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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

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Yuma is an idiot and a flirt... but his problem mostly seems to be emotional immaturity.

He doesn't have the charisma to successfully pull off being a casual flirt, and comes across as scummy (note: I'm not a fan of how Noburi internally ranks women, either). I could see Yuma creating a minor social scandal for the clan.

Still, he's pro-civilian rights and pro-Uplift. He's dealt with KEI in good faith, and genuinely believes in the ideals of the Goketsu Clan. Yuma genuinely wants to serve his community in the only way that he's able to (chakra beast hunting).

I suppose that emotional immaturity is something he can be made to grow out of. Kei's already taught him a little bit of respect, just have Akane beat some sense into him during training.

Not an entirely hopeless cause. Just needs to grow up a little. I look forward to when he says something... impolite in front of Mari. It's bound to be a show :p
 
Oneiros said:
Well Mari would probably sleep with him to manipulate his loyalties. So he'd probably take it as a win
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I doubt it? That isn't Mari's only tool in her skill-set, and she's manipulating Haru without that. And Mari's once made a comment about "not with family," implying that using such methods would create more complications than it would solve.
 
Velorien said:
Master Gaku, was said to be a once-in-a-generation genius who knew everything about everyone and could tell you what the clan's money was doing down at any given time to the individual ryō.
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yes!, it makes me so happy that Gaku gets the recognition he deserves even among ninja.
of course that is dangerous because it makes him a target for kidnapping/assasination but still.
 
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RandomOTP said:
Not an entirely hopeless cause. Just needs to grow up a little. I look forward to when he says something... impolite in front of Mari. It's bound to be a show :p
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As he pointed out :V

Velorien said:
In the end, though, like any chakra beast hunter who lived long enough, he had a well-developed predator sense, and he knew deep down that if anything ever happened, the confident, experienced, seductive older woman would eat up the likes of him in a single bite (and not just in the good way).
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To be honest, he seems to have far more of a social survival instict than anyone in the clan aside from Akane...not that this is saying much, now that i think about it.

Unrelated, my vote will be for plans that organize the Scroll Hunt,(To clarify, this isn't binding, just an expression of what will probably get my vote).
 
Lord Marshal said:
Unrelated, my vote will be for plans that organize the Scroll Hunt,(To clarify, this isn't binding, just an expression of what will probably get my vote).
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Updated my plan to include talking to Kei about the scroll hunt

Oneiros said:
[X] Action plan: Paving the way
  • Noburi and the Toads
    • get Cannai's approval first
    • Have Noburi consult with Gambunta, Ma & Pa about if there is any toad that might be willing to travel to dog for a few months.
      • Is there anyone who really likes to travel?
      • Someone who is upset with their life circumstances and wants a new start
      • Someone in debt who would be willing to go if we cleared everything
      • Could Noburi offer a big enough payment to the bosses so they would put pressure on their subordinates to go?
  • Meet with Kei to discuss going after the Squirrel Scroll
    • Lay out all the information we have
    • See if the Nara have any information on where the meeting on the eastern continent went down.
    • Ask if she is willing to join you on this hunt
      • We both have incredibly good track records on finding priceless magical artifacts
      • It would be nice to go out on a mission as a team again
      • Bringing Akane seems prudent since Hazou's intent is that the scroll is for her,
      • Yuno has worked well with Akane in the past, and she's an excellent tracker.
      • Noburi would be helpful for moral support and diplomacy skill, the versatility of water element, and having an additional Summoner present, plus distributing chakra.
  • misc
    • Arrange for hot air balloon (using paper lanterns as inspiration) research with the Skyslider research team
      • Suggest using waxed spider silk, should we have enough, for the balloon, since it worked so well with skysliders, and animal oil for the fuel.
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Another mini reaction post.
Velorien said:
Originally, the third most important day had definitely been the day Akiko finally agreed to go out with him. Then it had been the day Emi did. Then Mai. Then Eiko. Then Saori. Or was Saori before Mai? Sometimes it was hard to keep these things straight.

Oh, but there was also his Academy graduation. You know what? Never mind. Yūma wasn't the kind of man who got bogged down in details.
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Alright, so, a friend for Noburi? Maybe Noburi can mentor the kid.
Velorien said:
The one detail he wished he had got bogged down in was the time. He shouldn't have taken an extermination mission right before the scheduled hour. Not even if Lady Yuno was on it. Yes, watching Lady Yuno flail helplessly when he flirted with her was almost as much fun as killing dangerous chakra beasts by her side, which in turn was almost as much fun as listening to her stories of incredible faraway places. But there was this thing Captain Yamanaka talked about that she called delayed gratification, and maybe Yūma should ask her to explain it again, ideally over dinner.
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...rival? I think Neji holds that spot pretty comfortably, but...well, let's see where this goes.
Velorien said:
Lord Noburi chuckled as he poured a cup of water from the pitcher by his side and slid it across the table. "Don't worry about it. I just arrived myself. You know how it is."

Yūma gulped the water down greedily. Some things took priority over etiquette. Lord Noburi, one of the chillest men in the history of masculinity, could be counted on to get that much. It was part of the reason why Yūma was, despite everything, much more relaxed than if he'd been facing the imposing Lord Hazō, who could turn kind, fierce, inspiring, or distant at the drop of a hat. Yūma doubted that even Lord Hazō's Yamanaka girlfriend could guess what he was thinking.
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It's nice to know that Goketsu have reputations, and to get to experience them through the perspective of folks outside the clan.

Also, it's cool that Noburi is beloved.
Velorien said:
"I do wish she'd be more careful," Yūma said. "She's very good at what she does, but it sucks watching a girl put herself in danger and not being able to do anything about it because axes are made for wading into the thick of it and spears… aren't."

Lord Noburi raised an eyebrow. "You do know she's one of the youngest special jōnin in Leaf history, right? She's closer to Captain Hatake territory than she is to you and me, minus cheating eyeballs."

"It's not about how strong she is," Yūma insisted. "My grandpa always taught me—"

Wait, did he really want to have this argument in the middle of a make-or-break interview that had nothing to do with Lady Yuno at all?
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Honestly, as far as character flaws go, 'chivalrous sexism' is, at the very least, workable. It becomes more excusable when you consider the context - Leaf is pretty behind the times socially so I'd expect that extends to attitudes towards women - and I think it's generally workable.

At the very least, we can let Akane kick his ass up and down the training field for a while and see if that changes his mind.
Velorien said:
"Sure," Yūma said. "I've got this ninjutsu to speed me up so I can get in close, and another one to shove people away to open up space, and that one's really nice because it works on missiles too. I'm working on another one I just got from the KEI exchange which extends my spear reach with this pointy wind thing, but I'm still working on making it actually pointy. Right now, it's like punching someone with a cushion. Great for comedy value; less great for not getting your face eaten."
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Are those both the techniques Kei has? If not, we can share those.
Velorien said:
Even the Gōketsu's top civilian, Master Gaku, was said to be a once-in-a-generation genius who knew everything about everyone and could tell you what the clan's money was doing down at any given time to the individual ryō.
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God, I love Gaku. If we crack the bijuu seals and it'd let us turn civilians into ninja then we need to get him in on that. We won't tell anyone, but lord help the idiot who tries something with him, thinking he's a 'mere civilian', only to get a PKH fist through their skull.
Velorien said:
"I can't speak for Lord Hokage," Yūma said. "His wisdom is beyond the likes of me to understand. But I know my grandpa, and he's as civilian as they get, and he's also the bravest man in the Fire Country. He used to be a hunter, and that meant that every day, he'd go into chakra beast-infested woods and look for food for the village, knowing that if he ran into anything deadlier than a doomvole, that would be the end of him. There's nothing a ninja can do to measure up to that kind of courage. We don't even go into battle without orders. So if a man like him is subhuman, then what are we?"
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One of us. And, he isn't afraid of a little treason, either!
Velorien said:
In any other clan, Yūma was pretty sure, he'd have been laughed at if he was lucky, or chased out and told never to come back. Saying a ninja could be inferior to a civilian was nothing short of blasphemy. But the reason Yūma had stuck with the Gōketsu, instead of joining Ami in the Uchiha District (which was orders of magnitude nicer than the Gōketsu temporary accommodation), was that this was the one place where they understood. Yūma was as loyal to the ideals of the KEI as any clanless ninja who'd been given hope for the future where there had been just the endless grind until death, but the coordinators were fighting other battles. He could trust them to bring justice to the shinobi world. In the meantime, people were dying.
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Yep - we're adopting him. We get it. I'd wonder if he has any likeminded friends, but apparently not.
Velorien said:
"We don't really hang out outside missions," Yūma said. "I mean, clan ninja, KEI ninja, different worlds, y'know? But I guess we get on well. I love listening to her stories, and she's hilarious when you try to flirt with her."

Lord Noburi's eyes narrowed.

"You do know I'm her husband?"

Suddenly, there was something in his expression Yūma didn't like at all.
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Alright. Let's see where this goes.
Velorien said:
"I'm not the kind of asshole who'd go after somebody else's wife, Lord Noburi. Let's be clear on that. But for assholes like that, of which there are more in Leaf than the Sage could count? Lady Yuno is easy pickings. She doesn't know what to do when you flirt with her. She gets flustered when you pay her a compliment. She has no idea where her boundaries are and her self-esteem is through the floor. She has to rely on her axe as a chaperone. Does that sound like a description of a happily-married adult woman to you?"

Lord Noburi went bright red, with some mix of anger and humiliation, and that was when Yūma realised that he had just mouthed off to his prospective superior during an interview and was going to be a KEI ninja for the rest of his life.

Well, if he was going to get banned from the estate anyway, he might as well say his piece.

"It seems to me like you've taken the wrong message from the fact that your wife can kill a gannetbear without using demolitions-grade explosives and list more shades of colour than an interior decorator as long as they're all blood. She's still a woman. She still needs to be supported and protected and made to feel special. She still needs to learn a whole bunch of stuff that you only get from dating experience, including how to be confident in her womanhood, and if you've taken her out of the dating pool early, that means all of that is now your responsibility. If you want to make a big deal of your rights as her husband, Lord Noburi, then make a big deal of your responsibilities too."
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Seven out of ten. I have faith that Noburi is self-confident enough to have heard truth when spoken and to filter out the sexism.

There needs to be an understanding and respect of the chain of command, but we're not going to pull him up on charges or stick him on punishment duty. Hell, I like the kid more, now.
Velorien said:
"Next question," Lord Noburi said, "do you have any hobbies?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Do you have any hobbies?" Lord Noburi repeated. "Do you read, or cook, or fish, or whatever?"

"I like the theatre," Yūma said woodenly while his brain tried to catch up to what was going on. "I try to catch at least one play a season, two if I get lucky and snag some B-ranks."
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Have we considered founding the Goketsu Travelling Players? Being quite serious, stage construction is a very difficult skill that involves a lot of engineering. It might be a good training ground for our civilian craftsmen. Acting is good social training, people congregate at plays...we could be onto something, here.
 
Velorien said:
Not even if Lady Yuno was on it. Yes, watching Lady Yuno flail helplessly when he flirted with her was almost as much fun as killing dangerous chakra beasts by her side, which in turn was almost as much fun as listening to her stories of incredible faraway places. But there was this thing Captain Yamanaka talked about that she called delayed gratification, and maybe Yūma should ask her to explain it again, ideally over dinner.
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Someone's been flirting with Yuno. Is there a way we can use this to raise her self esteem without imperiling him or getting Noburi upset?

Velorien said:
"It seems to me like you've taken the wrong message from the fact that your wife can kill a gannetbear without using demolitions-grade explosives and list more shades of colour than an interior decorator as long as they're all blood. She's still a woman. She still needs to be supported and protected and made to feel special. She still needs to learn a whole bunch of stuff that you only get from dating experience, including how to be confident in her womanhood, and if you've taken her out of the dating pool early, that means all of that is now your responsibility. If you want to make a big deal of your rights as her husband, Lord Noburi, then make a big deal of your responsibilities too."
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I like this guy, can we keep him?
 
A planning meeting with Kei sounds like the sort of thing EJ would do but probably wouldn't have fun. Apologizing to Noburi is hopefully fun fluff, and I'm optimistic that the Kagome section (ft. Harumitsu!) will be fun. Talking about the scroll hunt next Vel update has my vote.

I'd like to push on the bijuu seals but doing that before the QMs have that in order seems unlikely to be productive, so just writing it in as 'hey, we're working on this' seems smart. @eaglejarl, will you give us the go-ahead once that's sorted out? I imagine it'll come in the form of an update.

[X] Action Plan: Apologies
Word count: 295
  • Sanity check with Mari.
  • Noburi:
    • We're sorry. We were tired. We took that out on you.
      • That's not fair, that's not right, that's not the sort of brother we want to be.
      • You're brilliant and ambitious. We want to do everything we can to help you be the person everyone knows you'll be as quickly as possible.
        • Being an asshole is a betrayal of that.
      • Everything you want to do is important. It's not - yet - possible for you to do it all at once.
        • What do you want to do?
  • Kagome:
    • Visit the Great Seal.
      • Indulge Kagome's every paranoia when planning and executing the approach.
        • Use the tunnels? Get carried into the air?
        • Use the diagnostic seals? Just observe?
    • It's a damn shame we can't get a better look from a safer distance.
      • (OOC: QMs telescope pls.)
    • Back on the Human Path...
      • What do you think?
        • Any ideas how to kill the remaining Dragons without blowing up the Great Seal?
        • Do you see anything there which helps the model make more sense?
      • Can you share your insights with Leaf's other sealmasters? You have a unique perspective - you saw our model, and then you saw the seal.
      • Invite Harumitsu to the conversation - not as instruction, but as one of Leaf's preeminent sealmasters and a person who's contributed significantly to the project.
        • After the Great Seal conversation, pivot to discussing Harumitsu's training - areas of strength/weakness.
        • Time to select a first research project?
        • How's he finding being a sealmaster within Hagomoro?
        • Apologize for being absent.
          • What we were doing was critical but we regret not being around.
          • Teaching him is a joy. We regret, deeply, the circumstances under which we met, but we're indescribably grateful that we did.
          • We're proud of him.
  • Offscreen:
    • Continue studying bijuu notes.
Sentient Tree said:
I like this guy, can we keep him?
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From what I understand, we already have.
 
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Oneiros said:
  • get Cannai's approval first
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I can see very clearly what we get out of having a Toad in Dog, but it's not obvious to me what Cannai or the Dogs get out of it. This feels like a significant ask given that Dogs are, seemingly, somewhat territorial. The Toads and Pangolins are traditionally allied and Cannai is Not Thrilled having some Pangolins on the border already. There's definitely a difference - this Toad would be showing up with travelling papers etc., and not out of the blue, but I think that if we're going to try for this, we should go in with a plan beyond 'ask Cannai'. Ideally, 'explain to Cannai how this credibly benefits him, beyond trickle-down benefits through us'.

Do you have any good ideas or things we can offer in trade? I can't think of anything.
 
FaintlySorcerous said:
I can see very clearly what we get out of having a Toad in Dog, but it's not obvious to me what Cannai or the Dogs get out of it. This feels like a significant ask given that Dogs are, seemingly, somewhat territorial. The Toads and Pangolins are traditionally allied and Cannai is Not Thrilled having some Pangolins on the border already. There's definitely a difference - this Toad would be showing up with travelling papers etc., and not out of the blue, but I think that if we're going to try for this, we should go in with a plan beyond 'ask Cannai'. Ideally, 'explain to Cannai how this credibly benefits him, beyond trickle-down benefits through us'.

Do you have any good ideas or things we can offer in trade? I can't think of anything.
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I don't really mostly because I don't think it will be a big deal. But if you have suggestions I would be willing to implement them.

edit: also this was your suggestion the first time I proposed this
FaintlySorcerous said:
A sanity-check with Cannai to make sure he'd be willing/happy to host a Toad seems wise. I imagine the answer would be yes and that it would take place offscreen.
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Oneiros said:
[X] Action plan: Paving the way
  • Noburi and the Toads
    • get Cannai's approval first
    • Have Noburi consult with Gambunta, Ma & Pa about if there is any toad that might be willing to travel to dog for a few months.
      • Is there anyone who really likes to travel?
      • Someone who is upset with their life circumstances and wants a new start
      • Someone in debt who would be willing to go if we cleared everything
      • Could Noburi offer a big enough payment to the bosses so they would put pressure on their subordinates to go?
  • Meet with Kei to discuss going after the Squirrel Scroll
    • Lay out all the information we have
    • See if the Nara have any information on where the meeting on the eastern continent went down.
    • Ask if she is willing to join you on this hunt
      • We both have incredibly good track records on finding priceless magical artifacts
      • It would be nice to go out on a mission as a team again
      • Bringing Akane seems prudent since Hazou's intent is that the scroll is for her,
      • Yuno has worked well with Akane in the past, and she's an excellent tracker.
      • Noburi would be helpful for moral support and diplomacy skill, the versatility of water element, and having an additional Summoner present, plus distributing chakra.
  • misc
    • Arrange for hot air balloon (using paper lanterns as inspiration) research with the Skyslider research team
      • Suggest using waxed spider silk, should we have enough, for the balloon, since it worked so well with skysliders, and animal oil for the fuel.
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How much of the skyslider team are we splitting into the hot air balloon research?

If you split it in half, it means slower progress for both. OTOH, forming a new research team using one or two skyslider members seem to be a better option, assuming we have the money for it.
 
Kiba said:
How much of the skyslider team are we splitting into the hot air balloon research?

If you split it in half, it means slower progress for both. OTOH, forming a new research team using one or two skyslider members seem to be a better option, assuming we have the money for it.
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You're much better at these sort of things than I am @Kiba. I'll implement what you suggest
 
I still want to see Cannai's reaction to the dragon bits/news that Hazō was instrumental in killing an SSS ranker that Cannai pointed him at a few months ago. Honestly, writing that out it seems like we probably seriously upped our value to Cannai by doing so.
 
faflec said:
Could you add a sanity-check with Mari?
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Yes, done.
Twinnstars said:
I still want to see Cannai's reaction to the dragon bits/news that Hazō was instrumental in killing an SSS ranker that Cannai pointed him at a few months ago. Honestly, writing that out it seems like we probably seriously upped our value to Cannai by doing so.
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That would be a cool flashback. AFAIK we're storing the Dragon parts on the Seventh Path right now, so he probably knows.

Unless we just threw a massive granite casket somewhere in Dog and went 'hey, nobody touch this, reality-destroying stuff inside, aight imma head out keep it real' and then screwed off.
Oneiros said:
I don't really mostly because I don't think it will be a big deal.
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I don't have any ideas, unfortunately.

For calibration, the reason that I think this is a nontrivial ask is because Cannai would need to keep the escort party - it'll probably be more than one Toad, because being on your own in a totally alien and potentially (passively) hostile environment for months on end sounds miserable - housed and fed and comfortable, while maintaining whatever opsec needs to be maintained. Given that the Dogs are nomadic and the Toads aren't, there would need to be some compromises made somewhere.

This (seemingly) has a very real cost to Cannai - he's around these people 24/7. A potential sweetener might be 'they could camp with the Pangolins', but I'd still like to have something he gets out of it.
 
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FaintlySorcerous said:
I don't have any ideas, unfortunately.

For calibration, the reason that I think this is a nontrivial ask is because Cannai would need to keep the escort party - it'll probably be more than one Toad, because being on your own in a totally alien and potentially (passively) hostile environment for months on end sounds miserable - housed and fed and comfortable, while maintaining whatever opsec needs to be maintained. Given that the Dogs are nomadic and the Toads aren't, there would need to be some compromises made somewhere.

This (seemingly) has a very real cost to Cannai - he's around these people 24/7. A potential sweetener might be 'they could camp with the Pangolins', but I'd still like to have something he gets out of it.
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Since neither us has clear ideas would you be satisfied if I added a vague offer of favors or concessions?
 
Oneiros said:
Since neither us has clear ideas would you be satisfied if I added a vague offer of favors or concessions?
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I think it would be a good idea but it won't get my vote. (No shade - I think that your plan has good ideas but I have other priorities right now, and I think some of what you're trying to do is better suited to a Velorien update.) Adding a sanity-check with Mari seems like a good idea, too - she might nix the idea altogether. (She was the one that caught us the first time we tried to handle Dogs travelling etc.)

My desired approach for this is bringing it up when we're having another conversation with Cannai as a single bullet point and then proceeding to Noburi once we have a green light. My opinion (maybe wrong!) is that you're putting the cart before the horse by having that much of the plan constitute talking to Toads, albeit indirectly.

I think the as-close-to-optimized-as-possible approach would be something like...
  • Sanity-check with Mari.
  • Tone: genuinely respectful. Trying hard not to make the same mistakes again.
    • Seeking to understand Dog culture/politics as much as anything. (Understanding helps us be a productive member of the pack.)
  • It would be of tremendous value to us, personally, to have a Toad in Dog territory.
    • Explain Noburi's abilities.
  • Would you be open to this?
    • What value would it have for you? What costs?
    • What could we offer to make this attractive?
  • Could the Toad stay with the Pangolins near Dog?
However, that's both long and probably a full scene with Cannai, where you have Noburi stuff and a substantial meeting going on, too, so I think it would kill any chance of QM-had-fun XP.
faflec said:
...I mean...would you really put it beyond Hazou to do that?
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In Dog? Yes.

...Human Path is another thing entirely.
 
[x] Action Plan: Surreal Estate
Wordcount: 173
  • The Gouketsu compound badly needs an upgrade.
    • Use MEW/ES to sculpt it into something beautiful and unique.
    • Hire architects/builders/artists/doton users to help out. Offer reasonable favours to those who go above and beyond (personal recommendations, adoption of civilians, invitations to Gouketsu events, etc.). Maybe…
      • …negotiate with another clan head or two to hire their workers.
      • …have Gouketsu members make their own contributions a la KEI compound.
      • …arachnid architects?
    • Style some reliefs to resemble 3D sealing.
    • Fish Canals?
  • How's the sanitation project coming along? Are we ready to start building an aqueduct and sewer into the compound yet? Do it, if so.
  • Other functional/quality-of-life improvements that aren't just beautification.
  • Work with Mari to manage our compound's image and social signalling. We want "Beautiful, exotic, and unique… but Absolutely Part of and Respectful to Leaf".
    • Maybe carvings/statues of...
      • The Heroes of Nagi Island
      • Hazou's Uchiha ancestors (comission via Sasuke?)
      • Jiraiya's teaching lineage (comission via Asuma/Tsunade?)
      • The Dog clan's history with Kakashi and Toad's with Jiraiya
      • Kei and Shikamaru as a couple
      • Notable Gouketsu civilians born in Leaf (Chancellor Gaku, the engineering teams, etc.)
  • IMPORTANT:
    • Don't break our finances with this.
    • Sanity-check all with Mari.
 
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[x] Action Plan: Surreal Estate
MadScientist said:
  • Statues of the Heroes of Nagi Island wouldn't go amiss.
  • Neither would art of Hazou's Uchiha ancestors, or of Jiraiya's teaching lineage, or of the Dog clan's history with Kakashi.
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General Dog and Toad theming would be cool and possibly a draw for Summons. Pulling Arachnids in for architectural consults would be cool, too.

KEI took the approach of having its members contribute to the decoration - we can do that, as well.

I worry a bit that we shouldn't advertise our Uchiha blood (that's a clan secret, credibly?) and that some of this could be seen as stealing valour. The sanity-check with Mari should catch that, though - maybe add the finances bit under it, so it's more obvious it's a general sanity check?
 
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