Okay, so with that context, we should talk about who we want to bring, knowing it isn't life or death (we can also tell Naruto the story about the scroll Hunt if we need a second excuse to go out of town after Akatsuki asks about us the first time, if we don't just cut and run at that point.
Kei is honestly pretty busy running things these days, and Naruto listens to her, especially given KEI history. Removing her I think it's worse for us.
Kagome is a yes. Extra seal research. We can do a better job trying to kill Akatsuki AND do Rift research with him, and prepared ground gets better with him. Plus, since his fighting style doesn't involve using Chakra, he can just summon? No idea what his reserves are like though.
Noburi... I think we should ask him, tbh. But he lets us FOOM, which is very helpful. And he lets us work on large scale runes without needing to stop, which is very helpful. Especially if we are still trying to help with the great seal (we need to research the rune HOWS, if nothing else), and need bones of creation up (though I do love the idea of it being 1/4 instead of 1/2, because it's derived from ES, and we are very familiar with it narratively and mechanically (please QMs?)). Plus, he's decent in combat, we may need healing in the field, and he has at least some combat summons. But I think "Chakra for Runes and multithread ES prototypes" is a very compelling reason.
Mari: I think we should take one of Mari or Noburi, but not both. First reason, is that the other one should be clan head while we are gone. We want someone who's good with people and shares our ideals to be in charge, so we don't lose out on what Goketsu is while we're gone.
For Mari, downsides are she's not a summoner, so just leaving on a bad fight isn't an option for her, which is rough. Upsides, she's a join, with stats that reflect combat mostly, almost a perfect mirror to Kagome. We could really use firepower to keep us from dying, just in case. Especially if we end up having to fight an Akatsuki pair. With her, we still probably lose. Without her, we definitely lose.
On which note, I'm hoping Mari did learn that whirlwind barrier she got from the trade deal? And we really need to research those "you can't find us" seals Oro gave us".
Other options: Haru is a decent combatant, has been learning stealth, and could teach us lightning (and Sots, if he knows it). Our seal research clan mate would be helpful, but that feels like it really tips our hand. Yuno? A lot of the same reasoning as Mari, just kinda worse (but better, if we see Hidan I guess). If we take Noburi, taking Yuno goes up, in my mind.
Taking our TH teacher? I don't know if he'd go for it, and that would screw over Ino, which I don't love. Maybe we can ask Naruto about other others there, if that's a TH he trusts to come with us?
So, like, Hazou, Kagome, Noburi, Yuno or
HKN or
Hazou, Kagome, Mari
+/- a TH teacher or strong suggestion, is kinda what I'm thinking at this point.
Anyone have any thoughts, now that we have the option to leave without going missing?
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