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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

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Cariyaga said:
Yet. Growth mindset.

(@Dictator4Hire This is your cue)
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Did someone say it's time for a regular reminder that Ino is the best possible political bride Hazou could reasonably hope for?

Get our boy the mind reading social butterfly as a loyal wife and suddenly this quest becomes so much easier.

Got trauma? Have your handy dandy Yamanaka wife clear that up with her clan mind techniques. Who better to trust your and your teammates' minds with than the person you married? (Note: this is why we need Ino to fall in love with Hazou so she will always have his best interests at heart whenever she rummages through his brain. A purely political wife could make things awkward or mess with his head if she doesn't trust him enough or if she finds something we'd rather keep secret. Absolute trust between the two is needed for the best possible outcome.)

Need to verify if someone is telling the truth? Just have her scan the mind of the person in question to know for certain.

Want to extract a captured enemy's most cherished secrets techniques? There's a Yamanaka mind jutsu for that (probably).

Need to gain some political capital? Marrying the heir of a noble clan is a great step to advance your social position.

Don't understand the complexities and nuances of Leaf politics and want to focus on other stuff? Just have your socially savvy wife pursue your political agenda for you while you do something else like seal research. As a clan heir she has most likely been trained for politics since she could talk. Who better to help us with Leaf politics than someone who was preparing to do it anyway?

Press 1 for more pro-Ino-as-a-wife arguments, even though you shouldn't really need them since no other candidate comes even remotely close in terms of shear value as a partner.

#MakeHazouMarryIno
 
Cariyaga said:
@faflec There is no talking with the rest of the team -- we've already left. The plan should instead be focusing on detox with Akane and Noburi.
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Eh. I'll keep it, and make a note that if we've already left, we do this with Akane and Noburi first and then with Keiko/Kagome when we get back.
Kiba said:
@faflec on talk with Akane: Overhaul the system, not destroying the system.
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I'll put "changing" the system, is that still good?
The plan, with the above changes. Also added spoilers.
faflec said:
Here's a basic plan that does nothing but what the mission entails, plus a (mostly-empty) conversation with Akane. Obviously it's boring as shit. Feedback and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[X] Action Plan: Rationalization

Goals:
  • Survive.
  • Maintain a positive mindset.
  • Continue the mission.
  • Reassure the team.

Methods:
  • General:
    • Follow Akane's lead while she's our sub-team leader. Follow Minami's lead before we leave, and after we regroup.
    • Try to avoid triggering Minami's insecurities.
      • She's team leader, but she inherited a team who treats her as an outsider. Avoid reminding her of this.
    • When moving, minimize chatter in favor of alertness.
  • Main Questline:
      • (Almost) nonstop 15-16hr run back.
      • Break only when we need to replace Skywalkers.
        • Take this time to replenish chakra, food, and water.
        • Noburi should check on the prisoners to ensure they are alive but chakra-drained. Unconscious if appropriate.
          • First ask Noburi if there are consequences to keeping them unconscious/chakra-drained for this long. If there is no issue, suggest we do this.
        • If SOP, slightly hydrate the prisoners.
          • Check based on standard for prisoner exchange (MInami/Jiraiya should have said something offscreen) and Noburi's knowledge as a medic.
      • First time we get the chance, check Goda & his retinue for false teeth/cyanide capsules/other suicide methods.
        • (DON'T SAY OR SUGGEST THIS OUT LOUD) Just in case Minami missed it. She did seem out of it.
      • If we MUST stop to sleep, set up a Skytower and sleep. Keep shifts.
      • Drop off Goda and his ninja bodyguards. Also give the intel we recovered.
        • Ask if they want us to wake them up via chakra water.
      • If prompted, give a mission debriefing.
      • Collect weapons & food supplies.
        • See if we can get a spyglass or telescope. Ask Mari-sensei or Jiraiya if we get the chance to talk with them.
      • Take some time to rest after our run. Keep shifts.
        • If allowed, sleep in Konoha. Our old apartment, or estate if Jiraiya bought it.
        • If not allowed, head a ways to our destination, set up a Skywalker, and then sleep.
      • Skywalk back to the team.
        • It's a 22 hour run (to Nagi Island, on average). Don't exhaust ourselves with a second all-nighter.
  • Reassure Team Uplift before we leave.
    • Be respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
      • People died, and that sucks.
      • I want to focus on the positive: we accomplished what we set out to do.
        • Keiko, you demonstrated just how powerful and useful your pangolins are, exactly as you said they would be.
        • Noburi, you dealt with that situation with surgical precision: no non-combatants were killed in the takedown and you effortlessly captured two experienced ninja with no risk to our team.
        • We didn't mess up and accidentally kill Goda despite the fight between several Chunin or better combatants.
      • Given our status as a heavy-combat squad I don't know if we could have done any more.
      • BUT as we get stronger and stronger, we'll gain the skill and ability to do better, and next time hopefully have other options than hurting innocents.
    • If we've already left, do this with Akane and Noburi first, and then repeat with Keiko and Kagome when we get back.
  • Complete an After-Action Report.
    • Do the report after we regroup with the team, as time permits.
    • Keep in mind Minami still considers us to be the Cold Stone Killers/outsiders.
      • Disguising our trump card usages so we might not need to kill witnesses
        • Disguise Pangolins using physical coverings or Henge. Ask Pangolins in future?
        • Apply Mist first, then Pangolins attack while LOS is blocked using Mist.
      • Timing between the air-team landing and the boat team?
        • Not a problem this time, but could have been one if the enemy was stronger.
        • Learn Whispers on the Wind, useful for signaling for ambush.
        • Maybe have Panda be part of the air-team and be unsummoned beforehand as a signal?
      • Better knowledge of the Pangolin's personal combat ability for better diagnosis of enemy ninja capabilities.
  • Talk with Akane.
    • Do this after we've handed off the prisoners and have time to talk. Preferably in a private setting, maybe before we re-join the main group.
    • Be open but respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
    • Talk about our (Hazou's) feelings regarding what happened.
      • We feel guilty because our long-term plans revolved around changing the system, yet despite that we are now we're complicit in executing dozens of civilians.
      • We understand why it was done (increased risk of Leaf's rivals/Akatsuki finding out), but still hate that we chose killing innocents over the risk of serious failure.
      • We're scared that we'll give up, grow disillusioned, and/or end up becoming just another part of the system.
    • Ask her about Guy's philosophy and YOUTH.
      • How does she reconcile this with what happened?
      • What would Guy do? What would Lee?
    • Give her a hug. Best girlfriend deserves it, and more.
  • (Optional) Meet Mari-sensei.
    • Do this ONLY if we are cleared to stay in Konoha for sleep, and get the opportunity.
    • Give her a hug.
    • Tell her we missed her.
    • Ask her how things have been going in Konoha.
      • Her befriending of the clan head wives.
      • The political situation.
      • Jiraiya's...Ask if Jiraiya's alright.
    • Ask if she thinks Jiraiya'll let us do some work to find Hana, after the mission's over.

Contingencies:
  • (While transporting the prisoners) If we see someone in the air:
    • IMMEDIATELY dive onto the ground and use the local terrain to cover our escape.
    • Try to evade their ability to find us before heading back to Konoha.
    • If this seems impossible (they are gaining on us) let Akane make the decision to go to Konoha, continue running, or fight.
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faflec said:
Eh. I'll keep it, and make a note that if we've already left, we do this with Akane and Noburi first and then with Keiko/Kagome when we get back.

I'll put "changing" the system, is that still good?
The plan, with the above changes. Also added spoilers.
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Also, don't mention Akatsuki if at all possible, but generic Leaf's enemies is good.
 
faflec said:
Wow, didn't even realize I mentioned them at all. Sure.
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And finally, I question if it is a good idea to talk about Hana when we still haven't rescued Hazō/Keiko/Noburi's godbrother. Though they never met, he's family too. It's likely we'll be sent on further missions after the courier mission is over.
 
Kiba said:
And finally, I question if it is a good idea to talk about Hana when we still haven't rescued Hazō/Keiko/Noburi's godbrother. Though they never met, he's family too. It's likely we'll be sent on further missions after the courier mission is over.
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Eh. We're asking Mari-sensei so I don't see the big deal in it. She's not gonna do so something like ask Jiraiya if it would be tactless, or judge Hazou for his.
 
Voting is closed.

Edit: I should mention that the SV tally bot does approval voting as of yesterday. I asked in the announcement thread if they could add a "don't overwrite previous vote" option, and it took about 2 hours for @Firnagzen to do so. You rule, Firn.

Adhoc vote count started by eaglejarl on Jul 8, 2017 at 12:06 AM, finished with 350 posts and 12 votes.
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Dictator4Hire said:
no other candidate comes even remotely close in terms of shear value as a partner.
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Her tensile value, however, is much lower.

In seriousness: you're making some assumptions about the Yamanaka abilities. Remember, they don't rule the world. Not even given that they are close allies with the super-genius Nara, who one would expect could recognize all the "solve problems via telepathy" munchkinry.
 
We all hold some responsibility with that plan, having made suggestions. So if somthing goes wrong it will be a group effort for that failure.
 
Traiden said:
We all hold some responsibility with that plan, having made suggestions. So if somthing goes wrong it will be a group effort for that failure.
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That doesn't make me feel any better.
Adhoc vote count started by faflec on Jul 8, 2017 at 10:01 AM, finished with 374 posts and 13 votes.
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I edited the following into my vote tally post above and then realized that edits don't ping users. Repeating:

I should mention that the SV tally bot does approval voting as of yesterday. I asked in the announcement thread if they could add a "don't overwrite previous vote" option, and it took about 2 hours for @Firnagzen to do so. You rule, Firn.
 
Did you want encouragement? I can do that then. Hold your head up high @faflec we are working together to create better plans with more people collaborating on how Hazou processes ninja lifestyle. We are going to get better and make better plans, truly be the hivemind that the ninja world needs us to be to make our vague goals a reality. We can do it, have fun, and remember Growth Mindset!
 
eaglejarl said:
Yes, she would have to roll TacMov to dodge. Ranged users should not let themselves get trapped at close range.
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Well then, I'm going to recommend Akane level TacMove instead of combat right now.

Akane, being a Taijutsu user, is exclusively useful in close-ranged combat. This makes her best against Long Distance fighters, who must roll TacMove instead of their combat stat if they're caught in Short Distance. If her TacMove is high enough to actually beat theirs, then it means Taijutsu will as well (current TacMove 30, Taijutsu 36+).

This trend should continue until our TacMove is higher than what we'd expect our Taijutsu to be, at which point we'd revert to leveling Taijutsu and TacMove in tandem.
 
faflec said:
Well then, I'm going to recommend Akane level TacMove instead of combat right now.

Akane, being a Taijutsu user, is exclusively useful in close-ranged combat. This makes her best against Long Distance fighters, who must roll TacMove instead of their combat stat if they're caught in Short Distance. If her TacMove is high enough to actually beat theirs, then it means Taijutsu will as well (current TacMove 30, Taijutsu 36+).

This trend should continue until our TacMove is higher than what we'd expect our Taijutsu to be, at which point we'd revert to leveling Taijutsu and TacMove in tandem.
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Akane gets REALLY cheap combat levels with Youthful Fist against near-equivalent enemies, but she has to keep her Strength and Stamina high to get ANY benefit from it against those her superior. Granted, she's got good Taijutsu anyway... but I agree we should focus hard on Tac Move. We've got AoE options for nearly everyone in the party (we need to get Hazou, Akane, and Kagome [and convince him] some training time with pepper macerators, though) except Noburi, and Noburi has his bloodline to wreck people with.

e: If we can get some Tac Move seals that are less OpSec-killing -- like maybe Impulse Seals? Not sure how bad they'd be -- for her, that'd be best. Her fighting style isn't chakra-intensive, so if we can keep her like that it'd be cheaper to level as such.

e2: It also has the benefit of making sensors underestimate her. Imagine her beating the snot out of jounin at 100 (or thereabouts) chakra
 
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Cariyaga said:
Akane gets REALLY cheap combat levels with Youthful Fist against near-equivalent enemies, but she has to keep her Strength and Stamina high to get ANY benefit from it against those her superior. Granted, she's got good Taijutsu anyway... but I agree we should focus hard on Tac Move. We've got AoE options for nearly everyone in the party (we need to get Hazou, Akane, and Kagome [and convince him] some training time with pepper macerators, though) except Noburi, and Noburi has his bloodline to wreck people with.
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Damn, should have put that in my plan.

Asking Panjundrum for peppers, that is.
 
Cariyaga said:
He's out of commission, presently. I'd have liked to see about getting him a gift from the Akimichi, personally. Hopefully we end this chapter in Leaf?
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He's probably nursing a headache, but it doesn't mean Keiko can't check up on him and raid his pantry :p

Also, damn. More things we could have asked for.
 
Value of information for opposing TacMov is very high, since it informs how much we dump into it and erring enough either way ends poorly.

[x] Action Plan: Find Other Ninja and Beat Them Up

(Serious analysis: we should spar friendlies when we get the chance to gauge the meta.)
 
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faflec said:
He's probably nursing a headache, but it doesn't mean Keiko can't check up on him and raid his pantry :p

Also, damn. More things we could have asked for.
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Once we're done with the mission we can use it as an excuse to talk to the Akimichi on friendly, non-politicky terms. Maybe even see about getting Kagome some friends with them, assuming Jiraiya okays it (because holy crap that guy is a political bomb if handled incorrectly)?
e:
bayesclef said:
(Serious analysis: we should spar friendlies when we get the chance to guage the meta.)
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I feel an omake coming on.
 
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