Etsuko Satoda

**Etsuko Satoda** (里さと田だ 悦えつ子こ, *Satoda Etsuko*?) is a character in Sakamoto Days. She is a retired assassin and teacher working in the JCC teaching assassination practice.

## Appearance

Satoda is an old woman with medium-length black hair held in place with a hairclip and mild wrinkles. Satoda sports round earrings, a pearl necklace and a ring on her right index finger. Satoda wears a loose jacket over a light-colored blouse and an ankle-length skirt.

In the past, Satoda had much sharper facial features and messy hair in a single braid.

## Personality

Satoda is a polite teacher who enjoys jesting opponents and speaks casually, yet matter-of-factly. She bluntly tells Shin Asakura and Akira Akao how difficult it is to find the database and how dangerous it is to get involved with Slur. However, she is reasonable and gives Shin an Assassin Slip to allow him to target her, promising to reveal information on the database if he can land one hit. At the same time, she is stern, admonishing Shin for using a dangerous prototype and threatening to break Sakamoto and Nagumo's arms for fighting in the past.

Being a teacher, Satoda was more than willing to give Shin, Natsuki Seba and Akira individualized feedback after their fight, praising their teamwork and shedding happy tears over their dedication and growth.

Satoda is fond of Taro Sakamoto, Rion Akao and Nagumo, jokingly referring to them as the "three fools" when reminiscing about the past. She cares for her students and despite teaching them to become killers, doesn't want them to die.

## History

### Past

Satoda was classmates with Byodo, implying she was a student at the JCC.

As a full-fledged assassin, Satoda was described by Natsuki Seba to have come back unharmed from every mission she was assigned to. At some point in time, Satoda was invited to join the Order, but declined to become a teacher at the JCC and taught Taro Sakamoto, Rion Akao and Nagumo.

## Skills & Abilities

**Overall Skill Level**: Even as a retired assassin, Satoda retains the skills she had in her youth. A master of Aikido, she easily manhandled Shin and Akira. Only a combined effort from Akira, Natsuki and Shin with the former's powerful prototype weapon to land a non-damaging hit on the teacher. Natsuki stated a young Satoda came back unscathed from every single mission and admonished Shin for charging at her, considering a head-on attack to be impossible. Her selection to become an Order member is further testament to her might. When Akira Akao used her "path" ability, she only saw either a pathless, infinitely deep cliff or a path leading to her own death. Satoda is able to fight evenly with Kanaguri, an active member of the Order.

**Enhanced Speed and Reflexes**: Satoda was able to counter, block or dodge every single attack thrown at her by Shin, Akira and Natsuki even during their combined effort. She is able to casually dodge or block blows without looking.

**Enhanced Strength**: In the past, Satoda restrained both Sakamoto and Nagumo, then JCC students with one hand. On many occasions, Satoda was able to throw Shin and Akira massive distances, even sending the latter through a wall. She was able to grab, subdue and cause Shin pain using a pair of chopsticks and blocked an overhead strike from Akira using one finger. During a fight in the JCC gymnasium, she threw the students across the entire space into distant walls. Even when weakened, the veteran assassin was able to hurl a knife through Kanaguri's camera into his eye.

**Enhanced Durability**: Satoda blocked a punch from Shin, who was using a prototype gauntlet strong enough to punch craters in walls, without harm. During her fight with Kanaguri, she took a near-fatal slice to the neck and still managed to get up.

**Enhanced Perception**: Satoda was able to deduce that Akira Akao was able to see paths. Natsuki Seba's invisibility suit was useless against Satoda, who detected his presence with ease.

**Aikido Mastery**: Satoda is known for her mastery over Aikido, which she uses to redirect or nullify attacks with minimal effort.

**Rotation Principle**: Satoda could determine the direction of an incoming attack and effortlessly counters it with a circular motion of her body.

## Equipment

**Tanto**: Satoda carries a tanto, which she used to attack Kanaguri with.

## Battles and Events

* JCC Infiltration Arc
	+ Shin Asakura, Akira Akao & Natsuki Seba vs. Satoda
	+ Kanaguri vs. Satoda

## Etymology

* The name **Etsuko** means "joy, pleased" (悦) (**etsu**) and "child" (子) (**ko**).
* Etsuko's surname **Satoda** means "village" (里) (**sato**) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (**ta**/**da**).

## Trivia

* Satoda likes "*Terminator 2"* more than the original.
* Satoda is a fan of the show *"A Clever Assassin's Life"*.
* Satoda was once offered to be part of The Order but she turned them down in order to teach students at the JCC.
* Both Byodo and Satoda were the only members of their class still alive when Satoda was offered to be part of The Order.