Mari has decided that, since matters are getting serious, she should make sure Hazō gets a proper bird's eye view of the situation before making the next move. Here's what she has for you:
The High Priest is planning to decide which EN village to make an alliance with. His realistic options are Mist, Cloud, and Leaf (Rock is too far, and Sand is too weak). He has expressed scepticism of Leaf because of its losses at Nagi and the Great Collapse. Yuno believed that his announcement would come somewhere near the end of the Holy Month (a time to reflect on the village's past), which has just ended.
The team are currently guests at the Kannagi estate.
Your assets
• The Takahashi, the ninjutsu specialist clan, hate the High Priest and want a Leaf alliance. They are firmly committed to your cause. Clan head Takahashi Saburō is Keiko's former summoning instructor and someone she feels loyal to. Dissidents within other clans also consider Takahashi to be a rallying point.
• The Yoshida, the sealing specialist clan, want a Leaf alliance, and will provide support when a suitable opening presents itself, but will not stick their neck out for you if it looks like you're going to lose. Clan head Yoshida Tsukiko has secretly submitted a rather one-sided alliance proposal, which Keiko intends to accept after some "fine-tuning" with the aid of the Nara.
• Among the otherwise hostile Inoue, there is a new minority faction that supports Keiko based on her perceived heroics during the failed hunt. Their views on a Leaf alliance are unknown.
• A number of Isan's outcast ninja hate the High Priest and are firmly committed to your cause.
• The craftsmen and merchants of Isan are favourably inclined towards a Leaf alliance. However, as civilians, their direct influence is limited (although Isan's civilians have much higher relative status than EN ones).
The High Priest's assets
• The Azai, the tapir specialist clan, are behind the High Priest, as he is the clan head's cousin.
• The Inoue, the loremaster clan, are behind the High Priest for religious reasons, with the exception of the minority faction mentioned above.
• The Aida, the former scroll guardian clan, are behind the High Priest as he is offering them a new purpose.
• The High Priest is publicly recognised as Isan's leader because Ui directly gives him guidance. As such, key village institutions such as its police report to the High Priest.
Other agents
• Arikada Hibiki, the biosealer from the Sacred Spiritual Seekers of the Scaly Sage, is nominally an ally of the High Priest, and implicitly one of his sources of information about the outside world. However, he also reveres Orochimaru, and Snowflake has told him that Orochimaru is now in Leaf and that her sister has a close relationship with him. Further discussion was interrupted by a quisling tyrant.
• The Kannagi, the weaponmaster specialist clan, fear the High Priest because Yuno's betrayal left them in a vulnerable position, and he could destroy them by turning public opinion against him. They would gladly be rid of him for this reason, but can't afford to take risks unless victory is certain. Yuno is a Kannagi by adoption, so her marriage provides them with ties to Leaf. Additionally, clan head Kannagi Yoshirō blames Keiko for failing to prevent his son's death in the hunt.
• The Gasai, the taijutsu specialist clan, are low on the totem pole of the High Priest's regime because he doesn't think their martial arts are a significant asset in dealing with the outside world (unlike, say, seals and ninjutsu). They may not be as loyal to him as others, although you have not confirmed their views.
• The Murasaki, the healer clan which does not have medical ninjutsu, do not have outspoken political views. Noburi proved his basic medical competence to clan heir Yabu, but went on to insult her by not letting her insult Yuno.
• There also exist lesser clans, which vary in their views.
Public Opinion
• The High Priest has been, indirectly and deniably, undermining Keiko's reputation by emphasising her lack of interest in and respect for Isanese culture and religion. After the disastrous hunt, he is also calling her capacity for leadership into question. More broadly, by shifting the emphasis in Isanese religion from Akio to Ui, he is attempting to portray the Pangolin Summoner as irrelevant to Isan's own future.
• Keiko has been using the hunts to demonstrate her commitment to Isan's welfare at her own risk, as well as her ability as a warrior. Being seen going into battle with pangolins at her side has also strengthened her association with Ui. The team as a whole have also been attempting to create an impression of Leaf's wealth and cultural advancement. They are at an advantage because they are the only EN village representatives to be able to promote their village directly right now, although they are also suspicious foreigners with a blatant agenda.
• Yuno continues to be seen as the cursed child, impeding her own abilities to promote Keiko and the Leaf alliance. Her presence in Keiko's retinue reflects badly on her, but it's a small consideration on the scale of everything else that's going on.
