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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest
- Thread starter eaglejarl
- Start date
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- Tags
- 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
I assume A-Day is resurrection operation, and the special guest is Jiraiya, but I might be missing something. Anybody else have a different take?
- Location
- Fifth Dimension
[X] Action Plan: Actions Have Consequences
- Mari
- Talk about getting Kagome SC. Should be easy with Dragons and his sealing, right? If not, what can we offer?
- Get Yuno SC as well.
- Akane's mission was leaked, we need to find out how/from who and prepare accordingly. Also look into seeing if any of the rest of us are being targeted as such.
- See about getting access to spices/items from other countries to cross-reference with Canvass for Akane's attackers. If the Chunin Exam is still going on, use that. Independent of Asuma action.
- Asuma
- Sanity check with Mari
- Discuss getting Kagome SC for Dragon war. What really helps is more sealmasters of Kagome's caliber.
- Hagoromo: Don't want to involve them in our schools, possible sabotage. Collaboration on Till n Fills fine, also teaching/tutoring for stuff like TH for Reo.
- Promotion to Sealing Special Jonin. Orochimaru fancies us his peer, we think it's time.
- See about getting access to spices/items from other countries to cross-reference with Canvass for Akane's attackers. If the Chunin Exam is still going on, use that.
- Hazou/Sealing
- Use SC to check list of seals and work on them if they're doable without SSA. Have Kagome work with the blood tracking and security seals if possible.
- Continue work on Minato's Seals with Kagome
- Continue on Directional Explosives/Rocket Boots
- Experiment with Earthshaping for 3D seals, with pure metal, pure rocks of different types, etc.
- Look at the Dog Scroll with the IN. Justification: Progress for Necromancy/Rift Seals as Summoning Scrolls allow travel to another dimension.
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- Location
- United States
A Day is the plan to find and convert Nagato in the deadlands alongside Jman, and now Akane, to use his godlike power for our Uplift instead of whatever ninshou hivemind idea he originally had.
Fuck this is so unbelievably doomed lol. RIP
Akane dying is taking it from "Fuck it, we ball" to "It's so over"
Man... the Kei hug when she is so pissed at us to not include us in her list of important people... Made me tear up.
Also Naruto's a good guy. Im glad that I think we are finding avenues back into being a person to him.
Another update in a row of the QMs staring directly at the camera and telling us the Jashin is dangerous. I expect we will continue to ignore.
Great update, thanks Velorien
Also Naruto's a good guy. Im glad that I think we are finding avenues back into being a person to him.
Another update in a row of the QMs staring directly at the camera and telling us the Jashin is dangerous. I expect we will continue to ignore.
Great update, thanks Velorien
- Location
- The Maple Syrup Mountains
My loose list of priorities for the immediate future (this/next cycles):
- Handle the Asuma conversation. Not too invested in the details but it probably needs to be done.
- Do science on ES 50:
- Figure out if we can mass-produce metals with it.
- Figure out if we can finally do 3D Sealing
- Make sure the Conclave is still going well
- Necromancy
- See 4
- Location
- Fifth Dimension
Also I hope we learned our lesson about trying to have these meetings with Shikamaru.
- Location
- USA
Might be better to skip this statement. An uncharitable listener might frown on us implying Asuma needs our permission for anything, or read a dash of pettiness in our referring to the Hagoromo head with this tone. Of course Asuma is probably used to us saying this sort of thing and maybe won't get too cranky.
[X] Action Plan: Compassion
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- Location
- The Soviet Republic of Canuckistan
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@Velorien @Paperclipped @eaglejarl
Was Hazo getting to asking Shika/Mari/Kei about how the Hagoromo/Ruka are being handled, but he got side-tracked with Orochimaru etc.? Can we assume that he later talked to Kei/Mari about that, or do we need to add that in? Alternately, do we simply know everything there is to know?
Is there any possibility of revisiting the 'too many scenes' penalty given that two of them effectively happened offscreen and that it was later clarified that the Lee/Naruto were only considered full scenes due to miscommunication (specifically, that I didn't know I could say 'background' instead of 'the rest')? If not, would you go into a bit of the logic behind it? "No, the penalty stays and I'm not explaining further; I'm exercising QM fiat" is an answer I'm personally satisfied with.
Did this happen?
Was Hazo getting to asking Shika/Mari/Kei about how the Hagoromo/Ruka are being handled, but he got side-tracked with Orochimaru etc.? Can we assume that he later talked to Kei/Mari about that, or do we need to add that in? Alternately, do we simply know everything there is to know?
Is there any possibility of revisiting the 'too many scenes' penalty given that two of them effectively happened offscreen and that it was later clarified that the Lee/Naruto were only considered full scenes due to miscommunication (specifically, that I didn't know I could say 'background' instead of 'the rest')? If not, would you go into a bit of the logic behind it? "No, the penalty stays and I'm not explaining further; I'm exercising QM fiat" is an answer I'm personally satisfied with.
Done.
I disagree with your reading but updated the wording a little. Are you interested in voting, or was that a general observation?
If you write up a short blurb I'll include it.
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Noumero
Omit Needless Words
I wonder if the letter was encrypted, or did Ami also develop a case of infoleakemia?
We've just discussed how Asuma doesn't trust her so he probably had a Hyuuga shoulder-surf the letter, and it leaks a ton of data. "Finding Akane" clearly means more than its surface interpretation (and he knows about the portal), "special guest" and "A-Day preparations" both sound incredibly suspicious, the need for her to speak in code at-least-lightly implies treason; overall, it at the very least implies he should have agents shadowing them both in the next few days.
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Some of the things he was going to ask Shikamaru were answered in the Asuma conversation that ended up taking place chronologically before this one.
Things happening offscreen doesn't reduce the penalty--when a plan has too many scenes, shunting some offscreen is the obvious response. As for the rest, I'll raise it with the other QMs.
Note that the letter was delivered (and, implicitly, sent) after the Hokage left Hot Springs.
Noumero
Omit Needless Words
I mean, he could've just left standing orders to whatever Leaf contingent was left with her, to watch out for weird things she might be doing and spy if possible. Not to mention it might've been intercepted or Byakugan-glanced at arrival, or en route; or intercepted by some third party like the Akatsuki which were hanging around the place, or high-level spies Leaf clearly has...
I'unno, just overall seems sloppy to send this sort of stuff in plaintext.
- Location
- Book Fort
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[] Action Plan: Compassion
You might be better served to change to wording to something akin to "Indefinite exile means she's useless. Leaf can't afford a useless ninja. Therefore..."
This doesn't seem in line with Hazou's current characterization. He's furious at the Hagoromo and grieving Akane. Hazou-pilot would likely skip this part.
You might be better served to change to wording to something akin to "Indefinite exile means she's useless. Leaf can't afford a useless ninja. Therefore..."
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- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Clearly you should ask/lecture her about this if you ever see her again.
Noumero
Omit Needless Words
Yup, was thinking the exact same thing. I will!
Oh, and I'll throw in the octocat thing too, I don't think we've ranted at her about it in-character.
- Location
- The Maple Syrup Mountains
Given the fact (admitted in this very chapter) that Shikamaru did not know Jashin actually existed before today, it should stand to reason that Shikamaru is not an expert in the Old Gods like him: while he knows enough to consider them dangerous and forbidden, his records and warnings can hardly be comprehensive if they didn't even convince him they were non-fiction.
What Shikamaru would be an expert on is the deific beings the Thinker clans have been tasked with handling: the Mori Voice and its ilk. The questions he asks Hazou are reminiscent of this, asking first about voices whispered in Hazou's ear.
In short, I'm pretty sure Shikamaru is modeling Hazou as a pseudo-Thinker right now. It's natural, really, that Shikamaru would draw from what he knows to try and understand what he doesn't know. He is of course aware that Jashin is not an ordinary Voice and Hazou's connection is not that of an ordinary Thinker's, but the baseline of his model will be the Thinker dynamic with further knowledge creating deviations from that baseline.
What this means for us is that he probably isn't thinking in the same terms as when we were suffering Out seizures. Instead of "a demon might puppet Hazou's body at any point", he will be thinking "Hazou is a Thinker with no precautions or training, connected to a Voice that seeks only bloodshed. If he ever loses that fight, the consequences will be horrifying." Still a reason to be concerned, of course, but I think it's valuable to understand exactly how and why he's freaking out here, so we know how best to continue worshiping Jashin in secret.
What Shikamaru would be an expert on is the deific beings the Thinker clans have been tasked with handling: the Mori Voice and its ilk. The questions he asks Hazou are reminiscent of this, asking first about voices whispered in Hazou's ear.
In short, I'm pretty sure Shikamaru is modeling Hazou as a pseudo-Thinker right now. It's natural, really, that Shikamaru would draw from what he knows to try and understand what he doesn't know. He is of course aware that Jashin is not an ordinary Voice and Hazou's connection is not that of an ordinary Thinker's, but the baseline of his model will be the Thinker dynamic with further knowledge creating deviations from that baseline.
What this means for us is that he probably isn't thinking in the same terms as when we were suffering Out seizures. Instead of "a demon might puppet Hazou's body at any point", he will be thinking "Hazou is a Thinker with no precautions or training, connected to a Voice that seeks only bloodshed. If he ever loses that fight, the consequences will be horrifying." Still a reason to be concerned, of course, but I think it's valuable to understand exactly how and why he's freaking out here, so we know how best to continue worshiping Jashin in secret.
Noumero
Omit Needless Words
I smell an opportunity for extracting some delicious Forbidden Lore...
Okay, here are my desiderata for this meeting:
- Include Mari.
- Discuss Jashin. Fill them in on what we've tried with the Scroll Hunt and the vision.
- Carefully float the possibility that Shikamaru was involved in Akane's death. It's obvious-on-priors that the Thinker Clans are collaborating, and he did just mention how keeping the world from ending is their core goal...
- On that note, bring up what we've figured out about the Five. After the Jashin thing, it's not going to paint more of a target on us; and if the Five Clans would murder for knowing too much, it's pretty likely they killed Akane and we're on the list already.
- (We've already filled Mari in on that, by the way.)
- To close things off, lecture Ami about OPSEC.
Thoughts?
- Location
- The Maple Syrup Mountains
- Earthshaping science!
- Cast MARI/MEW and try to earthshape the metals out of the granite. How pure are they?
- Can we do 3D Sealing with a sufficiently pure material?
- Try everything you have access to.
Noumero
Omit Needless Words
Pretty sure she meant "scaring idiots", else Hazou would've reacted more. Also, reasonably sure she's not that evil. Actually, pretty sure: Isan had a population so small they treasured even their civilians, so this sort of culling wouldn't have been normalized there, and she speaks of it too matter-of-factly to have invented it on her own and she's not so evil to have invented it on her own.
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
Word count: 300
Duration: Conversation
[X] We like you, Harumitsu
We don't like the Hagoromo we've seen except for Harumitsu. We can't wreck their clan without third parties stepping in BUT we can help elevate the one part of the clan that we DO like.
Asuma's on the backfoot. This is the best time to ask for concessions. He's not going to budge on the Hagoromo, but we should be able to get other productive gains.
Duration: Conversation
[X] We like you, Harumitsu
- Clan matters
- We don't like Ritsuo. We DO like Harumitsu and believe he represents the best of the Hagoromo.
- We would like Harumitsu to select any teachers and manage the Hagoromo side of the collaboration.
- We would like Harumitsu to receive recognition and prestige for this position.
- The Tip of the Spear
- There's a tremendous difference between a ninja with skywalkers and copious explosive seals and one without.
- We think this difference is likely to increase.
- Demonstrate metal shaping and point out how it could be used to create large amounts of war material.
- Between MARI, the fertility jutsu, and earthshaping, it's becoming apparent that we've only scratched the surface of what's possible using jutsu and seals to produce supplies.
- We can gain an advantage in war material, soft power and eventually population if we have some ninja specialize in making things instead fighting.
- The gains from better equipment should offset the small reduction in numbers.
- These ninja will also probably live longer and increase our overall numbers.
- Fixing sealing
- The tower seal tax is asking ninja to do missions for free. That's the tower's right but means people don't want to become seal masters.
- The fixed price system also discourages people from making as many seals as they could, as well as encouraging seal masters not to sell more advanced seals.
- Overall, the system does the opposite of what it's supposed to do and makes seals far less available than they should be.
- How much money and how many seals would the Tower need to be willing to try a different system?
- Proposal:
- The Tower receives a percentage tax of seal sales.
- The Tower purchases the seals it needs using the money from the tax.
- The Tower supports teaching sealing to make seals cheaper.
We don't like the Hagoromo we've seen except for Harumitsu. We can't wreck their clan without third parties stepping in BUT we can help elevate the one part of the clan that we DO like.
Asuma's on the backfoot. This is the best time to ask for concessions. He's not going to budge on the Hagoromo, but we should be able to get other productive gains.
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