Completely disagree there. The logic of "Fuck your allies over whenever it's convenient" is how you get the current geopolitical balance of the Elemental Nations. If we want things to change, we should do better: Offer them help without strings attached. That is all, of course, on the condition that Hiashi doesn't become Hokage, we can't do much here as a single clan.
Naruto seems to be on good terms with Gaara, so we can provide Sand with some reasonable help in memory of their friendsip. There should have been some amount of trust to declare a draw in CE final match. If implemented correctly, it can grow into tiers between Sand and Gouketsu, making us a much needed diplomatic clan for the Leaf, growing our usefulness in the eyes of Clan Council.
Then we just need to strenghten our ties with Mist via Ami-Keiko, get Mari on good terms with that Rice(?) mayor and wed Noburi to Yuno to get Isan on board.
I'm mostly joking past the Sand section, but really it would mean that by pissing off Gouketsu you piss off half the world.
Maybe Akatsuki is just made of a bunch of people that were upset because they kept being passed over for promotion, so they decided to rework the world. Inside the lining of those ridiculous cloaks was stitched "you're a kage too if you believe you are", and it's actually very supportive and uplifting.
Also, maybe someone should tell Mari the "pretty sure being a missing-nin at any point is a disqualifier." part?
Of course we did, Kiba. We voted to make it happen on no lessthan threeoccasions, and particularly during the latest occasion, it's more than plausible that Hazou took Ami aside for two minutes at some point and got it done. If, somehow, that will turn out to not have happened after all, we'll, yes, be unable to message Ami, since our offer to her'll be... ripe for creative interpretations, if it gets intercepted. If we can't encrypt it, we can't send it, which means Ami will be unable to attend Keiko's marriage, making them both sad. You don't want Keiko to be sad, do you?
We definitely did set up an encryption scheme — it's so obvious that it needs not be questioned.
@eaglejarl, @Velorien, @OliWhail, did we manage to speak with Ami in private and agree on an encryption/integrity-verification scheme for letters, prior to Zabuza's interruption?
Before you answer, consider: It plausibly may or may not have happened, but if you rule that it did happen, it'll lead to more Ami plot involvement than the alternative. Don't some of you want that?
Really? I could've sworn Jiraiya thought Hazo and Naruto would probably get along, since apparently Naruto is all about making friends or something like that
Really? I could've sworn Jiraiya thought Hazo and Naruto would probably get along, since apparently Naruto is all about making friends or something like that
Rearranged the plan a bit; as it was, it looked like we were telling Keiko to ask Shikamaru to postpone the marriage. Also, sounding concerned in the Shikamaru scene is important, probably.
Adoption:
If others agree, immediately make offers, contingent on Naruto's future approval, to:
Akane (meet her together).
Tenten (send only Keiko).
Discuss Lee:
He's talented, and adrift after Gai's death.
His personality could be mitigated to minimize friction (soundproofing, house rules...).
@faflec, do you want more details for this section? Something like this:
Keiko/Mari: Is the following remotely feasible?:
We could snatch the Snake Scroll without politicking.
Step 1: Go to the Tower and convince the ANBU give it to us. We're the former Hokage's clan, represent a significant fraction of Leaf's military power + the ANBU were loyal to Jiraiya personally. Shouldn't be too hard.
Step 2: Publicly establish Hazou and Noburi as new Snake/Toad Summoners, complete with summons' acknowledgment. Even the Clan Council will have trouble disputing us then.
@OliWhail, how much XP will you give us to make it happen?
Rearranged the plan a bit; as it was, it looked like we were telling Keiko to ask Shikamaru to postpone the marriage. Also, sounding concerned in the Shikamaru scene is important, probably.
Adoption:
If others agree, immediately make offers, contingent on Naruto's future approval, to:
Akane (meet her together).
Tenten (send only Keiko).
Discuss Lee:
He's talented, and adrift after Gai's death.
His personality could be mitigated to minimize friction (soundproofing, house rules...).
Give him Jiraiya's sealing notes (beforehand: remove evidence of your OPSEC blunder).
Is he willing to teach adoptees sealling?
Noburi: Schedule an appointment with Kabuto to check bloodline interactions with SC/Summoning.
Consider investigating him on adoption.
Yes, the Toad Scroll should be Noburi's.
Keiko:
Possible solutions for Skytower-deal concerns:
Selling seals using Toad intermediaries.
Transfer the Scroll's direct ownership to the Gouketsu.
Offer them a list of seals (OPSEC-sanitized!). Trade them for:
Valuables.
Jutsu, especially conquered nations' (Condors' Space-Time Ninjutsu).
Improved treatment of conquered nations.
Where are the Hyena/Leopard scrolls?
Pangolin-Snake-Toad Alliance advocation: See below.
Hypothetically, if we could arrange for Ami to attend your wedding, should we?
If Keiko answered "yes" to Ami-hypothetical:
Meet with Shikamaru (urgent).
Be sympathetic, but skip condolences.
(Concerned tone) Did you ensure Ami can attend Keiko's wedding? She'll be displeased if you didn't.
Suggest postponing just the ceremony to give her time.
We'll take care of the rest... in exchange for twelve hours.
Send Ami an encrypted message:
Update her on the wedding.
We'll help her get into Leaf IFF if the method doesn't reflect poorly on us.
She totally owes us another favor.
Gather information on Akatsuki
Noburi: Visit the Tower, grab their profiles.
Kagome: Summarize their book.
Contact the Snakes.
Learn about their culture/predispositions from Summons and Jiraiya's notes.
Message them via Pangolins.
Send Jiraiya's letter to Orochimaru. (Orochimaru could've survived/faked his death.)
Ask whether Orochimaru left them a will. Jiraiya wrote a pardon for him and we want his wishes carried out.
Idea: A Pangolin-Snake-Toad alliance conditional on the Snakes backing a Gouketsu Summoner.
Would Pangolins/Toads be amenable? With preexisting allies and our seals, the alliance would be unstoppable.
Bonus: Inroads with Snakes/Toads give us additional avenues to pressure Pangolins to changing conquered clans' treatment.
Ask Keiko/Mari the feasibility (probably low) of taking the Snake Scroll from the Tower. Are they willing to come with us to demand it?
@faflec, do you want more details for this section? Something like this:
Keiko/Mari: Is the following remotely feasible?:
We could snatch the Snake Scroll without politicking.
Step 1: Go to the Tower and convince the ANBU give it to us. We're the former Hokage's clan, represent a significant fraction of Leaf's military power + the ANBU were loyal to Jiraiya personally. Shouldn't be too hard.
Step 2: Publicly establish Hazou and Noburi as new Snake/Toad Summoners, complete with summons' acknowledgment. Even the Clan Council will have trouble disputing us then.
Please don't get Hazou caught sending encrypted communiques to foreign social-spec jounin of the logistics and intelligence analysis clan just as the xenophobes start circling the wagons and screaming about collusion and foreign influence over the Goketsu.
It's not as if the message even needs anything worth hiding. Alerting Ami to the fact that her sister's wedding has been set isn't suspicious. Sending her an unreadable message which might contain anything will get everybody on both sides a dose of T&I hospitality.
