But for the thong girding her hips, Machiko is nude. Yet her station in the hierarchy of Nagato Combine could hardly be more apparent. The jade green grip of the katana she holds is merely a clue. The far bolder statement is made by the stark white kabuki-mask of her face, the pure jet mane of her hair, the twining green serpents circling her arms, legs, and torso, and coiling over both shoulders to her breast. What the sergeant does not see is the twining serpent logo emblazoned across both her palms. What perhaps he does not notice is the tall pointed ears hidden beneath the voluminous black hair, and the strong almond contours of the eyes, veiled by a Japanese landscape.