This is a very different situation. Kei would learn about us wanting to make this deal right after Mari. Because we would be making this deal with Kei (except if she recuses herself). If you haggle over prices then telling the other party what your floor and ceiling is makes the whole haggling process kinda pointless.
Kei isn't the one we're negotiating with, it's Ruri. We're just double-checking to make sure we're not doing anything egregiously offensive, or missing anything obvious.
Is there a reason to think that she's the KEI's default choice for negotiations with the Gokētsu?
Kei is our sister, and thus too "close" to us for us to negotiate with for a Goketsu-KEI trade deal. If nothing else, KEI would look at Kei and wonder if she gave away more than she got.
Other than Kei, the other two members of the KEI Triumverate are Ami (who is currently MIA) and Naruto (who is Hokage and has likely had to cede his position away).
Ruri is one of the KEI's only jonin, a Summoner, and a well-respected figure within Leaf. As per
Word of Kei, Ruri is seen as"this generation's Hatake Kakashi," and that Ruri has already "far surpassed [Kakashi] in the social arena."
So, if not Kei, then that only leaves Ruri.
What if Mari wants to advise us with actual negotiation strategies. They'd be in the same room.
Sure, so what? Kei isn't going to be running off to Ruri to tattle on Hazou. Kei's more loyal than that, and even if she weren't, the fact that we're seeking an equal and mutually beneficial trade (rather than trying to screw the KEI over) would sway Kei not to screw up the trade deal for the KEI by causing Ruri to negotiate with unfair information (or otherwise in bad faith).
While I might be biased because I am not very gung ho on dating Snowflake anyway, isn't it kind of shitty to start dating her when we plan to go missing?
My action plan doesn't call for Hazou to ask Snowflake out on a date, just to hang out more.
After all, Hazou hasn't really hung out with Snowflake all that much since Akane died. He's been fighting against the Conclave's worst impulses, scrambling to make seals (and suffering all the migraines that come with it), dealing with inter-clan politics, dealing with internal clan politics, dealing with Asuma's death, making contingencies now that the Akatsuki have their eye on him, personally, rediscovering lithosealing, negotiating with Orochimaru (which is always stressful as fuck), teaching Orochimaru lithosealing (which cannot be much better), learning THing, and
still trying to squeeze in time to further his various Uplift Projects.
I can word the plan to be more clear, but the current goal isn't "seduce Snowflake on a date." Instead, it's "hang out and decompress with Snowflake, whom we haven't seen in a while."
Like I said, I'm not comfortable with Hazou and Snowflake going on a date until we check Ino's comfort levels.
