I love how literally yesterday Kei learned Jashin (who is very bad news) both existed, could affect causality to a terrifying degree, and has granted Hazō His extreme favor.

And now today Hazō is telling her that he found a way to make infinite money and 'rare' materials.
 
The thing is, he would know that that that's a threat more hollow than the negative energy plane, because Hazou is a puppy that loves to share with and help his allies (Anyone that's not explicitly an enemy is eligible for this Tag) to a degree that other clans in Leaf would never match without external impetus.
I think you mean "Hazō displays the Will of Fire and perhaps also ADHD"
Can you tell I'm still pissed Hiruzen forced us to explain SkyTowers to him ("Seal of the Decade" by his own admission) and then gave us table scraps in exchange?
Technically, J said that. Hiruzen forced us because we were deniable assets who lucked into high-altitude scouting, a known hard counter to Leaf's security. Then J told us the economic truth, which was harsh and unfair but probably a reality for everyone: ideas are worth nothing, but they do pay for functioning prototypes with notes. And we weren't offered the world on a silver platter, but we were paid enough that our missing-nin finances would be good for a while
'There are no academy washouts who can use chakra. Those who fail out of the academy early on never get to the point where they develop their coils and the ones who do manage to do so either become genin or die trying.'
I think there was one but she's probably dead now. Every so often a child tries to do it too early and burns their wings. Thankfully, Honoka's a genius.
 
So, apropos of nothing, I was thinking to myself "Hey, this is a great way to get Asuma on-side for A-day, as Ami requested" and "Boy it sure would smooth things over for the resultant turmoil of A-day."

But then it occured to me...

We could buy Kakuzu. Personally. As bodyguard/teacher. The man's allegedly the best taijutsu expert in the world and allegedly centuries old.

Let me repeat that: We can, personally, buy Kakuzu.
 
[X] Action Plan: Reflection

Ah yes, a meeting about a meeting. Everyone's favourite.

Okay, but seriously, if there are some major considerations that we're overlooking, Mari and Kei are going to short-circuit @FaintlySorcerous' plan at the sanity-check stage. And if there aren't, we're winning nothing by forcing the sanity-check to be a separate update, so we may as well move on swiftly to the actual Hokage presentation.
Also meetings about meetings can happen offscreen and be referenced in story, no need to actually write full chapters about them.
 
Let me repeat that: We can, personally, buy Kakuzu.
Who could extract from us the secret to infinite money if he is observant. He is primarily earth based, most likely. He also would not help us with A-Day, because Akatsuki would be our opponent, and he is definitely not on our side there, no matter the money. Also with Pain.

Now, we could cooperate with Akatsuki, and I could see that working. Get Hidan on our side, buy Kakuzu, rope Sasori fully in on the Rift, and ressurecting Pain, on the condition that they would also look for Jiraiya, Akane etc, and I think they might just agree. But we would have to spin it in such a way that Pain is still indebted to us enough he will at least try to make AMITY work instead of going ritual no jutsu. And avoid killbox in the meantime, so its probably not worth it.

Hiring Kakuzu for Konoha on the other hand would be great, but its not like Leaf much needs his services right now, and he is never going to be loyal to the village. Like what would we have him use his immense Earth prowess for? Building cities and infrastructure? He could have made an amazing Taijutsu lootbox if we made him teach Akane, but she's gone now.
 
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So, apropos of nothing, I was thinking to myself "Hey, this is a great way to get Asuma on-side for A-day, as Ami requested" and "Boy it sure would smooth things over for the resultant turmoil of A-day."

But then it occured to me...
Oh it sure would! Especially if we accept his offer of social and leadership training. And that's just what he was offering BEFORE. We just topped the EM Nuke AND did it in a way that was completely nontreasonous!

Won't be hard to get him to take us fully under his wing. Especially given gestures. Anyone want some cool jutsu? How about a THing apprenticeship? What about a social apprenticeship? Yeah we just did good.
We could buy Kakuzu. Personally. As bodyguard/teacher. The man's allegedly the best taijutsu expert in the world and allegedly centuries old.

Let me repeat that: We can, personally, buy Kakuzu.
….
I'm going to assume you're referring to suggesting the possibility of using Konoha's new immense wealth to purchase his services, and not immediately commuting high treason by attempting to negotiate with Akatsuki behind Asuma's back.

For marginal benefits considering the value Asuma now places on keeping us safe. And in a way that would be impossible to hide for any meaningful length of time.
 
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[X] Action Plan: Prepare(Offscreen), Execute, Profit
Wordcount:294

  • Uplift, High OPSEC(Offscreen if needed)
    • Explain Earthshaping's capabilites and strategic implications
    • How to use it?
    • Should we tell Asuma? Crashing the market again would be bad.
      • It will also make us more useful.
      • Tone: Maximixe Goketsu's benefit while remaining fair to Asuma and trying to build goodwill with him.
    • Crazy Idea: could we(with the Hokage approval) use the wealth to distract/pay Kakuzu?
      • For example, to search for Akane's killers
  • Asuma
    • Earthshaping meeting, follow Uplift's optimization and decisions
    • May you speak plainly?
    • The Hagoromo you've met are vile bigots.
      • Kei's relationships.
      • Harumitsu treatment.
      • Refusing to officiate Noburi/Yuno's wedding
    • But you're tired.
      • Ritsuo's knife.
      • The plays.
      • It doesn't help anyone.
    • Ruka:
      • Hurting Ruka won't bring anyone back.
      • Give her a fair punishment, solve the problem, but you're not interested in spreading more blood or misery.
      • Let Ritsuo know, if he thinks it can help
    • Reconciliation:
      • Having Hagoromo teach Goketsu will end badly. This mess was born of a difference in values.
      • We need personal connections.
        • Hazou training with people close to Ritsuo is an idea, training young importantHagoromos too, with someone as mediator.
          • Ritsuo's daughters? Other important members of the Clan?
        • Till 'n Fills missions with mixed Goketsu/Hagomoro members?
    • TH(Only if approve by Kei/Mari):
      • You're thinking of learning TH, after EM Nuke and ES, you feel it would be helpful for both Goketsu and Leaf
      • Sadly, you have your hands full with the Great Seal, your combat capabilities are in fact lagging behind thanks to that too.
      • Does he have any suggestions? Good resources to tap?
  • Offscreen:
  • Check foreign spices/objects with Canvass
    • If needed tap Inuzuka/Asuma for resources, make it happen
  • Sealing Research:
    • Directional Explosives/the next Minato seal.
    • Eschew prep, use SSA, reroll -9/-12.

Kinda mixed the plans here together and added something else.
 
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[X] Action Plan: Reflection
Word count: <300
  • Ino
    • Plan a private date.
      • Be there for her. Listen. Talk about fashion. Gossip.
    • Does she feel up to being a sounding board for a clan head issue?
      • Contemplate alone (later) if not.
      • Maintaining OPSEC, explain your conversation with Asuma about the Hagoromo.
      • You don't like them. But you can't beat them. They'll always have plausible deniability.
      • Will they ever leave you alone? Would it matter if you stopped?
      • How do you break the cycle?
      • Go through what you want to say to Asuma.
    • Give her a mirror - corundum shell around reflective metal, jewelled handle.
  • Asuma:
    • Bring Mari/Kei. Optimize beforehand.
    • Explain ES-MEW interactions.
      • Give him gems, samples. Verify their quality with craftspeople.
      • This will scale with MARI (test first).
      • Let Mari outline the economic implications and opportunities.
      • You learned your lesson: you're coming to him.
    • Mari exits. Discuss the Hagoromo.
      • May you speak plainly?
      • The Hagoromo you've met are vile bigots.
        • Kei's relationships hurt no one.
        • They treat Harumitsu poorly.
        • Did refusing to officiate Noburi/Yuno's wedding serve the Will of Fire?
      • But you're tired.
        • Destroying Ritsuo's knife helped nobody.
        • The plays helped nobody.
        • There's just been more hate.
    • Ruka:
      • Is her punishment (effectively, death) mostly about Akane? If so, it seems…harsh.
        • (Dispel.)
      • Five years would be enough. Or long-term till'n'fills with KEI/clanless nin. Hatred doesn't withstand exposure.
      • Does he think Ruka can change?
    • Reconciliation:
      • Goketsu and Hagoromo need to see each other as full people.
        • Reference the evolution of Noburi/Neji's relationship.
      • Assign Goketsu-Hagoromo teams long-term till'n'fills requiring cooperation. Neutral third parties (Sarutobi? Inuzaka?) lead.
      • Are there more flexible Hagoromo? You want to see their clan as complex and multifaceted, not just Ruka and Ritsuo.
  • Sealing Research:
    • Directional Explosives/the next Minato seal.
    • Eschew prep, use SSA, reroll -9/-12.

I think that giving Ino a beautiful, nigh-indestructible mirror is a great idea and I encourage everyone to steal it.

I'm very interested in whether Asuma believes that Ruka is capable of change: if he says 'honestly no probably not' then...that's...I have no idea what to do with that other than to maybe go 'well uh okay perhaps an effective death penalty is the right move'. The answer should be interesting, at any rate.

And I think that asking him if their refusal to officiate Noburi's marriage was the Will of Fire is a pretty good question, especially in a segment where the tone is pretty clearly 'this is all pointless'.

I like this plan as it doesn't specifiy us explaining how we made the mirror this plan has us giving Ino.

Hazou: *gifts seemingly absurdly valuable jewelled mirror out of nowhere*
Hazou: *refuses to elaborate further*
Hazou: *Leaves*

Ino is going to be so confused.


I am a bit iffy on eschewing prep on the seal research, but I suppose that with us having sealing 74 we might be fine.


[X] Action Plan: Prepare(Offscreen), Execute, Profit
 
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My issue with the 'no chakra-potential washouts' statment is that this is the conflation of two things:
1. Students begin developing chakra coils after they are screened/filtered on other criteria.
2. Without the Academy, people don't survive trying to figure out developing chakra from first principles.

Now, grown washouts? Too late. But going forwards, logically there's nothing to stop us from picking up kids who just washed out with Asuma's blessing teaching them a curriculum to let them use chakra for niche non-combat uses. In essence, they simply 'swap' to a non-combat track in education. I have yet to see any QM word that explicitly says this is not possible, just vaguer stuff attributable to conflating those two points above. The question that needs to be answered is:

Are children washed out of the Academy solely for being unable to develop chakra coils, or instead for other forms of unsuitability to being shinobi? Do the potential wash-outs who couldn't make the military grade have enough potential to say, devote their lives to mastering a single specific non-combat technique like Earthshaping?​
 
Scamming one of the Akatsuki with earthshaped gems is possibly one of the most marked for death things we could do, and I would love it. Hazō might need better deceit, though.
How is it scamming? We're handing him value tokens he can exchange for other value tokens. This isn't our world with the stupid sentiment towards 'artificial' gemstones that DeBeers and co successfully created.
 
Are children washed out of the Academy solely for being unable to develop chakra coils, or instead for other forms of unsuitability to being shinobi? Do the potential wash-outs who couldn't make the military grade have enough potential to say, devote their lives to mastering a single specific non-combat technique like Earthshaping?
I think part of the reason they don't teach them chakra manipulation before it's sure they won't wash out is because they can control (and first, indoctrinate to the fullest extent) who will learn chakra manipulation. It's not just safety and age. Remember how Kagome was surprised and thought this was stupid? How Honoka turned out fine anyway? Suggesting that anyone else can teach chakra manipulation might be nominal treason in itself.
 
[X] Action Plan: Emergency Clan Meeting
[X] Interlude: Why Is Kagome Gōketsu's Shadow Clone Calling Itself "High Watcher Kuge Maya?"
 
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I think part of the reason they don't teach them chakra manipulation before it's sure they won't wash out is because they can control (and first, indoctrinate to the fullest extent) who will learn chakra manipulation. It's not just safety and age. Remember how Kagome was surprised and thought this was stupid? How Honoka turned out fine anyway? Suggesting that anyone else can teach chakra manipulation might be nominal treason in itself.
We're not suggesting others can teach it, merely expanding the Academy's educational tracks to accomodate shifting socioeconomic realities and the opportunities for non-combat uses of jutsu in Konoha's foreign policy doctrine.
 
We'll need to launder the gems and iron ores.
Just say it's a trade deal with the Dogs, Cannai would probably even be fine with us saying that. It's absolutely unverifiable, and has the added benefit of past trade deals with Seventh Path Clans having gems in them.
@Sir Stompy How far away could a Condor make out a human sized silhouette? With 10x binoculars do you think they could do it at 100 miles?
Condors are a kind of vulture, a quick google search says that vultures can see a three-foot carcass from 4 miles away. So it doesn't look like they'd be able to spot a human sized silhouette from 100 miles with binoculars, but maybe 50 miles.

I should add that they won't be able to hold the binoculars and fly, or hold binoculars at all, not having hands.
 
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Are children washed out of the Academy solely for being unable to develop chakra coils, or instead for other forms of unsuitability to being shinobi? Do the potential wash-outs who couldn't make the military grade have enough potential to say, devote their lives to mastering a single specific non-combat technique like Earthshaping?​
Kids wash out in the first two years if they can't do the academic/physical/mental side, etc. Third year they start learning chakra use and no one washes out after that.
 
- training jutsu (free xp like YSJ/PCJ. QMs want these to be hella rare but I mean... tower restricted or Sarutobi special seems plausible.)

I know this will be seen as blasphemous but training jutsu are 100% not worth asking for as a reward. If they're as good as the YSJ then that means we would be weaker than we should be for 250 days. And then depending on what skill it adds to in another 200-250 days we will get one more rank in that skill. We're at a point where marginal XP gains are just not super valuable in comparison to better combat jutsu to round out our build
 
[X] Action Plan: Welcome to the future, Asuma!
Word count: <= 300
  • Test Burning Sand Macerator
    • If successful, demonstrate to Asuma as a reusable weapon for genin
  • Be Rich Forever:
    • High security meeting with Mari, Kei and Gaku
    • Show jewels, gold, iron, salt, diamond/corundum products
    • Brainstorm how to diversify to ensure money will never be a problem again while helping Leaf.
  • Asuma:
    • Bring Mari/Kei. Optimize beforehand.
    • Signal S rank secret
    • Show jewels, gold, iron, salt, diamond/corundum products
      • You learned your lesson: you're coming to him.
    • You don't want to hurt Leaf's economy or start a war
      • But things could/should be MUCH better than they are.
    • Leaf could become an economic powerhouse
    • Not every genin is a good killer
      • They die
    • There is another way they could help Leaf.
      • Create a non-combat genin path for sealing, etc
    • Mari exits. Discuss the Hagoromo.
      • May you speak plainly?
      • The Hagoromo you've met are vile bigots.
        • Kei's relationships hurt no one.
        • They treat Harumitsu poorly.
        • Did refusing to officiate Noburi/Yuno's wedding serve the Will of Fire?
      • But you're tired.
        • Destroying Ritsuo's knife helped nobody.
        • The plays helped nobody.
        • There's just been more hate and it doesn't have to be this way.
    • Ruka:
      • Is her punishment mostly about Akane? If so, it's… harsh.
        • (Dispel.)
      • Five years would be enough. Or long-term till'n'fills with KEI/clanless nin. Hatred doesn't withstand exposure.
      • Does he think Ruka can change?
    • Reconciliation:
      • Goketsu and Hagoromo need to see each other as full people.
        • Reference the evolution of Noburi/Neji's relationship.
      • Assign Goketsu-Hagoromo teams long-term till'n'fills requiring cooperation. Neutral third parties (Sarutobi? Inuzaka?) lead.
      • Are there more flexible Hagoromo? You want to see their clan as complex and multifaceted.
  • Sealing Research:
    • Directional Explosives/next Minato seal.
    • Eschew prep, use SSA, reroll -9/-12.


This plan is trying to achieve a few things:
1. Diversify our sudden windfall in a few asset categories into a much larger set of asset categories (land, toll roads, metalworking businesses, etc) so that as supply rises and prices drop we don't have to worry about it much.
If we do this right, we should become and stay the richest clan in the elemental nations for a LONG time. This will have practical benefits such as being able to afford to hire TH people, bribe Noburi's clan, do large infrastructure projects such as a road network and potentially even be able to hire S rankers. No cheap tricks or sudden reversals. Just a very large and stable income from a wide variety of sources while creating economic growth.
2. Sell Asuma on the idea of dedicated non-combat focused ninja.
As the current system stands, if you have chakra then you will be drafted and forced to become a killer. On the off chance that you flunk out, you will die from lack of teaching if you try to use your chakra. On top of that, people who aren't suited for that life are likely to die quickly. It's a waste and should be far less needed if we can increase the effectiveness good ninja (for instance, with burning sand macerators that they can spam since they can be used ~200 times per seal). We are proposing that there is another valid way for them to serve with a extremely effective visual aid.
3. Move forward with basic sealing research.

2-3 scenes, depending on if the burning sand macerator gets a scene. Should be pretty fun conversations too.
 
"I brought cookies if you want one. Do you?" Akane asked, two months ago at a training field, when she was so very alive and her smile glowed like the sun.

Hazō struggled for a response, but his brain was awash in fog. He'd been fine thirty seconds ago, but the memory triggered by Asuma's words had suddenly cracked him open and poured in pain. He swallowed carefully to make sure his voice wouldn't break along with his heart.
Two months would have been after EM. Alive, damaged but still pushing through. Losing someone fills the world with invisible edges for you to cut yourself on. Notice where they should have been. Remember they are gone. Time slowly dulls the edges. Different edges at different speeds, as long as you do not sharpen them. Until you can grab them and hold them close and almost not be cut at all.
Hazō slumped to the ground, sitting crosslegged and staring in fascination as his hands plucked a blade of grass. It was truly riveting, absolutely worthy of detailed study, and by 'it' he meant anything that wasn't Cannai's eyes.
Eyes are the window to the soul. Feeling too raw to be seen?
"Akane's dead," he said, noting the nick in the fingernail of his left-hand pinky.
After the seal bank speech this feels like worn off adrenaline or a step back. Punishing yourself with bluntness. Feeling bad later for letting negativity win. Cannae could not be more patient and understanding.
Hazō snorted a brief laugh at Cannai's so-dry tone. The Alpha's tongue lolled out for just a moment.
This is a Dog microexpression and considered rude to point out.
"Durr, I am a human and this stuff tastes disgusting," he said in a silly voice.

He went back to his normal serious expression. "Indeed," he said, nodding somberly. "Perhaps you should stop drinking it, friend human?"

Once more the dopey face. "Durr, no! I must keep drinking this disgusting stuff because if I drink enough of it then I will start to like it and I can drink lots more of it!"

Serious face. "But...if you don't like it then why would you want to like it?"

Dopey face. "Because I'm a human and humans are silly, durr!"

Hazō sighed loudly, rolling his eyes.
Ancient clan Boss and chakratech revolutionary share a small joke between grieving and saving the world from Dragons. Surreal.
No heckling, if you please. I have twenty-nine minutes of this routine, polished over the course of hundreds of years of human summoners.
Need to hear Cannai's tight five. Can it stop Hyena's from heckling?
The Human Path prefix.
Hazō hesitated. "I...don't think so? Maybe? It's like when you see a storm lashing at a house, the wind catching in every crevice and the rain digging into every gap. Sometimes it's just a storm but sometimes it feels like it actively wants to destroy. Any idea what that means?"
Ninshu? Should check if it happens to other people who learn it.
"What?" Hazō said. "That's not...it doesn't...I'm obviously not a chicken! I don't have feathers, or steel claws, or a beak."

"Bock, bock, bocaw!" He tipped his head in curiosity. "Did I say it right? Is it making you feel insulted and demeaned? It's supposed to make you feel insulted and demeaned."
[Bark], [bark], [bark]! Who taught him this? No solidarity with your future Summoners? Or Mareo spreading Chicken Clan bigotry?
The granite wall was a jumbled mass of bits and bobs shoved together in utter disorder. There were similarities to various of his samples, but overall it felt mostly like...sand. How could it feel like sand? Sand was loose, it flowed when you poured it. You could build sandcastles and sand walls, but they fell apart easily whereas granite was obdurate and unyielding.
Anakin +1 TYS.
Saved from corrundurr. Still time for Durrandal.
"Now that is lovely," Cannai said. "Congratulations, Hazō. You have used your chakra to make something purely beautiful. Not for murder, not for houses. Purely for beauty."
The timing kills me. Akane would have loved this. She was the shield. The one who took the blows, fought her conscience and made the sacrifices and felt every chip every second of it. And she just misses out on seeing the reward.
"Yuck it up, Mr Mew."
...this could stick. Bill Microsoft. Steve Apple.
It was a three dimensional object in the shape of a seal and, if Hazō could successfully infuse his chakra into it, he hoped it would become an actual seal.
MEW from 7th path, so easier to handle. Sage made 7th Path to make 3D sealing easier?
He didn't even bother attempting to infuse it. He had nothing like the control he needed for this; the result was as though he had drawn the blank with his feet. Sure, if you did it carefully enough and the desired image was simple enough then you could produce something that looked generally right, but it wouldn't be what you needed. It wouldn't be the best you could make. Not unless you put in a lot of practice. Enough practice that your control with your feet was as good as your control with your hands. Which was...possible? Probably. It seemed like the chakra wanted to do what he was asking but couldn't understand him quite well enough. If he spent more time practicing with Earthshaping, if he got better... Ugh.
There must be shortcuts to help with this. Waiting for ES60 is too slow. Seals to help? Seals to imbue tools that can help? Chakra metal? Very good chapter!
 
I cannot imagine under what circumstances this would be done, insofar as ninja know village secrets, and the more valuable the ninja (and thus the more worth trading for), the more secrets they know. Plus you never know when you'll next be fighting said village, and divided loyalties make for dangerous wildcards.
It's nice to see that Ami is beyond even her own Creator's imagination.
 
[X] Interlude: Why Is Kagome Gōketsu's Shadow Clone Calling Itself "High Watcher Kuge Maya?"

we should work on ressurecting Akane.

 
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