Y'know what's better than one puppet? Two puppets!
I'm brilliant, I know. ^_^
(In seriousness though, if Shizue finds a way to transport multiple puppets and control them, she'd be terrifying to fight against. And meanwhile, she'd be harassing the enemy with constant sound jutsu. )
Before the post comes up, I'd like us to start thinking about the XP votes.
I'd like to suggest we put the Primary in Puppets, Secondary in Intelligence, Tertiary in Evasion or Movement. For jutsu, I'd like to suggest rank 5 in Dizzy Spell, and another rank in Replacement.
I think this is split too many ways. The next rank of Dizzy spell is going to cost 20 xp alone. That's not including the fact that the last rank of dizzy spell had prerequisites of 20 in both chakra control and ninjutsu, which is our current skill level. The next rank is going to be at least 4 higher in both so thats another 24 experience. I think it's high enough for now and we should just leave it and really focus on our mainstay of puppetry.
Since we're going to get a big xp payout for this fight I'd like to use the opportunity to play catch up with our puppetry. Since our puppetry is 16 (+5 from a trait) it would take 38xp (35xp with a 1.1 multiplier) to get us to 30 puppetry (35 with our trait). Since everything is averaged and xp costs increase it would normally be better to then switch to a relevant stat at that point but there's several reasons we might want to increase puppetry even further: higher puppet xp/stats, potentially faster puppet construction, and also
This. This so much. Since Island can literally afford to outnumber Reef 2-1 in every single engagement I consider this to be a top priority. I don't know how much puppetry it would take to get to that point but puppetry is the only stat that matters for it.
Chakra Strings:
--Effect: Can use Chakra Strings to control a puppet. Puppets that aren't one's own will, of course, not respond to the same delicate manipulations, making it hard to hijack someone's own puppet on the fly, unless they spend time and effort learning how to make it move. At this level, these motions are physical, but at higher levels, chakra manipulation does the work, or else how could a single finger control an entire puppet?
--Cost: 1 Chakra Per String
--Currently, it takes 8 strings to control, meaning Shizue can control it and also draw and throw a single kunai, hold one of the bells of hers, or hold her flute though it's hard to play. And also do the hand-signs for the bound jutsu. The number of strings taken is flatly (as in, no stats involved) connected directly to Puppets, with the number of strings going down and down, and other options also being opened up. Like, just a hint, Puppetry+Fuinjutsu+Ninjutsu (Sound) can get some...interesting things. I can tell you because Shizue has had a few fantasies of the 'And then I'll beat everyone with super ninja skillz' dreams that many young ninja have.
@The Laurent Please add the chakra string stuff to somewhere in the character sheet on page 1.
Anyway, Primary in puppets, secondary evasion, and rank 3 replacement is all I'd want this round of experience advancement. Since Rika is at the point where she can do seal less replacements and still has had 2 near death experiences in 2 fights we're going to need more in the way of defense if we want to stay alive.
Personally I'm leaning:
-Invisibility Jutsu progress. We're almost at the point where we can wield the puppet while staying mainly undetectable.
-Puppetry progress. Needed to rebuild it
-Traps and poison progress. These help unlock more efficient features in our puppets.
-Opportunistic spending for anything with a x1.5 or better modifier. The discounts greatly increase our effective available XP and should be taken advantage of.
"What do you think Zenzo will say?" Okiie asked quietly. "If we tell him."
"He'll want in," Genta said, quietly, staring up out at the moon, over the horizon. The ship swayed, the cool breezes of night sweeping across the waters. On a ship headed home, sailing all night, with a prisoner in the hold and a teammate groaning on a bloody bed.
Horror and beauty were so close to each other. Shizue remembered the way her mother had looked out into the night and cried at the beauty. She glanced down at the sack that held what was left of Stinger, most of all the important internal parts. There was ugliness too, and that they couldn't help but mix surprised her.
When Shizue closed her eyes, even hours later, all she could see were the flashes of the battle, and when she had her eyes closed some part of her was screaming for her to open them. That there was danger. Her nerves hadn't settled, not nearly enough.
"At this point, I hope he can help us. This, this was too far. We almost died, and though it was--"
"For a good cause?" Okiie asked, "Sure, but I admit I was terrified out of my wits."
"It could have ended far worse," Genta said, and then his shoulders slumped, "But it could have ended far better. I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this. I should have been stronger, I should have done it on my--"
"You didn't drag us into this," Okiie protested.
"He did. In a way," Shizue said, "You sounded so determined and sure of yourself, and it seemed as if it would work...but then, we dragged Okiie into this."
"I could have gotten everyone killed when I messed that up," Genta said, "Is your puppet repairable?"
"If I wanted to fix up Stinger, it'd take a while, and I'd basically be remaking him. At the moment I'm* not sure how much better I could make him, so I might just remake him. But it'd take a lot of work to get that done, especially if I wanted to get it done soon. But, you took a risk, and that happens."
"If I was stronger, I could have saved Rika the pain, stopped your puppet from being broken. Instead I was weak, and desperate. I didn't do it for this, but a part of me…" Genta said, taking a breath. He hopped from his perch and stepped across the deck, closer to Shizue and Genta, "Hoped. I've been told I have the potential to unlock something called the Shomeigan. The scholar's eye. The only way you can do that is to push your mind to its limits, and beyond it."
He paused, as if the words seemed to exhaust it. "Emiko was training me. But how it works, is that you have to do so and unlock it, but if you don't do it within a month of starting the process, you will in bed for a week or two with headaches so crippling you're blind and can barely think."
Okiie's eyes bugged out, "And you haven't…"
"I only have three days left. You can try again after you get over it, but…" he took a breath, "So there was this feeling. I mean, so many people are dying, and this war is going to get so much worse, and in a few days I'm going to be down and out, and I wouldn't be able to help anything. And so there was this feeling that I was out of time...with the eyes, I could...I could." He trailed off, "I was weak, and I still am weak. I wasn't trying to mess up, but…"
Another breath, "I promise both of you, I'm going to get stronger, and I'm not going to mess up like that again, okay?"
Shizue smiled and walked over towards him, touching him on the shoulders. "Listen, I trust you. Sure, you should have told us more about Emiko, but even if you don't succeed, we'll be there for you. We're going to stop this traitor and save the village. And if I can do anything to help you, I will. Because I think you're my friend. I think you've always been, back when you helped me, back when you silently encouraged me to build Stinger, in your own way...I know we might have grown distant," Shizue said, "But back then I considered you my friend, and we could be friends now."
She reached out a hand.
Genta took it. And there they stood, on the dark night, the ship rocking and swaying, moon above, ocean below. She almost didn't hear what Genta whispered, quickly, as if afraid of saying it, "T-thank you."
[End credits]
Act 1, Scene 14: The End of a Beginning.
It was a marvelous house, really. Testament to exactly what a successful life as a ninja could get a person. All along this particular street were the houses of the wealthiest merchants and the most successful chunin, as well as the special jonin, and Zenzo's, while somewhat smaller than the others, made up for it in having a small lawn of its own, and a few other features such as roofs that seemed designed to be rather hard to climb up.
There was also the fact that Shizue was pretty sure that the welcome mat was actually a pressure plate. Before Okiie had even gotten to knock on the door, someone asked, "Who is it?"
It might have also been the fact that it was three in the morning and they'd only just got back from delivering the Chunin for interrogation. But waiting too long seemed likely to end poorly, and they'd managed to slip here without being observed too much.
"Are you selling anything?" Zenzo asked, "Because I had a sign that said clearly that there are to be no sales between--"
He sounded exactly as if he had just woken up. Mostly because he probably had. Because they had knocked on his door.
"It's us," Genta said.
"Us, eh? A likely story! How do I know it's...wait, hrm, name?"
"Okiie, Genta, and Shizue," Okiie said, "We need to talk to you about something."
"Very well, one second. Let me disable the traps first."
"Traps?!" Okiie asked.
"Non-lethal," he assured them from across the door, "But one can never be too careful."
[Opening Credits]
In a crowded dining room, they sat down at a table and drank tea as Genta began to walk Zenzo through the numbers. They'd decided to start there, and despite being woken up, after a cup of tea or two, the man was looking as if he hadn't apparently taken an all night shift at the hospital. He was wearing his usual uniform.
"This is...interesting, but I'm not really sure if I'm seeing it. There's a greater likelihood** that the data has merely been interpreted wrong," Zenzo said, "Or that it's an exaggeration of a normal trendline upwards, which we've always seen in times of high stress and combat. The loss of our Genin is worrying, but the idea of a traitor is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence."
"We have evidence!" Okiie shouts out, "Tell him, Genta."
"You see, we captured a Chunin of Tide."
Zenzo dropped his cup, "You did what?"
"And we interrogated him," Genta continued, calmly, "He admitted that they had been receiving information on C-rank missions using an NZA code."
Zenzo's hand twitched towards his kunai pouch, "Are you accusing me of--"
"No, no, of course not!" Okiie said, "You tell them, Shizue…"
"Simply put, we suspect that the most likely culprit is someone who saw your style of code and copied it. There is more to tell," Shizue said, taking a breath, "But the traitor is thus certainly within the ranks of the Special Jonin or Jonin. We felt it most likely to be a Special Jonin."
"I…" he took a breath, "Run me through the numbers again."
This time everyone knew what to say, and it went a lot faster, and at the end, Zenzo was staring at the wall, posture tense, "This could be it, you know?"
"What?" Shizue asked, throat feeling dry from all of the explaining. The report had rather ballooned and was now something of a slog to read through, though Genta had made an index and worked to make it readable.
"If we let this traitor continue, our village could die," Zenzo said, "We cannot allow them to win. Our village must survive, and that means, I will begin my own investigation." He stood up and said, "I will interrogate the prisoner. We need to keep this secret, until we are ready to strike and purge the poison from our village. I will begin to look up this matter you spoke, of, the summons? And the code as well. In addition I will investigate my fellow Special Jonin. You can continue your own investigation, and we can update each other once a week. Well, I would like to know what you find out sooner than that, but for my part, I don't think it would be wise to reveal everything I learn constantly."
He cleared his throat and asked, "So, does that work?"
Shizue hoped he'd be open about what he learned, and to a certain extent it felt as if they had been shoved aside, at least a little, but those weren't good reasons to object. She nodded, then Okiie, and last, after a breath, Genta said, "I believe it does. I would ask you to share as much data as possible with me, however."
"Why is that?" Zenzo asked, peering down at Genta curiously.
"Because in three days, I will unlock my bloodline, and I believe at that point," Genta said, "This investigation will go far faster."
*****
Zenzo was skeptical, but that morning he didn't say anything, and as soon as Genta stepped outside he hurried away. No doubt to train, leaving Okiie and Shizue to visit Rika in the hospital and begin to gather information.
They were handed a considerable payment for capturing the chunin and then told to keep it secret, as it was potentially an important intelligence coup. After that, they were finally able to see their teammate again.
Rika looked like a ghost, so heavily bandaged was she, and kept on going in and out of consciousness, on a rather heady mix of drugs that left her unable to really focus on a conversation. Information gathering that day started out slow, but about halfway through, on the way back to the hospital, they managed to run into a few of the older Genin willing to talk, and they learned rather more than they might have wanted. Apparently one of their parents was a Chunin, and thought of as something of a strategist, a follower of Tomoyo, and through careful manipulation, Shizue gets to hear an earful and a half.
*****
"So, if you really want to know, squirt, here's how it is. We actually managed to get deep into their territory by misleading them using some lucky guesses about their plans, but when they attacked us, while we could see them coming, we didn't expect to be hit so hard, and so our attacking force was sent reeling. Here's where bad communication failed us. While our Jonin were fighting their own, who somehow managed to fight us to a standstill, The Eviscerator and an elite team aimed right at some of the Chunin who were holding down the line of retreat. It wasn't a slaughter, but it was a tough fight, but apparently someone had been expecting Yaramachi to use his mines to ambush the enemy."
"Apparently it was a plan that several of the Jonin had agreed to together, but when the time came, Yaramachi…" the boy shrugged, "He didn't get the memo. That's the problem, all sorts of good plans were thought up, but then people failed to communicate. Ken even held a secret meeting last night, that everyone knows all about, where he said 'What caused this defeat was a failure to communicate,'" he said it in the official, stern tone everyone used to imitate Ken's voice, "But my mom says there's more to it."
"She said that it's because they were fighting all out. The enemy Jonin managed to hold off two other Jonin at the same time, the Eviscerator… they gave it their all, and they weren't seen at the next fight. Exhausted, but they'd fought… if they fought like that every day for a week, Tide and Reef would both be wiped out… but seriously, what's this about a Chunin?"
*****
Suzuhisa Sae had once taught her daughter that the best way to get a rumor, or a bit of gossip, was to trade for it. And so Shizue told the other Genin everything she thought he'd like to know that she'd like to tell him about capturing the chunin.
*****
The next day too was merely a day of gathering information, training, and checking up on Rika. She was already up and walking, training this time rather than doing nearly as much of the investigation. When asked she said, "I can help with the investigation, but to a certain extent, it's covered already...and I need to be physically tougher, so that this doesn't keep on happening. My father, every time this happens, he worries, and though he doesn't say it, he imagines me going home and doing something safe, you know?"
"Marrying someone, you mean?" Shizue asked, getting the drift immediately.
"Yeah, as if anywhere is safe. Father says that though the numbers haven't been released, they're higher than the official numbers, and anyone who can, foreign merchants and the like, are evacuating owing to unfavorable climates and too high of a risk-to-reward ratio."
"Ratio?"
"Yes, ratio," Rika said, "He used the word in his last letter to me, which just got here. Now I have to tell him about my injury. He thinks I'm weaker than I am, and he blames himself. Always does, since--" she shrugged, "Blames himself for clearly not raising me to be…"
"You don't need to worry, you've turned out a fine shinobi, and you are my friend," Shizue said, offering her a hug.
"I've always wanted to hide things from him, ever since--"
She trailed off, and Shizue knew what to do. She kept silent and smiled at Rika.
Rika chuckled, looking annoyed at herself. They were crouched in a training yard, talking through things, and so it was probably reasonably private. "He heard from a servant how I mentioned to another child how I had a crush on one of the girls in the local village. It was the first time, the only time, I think he ever came close to laying his hands on me the way every other father lays their hands on their children. Mothers, too."
"My mother never--" Shizue trailed off and said, "She had friends, as well, who liked those like themselves. I didn't think about it when I was a child, but my mother…"
Rika looked at Shizue and said, "She sounds like a very good woman, but she'd have to be to have had a daughter like you. My father is a good father, even if there are some things…" she trailed off and shrugged, "Would you care to train with me?"
Shizue nodded, smiling. "I too probably need to train physically."
*****
The day after that brought two surprises to the four of them. One was aimed at the village itself. After a night of inconclusive fighting with Island, in which they had been driven off with no dead on either side but plenty of injuries--a probing attack--Tide's diplomats announced that earlier one evening, their imprisoned Genin ('Fish Bitch' to the average member of Reef on the street) had escaped. Disappeared entirely from their cell, and she hadn't been seen since.
Shizue, well, she had ideas about just how that might have happened. Dark, rather troubled ideas. The very night that Emiko was present to help them, an imprisoned Tide genin disappears without a trace. Of course, they could have just let her go, but if it was true, it'd require stealth and cunning that only Emiko could have provided, most likely.
Which meant, what? It didn't make her -the- traitor, but it did make her someone who had betrayed Reef, for whatever reason. If there was even a shred of proof, and by now Shizue suspected that even if she followed the evidence, she would find little. Of course, it wouldn't take much evidence to convince people that Emiko might have done so, but if the traitor was out there, watching and waiting…
Were she the traitor, she would definitely take advantage of the circumstances to blame everything on Emiko. Watch all suspicion be cast away- and were she Zenzo, she'd be all too likely to believe it. Honestly, it was entirely wishful thinking and doubt that made her disbelieve the idea that Emiko was guilty. Yet…
Shizue didn't know what to think, and even more than that, she didn't know what to do. She was considering this when there was a knock on the door, that evening, and outside stood Genta. Shizue opened her door and said, "Hello Genta, it's good to see you."
"You as well," he said quietly, "I'd like to ask you to come with me, as support, for something."
"What is it?" Shizue asked, frowning slightly.
"Tonight's probably the last night I'll have a shot at releasing my Shomeigan," Genta said.
"I thought you had two more days?" Shizue asked.
"...Approximate. I feel a headache coming already," Genta muttered.
It did make sense, of course. It'd be an odd process where it could somehow measure down to the exact minute how long it took. Still, looking at Genta, she still couldn't imagine what he might go through if he failed. "So…"
"One last try. I asked Emiko-sensei to give it her all. We'll do one last attempt in the library."
"I can come," Shizue said, immediately setting aside thoughts of continuing to list down all of the parts she'd need for a new Stinger. But friends were more important, and she could always work on the planning tomorrow.
*****
The trip down to the library was quiet, as neither of them were quite in a mood to talk. Once there, they'd find that it was deserted, the librarian gone, and in the same room where Shizue had first talked to Genta about the traitor, weeks before. Other than the presence of a blank white board that had been rolled into a corner, it was the same as ever. Then, from nowhere, a voice said, "Sit down, both of you."
Emiko appeared, next to the board, and both Shizue and Genta sat down at the table, next to each other. Emiko looked stern, a little annoyed, "You know, there's a good chance whatever I'm going to try won't work. I've never trained someone to unlock the Shomeigan, but the sort of hardass last minute pressure doesn't usually work. It might work with the Shomeigan, but it's pure shit."
"I'm willing to try anything," Genta said.
"Because you're weak," Emiko replied, "Weak and dumb, unwilling to put in real time and effort. You didn't have proper motivation to ever actually try. You just rest on your laurels, like a lazy piece of shit!" Emiko lunged forward, and stabbed the table. Wood cracked as it was embedded. In the space of another breath she moved over to the board and spun it around. There seemed to be numbers, but it was a blur, just visible for a few moments, before it was turned back around again.
"What was the third problem?"
"I...I don't know," Genta said, squinting.
"What's the answer to the thirty first problem of 'Simple Kunai Equations: A primer?' I know you read it only a few years ago," Emiko said, "If you're really a smart guy, rather than some worthless waste of my time," her voice was withering, "You should know. What are the first twenty six digits of pi? Approximately how many Ninja are there estimated to be in the world? What are the average projection growths for the economy of Northern Wind in terms of their trade of vital minerals with southern Stone? How about that same number in bulk of goods?"
She approached the table, and asked, "Well?"
"I don't know."
"And yet, I saw you leafing through the book with the answer, and it's pretty easy to guess at, really. I'll give you a hint...b-buh-billion…" she said, and then she pulled out another kunai. "Where your hand is resting, keep it there. The next one will be two inches closer. And then the next. If it reaches you before you can at least show your worth, it goes through your hand. I am currently stuck in a village of murderers, arsonists and rapists, who burn villages full of screaming civilians and make up lies about enemy combatants to cover it, who rape enemy civilians and allies, who steal everything that isn't nailed down from everyone they can, who act with impunity. I could be gone, I could have taken a fast boat and to hell with the payment, but instead I've been staying. To train you. And this is what I get?"
Shizue knew it was all a trick, some sort of insane training ploy, and so she took a breath and said, "Stop it, this...this game doesn't help anyone."
Emiko leaned down to stare into Shizue's eyes. There was no pity, no humanity, no warmth in them, and even though she'd heard Emiko say it was a ploy, suddenly she couldn't possibly doubt it. Emiko would kill Genta, and leave his corpse there, bled out.
Shaking, she reached her hand out and entwined it with Genta's.
Genta smiled shakily, and Emiko laughed, a cruel, high laugh, "I would, I can, and I will." She stabbed another kunai down, three inches to the left of the first. "What's one plus one? You can do that right? Approximately how many eggs are used every day by this village? Who once wrote 'Elemental Mastery is meaningless without Self Mastery' and what was he referring to? Name three Haze techniques, and what they do."
Genta muttered, "Two...it's...Hic…" he frowned, "Hichiraga… Matsube?"
"No! His son Matsume! Far wiser," Emiko chided, and another kunai slammed into the table with unparalleled violence. The crack was terrifying, and Shizue found her heart racing, her vision swimming. She could barely breath. "And the Haze…"
"I...I don't know, I haven't…" Genta said, "Illusion Curtain, Fog of Jutsu…" he trailed off, staring. The pause turned into several seconds, and another kunai was slammed into the table, only six inches from the two hands.
She was going to die, Shizue realized as if from a great distance away. A few more questions, said in a hectoring tone, and then down slammed a kunai. When she tried to move her hand away she found that it...couldn't move.
"Come on! Your last shot! What was the first on the first page of the third chapter of 'Ninjas and Ghosts #4, collector's edition' which I know you mentioned reading once when you were eight. Is eight so long ago? I can remember details all the way back from when I was ten, and I'm over twice as old as you! Does Shizue's life mean nothing to you? Is that it? Her life means nothing, yours means nothing, and you aren't even able to answer a few simple questions!"
Genta was crying, tears running down his face, and in a snot-filled voice he yelled, "Shut up! Shut up! I…" he trailed off, and Shizue noticed something different. His eyes seemed to be glowing, a red rim around them, and not just from crying, "I know the answers. There is no answer, because the thirty-first problem is a demonstration of the fact that you cannot solve kunai equations without first knowing the weight and balance of the kunai. Three point one four one five nine two six...five three five eight nine seven...and then another nine, three two, three eight, four, six two six, four, three, three…there, you happy?" He was blinking back tears, but Shizue still couldn't move.
"The trade question, and the question about the ninja story? I admit the number of ninja is too subjective…"
"Seven-hundred and eighty six billion, five hundred million ryou on average per year***. And it said 'Gracefully he skipped out of the way of the attack--'"
"And the third problem on the board?" Emiko asked.
"It was actually a code you'd used…" Genta's eyes widened, "It was fake, it was all...the code, it reads, the one you taught me, 'Congratluations, I am proud of…' these were fake." He gestured at the knives. All but the first of them disappeared, and Shizue found that she could move now, could breath. And that Emiko looked like she always had. Mostly. She looked annoyed and frustrated.
"Never make me do something like that again, Genta-kun," Emiko said, "And it wasn't all a lie. This village...every minute I spend in it makes me feel dirty, even as an assassin. But there are people," she said, stepping forward to pat Genta on the head, "Who are relying on me, and don't share the blame. Yet ultimately this and the other villages have killed far too many. When I leave this place, I will never return, even if this was somehow the only refuge from certain death."
She shrugged, "A ninja has to have some principles, and a trio of villages that cover for indiscriminate theft, murder and rape…"
"It's nothing like what I'm used to."
"You're from Iwa, aren't you?" Genta asked, "The accent, I sort of heard it when you were yelling at me, and it makes it likely--"
"Yes, I am. How do you feel Genta-kun? And I'm sorry for putting you through this, Shizue-chan. You were brave, taking his hand even when the genjutsu was telling you it would lead to your death," Emiko said.
Shizue was still shaking, but she managed to whisper, "It's...it's fine. You did what needed to be done. But it was terrifying, Emiko-san."
"There is little I can do but apologize," Emiko said.
"My head hurts, and it feels like there are a thousand details, and I can barely sort through them at all, and I feel…" he stumbled to his feet, "Woozy…"
"That's because you need practice in using it, and because with as low as your chakra reserves are right now, you can maybe get nine or ten minutes at most of use, and that's if you're full to the brim. I'm going to have to train your body and your chakra reserves if you're going to use it effectively, but that's for later. Now, time for a far more difficult task."
"What?" Genta asked, sounding suspicious.
"Figuring out how to explain the damage to the desk," Emiko said, straightfaced.
*****
The next day, the war continued, and when Shizue did see Genta, he looked physically exhausted, but his eyes were bright, and he seemed in a good mood. Yet the next day, when all the village was celebrating, he was far more grim.
Peace had been declared, capitulation by Tide, under unknown and secret terms. The whole village was celebrating, yet Genta had called the four of them there for an announcement. When Shizue arrived, his eyes were glowing, red-rimmed with his jutsu, and after a moment of glancing at a piece of paper he'd filled with notes, he took a breath and just said it, "I have looked at all of the data, and the most likely solution is that the shift from the second to third method represents someone new. Some second traitor taking up after or with the first. There are two of them."
The room froze in shock, Rika in her bandages and rough clothes staring at Genta as if he was insane. Okiie muttering to himself. Shizue staring at the grim certainty that filled Genta's eyes. Outside someone gave a cheer and a yell about, "Victory and peace!"
Inside, victory and peace seemed quite far away.
[End Credits]
So, some votes!
Week Votes
In repairing a puppet casually, you do ½ of the average of Puppetry+Intelligence a week if you do nothing. Stinger is currently at -4, and thus to get him all the way back up will take two weeks if you don't expedite it, and if applicable, you won't be improving him in the rebuild.
Other than that, everything is rather straightforward.
Plan your Week Vote! (Choose two)
[] Interacts with the civilians, maybe keep on searching for that bingo book in the shops.
[] Repair Stinger.
[] Trains with someone
-[] Ask one of the chunin for help on a subject. They're often busy, but less so than those farther above on the food chain.
-[] Ask one of the tokubetsu jonin for help, though they're likely to be busy. If so which one?
-[] They're very busy dealing with Tide's surrender, but one could try asking one of the jonin! If so, which one?
-[] Shizue could try to train with one of her fellow genin, though she'd have to train in what they wanted to train in. If so, which one?
-[] Tries to ask Emiko for help, perhaps with earth jutsu.
[] Takes a mission
-[] D-ranked mission. Shizue currently doesn't need the money, after the covert amount that was sent to her after capturing the chunin. Which is a secret, hence why everyone knows about it.
[] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
[] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
-[] Go to Emiko.
--[] Try to learn more about the code or what she might know.
--[] It's not necessarily related, but what about the...runaway Tide Genin she might have smuggled out?
-[] Continue investigating the codes, even though Zenzo said he was covering it.
-[] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
-[] Maybe take it from the direction of summons.
-[] Investigate a suspect, even though Zenzo says he has it covered. It'd be best, one line of ideas goes, not to let Zenzo control the investigation.
--[] Zenzo: It'd be rather dangerous to investigate the person helping with the investigation, but...
--[] Emiko is, as always, a big suspect.
--[] Ieyoshi has not shown any connection thus far, but at the same time, could it be an act? Certainly he'd had several chances where he almost got to play hero during the disastrous battle, even if they'd all been flubbed.
--[] Nami: Is Island benefitting most from this?
--[] Yumiko: You don't like her. You really don't like her. (1.5x weighting)
--[] Akahito: Bottom of the list, but his gambling debts could still be significant.
-[] Reveal it to someone else?
--[] One of the Jounin (Which? Pick from the list below)
--[] Any of the other Genin? (Pick)
[] Write-in, subject to QM veto.
Friends (Who thus count as 1/2 as much for the purposes of picking them): Okiie, Rika, Genta
Iesato Ginchiyo: What did Emiko say to her? She's a prodigy, and yet something rattled her so much. Maybe Shizue won't get a chance to bring it up during the training sessions, but it might be worth a shot.
Asai Ichiman: He's never been rude to Shizue- well, any more than he's been to anyone else. Just what is it about him, then? Shizue certainly wouldn't mind getting to know him better. And not just because he's handsome. Which he is.
Ichiman hasn't been seen around much lately, training and apparently working on something big. He also seems to have been doing some fuinjutsu work, though the symbols seem odd. A little unfamiliar. He seems to be working on his spear-work as well, building towards something. Perhaps a new technique? Just what happened in that battle?
Doi Genta: Genta, an outcast like her. A once and future friend, now training to perfect his Shomeigan and go through harsh physical training in order to push himself and his chakra reserves.
Haigo Chusei: A prankster and a bit of a tease, he's not a bad guy. Except she has been a target of his pranks before, because who cares if the Suzuhisa girl gets her clothes ruined by paint bombs? Shizue doesn't forgive him, but she could at least try to talk to him.
He's terrified and hurting and everyone can see it. Not broken, but no longer up for nearly as much as before.
Izumida Akachi: Besides a budding interest in genjutsu he doesn't have that much in common with Shizue, treating her no worse than the others, but no better either. However, he does seem excited about having a foreign ninja teaching them, someone who's actually been to places he's only heard stories about.
Shizue now knows the answer. Perhaps she could tell him, or perhaps he's figured it out on his own already.
Kihara Junko: She's an academy student, and Shizue doesn't see much of her outside of Emiko's classes. She's taking the same set as Shizue though, unlike the majority of Reef's genin and academy students. Nowadays she seems to be dressing to resemble Emiko slightly- from what Shizue knows she's a little given to hero worship, and she seems to have fixed onto Emiko. She's been polite to Shizue as well, and it felt a little strange to overhear her saying that she- Shizue- was 'cool' and 'mysterious.'
Did Emiko go to her, or she go to Emiko? She's now a hero or a pariah depending on who you ask and who you are.
Minobe Azusa: A chakra sensor in training, she has a number of earth jutsu and is also a strong close-range fighter, the better to defend herself. Daughter of a ninja retired from injuries, she is relatively social, though she avoided Shizue for the most part. She's clearly trying to get ready, and has been talked to in regards to the investigation, and is likely to continue to train her skills even further.
Reizei Okiie: Okiie is not so eager anymore to talk about the fate of the village, but he's just as determined, big nose or no. He still has a cute smile, even if his nose does look kinda large, as Chusei once joked. It takes real determination to spread your focus over all five elements, and he's recently learned about his wind affinity. She understands this new Okiie a lot better now, and he's a good guy even if he's still not entirely sold on being her friend. But he's been visiting Rika in the hospital, and that's nice of him. He's also been developing his wind affinity, so either of those two topics are likely to loom large in conversation. As one of Shizue's friends, one of her only friends, it's been fun getting along with him, and he seems to have really opened up.
Shizue would like to...ask him on a date. Maybe. If they can find the time, and if she can find the words...or maybe not. Even hanging out would be something. Not enough, but something.
Sakagami Saya: Princess, both ice and otherwise, she's been mean to Shizue before. She's haughty, arrogant even when she shouldn't be, but also feisty, mysterious, and strange. It makes her interesting, at that, and she's certainly someone to trail along after, if Shizue can put up with her, and she with Shizue. Also, she always seems to have extra spending money.
She's been working on various mixtures, and also going throughout the village, trying to learn more about rumors and other things. It's a bit odd, but then, Saya is always odd.
Uwai Toyo: He's a jerk and he constantly belittles Shizue, but maybe, she thinks, she should try to mend fences. They're all genin now, maybe they can just hate each other in private like adults are supposed to.
He's whining about nobody wanting to go on a mission with him.
Watabe Chieko: In some ways, she too is trying to live with her mother's absence. Chieko's mother, however, is still alive but completely mad. Her whole life- unlike Shizue, who defended her not only to the last but beyond it- was spent denying it. She was sane, she was rational, she kept control over her emotions and herself, used her medical jutsu and skills with a blade, and was going to become a perfectly sane, perfectly normal ninja. Shizue saw her mother once, hobbling along, hair grey, staring at nothing and babbling.
She's been helping out in the local hospital lately, with hurt civilians, when she's not taking missions. She's clearly preparing for the burden of war that will fall upon her. Yet there are things she can't do. She looks a little haunted recently, for some reason. And she keeps on training after her defeat by Emiko.
Yaramachi Hachiro: The weight of the world is upon him. Being a stalwart of the village, he tended to ignore her- sometimes rudely, sometimes not. Shizue had seen his vulnerability though, his doubts as his world slowed disintegrated around him. He doesn't have a father anymore, or a mother, and his clan has fallen apart. Sometimes Shizue wants to help him. Sometimes, when she's feeling really bitter, she wants to watch him fall.
He's been studying harder, into the nights. He's falling apart, but Shizue knows, as he knows, that he must grow strong enough to replace his brother if he falls. At this juncture the village cannot afford to be on the back foot, and thus the Yaramachi clan must live up to their reputation. A reputation recently soiled by the actions of the elder Yaramachi.
Yasukawa Rika: Rika has been a lot more friendly lately. In fact, she's Shizue's best friend and the two of them are collaborating on their own personal mission. In addition to this, Rika likes strategy games, discussion current events and history, and collecting random facts. She's a bit of a closed in person, though far less so than Genta, but she's quite open around people who are willing to be nice to her.
She is continuing the investigation, most of all! And training her Fire Jutsu! After her injuries, she's been training her body, wishing to grow tougher and stronger.
XP Votes:
XP: 15 (Emiko Training) + 5 (C-rank mission) + 20 (B-rank battle) + 15 (Performance) +3 (Continued investigation)+1 (Veekie's Reaction 1)+2 (Bakka Reaction 1)+3 (All Roads Reaction 1)+1 (Good Discussion 1)+2 (Slain Reaction 1)+2 (I...didn't expect four people to be sent along)+2 (Bakkasama Reaction 2)+1 (Veekie Reaction 2)+1 (Roads reaction 2)+2 (Bakka Reaction 3)+1 (Oh Reaction 1)+2 (Veekie reaction 3)+2 (Bakka Reaction 4)+2 (Slain...reactions. And that video)=82 XP
Note: Bolded requirements are ones you haven't yet actually fulfilled, and thus have to do if you wanna buy the jutsu.
Body Replacement Technique (E-Rank, 2)
Rank 3 - 12 XP (Chakra Control 12, Ninjutsu 16)
You may replace yourself with an object within twenty meters of yourself. Any object up to -/+50% of your size is a valid target, or you may attempt to use a person with less chakra than yourself. The technique can now be performed seallessly.
Cost: 10 chakra.
Cloak of Invisibility Technique (E-Rank, 3)
Rank 4 - 16 XP (Chakra Control 20, Ninjutsu 20)
The jutsu renders you completely invisible as long as it is maintained. However, it does not hide you from other senses, including chakra sensing. This technique ends if the user is touched, but the ninja can move their hands, arms, legs and head as long as they neither move rapidly or take a step forward or backward. Costs 10 chakra to activate, 1 chakra per minute to maintain.
Clone Technique (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Ninjutsu 12)
You may create up to four clones per use. These clones are insubstantial and disperse when touched - they do not cast a shadow, but are otherwise visually indistinguishable from the original. They last for a maximum of twenty seconds and mimic your movements exactly. Costs 10 chakra per clone.
Earth Release: Dirt Trick (E-rank, not known)
Rank 1 - 4 XP (Chakra Control 6, Earth Release 8)
The user can manipulate mud and dirt to form a small projectile that is then propelled at the target. The mud is not hardened at all, neither is the dirt, and is not likely to cause a huge amount of damage, even on a direct hit, though it can get in the target's eyes. The projectile can mass up to 1 pound, and it has a maximum range of 10 feet. Cost: 10 chakra
Earth Release: Earth Molding (E-rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Earth Release 12)
The user can slowly manipulate and control 8 pounds of dirt, mud, or stone, causing it to change shape or even defy gravity, as long as they maintain physical contact. Among many other uses, this jutsu can be used to aid in the digging of graves or the movement of materials. Its ability to be used to bury waste, bodies, or anything else, and all of its myriad other uses make it incredibly useful. One of the jutsu known as the Traveller's Ten. Cost: 10 chakra per minute
Earth Release: Hidden Rope (E-rank, not known)
Rank 1 - 4 XP (Chakra Control 6, Earth Release 8)
This technique allows the user to hide a rope or bit of wire under a very thin layer of earth, thus making it invisible to those who pass by. It can be done with only a small number of handsigns. Best for hiding the mechanisms of a trap, for if someone is searching for the hidden object, there is a slight bulge in the earth that is somewhat noticeable. Cost: 10 chakra.
Earth Release: Track Covering (E-rank, not known)
Rank 1 - 4 XP (Chakra Control 6, Earth Release 8)
This jutsu can clear away the marks of the user's passing through dirt, dust, or regular earth, but not mud. It does not hide any other sign of passing, such as broken twigs, but is still regarded as very useful. Any tracks that have been made within the last 10 feet before this jutsu is used are erased. One of the techniques known as the Traveller's Ten. Cost: 10 chakra
Earth Release: Toeholds (E-rank, not known)
Rank 1 - 4 XP (Chakra Control 6, Earth Release 8)
The user can create a small number of rough toeholds in the side of a sheer face, allowing them to better climb it without using wall-walking. At this level the toeholds are helpful, but will not allow an untrained or inexperienced ninja to climb a sheer face without difficulty. The toeholds extend upward up to 10 feet. Cost: 10 chakra
Ninja Art: Dizzy Spell (E-Rank, 4)
Rank 5 - 20 XP (Chakra Control 20, Ninjutsu 24)
Using the generation of a single sound, such as from an instrument, the user can induce a moderate bout of dizziness lasting around five seconds, in all around them within hearing distance except themselves. This can definitely throw the unprepared off their balance, leaving them clumsy, open and vulnerable at the right moment if they don't know how to compensate for several seconds of sudden changes. Its range is within hearing distance, and its effect is equal so long as someone is capable of hearing it. This jutsu can now target or exclude from targeting anyone the user wishes.
Ninja Art: Piercing Note (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Ninjutsu 12)
By the creation of a sound, such as from a bell or flute, with this jutsu a ninja can transform that sound into a most annoying one, loud, unnerving, like 'nails on a chalkboard' and similarly causing minor pain and annoyance which can be useful in some circumstances. Its range is within close to moderate hearing distance, but the farther away one is, the less effect it has. It is, as it stands now, completely indiscriminate, except for the user. Cost: 10 Chakra
Rope Escape Technique (E-Rank, Not Known)
Rank 1- 4 XP (Chakra Control 8, Ninjutsu 8)
This technique frees you from minor mundane restraints, such as having your wrists bound with tape, or light fabrics. No hand seals are required to use this jutsu.
Cost: 20 chakra
Transformation Technique (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Ninjutsu 12)
You may transform into an accurate likeness of any human being or any animal of roughly the same body mass as yourself. The transformation is physical, but can be easily dispersed, such as by a punch thrown by an average civilian child. It does not disguise your scent, nor does it conceal you from chakra sensors. Cost: 5 chakra to activate, 1 chakra per minute to maintain.
Water Release: Condensation (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Water Release 12)
The user condenses the ambient water vapor in the air into liquid water. Produces up to 2 liters of water. One of the techniques colloquially referred to as the Traveller's Ten. Cost: 6 chakra per liter.
Water Release: Manipulation (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Water Release 12)
The user is able to manipulate and direct up to a liter of water. They can cause it to flow against gravity or maintain certain shapes, as long as they remain in physical contact with it. One of the techniques colloquially referred to as the Traveller's Ten- at some point, a ninja discovered that it's handy for having a cursory wash in the field. Cost: 10 chakra per minute.
Water Release: Morning Dew (E-Rank, not known)
Rank 1 - 4 XP (Chakra Control 8, Water Release 8)
The user is able to create a thin layer of dew on surfaces that are neither hot nor dry, such as grass or pavement on a cooler day. This layer of dew is somewhat slick and increases the chance of someone slipping to a degree, though it cannot be controlled once set. It can only be used to create relatively small slick patches. Cost: 10 chakra
Water Release: Spitting Fish (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2- 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Water Release 12)
The user spits a volley of water with about the force of a volleyed tennis ball hitting the target- while not damaging, it will break concentration or prevent the completion of a jutsu. It is, however, the first step on the way to learning more powerful offensive Water Release jutsu, and thus most ninja who go on to use Water Release as a major part of their style begin by learning this. Costs 10 chakra.
Water Release: Thin Mist Technique (E-Rank, 1)
Rank 2 - 8 XP (Chakra Control 9, Water Release 12)
The user creates a patch of floating mist fifteen meters in diameter. The mist obscures sight slightly- all within it suffer a -5 penalty to Awareness. The mist requires a nearby source of water to create, and dissipates after 25 seconds. Cost: 15 chakra
*****
*) You've literally never actually improved your puppetry skill, what can I say? So at the moment you have no greater ability to make Stinger any better than he currently was.
**) Goddamn it a one. If you didn't have the 'Oh, and we have more proof' then the guy who is MOST likely to accept 'here is the graph we have with the data' might have been skeptical.
***) IE, several hundred million dollars.
A/N: So, not much to say, but a few new numbers…
Civilian Deaths: >500
Gee, I wonder how Shizue's estimates have gone up. Also, the Shomeigan, I can't reveal its mechanics, but just to understand cost, it costs 10 chakra per minute of having it activated. It's not something you can spam...at least at a low level. Though it does also include some passive bonuses.
[X] XP Plan Sneaky Puppetry
[X] Upgrade Ninja Art: Piercing Note
[X] Upgrade Cloak of Invisibility Technique
[X] Upgrade Water Release: Thin Mist Technique
[X] Primary: Puppetry
[X] Secondary: Genjutsu
The techniques cost 32 XP, leaving us with 50 to use on increasing our stats. I would prefer to work on puppetry and genjutsu, the former because our puppet is our main weapon, and the latter because we don't have any genjutsu yet.
[X] [Action] Plan Winding Up
-[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[X] [Action] Trains with someone
--[X] Shizue could try to train with one of her fellow genin, though she'd have to train in what they wanted to train in. If so, which one?
---[X] [Action] Rika
---[X] [Action] Genta
-[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[X] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
Okay, basically, take a relative break from the investigation, fix and upgrade Stinger, then work off the stress with some training.
[X] [XP] Plan We Can Rebuild Him
-[X] [XP] Cloak of Invisibility Technique Rank 4 -16xp
-[X] [XP] Priority 1 - Puppetry
-[X] [XP] Priority 2 - Poison
-[X] [XP] Priority 3 - Traps, Wires
-[X] [XP] Priority 4 - Awareness, Chakra Control
Basically, all in on the puppetry upgrades, plus grabbing some of the 1.4 discounts.
Poison, Traps and Wires all have some good discounts, and count towards puppet improvements.
We could use Awareness and Chakra Control(well, more anyway), and they got a big discount as well, so in they go at the bottom
I told ya'll to focus on puppetry, but no one listened to me. When something's your main means of attack you pretty much have to focus on it. Even small, incremental improvements every time we picked up a bundle of XP would have been fine, but nope, instead it gets ignored completely. Whelp, can't say I didn't see this one coming.
"If I wanted to fix up Stinger, it'd take a while, and I'd basically be remaking him. At the moment I'm* not sure how much better I could make him, so I might just remake him. But it'd take a lot of work to get that done, especially if I wanted to get it done soon. But, you took a risk, and that happens."
"If I was stronger, I could have saved Rika the pain, stopped your puppet from being broken. Instead I was weak, and desperate. I didn't do it for this, but a part of me…" Genta said, taking a breath. He hopped from his perch and stepped across the deck, closer to Shizue and Genta, "Hoped. I've been told I have the potential to unlock something called the Shomeigan. The scholar's eye. The only way you can do that is to push your mind to its limits, and beyond it."
He paused, as if the words seemed to exhaust it. "Emiko was training me. But how it works, is that you have to do so and unlock it, but if you don't do it within a month of starting the process, you will in bed for a week or two with headaches so crippling you're blind and can barely think."
There was also the fact that Shizue was pretty sure that the welcome mat was actually a pressure plate. Before Okiie had even gotten to knock on the door, someone asked, "Who is it?"
It might have also been the fact that it was three in the morning and they'd only just got back from delivering the Chunin for interrogation. But waiting too long seemed likely to end poorly, and they'd managed to slip here without being observed too much.
"Are you selling anything?" Zenzo asked, "Because I had a sign that said clearly that there are to be no sales between--"
He sounded exactly as if he had just woken up. Mostly because he probably had. Because they had knocked on his door.
"It's us," Genta said.
"Us, eh? A likely story! How do I know it's...wait, hrm, name?"
"Okiie, Genta, and Shizue," Okiie said, "We need to talk to you about something."
"Very well, one second. Let me disable the traps first."
"Traps?!" Okiie asked.
"Non-lethal," he assured them from across the door, "But one can never be too careful."
In a crowded dining room, they sat down at a table and drank tea as Genta began to walk Zenzo through the numbers. They'd decided to start there, and despite being woken up, after a cup of tea or two, the man was looking as if he hadn't apparently taken an all night shift at the hospital. He was wearing his usual uniform.
"This is...interesting, but I'm not really sure if I'm seeing it. There's a greater likelihood** that the data has merely been interpreted wrong," Zenzo said, "Or that it's an exaggeration of a normal trendline upwards, which we've always seen in times of high stress and combat. The loss of our Genin is worrying, but the idea of a traitor is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence."
"We have evidence!" Okiie shouts out, "Tell him, Genta."
"You see, we captured a Chunin of Tide."
Zenzo dropped his cup, "You did what?"
"And we interrogated him," Genta continued, calmly, "He admitted that they had been receiving information on C-rank missions using an NZA code."
**) Goddamn it a one. If you didn't have the 'Oh, and we have more proof' then the guy who is MOST likely to accept 'here is the graph we have with the data' might have been skeptical.
"I…" he took a breath, "Run me through the numbers again."
This time everyone knew what to say, and it went a lot faster, and at the end, Zenzo was staring at the wall, posture tense, "This could be it, you know?"
"What?" Shizue asked, throat feeling dry from all of the explaining. The report had rather ballooned and was now something of a slog to read through, though Genta had made an index and worked to make it readable.
"If we let this traitor continue, our village could die," Zenzo said, "We cannot allow them to win. Our village must survive, and that means, I will begin my own investigation." He stood up and said, "I will interrogate the prisoner. We need to keep this secret, until we are ready to strike and purge the poison from our village. I will begin to look up this matter you spoke, of, the summons? And the code as well. In addition I will investigate my fellow Special Jonin. You can continue your own investigation, and we can update each other once a week. Well, I would like to know what you find out sooner than that, but for my part, I don't think it would be wise to reveal everything I learn constantly."
He cleared his throat and asked, "So, does that work?"
Shizue hoped he'd be open about what he learned, and to a certain extent it felt as if they had been shoved aside, at least a little, but those weren't good reasons to object. She nodded, then Okiie, and last, after a breath, Genta said, "I believe it does. I would ask you to share as much data as possible with me, however."
"Why is that?" Zenzo asked, peering down at Genta curiously.
"Because in three days, I will unlock my bloodline, and I believe at that point," Genta said, "This investigation will go far faster."
Rika looked like a ghost, so heavily bandaged was she, and kept on going in and out of consciousness, on a rather heady mix of drugs that left her unable to really focus on a conversation. Information gathering that day started out slow, but about halfway through, on the way back to the hospital, they managed to run into a few of the older Genin willing to talk, and they learned rather more than they might have wanted. Apparently one of their parents was a Chunin, and thought of as something of a strategist, a follower of Tomoyo, and through careful manipulation, Shizue gets to hear an earful and a half.
"So, if you really want to know, squirt, here's how it is. We actually managed to get deep into their territory by misleading them using some lucky guesses about their plans, but when they attacked us, while we could see them coming, we didn't expect to be hit so hard, and so our attacking force was sent reeling. Here's where bad communication failed us. While our Jonin were fighting their own, who somehow managed to fight us to a standstill, The Eviscerator and an elite team aimed right at some of the Chunin who were holding down the line of retreat. It wasn't a slaughter, but it was a tough fight, but apparently someone had been expecting Yaramachi to use his mines to ambush the enemy."
"Apparently it was a plan that several of the Jonin had agreed to together, but when the time came, Yaramachi…" the boy shrugged, "He didn't get the memo. That's the problem, all sorts of good plans were thought up, but then people failed to communicate. Ken even held a secret meeting last night, that everyone knows all about, where he said 'What caused this defeat was a failure to communicate,'" he said it in the official, stern tone everyone used to imitate Ken's voice, "But my mom says there's more to it."
"She said that it's because they were fighting all out. The enemy Jonin managed to hold off two other Jonin at the same time, the Eviscerator… they gave it their all, and they weren't seen at the next fight. Exhausted, but they'd fought… if they fought like that every day for a week, Tide and Reef would both be wiped out… but seriously, what's this about a Chunin?"
The next day too was merely a day of gathering information, training, and checking up on Rika. She was already up and walking, training this time rather than doing nearly as much of the investigation. When asked she said, "I can help with the investigation, but to a certain extent, it's covered already...and I need to be physically tougher, so that this doesn't keep on happening. My father, every time this happens, he worries, and though he doesn't say it, he imagines me going home and doing something safe, you know?"
"Marrying someone, you mean?" Shizue asked, getting the drift immediately.
"Yeah, as if anywhere is safe. Father says that though the numbers haven't been released, they're higher than the official numbers, and anyone who can, foreign merchants and the like, are evacuating owing to unfavorable climates and too high of a risk-to-reward ratio."
"Ratio?"
"Yes, ratio," Rika said, "He used the word in his last letter to me, which just got here. Now I have to tell him about my injury. He thinks I'm weaker than I am, and he blames himself. Always does, since--" she shrugged, "Blames himself for clearly not raising me to be…"
"I've always wanted to hide things from him, ever since--"
She trailed off, and Shizue knew what to do. She kept silent and smiled at Rika.
Rika chuckled, looking annoyed at herself. They were crouched in a training yard, talking through things, and so it was probably reasonably private. "He heard from a servant how I mentioned to another child how I had a crush on one of the girls in the local village. It was the first time, the only time, I think he ever came close to laying his hands on me the way every other father lays their hands on their children. Mothers, too."
The day after that brought two surprises to the four of them. One was aimed at the village itself. After a night of inconclusive fighting with Island, in which they had been driven off with no dead on either side but plenty of injuries--a probing attack--Tide's diplomats announced that earlier one evening, their imprisoned Genin ('Fish Bitch' to the average member of Reef on the street) had escaped. Disappeared entirely from their cell, and she hadn't been seen since.
Shizue, well, she had ideas about just how that might have happened. Dark, rather troubled ideas. The very night that Emiko was present to help them, an imprisoned Tide genin disappears without a trace. Of course, they could have just let her go, but if it was true, it'd require stealth and cunning that only Emiko could have provided, most likely.
Which meant, what? It didn't make her -the- traitor, but it did make her someone who had betrayed Reef, for whatever reason. If there was even a shred of proof, and by now Shizue suspected that even if she followed the evidence, she would find little. Of course, it wouldn't take much evidence to convince people that Emiko might have done so, but if the traitor was out there, watching and waiting…
"And yet, I saw you leafing through the book with the answer, and it's pretty easy to guess at, really. I'll give you a hint...b-buh-billion…" she said, and then she pulled out another kunai. "Where your hand is resting, keep it there. The next one will be two inches closer. And then the next. If it reaches you before you can at least show your worth, it goes through your hand. I am currently stuck in a village of murderers, arsonists and rapists, who burn villages full of screaming civilians and make up lies about enemy combatants to cover it, who rape enemy civilians and allies, who steal everything that isn't nailed down from everyone they can, who act with impunity. I could be gone, I could have taken a fast boat and to hell with the payment, but instead I've been staying. To train you. And this is what I get?"
Shizue knew it was all a trick, some sort of insane training ploy, and so she took a breath and said, "Stop it, this...this game doesn't help anyone."
"It was actually a code you'd used…" Genta's eyes widened, "It was fake, it was all...the code, it reads, the one you taught me, 'Congratluations, I am proud of…' these were fake." He gestured at the knives. All but the first of them disappeared, and Shizue found that she could move now, could breath. And that Emiko looked like she always had. Mostly. She looked annoyed and frustrated.
"Never make me do something like that again, Genta-kun," Emiko said, "And it wasn't all a lie. This village...every minute I spend in it makes me feel dirty, even as an assassin. But there are people," she said, stepping forward to pat Genta on the head, "Who are relying on me, and don't share the blame. Yet ultimately this and the other villages have killed far too many. When I leave this place, I will never return, even if this was somehow the only refuge from certain death."
She shrugged, "A ninja has to have some principles, and a trio of villages that cover for indiscriminate theft, murder and rape…"
Peace had been declared, capitulation by Tide, under unknown and secret terms. The whole village was celebrating, yet Genta had called the four of them there for an announcement. When Shizue arrived, his eyes were glowing, red-rimmed with his jutsu, and after a moment of glancing at a piece of paper he'd filled with notes, he took a breath and just said it, "I have looked at all of the data, and the most likely solution is that the shift from the second to third method represents someone new. Some second traitor taking up after or with the first. There are two of them."
Izumida Akachi: Besides a budding interest in genjutsu he doesn't have that much in common with Shizue, treating her no worse than the others, but no better either. However, he does seem excited about having a foreign ninja teaching them, someone who's actually been to places he's only heard stories about.
Shizue now knows the answer. Perhaps she could tell him, or perhaps he's figured it out on his own already.
Kihara Junko: She's an academy student, and Shizue doesn't see much of her outside of Emiko's classes. She's taking the same set as Shizue though, unlike the majority of Reef's genin and academy students. Nowadays she seems to be dressing to resemble Emiko slightly- from what Shizue knows she's a little given to hero worship, and she seems to have fixed onto Emiko. She's been polite to Shizue as well, and it felt a little strange to overhear her saying that she- Shizue- was 'cool' and 'mysterious.'
Did Emiko go to her, or she go to Emiko? She's now a hero or a pariah depending on who you ask and who you are.
Reizei Okiie: Okiie is not so eager anymore to talk about the fate of the village, but he's just as determined, big nose or no. He still has a cute smile, even if his nose does look kinda large, as Chusei once joked. It takes real determination to spread your focus over all five elements, and he's recently learned about his wind affinity. She understands this new Okiie a lot better now, and he's a good guy even if he's still not entirely sold on being her friend. But he's been visiting Rika in the hospital, and that's nice of him. He's also been developing his wind affinity, so either of those two topics are likely to loom large in conversation. As one of Shizue's friends, one of her only friends, it's been fun getting along with him, and he seems to have really opened up.
Shizue would like to...ask him on a date. Maybe. If they can find the time, and if she can find the words...or maybe not. Even hanging out would be something. Not enough, but something.
Watabe Chieko: In some ways, she too is trying to live with her mother's absence. Chieko's mother, however, is still alive but completely mad. Her whole life- unlike Shizue, who defended her not only to the last but beyond it- was spent denying it. She was sane, she was rational, she kept control over her emotions and herself, used her medical jutsu and skills with a blade, and was going to become a perfectly sane, perfectly normal ninja. Shizue saw her mother once, hobbling along, hair grey, staring at nothing and babbling.
She's been helping out in the local hospital lately, with hurt civilians, when she's not taking missions. She's clearly preparing for the burden of war that will fall upon her. Yet there are things she can't do. She looks a little haunted recently, for some reason. And she keeps on training after her defeat by Emiko.
[X] [Action] Plan Winding Down
-[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[X] [Action] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
--[X] [Action] Rika
--[X] [Action] Okiie
--[X] [Action] Junko
-[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[X] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
[X] [XP] Plan We Can Rebuild Him
-[X] [XP] Cloak of Invisibility Technique Rank 4 -16xp
-[X] [XP] Priority 1 - Puppetry
-[X] [XP] Priority 2 - Poison
-[X] [XP] Priority 3 - Traps, Wires
-[X] [XP] Priority 4 - Awareness, Chakra Control
Changed from training to socialization. We need to expand our social circle, and it's indicated that at least one of the other students have become receptive to us. Can't just be our little circle of strange people.
The thing is I feel that very soon we're going to be in a situation were stealth is not an acceptable defense mechanism. If the enemies plan was to grind us down in a drawn out war of attrition that'd be one thing but they aren't going for that. Since the enemies plan is to force one decisive battle that means they're likely going to gather all of their heavy hitters and spam AOE attacks. Our sub genin evasion and lackluster replacement technique mean we won't even have to be targeted, we'll be collateral damage when they miss more important targets.
[X] Repair Stinger.
[X] Continue the investigation.
-[X] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
[X] Trains with someone
-[X] Shizue could try to train with one of her fellow genin, though she'd have to train in what they wanted to train in. If so, which one?
--[X] Rika
[X] Body Replacement Technique Rank 3 - 12 XP
[X] Priority 1- Puppetry
[X] Priority 2- Evasion
@Velocirampage Rika counts as half a choice because she is a friend. I think that also counts for training purposes? If so it might be convenient to add Genta to that choice since both him and Rika said they want to focus on physichal training. Though we would have to ask @The Laurent for confirmation just to be sure.
[X] [Action] Plan Winding Down
-[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[X] [Action] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
--[X] [Action] Rika
--[X] [Action] Okiie
--[X] [Action] Junko
-[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[X] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
[X] [XP] Plan We Can Rebuild Him
-[X] [XP] Cloak of Invisibility Technique Rank 4 -16xp
-[X] [XP] Priority 1 - Puppetry
-[X] [XP] Priority 2 - Poison
-[X] [XP] Priority 3 - Traps, Wires
-[X] [XP] Priority 4 - Awareness, Chakra Control
@Velocirampage Rika counts as half a choice because she is a friend. I think that also counts for training purposes? If so it might be convenient to add Genta to that choice since both him and Rika said they want to focus on physichal training. Though we would have to ask @The Laurent for confirmation just to be sure.
We hadn't originally planned on it working that way. However...
On consultation with my co-QM, this is our declaration:
Shizue is a flower of shinobi, in the Springtime of her youth! Her passion cannot be constrained merely to words, but must FLOW into a Deeper language, her youth expressed through action with her comrades! Thus fighting is the same as talking! If we are lying, may we write five thousand words using an old typewriter while standing on our heads!
[] [Action] Plan Winding Down
-[] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[] [Action] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
--[] [Action] Rika
--[] [Action] Okiie
--[] [Action] Junko
-[] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
edit: vote added to, see below
I like this action plan.
@veekie Would you be willing to consider trading the Priority 4 items for Intelligence, since that stat directly effects our Puppetry, Poisons, Wires, and Traps?
@The Laurent I'm confused how talking to Zenzo was the option that won. All of the plans were tied (unless somebody changed their vote after the tally and didn't say anything), and Ken had more votes than Zenzo in both the Line and Block votes.
Oh, I'm actually just an idiot. I figured out what went wrong. When I did the tally I set it to go from the last threadmark, which was the revised fight scene, which was after several votes were put in, so those ones weren't counted.
Here is the tally, if I hadn't made the mistake.
Vote Tally : End of an Era (Naruto AU) | Page 39 | Sufficient Velocity ##### NetTally 1.1.23
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise.
[X] Yes
-[X] To specific people (list).
--[X] Zenzo
[X] No.
[X] Why did the source or method change three times? That's just weird. Brainstorm ideas related to that. No. of Votes: 2
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him forget he confessed about the traitor at all.
[X] No
[X] Maybe take it from the direction of 'summons.' No. of Votes: 1
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise.
-[X] Would it be possible (or better) to erase Genta's involvement? He was not supposed to be here?
[X] Yes
--[X] Ken
[X] No
[X] Why did the source or method change three times? That's just weird. Brainstorm ideas related to that. No. of Votes: 1
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise.
[X] Yes
-[X] To specific people (list).
--[X] All Jonin.
[X] No.
[X] Why did the source or method change three times? That's just weird. Brainstorm ideas related to that. No. of Votes: 1
[x] Alter his mind.
-[x] Have him forget he confessed about the traitor at all.
[x] Yes
-[x] To specific people (list).
--[x] Zenzo
--[x] Ken
[x] No.
[x] Why did the source or method change three times? That's just weird. Brainstorm ideas related to that. No. of Votes: 1
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise.
-[X] Would it be possible (or better) to erase Genta's involvement? He was not supposed to be here?
[X] Yes
--[X] Ken
[X] No.
[X] Maybe take it from the direction of 'summons.' No. of Votes: 1
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him forget he confessed about the traitor at all.
[X] Yes
--[X] Ken
[X] No
[X] Maybe take it from the direction of 'summons.' No. of Votes: 1
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise. No. of Votes: 5
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise. No. of Votes: 3
[X] Alter his mind.
-[X] Have him think he confessed naturally. That means he'll be more likely to spill the beans if he thinks everyone knows, unless he sees proof otherwise.
-[X] Would it be possible (or better) to erase Genta's involvement? He was not supposed to be here? No. of Votes: 2
@veekie Would you be willing to consider trading the Priority 4 items for Intelligence, since that stat directly effects our Puppetry, Poisons, Wires, and Traps?
That's well and good, and I get it. The thing is, having two items in the 4th priority slot is going to leave very little XP to give each of them, and while I would normally be fine with abusing multipliers, we won't exactly have a use for Awareness and Chakra Control until Stinger is done and/or we get into a fight. Before it is said, I know that Awareness would probably be useful for the investigation, but Intelligence would be just as useful I think, and would also buff all of the other purchases for the turn, since modifiers are the average between the related Stat and Skill.
[X] [Action] Plan Bakkasama
[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
[X] [Action] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
-[x] [Action] Kihara Junko
-[x] [Action] Yaramachi Hachiro
[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
-[x] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
I was very troubled while thinking this vote of whether vote for investigation or socialize. On one hand, I'm not 100% sold on trusting Zenzo yet, and even if we trust him there are venues of study that he isn't likely to follow. Investigating the potential of multiple traitors is the obvious one, as we don't know if he is going to get to the same conclusión, but there are others. As I had said before, investigating the message Emiko found could give us leads about what actually happened. We also don't know anything about the other suspects, and even if it doesn't have anything to do with this, the fish girl thing kind of intrigues me, and Zenzo isn't likely to investigate it either. Still, if Zenzo is innocent, he is going to investigate the special jounin, summons, the code... and the remaining options (fish girl and Emiko's code) depend heavily on how much she wants us to know. In which case, maybe it would be convenient to wait until Genta's detective eye is a bit stronger.
On the other hand, socialization... I seriously want Shizue to deepen her friendship. Rika seems a loyal friend, it looks like we are starting to reconnect with Genta and I'm really courious about what would happen if the rolls allow Shizue to ask Ookie out on a date. Sure, we have no idea if he would accept or not (hope for the best, prepare for the worst) but whatever the case it promises to be interesting from the storytelling point of view. Though... even if I want all that, I'm not sure if it would be the most efficient use of actions for this turn. We have already noted how useful it is to spend only half an action to speak to our inner circle, so maybe it's better to start preparing for the future and expand our circle of Friends a little bit.
Besides, I REALLY want to know what else is going on in the village. I am suffering from severe lack of information.
So, why did I choose those two? There are several genin that picked my interest. Ginchijo is strong and seems like she is going to be influential, so she would be helpful later on to mobilize people. But I don't see how we could interest her enough to be more than a passing acquantice. Ichiman is badass and is investigating fuinjutsu, but his poor social skills will make interacting with him difficult and if the spear thing is a family jutsu he probably won't let us see it, specially if we don't know enough about it to help. Saya intrigues me, and is listening to rumours, so she could be a source of information... but she was mean to us, and I can't imagine a reason to interact with her (that's The Laurent's job, but still). The rest don't interest me enough as of yet.
Now, about Junko and Yaramachi... they might give us some advantages by interacting with them. Junko kind of admires us right now, so I think interacting with her could be easier than interacting with the others, and by talking with her maybe we could find out whether Emiko pushed her to talk about Zenzo's recruitment attempts or not. It might give us a better idea of Emiko's plans or methods of action, and some more light about Zenzo's personality. Plus, she could be an opening to interacting with other academy students if we ever feel the need to influence the younger generation. Yaramachi's case is even easier to make. First, Fuinjutsu. With capital F. Sooner or later we might want to use sealing in our puppet, and having him as an ally will make it way easier. And his sealing knowledge might help to recruit Ichiman later on. Second, his brother. Being in speaking relationship with him will make it easier to Access his brother, whether because we want to investigate him or because we have a need to report to a jounin we trust. Third, he might know information about what they talk about in the jounin meetings. Or about what really happened in the battle his brother screwed up. Or the real state of the village defenses. Fourth, when his elder brother became the clan leader, he ascended to jounin in two years. If something happens to the elder brother (which might be likely since he earned Rank because his clan and not necessarely his skills), then this boy will probably Rank up just as fast. Fifth and sixth, we really need someone who isn't an outcast in the group, and the kid is buckling under pressure, so we can take befriending and helping him as our good deed of the week. I think I could think some more, but I think the advantages mentioned are worth enough to at least try it.
So yeah, if we interact with someone outside of our ingroup, it might be best for it to be Yaramachi rather than Junko.
First thing first. Rank 3 Replacement is sealess. I think there is no need to explain why would I want that.
I was very, very, VERY tempted to say 'fuck it' and put only the replacement and Puppetry, so that we could boost to ridiculous proportions and show that Shizue really is a genius in puppetry.
Think about it. We have 82 XP. Sealess replacement costs 12 so that leaves us with 70. From 21 to 35 it takes 3xp per point so 42 XP. From 36 to 55 it is 4xp per point. So, say we increase it by another ten points, up to 45. So, 82XP/1.2 = 68 XP. Which would leave us 3 point below a skilled chunin. Which is very tempting since by dropping replacement we would end with 49 points, so as a skilled chunin in puppetry.
Alas, that doesn't take advantage of the modifiers, which is a waste. So, puppetry as a main. Then poisons and traps because the help with puppetry. Then intelligence because of what @Arkatekt said.
Also yes, from now on every week we should raise puppetry or ninjutsu.
I am a little too busy for a reaction post right now so I will do it thursday night.
[X] [Action] Plan Winding Down
-[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[X] [Action] Talks to her fellow genin (choose two)
--[X] [Action] Rika
--[X] [Action] Okiie
--[X] [Action] Junko
-[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[X] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
[X] [Action] Plan Velocirampage
-[X] [Action] Repair Stinger.
-[X] [Action] Continue the investigation. (Choose ONE free, each additional investigation action costs ½ of a total week action.)
--[X] [Action] Investigate the matter of the potential for there to be two suspects/perpetrators.
-[X] [Action] Go to Emiko.
--[X] [Action] Try to learn more about the code or what she might know.
--[X] [Action] It's not necessarily related, but what about the...runaway Tide Genin she might have smuggled out?
I'm not interested in expanding Shizues circle of friends, or pursuing the romance option with Okiie. Even if I were with the way I expect this war will progress it's likely that a large number of these people will be dead within a month so I don't see the point. Reef lost a fifth of their genin in a war against a decapitated, reeling enemy that they slightly outnumbered. Against Island I'll be surprised if Reef loses less then half their genin.
As for the investigation options, most of the options are redundant now that Zenzo's on board. What he doesn't have is the same connection to Emiko that Shizue does. The fish girl is mostly just for my own curiosity admittedly but it could be revealing.
Currently, the known population of the Archipelago is somewhere between 30-40k. This is down from its prewar height of over 80k. The exact population is hard to tell since none of the three sides are giving out info.
You know for a fact that 543 people, at a minimum, have died. That means, between 1.36 (40k) and 1.8 (30k) percent of everyone who was alive a month ago in the Archipleago is dead, just from war causes, on top of any natural deaths.
)
