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23raccoons · 3 months ago

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let me bleed (you're losing me) Ao3

Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, Hatake Kakashi, Yamanaka Ino, Sai (Naruto), Karin (Naruto), Uchiha Madara Additional Tags: Dubious Consent, Blood and Violence, Unhealthy Relationships, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Dark Uchiha Sasuke, Dark Nara Shikamaru, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Rough Sex, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Self-Harm, Akatsuki (Naruto), War, Konoha 11 (Naruto), Everyone is Problematic ok?, Heavy Angst, Domestic Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fourth Shinobi War (Naruto), Memory Loss, PTSD, Manipulation, Bullying, Suicidal Thoughts, Degradation, Dacryphilia

Chapter 11 (chapter list)

Kakashi is not lying when he tells his genin he hates them. They are, by all means, quite literally the worst. He’d much rather be out in the field, surrounded by advancing enemies.

Because what in the actual fuck is he supposed to do with an orphaned jinchuriki who only had instant ramen and milk a week past its expiration date in his house, or the last remaining Uchiha with a death wish of a vendetta for his older brother, who—the last time Kakashi checked—is wildly out of Sasuke’s fighting abilities, and a civilian girl. Who Kakashi first thinks is cannon fodder until he looks over her paperwork and she’s not only her class’s Top Kunoichi, but nearly every teacher’s favorite student, judging by all the little compliments on her personality or skill with course work or how cute she is in the margins.

They are a wetworks dream team just waiting to happen. A theoretical teeny-tiny little psycho psyop squad.

Two emotionally unstable powerhouses and a social, approachable brainiac. No sense of teamwork. They can barely complete d-ranked missions, and Sakura is often left smoothing over rough patches with clients for Naruto’s and Sasuke’s fuck-ups. No appreciation for her efforts or acknowledgment for their mistakes.

Naruto hates Sasuke. Sasuke hates Naruto. Naruto has a crush on Sakura. Sakura has a crush on Sasuke. A pre-teen team love triangle, if you will.

Kakashi would say Sasuke doesn’t even like Sakura, if not for the way he hovers around her, like she has a gravitational pull, keeping Sasuke in a circuit, in orbit around her. He’s downright mean to her, really. Borderline bullying as he snatches supplies or tools from her, snapping snarky comments at her like she’s entirely incapable of doing absolutely anything.

and

she

just

fucking

lets

him

it.

It's almost violent in how concerning it is. How nervous it makes him. On edge. How Sakura thanks him for helping her, like he’s some benevolent god bestowing a blessing on a poor peasant. Not a single complaint out of her about it. She doesn’t complain about anything, actually. Nothing but the utmost politeness out of her.

Not the way Sasuke acts like she’s the most incompetent human to ever exist, but won’t stray more than six meters from her. He complains that she’s the worst fighter he’s ever seen, but blocks any stray shuriken headed her way. Defends her in skirmishes and training instead of letting her participate in combat herself.

Not the way Naruto won’t quit being a little pervert towards the first girl to ever be nice to him. Kakashi can very genuinely not tell if it’s intentional or accidental, a by-product of his upbringing. He finds himself constantly having to mind that Naruto’s not trying to go to the bathroom with Sakura or that Naruto’s not watching while she changes clothes. Reminding him that no, he cannot peek into the women’s side of the bathhouse. No, he cannot crawl into Sakura’s bedroll even if she said it was ok. Purposeful like the many pornographic sexy jutsus he’s created. Or just ignorance, because he said he was cold and Sakura was the one who offered to let him in her sleeping bag to cuddle.

Not the way she cries when Kakashi pulls her to the side to tell her not to let either of the boys try to do that again because now she’s in trouble, and she's bad and Kakashi is disappointed with her. Apologizing for her mistakes, even if she didn’t know any better.

He hates them.

There’s also sort of a sweet spot, so to speak, of how close both boys can creep up into Sakura’s personal space without being so close to each other that they’re fighting about that. Like they’re two negative ends of a magnet, and Sakura’s the positive one they’re trying to hook into. Every day she gets better at redirecting their behaviors, learning how to move between them in a way as to not upset the other, leading to a fight she has to break up.

Kakashi’s a fan of letting them punch and kick and wrestle until one of them has won. Let them wear themselves out a bit at least. Sakura, however, doesn’t share the same ideology, and often Kakashi does have to intervene in the boys' disagreements because Sakura trying to pull them apart herself lands her in a situation to get hurt.

And every thing he teaches the boys, they use against each other. New (proper) kunai skills. Taijutsu moves. Ninja wire tricks. He thinks this is the worst of it, that maybe with the gentle guidance of Sakura the boys will get better, fight less. Work together.

And work together they do. When they are in Wave, he decides it would be a great time to teach them to tree walk. Demonstrating it for them and leaving (supervising from a short distance) them to figure it out on their own. A little team bonding.

Quite possibly the biggest mistake he’s made since his venture into sensei-hood.

Sasuke and Naruto both are terrible, awful at it. Running full speed up the trunk, sending wooden shrapnel everywhere, both will be covered in splinters by tomorrow. He’s so busy watching them, however, he doesn’t notice Sakura placing one foot on the tree, lifting it off, and replacing it several times. Switching her stance to test the other foot. Walking straight up to the lowest branch, plopping herself down with a laugh—the thing that finally catches his attention.

Glancing up at her, feet kicking back and forth as they dangle. Looking so, so pleased with herself. Satisfied that for once, she has done something ninja-related better than Naruto or Sasuke.

This is the moment the boys discover they do in fact get along, if Sakura has done something to offend Naruto’s rather indelicate sensibilities. And together they are so mean to her when she offers to help, to show them how to do it. Sakura’s eyes water as she tried to defend herself, insisting that she wasn’t trying to be insulting but rather a good teammate.

Each word out of her mouth seems to make the situation worse—voices and volumes rise—as the boys try to outdo one another with rapidly growing jabs that are spiraling out of control and now even Naruto’s hurling insults—real ones—at Sakura, who's just standing there.

Letting them.

“Oi,” he tries, but these kids don’t listen. They don’t follow orders. They don’t obey, not like his Anbu team does. “Hey! That’s enough guys.”

Naruto’s a street rat, through and through. One who has had more than plenty of nasty things said to him. So Kakashi is not entirely surprised when he’s not fast enough to stop the ‘bitch of a whore’ that comes flying out of the boy, trying to best Sasuke’s last comment. Kakashi would be surprised if Naruto even knows what that means, parroting the adults who make snide comments as he slinks by.

But Sakura. Little goody-two shoes Sakura knows exactly what those words mean. He can see it cross her face, like a slap, that Naruto of all people would call her something as demeaning as that.

Kakashi is quick enough to stop Saukra before her palm has the chance to make contact with Naruto’s cheek, finally at her breaking point. He is not quick enough to stop the left hook Sasuke gives Naruto for his choice language, like he hadn’t just told Sakura that she was ‘pretty stupid for being so fucking smart.’

“That’s enough!” He has to shout it to get them to listen, still holding onto Sakura’s wrist, wedging himself in the middle of the three to prevent this from escalating further. Creating yet another problem, as now he is an authority figure, one who is not happy and yelling. Causing Sakura, the people-pleaser that she is, to burst into tears. Trying to apologize to Kakashi, like this is all her fault, through her sobs.

If Kakashi didn’t know what to do before, he sure as shit doesn’t know what to do now. Anbu don’t cry, they don’t beg for forgiveness. They don’t beg for anything. So he lets her tug herself from his grip, slipping through his fingers. To run off, not far, but out of sight, so she can have her little emotional outburst in peace.

Like a cherry on top of a melted sundae, oozing everywhere, running and dripping all over the counter, both boys now seem to think it’s Kakashi’s fault Sakura is so upset, and they’re shouting at him now. Like the two of them hadn't been criticizing her like bratty bullies on the playground just moments before.

Kakashi grabs each boy by an ear, tugging them closer together so he can loom menacingly over them. Using his best scary captain voice, “If either of you ever have the nerve to pull a stunt like that again, I’ll yank that headband off your head myself. No more being a ninja for you. Do you understand?”

Both of them mumble a response, so Kakashi gives them a little shake. “What was that?”

“Yes, Kakashi.” They reply in unison, the insubordinate little shits.

Later that evening, Kakashi catches Naruto pulling Sakura off to the side, “I asked Sasuke what those words meant. I’m sorry for saying them to you.”

“It’s ok, Naruto,” she says, giving him a sad little smile and a pat on his shoulder. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

Kakashi pushes down that uncomfortable feeling again, the one he gets when Sasuke’s little remarks to Saukra turn too mean-spirited, too on the mark for Kakashi’s own feeling of Sakura’s ninja abilities.

He hates them.

Dispite the rough patches, the mission builds some comradery, not nearly enough to install any faith that they will pass the upcoming chunin exams, which Kakashi’s Anbu team has been working on for months now. Prepping, planning, protecting. Making sure all the little genin will be as safe as the exams allow.

He’s been curating the team for years now, since he was a teen. Since he was running Anbu missions so hard and so frequently, the mask was useless, pointless. The recognizable destruction of his chidori a certified calling card, if you will.

A new Anbu division made, captained by Kakashi himself, a small team of well-known, recognizable, feared ninja. A ‘top secret’ plainclothes black ops team. Ment to run the missions necessary for the good of Konoha. The worst of the worst. Exactly why they had chosen him to teach this specific group of genin, as it is highly likely Naruto and Sasuke will end up on Kakashi’s team anyway. Stern and straight-laced. Unrestrained and unruly. Feral—in the case of Anko—and insane.

Preparations for the village for the arriving teams has been going on almost non-stop since he returned from the Wave mission, which has left Kakashi grumpy and tired. He looks like shit. He feels like shit.

The chunin exams are shit.

He should’ve pulled them the moment he's sitting in the sensei's lounge reading, and Kurenai frowned, crossed her arms, and whispered to Asuma as they watched the video feed of Kakashi’s genin walking in. “Oh no, they’re going to eat her up.”

Kurenai’s one to talk, as the rumor is the Hyuuga heiress is about as soft as a pillow feather. A stuttering, nervous thing. Her teammates, however, are not picking fights with every other team they come across though, so there’s that. (She’s also not the most colorful thing in the camouflage filled room either.)

Kakashi is convinced that his awful little genins aren’t even going to get past the first round, Ibiki’s paper test. Sakura’s such a little rule-following-nerd of a bookworm she’ll never even think to cheat, Sasuke will cheat but not help Naruto, and Naruto won’t get a single question right, cheating or not. Kakashi took it, and even he took just over twenty minutes to finish, as he doesn’t know the last time he’s even read up on something as obscure as advanced chakra theory or the precise calculations of the trajectory of a dozen kunai. And the tenth question—less about who gets it right and more about who it weeds out—to find who is willing to throw the mission, to be the one to take the sacrifice for the good of the team.

They fucking pass. He hates them.

Kakashi’s team gathers in his empty little sham of an apartment, along with Asuma. (Kakashi keeps Gai away from the inner workings of the team, and Asuma remains on the standard Anbu roster, not on Kakashi’s team.)

Ibiki comes in smiling, which is never a good sign. Ever. If Ibiki is smiling, grinning ear-to-ear as much as his scarred lips will let him, it means someone has bested one of his little mind games. Oddly enough, Asuma looks nearly as sick as Kakashi feels in the moment.

Ibiki runs through top performers from the other villages, noting several teams of concern—most notably the Sand Trio, the Kazekage’s children. Gaara of the Sand, the one-tailed jinchuriki, already a known asset to Suna.

Then it’s what Kakashi’s the most nervous about, the stack of Konoha candidates. The usual repeat offenders, trying yet again to rank up. Kakashi almost feels like throwing up as the pile dwindles. The nine rookies and Team Gai. Most pass to expectations, docked for clan jutsus or more obvious cheating tactics.

Four files left. One of Asuma’s kids and all three of Kakashi’s. He will give Ibiki that his sense of showmanship truly top-notch—anxiety-inducing stuff.

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Ibiki calls out, waving the folder around. Two out of three is only mildly less stressful. “Docked for use of the sharingan, docked for three incorrect answers.”

“Uzumaki Naruto. The bottom score passed with negative points on the paper questions. Docked twice for talking to his neighbor. Did not answer a single written question.” Unsurprising, really. Naruto’s name is only a small relief, as it means Sakura has made the top two, and in Ibiki’s eyes, one of the most insulting places she could be.

Ibiki holds each of the files up. Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru. Asuma lights a cigarette beside him, Kakashi doesn’t even have it in him to nag about the deposit, like the cost of this place actually comes out of Kakashi’s own pocket. He debates asking for one himself.

“Nara Shikamaru.” Asuma lets out the breath he was holding, sending smoke spiraling. Kakashi does motion for one now, because that only means Sakura’s performance Is what has Ibiki so excitable. And if she’s out performing the genius little Nara brat, that’s not a good sign. Asuma hands him the lit one from his mouth, but Kakashi’s going to smoke it anyway, hiding behind his book so he can pull his mask down to puff on it. “Only answered seven questions—all correctly, docked once for cheating. Off of one…Haruno Sakura.”

Ibiki times the name with a puff, causing a few coughs from Kakashi that the other man lets die before he continues. “Haruno answered all questions correctly. Docked zero times. No accounts of cheating. Haruno herself, however, was cheated off of at minimum seventeen times. More than any of my chunin plants combined. Causing an uncalculated spread of answers that has skewed the number of passing participants greatly.”

Uh-oh.

Ibiki’s smile gets even bigger as he waits until Kakashi peeks over the cover of his book, and Kakashi doesn’t know how this could get worse. “Haruno finished the test in just under nineteen minutes. A new record.”

…

what

the

fuck.

He hates them.

Then a mission comes up, while the genin are off galavanting through the Forest of Death. Kakashi’s more than uncomfortable with it, tingling with apprehension that something's wrong. He goes, and everything runs so smoothly, so perfectly, he’s racing home to find what tragedy awaits him there. Worse than he could imagine, no one is dead, but Sasuke now has a nice brand new curse mark gifted by Ororchimaru himself.

Sakura also has undergone a haircut, chopped shorter than Sasuke’s even. Arms wrapped in bandages, she’s dirty and covered in scrapes and scratches, hovering over Sasuke, who’s allowing it, despite his attitude about it.

He hardly has time to think about it. So many teams have passed, much more than they planned. They call for a qualifying round, both to thin the numbers for the third stage and create more time to investigate the security breach. To help with whatever curse seal Orochimaru has placed on Sasuke.

Kakashi flips through the candidate files, pairing them off as he sees fit. Being sure to pair Sakura against someone who will beat her, but not in a physical way, as Inoichi’s daughter is well versed in the clans techniques.

Sasuke and Naruto are onto the third round, and Sakura’s been eliminated, no chance of her having to go up against someone like Gaara. A month of training Sasuke, teaching him Kakashi’s very one-handed jutsu. Naruto spending the time training with Jiraiya.

And if the first two rounds weren’t shit enough, they’ve gone straight to hell in a handbasket with the third. He barely has time to acknowledge the fact that Sakura (and the Nara brat, who Sakura could tell was faking sleeping?—a thought for later) has broken out of a high-level genjutsu nearly as easily as he has. He sends Pakkun off with the two and Naruto to try and reign Sasuke back in.

Sound ninjas. Sand ninjas. Orochimaru and the one-tailed jinchuriki. The death of the third Hokage. Itachi and the Akatsuki. The Fifth Hokage. And then somehow, even with over two decades of being a ninja, all the shit he’s seen, all the fucked up missions, all the dead teammates—the one event that ends up fucking his head up the most doesn’t end in death, no one even ends up hurt.

He hates them.

But the image burned into his mind of Sasuke and Naruto arguing, fighting on top of the hospital roof of all places, Sakura screaming for them to stop. Of the boys using real, dangerous jutsus against each other. And Sakura, Sakura who would rather throw herself between the boys to take the damage than let them hurt each other.

He hates them. He hates them. He hates them.

Kakashi’s almost not fast enough to stop it from happening.

Chapter 12

#sakura haruno #kakashi hatake #sasuke uchiha #shikamaru nara #shikasaku #sasusaku #sasuke x sakura #sakura x shikamaru #dark shikamaru #dark sasuke #naruto fanfiction #fanfic #let me bleed (you're losing me)

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minniethemoocherda · 11 months ago

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Iridescent: Chapter 13

Summary: When Jazz is promoted to Head of Special Operations, the last thing he expected was to have to work with a face from his past.

A/N: Fair warning that the violence is going to be a bit more graphic from this point onwards sorry! Xxxxxxx

Ao3

Jazz opened up the spec op private comms

"Hound after you've dropped off Mirage, I need you to track Skywarp!" Jazz ordered, having to shout over the sound of Prowl chewing out the twins nearby.

After receiving an affirmative, Jazz marched back over the two remaining commanders, passing by the twins who looks appropriately guilty for once.

"We should retreat! Before more of our people are injured." Optimus suggested, firing out from behind where they had managed to build a makeshift barrier out of the rusted remains of whatever structure had once been built here.

"Why?" Jazz asked, casually throwing a shuriken over the barrier, that judging by the following scream, confirmed that it had found its target, as he ducked down besides his friend. "So that they can eventually break the doors down or simply drop a big ass bomb and kill us all inside instead of out here?"

"I agree with Jazz." Prowl declared.

Even after everything that had happened today, Prowl openly agreeing with him, still managed to surprise Jazz.

"We have to hold them out here. If the other seekers invade the Ark then we will loose the Autobot headquarters and most likely the war." Prowl finished.

Optimus paused, probably consulting with the Matrix, however that worked, as he considered their plan. After a moment he nodded.

"Very well, here is where we shall stand our ground." Optimus said, his voice that of a Prime instead of the awkward data clerk Jazz used to know.

Of course as soon as that plan was decided, Blaster chose that moment to interrupt the three of them with an incoming comm. Except it wasn't the communication expect on the other end of the line.

"This is MacCadam's base calling the Ark, can you hear me?" Elita-One's voice echoed in their ears.

"Ariel." Optimus breathed. Jazz hadn't heard their leader sound so relieved since becoming a Prime. It was shortlived however as worry quickly returned. "Has Bumblebee-"

"Yes he reached us safe and well." Elita was quick to reassure them and despite the distance, Jazz could hear the smile in her voice. "I sent him back with the information I am about to tell you. Our communications had been sabotaged. We are able to contact Teletran-1 but within the last hour we've found our Head of Communications grey in her room with a blaster wound through her mouth."

"Do you think the guilt got to her?" Jazz wondered aloud. It would certainly explain things. Perhaps too cleanly.

"It would appear so. When we lost communication Chromia became adamant that you're base must also have been sabotaged so she straight left for the Ark. I sent Silverstreak to keep an eye on her. Not long after they left, we were attacked by Soundwave."

"If Soundwave's there and Starscream's here then where is Megatron?" Optimus asked.

Jazz caught Prowl's optics. By the way they flashed, he knew that they bad both come to the same conclusion.

"He is planning an attack on our two weapons specialists who are currently out of range, outnumbered and unaware that they're headed straight for a trap." Prowl stated.

Shit

"Our long range individual comms are still dismantled." Elita-One reminded them. "We can only contact Teletra-"

"AHHHHHHH!"

She was interrupted by Blaster's screams before the call cut off entirely. Which could only mean one thing. That Skywarp had infiltrated their communication room.

Jazz didn't need to say out loud what they all already knew. That Ironhide, Chromia and the rest of their team's lives now relied on them kicking Skywarp's ass and fixing whatever mess she had made to their long range comms.

Which was going to be a problem considering the fact that the communications room had access to the camera outside the hanger doors so that they could see anyone heading inside.

Thankfully, Jazz was a spy for a reason.

"I know a secret way inside." Jazz told them. "But as amazing as I am, it would be a lot easier to take her down if I had some help."

"Prowl, accompany Jazz." Optimus ordered. "I will ensure that we hold the Seekers back."

Prowl didn't look particularly pleased at the idea of teaming up. Prowl wouldn't have been Jazz first choice either but with his best agent injured and the other occupied, he didn't have much of a choice left. Regardless Prowl wasn't going to argue with their Prime, so after a few pointed words to the twins reminding them to actually follow orders, he turned to Jazz.

"Lead the way."

Prowl kept his blaster poised as he reluctantly followed Jazz around the outwards of the Ark, keeping watch for any Seekers who might have noticed them under Optimus cover fire.

Prowl was reluctant to leave the front where he believed that his tactical skills would be most valuable. He could have said these concerns aloud. Optimus had always welcomed his troupes to voice their objections which was something that Prowl's previous authority figures during his time as an enforcer had never approved of. But ultimately, Optimus was their Prime who's decision had failed to steer them wrong yet, so Prowl trusted his judgement.

He soon realised that Jazz was leading them towards the end of the Ark's old thrusters. The ship was once capable of interstellar flight but had not been used for such purposes since the golden age of Nova Prime. Now the thrusters were rusted and sealed up due to their misuse.

At least that was what Prowl had been told. However Jazz was currently entering through the centre of the left thrusters' exit port where he was able to unscrew a loose panel, that lead into a gap between the main energon line and the wall.

"This is where Hound secretly feeds his rations to the local turbo-foxes and where I'm pretty sure Bumblebee has been sneaking out at night." Jazz explained before he crawled inside. Prowl made a mental note to inform Red Alert of the security breach when this whole ordeal was over, before following him inside.

It was a tight fit for Jazz and an even tighter one for Prowl. Even with his doorwings pressed flat against his back, it still hurt to drag their edges against the steal walls and without even enough room to turn his head, Prowl was left with no choice but to stare directly at the curves of Jazz's ass as they scraped along the gap. Thankfully, it wasn't long before Jazz shoved open a grate opened into a storage closet.

Although, Prowl almost immediately missed the gap, as here he was pressed chassis to chassis, with his only option to look directly into Jazz's face.

Thankfully the spy, made no comment on their positions when he spoke.

"I ain't getting a response from Hound but Bluestreak said that the last thing he told her was that he heading towards Communications."

Prowl let out a vent that he hadn't realised he'd been holding when he learnt that Bluestreak was alright. He knew that the young sniper was more than capable of protecting herself but as the older sibling he couldn't help worrying whenever she was out of the realm of his protection.

Prowl watched as Jazz slowly opened the storage door to the corridor, sliding his blade between the small slit as he glanced around.

After a moment he gave a thumbs up of an all clear and strolled out of the cupboard. Prowl wasted no time in doing the same. Once outside, they took up the same unspoken positions that they head before, with Jazz leading the way, blade in hand, whilst Prowl protected the rear, blaster ready. Although now that he knew what Jazz's rear looked like, he found it hard to concentrate on protecting it.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any resistance along the corridors since most able bodied mechs were outside battling against the seekers.

Unfortunately they couldn't hear any signs of a scuffle or regain access to their long range comms which was not a good sign.

Once they made it to Communications, cautiously, Prowl poked his head around the door.

Skywarp was wrecking havoc on Teletran-1, ripping out wires and smashing screens like a rabid animal. At the very least it didn't appear like she knew exactly what damage she was doing but that didn't necessarily mean that it would be any easier to fix.

At her feet lay Hound, Blaster and Red Alert. A short range blaster shot had taken out half of Hound's torso. Miraculously, it hadn't appeared to have hit any vital organs, but by Prowl's calculations, that would matter little as he would soon to bleed out his remaining reserves of energon. Blaster had a large dent on the side of his helm but otherwise appeared unharmed. Red Alert was the only one conscious, however they were powerless to help as Skywarp had hogtied them up in a tangle of cords. Prowl knew that the stress of witnessing Skywarp wreck all of their carefully crafted systems was causing more pain than any injury could have ever done.

"You gotta plan commander?" Jazz whispered.

Before Prowl's battle computer had any time to respond, he heard the sound of footsteps behind them.

Out of the corner of his optic, Prowl caught Jazz wield his knife in the same moment that he raised his blaster.

Thankfully, it wasn't sneak a Deception attack. Instead it was Mirage, leaning heavily against the wall, as he dragged himself long the corridor.

"I... I am unable to reach Hound on internal comms. His... his last message was that he was head to-towards Communications." Mirage stammered, trying to be quiet but Prowl winced as their gasping breathes echoed across the silent corridor. Miraculously, Skywarp must not have heard it over the sound of her own destruction.

"Do not engage except for long range weapons." Prowl ordered, calculating that their chances of success would drastically decrease if Mirage were to witness Hound in his current state. And he hadn't even taken into account yet that whilst the cut across the spy's chest plate had been welded shut, Prowl knew that anything even remotely strenuous easily rip it open again.

Before Mirage could protest Jazz interrupted.

"Your invisibility ain't going to do shit if you start leaking very visible energon everywhere so do as he says." Jazz told him.

Prowl was unbothered as Mirage glared in his direction before biting his tongue and remaining at the end of the corridor. It made sense that the spy would be more likely to listen to a friend then a commander and Prowl did not care who the orders came from as long as Mirage followed them.

"Hey," Jazz hissed to get his attention. "If that big brain if yours hadn't come up with a plan yet, then I've got one." Prowl was not put at ease by the edge of Jazz's grin. "Knight."

It took a moment for Prowl to comprehend what it even was that Jazz was suggesting. It took a further moment for him to run it through his battle computer. After another he nodded.

Prowl lay flat against the corridor floor as Jazz peaked around the edge of the doorway, the side of his visor titled just so that it reflected the light off one of the remaining monitors, catching Skywarp's eye.

In an instant she had materialised in front of their Head of Special Operations. Jazz feigned surprise as Prowl crawled past the now tussling pair into the communications room.

Prowl ignored the flash of guilt as he climbed over Hound's body even though logically he knew that only Ratchet had the power to help him now. Besides, the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. And Prowl's current goal was saving two of their commanders plus their squads.

Prowl crouched down besides Red Alert, removing the plug gagged into their mouth and untying them as quickly as he could. This close, he could feel the heat radiating from their sensory horns that threatened an impending systems crash.

"Focus on what you can control." Prowl ordered once he had freed them of their restraints. "Can you recommend the wire to establish long range comms?"

Red Alert's eyes were wide and Prowl wasn't entirely convinced that they weren't going to crash. But if anyone was used to handling stress under pressure it was the Ark's security director.

With a jerked nod, Red Alert forced themselves towards Teletran-1.

With the first step of their plan in action, Prowl turned his focus back onto the fight behind him, to find that Skywarp had a writhing Jazz pinned under her armour. Wrestled that closely intertwined, Mirage would be unable to take a clear shot even if his condition hadn't drastically hampered his ability to aim.

Getting to his feet, Prowl grabbed Skywarp from behind, the teleporter too startled to make a jump to avoid being thrown from her victim. She produced a blaster, from where, Prowl did not have the time to figure out. But before she could fire it, he caught her wrist, yanking it upwards so the shot fired into the ceiling instead of his helm. He then turned so his back faced her front, snapping her wrist in the process and shot her with his own blaster. She dodged at the last second so he missed her spark but it still managed to blast a hole in her shoulder. Skywarp keeled over, using the remains of her hand to plug the gaping wound in her shoulder.

Whilst she was down, Prowl turned his attention to Jazz who was staring up at him, that infuriating smile for once wiped clean from his face.

Prowl allowed himself a small sense of satisfaction. He spent so much time behind the scenes of battles that their troupes had forgotten the fighting skills that had earned him the position in the first place.

As he helped Jazz to his feet, Prowl caught a glimpse of Mirage where he was hidden behind the corner of the corridor. Prowl would have to see Ratchet to get his optics checked as he thought that he saw a flash of respect in the spy’s eyes.

"You know I was just pretending to be loosing as a distraction right?" Jazz said as he fought to catch his breath, a cheeky smile now back on his face.

Prowl did have time to dignify that with a response as in an instant Prowl found himself upside down, pedes brushing the Ark ceiling. Skywarp cackled, spitting energon at his face, then disappeared. He did not have time to calculate a plan before the floor suddenly came crashing towards him. A fall from this height might not kill him but it would certainly do processor damage that would negatively impact the outcome of the war.

Suddenly, someone crashed into him, rolling them both in mid-air. The next thing Prowl registered, he was looking up at Jazz, illuminated by the ceiling lights and cradling his helm from where it was currently lying in the spy's lap.

"Smooth moves Commander." Jazz said, his smile saying that words could not. That now they were even.

The moment when ruined when Skywarp, screeching like a rabbit cyberwolf tried to pounce on them.

Thankfully, Mirage was able to shoot her in her already injured shoulder, blasting her arm off in a mess of tangled wires.

"Sorry." Jazz grinned.

Before Prowl could ask about what, Jazz dropped him, leaving Prowl sprawled on the floor.

Prowl pushed himself back to his feet so that he could properly yell at him. He cut himself off at the sight of Jazz biting down on Skywarp's uninjured shoulder. Prowl could only watch in disbelief as Skywarp teleported randomly along the length of the corridor, thrashing around and crashing into walls. But Jazz must have a vampiric set of denta as nothing she did could shake him off.

From this angle, Jazz couldn't reach her spark, so Prowl watched as he stabbed his blade into Skywarp's waist instead.

She reappeared, screaming on the Communications floor.

Prowl wasted no time, grabbing a broken metal pole. Again, unable to reach her spark with Jazz still sprawled on her back, he instead skewered it through her leg. Then stamping on the end, he bent the mental until he had hooked Skywarp's leg into the floor.

Prowl kept his blaster trained on her helm as Jazz finally clambered off her.

"Girl, when was the last time you had a shower?" Jazz asked, wiping his mouth with a grimace.

Prowl knew that Skywarp's injuries would not trap her forever. He had yet to find a prison that could. But for now, her teleportation abilities weren't going to be an advantage in battle when she was in too much pain to fight.

Prowl kept guard over Skywarp as Red Alert, who was muttering expletives under their breathe, re-connected the mess of shredded wires. Mirage had managed to hobble to the room by this point. He dropped to Hound's side, grabbing at the debris surrounding them to try to fill in the injury whilst Jazz hailed Ratchet.

On the one working monitor, Prowl watched as on the screen a single shot severed through both of Starscream's thrusters. He couldn't stop the swell of pride at the knowledge that Bluestreak was the only one talented enough to make that shot.

However, Prowl was going to have to update his folder on Skywarp's abilities to teleport within her line of sight as in the next second, she appeared on the monitor screen, a chunk of her leg missing from where it was still nailed into the communications floor. Prowl watched as outside the Ark, she helping her Trine commander to escape as the seekers called for a retreat.

"I've fixed Teletran-1!" Red Alert cried.

It was unfortunate that the Skywarp had escaped. But their primary goal had been to contact Ironhide by re-establishing long range comms so overall Prowl considered the mission a success.

Prowl marched over to the console, wasting no time in connecting the long range call.

"Ironhide, this is Teletran-1. Do you copy?"

"Huh what?" Ironhide answered, sounding startled by the long range comm. Prowl ignored the incorrectly worded response and continued.

"We believe that you are heading into a trap. Megatron is-"

"Yeah yeah we know." Ironhide interrupted, the usually gruff soldier still sounding frazzled. "Bumblebee must've figured out what he was planning because he found where Megatron was waiting and provoked him into revealing his location and... oh Primus. We... when we saw what was happening we tried to stop him. We tried to fight back but.. but..."

"What happened?" Prowl demanded.

Ironhide took a shuddering breath.

"It's Megatron. He kidnapped Bumblebee."

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saizov · 9 months ago

Note

♡

Just art under the cut! Nothing graphic ✨

Class/es. Ninja (starting) -> Kinshi Knight (but he prefers throwing knives and shuriken to the bow) -> Wyvern Rider/Lord

Trinkets!

Valter!Asugi has a penchant for side capes ( but Saizo fusses at him for how easy it would be to get tangled up and blindsided when wearing the capes ) — typically in shades of olive green or navy blue.

Valter!Asugi should NOT be allowed in a twenty foot radius of anything laced with dark magical possession/corruption qualities— he’ll end up shook in the head, and he gets that little tragedy from Pa No. 2 (Valter).

Was trained as a ninja until about fourteen/fifteen — after which, he decided he wanted to pursue flying. However, he had to start in Hoshido and then progress after peace was made between the countries.

Valter!Asugi is still chill and go-with-the-flow, but now if you really (and I mean REALLY) do something to upend his chill, it’s game on. Holy hell it’s game on, and he knows like forty-two different ways to painfully kill a man.

Valter!Asugi is not sadistic or pain-enjoying (because this is still Asugi) but he’s a little more willing to use it as a method with the Moonstone’s genes somewhere in there now.

Valter!Asugi has thought about growing his hair out to match his pa’s, but he doesn’t want the effort of having to maintain it. Also doesn’t think it’s strategic if he puts it up and someone grabs it — moot point for ninja work in his earlier years.

Valter!Asugi used to sneak into Nohr to find different baby wyverns —either parentless or abandoned— and raise and foster them near the Hoshido-Nohr border, and hope they would start naturally migrating into Hoshido. They never did, so he started researching the safest way to move their dens.

Valter!Asugi has tried so many times to sneak across the Nohrian border to see the wyverns, but the farthest he’s ever gotten might have been a thirty stealth sneak into the country before he realized how bad of an idea it really was.

Valter!Asugi’s main hobbies are: dragon-rearing (when given the chance—he’s done all his research), hunting, unorthodox (cheeky) infiltration or acquisition of info, and weapon/armor collection.

His favorite things to collect are spearheads from historical lances and pauldrons from generals or commanders with unique designs (he steals these from auctions or black market deals).

He had one baby dragon from Nohr that he smuggled to the border as a kid, named it Creampuff, and then he flew off. He’s decided that if he ever opened a bakery for his confection-making hobby, Creampuff would be the one treat that comes up, stays for half a year, intrigues all the customers, and then goes away and never comes back.

After his ninja training, he wanted to pursue flying! However, because of Hoshido’s non-existent wyvern population, he learned to fly with the Kinshi and, post-war, finally pursued his wyvern-flying career. He’s currently trying to see if he can incorporate his wyvern into stealth missions … but it’s not going so well. (Yes, he has been fussed at.)

#//still on mobile but! Here we are

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istherewifiinhell · 1 year ago

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reading an issue that has a deliberate fake out in it: OH. I understand Everything now

[Mirage 17, Eric Talbot (who also credits Eastman on story and scripting, which Eastman mostly refutes in idw's ultimate collection), Letters: Steve Lavigne]

[ID: Two panels, Mikey, in simple Japanese style dress. He reaches out and says "I have need of your hat." Then a shot of him wearing a straw hat, which shadows his face, to conceal the nature of his being. END ID]

Last Ronin 2, Art: Esau & Isaac Escorza. Normally, a fully colour comic of the modern style

[ID: Small art of Mikey, kneeling, tending to a garden, he wears a straw hat. The art is in graphic black and white, with half tones like the duoshade paper, and jittery line paneling. END ID]

So. Square that mystery away. why are the flashbacks of mikey alone in japan different from the other flashback style? Well aside to just communicate tone and atmosphere (which they do). This stuff. Eastman's annotations also mention possible influence from the unmade 'final turtles story', (the idw ult collection pub. 2012) which very first conceptions seem to be very old, and is now the last ronin, 2020.

anyway. more art from the mirage issue

[ID from alt: Mikey jumping out a window, his clothes now tattered, a young woman, Tai, clinging to his back. off panel speech "Guards!!!" END]

Three panels, over 2 images. Mikey grimly, speaking to Tai "But I cannot... I must keep searching for my brothers." He turn away with a dark expression "Together, we must return to our home. I'm sorry...". Tai hugging Mikey, his face comically shocked, his hands hovering up. There is a lightened halo affect in the panel around them.

Now only scroll further if you wish to have the gimmick explained to you.

They really had me, with this one. Cause time travel IS A THING. The turtles can do. AND this was published after the turtles 1st cross over with Usagi Yojimbo, and (i didnt include any but) many dinosaur like animals are shown in the art. Like in that comic, tho clearly the inhabitants are human people, not anthro animals. And even, this plot in some ways resembled the third live action turtles movie. The Real Answer?

ID: Full page panel, rich with details. Mikey, in his room. Seated at his desk, a stack of writing, and the mess of work around him. In a sheepish gesture, pen to his mouth, and other hand on his head, he speaks to his cat, "Well, that's the story so far, what do you think Klunk-- Too corny?". He's wearing a batman logo tshirt, and his room has many other popular media franchises in it. There is also a poster for Eastman and Talbots comic "Melting Pot", and even, a ninja turtle toy on his shelf. He has is knee pads and belt on the bed, mask and nunchaku on a hook, and shuriken thrown into the wall. END

dudes in the 80s fucking loved to write themselves a Ronin inspired story. art intimates life inmates art. or something. i think its hysterical they did this.

#some shit #turbles...#idw obviously wasting no time on having those sweet sweet turtle publishing rights with the collected book.#i find it funny eastman said he didnt really work on this issue. but if he wasnt credited at all. pattern suggests it then would not have #been included in the collected book. not haha funny but funny.#i am further curious about the lettering situation cause i will say. it DOES look different! i wonder if lavigne matches with the artists?#and not that im really ranking but i think this is the best klunk out of everyone whose drawn him.#wifi blogs mirage

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teddiesbestestpal · 24 days ago

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Thought I’d make a trailer mock-up of a potential persona mascot DILFS spin-off game idea + parts of a sequel plot.

[INTRO] [Scene opens with a panoramic view of the serene Naganaki Shrine located in Tatsumi Port island nestled in a lush forest. Soft, whimsical music plays in the background. A mighty figure, DAIKIMARU, a muscular dire wolf beastman, is seen working on his graphic novel.]

Daikimaru:

Looking at Koromaru, smiling

“Don’t worry, son. Daddy’s here to protect you.”

Narrator (V.O.): “Welcome to the world of DILFventures: where love, laughter, and epic battles collide! Meet Daikimaru, a proud father and a talented graphic novelist, poet, and new fool/ wild card ( his arcana is still Death) living a peaceful life with his son, Koromaru. But things are about to change and his adventure begins when his life is turnt upside down…

[SCENE 1: The Velvet Room]

* [Cut to a dream sequence. Daikimaru wakes up in the enigmatic Velvet Room surrounded with ethereal colors, with IGOR smiling mysteriously at him.]* DAIKIMARU: Igor? What is this place?

IGOR: Ah, welcome! I require your assistance in a contract. Are you prepared to take on the mantle of a hero, Daikimaru?

[Daikimaru looks determined]

* DAIKIMARU: I’m ready!

Igor: “Welcome, Daikimaru. You have been chosen to embrace a new destiny. Will you become the world’s new Fool and Wild Card?”

* [Daikimaru hesitates, then nods with determination.]*

Daikimaru: “I’ll do it! I’ll protect my son and everyone from the shadows!”

[SCENE 2: Shadow Attack]

* [Fast forward to a night where the tranquility of Naganaki Shrine is shattered by a monstrous SHADOW. Daikimaru awakens.]*

Daikimaru: “Koromaru, stay back!”

DAIKIMARU: (while fighting)

I won’t let you harm my son!

[Scene cuts: Naganaki Shrine under attack by a shadow, fast-paced action sequences showcasing Daikimaru awakening to his Persona, Anubis of the death arcana as Anubis defeats the shadows with his trusty dual khopesh)

Narrator (V.O.): “A new hero has awakened!”

As Daikimaru knowing that Koromaru can take care of himself leaves Koromaru alone at the shrine wielding his Fuma shuriken weapon with purpose with a promise to return stronger than ever!

[SCENE 3: Gathering the DILFs]

* [Daikimaru sets out on his quest, facing various challenges. Cut to INABA, where he meets GRIZZLIE, the jolly bear beastman.]* [Grizzlie is seen juggling for children at the circus, laughing cheerfully]

* GRIZZLIE: Step right up! Enjoy the show from the wonderful world of JUNES!

Daikimaru: “Grizzlie! We need your strength!”

Grizzlie: “I’ve always got your back, buddy! Let’s do this BEARSONA!”

“Thought I'd take a break from the circus for some real action. Join me, will ya?”

* [Cut to a circus scene where GRIZZLIE is performing. His persona, TAKE-MINAKATA of the sun arcana pulling out bombs from his stomach/chest joins in the fun.]*

* NARRATOR (V.O.):

* But beneath that cheerful exterior lies a father who fights for his son, Teddie.

* [Cut to Grizzlie in battle, showcasing his Persona, Take-Minakata, and Grizzlie himself using dual katars against shadows]

Narrator (V.O.): “Next, they journey to Tokyo to find FEY, the elegant & graceful sabertooth tiger beastman as he harbors his own regrets as well as being an expert in the world of jewels.

* [In a glamorous office, Fey is seen negotiating deals with a dapper slick & suave demeanor.]*

Fey: “Joining you seems quite... exhilarating. Count me in!"

In a high-rise office, Fey is seen negotiating a deal & running his jewel company he’s the CEO of Daikimaru approaches him as shadow creatures loom in the background.

Fey: With a smirk, brandishing his riding crop “Looks like we’ve got some uninvited guests. Let’s send them packing.” Fey’s persona King Midas of the emperor arcana appears besides Fey, King Midas making good use of his signature weapon a fancy stain glass themed greatsword to defeat and eliminate shadows.

FEY:

I’ve neglected my son… but I will make this right!

[Fey battles shadows with his Persona, King Midas, Fey himself using a riding crop with grace and precision]

[SCENE 4: The Sauna Scene]

* [The trio enters a sauna for a much-needed break, relaxing and sharing stories.]*

Daikimaru: “Sometimes, being a father is more challenging than fighting shadows.”

Grizzlie: “Tell me about it! Between the circus and Teddie, I barely have time to breathe!”

Daikimaru: Blushing “You know, I never thought fatherhood would be this… complicated.”

Grizzlie: “Right? They say it gets easier, but I don’t buy it!”

Fey:

“ My son Morgana doesn’t even want to talk to me…”

DAIKIMARU: We’ve all made mistakes, Fey. What matters is that you want to change.

GRIZZLIE: Yeah! It’s never too late to show love. Just be there for them.

FEY: (tears up) Thank you both. I hope Morgana can forgive me one day…

* [They laugh and bond, deepening their relationships as they share vulnerabilities.] *

Fey: “You know, guys, supporting each other makes us stronger. Together, we can take on anything.”

[SCENE 5: Battle Outfits and Shadows]

* [Fast-paced montage of epic battles ensues, with their clothes getting torn. They quickly improvise using UNDERWEAR as armor, comically showcasing battle underwear stores globally.]*

Narrator (V.O.):

“Sometimes, even the strongest DILFs have to adapt!”

[SCENE 6: Climax - Yggdrasil Showdown]

* [The climax features an intense battle against Yggdrasil, the Tree of Evil, with an epic backdrop.]*

Daikimaru: “For our sons and the world, we fight!”

* [With a combined effort, they finally defeat Yggdrasil, a moment of triumph.]*

[SCENE 7: Celebration and Romance]

* [Cut to a month later: a vibrant wedding scene where Daikimaru, Grizzlie, and Fey marry, surrounded by their sons.]*

Koromaru: “Look at them! They’re so happy!”

Teddie:

“ I’d say~ my dad looks beary handsome in his suit!”

Morgana: “ .. I’m just glad that they changed my dad for the better.”

* [After the ceremony, cut to an intimate scene with Daikimaru, Grizzlie, and Fey in bed. They share a romantic moment, leading to a cheeky yet tasteful 18+ scenario.]*

Daikimaru:

“ Mmmphhh~ you two feel so good~”

Fey:

“ Talk about big~”

Grizzlie: “ your rod is as big as the trampoline I had back at the circus!”

Daikimaru:

“ Oh fuck… I’m about to.!!!”

Bonus sleep wear additional costume reactions

Daikimaru (embarrassed in Fundoshi):

“Is it too late to change?”

Grizzlie (in light pink boxers with heart pattern on it)

“I didn’t sign up for this much exposure!”

Fey (in dark cobalt blue speedo):

“ Hoe could this help me defeat shadows?! They still feel comfy on me though~”

Alt voice lines

DAIKIMARU: (blushing, in Fundoshi) This is… a little revealing, isn’t it?

GRIZZLIE: (in pink heart-patterned boxers) A little bit! But, it’s all in good fun!

FEY: (blushing in a speedo) Let’s just embrace the moment!

Narrator (V.O.):

“Amidst the battles, love blossoms – forging unbreakable bonds!”

* Extra voice lines hint at their growing romance and humorous fanservice moments as they blush and tease each other.]*

The screen fades into the logo “DILFventures” with cheerful music playing, overlaying key moments from their journey.]*

“Join Daikimaru and friends on their epic DILFventure – a tale of love, laughter, and the fight against shadows!”

NARRATOR (V.O.):

But even as they celebrate, shadows loom in the alternate universe… Can Daikimaru succeed where other times he have failed?

[Post-Credit Scene: The Dark Reset] As the screen fades back in, an ominous air fills the atmosphere. Daikimaru stands solemnly as he resets time, determined to save his friends images of Grizzlie’s and Fey’s mangled deceased corpses deaths caused by Yggdrasil’s and other shadow bosses and shadows fill the screen

Daikimaru: With a fierce glint in his eyes “This time… I won’t let them die again.”

Daikimaru states as time resets as he’s back leaving leaving naganaki shrine wielding his fuma Shuriken with purpose

As the reset fails as Yggdrasil is destroyed but Fey and Grizzlie are dead Daikimaru sighs himself being alone again

[Final shot: Daikimaru resolute as he prepares to reset the timeline]

DAIKIMARU: This time, I won’t lose my family!

( Additional cutscene snippets of the potential sequel) Meeting Grizzlie in Inaba and Fey in Tokyo in the new timeline

* Cut to Daikimaru heading to Inaba to Meet Grizzlie again as he sees Grizzlie performing in front of the JUNES circus as he sees Daikimaru.

* Grizzlie: “ Hey.. have I seen you before? You look bearyyyy familiar…”

* Daikimaru: ( trying to play it cool) “ not that I know of…”

* After Grizzlie awakens to his persona Take-Minakata. He and Daikimaru head to Tokyo to meet Fey in this new timeline at his CEO of jewels office as Fey sighs making a deal with them as a shadow looms over them.

* Fey: “ Are you sure I haven’t seen you two before..? Especially you dire wolf man.. I’m feeling intense Deja vu here…”

* Daikimaru: ( lying to keep the timeline on track) “ No I Believe this is the first time I have seen you in person though I have seen certain ads of yours and snippets of your social media profile”

* Fey: ( trying to save face and his ego being boosted) “ Ah yes.. well my ads are some of the highest ranked in the country, and excuse me if you see any off color remarks on my company’s social media page… seriously I need to fire the social media manager….. what the?!” Fey remarks as a shadow comes bursting into his office, Daikimaru summoning Anubis and Grizzlie summoning Take-Minakata. After Fey awakens to King Midas and joins his team and as Fey and Grizzlie head to use the bathroom. Daikimaru closes his eyes and braces himself.

* Daikimaru: “ No matter what happens in this timeline I will keep Fey and Grizzlie alive and help them survive no matter what! Or my suffering in all these loops would have been in vain…” Daikimaru says to himself as he meets up with the others in the male bathroom to discuss their next course of action as the parts of an potential sequel scenes stop.

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postgamecontent · 2 months ago

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'Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel' Switch Review

We've reached the third and penultimate stop on the Ratalaika tour through the handful of titles comprising Sunsoft's ill-fated attempt to create a popular mascot in the 1990s. After this, all that remains to be reissued is the Game Boy Advance port of the original game. Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is the one and only spin-off of the Aero The Acro-Bat series, launching a half-year after Aero 2 and just over a year after the original game. Yes, they released that closely together. This was effectively the end of the road for the Aero franchise, and that particular incarnation of Sunsoft's American branch didn't last much longer. Well, maybe Sunsoft saved the best for last?

I want to take a second here just to say that I kind of respect what Sunsoft did with these games. The main characters have appealing designs for their time and place, and Sunsoft and Iguana clearly were able to turn out games that looked and sounded good. All they had to do was make some generic games that copied Sonic's homework like so many others did. But they got weird. The first Aero game had those odd level objectives. Aero's attack methods were awkward. Batasha. Just… Batasha. I don't think it did those games any favors at the time, but if nothing else it helps them stand out in hindsight.

Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is also an oddball. It comes off as part Sonic, part Shinobi. If that isn't an odd enough union, it also has a central mechanic that is tricky to master and becomes essential not far into the game at all. The Aero games were no slouches difficulty-wise, but Zero kicks things up a couple of notches. All the save states in the world won't help you much here, either. You either learn how to handle Zero's gliding, or you're not going anywhere. I don't hate that, but some people will.

Anyway, it's a stage-based platformer with large levels full of goobers to collect. Some of them have obvious uses, others are probably just for points. Collect goobers, beat enemies, and yank the banner to finish the stage. Sometimes you'll fight a boss or engage in other activities, too. The maze-like levels are best navigated by using Zero's signature glide ability, done by getting some air, diving, and then pushing in a couple of different directions. Zero can also throw shuriken and double-jump, because Shinobi. The game features vibrant, detailed graphics and some grungy rock licks, carrying itself well enough for a game of its era.

Zero himself is certainly a product of his time. A bag of stereotypes, but I suppose it was a 1990s mascot platformer. Ratalaika has made some edits in its marketing materials for the game, but once you're in-game the only real changes to this Super NES version are to some of the start-up logos and legal info. The wrapper here is similar to the one used for Aero the Acro-Bat 2, with all the same extras and options. Not as exciting the second time around, but I still prefer it to the older Ratalaika wrapper. I'm not really fond of the way the manual scans have been edited, removing all identifiable buttons and/or control diagrams. I get why, but replacing the information would have been far better than erasing it. As-is, a person has to look things up online to know the basics of how to play. I will again lodge my complaint at the Mega Drive version not also being included.

You could do a whole lot worse than Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel when diving into 16-bit mascot platformers, and Ratalaika's treatment of it is solid. It's not a game I would recommend to everyone due to the relatively high level of difficulty, and even the built-in cheats aren't going to help you at times. To be frank, some aspects of the game haven't aged well at all. But there is something to this game, and if you're the kind of player that enjoys picking at oddities, I think you'll get some kicks out of Zero.

Switch Score: 3.5/5

#nintendo switch #retro gaming #reviews #zero the kamikaze squirrel

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archoneddzs15 · 3 months ago

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PC Engine - Ninja Ryukenden (Ninja Gaiden)

Title: Ninja Ryukenden / 忍者龍剣伝

Developer/Publisher: Hudson-Era H.K. / Hudson Soft / TECMO

Release date: 24 January 1992

Catalogue No.: HC92052

Genre: Action

Format: HuCard

First, we had Sega's Shinobi. When I was 9 years old, I spent many a quarter on the arcade version (and much of my allowance, to my mother's dismay (^O^). Why? Simple: ninjas are the video game world's greatest and most versatile heroes. So how do you 1-Up an awesome game like Shinobi?

I found out that Christmas in 2010 when I received Ninja Gaiden for my PC Engine, developed by a Hong Kong-based joint venture between Hudson Soft and Era Communications Inc. I popped that box open, grabbed the HuCard, and bashed it into my PC Engine CoreGrafx so quickly it nearly choked on it. I flick on the power and sit back. And THAT'S when it caught my eye... HOLY CRAP!! CUT-SCENES!! CUT SCENES ON MY 8-BIT CONSOLE!!

I was floored: I almost thought I was watching a movie; I had NEVER seen this high-quality look on my system! So I watch one ninja fall to the ground, and then I see the guy who would be the hero: Ryu Hayabusa...Ninja, Ladie's Man, Professional Ass Kicker.

I didn't even hit Run (PC Engine lingo for "Start") yet, and I was too impressed already! Anyway, Ninja Gaiden's got it all. Ryu's quite fleet-footed, quick on the draw with his sword, and slices and dices like no one's business. He listens to your every command (read: dead-on control). He does about 50 flips in the air during a jump. He's got cool Ninja Arts to aid him on his quest, including shuriken, Windmill Shuriken (they boomerang all over the screen!!), the Spinning Blade (jump and slash in a circle), and the Invincible Fire Wheel (TOASTY VILLAINS!!). And he'll need them, too...I'll explain why later.

Although I did explain the cut scenes already, I think I should go into a bit more detail and cover the in-game graphics, sound, and music while I'm at it. The cutscenes in this game, for 1988 on the Famicom, were amazing. For 1992 on the PC Engine, it looked even more so.

They conveyed the story in such a way that it almost seems like an anime OVA (incidentally, there was a Ninja Gaiden OVA in Japan, but it was poorly written and animated, and Ryu was only a bit character in it. BLASPHEMY!!), and you get such a feel for the characters that you would think that they were alive and for real. The story is nothing short of excellent, and the game plays it out perfectly, breaking the action up into six acts of 2 to 5 stages each, for a grand total of 21 stages. The difficulty level in the game slowly progresses from very easy to hardcore gamer tough, but it progresses steadily from stage to stage. The bosses fall in the same category as well, with a very easy first boss to a hair-yanking hard final boss. More on the difficulty later.

The graphics in this game are pretty good, albeit a little grainy. Everyone is of a decent size but oddly drawn, but the animation in this game is just stunning; it's so fluid that you wouldn't think at first that this is still just an 8-bit console competing in the 16-bit console wars. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, has at least 3 to 4 frames of animation; even little details like Ryu throwing a weapon look awesome in motion! The sounds are pretty good for a PC Engine HuCard although a few sounds are a little odd like the "FWP-SPLSH!" sound enemies make when they're killed (sounds like an explosion splashing into water!), and Ryu somehow makes this blasting sound when he gets hit. Is he laden with nitro or something? ^_^

But never mind that, the big draw in the sound department? The MUSIC!! Mark my words: MUSIC MAKES OR BREAKS THE GAME!! In this case, it doesn't just MAKE the game, it's the BLOOD WORK!! The music in this game is just TOO FUCKING GOOD!! The composer made some excellent use of the PC Engine's sound processors, which is just a miracle, honestly. It's so awesome that I used to use the Sound Test code, then tape all the tunes off the TV with a portable tape recorder held to the speaker, just to listen to it later. It's THAT GOOD!! Every single tune, even to this day, rings in my head for all eternity, and out of every track, my personal favorite, the track from Stage 4-2 (Bazlisk Mine Field) just RULES! Thanks to emulation (and the Internet!), I now have the entire soundtrack in MP3 format, and I still can't get over how amazing the music is!

youtube

#turbografx 16 #ninja gaiden #koei tecmo #tecmo #Youtube

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