst the unfolding events of Tabane's teleportation mishap and her rescue of baby Naruto, hidden from public knowledge and the ordinary world, the shadowy figures of the upper echelons of the Umbrella Corporation, a distinguished multinational conglomerate originating in England, dedicating itself to the development of advanced electronics, cosmetics, and medical supplies for domestic, military, and government usage, along with groundbreaking medical research and being a major player in the luxury tourist industry, but its true prosperity stemming from the discreet trade of cutting-edge defense technology and futuristic military supplies, which included bioweapons and genetically enhanced soldiers, and TRICELL, an enigmatic global enterprise hailing from its roots in England, that navigated the realms of pharmaceuticals, natural resources, and shipping but behind the veiled curtain of its mainstream operations, TRICELL clandestinely delved into the realm of pioneering research, exploring the untapped potential of biological weaponry and sophisticated military technologies, discreetly tailored for exclusive distribution to esteemed governments, esteemed private military contractors, and distinguished armed forces, two infamous corporate entities known for their dubious activities, were at work.
Their surveillance networks, always alert for any hint of technological advancements or unusual phenomena, detected the unusual energy signatures from Tabane's teleportation mishap. Both conglomerates, notorious for their covert operations and shadowy dealings, were quick to investigate. Heads of these corrupt organizations exchanged encrypted messages, their interest piqued by the unexpected event.
The heads of these nefarious corporations were not pleased. They sat in luxurious boardrooms, adorned in their meticulously tailored suits and dresses, the embodiment of calculated greed and ambition. With furrowed brows and lips pressed into thin lines, they exchanged uneasy glances.
Beyond the walls of Umbrella's headquarters in London, a sprawling, cold, and sterile monolith of corporate power, Albert Wesker, the enigmatic figure who had been a star employee of the company, now considered a rogue by his former employers, was analyzing recent reports. Information had surfaced about a strange, unaccounted energy fluctuation in a remote part of the world. His thoughts raced as he delved deeper into the findings.
"Could this be the work of Tabane Shinonono?" he pondered. Though his affiliation with Umbrella was severed, his obsession with unconventional technologies and powers remained intact. He knew well that Tabane was a scientist of immense potential and had developed teleportation technology that could defy conventional understanding. Wesker couldn't help but be intrigued.
Meanwhile, deep within the secretive corridors of TRICELL's lair, Excella Gionne, the influential figure at the helm of the corporation, was studying the same data. Her auburn hair flowed down her shoulders, and her attire was a blend of sophistication and menace.
Tabane Shinonono... This could pose a threat to our research, she thought, her mind set on maintaining their grip on the world's secrets. TRICELL was notorious among the conspiracy and alternate media community for its bio-organic research, and the sudden appearance of an unexpected variable in the form of Tabane was an unsettling development.
Excella, the enigmatic mastermind behind TRICELL, spoke first during a meeting of the board of directors, her dark eyes gleaming with a calculating edge. "This is unexpected. We must find out more about this teleportation technology, and the scientist behind it. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be a formidable weapon."
The elegant and ruthless Alexia Ashford, representing the Umbrella Corporation, leaned forward, her fashionably sleek dress accentuating her commanding presence. "Indeed, this is a development we cannot ignore. Tabane Shinonono is a wild card, and we need to determine her motives. There's potential here for both profit and peril."
As they deliberated, their intentions remained shrouded in deceit and shadows. The corrupt world of Umbrella Corporation and TRICELL thrived on exploiting the unknown and monopolizing forbidden knowledge, and Tabane's unexpected entrance into this world was a matter of great concern.
Meanwhile, in the realm of governments and global superpowers, a similar alert was raised. Unusual energy fluctuations and dimensional anomalies had not gone unnoticed. Analysts and intelligence agencies scrambled to decipher what had occurred, and some of the world's most influential figures were informed.
The atmosphere grew tense as high-ranking officials and heads of states met behind closed doors, their attire reflecting their authority and diplomatic poise. They were aware that Tabane's teleportation technology malfunction could have significant ramifications.
General Richard Thompson of the US Armed Forces, a stern figure known for his unwavering resolve, spoke with a hint of apprehension during a top secret meeting of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff in the White House. "Our security agencies are already looking into this anomaly. We need to assess the potential threat and ensure the safety of our citizens."
President Maria Rodriguez, a resolute leader who had steered her nation through many crises, nodded in agreement. "Agreed, General. We cannot underestimate the implications of this event. Our responsibility is to protect our country and maintain global stability."
As the wheels of government bureaucracy turned, the powers that be remained vigilant, watching the unfolding situation with a mixture of curiosity and concern. The world had just been thrust into an unknown future, and everyone was eager to understand its significance.
[1] Considering how Tabane's younger sister Houki is a Kendoka [one who practices kendo, a form of fencing developed in Japan based on the samurai fighting methods] with a tendency to wear traditional Japanese clothes and has a tendency to stalk the protagonist of IS: Infinite Stratos every chance she gets, the Shinomonos being part of the now defunct Kazuko [the hereditary Japanese peerage] is a definite possibility.
[2] "Warring States"
[3] That whole schtick in the canon IS: Infinite Stratos light novel about Orimura Chifuyu, her younger brother Orimura Ichika and their shared younger sister Orimura Madoka being the result of a Japanese government-sponsored project to create the perfect human has been somewhat adjusted in this fic, with the fanon speculation of these three characters being part of a clan that plays a major role in the events of the IS: Infinite Stratos franchise being the benefactor, funder and creator of the project instead of the government.
[4] Explains the close friendship between Tabane and a certain Mondo Grosso champion and later Houki and that champion's brother, who happens to be the protagonist of IS: Infinite Stratos.
[5] Chinese for a cultivator, one who trains in martial & mystical arts, generally in order to become powerful and increase their longevity. Cultivators are a key part of Wuxia [traditional Han Chinese epic fantasy novels]. You can't tell me that the techniques of the Hyūga, Uzumaki and their shared ancestors in the Ōtsutsuk imperial house aren't either inspired by, or are in fact those used by cultivators in the Wuxia genre. Ninshu...that's 100% Wuxia right there.