Full Reaction Post, GO!
Gōketsu Hazō had betrayed the trust his clan had placed in him. No, he had not plunged Leaf into a famine out of a surfeit of ambition. Nor had he forced one of the purest, kindest people in the world to devise the cruellest possible torture for her long-standing friend and cousin. Not this week. Instead, he had failed in a duty that was his and his alone: to protect the Gōketsu board game collection.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, Hazou, you really
do need to delegate more!
"That can wait," she said, turning to indicate that he should follow. "First things first. How stand matters with Akane?"
"Surprisingly well, actually," Hazō said as they walked towards the main building. "She came back yesterday, and if anything, she's sticking closer to me than she did before. I wonder if she's feeling guilty."
Kei allowed herself a look of satisfaction. "Just as planned."
This can't be healthy, Akane seeming to forgive Hazou and feel guilty about reacting appropriately to uncharacteristically-monstrous behavior from Hazou. She was right to react the way that she did, and Haru's punishment is reformative in nature rather than guided by mere vengeance. It's harsh and severe, but not cruel. It's tough love, true, but its end goal is compassion and empathy. It was a stroke of genius that I never would've been able to think of.
"Are you saying you gave her love advice?"
Kei gave a disbelieving laugh. "Hazō, Akane may have an unhealthily low sense of self-preservation, but that is not the same as the hunger for self-destruction that alone could motivate a human being to rely on my romantic expertise. No, I merely offered my observations based on the information I already possessed."
Kei, your polycule will likely rule the world one day (if Ami's doesn't). The last advice you gave Hazou was helpful, honest, and displayed a level of insightfulness that would've shocked, awed, and befuddled the pre-Uplift version of yourself.
We'll keep telling you this, we'll keep reminding you of your growth, until you see yourself as you truly are. We'll be a mirror to reflect the true you, not that which you see through the distorted lenses of fear and insecurity.
"Which were…?'
Kei looked around to make sure they were alone in the corridor. "That it is not the first incident marked by out-of-character pragmatism, callousness, and inability to model others' reactions."
In other words, Out contamination. With Hazō having recently absorbed another of the Sage's seals with the Iron Nerve, there was no way to deny the possibility. He suppressed a shiver. Had his reaction been provoked by Out influence rather than (or in addition to, or provoked by an excess of) accumulated stress? It certainly made sense than him having, as Akane had put it, a lever in his head that turned his morality on and off.
Hm. That's actually a good point. Narratively speaking, Hazou does have that "psychically stomped" mental consequence from looking at the Sage's sealwork. That could very well be the reason why Hazou-pilot didn't "speak up," as it were. It'd be a clever way to mesh the meta of the quest (action plans) and the internal narrative of the quest's story. It'd even be narratively consistent (Out-Wounded from the Scroll, heals up, and when Hazou is Out-Wounded a second time, he's able to endure it better than last time).
"Not the only one," Kei said, "but the likeliest, to my mind. Please take care, Hazō. You know what is at stake."
With the word "caldera" hanging silently in the air, Kei led him to the Nara gaming room without further ado.
I wonder at this, though. Kei used the phrase "Just as planned." While this likely just means that Kei is saying "oh, good, you're back together again, just as I'd hoped," the exact wordage implies some level of trickery or deceit.
Perhaps Kei isn't wholly convinced of this? Or perhaps she's choosing to believe in this as a way to explain Hazou's horrid, no good, very bad Isan Plan? I mean, as I said above, it's entirely likely.
"Playing board games in the middle of the day?" Hazō asked with a deliberate jovialness to dispel the chill around his heart. "Be careful, Kei. You're a step away from becoming one of those villainous dissolute nobles from the Icha Icha books. If you ever feel an impulse to lock innocent young girls in the Nara dungeons, seek help."
There was a very awkward silence. On reflection, perhaps that hadn't been the best choice of topic, especially given how adamant Kei was about refusing to read any of Jiraiya's more salacious works.
Hazou, honey. Kei's in front of two people whom she has an intimate, metaphysically-entangled relationship with, and her chosen romantic partner... while they're playing a roleplaying strategy game. Be more discreet!
...Wait, their reaction was (guilty?) silence. Did they lock Shiori and Shika in a room until they have a serious discussion about their relationship dynamic?
"Hazō," Tenten corrected herself. "I want to thank you," she said, speaking slowly and deliberately, "for protecting Kei during the mission." She paused. "Your love for her is precious to me."
She stepped over and, unexpectedly, gave him a hug.
It wasn't quite as good as an Akane hug, but only because nothing could be as good as an Akane hug. It was still exactly right: neither too tight nor too loose, the hug of someone who wanted to express deep, platonic affection and knew exactly how to do it. Hazō could have stayed like that for a long time if he didn't think Kei might get the wrong idea and murder him.
"Any time," Hazō said.
A thought.
Tenten's world is that of images and movements, yes? And Hazou has the Iron Nerve, meaning he has an exhaustive library of movements, postures, and expressions for very specific uses (we really should get him that Iron Nerve Socials training).
Between their respective skills, Hazou is able to perceive Tenten's intent clearly (as shown in the description).
I wonder if Tenten would benefit from learning the Nara sign language (able to display more context with her chosen words) or if that would be yet another barrier to communication?
"In response to your shocking and unfounded allegations," the be-ribboned Snowflake said, "we are warming up for an instance of several individuals spending a day together in order to facilitate greater mutual knowledge and familiarity, arranged in anticipation of a potential long-term relationship.
"More specifically," the other Snowflake added, "Akane suggested that two particular individuals might be suffering from an unhealthy and staggeringly delusional case of hero worship, and should thus be given opportunities to observe us in our natural environment where our ordinariness will quickly become apparent. Personally, I suspect that having them observe our natural behaviour will only cause them to flee in terror and not come back, but then I have been assigned pessimism today."
Who are the two individuals? Yuno and that one girl that Snowflake went on a not-date with?
"Shiori has ours," Scalpel said. "I will have a servant retrieve it."
"Now I think of it," Hazō said, "she wasn't at the last gaming night. Is she OK?"
The girls exchanged uneasy glances.
"I have no reason to believe otherwise," Kei said. "More importantly, on to our news."
...By the Sage's sympathies, they really
did lock Shiori and Shikamaru together, didn't they?
The Nara Future Foundation is now recruiting experts in education, agriculture, animal husbandry, smithing, woodcarving, and architecture! Stable employment at competitive rates guaranteed for those keen to pass on their skills to the next generation. All NFF instructors receive a comprehensive benefits package, including housing, priority medical care for themselves and their immediate family, and, for the best of the best, potential adoption into the Nara Clan.
All applicants must pass a literacy and numeracy test, except those who have completed the free course offered by the Gōketsu Education Department, as well as a competency test.
Huh. This binds the Goketsu and the Nara all the closer. By having GED applicants be exempt from the literacy/numeracy test, this means that more GED applicants will be hired (after all, it seems like the Goketsu are the only ones educating clanless civis, and it's a toss up on whether or not the other clans educate their civilians, or to what extent).
Also:
Hell yeah, educate the masses! Seize knowledge as the universal equalizer!
This is an excellent example of worldbuilding, and how other countries have different expressions (even those who share the same language).
"It means more than you think it means," Kei replied proudly. "The Isan alliance negotiations commenced last week, and there is a report on the Hokage's desk co-written by Noburi and myself as team leaders, detailing my superlative performance in securing them and omitting certain entirely personal and irrelevant details of intra-team dynamics. Completely unrelatedly, the Hokage has now consented to accept the Clan Council's will and pass the Concubine Laws, subject to a number of tiresome additional provisions doubtless intended as a reminder not to overreach. This achieved, Snowflake suggested that it might be desirable to anchor concubine status with a ritual, by analogy with other change-of-relationship rituals that serve to embed the participating individuals more firmly into the social and ideological framework of Leaf while ensuring that the subtler powers of this world do not take offence at a major life decision being implemented without their approval.
While I don't grok marriage as an institution, I'm glad that nontraditional relationships are gaining legal recognition and the accompanying legal rights. ^.^
(side note: message received. Do good work, and Asuma will play ball with us --provided we don't overreach "without a proper foundation," as Ami put it.)
"So let me get this straight," Hazō said, the grin staying in place, "you've set the precedent for a legitimate pseudo-religious pseudo-wedding ceremony at which anyone can officiate except the Hagoromo, and you've put the Nara in control of the whole thing."
Fuck the Hag.
"Regardless, the foundations are now in place for legal recognition of both homosexual and polyamorous relationships. All that remains is to find a way to prevent Leaf at large from rising up in arms against the happiness of others when this is understood, which is why our own ceremony will be small and private."
I hope they're able to have a more public ceremony down the road (if they desire one). While I don't quite understand the necessity for it, no one should have to hide away their love like that.
"Perfect," Hazō exclaimed. He glanced at the window. "Say, is that the time? I've just remembered that I have a pressing appointment on the Seventh Path, and my scroll is back at the compound. What a shame that I have to leave immediately. Good luck corrupting your two individuals!"
"I have no such intentions!/Thank you!/We will need it."
I love how Snowflake openly admits to it, while Kei denies it furiously, and Scalpel has used pessimism to walk backwards into confidence ("We may be unable to convince these people that we're mere mortals").
"Now get to the seducing. As an expert, I will be awarding you points on subtlety, enthusiasm, flair, and innuendo, as well as a secret fifth category. You will need a combined score of 70 in order to pass."
Fifth category?
...Surprise? Reciprocity?
Ami's shocked gasp alone made the entire evening worthwhile.
Heh ^.^
"So," she asked as her hands continued to flick through his hair—the sensation unfamiliar, but pleasant, and oddly intimate—"is this the part where you ask me whether I have a boy I like?"
I would like to note: she never really answers this.
"See?" Ami beamed. "You get me! Naruto's great fun, but he's got a way to go. But that's what made it such a fun instance of two individuals spending a day together in order to facilitate greater mutual knowledge and familiarity, arranged in anticipation of a potential long-term relationship. I already knew everything he had to tell me, so I could devote my full attention to studying how he was telling me it, and also to making sure he was having a good time because I'm a kind and friendly young woman with no ulterior motives."
Hm.
There's an echo of her joy from the Heaven's Cradle chapter. An acknowledgement that we truly do understand Ami, and that even Hazou-the-character (independent of we-the-hivemind) understands Ami more than anyone else. We're no social spec, but we understand Ami and we're growing to understand her all the more as time goes on.
Ami also admits here that her enjoyment of her date with Naruto wasn't derived from it being with Naruto, himself. But rather, it was because she could study him while at the same time working to ensure that he enjoyed the date in the exact way that she wanted him to.
Like Mari said, I don't think Ami feels romantic love for Naruto. She just enjoyed getting important data on Leaf's jinchuuriki while enjoying the fun of juggling many different things concurrently (word choice, body posture, analyzing projections, and everything else that must come with social manipulation of such an important political figure within Leaf).
"You're playing with fire, Ami," Hazō said. "Dating Naruto could go wrong for you in so many ways, I can't even imagine, and I'm good at making the dating thing go wrong."
"I can state with confidence," Ami said, the movement of her hands growing slow and very regular, "that your database of romantic failure modes is trivial next to what I have witnessed, arranged, and been subject to over the last decade—whether as a professional manipulator, a whimsical meddler, or a girl who once possessed unrealistic expectations. Your advice in this matter, though well-meant, is of little practical value to me.
I think there's two conversations going on here.
The surface one: wherein Hazou warns Ami that dating Naruto could end poorly, and Ami dismisses Hazou's concerns as touching but ultimately meaningless when weighed against her skill as a social spec I&S jonin.
The secondary one: Wherein Hazou warns Ami that he's very bad at dating, and Ami dismisses Hazou's warning when weighed against her own social prowess. I also read that last bit ("unrealistic expectations") as two-pronged. She had unrealistic expectations of the world, and it hurt her. And she had unrealistic expectations of Hazou (that he learn to play Ami's Game quickly). It may be that she's saying "hurry up and learn, so we can play the Game again --as equals this time."
Now he thought of it, giving Ami a summoning scroll (after she defected and it stopped being treasonous) would be a guaranteed way of getting rid of that life debt she still had hanging over his head, as well as giving her incentive to optimise the Trade Network and whatever other Seventh Path plans he came up with in the fullness of time.
Now he thought about it again, the fact that right now he couldn't see how it would end in disaster—really, it was hard to feel properly suspicious with the way her hands were running through his hair—didn't mean he couldn't ignore the fact that would definitely end in disaster, probably the kind that had Ami ruling the Seventh Path in a matter of years and having the authority to give orders to him and every other summoner on the planet.
I'm down, let's do it.
Wow. This hair-braiding thing was a lot more dangerous than he'd given it credit for.
I mean... not
wrong.
"Wait," Hazō said after a second, "you left out Sasuke."
More proof that Hazou-the-character is growing more insightful.
"So why didn't you recommend him?"
"Because you've found fleeting happiness," Ami said, "and it would not be the act of a friend to accelerate its demise, insofar as it would cause the most beautiful chaos, so on second thought go right ahead and add him in! Your four-way relationship is pretty spicy as far as this village is concerned, and as they say, the spice must grow. And speaking of growing, I think I'm out of things I can do with your hair at this length. Go have a look."
More proof that Ami
genuinely does want the best for Hazou.
The fruit of Ami's efforts was eerie to see on his own head, but not unattractive, with a wavy pattern going from the front to the back of his head, and culminating in several braids trailing down the back of his neck into which Ami had, at some point, woven little silver decorations.
I like it, let's keep it.
"Not at this time of night," Hazō said. "Thanks, Ami. This is pretty cool. So does this mean it's my turn?"
"Mmm. Can't wait. Also, you've discovered the secret fifth category. Go you."
...Reciprocity?
Acknowledgement that the timing isn't quite right?
"By the way," he said, as he began to an approving "mmm" from Ami, "I wanted to thank you again for the Karasu letters. I'm not done with them yet because my brain is still more scrambled than an egg at an Akimichi cooking tournament, but I've been finding them a fun puzzle."
"Oh," Ami said quietly. "Awkward."
Oh?
"Hazō, seeing how long it took you to solve them was a test. Well, a bunch of tests, 'cause that's how I roll. You've already failed most of those, including the one that determines if you get the reward. That's expired now."
"What do you mean, expired?" Hazō demanded.
A bunch of tests? A test to see if Kei had told Hazou of the Mori dating rituals? A test to see if Hazou could decrypt them? A test to see his reactions to them? A test of her own, to see if Hazou was a proper match for Kei (because even Ami thought that Hazou and Kei were going to end up together and wanted to "train him up" to be a good match).
"Ami, what do you mean, it's expired?" Hazō urgently swerved sideways. "You told me they were ancient sealing secrets."
"I told you they were said to be ancient sealing secrets," Ami corrected him. "Specifically, said by me. C'mon, Hazō, that was one of the easiest tests. Did you think I'd actually hand the Hokage's son sealing secrets, in the middle of Mist and more or less in public?"
We may have failed
those tests, but those tests were never about Hazou's compatibility with
Ami. They were a test of his compatibility with
Kei, and a gauge to see if Kei had told her then-crush about Mori dating rituals.
"In my defence," Hazō said, taking advantage of his position to speak softly into her ear because in a world of secret ninjutsu and Bloodline Limits, expressing anger with your boss was one thing, but there were some things you did not say out loud without OPSEC in place, "you're not exactly loyal to Mist when it's weighed against your personal ambitions."
That's oddly intimate. Also good opsec.
"You don't need to know any more of that story," Ami said. "Control, freedom, and fun. You've never been where I have, Hazō. You don't know where that philosophy comes from, or what its depths are, or, in the end, what it means. Don't assume you know who I am."
Oh Ami. Yagura put I&S through hell, didn't he? And when Kurosawa rose to the throne, she rejected the chance to turn Mist into what it should've been.
Ami is an idealist whose ideals have abandoned her. An idealist whom the world has turned its back on.
Is it any wonder why she Fiddles while the Paint Burns Itself? Is it yet any wonder why she joins Uplift under the doublethink of "imagine the chaos" because
truly allowing herself to believe again (and
acknowledging it) is too frightening?
Hazō had chosen this particular braid for two reasons: first, it was simple by Isan standards. Second, like everything in Isan, it had a special meaning, and in this case the meaning was "I am an unmarried woman between 18 and 26 who was born under the star of chaos, and will give myself only to a man who can overwhelm me in a duel of wits". It was rare for Hazō to get to be the prankster in their relationship, and the fact that there was no possible way Ami could find out (he'd already had a word with Yuno) only made the private joke sweeter.
Ami's going to find out (because
duh) and she's going to be
delighted. Hazou's improving, and he'll be her equal soon enough.
"I mean," Hazō said, "if we're going to play the game by ninja rules, which is the only way to play it, we need the blindfolds to add tactical options. It's very hard to cheat without getting caught when everything's in plain sight."
"Can't have everything in plain sight," Ami agreed. "Definitely too vanilla."
I think Ami recognizes all of this (certainly, she's better at socials than I). She's warning Hazou that "I can't be transparent all the time."
And, in part, that's because honesty is scary. It's vulnerability. It's not a weakness, but it is opening yourself up to the possibility of hurt. And Ami has been hurt (by her parents, by Yagura, by Kurosawa, by Mist itself, and by the unknown trauma that made her into a plurality and drove her into jonin-hood) far too many times to allow herself to be vulnerable so easily.
And, in part, because it's fun. It's a game and Ami enjoys playing it. Hazou's learning the rules, the steps to this dance. And, as we can see in this chapter, Hazou-pilot isn't entirely helpless. And (as seen by the braid-prank) he's having fun, too.
"Mmm…" Ami said slowly, "mutual consent…"
Hazō sighed again. "I swear, you can be as bad as Mari."
"Mmm… Mari…"
Hazō looked up, startled. Ami stuck her tongue out at him.
Ami,
Hazou's the one front of you! Now's not the time to be thinking of other partners!
Time to be audacious. There really was no other way with her.
See, he
can learn!
"Deal," Ami said. "And if you lose… you'll date me in the name of my master plan to create the ultimate polycule."
"I-I'm sorry?"
"You heard me." Ami grinned.
"But I don't want to date you, Ami!" Hazō exclaimed. It wasn't that the idea didn't have its points of appeal, but a world tour with Hidan would probably be better for his sanity than a week of dating Ami.
Yup, she knows.
Hazou says that he doesn't want to date her, and then admits in the very next sentence that the thought
is appealing.
She knows. And from Mari's reconnaissance (as I mentioned in a previous post), Ami now knows that either Hazou's not interested, or he's simply not the jealous type. And this singular moment has proven to Ami that Hazou's definitely interested.
"Oh, my," Ami said in a deadpan voice, "the wind really does blow in the strangest things. You shouldn't leave your window open at night if you're going to be casting aspersions on a young lady's age."
[snerk]
"Oh, dear," Ami said. "Looks like I knocked over the tower. Then again, you made me do it, so I guess it cancels out to a draw."
Or --and, hear me out here --you
both win, and you
both get your prizes?
Hazō pulled off his blindfold to see a completely unharmed Ami sitting amidst the scattered blocks of the tower. He could also see, in the mirror, that his forehead bore the words "I was rude to Ami" in bright red ink, as if placed there by a stamp.
[snerk]
Ami is a delight.
"Not against the rules," Ami said in a sing-song voice. "You knew my ninja speciality when you challenged me to the ninja-rules game."
Rude! In the most amusing way.
Ami leaving Hazou befuddled, bewildered, and with a stomach
full of butterflies never fails to make me smile.
"Tell me, Ami," Hazō said as he began to pick up the blocks, "did you ever actually intend to date me?"
Ami gave a pure, innocent smile. "You will never know."
We do, actually! I've mentioned it
here.
