Why uplift the people when you can "uplift" the mantle first? Uplifting any remaining people will be much easier.
Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest
- Thread starter eaglejarl
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- naruto rationalist romance armageddon is looking better and better damn you kishimoto explosions everywhere explosives solve everyone if in doubt surrender to the mercy of zabuza it seemed like a good idea at the time looks like a really bad case of being a jōnin my god. where does the lore end? precommitting is the winning plan screaming in kagome screw the rules i have explosives something bad might still happen sometimes you gotta sociopath stabby zabby subsection c of paragraph 9 should include we can weaponize this so hard
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Kagome gets cranky when you rush him
How long has he been working on them in-universe? All he really needed to work on was reducing the timer since he had all the other components finished, though he did imply that that one thing would (ironically) take a decent chunk of time
You rush a
I came up with this literally years ago. I had to wait for the GM to screw up and invite the necessary components into the universe and I'm still waiting.
Remind me how this works exactly, proximity trigger on a directional explosive? How do you avoid accidently blowing your arms off?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
At least based on the sealtech Kagome has right now, it's pressure-based activation. Someone punches your chest and instead their arm explodes. Right now he's trying to make the detonation basically instant, otherwise it won't really serve as armor since it doesn't detonate quick enough to hit the other person/intercept their blow
Don't your extremities have a serious risk of getting caught in the blast? Seems pretty dangerous
Directional explosive triggered by damage or impact. The result is a ten degree cone of boom in the direction of the attack. Layer them up to get fifty levels of "fuck you" on anybody, even a civilian. Yes, design compromises will need to be made to avoid accidently blowing off a limb, but exploiting them will require practice, and if we do this right nobody will have the opportunity to practice more than once.
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I mean for these things to be safe we would need toggled activation, which sounds pretty hard. Especially if you need to do each seal individually.
Bleh. They were originally designed under the "storage seals always fail-safe dynamic which has recently come into question. Worst case scenario is that a wielder has to pat themselves down before going into Cindy. Boo hoo.
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I don't see the connection here, directional-explosives are largely unrelated to storage seals. Is the idea that, once activated, tearing the seal is the only thing that would trigger it? I can see the appeal of such a design. I suspect that it wouldn't be too difficult to do.
My understanding is that storage seals are not designed to fail, and so occasionally produce undefined behavior. Implosion seals-which are modified storage seals-have no such issue because they were designed that way.
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Their
The issue is the storage scrolls which, again are the second-most seal in common usage, and it hasn't ended the universe yet. The basis is imitating their behavior with regards to their activation. This was doubly-simplified by there being a straight storage seal option instead of a straight explosive seal.
The issue is the storage scrolls which, again are the second-most seal in common usage, and it hasn't ended the universe yet. The basis is imitating their behavior with regards to their activation. This was doubly-simplified by there being a straight storage seal option instead of a straight explosive seal.
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- Location
- Liverpool
A few late, and (near as I can tell by a quick skim of a few hundred posts) redundant reaction post. It's been a busy week.
Snerk.
Cool cool cool. We have a TN for dating Ami! And luckily, I'd argue resolve is the most relevant stat, to withstand and embrace Ami being Ami. Who knew FOOM was just a stepping stone to a romantic pairing?
... Actually, wait, I think the hivemind DID call that. Huh.
Gambler's facially, fail us now!
Dared is correct. Though we were all curious.
I really do want to try and create a full sign set of these. They're so gosh darn nifty.
This is the second "thinking about maybe dating Ami" statement this update. I'm officially going to start a 'Hazou Affection Polycule counter' for this update, currently set at 2.
That I think might be the most extreme example of a thing to date. Would basically be the amoral Orochimaru assistant AU, which I'm going to go back to forgetting about right... What was I taking about?
HAP counter: 3
Oh, I love this. Legalese and annoying pedantry for the win. My inner debater just let out a very content sigh.
That part about Kagome is kind of sad, honestly. Also exaggerated by Kei, but that happens.
I'm going to count it as HAP: 4
HAP: STILL 4. probably.
1) wow that's a vibe I can get behind.
2) This is why people who underestimate the nice clan are fools
3) Those organs wouldn't be internal for long! (Thought with too much glee).
So much to unpack there. I very much would like to see a Kagome/Snowflake heart to heart. I suppose a downside is Vel and EJ having them favorite characters is that, with us often our scheming to optimize writer enjoyment, it doesn't have them both involved in things as much as would be interesting.
This is also, truly, relatable.
This is relatable on the bad-but-optimistic days. Of which I believe Hazou has a magnitude more of than I.
Snerk.
Cool cool cool. We have a TN for dating Ami! And luckily, I'd argue resolve is the most relevant stat, to withstand and embrace Ami being Ami. Who knew FOOM was just a stepping stone to a romantic pairing?
... Actually, wait, I think the hivemind DID call that. Huh.
Gambler's facially, fail us now!
Dared is correct. Though we were all curious.
I really do want to try and create a full sign set of these. They're so gosh darn nifty.
This is the second "thinking about maybe dating Ami" statement this update. I'm officially going to start a 'Hazou Affection Polycule counter' for this update, currently set at 2.
That I think might be the most extreme example of a thing to date. Would basically be the amoral Orochimaru assistant AU, which I'm going to go back to forgetting about right... What was I taking about?
HAP counter: 3
Oh, I love this. Legalese and annoying pedantry for the win. My inner debater just let out a very content sigh.
That part about Kagome is kind of sad, honestly. Also exaggerated by Kei, but that happens.
I'm going to count it as HAP: 4
HAP: STILL 4. probably.
1) wow that's a vibe I can get behind.
2) This is why people who underestimate the nice clan are fools
3) Those organs wouldn't be internal for long! (Thought with too much glee).
So much to unpack there. I very much would like to see a Kagome/Snowflake heart to heart. I suppose a downside is Vel and EJ having them favorite characters is that, with us often our scheming to optimize writer enjoyment, it doesn't have them both involved in things as much as would be interesting.
This is also, truly, relatable.
This is relatable on the bad-but-optimistic days. Of which I believe Hazou has a magnitude more of than I.
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Chapter 438: We Need to Talk
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Greetings, Summoner. You have looked better."
Hazō snorted. "Yes, well, I'd like to see you get pulled through the Out by your spine while the most powerful seal in all the Paths turns your brain and body into pudding."
Cannai's towel-sized tongue lolled in amusement. "I shall pass, but thank you for the suggestion." He lay down in the grass, wiggling a little to dig himself a nice body-shaped hollow, and then flopped on his side with a sigh of contentment.
"In seriousness, how are you?"
Hazō sat down, leaning back against Cannai's warm back, and relaxed. The Boss had given permission for this during one of the many debriefings they'd had while Hazō and the diplomatic team were making their journey to the west; Hazō took care not to abuse the privilege but both of them found it calming. Perhaps a little too calming, actually. The warmth, the soft fur, and the slow rhythm of Cannai's breathing calmed his body's aches a tiny bit and could easily lull him to sleep if he wasn't careful.
"I'm okay," he said.
Cannai snorted, bouncing Hazō a bit. "I was under the impression that ninja were supposed to be good at lying."
Hazō harumphed. "Yes, well, no one likes a complainer. My legs are healing; I can get around fine with the crutches. My collarbone is mostly set so breathing doesn't hurt. Much, anyway. The bruises are pretty much gone."
"Ah, so that's why your skin is yellow and green. I had assumed it was jaundice, or perhaps some strange human-ritual makeup."
Hazō thumped his head lightly against his backrest, drawing another subterranean chuckle. "Anyway," he said. "Lady Tsunade finished fixing the liver and kidney damage and I haven't peed blood today so all in all I'm fine. I had some questions."
"When have you not?"
"Yes, well. These are in no particular order." He yawned, enjoying the way his collarbone only twinged instead of stabbing. "First off, Nekkar implied that the Dragons weren't the biggest threat. Was she...he...whatever, trolling or was there more to it?"
"'Trolling'? Interesting turn of phrase." The Alpha shrugged, the motion shifting Hazō slightly. "I have no idea. I have never met Nekkar. From what I have heard from the Bears, the Cats are 'untrustworthy lying bastards who can't be trusted because they're bastards who lie.' Of course, I am getting that fourth-hand or more, since Kumahadaka got it through a chain of other sleuth leaders whose territories cross Bear to reach one who has actually met a member of Cat."
"Hm. Okay, well, Kumokōgō thinks she's going to need the help of multiple Clan Bosses to take down even one of these Dragons. It's a long way to Arachnid. How quickly can Bosses travel?"
"Within my own territory, I move very quickly indeed—I held back quite a bit when carrying you to the shore, as Sanchi nearly died the one time I moved quickly with her on my back and every Summoner since then who has ever tried it has experienced similar effects even when I am careful. I would presume that any other ruler is capable of the same turn of speed in their own lands. I am far slower on another's ground; it is not mine and will not lend me its strength or work to my request. It is why rulers rarely take the field against one another; there is too much advantage to a defensive war. The only way it can work is for the younger members of the clan to take and hold the ground until it can be integrated into the Dog Territory. Attempting it is something that no clan will take lightly. A bit of raiding, the occasional murder or theft...those are met by patrols, perhaps some punitive raids from the local group. Actually taking away even a pawlength of another clan's territory? That brings the entire clan down on your nose with their ruler leading the charge and every ally their clan can summon attacking your flanks."
"I see. So if we wanted to get a dozen or so clan heads to Arachnid Territory...?"
"It would take days or weeks depending on where they were coming from."
"Ah. Okay, so we need to get them moving well in advance of any strike we want to mount."
"Indeed. I would suggest having them travel separately; I have met Kumafuwafuwa of the Bear Clan, Suwabazu of the Hornets, and Hyōhakken of the Leopards on several occasions. There has been a certain amount of tension between us, despite the fact that I consider myself a relatively calm and easy-going individual. I suspect it may be innate to being a clan ruler."
'Easy-going' wasn't really the word that Hazō would have used for Cannai. Perhaps not as unlikely a choice as 'happy-go-lucky' but not particularly apropos either. Fortunately, his developing political instincts told him that saying so might be seen as rude.
"Right. Several weeks, they should travel separately." He sighed. Wouldn't that be fun to arrange. "So...there's one other thing."
"Do tell," Cannai said after waiting a moment for Hazō to figure out how to phrase it. The Alpha's words were dry as dust, suggesting that he knew what was coming.
"I'm...not super popular with the eastern clans."
"Oh? Was it because you...oh, I don't know, brought a poorly-cooked casserole to one of the meetings? Or perhaps it was that thing where you sold weapons to expanionist xenophobes who proceeded to break an entire Clan, enslave the survivors, and are undoubtedly in the middle of claiming their territory?"
"Probably that second one."
"Who would have thought?"
Hazō thumped his head lightly against Cannai's back, drawing another canine laugh. "This thing with the Dragons is too big not to have the others' trust. Is there any precedent for reparations or compensation for war crimes?"
Cannai twisted around so he could look directly at Hazō, head cocked in confusion. "'War crimes'?"
"Yeah?"
"What are 'war crimes'?"
"I mean...something really bad that you did during a war?"
Cannai considered him for long seconds, enormous golden eyes puzzled. "You are a very strange human."
"Um...sorry? Thank you? I'm not quite sure what to say to that."
"A crime is when you do something that is forbidden by your ruler, yes? Human language has not shifted that much?"
"No, that's right. The crime thing, I mean. It's when you break a law. Laws are rules, written down and agreed to by everyone in the village."
"They are made by your ruler, yes? Your Hokage?"
"I mean...yes? I guess. There are some laws that were made based on negotiations with the Merchant Council—that's the group that represents the civilians. And the Clan Council often votes on laws."
"Your Hokage allows this? Allows others to dictate rules within his territory, rules that are binding on all other pack members?"
"Yes? Technically the Councils are advisory, but in practice he'll go along with whatever they want to pass as long as they don't push him too much."
Cannai shook his head in confusion and then shifted around so he was facing Hazō. He made sure to do it slowly enough that Hazō wasn't dumped on the grass.
"Your village, it is like a pack of packs, yes? The Hyūga pack, the Uchiha pack, the Sarutobi pack, all living in one hunting ground together? And the Hokage is your Alpha?"
"Sort of? I guess that's fair."
"The various packs all obey the Hokage?"
"Yeeess...? There are some limits. The Hokage can't take clan secrets, for example. And I guess he can't mess with the taxes or subsidies too much."
"Taxes? Subsidies?"
Hazō quailed at the idea of explaining Leaf's convoluted tax system to the giant dog.
"It's really complicated, but the basics of it are that everyone in the Land of Fire pays money every year. The money ends up with the Hokage. He keeps some of it for himself and then doles the rest out to the ninja."
"He bribes your ninja for their loyalty?!"
"No!" Oh Sage. What had he done? He wasn't going to ruin Cannai's impression of Leaf, was he? Cause the Dog Boss to lose all respect for the village and its people? Loyalty to the pack and to the Alpha was huge among the Dog Clan. What if Cannai decided he didn't want to be associated with Leaf any longer?
"No, he doesn't bribe them. He provides for them. You told me that you have helped packs by herding prey into their territory, or by bringing healers when there is a sickness. The subsidies are the same thing, but it's easier to simply give money that the ninja can then use to get whatever they need. Instead of asking them if they want sheep or beef he can simply give them a few thousand ryō and they can decide for themselves which to buy."
Cannai blinked slowly, thinking the idea over. "And your people cannot acquire what they need without the ryō? Their fellow humans would not give them the sheep or cattle if asked, even though the owner might have more than they need?"
"It's...complicated. There's a lot of ways to get whatever you need. Money and buying things simplifies a lot of the boring parts. We don't have to negotiate how many pairs of sandals to give for twenty eggs and we don't have to worry about revenge if we take something from someone who doesn't want to give it up. Instead, we give them some money that they can use to buy whatever they in turn want. The person who makes the thing can decide how much time and effort and materials it took so they can choose how many ryō to sell it for in order to make sure they make enough money to live on."
"Hmmm..." Cannai considered, thinking for the longest minute of Hazō's life. "So it's a method of resource allocation. You distribute the money and it flows through your village like water. No one cooperates and gives to a packmate simply because they are pack, but so long as they set their prices appropriately and everyone is willing to buy and sell you can find an allocation such that everyone is cared for according to their personal preferences."
"Yes, exactly." Hazō let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Does the money not pool in certain places, leading to some who have more than they need and others who have not enough?"
The wealth of the Hyūga, the elaborate estate of Orochimaru, and the fallout from the recent bank run all flashed through Hazō's mind. "Well...more or less. We make sure that everyone is taken care of to a basic degree."
"Interesting. The people who do not have enough, why do they not simply make more of these ryō?"
"Only the Tower—that is, the Hokage and the people who administrate for him—are allowed to make ryō. And they're made from gold, which is rare."
Cannai cocked his head in confusion. "Gold is rare?" He tipped his head the other way in a gesture that would have been adorable had he not been larger than a chakra bison. "When you say 'gold', you're talking about those shiny yellow rocks, right?"
"Yeeeesss...why?" The last word came out in a drawn-out tone that was the truest incarnation of 'my entire world is about to turn upside-down, isn't it?'
"Hm. No reason. Anyway, you were asking about 'war crimes' and reparations. I suspect what you actually meant was 'How do I bribe the eastern clans into not being angry with me so that their rulers will, with no evidence except my words, leave their territory undefended while they travel several thousand miles across the territories of multiple other rulers, many of whom they have ancestral disputes with, in order to help a creature from legend fight against monsters from scary bedtime stories?'"
"Um."
Cannai's tongue lolled in amusement. "Good luck with that."
Hazō sighed and flopped down on the grass with an exaggeratedly irritated sigh. "Fiiine. Can you at least tell me more about the Dragons?"
Cannai huffed in amusement and lay down again, scooching around so that Hazō could lean on his back once more. "Delighted to. I am no Canting or Canaria but I shall be glad to tell you some of the old tales. The first is called 'The Bad Little Puppy Who Got Eaten By a Dragon Because He Sassed His Mom'. It's quite popular among new parents."
o-o-o-o
"'A snag' seems understatement is."
"Um..." Okay, maybe he could have found a slightly stronger word before explaining that there was currently no plan and no likelihood of the necessary allies showing up to help fight the Dragons and therefore her Clan was likely doomed to extermination.
"In good news, we're working up a new seal that should help. It's called Harumitsu's Outstanding World-Saving Seal. We can put a bunch of them on top of the butte and it will slow down the degradation of the Great Seal. It won't fix the problem but it will keep things from getting worse."
"What this seal does to problem fix?"
"From what we can tell, the Great Seal is leaking chakra and that's...let's call it abrading the rest of the seal. The HOWS will absorb the leaked chakra so that it doesn't do more damage. Absorb it and convert it to light, using it up."
"If glow do they, will not the Dragons see these 'HOWS' and destroy them?"
"Uh..." How had he missed that???
"Under rocks can they be? Covered so that light does not show?"
"Yes! Yes, that should be fine."
"Well it is. How much time will this us gain?"
"Hard to say, since I don't know if the Dragons can pull the Seal open themselves, perhaps even from the other side. Still, it's going to be a lot better than nothing."
"Better is not nothing, supposing is." She scuttled back and forth, her pedipalps clicking nervously. "Convenient it would have been for you not to start war among clans."
"I didn't mean to!"
"Meaning and doing unrelated are often."
"Yes, well...sorry. I didn't expect it to go like that. The Pangolins had already been fighting the Condors for years when we—when I showed up. We just sold them the seals."
"Supposing. To answer earlier question you asked: 'War crimes' is strange idea. Reparations of course. Buy the forgiveness of eastern clans possible to do, I would assume. Not sure of buying their cooperation for something like this. Not do would I given what you say they know. Kill you and suck your body empty would I." She clicked chelicerae and pedipalps in a syncopated beat that sent chills down his spine.
"Ah. Yes, well, I'll try to come up with an answer for that." He paused, thinking if there was anything else. There wasn't. "Will you excuse me? I need to get to my meeting with Asuma and Enma."
"My greetings carry."
"Yes, ma'am. Oh, and thank you for taking such good care of Canabisu and the others. I think they're starting to settle in."
"Trouble not are they. Delicious-smelling morsels, but none touch shall them. Travel safe."
"Yes, ma'am."
o-o-o-o
"Look, kid," Enma said, pouring himself some tea and dribbling a few crumbs as he bit into the cookie he was holding in his tail. "You seem like a nice guy. Asuma speaks for you, says he trusts you not to lie to him. This idea of yours, that Dragons are real and actually invading? Sounds like moonshouts to me." He caught Hazō's confusion. "Crazy. Utterly bonkers. Still, I've seen a lot of weird stuff, the kid says you're not apt to lie, and the consequences of being wrong are high enough that I'm willing to go along. I'm not going to burn my credibility on this, but I'll talk to Pantsā. I can probably get him to send a Condor to scout out what's happening, and once there's some evidence I'll go in with him on calling a conclave of rulers. I'll show up and say that I'm not sure I believe it but that we should still go check it out. And I'll agree to go myself, to verify it and fight if it's real. That's about the best I can get you."
Honestly, that was a lot more than Hazō had been hoping for. "Thank you, sir."
There was a few minutes of discussion and then Enma glanced at the clock and immediately hopped to his feet. "When did it get so late?! Asuma, why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm not your secretary, fuzzface. Hot date?"
The simian face split in a leer. "Oh yeah. She's got arms for days and the loveliest, tawniest fur..." He shuddered in delight. "Anyway, I'm out. Catch ya later, kid." He tapped two fingers off his head in a mockingly casual salute to Asuma and then vanished in a puff of zinnwaldite smoke that smelled faintly of heather.
Asuma sighed, leaning back in his chair and lighting himself a cigarette.
"That went well," Hazō tried. From the way Asuma's chair was angled he could only see the Hokage's profile, but something was making Hazō nervous. The Hokage didn't look angry, or tired, or happy...Hazō couldn't tell what the man was feeling but it definitely wasn't 'happy' or 'content' or anything on that spectrum. There was none of his aura in the air so at least he was fully in control of himself, but...
"I suppose," Asuma said, turning to face Hazō. He put his feet up on the desk, ankles crossed, and took a long drag on his cigarette. He held the smoke for a moment, then blew a perfect smoke ring and watched it drift towards the ceiling.
"We need to talk," said the Hokage.
Hazō struggled not to visibly swallow. "Yes sir?"
"My ANBU got back from Rock."
It took a moment for Hazō to make the connection. That must have been the team that went scouting for the Arachnid Summoning Scroll.
"Yes sir?" A noncommittal answer seemed best.
"Hazō...I've been placing a great deal of trust in you lately."
No way was he responding to that one. He kept his face still and attentive.
"Do you know what they found?"
"No sir."
"They found the lake, and the island, and the school, just like Kumokōrō told you. It's a Rock training center, and possibly a research facility. The team couldn't get close enough to be sure because the place has security beyond belief for something so small."
"Small, sir?"
"There's a couple dozen huts and a large communal structure on the shore, along with a couple obstacle courses and a walled-off area about a quarter mile on a side. The island is a mile or so out into the lake. The ANBU could see signs of a large estate but unlike the rest of Rock the place is lush with greenery and they couldn't get a good view."
"Ah."
"Here's the thing, Hazō...it occurred to me that I have no evidence for your story about Dragons. That I can't have any evidence. Now, with most trusted clans I would just take their word for it. They would recognize that a lie such as this could not hold up forever and that I would kill them all if they deceived me about something like this. You, on the other hand...you don't always recognize when something isn't smart. Heck, you don't even realize when something is treason, which astounds me to no end. You also love tricky and complicated plans with huge risks and big potential payouts. Payouts like a Summoning Scroll."
He paused, the tip of his cigarette smoldering bright red as he dragged on it. He blew another smoke ring and continued, his voice still casual and relaxed.
"Now, I don't have any reason to think that you intend to go missing, but I have to acknowledge the fact that you and your family have literally been there done that already. You know how to survive in the woods and you know how to make skywalkers, so it's impossible to track you if you get any kind of head start. You also weren't born in Leaf so you have no natural loyalty to it.
"Oh, don't get me wrong—I think you've done great things for Leaf and I believe that you plan to do more great things...if you stick around, and if you don't get executed, and if you don't utterly destroy your relationships with the other clans because they don't view the world the way you do and you aren't willing to consider that your views aren't necessarily correct and their views might also have value. Your adoption tickets idea was brilliant and it's going to make a big difference over time. You got Ebisu to talk me into reviewing the training the clanless get, and you were both right: Many clanless are able to keep up with the clans if given the right resources and support. We're working on improving the curriculum and providing tutors. I'm already seeing results.
"That storage seal bank that you created? Also a great idea. It's gone a long way towards reducing hunger. It's having some secondary effects that aren't entirely positive but I think it's going to be a big win once things settle down.
"The connection to Isan? If we can pull it off, that's several hundred more allied ninja set up as a buffer between us and Mist. Pretty big win.
"On the other hand, I have to look at the whole picture. A bunch of missing-nin come in from the cold with a huge new innovation, one so great that we have to adopt them. Shortly thereafter, Dad dies and things start happening. Somehow, all these things seem to fall out in your favor. Jiraiya dies, you end up head of your clan. The Gōketsu burst onto the economic scene, taking a monopoly on a major luxury good, creating a new service that everyone uses, and dipping your fingers into a dozen different pies. Mari wraps the Merchant Council around her finger. Rock attacks, and somehow the Hyūga and the Hagoromo—coincidentally, your major rivals—are devastated while you emerge stronger than before, with hundreds of civilians to provide you an economic base and vastly more ninja than you would have been able to adopt. All of them desperately loyal to the person who cared for them in their moment of crisis."
"I didn't—" He stopped talking as Asuma raised a hand.
"The Collapse also kills the leadership and senior ninja of the Nara and Yamanaka, thereby removing Leaf's chief strategist and intelligence analyst while simultaneously leaving your friends in charge of those positions. You rapidly throw your resources into helping everyone, buying the love of the masses and binding yourself closer to Shikamaru and Ino. You start a relationship with Ino, thereby ensuring that I can't trust the objectivity of my mind-readers to assess your loyalty to the village. You destroy the economy with your scrip and I have to institute food rationing, thereby undermining my approval among the ninja and civilians of Leaf.
"Then, out of the blue, comes word of an existential threat. One that I cannot verify and you cannot bring me any clear proof of. I go along because it seems too outlandish to be a gambit and I can't see any way this could work to Leaf's detriment and because I do actually trust you, mostly and as long as I understand your objectives. What do you need? For all the sealmasters in Leaf to abandon all other projects in favor of working on one particular seal at which they've made little progress. What else? The Arachnid Summoning Scroll. Where is it? In the hands of our greatest enemy, in a highly secure place where a Leaf ninja being caught would be an act of unprovoked war which would tie up Leaf's and Rock's attention and resources for years, leaving others free to get on with their own plans. Coincidentally, the place where the Scroll is kept is one that a team of missing-nin who had not had the benefit of Leaf's resources could not have penetrated.
"I'm honestly at a loss here. My more paranoid side wonders if you and Mari are playing some long game—she identifies the pressure points and how to apply them, you provide the seals and the crazy out-of-the-box thinking to enable her. Get yourself into Leaf, gain access to as many of our jutsu, intelligence assets, and other resources as you can. Eliminate as much of our military power as you can—Dad, Jiraiya, Shikaku, Inoichi, and far too many others to name. Use us to get the Toad, Dog, and Arachnid Summoning Scrolls. Weaken us militarily and economically, then turn us against Rock so that we're too busy with the war to chase you when you all disappear into the wilderness again."
Hazō was starting to sweat. Asuma saw the reaction and waved it aside.
"That's my paranoid side. My realistic side can't quite make it work. You didn't pull off the Collapse on your own, it was clearly done by Rock. You didn't send Dad to that beach and you didn't give Pain the secrets of his ritual or determine that all of the Kage would unite to fight him and Jiraiya would die. You could perhaps be an agent of someone else, but why would anyone let you run a gambit that involved giving us skywalkers?"
His cigarette had burned to the nub; he set it aside and lit another one, took a deep drag and then blew a plume of smoke to the ceiling.
"No plan survives contact with the enemy," he said. "Even if this were a gambit, not all of these events were part of it. You would simply have adapted, working them into the overall plan and taking advantage of the opportunities. Still. I can't quite see it. For one thing, you're a crap liar and I can't believe you could keep something like this from everyone in Leaf. Beyond that, you've given us a great deal and based on everything I know you stand to gain much more by being loyal than by betraying us to one of our enemies. Rationally, it wouldn't make sense." He took another drag. "And yet."
Hazō waited but the seconds dragged by until he felt the need to say, "And yet, sir?"
"And yet, I can't get past it. I don't understand you, Hazō. Hiashi was an ass and his loyalty was more to his clan than to Leaf—or, rather, he was loyal to Leaf but only because it benefited his clan. I knew where I stood with him. I don't with you. You commit treason without realizing. You start a clan war over a minor insult. You send your attack dog to murder half of the Yakuza. You—"
"Wait, what?"
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "Really, Hazō? Please don't..." He leaned forward, frowning and studying Hazō's face. "You really don't know that Haru has been murdering Yakuza sub-bosses for months?"
"He's been...but...what?!"
Asuma shook his head tiredly. "He's been turning the Yakuza into a Gōketsu intelligence and protection service by murdering them until they get him whatever he's looking for. First it was the people who beat up Granny Mayuka. Then it was punitive murder because a pair of your teenagers slipped their bodyguards and got assaulted. Then it was because they didn't have information about the causes of the bank run. Look, just talk to him. I don't honestly care that much—the Merchant Council aren't going to call an embargo over a bunch of criminals—but he needs to be more discreet."
"I'll talk to him, sir."
"Fine." He took another drag on his cigarette, studying Hazō. "Here's the bottom line: On balance, I think you are what you seem to be: Ambitious, driven, not very respectful of authority, and out to make what you see as a better world. I think your dislike of authority makes you unlikely to be an agent for someone else, although I also think you don't care about Leaf except as the best available tool to help you achieve that world. Of course, I also have faith that you do recognize it's the best tool. I think you are unpredictable in ways that make me uncomfortable and that my life would be a lot easier if I exiled or executed you. On the other hand, I think that your view of a better future for the world and my view of a better future for Leaf have a lot of overlap, and that I am more likely to get Leaf to that better future if you are working with me than if you're in the wilderness or the grave.
"I'm going to continue acting as though the threat of the Dragons is real and is as dire as you say it is, but I'm also not going to make another move towards the Arachnid Scroll, nor allow any non-deniable Leaf asset to be used in its pursuit. If the Gōketsu want their shiny toy, they're going to have to be the ones to bleed for it, and if you get caught then I'm going to claim that you went rogue. I'll take whatever actions I deem best to firewall Leaf from your actions, starting by declaring all of your ninja traitors and exiles with your locations handed over to Rock."
Hazō digested that for a moment. "'Non-deniable assets', sir?"
Asuma nodded, smiling with half his mouth. "Of course. I've got no evidence that Rock actually has the Arachnid Summoner on their roster, but I don't want them to. If the Gōketsu can secure another Summoning Scroll I will happily throw you a very quiet party with drinks from Dad's secret stock of the good stuff and train Kagome or whoever else you want to be the Summoner. If you need deniable support—logistics, intelligence, whatever—then I'll provide it as long as I'm certain that it isn't going to be traced back to us.
"I'm not going to order you to go after the Scroll and I'm not going to order you not to go after it. You're the ones taking the risk and it's a massive risk, so the decision is yours." He met Hazō's eyes. "Keep in mind: I'm serious about what will happen if you get caught. I'm not getting sucked into a war over this, Hazō. Not even if that means sacrificing a new clan who have been, overall, very beneficial to Leaf."
"Understood, sir. Thank you."
o-o-o-o
Hazō's shakes had mostly stopped by the time he got back to the house. He came through the door with a sigh, sitting down on the bench seat with his crutches leaned next to him while he stripped out of his heavy coat and toed off his boots, careful not to jostle his damaged feet more than necessary.
He tossed the boots into the corner instead of sealing them up; bending over with his bandages and injuries was too much effort right now. First he wanted to get something hot to drink and sit by the fire with his feet up for a while. Take some of the pain medicine that Lady Tsunade had given him so that he didn't have to endure the aches and pains of his wounds.
He crutched his way into the living room, pleased to see that the fireplace was fully stoked and burning high, and moved to settle into his favorite chair. He had some hot chocolate in one of his seals, and—
"Hi!"
"Gah!" He lost his balance and fell backwards into the seat, gasping in pain as the sudden movement sent pain blaring through his legs and collarbone. "Ami, what are you doing here? Where is everyone else?"
The Mist jōnin was grinning her trademarked infuriating grin. She started to speak but then her eyes flicked past Hazō's head.
"Hazō, you're back!" Akane said, her face lighting up as she came into the room with a tea tray and saw him by the fire. "Ami got here a few minutes ago and I said she could wait."
Hazō groaned, struggling to keep it silent so as not to hurt Akane's feelings.
"Thanks," Ami said, taking a cup of tea from the tray that Akane offered and giving the younger woman a smile. She took a polite sip of it as Akane settled into a chair of her own, then turned to Hazō.
"So, bro-in-law. How's it going? What's this I hear about an apocalyptic seal and some sort of lantern thing?"
XP AWARD: 3
Brevity XP: 1
It is now about 9pm. Hazō has no further definite commitments tonight. Ino said that she might or might not stop over later, but that's still loose. Kagome-sensei, Atomu, Reo, and Mai are all in their rooms upstairs, Fifi is around somewhere, and the house is otherwise empty aside from you three.
Vote time! What to do now?
Voting ends on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 12pm London time.
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- Location
- Yes.
SC Math for Chapter 438:
@eaglejarl, @Velorien
With Hazou suffering Consequences from his meetings and Snowflake busy trying to save Isan, only Akane continues to FOOM. By the SOP, she is training for 6 training blocks. With 3 base XP, the SC payouts are:
@eaglejarl, @Velorien
With Hazou suffering Consequences from his meetings and Snowflake busy trying to save Isan, only Akane continues to FOOM. By the SOP, she is training for 6 training blocks. With 3 base XP, the SC payouts are:
- Akane: +1.8 XP (3 x0.6)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
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- Location
- Yes.
So, to be clear...does Hazou think the issue could be solved by getting an Arachnid emmisary over to Enma and/or a Monkey Asuma's contracted with over to the Arachnids?
- Location
- Book Fort
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[x] Action Plan: Ami and Amicable Discussions about Dangerous Dragons
Words: tbd
Words: tbd
- It's been a long day, but we're genuinely glad to see Ami.
- Tell Ami about Draconic Threat and Ongoing Plans (Sealmaster Conclave, Summoning Leader Meetup, Spider Scroll Get, etc)
- Joking Challenge: So, Kei says you're pretty okay at lists and plans. Wanna hash one out? Sounds like this could be quite the... puzzle.
- Offscreen
- Give Tenten a Goketsu Seal Loadout to offset Kei's worries
- Just Hazou-made seals, only include Kagome-invented seals if he approves
- Give Tenten a Goketsu Seal Loadout to offset Kei's worries
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- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Done, thanks.
If there were some trustworthy confirmation that the Dragons are real and the threat is what Hazō says it is, that would definitely help. 'Solved' is a tougher question.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I feel like a big problem is (based on what Cannai said), some of the bosses are going to feel stronger in their own territory and aren't going to want to go fight near the Great Seal, thinking their chances are better on home turf. Maybe we can kite Dragons to borders so multiple bosses can fight from their territory? I also wonder how much S ranked fighters like Oro and Tsunade, if they can even be convinced to fight, are going to contribute compared to a boss. Idk if they're roughly equivalent or outmatched. Also, their deaths would really suck for Leaf
I want to point out that summoning scrolls are indestructible. This is a perfect opportunity to engage in some high-altitude bombing.
- Location
- Yes.
Iwa knows we have some method of high-altitude bombing after the whole bridge incident, and we have no guarantee the scroll's even there instead of some secure vault in the middle of Iwa.
Edit: Or being used by a Summoner of Iwa who is manipulating the Arachnids to lie to us and AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe