Remove ads

Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

Reader mode
eaglejarl said:
You may assume that Keiko and Kagome made it back to the cave and told you what @Velorien described.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So where and when exactly are all of our teammates at the moment? In previous updates we had had a recap of the immediate situation with a note about everyone's conditions as well. Can we have Keiko so some action immediately following the eventa of the previous chapter, like say, let out a victory cheer or thank the elders for allowing her to take the trial?

It's hard to make any plan when we don't have a definite starting point.

E: to clarify, do we have to wait until everyone have met up again so Hazou can give them orders/suggestions, or can we have some leeway to affect Keiko's next few action before she and Kagome come back to the rest of us? Who exactly can we influence right now?
 
Last edited:
Dictator4Hire said:
But

But canon!Yuno goes highlander on literally anyone who would divert the object of her obsession's attention. She went so far as to kill an alternate universe's version of herself just to spend with that universe's Yuki.

canon!Yuno and clones don't mix. Not sure how faithful y'all wanted to be to the original work, but I wanted to point it out just in case.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You make a compelling case. But no one ever said that their interactions had to be harmonious...

Dictator4Hire said:
So where and when exactly are all of our teammates at the moment? In previous updates we had had a recap of the immediate situation with a note about everyone's conditions as well. Can we have Keiko so some action immediately following the eventa of the previous chapter, like say, let out a victory cheer or thank the elders for allowing her to take the trial?

It's hard to make any plan when we don't have a definite starting point.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You can't plan Keiko's immediate actions for her, but you can plan to have Hazō leave the cave to greet her as she returns from the trial (in which case your plans begin outside the shrine, immediately after the end of the previous update), or you can wait for Keiko to return to the cave, and begin your plans there.

Kagome is with Keiko, ready for the tiniest sign of betrayal from the villagers. Inoue and Noburi are in the cave recovering from their wounds. Hazō and Akane, unless otherwise specified, are also in the cave, watching over them. You can give Akane suggestions in your plan, including a retroactive "come with me to the shrine", although you'd need a reason to reverse Hazō's earlier decision for the two of you to stay.
 
Thank you sincerely for the info dump. Would you be so kind as to add it to the update itself so everyone can plan around said knowledge too?

Oh, and one last question I forgot earlier. How much time has passed since Keiko entered the summon realm? Also, how much time has passed since the night we were attacked by the isolationists?
 
Velorien said:
In canon, I can think of two confirmed cases of two summoners for the same animal - the toads had Jiraiya, then Jiraiya and Minato, then Jiraiya and Naruto. The slugs (slug?) had Tsunade and Sakura. It can also be inferred that the snakes had Orochimaru and Sasuke at the same time, and possibly Anko as well (though I think the canon evidence for her is flimsy at best, and the only time she actually summons one is in filler).

However, none of this makes sense in a rational world. Unlike ninjutsu, there is no harm in sharing your summon with as many trusted allies as possible - enemies can't steal it without stealing the scroll, which is the case anyway. The toads especially are canonically stated to be loyal to Leaf as opposed to only their summoners, so there's no reason for them not to contract with as many people as are capable of using the Summoning Technique. Indeed, summoning proliferation would be a good thing for the shinobi world, since it would reduce human casualties and summons don't appear to die anyway.
The mental image of ten Yunos is wonderful and I must figure out some way to make it happen. I'm sure Noburi feels the same way.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So no, then?
 
In Mist there was a girl with a summon. She was, presumably, not the only summoner of her clan. But summons are power, so I doubt they would be shared beyond the clan. Good of all or no, I can't imagine ninja doing that.
 
Last edited:
Dictator4Hire said:
Thank you sincerely for the info dump. Would you be so kind as to add it to the update itself so everyone can plan around said knowledge too?

Oh, and one last question I forgot earlier. How much time has passed since Keiko entered the summon realm? Also, how much time has passed since the night we were attacked by the isolationists?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Done.

About an hour has passed since Keiko entered the Summon Realm. Some considerate young ninja is firmly in the elders' good books for having brought them cushions to sit on.

The isolationists' attack took place around 1 am. It is now around 7 am.

nevereatcars said:
So no, then?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It was more of a "I need to talk to the other QMs to make sure we're all on the same page because this is important and we don't seem to have it formally written down anywhere".
 
Velorien said:
You make a compelling case. But no one ever said that their interactions had to be harmonious...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Omake time? Omake time.

Yuno: Future husband, look! I learned a new technique to demonstrate my love for you!

Noburi: Really? What is i- OH MY JASHIN WHO TAUGHT YOU THE WATER CLONE TECHNIQUE?!?

Yuno: Silly fiance, you talk in your sleep and I've been watching you train every single day!

Noburi: *starts to sweat* B-but, why are there t-ten of them?

Yuno: *embarrassed and blushing* I didn't have that much time to get as good as you are at it... But I'm trying! I just thought... you know... ten wouldn't be... too many? I- I mean, if that's okay?

Noburi: *gulping* Uh, yeah. Ten. Ten is good.

Yuno: *beaming* Great! So, um, I don't know how it works in your culture, but in ours... *clears throat, starts to whisper* the wife takes... care of her husband... no matter what...

Noburi: *wisely speechless*

Yuno: *fully red in the face* S-so it's the wife's responsibility to make sure her husband is happy and to prove her loyalty! That's w-why I... want you to think these clones are... *stammering* OTHERWOMENINTERESTEDINYOU! There I said it!

Noburi: *with all the care of a thermonuclear bomb defuser* What... exactly... are you... trying to s-

Slash!

Yuno: *hysterical* I WILL NEVER LET THEM TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME!

Chop!

Yuno: I'LL KILL ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TEAR US APART!

Triple kill!

Yuno: WE WILL BE TOGETHER FOREVER!

Killtacular!

Yuno: ~AND IIIIIII-

Splat!

Yuno: -EEEEEEEEE-IIIIIIIIIIII~

Bash!

Yuno: ~WILL~

Smash!

Yuno: ~AL-

Slice!

Yuno: -WAYS~

Cleave!

Yuno: ~LU-OOOVE~

Smack!

Yuno: ~YOOOUUU-OOO-OOOUUU-OU-OUUUUU~

Noburi: *making no sudden movements*

Yuno: *panting* ...sorry, I got a bit carried away there... *nervous laugh* I usually don't break out in song like that while going through a training exercise. But look! No blood from the clones so I can train even longer now without having to do the purification rituals as often! Isn't that great?

Noburi: *blanching* Yes, dear. That's... great. Everything is... great.

Yuno: I knew you'd understand! *turns her head like in the Exorcist* You'd never betray me... right?

Noburi: Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope. Noppity nope-nope. Nope.
 
Might not be a good idea to leave Inoue alone in the cave. She's hurt vulnerable and a good chunk of the team's fighting capability and some desperate villager may do something stupid.
 
Few things I feel like would be the most ideal scenario:

Congratulate Keiko. Group up. Optional: recruit Yuno. Unoptional: get the fuck out of the village.
 
Velorien said:
"[...]And in the meantime somebody else gets all the praise because their clan speciality is summoning giant crabs, even if they can only summon one the size of a dog because they spend all their time showing off in front of the boys instead of ninjutsu practice."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Ah, there it is. So yeah, clan thing, but obviously not a village-wide thing. At least back home.

Digging through old updates brought back some memories. Like the time when Noburi talked those three genin into letting us leave with 24k. Remember how after reporting to Mari she pointed out all our mistakes? Can you imagine how that report sounded from those ninja kids?

"Yeah, we tracked them down, was easy, they didn't even try to conceal their passage, and the watch was chatting or something. And then we killed half of the guards in, like, one second, and then the other half.. umm... they.. spoke to us? It was kinda scary? So they told us to let them leave with money, and even though they were kinda incompetent, we let them go? I swear it made sense at the time? ...please don't kill us sensei..."

No wonder their "jounin" was so mad when he was looking for us :D
 
I said earlier that I want to leave...but I have reconsidered. Staying (at least until healed) might also be a fun option and it does have a greater chance to get useful things out of the village later.

If we stay, we can't trust the cave. We are 2 man down and we have precious little explosives left.

Only way staying seems plausible if we use the elders as allies and use them for muscle. Who do we trust at the moment?

Please note that staying will probably lead to Keiko, Hazou,Akane and Kagome to participate in lethal combat. There's no way to isolate ourselves from this mess if we want any protections from the progressive clans.
 
We need to scope out the political/cultural fallout of what just happened, see what Kannagi will do with Yuno, figure out what we will do with Yuno, and I think we should grab a meeting with Takahashi, and possibly Yoshida, and offer the arrangement of a negotiation with Jiraiya. Becoming allied with Konoha is probably the best possible way to break stealth.
 
Stay or go we need to capitalize on the Summon Scroll Ritual coming out as our success. We have three injured ninja, one of whom is stuck on bed rest. We have to both stall for time to heal more and make our plans to leave known. We have the perfect cover mission to do it with, find the Condor Scroll and destroy it to feed the village should they ask why it is we have to leave. We could take a representative of the village(Yuno) with us so that we still have ties to the village should they demand such a thing from us. We can not just react to the events within the village anymore, we must be the ones to shape them.
 
Traiden said:
Stay or go we need to capitalize on the Summon Scroll Ritual coming out as our success. We have three injured ninja, one of whom is stuck on bed rest. We have to both stall for time to heal more and make our plans to leave known. We have the perfect cover mission to do it with, find the Condor Scroll and destroy it to feed the village should they ask why it is we have to leave. We could take a representative of the village(Yuno) with us so that we still have ties to the village should they demand such a thing from us. We can not just react to the events within the village anymore, we must be the ones to shape them.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If we're going to leave the village I'd rather have downtime to work on PMYF and macerator seal.
 
Twofold said:
I said earlier that I want to leave...but I have reconsidered. Staying (at least until healed) might also be a fun option and it does have a greater chance to get useful things out of the village later.

If we stay, we can't trust the cave. We are 2 man down and we have precious little explosives left.

Only way staying seems plausible if we use the elders as allies and use them for muscle. Who do we trust at the moment?

Please note that staying will probably lead to Keiko, Hazou,Akane and Kagome to participate in lethal combat. There's no way to isolate ourselves from this mess if we want any protections from the progressive clans.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I mean, we could move in with Takahashi, although that would be... laying our cards out on the table, a bit. And may be culturally contraindicated.
 
Given how volatile the situation is, I suggest we limit the time frame of next plan to one day.

It's 7 AM and Keiko is back from Away. I assume she's no more keen on splitting the party than we are, so she will be making her way back to our cave asap, with Kagome in tow. We are waiting for them here.

[X] Action Plan: Plan All the Plans

  1. While we wait, Hazou is making tags, Akane is making traps
    • Retrap the corridor leading to cave proper with fresh tags, same way it was done before, so teammates know the safe way. Mark the begining of kill zone. They can shout for us if there's doubt.
  2. Once Keiko and Kagome return, congratulate Keiko on completing the trial and getting the Summoning Contract (because of course she did, not that the giant scroll isn't enough of a hint)
    • While Noburi heals her get her story
  3. Kagome and Akane work on retrapping the perimeter
    • Give Kagome the tags we made
    • Check what supplies Keiko still has after everything
  4. Discuss our next actions w/team. Get opinions/feedback on:
    • Leaving:
      1. Do we try to leave tonight using the upheaval (henged into health) or do we wait for injured to recover naturally, letting things settle down or possibly escalate futher?
      2. Do we want to try to secure the option to return, or do we leave and never look/come back?
    • Do we try to meet with Takahashi? (for sitrep, advice on leaving, advice in general, Keiko wants to, other)
      1. If yes, how? Who goes (beyond henged Mari and Keiko)? Can we expect him to come to us?
      2. If we want to return, establish secure codes with Takahashi to be used at a dead-drop we can periodically check
      3. Actually, do we expect any elders to drop by? Do they expect us to visit? Do we want to go?
    • Do we plan to keep the village a secret? Do we offer to arrange a meeting with Jiraiya?
    • Where do we go from here (once we leave)
      1. To our first fort, unless someone objects? We could use some time away from excitement. Research calls.
    • About that marriage/Yuno:
      1. We are leaving, Because Summons Say So. This should make marriage a lot less appealing to Kannagi, since even if it happens we just take Yuno and leave. He might break it off? Or we break things off ourselves, officially. Because Summons Quest.
        1. Have Noburi explain the truth of the marriage and the events surrounding it to Yuno. Tell her we can't stay, but since we like her and want her to be happy, we can offer the following:
          • She travels with the party for a while. This is her chance to make friends with us, OR acquire enough know-how and resources to start a new life somewhere else.
          • She stays here, we wish her luck.
      2. We claim we require an extended engagement. We respect their traditions, they should respect ours. Esp. in the light of Keiko's newly-gained authority.
        • Have Yuno come with us as part of courtship. See if she would be compatible with our lifestyle beyond the village.
      3. Whatever we choose, the talk with Yuno should take place where the rest of the team, or at least most of us, can interfere, if things go bad.
  5. If Keiko is willing, meet her summon.
    • Just a meet and greet for now, maybe a few general questions asked/answered
    • Talk to Pandaa in private, but suggest to summon him in view of our guards, near the entrance to cave. If we do that, make sure there's a way he can get past/around our traps
  6. Security:
    • We stay together.
    • We eat our own food, drink our own water. Stores should be adequate.
    • Keep a constant watch: one person during Team Talk (rotate depending on subject) two people otherwise.
    • If someone tries to kill us again, we henge and run with extreme prejudice.
    • Restock our explosives.
    • Restock our traps.
____________

There, a framework. A lot of catching up, basically. Tell me what's missing?
 
Last edited:
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top