If Lord Jinraku returns early, try using a confident diplomatic approach, and call him out on the bullshit. Kakashi overcame the memetic effect with his addiction to love of Jiraiya's smutty romance novels.
Do you mind rewording this a bit? Or at least deleting the part about how we defeated the memetic effect? It sounds like you're having Kakashi gloat about how we've flaunted the memory erasure, and Jinraku seems ignorant about how we're managing that (based on his somewhat angry reaction to Kakashi's vagueness regarding "An earth Clone trick"). If Jinraku knows, we might not get a second/third/fourth(?)/another chance.
Do you mind rewording this a bit? Or at least deleting the part about how we defeated the memetic effect? It sounds like you're having Kakashi gloat about how we've flaunted the memory erasure, and Jinraku seems ignorant about how we're managing that (based on his somewhat angry reaction to Kakashi's vagueness regarding "An earth Clone trick"). If Jinraku knows, we might not get a second/third/fourth(?)/another chance.
Maybe it means something else... Or we're flaunting Kakashi's porn addiction to a random clan head, which sounds funny enough that it'll keep my vote (provided we kill him before the secret loophole leaks).
Random thought that may help keep Shadow Clone OpSec:
Given the quotes below, Earth Clones don't appear to need verbal orders to follow their caster's direction, the orders given just need to be simple.
If we have Kakashi's SC stick to one singular element while in view of Shizuka (such as Earth's HLaM) then we should be fine, especially if they don't talk (which shouldn't be a problem, given that Kakashi Prime is laconic at the best of times).
Or we can give the appearance of giving simple commands to the shadow clones ("hide underground, and kill anyone who enters.") while they really follow our internally-given commands.
If Earth Clones can follow plan code words ("Demon Duke's Dick" means "Guard this room, attack anyone who enters"), then we can tell the Shadow Clones utter nonsense ("Prophetess's Sobriety," "Sunny's Smile," "Yellow Flash's Food Poisoning") while they follow our internal commands.
One massive surge of chakra later, and there were three earth clones standing next to him.
"Earth Element: Living Roots!"
The trio of clones cast the technique in unison, their eerily empty voices echoing across the terrain. They started tying the free ends of the ropes to themselves.
"Earth Clone," Kakashi said, after making some hand seals. Two clones formed out of the dirt. "Now, do the two of you have names? I'm assuming you're from the Rakshasa clan given the location and the strange eyes I noticed earlier…"
The girl froze up a bit before replying. "You can call me Sae. My older brother goes by Daisuke." Sae paused to take a wheezing breath. "Yes, we're both of the Rakshasa clan."
Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at the wording, before remembering that people in this country were a bit odd about giving their names out.
"Ah, sorry about that," Kakashi said, scratching the back of his head in a (hopefully) sheepish manner. "Forgot about the name thing." Sae nodded but didn't reply. The earth clone gently— or as gently as was possible, for an animated pile of dirt wearing his appearance-- hefted her up into a carry. The second clone similarly hoisted the older brother up.
Kakashi looked over to her, then swore. "Sage's blood!" He saw Shizuka's face and quickly added, "Sorry. I was trying to remember something, but now it's slipped my mind. Berry."
The Earth Clone by his side dutifully placed a ripe blackberry in his offered palm.
The above citations are indicative of Earth Clones being able to follow internal and incomplete orders ("Berry" is only a noun, representing the full order "give me a berry").
Does this flexibility stretch to coded plans like the "Demon Duke's Dick" example?
Maybe it means something else... Or we're flaunting Kakashi's porn addiction to a random clan head, which sounds funny enough that it'll keep my vote (provided we kill him before the secret loophole leaks).
Random thought that may help keep Shadow Clone OpSec:
Given the quotes below, Earth Clones don't appear to need verbal orders to follow their caster's direction, the orders given just need to be simple.
If we have Kakashi's SC stick to one singular element while in view of Shizuka (such as Earth's HLaM) then we should be fine, especially if they don't talk (which shouldn't be a problem, given that Kakashi Prime is laconic at the best of times).
Or we can give the appearance of giving simple commands to the shadow clones ("hide underground, and kill anyone who enters.") while they really follow our internally-given commands.
If Earth Clones can follow plan code words ("Demon Duke's Dick" means "Guard this room, attack anyone who enters"), then we can tell the Shadow Clones utter nonsense ("Prophetess's Sobriety," "Sunny's Smile," "Yellow Flash's Food Poisoning") while they follow our internal commands.
The above citations are indicative of Earth Clones being able to follow internal and incomplete orders ("Berry" is only a noun, representing the full order "give me a berry").
Does this flexibility stretch to coded plans like the "Demon Duke's Dick" example?
Shadow Clones are used from time to time in the field. It is known that they are a very good clone technique. The thing that is kept secret is the specific details of the technique: for example, the fact that they transmit memories and chakra (and cost an absolute fuckton).
I would probably just leave general purpose OPSEC to Kakashipilot, who will try to do a reasonable job whenever the situation calls for it, or make a game time decision when things get dicey.
The above citations are indicative of Earth Clones being able to follow internal and incomplete orders ("Berry" is only a noun, representing the full order "give me a berry").
Does this flexibility stretch to coded plans like the "Demon Duke's Dick" example?
To answer this question, Kakashi gave the clone the order "Give me a berry when I say 'berry'". In general, Earth Clone instructions are not necessarily written unless they're important (such as when trying to carefully circumvent memory erasure effects).
Maybe it means something else... Or we're flaunting Kakashi's porn addiction to a random clan head, which sounds funny enough that it'll keep my vote (provided we kill him before the secret loophole leaks).
Crystals crushed and golden dust, fish egg smushed and bones of rust…
"ARE YOU SURE THOSE WERE FRESH? THOUGHT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE FILM ON 'EM."
Moonlight's kiss and long lost wits, angel bliss and sweat of pits…
"PERHAPS CONSIDER SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE RITUALS? WITH SUCH A PRESENTATION, YOU ARE LIABLE TO SCARE THEM OFF!"
Sugiyama ignored the commentary of the Gods, who were not required for this particular ritual. Relegated to the shelf on the side, neither their divine powers nor their snarky commentary would be able to interfere as the veil of fate was carefully pulled aside so that a mortal could peer beyond into the space of potential futures.
Though perhaps the Gods had a point, Sugiyama thought, as they reached up their shirt with a nectar-covered palm to get a good swabbing of armpit sweat for the next part of the ritual. The customer, a middle-aged man with an incredibly impressive beard, seemed thoroughly disturbed by it all.
No matter. This is far easier now that I realized that my own sweat suffices. Getting the customer to give a little of their own was far more challenging.
A few short minutes later, Sugiyama carefully poured the man's coins into a hidden safepouch, relishing the sound of the metal clinking together. At one point in their life when Sugiyama was at the height of the struggle to escape the meat that had constrained them so long, they had thought themselves better than to take so much joy in material possessions, of which money, purposeless in its own right, was the basest. Yet, in the end, a valuable lesson had been learned as hunger proved itself to be not so easily escapable. Absent the knowledge needed to cultivate rice, coin rose to prove itself a champion.
"IF YOU TRULY WISHED TO LEARN TO CULTIVATE THE LAND, I COULD TEACH YOU," said the small idol of a human eye mounted atop a waterfall. "SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS FAR FROM FORBIDDEN, AND THE PRICE WOULD NOT EVEN BE STEEP, ON ACCOUNT OF OUR EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP."
"I appreciate your offer, and we shall have to negotiate the terms of the deal at a later date," said Sugiyama. "For now, I must prepare for there will be another customer coming"
The Lost Library hummed contentedly and didn't move, but Sugiyama got the sense that the God was settling back into a comfortable chair back in its Domain. Poor thing, it had been too long since the rites were done for it. The knowledge it offered was rarely useful and the deals it tried to strike were simply incoherent. No matter, Sugiyama had long since accepted the responsibility of caring for the dying light of the old universe. Whether that death took place by blood or senility or simply fading away, Sugiyama would hear their words as they were spoken.
The intricate patterns of the future disappeared as Sugiyama swiped an arm across the table, wiping up the slurry of strange reagents and preparing the space for the next customer. If the portents were right, they would be coming in right…
Right…
Right…
Sugiyama waited several long minutes. The bell above the door in the entryway room tinkled.
Now!
"OH NO, I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THESE NEW ONES," said the Carpenter Queen.
"'CAUSE THEY'RE UGLY?" asked the Mud Frog.
"NO, I MEAN SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY ABOUT THEM," said the Carpenter Queen.
"'CAUSE THEY'RE SMELLY?" asked the Mud Frog.
"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A BAD ENERGY TO THEM. OR ONE OF THEM AT LEAST. HE HAS KILLED ENOUGH PEOPLE TO STAIN HIS SOUL RED, AND HE CARRIES NOT A SHRED OF REMORSE FOR ONE OF THEM. HE IS DANGEROUS, HEED MY WORDS, FOR HE MAY YET BE ON THE PATH OF THE ASURA."
Sugiyama took heed, as the Carpenter Queen was one of the livelier of the Gods. Her words rhymed with the truth surprisingly often.
"I will be careful," Sugiyama said, voice quiet. Then, raising it so the outsiders could hear, Sugiyama called "come on ii-in."
Sugiyama struggled to keep their nose steady as the stench of fish wafted into the room through the opening door. Perhaps the Carpenter Queen had rhymed too well with the Mud Frog.
The two customers were shinobi and clearly not of this land. Both had an exaggeratedly masculine form, one moreso than the other. The smaller one's skin seemed to shimmer slightly in the light refracted through the various crystals in the room, almost like the silvery shine of fish scales. He bowed politely as he entered. The second was so massive that he needed to duck as he entered the room, and still caught the hilt of his massive weapon on the doorway. He scowled and muttered an oath under his breath before ducking deeper to enter. Sugiyama suppressed a gulp. It was never good to have a customer in a bad mood before a telling.
"Greetings," said the smaller of the two shinobi. "My name is-"
He was cut off by the larger swordsman elbowing him in the side. "No names, remember?"
The smaller one didn't seem likely to speak, so Sugiyama spoke before the silence could drag on and solidify. "Welcome, the both of you, to my house of marvels and mysteries!" Sugiyama said with arms spread wide. "Have you come seeking a foretelling? The veil is cruel, but with the wisdom of a careful boatsman, the tides of time may yet be navigated." Sugiyama read the disinterest on their faces and continued, "Or perhaps you require my aid in some more private matter, and I am indeed an expert in many herbs and cures for ills both physical and spiritual. But no… I am sensing something deeper yet… You wish for me to acknowledge and bless your forbidden love, no?"
The two of them recoiled, looked at each other for a moment, then quickly looked away. The larger one reached for his weapon while the smaller leaned forward over the table.
"I do not take kindly to your insult, witch, and my ally here is crueller than I am." As he spoke, Sugiyama noted with interest that his skin somehow did have scales. How fascinating! "We're only coming because we have questions," he said.
"We didn't come here to hurt you," said the hulking swordsman, "but you're making me rethink that. Don't think any of the ninja in the city will care much about finding your gutted corpse in this shitty shack."
"How shall I Name them?" Sugiyama muttered to the Gods.
"SHIPWRECK AND LOST SHARK," whispered back the Crystal Star.
Sugiyama inclined their head, keeping a bland smile on for the customers as the Lost Shark shot a glare at the Shipwreck. They had questions, and the Lost Shark clearly wanted to stay on Sugiyama's good side for now. Crystal Star had a decent sense for Names still, but even Sugiyama could tell that these did not quite fit.
The Lost Shark sighed after a moment. "I'm sorry, that came out a little too harshly. I'm just a little far from home right now. We came because we heard along the nets that you knew where we could find Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja."
"OH NO…" said the Carpenter Queen.
There was something there, Sugiyama could tell, some knowledge that they had that wasn't yet ready to be revealed. Before a reading, especially a particularly fateful one, the pressure would grow and grow in Sugiyama's head like the weight of a massive, swollen heart crushing their entire body with its relentless beating. This wasn't like that. It was more like something once remembered, barely forgotten and despite a moment's thought, Sugiyama could not bring it to mind.
No matter.
"Be warned, for the wisdom I wield is not meant for the faint hearted," Sugiyama said, shoving the pot back onto the fire underneath the table with a gentle nudge of their foot. "I have heard whispers from beyond time itself, and hold within my head secrets that would drive even gods to madness! Divining the location of someone who you so desperately seek is not beyond my capabilities, but be careful, for fate is rarely an unknotted threat. Should you find what you seek, you may come to discover that you have gotten more than you bargained for."
The Shipwreck snorted. The Lost Shark looked confused. "Look, Sugiyama was it? We don't want your fortune telling or divining service. We heard that you know this guy, or you at least met him, and we want to know what you know."
Purple fog started to spill out from under the table, Sugiyama noted. An excellent piece for the performance. "As I have said, I know many things, beyond even the moon and stars, and I-"
"Cut the bullshit," said the Shipwreck, and some deeply buried instinct reached up through Sugiyama's throat to cut off their words in an instant. "What do you know about Hatake?"
Sugiyama paused to think, that forgotten thing still on the edge of their mind, but realizing that they could not wait too long or else the Shipwreck would assume they were preparing a lie.
"YOU NEED TO REMEMBER," said the Lost Library.
"YOU NEED TO REMEMBER," said the Carpenter Queen.
"YOU NEED TO REMEMBER," said the Mud Frog.
"YOU NEED TO REMEMBER," said the Crystal Star.
Sugiyama forgot.
"I know nothing of worth. He was in this town, half a year earlier, asking me to assist him with my medical ninjutsu. Unfortunately, my constitution was unfit for travel, so he moved on. To the last of my knowledge, he would have gone towards Demon Country."
The Shipwreck leaned in over the table, almost ready to spring to his feet and grab Sugiyama by the throat. "We know he was in Demon. We got intel, damn good intel, telling us that you had some insider information, that you knew him in some way. What are you hiding?"
The Shipwreck surged forward, lunging for their throat. Sugiyama moved with speed they didn't know they had, speed they thought they had long left behind, but it wasn't enough. The Shipwreck stood, lifting Sugiyama by the neck and making it clear that it was only his choice that kept his fist from closing.
"Answer me."
Somewhere in the desperation of the moment, a memory surfaced.
"Div- Divinations!" Sugiyama choked out.
"Put the woman down, Zabuza!" yelled the Lost Shark.
The hulk dropped Sugiyama, but didn't sit again. "Explain."
"I have read divinations about the Copy Ninja. I do not know when or why I did them, but I can tell you what they said. He is dead."
"What?" said the Lost Shark. "Why didn't you say that before?"
Sugiyama coughed, which quickly became a fit as the smoke worsened the forming bruises around their throat.
"I WARNED YOU…" said the Carpenter Queen.
"Forget it," said the Shipwreck. "I don't trust this bitch's useless superstitions. We probably got misled. We should head back to Demon."
"We were just there and they pointed us to Honey!" said the Lost Shark
"They were fucking with us. You saw the freaks they had out there, didn't you?"
"I just-"
The Shipwreck cut him off as Sugiyama's coughing fit died out, leaving the fortune teller ignored on the floor. "Aren't you the one who wants to save the old cunt?"
"The kindly hermit needs our aid, yes."
"And didn't you suggest that Hatake, as the only ninja to… successfully pull off a coup in recent memory is the kind of person you want to help you deal with the shellheads in a more permanent way?"
"Well, yes."
"Then stop whining and let's get going. This time I want to try fighting some of those four-armed bastards and see what they're really made of."
The Lost Shark nodded and gave Sugiyama a quick, short bow as he turned away. The Shipwreck waited for him to leave, then turned to face Sugiyama. He reached for his sword.
"YO BOSS, MAYBE SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK?" said the Mud Frog.
"Thank you very much for your patronage," said Sugiyama, keeping their voice as even as they could as they tried to sweep up to a more dignified and mysterious posture as befitted a fortune teller. "And do not fear. The secrets that fate has revealed to us both will be kept between us and only us."
The Shipwreck chuckled, though there was no humor in his voice. "Don't worry, I don't think you'll be telling anyone anything about us." He pulled the sword off his back, and in the tight confines of the shop, it cut clear through the shelves to the side, sending the Gods screaming into the crack of abyss between the table and the wall.
"Of course not, my discretion is my pride as a fortune teller."
Sugiyama sensed the Shipwreck readying himself for something as he adjusted his grip on the weapon, raising it slightly.
"COME ON, GHOST, SAY SOMETHING! NOW! TURN HIS ATTENTION AWAY, STOP HIM, ANYTHING!" said the Carpenter Queen.
Sugiyama nodded with a mysterious smile perfected with long hours of practice in the mirror. "You needn't worry. I've already forgotten everything of importance."
"IF YOU TRULY WISHED TO LEARN TO CULTIVATE THE LAND, I COULD TEACH YOU," said the small idol of a human eye mounted atop a waterfall. "SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS FAR FROM FORBIDDEN, AND THE PRICE WOULD NOT EVEN BE STEEP, ON ACCOUNT OF OUR EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP."
I wonder if the statue that Kakashi saw, back when he first met with Sugiyama (the one that gave him visions) was a god trying to communicate with him?
The Lost Library hummed contentedly and didn't move, but Sugiyama got the sense that the God was settling back into a comfortable chair back in its Domain. Poor thing, it had been too long since the rites were done for it. The knowledge it offered was rarely useful and the deals it tried to strike were simply incoherent. No matter, Sugiyama had long since accepted the responsibility of caring for the dying light of the old universe.
Sugiyama collects dead and dying gods, who are fading without followers to worship them? I wonder if this is the result of the Hidden Village Era? A more centralized civilization means that folk gods and minor spirits will fall out of favor, given new religions that bind these disparate Clans together into a community (the Will of Fire, for example).
"OH NO, I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THESE NEW ONES," said the Carpenter Queen.
"'CAUSE THEY'RE UGLY?" asked the Mud Frog.
"NO, I MEAN SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY ABOUT THEM," said the Carpenter Queen.
"'CAUSE THEY'RE SMELLY?" asked the Mud Frog.
"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A BAD ENERGY TO THEM. OR ONE OF THEM AT LEAST. HE HAS KILLED ENOUGH PEOPLE TO STAIN HIS SOUL RED, AND HE CARRIES NOT A SHRED OF REMORSE FOR ONE OF THEM. HE IS DANGEROUS, HEED MY WORDS, FOR HE MAY YET BE ON THE PATH OF THE ASURA."
The Carpenter Queen sounds useful... shame she's on her way out. I wonder if Sugiyama does the Queen's rituals more often (thus extending the goddess's life/power) because the Queen is more useful in her acts?
There was something there, Sugiyama could tell, some knowledge that they had that wasn't yet ready to be revealed. Before a reading, especially a particularly fateful one, the pressure would grow and grow in Sugiyama's head like the weight of a massive, swollen heart crushing their entire body with its relentless beating. This wasn't like that. It was more like something once remembered, barely forgotten and despite a moment's thought, Sugiyama could not bring it to mind.
Sugiyama paused to think, that forgotten thing still on the edge of their mind, but realizing that they could not wait too long or else the Shipwreck would assume they were preparing a lie.
I wonder, how long has Sugiyama been back in Honey? If distance is a factor, then maybe they'll remember on their own? If not, I want Kakashi to give Sugiyama a speech about Abandoning Teammates, followed by a totally-not-punishment training session... and no baked goods for a week.
The Shipwreck surged forward, lunging for their throat. Sugiyama moved with speed they didn't know they had, speed they thought they had long left behind, but it wasn't enough.
"Left behind?" So Sugiyama was an active ninja before they landed in Honey (I think Kakashi was told that Sugiyama lived in Honey for 5ish years before we hired them on)? On the upside: that means that Sugiyama's physical training won't be as hard than it would've been if they'd never been physically active.
Also, those choice words. "Left behind." I wonder if Sugiyama chose to stop physical training due to body dysmorphia? It might make sense. When describing the ninja, they used the phrase "exaggeratedly masculine form." Instead of saying "muscular," or "deadly," or any other descriptor, they used gendered language to emphasize their physical conditioning.
Sneak in and kill all their leaders. Be efficient, don't faff around looking for new techniques.
Bring the survivors together, inform them that Mieko is the new boss.
Stick around for a few days or a week to help them fix up the camp and to prop up Mieko's new administration.
As a condition of supporting her, require that she have every surviving ninja demonstrate all their techniques so that we can copy them. If she won't, or if we think anyone is holding back, kill her and the person holding back.Then install someone else and repeat the process. It's her job to convince us that we've got 100% completion.
Notify everyone that you'll be back at some point and if anyone except Mieko is in power you'll wipe out the village.
Get out of Dodge. Let's go to the eastern continent and explore the smaller nations. (Sky, Bird, etc) It's a nicer climate and the fact that they are so isolated means they will have techniques no one from the main continent has seen before. Plus, it keeps us away from Fire and their allies.
Leave a note behind that says "To Any Dipshit Hunter-Nin It May Concern: I'm on the east continent. Come and play if you've got the balls...I love getting new jutsu."
Kakashi isn't inherently predisposed to spending his time doing Uplift-y things as a general rule, but you can certainly have him take actions towards making the world a better place in-between busy story arcs. There's nothing stopping you from steering him towards adopting "Make the world less garbage" as one of his main priorities either, though that'll take some elbow grease.
Kakashi isn't inherently predisposed to spending his time doing Uplift-y things as a general rule, but you can certainly have him take actions towards making the world a better place in-between busy story arcs. There's nothing stopping you from steering him towards adopting "Make the world less garbage" as one of his main priorities either, though that'll take some elbow grease.
Assuming we dont die, I think there's a decent-ish chance we wrap up this arc within 3 or 4 updates, so maybe we should discuss what we want to buy.
I think TH 30 is probably the top pick from our discussions. TH (25) -> 30 is 280 XP on its own and would likely be most of the XP cache we get, but it sort of pays itself back since we can make new jutsu or improve old ones for a lot cheaper than just investing XP directly.
Resolve (35) and/or Physique (37) to 40 are also decently cheap and the extra stress track room would be nice.
There's jutsu worth looking at as well
Another option for a 40: Fire Dragon Bullet (37) -> 40. Probably Kakashi's best AOE option at the moment. It may or may not ever be practical to fight peers with this jutsu, but if he's fighting a bunch of Chuunin it would be easier to pop out one of these than to try and Taijutsu them all one at a time, and this would be an AB bump that brings it solidly into Chuunin range.
Flow Redirection is at 15 right now, and for those who don't remember how it works, you can basically block Lightning Element attacks with Physique + FR instead of Athletics. FR is half-cost due to higher level Lightning techniques, so FR -> 29 or something could be nifty, especially if Physique is bumped up more too. Then we could hack it as Kakashi suggested to power up Lightning attacks, or maybe even just absorb a little bit of the chakra used outright. Like someone blasts us with a 100 CP lightning bolt and Kakashi regains 20 CP or something...
Substitution probably needs a bump, it's only at 18, whereas Athletics is at 50. Sub -> 25 seems like a decent pick.
Shadow Clone (10) -> 20 would also be a great investment considering how much we've been using it lately.
We also stole Stone Swimming from Dragon, maybe that would be worth investing in some? I'm not sure we have the specs for that yet though
Summoning could prob go up to at least 2 or something if we want available contract room for Shizuka (or any other Summoners we bump into...)
Social Skills would be nice since Kakashi has had to rely on others as a crutch
Deceit (29) -> 30 is very cheap and is an AB bump, which would be good for invokes.
Intimidation (26) -> 30 would also be an AB bump, since AFAIK permanent buffs like TYS do not increase your AB like they do in MfD
Empathy (12) -> 20 would be an AB bump and is useful for discovering Social Aspects, which would make Kakashi much less bad at socials
Rapport (14) -> 20 maybe? It hasn't been a super handy skill but it did come up when Kakashi was trying to befriend Shizuka a little more and it's not too much of an expense.
Assuming we dont die, I think there's a decent-ish chance we wrap up this arc within 3 or 4 updates, so maybe we should discuss what we want to buy.
I think TH 30 is probably the top pick from our discussions. TH (25) -> 30 is 280 XP on its own and would likely be most of the XP cache we get, but it sort of pays itself back since we can make new jutsu or improve old ones for a lot cheaper than just investing XP directly.
Resolve (35) and/or Physique (37) to 40 are also decently cheap and the extra stress track room would be nice.
There's jutsu worth looking at as well
Another option for a 40: Fire Dragon Bullet (37) -> 40. Probably Kakashi's best AOE option at the moment. It may or may not ever be practical to fight peers with this jutsu, but if he's fighting a bunch of Chuunin it would be easier to pop out one of these than to try and Taijutsu them all one at a time, and this would be an AB bump that brings it solidly into Chuunin range.
Flow Redirection is at 15 right now, and for those who don't remember how it works, you can basically block Lightning Element attacks with Physique + FR instead of Athletics. FR is half-cost due to higher level Lightning techniques, so FR -> 29 or something could be nifty, especially if Physique is bumped up more too. Then we could hack it as Kakashi suggested to power up Lightning attacks, or maybe even just absorb a little bit of the chakra used outright. Like someone blasts us with a 100 CP lightning bolt and Kakashi regains 20 CP or something...
Substitution probably needs a bump, it's only at 18, whereas Athletics is at 50. Sub -> 25 seems like a decent pick.
Shadow Clone (10) -> 20 would also be a great investment considering how much we've been using it lately.
We also stole Stone Swimming from Dragon, maybe that would be worth investing in some? I'm not sure we have the specs for that yet though
Summoning could prob go up to at least 2 or something if we want available contract room for Shizuka (or any other Summoners we bump into...)
Social Skills would be nice since Kakashi has had to rely on others as a crutch
Deceit (29) -> 30 is very cheap and is an AB bump, which would be good for invokes.
Intimidation (26) -> 30 would also be an AB bump, since AFAIK permanent buffs like TYS do not increase your AB like they do in MfD
Empathy (12) -> 20 would be an AB bump and is useful for discovering Social Aspects, which would make Kakashi much less bad at socials
Rapport (14) -> 20 maybe? It hasn't been a super handy skill but it did come up when Kakashi was trying to befriend Shizuka a little more and it's not too much of an expense.
I think that's kind of a waste when we don't have a Scroll, especially if said esoteric stuff requires one, which wouldn't surprise me. That same investment could be literal life or death for a skill that will actually come up in the time it will take to get a Scroll
Plus, I suspect the arc of obtaining a Scroll will itself generate XP, which we can use to buy more of the skill
I think that's kind of a waste when we don't have a Scroll, especially if said esoteric stuff requires one, which wouldn't surprise me. That same investment could be literal life or death for a skill that will actually come up in the time it will take to get a Scroll
Plus, I suspect the arc of obtaining a Scroll will itself generate XP, which we can use to buy more of the skill
We were told that increasing summoning, at the very least, increases the amount of binding that your oaths have which... with Zabuza looking for us, seems useful.
