Remove ads

Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

Reader mode
Velorien said:
Yes, that's fine.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Implemented. @Shrooms, note the major change.
Noumero said:
[x] Action Plan: There Is as Yet Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer
Word count: 229
  • Meet with Orochimaru.
  • Ask your questions. Seek to do this before discussing the no-sleep seal, but subtly. If he brings up the seal before you can start asking questions, discuss it first.
  • Get the details on the seal. What constitutes "misuse"? How severe are the side-effects, and what specifically are they? Does the seal require maintenance? Is sleep rendered entirely unnecessary, or there are limitations?
  • If none of the caveats are obvious deal-breakers (like the need for monthly maintenance that only Oro can provide), mention your interest in gathering information on the Iron Nerve. Would he be able to do that, alongside the operation? And share his findings with you, of course.
    • If he's interested, great! You'd also like to involve Tsunade. We'd get more information with two experts on the task, right?
  • If he refuses Tsunade's oversight, decline. Surface justification: There's been some complications with your bloodline in the past, and Tsunade dealt with them. You don't doubt Orochimaru's expertise and ability to keep patients alive, but on reflection, you don't feel that it'd be safe without the oversight of the person familiar with your case specifically.
    • (Alternatively, improvise a justification based on how Oro refuses Tsunade's involvement. It has to sound shady somehow.)
  • If the interaction goes well, clarify that you weren't insincere. There is something refreshingly pleasant about how straightforward and streamlined negotiations with him are.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
[X] The Bioseal: Tentative Agreement
[X] The Bioseal: Tentative Agreement without Orochimaru
[x] Action Plan: There Is as Yet Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer

I feel that this:
  • Would we look different? Would it be obvious that we had a bioseal?
can only really be answered by Oro, so it should go in the 'talking to oro' part of the plan instead of the 'talking to family' part.

Also, none of these talk about seal maintenance or issues due to skin growing.
 
Paperclipped said:
Mari: "No, no, no, Sage's fucking balls, no! After all the work we did to get you and Kei out from under his scalpel, you're going to jump right back in there?"


Noburi: "Not saying it's a terrible idea, but it is pretty insane. Though I guess that hasn't stopped you in the past.



Mari: "Ugh. You're right that the incentives don't line up for him to defect openly, but that doesn't mean he won't do it discreetly. At the very least, there's no way he doesn't investigate your bloodline while he has the chance, and if he realized I lied, that could be bad for both of us. Also, who knows what else he does to you. Remember Arikada's henchman, and how she put an exploding bioseal in his head? Sure, he's so powerful he literally doesn't need to think about you as a threat, but it's still basic ninja dilligence to take what power and control you can."


Noburi: "All of that, yeah. I don't think he'll just screw you over and tell you to suck eggs or pay up, but he doesn't care enough about you to not take advantage of you if he gets the chance. Also, seals wear out over time, right? Not knowing anything about sealing, I'd still bet that whatever bioseal he puts on you wears out, since the whole thing Kagome always screams about when it comes to biosealing is that your body isn't a stable medium. And he's right, your body is changing all the time."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
*cough cough* We should reject the deal, please.
 
faflec said:
*cough cough* We should reject the deal, please.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
For reference, I expected them to provide pretty much these exact responses, I haven't updated off of that, and I still endorse my initial course of actions. Tsunade's involvement, in particular, should take care of the discreet defection possibility, and they haven't raised any other concerns.

Actually, no, Noburi's "not saying it's a terrible idea" is slightly more positive than I was expecting, so if anything, it's reassuring.
 
[x] Action Plan: There Is as Yet Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer
FaintlySorcerous said:
He doesn't know sealing and his Medknow is...not high.

Maybe he'd learn something, but we wouldn't be safer. What's he going to do, tell Orochimaru to stop in the middle of surgery?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Stops the most basic problems. Slowing down to study our bloodline. Operating on the brain with no oversight if he said the operation only touches the torso. Could use an SC if we can use Iron Nerve to be conscious for the procedure.
 
[X] Reject the seal
[x] Action Plan: There Is as Yet Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer

In light of Mari and Noburi's thoughts on the matter, I'm going to vote for these as well. I'm not quite sure I can let go of it enough to unvote accepting it, though. :p
 
coldcutconvict said:
Slowing down to study our bloodline. Operating on the brain with no oversight if he said the operation only touches the torso.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Slowing down Orochimaru? We'd have to ask him to slow down enough that Noburi could glean anything useful, and, likely, to explain his work while he's doing it. Bad idea IMO, or he'd just say 'lol no'.

And, like...let's say that Oro is operating and he's deigned to explain what he is and isn't going to be cutting beforehand. (Long odds IMO.) He starts taking a scalpel to our torso. Noburi says 'bro what'. Oro replies with some medical mumbo-jumbo about its necessity. Noburi either believes him, doesn't believe him and tries to leave (bad idea - either he's absent for the rest and has to try to get Tsunade, but by the time he can it won't make a difference, or Oro stops him and the fun starts) or doesn't believe him and stays, in which case he's...a witness at best, and a witness that didn't really understand what happened.
coldcutconvict said:
Could use an SC if we can use Iron Nerve to be conscious for the procedure.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'd expect that working on us and creating a bioseal will disrupt our chakra system blah blah blah if Orochimaru doesn't want to be watched. This is independent of Noburi so we can try it, and he might be into the idea, but I don't expect it to serve as any meaningful protection.

We cannot reduce risk if Orochimaru decides that he wants to fuck with us. Unless we can convince Tsunade to personally keep watch (doubtful IMO especially given that Vel has said not to put stuff like that in our plan) then either we say yes and trust him or say no and don't undergo the procedure.

I cannot possibly emphasize how little leverage we have here. Anyone from Naruto to Tsunade to Asuma, if we later complained about this procedure, would have a reaction which constituted some level of 'you trusted Orochimaru and you're upset he acted like a ninja', 'what do you want me to do about it, he's the only one who can fix you and I can't make him do it/it isn't worth my time/I'm not sure I could pull it off even if I wanted to', and 'Hazo, he's just too important to fuck with, you're officially the cost of doing business and keeping Leaf safe, learn your dang lesson'.
 
Query: Is the "Accept/Reject the seal" voting separate from the other plans going around?

What exactly are we voting for beyond Forbidden Lore?
 
faflec said:
Query: Is the "Accept/Reject the seal" voting separate from the other plans going around?

What exactly are we voting for beyond Forbidden Lore?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
There are two votes. First, what does Hazou say to Orochimaru on the question of whether he gets the sleep-reducing bioseal? That's Vel's update. Second, what does Hazou do the next day? That's my update. If a plan doesn't mention the bioseal, I'll take it. If it mentions a bioseal, Vel'll take it and presumably throw out all the non-bioseal related parts, including Forbidden Lore parts (as I understand that's already been voted in).
 
Paperclipped said:
There are two votes. First, what does Hazou say to Orochimaru on the question of whether he gets the sleep-reducing bioseal? That's Vel's update. Second, what does Hazou do the next day? That's my update.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
How interested are you in writing any of the following

- Sealing research with Kagome
- attempting to view the great seal with Kagome
- meeting with Ino about the play/making counterplays with her/attending the play with her
 
Shrooms said:
- Sealing research with Kagome
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Great
Shrooms said:
- attempting to view the great seal with Kagome
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Great
Shrooms said:
- meeting with Ino about the play
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Bleh

EDIT: Note how this isn't doing anything.
Shrooms said:
making counterplays with her
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Great

EDIT: This is actually doing something.
Shrooms said:
attending the play with her
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Alright

EDIT: While this is technically doing something, it's passive and doesn't progress the plot, just shows how Hazou and Ino react to it.
 
Last edited:
Paperclipped said:
...is that... true? Should I change it?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Of an admittedly small sample size so far, several don't advance the plot, only one has sealing, a couple have weird/esoteric things (Naruto's seal and the Caverns of Mild Peril), one has worldbuilding as a primary element, and I'm not sure any have civ-level interaction. What you infer from this observation is entirely up to you.
 
Velorien said:
several don't advance the plot
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I initially balked because my gut reaction here was 'of course they did!' but on reflection, the updates that I felt did advance the plot felt that way because a) they had obvious and brutal stakes (e.g., Haru's mission, Akane's mission) and b) really advanced either my understanding of a character or represented a shift in said character.

I don't know how you sum that up pithily, but it feels related to me. Dynamic plans and updates? Plans and updates that allow for meaningful change to be showcased? Plans that let Paperclipped be a fan of the Uplift crew? (That isn't perfectly compatible with being simulationist etc., but I like games Powered By The Apocalypse at least in part because their GMing principles are cool.)

Also, was there an official 'Paperclipped in a QM' announcement I missed at some point along the line? I don't recall seeing anything exhorting us to flood him with ideas etc.
 
Last edited:
[X] Reject the seal

Accepting the seal is a terrible idea. This would at best slightly increase our exp rate, and I cannot even imagine all the terrible things it could do at worst. Like, we can't check his work. How are we sure he only puts one seal on us? That it doesn't do other things, too? That he doesn't turn us into a horcrux?

Putting that seal on us is a fast track to the bad-ends we saw in the shattered reflections visions.

From a narrative standpoint it is pretty cool, and it mirrors Sasuke's cursed seal. But please do remember that Sasuke's cursed seal was not a good thing for Sasuke. That Oro was living in it.
 
Oneiros said:
Guys trying to get more of an explanation from Oro isn't going to help. I'd much rather just decline

And to show how much I believe that trying for nuance is the wrong play
[X] Reject the seal
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Confirming that you're aware that at present you're voting both for getting the seal and not getting the seal?

(I am team don't get the seal, and I'm admittedly recruiting here.)
 
FaintlySorcerous said:
Confirming that you're aware that at present you're voting both for getting the seal and not getting the seal?

(I am team don't get the seal, and I'm admittedly recruiting here.)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yes, I think getting the seal is the smart idea. But since I think bothering Oro about specifics is such a bad idea I'll support not getting the seal to avoid it
 
ok we need a plan for Paper's update and this should be relatively safe

thought about including akane in the first scene as well but tbhhh it seems unfair that Ino only gets to appear when both Hazou and Akane are present whereas Akane gets to appear alone with Hazou a lot, so I opted against it. So just pretend she's busy or something

[X] A Proposal for Paper to Partake in Political Plots
Word Count: ~250

  • Ino
    • Drop by the Yamanaka estate and generally be a good partner. Buy her a new dress with Mari's advice, ask how her clan is doing and how she's doing.
    • Considering that Ino is the fulcrum by which the gossip engine of Leaf rotates, Hazou assumes she is aware of the play portraying their poly triad.
      • The obvious approach is to commission another play that depicts them in a positive light, but surely we can scheme better than that.
      • Hazou was thinking of becoming the new patron of the same crew and other crews, and commissioning even more absurd plays to confuse the narrative, while ideally still spreading a message of positivity. Theater is popular among the masses, and good relations with thespians is a better bet than trying to oppose them.
      • What does Ino think is the best approach? What does she think the most fun approach is?
  • Thespians
    • Bring Ino and Akane (if interested) to meet with the theater crew that depicted them in the play. If Ino attends let her take the lead.
      • See if Ino can uncover who commissioned the first play.
    • Offer advice to the Hazou actor on how to better portray Hazou's eccentricity. (Foot in mouth comes to mind.)
    • Hazou would like to sponsor the crew going forward, if they're interested. Comedies are good for morale!
      • Commission some plays with advice from Ino and the rest of the clan.
  • Kagome
    • Spend a few days looking over Minato's notes with Kagome
 
Last edited:
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top