Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

Halberdier · Dec 9, 2022

eaglejarl said:
Are you suggesting that your sisters are not already optimal? Tsk tsk.

Of course not, we could have MORE! Meeting our new sisters (Noburi's sisters) increases the configuration potential, so it gives a new optimization meta. Growth is important, after all.

... Long as neither of them are Orochimaru in disguise, anyway.

Anderkent · Dec 9, 2022

faflec said:
I have a question about the entire Kei situation: Should we explain to her why we took the actions we did? Keep in mind the idea that Asuma was not the first person we approached regarding our WMD is likely to send the Kage into a killboxing attitude.

Why do we think Shika didn't report to Asuma about this about 5 seconds after our 1/1 with Hokage? (or plausibly before)

Halberdier said:
Of course not, we could have MORE! Meeting our new sisters (Noburi's sisters) increases the configuration potential, so it gives a new optimization meta. Growth is important, after all.

... Long as neither of them are Orochimaru in disguise, anyway.

did you mean Zabuza?

Velorien · Dec 9, 2022

eaglejarl said:
Are you suggesting that your sisters are not already optimal? Tsk tsk.

I assume @Halberdier meant Kei, since she was last seen trying to optimise Akane.

Halberdier said:
... Long as neither of them are Orochimaru in disguise, anyway.

What about if both of them are Orochimaru in disguise?

Also, how the heck did my phone predict "Orochimaru" when I was typing that sentence? AI is terrifying.

Lord Marshal · Dec 9, 2022

Took the compound plan, added a Mari section to discuss the assassination problem.

[X] Action Plan: When the Knight is Dange, move the Queen
Wordcount: 294

Check/Optimize all with Mari.
Mari(High OPSEC)
- Hypothetically, if a strong actor(subtext:Hokage) wanted to quietly assassinate a member of the Clan, and we cannot strike first or retaliate
- What could we do? Assuming said actor didn't want to make a stir
- Suggestions:
  - Abuse SCs to be safe?
  - Careful about eating outside?
  - Be close to powerful people(Ex. Tsunade)?
- Can she share willing how genjutsu research work? We need to grow stronger, maybe Hazou's ideas can help.
  - What is easier? What is harder? What can you do with genjutsu? Only modify the senses or you can do more?
- How is the training (subtext:FOOM) going? Could she take, for example, Zabuza? What would she need to do so?
Prepare for the move into Leaf
The compound:
- Hire civilian contractors, but do what you do best with Earthshaping yourself.
  - Practice Earthshaping for architecture/art
  - Use clan colours for stone, smoothed together as if one stone.
- Plans include a statue of Jiraiya in the entryway, waterways with (non-deadly) koi, and scattered, communal gardens.
  - Talk to Snowflake about the statue.
- The compound should be open and welcoming.
  - Except Kagome's quarters, which will be defended to his satisfaction with Hazo's help (Earthshaping).
Visit other clan compounds for inspiration and to ensure Hazo's vision integrates with established Leaf norms.
- Visit as many as possible, prioritizing Hyuuga and Uchiha
- Do research on their architecture. Bring thoughtful host gifts - Earthshaped? - for the clan and your guide(s).
- You're here to learn. Be humble. Temper your natural curiosity: be interested, but don't overdo it.
Misc
- Be there for Akane. Don't try to make things better: just be present as much as possible.
- Continue work on Minato's seals.
- Ask Noburi about the Toads. Has he found any good teachers? Can he?

MadScientist · Dec 9, 2022

Lord Marshal said:
actor(subtext:Hokage) wanted to quietly assassinate a member of the Clan, and we cannot strike first or retaliate

What could we do? Assuming said actor didn't want to make a stir

Pretty sure that the answer to this is "persuade him that he doesn't want to, and have a really good deadman switch just in case".

Lord Marshal · Dec 9, 2022

MadScientist said:
Pretty sure that the answer to this is "persuade him that he doesn't want to, and have a really good deadman switch just in case".

Sure, but that isn't possible, both because the EM is too big and because you cannot tell a Kage you have a deadman switch, then the situation becomes:
-Lie down and wait to die
-Try to have a plan to survive as long as possible.
Kei is dealing with the "Do not have assassins sent after you", we need to deal with the "If Assassins are sent after you, can you survive?" and "Assassinating us is too costly for me Asuma to try"

EDIT: Also, i want Mari clearly aware of the danger and ready to react, just in case, even if she needs to have a SC following Akane at all times.

Anderkent · Dec 9, 2022

Lord Marshal said:
Hypothetically, if a strong actor(subtext:Hokage) wanted to quietly assassinate a member of the Clan, and we cannot strike first or retaliate

this is not the correct perspective, i think. 'wanted to' needs to be unpacked; Asuma does not _want_ to kill Akane. He might feel it necessary to eliminate the threat of Akane's EM.

Asuma can order Akane to take a mission to somewhere reasonably far away, have an ANBU Jonin kill her on the way, and then let us wonder what happened to her. There would be little consequences from anyone other than Goketsu, and no proof.

Lord Marshal said:
Kei is dealing with the "Do not have assassins sent after you", we need to deal with the "If Assassins are sent after you, can you survive?" and "Assassinating us is too costly for me Asuma to try"

Please please please let's focus on 'too costly to try' in the sense of _opportunity cost_, not threats. I.e. we are extremely useful to you, we will continue to be extremely useful to you as long as we're all alive. We have made many blunders and we cannot afford Asuma thinking that we are again a threat to Leaf.

Lord Marshal · Dec 9, 2022

Anderkent said:
this is not the correct perspective, i think. 'wanted to' needs to be unpacked; Asuma does not _want_ to kill Akane. He might feel it necessary to eliminate the threat of Akane's EM.

Asuma can order Akane to take a mission to somewhere reasonably far away, have an ANBU Jonin kill her on the way, and then let us wonder what happened to her. There would be little consequences from anyone other than Goketsu, and no proof.

I mean, Asuma feelings doesn't really impact our anti-assassination preparations. Asuma can feel sad, thinks it's necessary or be happy about it, what what matters is how we can protect ourselves.

And yes, "Send Akane in the middle of nowhere" is one of the ways he could kill her, and it's exactly why i want to talk with the veteran ninja on what we could do in that case(related, Asuma doesn't wield unlimited power. Assuming he decides he wants Akane dead, this doesn't mean he can send anyone to do the job, nor does it means he wants Goketsu to knows about it. Therefore "Asuma send Akane on mission in the middle of nowhere and she dies" is highly suspect as a death and not a good idea from the Hokage's POV)

Anderkent said:
Please please please let's focus on 'too costly to try' in the sense of _opportunity cost_, not threats. I.e. we are extremely useful to you, we will continue to be extremely useful to you as long as we're all alive. We have made many blunders and we cannot afford Asuma thinking that we are again a threat to Leaf.

"Too costly" in the sense that a Jounin won't let himself be killed. If you need to assassinate a EJounin you need to send another EJounin + backup and if you fail you lose at least two senior ninja. It's one of the reasons S-rankers are this powerful in a Hidden Village, because you can't just kill them whenever you want.

Lysbeth Succubus · Dec 9, 2022

MadScientist said:
have a really good deadman switch just in case

The Dragons are one. If we die, they lose most of what they have on the Great Seal, Kagome refuses to keep working with them, and since he has the Arachnid Scroll they can't afford that.

roobee · Dec 9, 2022

Anderkent said:
There would be little consequences from anyone other than Goketsu, and no proof.

Except the goketsu, mostly Kei, have connections to powerful factions. Nara, KEI, naruto, and Ami
Edit:
Also naruto is too young. But the older bijuus could probably destroy most of their own village (the other s rankers would survive) in a suicide first strike attack. So the villages have experience in this

Edit2:
Hyuuga motoyaku anbu EM. Also hired for time loop rift location finding? If open rift without notify asuma maybe mad

RandomOTP · Dec 9, 2022

[X] Training Plan Hazou: None

Saving up for Earthshaping.

Shrooms · Dec 9, 2022

Velorien said:
You have received 4 + 1 (Brevity) x 3 = 15 XP.

Hazou notes xp. He's on diminishing returns notes now

Orochimaru's Sealing notes #2: S:34, B:166, R:0
Orochimaru's Sealing notes #3: S:0, B:3, R:147

Akane notes XP

Orochimaru's MedKnow notes #2: S: 0, B: 79, R: 21

Noburi notes XP (9 × .75 = 7 rounded up)

Orochimaru's MedKnow notes #3: S: 0, B: 42, R: 58

faflec · Dec 9, 2022

[X] Training Plan Hazou: None

Sir Stompy · Dec 9, 2022

Shrooms said:
Orochimaru's Sealing notes #2: S:34, B:166, R:0

Orochimaru's Sealing notes #3: S:0, B:3, R:147

Do we have enough for another couple levels of Sealing?

Shrooms · Dec 9, 2022

Sir Stompy said:
Do we have enough for another couple levels of Sealing?

yes (1 level to be specific)

Sir Stompy · Dec 9, 2022

[X] Training Plan Hazou: Sealing

Sealing 46 -> 47 (spend 94 Sealing XP)

RandomOTP · Dec 9, 2022