Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest

Expecting Me · Oct 7, 2018

Raven's Requiem said:
One extra detail, Tokei loves his sister who is apparently a mother whose expecting a baby boy.

If we want to throw him off center for a moment, we can say something along the lines of "What would your sister say if she knew you killed a child, A CHILD YOU WERE SWORN TO PROTECT! Could you dare to hold her baby in your arms, little baby Tokei in the bloody hands of a child killer?"

This could probably throw him off guard...or piss him off even more, but what the heck. He's trying to kill us anyways.

That conversation took place nearly five years ago, so kid is already born and only a year younger than us. Plus, Tokei might not be planning to make it out of this alive. He mentioned in the update that he was aware that what he was doing was abhorrent and dishonorable and that he would atone. Traditionally speaking, the way a samurai would atone for such an action would be seppuku.

ShyGuy · Oct 7, 2018

Vesvius said:
"Root," Gai says absently, pointing down. You instinctively glance where he's pointing and see that your feet were about to snag another root. You step over it and offer him your thanks. "No thanks necessary my young friend! It is my privilege to help you grow!"

Huh.

Unless you're completely misreading Gai here, he's trying to tell you something. He's saying that he won't stop you from making mistakes- like tripping. And he won't shield you from the consequences of those mistakes- like the grass stains on your knees and palms. But he will help you avoid those mistakes in the future- like that second root.

Vesvius said:
"A most excellent insight! And indeed you would be correct in most cases. Relying on the same techniques and routines is a sure way to lose an important battle at an inopportune moment, and we will doubtlessly be training that in the future! But that test was not to evaluate your reflexes or the strength of your arm! It was to evaluate your critical thinking and your pattern recognition. And.."

"And what, sir?"

"And it was a lesson as well as a test. It was to teach you perhaps the most important lesson you shall ever learn from me! It was to teach you…"

Gai reaches down and ruffles your already messed hair. "It was to teach you that there is always a way to win. No matter how hopeless the task seems, how challenging the road before you looks, how dangerous the opponent who stands before you is, there is always a way to overcome it."

Your mentor stops you from moving forward and meets your eyes steadily. "Remember, Daisuke-kun. The battle is only truly lost if you despair and surrender. As long as you do not do that, you can overcome any obstacle!"

Okay, Gai is awesome. He is the wisest man in Konoha. Seriously, this is some old man, monk wisdom right here. Honestly, the best sensei ever, he turns everything he can into a teaching moment.

Vesvius said:
"It is a good life!" Tokei rebuts. "An honest life. One worth living! And above all, it is a quiet life. One without renown and without fanfare. The life you agreed he would live!"

Something changes in both of their postures. Mother's back stiffens slightly, and Tokei… he doesn't move. But something about the way he's settling his weight sets off alarm bells in your mind. Mother rises from her chair so she can look Tokei in the eye- and pushes you behind her with one hand. A lance of fear pulses in your belly.

... This doesn't sound like it's going anywhere good.

Vesvius said:
A vein pulses in Tokei's forehead. "There was a plan," Tokei snarls. "You agreed to it. Daisuke would attend Hagekko and seek his fortune there! He-"

"What kind of fortune is at Hagekko?!" Mother snarls. "I did not like the plan when you told me about it, and I only agreed to it due to a lack of other options! But now that it's been averted, I am grateful that Daisuke shall not be going there! What kind of life would he be getting with a Hagekko education? The life of a merchant? The life of a road worker or a ditch digger? My son is worth more!"

"It is a good life!" Tokei rebuts. "An honest life. One worth living! And above all, it is a quiet life. One without renown and without fanfare. The life you agreed he would live!"

Something changes in both of their postures. Mother's back stiffens slightly, and Tokei… he doesn't move. But something about the way he's settling his weight sets off alarm bells in your mind. Mother rises from her chair so she can look Tokei in the eye- and pushes you behind her with one hand. A lance of fear pulses in your belly.

Mother's tone changes. "Yes, I did," she breathes, tone too steady to be normal. "I agreed that Daisuke would live a quiet life away from the court of Iron, and bring no renown to his name. But he will still do that! A ninja does not acquire personal glory! No one outside this village will know his name! I am still upholding our end of the bargain! And my son deserves-"

"Your son deserves nothing!" Tokei snarls. "As you well know! What could he deserve?! He is nothing but the bastard stain on my lord's honor that comes from taking a whore as a concubine!"

... I'll be honest, I didn't think Tokei was bad at first. But the last couple of updates made me wary of him. There were a couple of moment that seemed to hint that he wasn't really on our side. Maybe it was the fact that he never cared for us even when we were younger. You would think that a bodyguard assigned to you since your birth would develop some attachment, but not Tokei. Nice to finally know what he really thinks. Hope he dies.

Now for our options, thoughts right now are:

Vesvius said:
[] If you run, Tokei will take it out on Mother before chasing you. You can't let that happen! You know some Taijutsu! You'll fight him head on!

I don't think Tokei is going to kill our Mother. We are the one he wants to kill. If we are worried we can run in a direction away from our mother, leave the house maybe.

Vesvius said:
[] You're the one he wants! Draw Tokei upstairs! There has to be something you can use to defeat him there!

I guess this is an option. If we can maybe get him into a cramped space where he can't move around well, like a closet or a small bathroom, we would have a better chance of taking him out. Make it look like we went though a bathroom window and then come at him from behind?

Vesvius said:
[] Tokei is beyond you. He's a fully trained samurai and you're fucking five! You need to run! You need to run right now and call for help!

This is also true to. Do we know if Tokei has sensor abilities? Either way, getting help sounds like a great idea.

Pandemonious Ivy · Oct 7, 2018

Hmm. I genuinely don't believe the way forward here is only to be found in fighting or running. We're a child but we're precocious. We can get a small concession out of him, I bet. Maybe it can turn the tide.

Even if it can't, we can't be afraid of failure in a quest that explicitly has "you're going to die a few times" as part of the premise. The least we can do is try to prepare with additional information for the next session. Because information > physical stats. We only carry one into the next 'life'.

Vesvius · Oct 7, 2018

Raven's Requiem said:
@Vesvius Where are stairs located, and what is the general layout of the house?

Our current position seems to be:

Us: Pressed next to the door in a hallway

Mom: Knocked aside

Tokei: Closing in on us

Where are the stairs in relation to us?

Since this is the character's house, can you tell us what's upstairs that our character potentially thinks he can use?

We apparently know that there are multiple knifes hidden around the house. Do we know their exact locations?
~~Though I feel like using knives will be a trap as we have absolutely no experience with them at all.~~

I can't draw a diagram- on mobile- but I'll describe the layout real quick.

Tokei is current in the kitchen/dining room, in front of the back door. To his left is the entrance to the living room. Mother is to the side and front of him. She's against the wall and on her feet. Behind her and to the left is another door to the living room. Next to that door is a door to the sitting room. A few feet further down on the other side is the stairs to the second floor.

You're a few feet passed the stairs. Behind you is a short hallway that leads to a small entrance room with floor to ceiling windows, the front door, and the umbrella stand with Tokei's sword.

Upstairs, it's mostly bedrooms and one sun nook. Daisuke isn't entirely sure what's in everyone else's; going in other people's rooms is rude. In Daisukes room, it's mostly bare except for some toys and books.

As far as knives go, Daisuke knows where a few are. For example, the one he's currently holding is from under the kitchen table. Hiding them is Tokeis hobby. There's one or more in every room, but Daisuke only knows where ones in the sitting room and the sun room are off the top of his head. He can find the others but it would take time.

EDIT: bathroom is upstairs too. Forgot about that.

Theaxofwar · Oct 7, 2018

[X] Tokei is beyond you. He's a fully trained samurai and you're fucking five! You need to run! You need to run right now and call for help!

kenmadragon · Oct 7, 2018

[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.
-[X] Grab his sword on your way out.
-[X] Fight Dirty
-[X] If the opportunity presents itself, all you need is one clean shot to kill him.

ShyGuy · Oct 7, 2018

Vesvius said:
You're a few feet passed the stairs. Behind you is a short hallway that leads to a small entrance room with floor to ceiling windows, the front door, and the umbrella stand with Tokei's sword.

Upstairs, it's mostly bedrooms and one sun nook. Daisuke isn't entirely sure what's in everyone else's; going in other people's rooms is rude. In Daisukes room, it's mostly bare except for some toys and books.

As far as knives go, Daisuke knows where a few are. For example, the one he's currently holding is from under the kitchen table. Hiding them is Tokeis hobby. There's one or more in every room, but Daisuke only knows where ones in the sitting room and the sun room are off the top of his head. He can find the others but it would take time.

Okay, if we go upstairs we can't go for the sword. On the plus side, if we go upstairs, then Tokei is unlikely to go for the sword because it would take more time. I say we run upstairs to the sun room and grab the knife. Maybe, if their is a window in the bathroom and it is connected to the sun room we go in there. If we can make it look like we left through a window and come at him from behind when he looks through it.

tenchifew said:
[x] You're the one he wants! Draw Tokei upstairs! There has to be something you can use to defeat him there!
-[x] if possible grab one of the knifes hidden around the house, try to hide it from Tokei till the chance to use it arrives.

Hearts Nine said:
[X] Draw Tokei upstairs
-[X] Try to grab a hidden knife on the way, and keep it hidden on your person
-[X] Open an upstairs window and shout for help
-[X] Stay within the window's range as Tokei approaches. Pretend to be too tired to fight back and attack Tokei just as he lets his guard down
-[X] Jump out the window if the previous attack fails.

Both of these sound somewhat good to me. The problem I have with going outside is that it brings Tokei within reaching distance of his sword and he will likely catch up to us. If we keep it within the house, the cramped spaces mean he can't fight as effectively.

Embers999 · Oct 7, 2018

[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.
-[X] Grab his sword on your way out.
-[X] Fight Dirty
-[X] If the opportunity presents itself, all you need is one clean shot to kill him.

ShyGuy · Oct 7, 2018

kenmadragon said:
[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.

Problem with this vote is that if we run outside, Tokei is going to grab his sword on the way out. He will likely fight better with his sword and we will be in an open space where he can use it better. Basically, with the sword right next to the door this is even more of a death sentence for us.

TimEd · Oct 7, 2018

Vesvius said:
After all, Daisuke is a natural born citizen of the Land of Fire."

Land of Iron i believe.

Pittauro · Oct 7, 2018

ShyGuy said:
Both of these sound somewhat good to me. The problem I have with going outside is that it brings Tokei within reaching distance of his sword and he will likely catch up to us. If we keep it within the house, the cramped spaces mean he can't fight as effectively.

how about trying to

1)escape to our room
2)block the door however we can (just to buy a few more seconds)
3)climb down from the window
4) run away screaming for help.

we have

Acrobatics: Student (130/200)
Climb: Student (130/200)

so it should be possible.

Also Tokei is not a ninja. he should have AT LEAST some kenjutsu skill, but he should not have their mobility and agility at least.

He's probably genin level or so. If he's close to chunin we have no hope whatsoever, so i'll ignore that possibility.

alternative 3) surprise attack when he breaks down the door, using every skill Gai taught us

Expecting Me · Oct 7, 2018

ShyGuy said:
Problem with this vote is that if we run outside, Tokei is going to grab his sword on the way out. He will likely fight better with his sword and we will be in an open space where he can use it better. Basically, with the sword right next to the door this is even more of a death sentence for us.

We could grab the sword on our way out. What I'm worried about is what happens to our mother. Tokei was rather clear about turning his knife on her if she continued to interfere with his task. Now I don't see her not trying to stop him if we start running.

Pittauro · Oct 7, 2018

Expecting Me said:
We could grab the sword on our way out. What I'm worried about is what happens to our mother. Tokei was rather clear about turning his knife on her if she continued to interfere with his task. Now I don't see her not trying to stop him if we start running.

he still doesn't want to kill her, nor is it his main objective. He'll probably shove her/throw her aside then follow us. Our mother will not be able to stop him for more than a few seconds anyway, all he would need is a kick to put her down.

Paroni · Oct 7, 2018

This last WoG destroyes the sword+stairs option, since it isn't possible due to the layout. That leaves mainly options 1. Run, 2. Sword, and 3. Upstairs+Knife.

Much has already been said, but I'll add some things not mentioned already:

Mother is an advantage that hasn't been mentioned enough. Option 2 is essentially a 2 vs 1, because due to the placement of the sword, Tokei will think that we are running away and won't take the time to knock out our mother. She will have time to come to our help, if Tokei hesitates even a bit when he sees us holding a sword. Mother will give us a crucial half of a second, when Tokei focuses on her instead of the swordpoint.
Vesvious implied earlier that our difficulties with swords come mainly from our lack of skill, not just lack of physique. As such, we should not think of us as a 5 year old of our world, but as a very short unskilled and weaker combatant. We can't win a fair duel, but the matchup is not as lopsided as it would be in real life. This assumption does rely on Tokei not being a particularly powerful Samurai, but hey, if he is, he we are dead anyways.
"Evasive maneuvers" is total crap, Tokei isn't some oversized RPG boss who will run past us if we juke with our chubby feet. Tokei is a vastly superior athlete, our only advantage in running away is our headstart.
Our height difference is an advantage to us in any surprise attack. Tokei's automatic counters will be unusable due to our weird vector of attack. This will help us in options 2 and 3.

Even with all that said, running away might still be the best option. It is however solely dependant on how close helpful ninjas are to our house. We won't have long before Tokei will catch us, since he is likely to be much faster. I would be okay with running away here.

Still, I will paint a more combative scenario here for those disinclined to leg it:
[X] Grab the sword and look menacing. Tokei will hopefully pause in the hallway to assess you as a threat, since he doesn't have to chase you anymore. Wait for the exact moment when mother tackles Tokei from behind, and try to run through Tokei. After that, run away and scream for help.

triumph8w · Oct 7, 2018

[x] You're the one he wants! Draw Tokei upstairs! There has to be something you can use to defeat him there!
-[x] if possible grab one of the knifes hidden around the house, try to hide it from Tokei till the chance to use it arrives.

Sickul · Oct 7, 2018

[X] Run up the stairs, if Tokei is running after you, when you reach the top jumpkick Tokei down the stairs. If he's not following fast then open a window and scream for help.

If he's chasing us, and we get to the top and use a kick/our weight to knock him backwards we have a chance to take him out. If not that we can ask for help and hopefully ninja have a very fast response time.

Paroni · Oct 7, 2018

Sickul said:
[X] Run up the stairs, if Tokei is running after you, when you reach the top jumpkick Tokei down the stairs. If he's not following fast then open a window and scream for help.

If he's chasing us, and we get to the top and use a kick/our weight to knock him backwards we have a chance to take him out. If not that we can ask for help and hopefully ninja have a very fast response time.

This will fail 100%. Jumpkicking accurately from top of the stairs would be too difficult for us even while targeting Mr. Straw. With Tokei, the move will have to be telegraphed to be accurate, and he will easily counter it. We won't be able to trust our weight to knock him down, because we are a child, and Tokei is a trained muscleman. Also Tokei has a knife to deal with the aftermath.

Expecting Me · Oct 7, 2018

Paroni said:
This last WoG destroyes the sword+stairs option, since it isn't possible due to the layout. That leaves mainly options 1. Run, 2. Sword, and 3. Upstairs+Knife.

Much has already been said, but I'll add some things not mentioned already:

Mother is an advantage that hasn't been mentioned enough. Option 2 is essentially a 2 vs 1, because due to the placement of the sword, Tokei will think that we are running away and won't take the time to knock out our mother. She will have time to come to our help, if Tokei hesitates even a bit when he sees us holding a sword. Mother will give us a crucial half of a second, when Tokei focuses on her instead of the swordpoint.

Vesvious implied earlier that our difficulties with swords come mainly from our lack of skill, not just lack of physique. As such, we should not think of us as a 5 year old of our world, but as a very short unskilled and weaker combatant. We can't win a fair duel, but the matchup is not as lopsided as it would be in real life. This assumption does rely on Tokei not being a particularly powerful Samurai, but hey, if he is, he we are dead anyways.

"Evasive maneuvers" is total crap, Tokei isn't some oversized RPG boss who will run past us if we juke with our chubby feet. Tokei is a vastly superior athlete, our only advantage in running away is our headstart.

Our height difference is an advantage to us in any surprise attack. Tokei's automatic counters will be unusable due to our weird vector of attack. This will help us in options 2 and 3.

Even with all that said, running away might still be the best option. It is however solely dependant on how close helpful ninjas are to our house. We won't have long before Tokei will catch us, since he is likely to be much faster. I would be okay with running away here.

Still, I will paint a more combative scenario here for those disinclined to leg it:
[X] Grab the sword and look menacing. Tokei will hopefully pause in the hallway to assess you as a threat, since he doesn't have to chase you anymore. Wait for the exact moment when mother tackles Tokei from behind, and try to run through Tokei. After that, run away and scream for help.

This plan requires Tokei (who's first instinct when told someone was in our backyard was to grab a knife and go look) to hesitate in combat and that our mother would, first, let him rush us without making any attempt to impede him and, second, be able to pick up on his hesitation and tackle him in that moment.

andy50 · Oct 7, 2018

Someone brought to my attention we should probably grab his sword on our way out.... which is probably a smart idea. Since he'll grab his sword on his way to kill us likely.

[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.
-[X] Grab his sword on your way out.

Gigaplex · Oct 7, 2018

[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.
-[X] Grab his sword on your way out.
-[X] Fight Dirty
-[X] If the opportunity presents itself, all you need is one clean shot to kill him.

TimEd · Oct 7, 2018

Having a 5 year old carry a sword while going up stairs is a bad idea. Not only is it more weight, it also had mass which a kid wont be able to carry properly die to height and hand size difference.

Alanek · Oct 7, 2018

Paroni said:
Wait for the exact moment when mother tackles Tokei from behind, and try to run through Tokei.

....I want you to think very hard about the issue here.

Damian45 · Oct 7, 2018

[X] Kite the bitch! You cannot defeat him on your own, but you are a future shinobi of Konoha, and that means relying on your comrades. Lure Tokei into a public area, and other shinobi will surely assist you! That doesn't mean you can't try to get your own hits in. Put Gai's training to use.

Gigaplex · Oct 7, 2018

Gigaplex said:
[X] You must protect your mom, everything Gai-sensei has taught you has been for a moment like this. You can't beat Tokei, but you can buy time for surrounding ninja to help. Lure him outside, where there is more space, and try to be loud and boisterous to attract surrounding ninja. Engage in evasive maneuvers.
-[X] Grab his sword on your way out.
-[X] Fight Dirty
-[X] If the opportunity presents itself, all you need is one clean shot to kill him.

@andy50 , @Edkose , @POTDL , @A Nation's Virtue , @Mayrun , @GreyDragon0 , @WarGamesHyp , @kenmadragon , @Embers999, @Saturday, @RedV
Guys lets change our vote to this to take into account the sword at the entrance.

Expecting Me · Oct 7, 2018

TimEd said:
Having a 5 year old carry a sword while going up stairs is a bad idea. Not only is it more weight, it also had mass which a kid wont be able to carry properly die to height and hand size difference.

The length might make carrying it awkward, but a katana doesn't weigh that much. Assuming it is equivalent of a real life katana it would weigh under 5 pounds.

Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest

Panties, Revolution. Big Drawers. Parachute.

The Wicked God

Definitely not a Bunny Cat in disguise.

Meteor maker

Meteor maker

Only Sane Man