[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
This was such a hard decision. I really want to go with explosives, but teamwork will be so important during this confrontation.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
We definitely want one of the actions for coordinating in a fight (teamwork or Okiie) as well as whatever we can squeeze out in terms of skill/equipment (puppets/explosives). I don't really have skin in the game as to which options get picked though. Also, we've devoted a smattering of actions to working decently with most of the others, but I'm not so sure if any of the others have devoted actions to working well with many other genin apart from the brat pack working together. We should probably figure out how we all stand on that point, and see what we can do to improve.
What veekie said, only depending on your computing setup you may be able to fix it easily without going to quite so much effort. I have an old laptop that has had a similar problem (intermittently slowing and/or shutting down in the middle of otherwise normal activity), and when I took it in to the repair shop they just ended up cleaning out all the dust. It's happened a couple times since in a similar way, and you can do it yourself if you buy a container of compressed air. That's also usually cheap enough to be able to DIY without disrupting anything else.
Puppets are in the lead, while Explosives and Teamwork are tied. I hope we don't end up skiping over Teamwork to do both Puppetry and Explosives, but it might happen.
Adhoc vote count started by Derpmind on Jul 9, 2018 at 11:56 AM, finished with 11627 posts and 16 votes.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
[X] Explosives. They can't be detected by the normal chakra-sensing means--and a Hunter-Nin team, Emiko had said, would have a chakra-sensor--and since this is a game of traps… well. More bang for one's ryo. Plus, Shizue's been itching to try out some explosives she can just throw at people.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
[X] Specifically working with Okiie might be a little bit selfish, but Okiie needs to be ready, since as someone throwing around powerful ninjutsu (by Chunin standards, at least), he's an obvious target just like she is. She couldn't stand it if he were hurt, even a little.
[X] Genjutsu seems to play a part in the plan, if what Maki's muttering about has any truth to it. So she could ask about that, try to coordinate… less for her talent at Genjutsu, since that's very much Maki and Emiko's show, both of them a little more experience than her, than for her mindset and attention to detail.
[X] Explosives. They can't be detected by the normal chakra-sensing means--and a Hunter-Nin team, Emiko had said, would have a chakra-sensor--and since this is a game of traps… well. More bang for one's ryo. Plus, Shizue's been itching to try out some explosives she can just throw at people.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
Oh! And... you can still use them, but you'll be missing the latest applications that you've earned from upping the score! You'll just have a bunch of old stuff, not that the old stuff is that bad, either.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Explosives. They can't be detected by the normal chakra-sensing means--and a Hunter-Nin team, Emiko had said, would have a chakra-sensor--and since this is a game of traps… well. More bang for one's ryo. Plus, Shizue's been itching to try out some explosives she can just throw at people.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
Adhoc vote count started by buli-buli on Jul 10, 2018 at 9:16 PM, finished with 34 posts and 19 votes.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
[X] Explosives. They can't be detected by the normal chakra-sensing means--and a Hunter-Nin team, Emiko had said, would have a chakra-sensor--and since this is a game of traps… well. More bang for one's ryo. Plus, Shizue's been itching to try out some explosives she can just throw at people.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
[X] Genjutsu seems to play a part in the plan, if what Maki's muttering about has any truth to it. So she could ask about that, try to coordinate… less for her talent at Genjutsu, since that's very much Maki and Emiko's show, both of them a little more experience than her, than for her mindset and attention to detail.
[X] Specifically working with Okiie might be a little bit selfish, but Okiie needs to be ready, since as someone throwing around powerful ninjutsu (by Chunin standards, at least), he's an obvious target just like she is. She couldn't stand it if he were hurt, even a little.
Adhoc vote count started by The Laurent on Jul 11, 2018 at 10:59 AM, finished with 35 posts and 19 votes.
[X] Teamwork is always important. She could practice with Okiie, Ichiman, and some of the others that might be able to at least temporarily hold their own against an enemy ninja and figure out how to work together.
[X] Her puppets are in fine condition, but she could give them one last look-over. Emiko had looked at her with expectation when she'd mentioned that her puppets could be on the front line. Had said, "They might surprise even a Jonin." Surprise even a Jonin… that could be useful.
[X] Explosives. They can't be detected by the normal chakra-sensing means--and a Hunter-Nin team, Emiko had said, would have a chakra-sensor--and since this is a game of traps… well. More bang for one's ryo. Plus, Shizue's been itching to try out some explosives she can just throw at people.
[X] Work on cleaning the place up and preparing it to be sealed off again for another day. And despite all that's happened… despite it just being some desert base, it's felt awfully like home. Seeing it one last time, and clearing up more time for others to do their own preparation, might be nice.
[X] Genjutsu seems to play a part in the plan, if what Maki's muttering about has any truth to it. So she could ask about that, try to coordinate… less for her talent at Genjutsu, since that's very much Maki and Emiko's show, both of them a little more experience than her, than for her mindset and attention to detail.
[X] Specifically working with Okiie might be a little bit selfish, but Okiie needs to be ready, since as someone throwing around powerful ninjutsu (by Chunin standards, at least), he's an obvious target just like she is. She couldn't stand it if he were hurt, even a little.
There will not be an update today, I'm sorry to say. Between computer trouble and mechanical things that need to be dealt with, it's just not going to happen this week. But I didn't want people spending all day waiting for this, or getting their hopes up, so I'm just definitively saying it at 7:30 in the morning. No update today, come back next week.
"So we part," Emiko said. "Part, but not forever, right? You know, I'm going to be the one to kill my enemy, by my own hand. But if you'd ever like to hold his arms down, you know where to call me." Emiko shook her head, her smirk growing wider.
"Is that a threat?" Takumi asked. "Against…"
"No. No, this is the part where I say it's a promise, like I'm droll," Emiko said.
"I won't offer you a job," Jitsuko said. "You wouldn't accept, and if I asked outright then I'd have to do something about a refusal. But if our little problem does wind up dead, well. You'll be powerful enough to do as he does, but do it right, eventually.
So Isao works with Jitsuko and Takumi, or at least they are related enough that Takumi takes killing Isao as a threat. That means that killing Isao was upgraded from taking care of a sick psycho that wants war to dealing with a group of S rank missing nin. So if we know who are part of the group it may give us some leads of where he is, but it also means that he may have helpers as strong as he is when we find him. That also includes the people we just met, which makes me regret a little not finding out more about the S-rank puppeteer. It is also worrying because when she came here she mentioned that this base used to belong to one of her colleagues decades ago, so any member of that group may know where the base is located.
Jitsuko also mentioned the possibility of offering a job to Emiko. This means that they aren't reluctant of increasing their numbers. This isn't particularly surprising, but at least it shows they aren't an "elite club" like Akatsuki, which was limited by their number of rings.
The comment about doing right what Isao does also have some interesting implications. First, it means that Isao has a particular purpose inside the organization or a certain job he is expected to do. Even if Jitsuko doesn't seem concerned whether he lives or dies, if Isao actually has an important role then some of the organization members may go out of their way to help him. Secondly, it confirms that he isn't trying to start a war just for the gigs of it but he has a reason unknown to us. Figuring it out would be helpful to predict his actions. It can't be too detached of their organization's objective so understanding that could be a good place to start. Finally, Jitsuko mentions that Emiko could do his job "right" so either it means that he has been failing miserably at it or that the methods he choose aren't of her liking. Since most of the stuff that we suspect he did cause social unrest and were probably war-causing, we could assume that what he added was a way to manipulate people to produce change, though his methods were certainly violent.
"You doubt it, and yet here we are. You still owe me something, and I know by now that you're trying, foolishly, to lure me into trusting others."
"Yes, yes, my nefarious scheme," Jitsuko said, with an idle wave of her hand. "My scheme to make you acknowledge that you aren't alone, that this isn't a solo journey."
"It's whatever I want to make of it," Emiko spat. "Now, name?"
So it seems that Jitsuko was trying to make Emiko open up. Option A they are talking about the students and Jitsuko is trying to stop Emiko from falling into the path of vengeance, to make her remember she has people caring for her so she should stop her self destructive tendencies. Option B Jitsuko is talking about Emiko and her. She is saying that both of them are either similar or have a common interest. That becoming an S rank ninja doesn't necessarily mean being alone all the time, so she can stop isolating herself. She would be offering help, not as someone that would assist her or stop her from completing her objectives, but as a listening ear and a friend so Emiko doesn't go crazy. Option C would be that she thinks Emiko is obsessed with revenge and wants to do everything herself because of it and she is telling her she is a fool and she should ask for help if she wants to succeed.
Besides the Akatsuki reference, I think it's a fitting name. The end of the day represents the end of an era, so if they want to change the world it means that they are bringing the current status quo to an end. Then again, after Twilight comes Darkness so it's not the best name if they are selling themselves as a righteous group. It's very intimidating though.
"Not all of the members of this hypothetical group like the name. But drama has its place, I suppose. Myself, I like to save the drama for after I've actually done something worth talking about," Jitsuko said. "I would not, of course know from personal experience."
The intimidation factor has its time and place but she would prefer it did what it is meant to instead of thinking cool and edgy names for the shadow organization. I mean, I get where she is coming from but the group probably needed some way to refer to themselves when recruiting others. The group or the Club doesn't have the same ring to it.
"So, you're not in Yugure for revolution, I get that," Emiko said. "Don't start a revolution from the ashes. But why's the golden boy not part of the group?"
"Perhaps he doesn't wants one too," Jitsuko said, and with that she walked up the steps she'd walked down a month and change ago, this time seeming almost shrouded in the darkness of the mine entrance, her voice low, a whisper.
So Social Justice Warrior isn't in Yogure to get a massive social change? It could be that she doesn't want to set up World War V to do it (even if her modus operandi to solve social class clashes is to kill one of them). But then, why is she in the group? What objective does she has that would need the help of other S rank ninja? It could be that since she kills those she considers unjust and the group is trying to start a war, she is using their information network about where there is social unrest to know where there are corrupt people to strike. Or it could be that the group is not about starting a war but about pooling resources and sharing information? It doesn't sound like it from her comment about Uzumaki.
She also mentions that the Uzumaki doesn't want revolution either which contradicts his actions with the True Home. Maybe he just doesn't want a violent one? Yugure wants social change through violence and Uzumaki wants social change without fighting. Maybe it is that Yugure wants to start a war so that the villages are too busy to stifle social change?
Emiko watched them leave, and then let out a breath, before turning to the assembled genin. Her face was too blank as she formed the handseal. "Kai!" Then she let out a long, slow breath, as if she were the wind whistling against the water.
So… How did she know she was under a Genjutsu? I mean, we know that she casted it on herself but if she remembered about, wouldn't Jitsuko have been able to discern that from her actions? Another option is that Emiko didn't remember that she casted a genjutsu to herself but she still undid the genjutsu because erasing her own memories is what she would do. Which means since erasing her own memories was in character she either knew that it would be the only way to trick Jitsuko or she is unnervingly familiar with altering her own memory.
This reminds me that we have only raised Stealth by two points since we left the Archipelago. Considering that our original idea was to use our puppets while hidden –which I think we only tried once in Land of Tea's capital- it is kind of depressing. Then again, we are in the low Chunin area and it isn't like we have stealth specialists besides Junko so maybe we are still pretty good compared to the others. Besides Junko and maybe the genjutsu users (Akachi and Genta) I don't know if the others would have trained their stealth if they weren't proded by Emiko. We should probably get back on that now that we can make invisible chakra strings.
"It's a genjutsu poison that causes paranoia via seeing something at the corner of your eye, or altering small details to make it hard to trust yourself, without, hopefully, being too obvious," Emiko said, almost clinically, but with a glint of interest in her eyes.
Uh, she actually managed to make her own genjutsu poison with less than three months of research. Did she even have a sample to try to figure out how to make it or she made it from scratch? A bit of a shame we missed out in helping with that quest (I think Genta, Saya and Rika were helping?) but we were busy with other stuff.
Mechanically speaking, the genjutsu uses 3 E rank modules: sense (only visual), target (one), scale (small detail). The effect could be Distraction, which could be any rank depending how strong the effect is. The altering small details to make it hard to trust yourself may be Reactivity, but if that was the case it would be a C rank genjutsu. Which is a powerful weapon but I find it unlikely Emiko managed that in her first try.
Now the final question would be how it works. If you have to prepare a different solution for each illusion it would be a pain, but if the genjutsu poison is a liquid with the ability to store chakra and it works by casting a genjutsu on it then it would mean that she can easily produce whatever illusion she wants with it.
"It could be a very effective assassination tool. Once a target is made wary, or even weary--since paranoia is exhausting, from personal experience--then they can be more easily dealt with."
Sometimes it was hard to remember that Emiko was a terrifying, feared high-level assassination. Now wasn't one of those times.
Wait a second, how is that an effective assassination tool? In order for that to work must have already drunk the poison in which case using a normal poison to kill him would be more effective. I can only imagine it being useful if the target is a medic nin that would probably survive any poison you give him, but even in that case I'm sure there must be genjutsus more useful than that.
I mean, if the goal is to make something that wouldn't make them think of poison so that they don't get treatment or if you want people to think they are growing crazy before dying or if you don't want them to die immediately but after a certain amount of time and you don't get a chance to poison them closer to the time they need to die or if you are dealing with a group and you can only poison a few and want to ambush them all later…
Ok, I can see how it could be effective though it is a bit convoluted still.
That must be the biggest lie I have heard. Last time we raised Genjutsu was in November 2015 in Week 5. After that we spent 5 xp to buy 1/5 of rank 1 of Utter Silence genjutsu after Emiko asked us when we arrived in the missing nin camp in Tea. We have been stuck there ever since.
I guess this kind of confirms that the "changing details to make the target doubt himself" is the genjutsu reactivity module, meaning genjutsu poison can at least do C rank illusions.
"Thank you," Emiko said. "Though it's not why I'm here. First, I think I did pretty well in hiding my darkest secrets from Jitsuko-chan. She left without knowing quite a few important things."
"Impossible," Maki blurted.
"Oh?"
"Her Shomeigan, there's no way that she didn't see anything you had planned, especially if she talked to you a lot, which she did," Maki said.
Emiko smiled. "Maki-chan." She knelt down, just a little, to be at eye level. "I respect you a lot. You're the one of you that reminds me most of me when I was younger, and even then you surprise me sometimes. For good and bad. You're intelligent and the Shomeigan is a dojutsu worth having. But please, don't underestimate me."
Maki flushed. "O-of course not, Emiko-sensei. How did you…?"
Emiko's smile hadn't been threatening, it had been more like she was just laying something out there, and it had this odd tone to it. Like she was repeating some part of Maki's words back to her. And from the way Maki's eyes were widening, they were very memorable words. Don't underestimate me? Shizue wondered.
"If you don't know your own plans, you can't reveal them," Emiko said. "A few… well. Dozen genjutsu, mostly for memories, but a few minor alterations of my personality, were enough to conceal it from her, since of course nobody else knew the plans either, and I copied and then destroyed the written records before she'd even been there five minutes."
I think Emiko is forgetting she isn't working alone anymore. Maki noticed that Emiko's character had changed since Jitsuko arrived, which means that Jitsuko probably deduced it too from seeing the genin's reactions. Considering that the Shomeigan can see chakra (which means it can probably see if someone is under genjutsu) and that Emiko was experimenting with genjutsu then we can be reasonably certain that Jitsuko at least knows that Emiko altered her own memories. It's true that it's debatable that she could guess Emiko's plans if Emiko didn't give a clue herself but things like which supplies were in the base, the team composition, the missions we had been taking, overall news around the world and Chuichi (who has more information than us) can end up giving clues if not of Emiko's exact plans, about what she could end up doing.
I don't know which situation Emiko is referencing that shocked Maki so much, but for the call back to be so shocking it must be both something Maki is proud of and something in which the roles here are kind of reversed. Most likely was an occasion in which Emiko tried to divert Maki's attention and she deduced something Emiko wasn't expecting her to deduce.
Shizue knew just what she was going to say, but was hesitating to. Genjutsu over any extended period of time could have odd side-effects, and genjutsu on oneself was difficult to deal with, and there were real neurological and psychological risks to doing it at all.
Well, I don't really know many examples from canon but the ones I know are pretty extreme. Itachi's Tsukuyomi felt like you were in an illusion for extended periods of time, and both Kakashi and Sasuke were in comma for a month after taking it. On the other hand the opposite example would be Sasori's mind altering technique, which could affect someone perfectly adapted like Kabuto for years without showing side effects like insatiable bloodlust, paranoia, god complex or compulsive lying and betraying of others.
…
Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example. I guess Yagura was also under genjutsu for years and he didn't go crazy, right?
It's even weirder when you remember that she left her village only 5 years ago. And when you realize she has been casting genjutsus on herself since she was 15. Soon we will find out that Isao is a figment of her imagination and Jitsuko was playing along to not antagonize the crazy lady.
"I don't care who kills Isao, as long as he dies I'm good. And even then, the truth is that if I had to choose between prolonging the peace for, say, at least five more years and killing him, I'd like to think I know what the answer is, and that the answer isn't revenge."
We suspected this, but now it's confirmed he did something Emiko considers personal. We know she left the village just after one Omori Toshiaki tried to kill the Tsuchikage. I'm not sure what relationship does she have with him. Maybe he was her teacher? I can find the chapters in which emiko talked about her team to see if there's a clue there.
Well, no with that attitude! If she really wanted to be sure she would just have to create an illusion in which she is in that exact situation then erase her own memories. It's not like she hasn't done that before.
Then again, even if she knew the answer Isao could use his emotion manipulation techniques to force her to do the exact opposite.
For example, in case an S rank ninja with the Shomeigan shows up. In which case if she talks with Chuichi she can only find out that Emiko has allies, but not exactly which ones. Though she can probably narrow down the list with Emiko's recent activities.
Are you really sure you want Chuichi for that? Every mission we took with him was a clusterfuck. We went to look for a horse robber and we ended in a hostage situation against a group of jounin. Then we decided to do some D ranks and we got involved in an inter tribe war fighting plotted by a group of special jounin. Then we went in an archeologic expedition in which we fought a different group of ninjas who wanted to do break and entry in an S rank ninja base (which actually was the less dangerous mission we had with him, in part due to Chuichi not being with us for the most part of it). I'm not sure what kind of mission Emiko's thinking about but if she wants him to deliver a message or something like that he will probably end up in the middle of a Kage battle or something like that
I'll tell you about it later… but it's very important. It's something I can only give to someone I trust. We'll be leaving the base soon, if you're going to be parting ways with us then, then I'll have to choose someone else."
"I… won't be," Chuichi said. "But I can't be involved too deeply. Tell me what the mission is, I'll…"
So the academy teacher isn't leaving yet, though if he doesn't want to be involved it doesn't look like he is going to stay forever. It makes sense, kids grow up and all that. Soon he will have to go to chase his teaching dream somewhere else.
"I understand," Emiko said. "You're more loyal to me than you should be. Back at the camp, there was… there were many reasons to turn on me. And yet you didn't. I value loyalty. It's the curse of the missing-nin to both need loyalty and to have trouble with it.
Or we wouldn't be here, would we? Have you thought about my offer?"
"I… didn't believe it," Chuichi admitted, while Shizue frowned and tried to understand. "Now I almost do believe it. You can talk to me about it later."
Ok, who wants to bet about what did she propose to him that's so hard to believe? Let's go through the options.
1) Do you want to work for me? I need a good secretary.
2) Chuichi, Do you want to take the kids as your students?
3) Do you want to buy a secret base? It has a nice view to the dessert.
4) Actually I have another three students. Do you want them?
5) Hey, I know a hot missing nin friend that wants to meet you. Are you interested?
6) I'm planning on taking down Hidden Road. Do you want in?
7) Do you want to fund a Ninja village together?
8) Hey, I was thinking that I don't have enough students. Do you want to be my disciple too?
9) Hey, Do you want to be my back up plan? If we are both single by when we are 30 we can marry each other.
10) Hey Chuichi, wanna save the world? I will make a hero out of you!
11) I might be able to make a village take you in. Interested?
How do you feel about teaching chakra to civilians?
Shizue was leaning against a wall, trying to figure out what was going on, exactly. Emiko felt like she was… more open than she'd been at any previous time. It was clear that she was doing it for a reason. That she had a purpose to all of it. But Shizue was aware that Emiko had always been a little hard to… figure out.
Good to see that nothing has changed since the beginning of the quest: We have no idea why she does stuff and everything has from a second to an eleventh motive behind it.
My guess is that she is trying to be more open because a) She wants to show she cares b) the whole mysterious omniscient boss thing was getting out of hand and c) lieutenants need a bit more info.
So for an extra week we are still free game. Also, this means that we can finally participate in the Chunin exams as Watari nin (well, not really, unless we find a Watari nin to go with us since Emiko is still wanted). The big one with both big and small ninja villages is next winter so we have a full year to train for it. I propose as minimum requirements to get a third puppet, polish our secondary means of attack to high C rank/low B rank and that we are better at our lowest skills than an academy student. We will have the problem that we have one odd person for the team divisions but we will probably take someone more along the way.
War is probably coming, almost certainly if someone doesn't stop it. And even then, it might merely be enough to push it back, as I and others have in the past.
I underestimated the degree to which anyone under my care won't be safe. Will be part of the games and schemes of missing-nin no matter how hard I try to protect them. Yet the world out there isn't safe either.
That's a gross understatement. Just to make a list of our enemies we have Isao, The Grey Man, Hidden Road, Takuma, Ken the gentleman, Hidden Beast. Then there are the other dangers: Yogure, Kuromachi Takamori, Shin Sekai, the Spider, every ninja who wants Emiko's bounty… and the war. Not a fun place.
If war comes, then if you actually continue to be a missing-nin, you will almost certainly lose each other. Perhaps some of you will survive, but… I know what war is. I know it as well as Jitsuko-chan. But I've come to very different conclusions. She's no doubt given you a lecture, but here's mine."
Conclusions that she came up with her bloodline limit, which can be affected by the users preconceptions. Now, I wonder which conclusions she reached, since Emiko's seem to be that war should be avoided at all costs. Jitsuko didn't seem pro-war to me, but she is a revolutionary. Maybe she thinks that period of peace and war are cyclical, or that the only way to produce actual change is by conflict.
That said… the missing nin from one of the big five in the period of Pax Naruto is telling the ones from the Archipelago she knows war. If we didn't respect her, I would say Shizue and Maki should give her the evil eye over that.
Nice thought here, I like it. Emiko focuses in the progress of humanity and how much they can accomplish when they aren't focused in destroying each other. This way of thinking also involves how much potential has each person if you let them grow, which probably was a major factor of why she took ten students.
Yet the backstories of Hidden Reef's genin still involved death, revenge, madness, treason, more death, shunning from the whole village, clan genocide, rape and who knows what else. Talk about a backwards place. Bah, depending how it turns out we could say it was advanced for its time.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. The point is that this peace, and trying to maintain it, is something I'd die for. Easily. Without a single regret, or I'd thought that a year ago.
D'aww, she loves us. Does this count as saving her from her suicidal tendencies?
Also, when Jitsuko was here she was trying to convince Emiko away from that path. Which means that it could all have been a plot for Emiko to abandon her mission (unlikely). Also if she managed to fool Jitsuko you would have to wonder which memories Emiko erased to do that, as since she managed to fool her it probably means she wasn't thinking like this when she was here. She said before that part of why she took so many students was because after talking with us and knowing all of us better she had a hard time imagining leaving us there to die. I don't think she erased all of her memories with us since would make her interactions with us change too drastically and had a higher risk of discovery, but maybe she did something partial? Like making some memories leave a lesser impression while making others be remembered more easily? That way it would be easier to change someone's personality and would be a good way to keep someone driven using the right memories.
Revenge is just a word, and however satisfying it would be, it's not the same as actually helping something. It'd be very nice, and I hope to get everything I ever wanted. I thought so."
"Then we came in?" Maki asked, sounding almost incredulous.
"You want it, but that's not what you can offer us, is it?" Shizue asked. "And yet I'm sure you understand that many of us would stay with you even if you didn't… if you didn't have such a cause."
Just as Shizue, the reason the rest are following Emiko is for loyalty for her. If they had to choose between world peace and her life I think that more than half would choose her life.
The thought may be too abstract for her. Several times she thought that she would die for her group, so whether she would sacrifice herself for peace or not may depends if she thinks that's the way his group can live peacefully.
but… she understood the sentiment. How many people had died for nothing more than Reef's advancement, the vague promise of future peace? And now, with peace here and within the reach of all, people were trying to knock it down, didn't seem to understand how precious it was.
Weirder still is that people will be willing to die to knock peace down. Which leads to the truth people don't need a good reason to die. Most don't need a reason, period.
"It's a reason that'd be enough for many to fight for you--" Shizue began.
"I don't want them to fight for me. I don't want to… I want to keep you safe," Emiko said, speaking more quickly for a moment, before she took her breath and said so evenly.
I don't remember Seiichiro's, unless she is talking about when he was taken hostage in camp Zenzho. I would have named Akachi being tortured before naming him, or Saya being burnt in Land of Tea.
Excellent, it's nice to update the mental classification of our strength level. I still find it weird that we consider us about chunin level with 24 taijutsu and 10 and 11 in short blades/shurikenjutsu. And only knowing 1 C rank jutsu at level 1 (sound clone). On the other hand, we have effective puppetry over 50 (B rank or special jounin).
At least, those of us who are thirteen are all around the level and skill of chunin." Maki shrugged. "This bodes well for your training methods, and they are an extension of the care you feel towards others."
Now she just has to compile them in a book and sell them to the villages! "How to become chunin in a year" by Iwasaki Emiko. Or "Chunin exam for dummies"
Is this a good moment to remind that we have never trained whatever Emiko wanted us to train? We practiced taijutsu for a while until she stopped watching us, but didn't really bother with earth jutsu or genjutsu, plus we neglected the other basics…
Hey, we are going to look for our cousin after so long. It has been… 5 months? Shame we only have to show him low C rank explosives and rank 1 of Explosive Fuzing after he went out of his way to make a scroll with the basic techniques of the clan. I wonder how strong they became. I don't think they got higher ranked missions and fights than us, so that would limit the amount of xp they got but on the other hand they have a more personalized training regime and a more stable environment to train. Plus they are only three, so they must be more used to working together than us. Maybe we can organize a sparring session?
Another thing to look forwards to is getting news of what's happening in the Archipelago, as Hachiro must be keeping up with the news. He wanted to see if he could rescue his brother if there was a chance but I guess it's too early for that kind of mission.
And from there? I am not sure. I think I need to get back into the thick of things, but in a very different way from before. I need to create alliances, and win powerful enough allies that they can, say, help with a certain… S-rank organizational problem." Emiko sighed, and turned back to her beakers. "I have a few contacts, but I need something more than that. I have an idea for how to get it."
So, are the next arcs going to be focused on meeting more missing ninjas and visiting villages? Making an information network? Since we just rose social we should take this chance to make some contacts and allies ourselves so in case of an emergency we can get some help without having to go through Emiko. Maybe even start throwing our name out there to get some reputation. It would make getting jobs easier.
"You should wait before assuming we'll all part our ways, at least until we get back near Lock. Once we're all together, we can make our individual decisions there," Shizue said.
Right, Lock was one of the starting options and when we left Reef there was a moment in which we crossed path with a dozen or so Lock ninjas. There's a plot that we don't know about. We will have to deal with them too, since their main business is trading information. Plus, there's this girl:
Munme (Translation of last name...Moon eye)Hana: A powerful new Jounin at an unheard of age, only sixteen, she is a orphan prodigy disturbed--though she hides it well--with the new secrets she has been entrusted with. Recently a cloaked man has come to her, offering her power in exchange for knowledge, and speaking of how much might be gained in certain actions, for the good of the village...time will tell how she responds to these insinuations by this strange Ninja, who seems to appear and disappear at will, and moves when she can see him in a blur, beyond her (considerable, for she was said to be able to spot even a single bent blade of grass from a half-mile away) ocular prowess.
A promising Jounin (even younger than the Mizukage) that could end up being S rank given enough time and that has been approached by mysterious ninja that may or may not be part of Yogure is something we want to keep tabs on.
"Yes," Emiko said with a thoughtful nod. "I'll give the option here, but I am aware that a desert is a pretty bad place to start one's missing-nin career."
It's arid-iculous place to start a missing nin career. The nomads are always dry on money to hire ninjas, and in the desert there isn't a shore way to find water. All said and dune it would be a mirage-cle if they survived there.
On the other hand, I can't think any career that would benefit from starting in a desert.
"I have the formula for those experimental drugs if you want to leave. We don't know if they work nor the side effects they will cause and you will be without a medic nin or poison expert at hand to solve it if something's wrong, but you are free to go".
The nobler Emiko's cause sounds, the more leaving her sounds like betrayal. The medical plan also helps: It is was made Reef the greatest of the three villages and it is what makes the Emikolle the best roaming band of missing nin, the experimental drugs to deal with exotic mental conditions!
Truly, Zenzo would be proud of how far we have come.
An incredible demanding job, without pay, that nobody asked her to do and which doesn't give her many benefits and actually hindrances her lifetime goals.
I have heard, Shizue-chan, that Junko-chan might have a mental illness of some form. An obsessive desire to steal things for no reason can be a sign of… problems. Problems that I should have seen coming." Emiko shook her head.
She was the first to realize she had a problem, though maybe she didn't imagine it was an illness. One of Emiko's complexes it's that she believes that she must be able to predict everything and can't fail in any aspect of her professional job. We know that she is a civilian orphan and wasn't that strong in her early years, so maybe being always prepared was how she made herself be useful for her team. That progressed until it became her role and part of her personality, and that the stakes got higher as time progressed didn't help. Now she is stuck in a role that she is comfortable with, but that places –or make her place- unreasonable expectations on herself, which causes stress. It is our duty as her students to make her relax (actually no, our duty is to make her worry, but that doesn't particularly help her).
"I don't think it's particularly wise of you to take on the sort of position you've had, to be a sort of older sister for people your age. Psychologically it's a terrible idea.
But if you are going to do that. I could give a few… pointers. And none of them about how to make people think you're watching them all the time. Though, if you do want to learn…"
Shizue cracked a smile, and sat down on the ground, ready to listen.
So, perception/social/stealth training? If you want to make people to think you are watching them you could drop hints of things you aren't supposed to know, which you could adquire through deduction (intelligence), picking details in conversations (social and perception), saying things that sound like you know what you are talking about even when you aren't (power and perception), actually watching them (Stealth agility and perception) or using spying devices (traps). It would bea little unnerving if our teammates thought that SHIZUE IS ALWAYS LISTENING, although I can see the appeal.
Also, obligatory:
Emiko: I think I will train you in social stuff for a while. You know, how to manage a group better.
*One month later*
Shizue: I can do genjutsu now! And bigger bombs!
Emiko: what
"It's pretty simple," Shizue said, with a frown, glancing over at Saya and Ichiman. "I'm clearly long range, right?"
"Well, sort of. Medium?" Saya was frowning too, but while Shizue's frown was uncertain, hers was thoughtful. "I get what you're saying, and Ichiman knows it. It's his whole style, after all, darling. But how do we obscure that fact? He's a person with a spear, of course he has a trick."
"Just like you have a trick. Everyone has tricks. The exact trick is what matters," Shizue said. "Medium works even better. If you're defending Ryuko, then they think it's a trade-off, don't they?" Shizue snapped her fingers. "She does long range, you do close, so if they get close up, but just out of reach, they could hurt her and you'd have to let them."
"I am protecting my teammates," Ichiman said, firmly. "Not the puppets."
"The puppets are your teammates. Or rather, they're me. Without them I'm not all that much good in a fight like this. If you can't think that way." Shizue tried not to raise her voice, but there was stress here, and tension. She was saying the wrong things, sometimes, and so were they, so was everyone. In two days they were going to fight impossible odds, and they were going to do it with supposed calmness.
They were cool professionals with multiple missions under their belt.
So instead they struggled not to squabble childishly, struggled not to act in a manner completely unbefitting of shinobi, because there was no outlet now. Nobody was going to listen to Shizue's music practice that'd stopped, or the records either. Nobody was hanging out at all, because that would be a waste.
Shizue knew that people were scrambling and coming up short, that Emiko was stalking around, packing bags and sweeping up. Doing everything, the way she always did, without talking about it, without either apologizing or bragging particularly, without sleeping it seemed like, just like everyone else there.
It wasn't healthy, probably couldn't ever become healthy
Chuichi returned early in the second day, the largest sandstorm Shizue had ever seen at his back, so vast that she suspected a genjutsu, the entire sky blotted out with the movement, the wind howling like a dying man. And there he was, striding through it, looking exhausted but staring right at Shizue and Emiko, at Maki and Saya, the last one having slipped up with them, her fingers splayed out, nails still drying with a new poison of hers, one that she'd developed with Emiko.
"I suppose so darling," is what Saya said now, doubtfully, teeth playing with her lips. Always these nervous gestures, now. Everyone was the same. Shizue tapped rhythms on her own arm, as if it were the surface of a drum, and whistled tunes that were almost cliched--she'd not even make them complex, just old folk songs of the sort that she normally didn't do much, besides transform--and was a different person and knew it. Everyone knew it, too. Everyone knew each others little tells now, and Shizue pointed them out to others.
Blending together, even as the base was falling apart.
Then Saya was waving her hands dry, teeth grit at the storm, as Chuichi approached Emiko. "I am done, Captain-sama. What's the next insane thing you'll have me do?"
Emiko didn't wince. She didn't need to, the careful look on her face said it all. One day Chuichi would walk away from her, and not come back. He'd never betray her but he'd walk away and there was no stopping that, at least without making him an enemy. He'd walk away because he was a good man; he'd stay for just the same reasons. He cared about being a teacher, he cared about Emiko, and all of that meant that Emiko had relied on him in ways that probably weren't fair.
"I… I have a list," Emiko said, quietly. "None of it is beyond your pay grade--"
"That's what you said with the last mission," Chuichi said, with a wry smile that could no doubt turn sour. Perhaps one day it would, and the jokes would be accusations. She wondered what Emiko would do then. If he tried to betray her, well, that was easy: she'd kill him and he'd be yet another regret in the life of a woman that seemed, to Shizue, to have so many regrets piled up that she couldn't see past them.
"It wasn't, not really. Not in that way. She wasn't going to turn you in, my threat helped with that, and--"
"See, this is how you get," Chuichi said with a sigh, stepping towards the entrance. "Talking about people as if they're all pieces--"
"It's all of a piece," Shizue said. "If we can't figure this out, then we'll lose. Stinger-kun can flit from space to space, but Ryuko-chan needs protection, and what better protection than someone unexpected? Your spear, Saya-chan's poisoned nails, my sound-based jutsu--"
"And genjutsu?" Ichiman asked thoughtfully.
"Yes. But I've only just begun working on that. But it will help," Shizue admitted. Of course it will help. Of course there were things she could do now that she couldn't before. But she was still working on that. She wasn't good enough, not yet. "I think that Emiko-sensei is going to have her hands full, and that means we need to help with the hangers-on."
"I believe your boyfriend is rubbing off on me," Saya said, with a grin that was almost… wrong. "Because I was thinking about it like a comic book, where the sidekicks fight the horde of armed bandits so the hero can fight the bandit king." She covered her mouth, glancing around. "I suppose that--"
Shizue rolled her eyes. "Is this some sort of test?"
"Well, maybe dear. Or maybe I like teasing you," Saya said with a smirk. "Akachi-kun is quite unfortunately indisposed, and lately he's been so droll. So someone must pick up the slack."
That at least gave Shizue a reason to chuckle, just like Saya had planned on. She even sounded a little like Akachi, something about her tone. Maybe, even as Saya was rubbing off on Maki, Maki was doing the same the other way around. Little mannerisms. It'd be interesting if it was so.
Maki already was Saya's best friend, after all, and perhaps Shizue should've asked for advice, since clearly there was a way not to be frustrated with Saya half the time. Maybe Maki's Shomeigan helped with that. Maybe not.
"Which is why I want to apologize," Emiko said. "I'm doing things that… you're my friend. Friends are willing to do these things for each other, but--"
"And here we go again, we're friends, but--"
Emiko laughed. "But they shouldn't have to. I know you'd do it for me if I asked, if I kept on asking until you got fed up. But I'm willing to pay you, I really am. A-rank rates, too. Not because I want to be your employer or own you, but because for everything you've done you should be well compensated. Helping me with them, it's something that deserves more than a pat on the shoulder and a smile." She nodded to herself. "I hope you understand what I mean. You can throw the money away, you can say it's too much of a gift. But we're coming in. I'm going to make you tea and food and give you more money than you can do anything with right now, and then in a few hours, we can see about…"
Chuichi stared. "Well. Okay then."
Emiko's smile was startlingly, almost gratifyingly, smug.
Shizue's smile was incredulously pleased. Emiko could charm people all she wanted, she was good at it, but being that blunt and forward about someone who mattered to her? Well, it was certainly something.
Chuichi was back out again by the evening, but this time he was in a far better mood.
"It's not inaccurate, though," Shizue said. "We should pick one hunter-nin, maybe but probably not two, and try to deal with them, get them separated… or Ken-san, if he shows up."
"Akachi wants to kill him very, very badly," Saya said.
"I can understand that," Shizue said.
"When I asked him what he meant by badly, he said that he both wanted it very much and wanted it to be horrible and terrible," Saya said, with a… pleased little grin that made Shizue shiver. It was a smile she'd never seen on Saya's face, nor had she ever seen the ghoulish gleam to her eyes.
Trying not to be too obvious about it, Shizue changed the subject.
[Opening Credits]
Shizue frowned, running her fingers over the lovely material. It was so useful, so potentially surprising, that she was sure that this was at least a large part of what Emiko had meant. It wouldn't stop the kind of A-rank jutsu that could kill a Chunin dead in a single hit… but then, who could, precisely? Maybe Ginchiyo, actually, with that sword of hers. But among the people she knew? An A-rank jutsu was bad news and she wasn't going to be going after someone who might be able to throw them around like they were, almost, nothing.
If she was, then there was no trick that was going to save her.
Emiko was going to be occupying him, and since he needed her alive, that'd put quite a crimp in his fighting. Shizue wasn't sure how much, but she knew that she'd need more than the springs, more than the rubber, as useful as it was. There was something else, and it itched at her fingers, the ideas, strange and a little desperate.
One idea involved using genjutsu to hide the rubber… by failing to hide things. She'd create a genjutsu that made the skin of the puppet look unharmed or less affected by the attacks of enemies… which of course would secretly be cover for the fact that they were less affected. But she was a novice, and so it'd look like a simple bluff, an intimidation tactic. And if they saw through it to the truth? Well, it wouldn't change a thing.
Then there was the self-destruct, the jaws of death, she could also try a better conception of the net-trap attack she'd worked on with such care and misplaced attention all the way back… a year and a change ago.
That left Shizue standing there, blinking, for almost a minute, ambushed by her own memories and just how much had changed in how little time. She'd always been good with puppets, but she was only getting better, sharper. She knew her two friends like the back of her hand. Better, in fact, since she rarely looked at her hand for fun, whereas she looked at them sometimes, just to see them.
But there was only so much she could do.
Stat Spending (Uses the same spread as any other shinobi)
[] Armament
[] Structure
[] Design
[] Agility
Points! 44 free points for Stinger, 55 for Ryuko. There's only time for moderate tweaks to the core, so ((Cont later))
[] Jaws of Death (Stinger): Opening up, it gives Stinger a (potentially) killing move, that can catch the enemy's limb and possibly remove it, if she was so inclined. It's a second mouth, sort of, and so that's why she named it so. (Can't take without either buying up Design or replacing something. Name what if so.) (Two slots)
[] Winged Extravengances (Ryuko) [25]: Ryuko is a dragon, and a lady too, and yet she has not wings. Flying is of course impossible to put together this quickly, and considering her weight would… well. Shizue tried doing the math, and she'd probably need a new puppet if she was going to even try for flying. But if she did it right, Fuinjutsu and other things could get the girl aloft, and then wings to stretch out and glide downwards… it'd be a perfect trick. Ryuko would be a sitting duck, something to draw attention from dangerous enemies, away from the living, and if they ignored her, then she'd have a height advantage that'd make hitting the enemy far easier. (Costs 2 slots)
[] Self-Destruct (Either/both) [30 points]: Exactly what it sounds, and very carefully hidden, it will be made so that it won't go off easily. Heavily packed, liquid and solid, even backed up with Fuinjutsu. One shouldn't be within… hundreds and hundreds of feet of them when they go off, and you'd probably be okay. Shizue might have been inspired by a certain experience of hers. It's a last-ditch idea, but… if she needs everything in a hundred foot radius destroyed without more than a few traces left… (Costs three slots).
[] Tanglenet Shocker (Either) [24]: Shizue's finally figured out how to make this work. The net is carefully compressed and comes out to grab the enemy, or a limb. And the shock is enough that it'd take down a civilian, and should be enough to at least inconvenience a shinobi. And she can carefully make it so that there's metal amidst the rope, so cutting it would be… less effective than expected. And it'd help conduct the electricity. Perfect. Probably not lethal. Probably. (1 slot)
SPECIALS:
Metal Armor: Stinger gains Armor 3
Wires: +3 to Agility, ???
Teardrop Rubber Bracers: When chakra flow is used to enhance an attack against Stinger, it is completely nullified if the attacker's chakra flow skill is lower than 32, and reduced by a progressively lower amount if it is higher.
Deployable Shields: Stinger's bracers may change form into forearm shields. The Bracer advantage does not apply in this mode, but Stinger is able to ignore E and D-rank attack jutsu, and jutsu of C-rank and above are reduced by a progressively lower amount.
Stealthy Puppet (5): Through the clever use of painting and finding ways to muffle the various sounds a machine is likely to make, the agility of this puppet acts as 5 points higher when sneaking.
Sound Generator (5): This puppet has been outfitted with bells and chimes that can generate the noise required for low-level Sound jutsu to work, mounted so that they stay silent until activated.
Ball-Joint Flexibility (4): A puppet is more flexible than any human can be, when made well. For the purpose of Taijutsu and evading attacks, it can count its score as 4 points higher, and is thus much harder to land a 'solid hit' on.
Internal Armoring (8) : There are many important gears, joints and parts to be protected in this complex puppet, and so Shizue has decided to work on that by putting in internal protection without sacrificing the speed of the puppet in any way. Stinger is able to ignore one internal critical. The internal protection needs to be repaired before it can apply again.
Waterproofing (8) : While Shizue is pretty sure the puppet *shouldn't* be submerged in water, and it creates difficulty, being soaked using, say, water jutsu is no problem with its tight joints and waterproof materials, and it can be completely soaked and yet unaffected, important considering the area.
Wired Reflexes (3): Agility is increased by 2 for the purposes of acting first, quick reactions.
Cloak and Dagger (Free): +1 to Stealth rolls, cooler puppet
Spring Loaded (6): Boy, won't that be a surprise! (THIS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED)
Every Joint a Puzzle (10): By creating a flexible physical design that includes many points of rotation, Stinger can be made stranger, his motions harder to track, so long as Shizue knows how to control him just right. For the first five rounds of combat, while opponents are getting used to the strange motions, Stinger's agility counts as 4 higher for the purpose of dodging or deflection of attacks. Upon a second fight with the same opponent, it only takes them three rounds, and if someone's still alive after 3 fights (they shouldn't be if they're not an ally), there's no bonus against them. Two slots.
Extending Arms (12): Completely stolen from watching...I mean, based on Ichiman's spear-extension jutsu, a careful hydraulic process can make the length of the arms extend in mid-stab, thus turning a near-miss into a hit. Because of various factors, it's somewhat more predictable than Ichiman's jutsu, and so after a number of times of using it, an opponent will begin to compensate for it, but in the meantime, it's an effective way to continue to keep up the surprises. (How big a bonus? This is basically all fluff and no crunch)
Enhanced Taijutsu-ification (28): Modifying the body to more easily be able to use taijutsu, Shizue will then 'teach' the puppet the basics of Suna Ryu. It's...a little complicated, but certainly possible to program in responses to chakra twitches that mimic the complicated forms she has learned as best she can. Three slots. Suna Ryu Rank 2
Thrust-Stab (14): Using the principles that she's studied, she could make the kunai themselves spring-loaded, so that on a successful attack, the stab could go deeper and further than expected, dealing one round of damage at 1/1.
SPECIAL
Metal Armor: Ryuko gains Armor 5
Wires: +3 to Agility, ???
Teardrop Rubber:
Internal: Internal critical hits from E & and D-rank jutsu are completely negated.
Front Armor: E & D-rank attack jutsu hitting Ryuko from the front are completely negated. C-rank and above are reduced by a progressively lower amount.
Tail: When Ryuko blocks against an attack enhanced using chakra flow, the chakra flow is completely nullified if the attacker's skill level is 32 lower, and reduced by a progressively lower amount if it is higher.
Whip-tail (16): If someone gets close, or tries to get behind the puppet, then something needs to be done. A spiked tail would be just the thing. It'd be her primary melee attack, and a last ditch matter, but it could be cunningly designed to be able to extend and retract, and the spiked ball at the end would hurt quite a bit. (Melee weapon: 1/1 damage).
Enhanced Dragon's Roar (28): Creates a massive pulse of intense sound strong enough to translate into physical force in a 60ft narrow cone. Anybody within the area of effect takes 6 + 1/2 (max. 30) damage, is knocked back 10ft, knocked down and suffers a -6 penalty to all actions for the next round due to their head ringing from the intense pulse of sound.
Grip Claws (12): Climbing up the walls isn't easy, but with specially designed grip claws, even if the puppet can't really run on the walls as a ninja can, it could use the walls as a platform, or as a way to escape attacks, digging its claws in and stabilizing itself before preparing an attack. (Allows Ryuko to wall walk slowly on surfaces strong enough to support her, +4 to hit bonus with ranged attacks if puppet does not move this round.)
Main Weapon (100):
-Enhanced Embershot Thrower: Spits three projectiles of red hot, glowing embers at up to three targets within a 60ft narrow cone, doing 7 + 1/3 (max. 23) damage.
-Enhanced Piercing Winds. Shoots a spear of piercing wind at a single target within 80ft, doing 11 + 1/2 (max. 35) damage.
-Oilslick Attack: By 'vomiting' up an oil slick, Ryuko can unbalance enemies, making them slip and slide. (Spits out a stream of slippery oil to cover the ground in a 25ft narrow cone. The oil lasts for five rounds; anybody who passes through the affected area must succeed in an Agility check against Ryuko's Armament stat or fall prone. Even if successful, they suffer a -6 penalty to all physical actions while in the affected area due to uncertain footing.)
Bomb Thrower (24): Launches an explosive bomb at any point within a 80ft narrow cone. On the next round the bomb explodes, doing 6 + 1/1 (max. 54) damage to anybody within (x)ft. This damage ignores armor. This weapon has limited uses before it must be reloaded back at Shizue's workshop; the bomb thrower's magazine contains five rounds.
*******
"Simple fact," Emiko said, looking over at Maki, then Shizue. "The Grey Man's name doesn't actually matter. I'm pretty sure that his mother looked down at him and said, 'Ah, I have given birth to the Gray Man.' I have never heard another living soul speak his exact name referring to him. Ever. So I might just use it all the time to throw him off. His name is Inoue Koji and he's a third-generation shinobi, in his late fifties by now, a revolutionary in his field, for having turned Iwa's hunter-nin around. Skilled, too. In his youth he once took down an S-rank criminal when he was a Special Jonin."
"He had a few allies, but the whole team was as green as him. The S-ranker wasn't like Jitsuko-chan, or he'd be dead, but he was very good at being the underdog, and very, very terrifying. He had this affectation, of gaining weight, of smoking, of dressing like a third-rate banker, and yet doing what he does. He thinks it amusing, a regular Akachi-kun, even though you'd think he had no humor at all, the way he acts. The old-timers who tell stories of stories with a shudder said he always fought as if he were the underdog who had to spike the fight as much as humanly possible. He'd be fighting a peer and the peer might as well have been a child."
Maki frowned, but there was a look of frustration on her face that Shizue understood. It sounded terrifying, and if even before he was a Jonin, he could take out a S-ranker with a green team, then now with an elite group that Emiko clearly feared…
"But there's good news. Over the past decade, while he hasn't appeared to age a day, he's gotten sloppy."
Maki's eyes went bright at that. "Oh, really?"
"Not that sloppy. Just cutting a few minor corners, and not in the pursuit, always. He's the big dog now, with an entire team of experts hand-picked and trained by him, Jonin who know what they're doing and aren't going to lose. He doesn't have to approach each encounter as if a single mistake meant instant death. I'm pretty sure if he were facing someone like Jitsuko-chan, he'd revert to his old pattern. But me? I'm pretty sure he'll try all sorts of things, and treat me deadly serious, but he knows he can beat me. That's a straight up fact for him, and even with all of my new training, it's still true."
"Then why are you--" Shizue began.
"Because I have aces up my sleeves. The more people that know, though, the worse the surprise will be." Emiko sighed. "I don't like lying to you--"
Shizue gaped at the affrontry of that comment.
"Okay, I think lying to you is a bad idea," Emiko said, with a wry smile. "And yet I keep on doing it. It is as if I am a shinobi or something like that."
Maki, of course, who had lied and lied to herself and everyone in dozens of ways for her entire life, was far too wise to comment.
"So, Maki-chan, I'm going to give you a mission that might well kill you, and so I honestly want you to refuse but you won't and I need you. I need you to make sure that Ken-san gets there. Infiltrate the ranch, kill someone and replace them if you really must, as long as you're watching. Even if it has to be in a male guise, for this stage of things." Emiko looked as if that, even more than the killing, even more than the risk, was what she was most worried about. Maybe she was: after all, infiltration was always dangerous, and killing people to replace them was not all that uncommon.
"I… I'll try my best," Maki said. "I'll need to prepare ahead of time, though."
"Of course you will," Emiko said. "Now, there are only two people I know will be there. First, there's the Grey Man. His primary focuses are ninjutsu and taijutsu though he's slacked on the latter in his old age. He's great at earth, has some very clever water and wind techniques… and he's somehow stolen a number of secret techniques for himself, including some from the Village Hidden in the Smoke. So expect smoke clones, and for him to use that dreadful cigar of his as a weapon. He's very good at infiltration, but he doesn't have your natural talent, Maki-chan. Then again, neither do I. People don't expect that, him looking as he does. It makes him obvious enough that nowadays he often is the bait, or the threat to push someone into the arms of his team. He's stealthy, but truly no match for me, pretty regular Jonin there. Oh, and poisons. His cigars are all poisoned, and the smoke has special properties too. Ones that he combines with the smoke jutsu rather well." Emiko said it all drily, as if she were bored by her own analysis. "All of this tells you far too little about what it is to fight him. I do know how to fight the other one."
Emiko sighed. "There was a childish taunt. I took very little notice of it, really. In the letter, that is. It was absurd. It was the work of a fool. That's all. Just another fool, you know the sort. The sort who trained with me, one of my former teammates. Hayashi Kyo is a fool, and was only just recently promoted to Jonin. If he's here, it's because he supposedly knows me, because surely I like my teammates. I don't care about him either way."
Shizue didn't believe it, knew Maki didn't either. Emiko was too distressed, talking too fast, even despite being almost deathly calm. As if she were trying to get the words out before she revealed the shocking secret that she had emotions. A secret that was long since out, mind. A long time ago.
"Ah, and his fighting style?" Maki asked.
"Ninjutsu, taijutsu, again. He's a competent enough Jonin, but literally nothing special beyond that. He has a trick or two with poisons he picked up after I left, and he's decent at countering genjutsu, but from external reports on his fighting and work, it's hard to think, sometimes. That I was ever worried about him, that I ever thought that his dismissal of me as weak was significant." She sighed. "The Grey Man wishes for me to make a mistake, to charge in after him or try to prove him wrong by fighting a conventional fight against all of them. It's clever, I'll give them that. But I'm not going to allow it to happen."
"With Hayashi do you want us to make sure not to kill him? Or… make sure to do so if we get a chance, or--"
Shizue couldn't imagine hating a teammate. She really, really couldn't. But not everyone chose their teammates, not everyone was so lucky, and she hoped the fear wasn't evident in her voice.
Emiko shook her head. "No. Treat him like anyone else. That'll be a revenge of sorts, knowing what I am now and what he is. Missing-Nin though I am, a liar and a coward--"
Coward, that was a new insult for her to hurl at herself, and Shizue had no idea how she could think--
"I am many things. But I am not a mediocre shinobi. That counts for a long more than it perhaps should, but there we go. So, Shizue-chan, have you thought about who you're going to be with? Obviously, if all goes well, all of you will fight together against your target or targets."
Ah, that question. Well, if it came down to making the mistake of dividing and conquering, the people who knew to stick close to her, and who she'd stick close to, were…
Who? (Choose 2, and choose wisely)
[] Ichiman. Good at short and medium range, he's been working on his jutsu, and he almost has enough Fuinjutsu skill to be able to use it in battle. Certainly, he can augment her mines with his fuinjutsu seals, if need be. Additionally, he's been working on his chakra flow, which might make a good counter-threat, and draw attention away from her puppets. At a great distance, though, he's in trouble.
[] Saya is best close up. Very close up. Her poisons are terrifying, her Taijutsu is good enough that Emiko's… not losing, not at all. Even just in Taijutsu. But it's obvious by now which one of them is more likely to wind up a Taijutsu-master. That said, as a little berserker, she can sometimes be pulled too far, and at a distance, she has no move except to close the gap.
[] Okiie, her boyfriend, a person with far too many jutsu. He's great at getting away now… from peers. Whether this will translate into escape in other ways isn't known, but he's definitely not slacking off. His crowd control and area denial could certainly help compliment Ryuko.
[] Akachi is different. In fights, he's fast, precise, so deadly from medium and long range it really is obscene to see. He draws in a single moment, he throws in a single moment, and woe betide anyone who is in his way. He even has a belt like his mentor. And when Shizue had gotten close to him in a fight, he could've gutted her like a fish. Now, against a Jonin, again, but…
[] Yuichi and Seiichiro. In some ways they're outclassed, and they're meant to stay back, but in a crisis… they'll be there. They'll be there, and Yuichi's genjutsu/taijutsu combo is actually hard to fight against, making him a good choice to get in, get a few hits, and get out. And Seiichiro's taking to his katana, and more than that he's starting to get at least a little clever. He's an idiot, a lot of the time, but he's a loud one that knows how to be distracting, which might be valuable when it comes down to it.
*****
A/N: So, we're not there yet, but it's getting closer. Hope you enjoyed.
[X] Ichiman. Good at short and medium range, he's been working on his jutsu, and he almost has enough Fuinjutsu skill to be able to use it in battle. Certainly, he can augment her mines with his fuinjutsu seals, if need be. Additionally, he's been working on his chakra flow, which might make a good counter-threat, and draw attention away from her puppets. At a great distance, though, he's in trouble.
[X] Okiie, her boyfriend, a person with far too many jutsu. He's great at getting away now… from peers. Whether this will translate into escape in other ways isn't known, but he's definitely not slacking off. His crowd control and area denial could certainly help compliment Ryuko.
Narratively speaking a self destruct seems like a good idea to me. We did just experience first hand how powerful it can be, so incorporating it into our designs seems appropriate.
In any case, I'm thinking Ichiman for sure, and Akachi to complement.
Okiie has a few too many emotional strings attached, and I don't feel confident his relatively low ranking Jutsu will work well on opponents beyond his level.
Narratively speaking a self destruct seems like a good idea to me. We did just experience first hand how powerful it can be, so incorporating it into our designs seems appropriate.
In any case, I'm thinking Ichiman for sure, and Akachi to complement.
Okiie has a few too many emotional strings attached, and I don't feel confident his relatively low ranking Jutsu will work well on opponents beyond his level.
