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>>4992039
“Very nice,” Ryūzetsu muses. “The metal weapons inside its limbs?”

“Exactly,” Fū confirms.

Ryūzetsu nods thoughtfully, before weaving three quick hand seals. “I only have one technique that could be any good for this… why don’t you release the puppet?”

After she glances at you for confirmation, you nod to Fū. “It’s okay, I know where this is going.”

At first the puppet doesn’t move. But then it does a pirouette, capers around the hallway for a few moments, then bows deeply to Fū before pulling its battery out of its own back and collapsing to the floor.

“So that clearly worked,” Fū muses, still staring at the motionless puppet. “You’re scary sometimes, Ryūzu-san.”

“So yeah,” you insist, drawing the focus back onto the next task. “We’re not far.”

A few minutes later you arrive at the charging station, quickly dispatching two more of the strange puppets so you can get a better look at the device. It draws in natural energy, then apparently pulls that energy through a series of chakra-conductive metal pipes that pass through what seems to be an intricately designed series of wire coils. Somehow, this odd-looking device can generate electricity – albeit at the cost of slightly diminishing the natural energy surrounding it.

“So?” Ryūzetsu asks you.

“… so what?”

“So what are we going to do with it?’ Fū presses.

>We destroy it. I don’t like letting a device like this deplete natural energy any more than letting Kaguya do it.
>We store it, along with all the other things we don’t want to deal with – like the Box of Paradise and Hidan’s screaming head.
>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.
>Other?

>>4992043
>>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.

>>4992043
>>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.

>>4992043
>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.

>>4992043
>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.

Now that's some useful technology!
Assuming natural energy regenerates over time.

If it doesn't, then it's turbo forbidden.

>>4992043
>>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.
that scientist had at least one point, maybe i should learn more about technologie before i write it off.

If Natural Energy regenerated at a speed higher than "practically nonexistent", the Ootsutsuki wouldn't have to travel around seeding worlds with God Trees and then leaving the dead husks of harvested planets behind. They'd just farm their worlds like we do plants.

I advise examining the device so that we can build one if need be, and then destroying it to prevent it from being stolen and misused.

>>4992043
>I think I’d like to take it home and study its mechanisms, once we’re done here.

>>4992043
>We store it, along with all the other things we don’t want to deal with – like the Box of Paradise and Hidan’s screaming head.

>>4992043
“So yeah, I think I’d prefer to take this home with me,” you admit, breaking out a sealing tag and placing it on the exposed port on the wall. “Fū, could you tell me how far back that device goes?”

Fū places her hand on the wall and closes her eyes, before sending a pulse of chakra into the surface. “A square twenty feet on each side seems right.”

“You know,” you muse, sealing the entire section of wall around the charging device, “I essentially used this technique to overthrow a country once.”

“I like this better,” Fū admits. “Whaddya think you’re gonna learn from it?”

“First thing, whether it’s something we should use,” you admit.

“Why’s that?”

“You’re not sure it renews itself?” Ryūzetsu frowns. “Is that it?”

“I know it does,” you insist, putting the tag away. “It’s just a matter of how fast. I’m already wary of it – if natural energy renewed quickly, then why would the Ōtsutsuki need to take it from our world?”

“Fair question,” Fū shrugs. “Maybe next time they’ll give you the chance to ask.”

“I doubt it,” you sigh.

...

Eventually you come to a large underground room, with an upper course and a lower course. There’s no lighting down here, but all three of you can tell something is amiss.

“Ryūzetsu,” you mutter, “torches on this level and ten feet below. Fū, be ready.”

You give her a list of targets, sixteen in total, in degrees from the direction she’s currently looking, and wait for a moment before giving word.

“Now!”

“Katon: Onidōrō!”

“Sōshūjin!”

Even as Ryūzetsu’s lanterns light the torches on the walls, Fū’s manipulated kunai strike at the Zetsu clones milling about aimlessly in what had previously been the darkened room, leaving thin strands of spinder-silk behind them. While the kunai themselves don’t kill most of their targets, they do serve to channel the flames from the lanterns once they’re done illuminating the space and turn down towards the Zetsus.

This time, you don’t even have to lift a finger.
>1/2

>>4992648
“So yeah, this is part of why I don’t use fire release,” you confess, waving your hand in front of your face to try and clear the air a little. It doesn’t work – the smell of burned Zetsu isn’t exactly going to disperse in a sealed environment like this.

“It’s not usually this bad,” Ryūzetsu insists, though she’s doing the same thing you are at this point. “So what are we looking at?”

“Staging area,” you assert, before gesturing to a massive carved statue base shaped like a lotus. “This is probably where Obito kept the Gedō statue.”

“So those tunnels...” Fū frowns, gesturing towards several large holes excavated into the rock. “Those are how the Zetsu clones got to the battlefield?”

“Probably.”

“Should we be following them?”

>No need. Where would they lead us, other than to the battlefield?
>I’d rather just seal them up and leave them.
>We should probably clear them as best we can.
>Other?

>>4992688
>>No need. Where would they lead us, other than to the battlefield?

>>4992688
>We should probably clear them as best we can.

>>4992688
>We should probably clear them as best we can.

>>4992688
>We should probably clear them as best we can.

>>4992688
>>We should probably clear them as best we can.
I wonder if Fu's bees could use them to raise larva. Most species of wasp larva, besides actual bees, are carnivorous.

>>4992688
>We should probably clear them as best we can.

>>4992832
I like the way you are thinking anon

>>4992688
“... so yeah, that could be a problem,” you admit with a weary sigh.

“You don’t have to be the one to go,” Ryūzetsu offers.

You shake your head. “No no, I know already I’ll catch hell if I don’t at least try.”

“That’s probably true,” Fū admits. “So what’s the plan, Nakkun?”

“The plan is I’m sending in a clone,” you admit, creating a single shadow clone with one hand. “Sorry to trouble you.”

“I get it,” your clone sighs. “It’s a good plan.”

“What’s the plan?” Fū repeats.

“Use the jōgan to see in the dark and attack using silent killing,” your clone explains.

“The darkness creates an ideal environment,” you add. “It’s more efficient this way.”

“Well,” you clone muses, “I’m off.”

...

You actually have time to break out a short meal, unsealing some of the food you had prepared for the trip before your clone’s memories reach you.

“So yeah,” you confess, “my clone actually got lost in there. It’s a real maze of tunnels that go for miles, right under the ocean, and around to the south.”

“Did you encounter many Zetsu clones?” Ryūzetsu asks.

You nod. “A few dozen. Simple enough to eliminate – their senses are too dull to fight under those circumstances, against the silent killing technique – but to do much more than that will require specialists in fighting underground. I assume your bees aren't carniverous?"

Fū nods to confirm it. "I don't think they'd be too keen on eating those clone thingies, no. And their venom isn't lethal either."

"Then Iwagakure or Sunagakure would be our best options.”

>Try to use a version of Nagato’s communication ability to speak with Konan, but stay in the field.
>Head back to Amegakure, continue your work from the village you’ve started to build.
>Head for Iwagakure, the most likely village to be following up on what you just discovered.
>Other?

>>4994160
>>Head for Iwagakure, the most likely village to be following up on what you just discovered.

>>4994160
>>Head for Iwagakure, the most likely village to be following up on what you just discovered.

>>4994160
>>Head for Iwagakure, the most likely village to be following up on what you just discovered.

Hey we can see Kurotsuchi again too

>>4994160
>Head for Iwagakure, the most likely village to be following up on what you just discovered.

>>4994160
After taking Fū and Ryūzetsu home, you teleport to the hiraishin marking you left with Kurotsuchi, who just about spits out her coffee in surprise – evidently you caught her at the kitchen table.

“Naori!” she chokes out. “What’s up? Why’re you here?”

“So yeah, I was just kinda killing a bunch of leftover Zetsu clones underground,” you explain directly. “I did what I could but my clone got totally lost down there. We’ll need specialists in underground warfare to do any more.”

“Then you’re in the right place,” Kurotsuchi tells you. “But it may not happen anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

She frowns at the thought. “The daimyō here are notorious hardasses. I’m not sure they’re gonna want our village going out of the way to help everyone else like that... you sure we can’t just flood the tunnels or something?”

“The clones can take on characteristics of their environment,” you remind her.

“Ah, that’s right,” she sighs, “now I remember reading that report... you think they could become amphibians?”

“With that guy, you really wanna risk it?” you muse.

“... point.”

She leans over her shoulder and shouts upstairs. “Hey dad! Can you send a message to gramps, we’ve gotta have a meeting!”

...

In the hour or so it takes for the Tsuchikage to clear an opening in his schedule, you and Kurotsuchi catch up on a lot of unimportant things – if she suspects that there’s been something like a ‘development’ with Ryūzetsu she doesn’t mention it.

Eventually you’re called to meet with the Tsuchikage, who has the screens up that show the other Kages’ faces.

“So, you want our village to take the lead on this matter with the Zetsu clones,” Ōnoki admits. “This time last year I would tell you to get out of my village, but now it’s the daimyō who would probably tell you that. I’d honestly be okay with it so long as the other villages participated.”

“I’m sure the Fire daimyō would be wary enough of the Zetsu clones to agree,” Tsunade admits. “Though there may be some hesitation since Kakashi-san is about to take over in the role of Hokage.”
>1/2

>>4995793
“So that’s been finalized?” Mei-tono muses. “He’s quite the natural selection, especially since he now has a complete set of mangekyō sharingan. He was already quite formidable with just the one base sharingan.”

“So... can we please focus?” you interrupt.

“We can commit shinobi to the cause,” Gaara insists calmly. “Even if Iwagakure cannot due to the refusal of their daimyō.”

“That’s helpful,” you nod in satisfaction. “I’m sure we all appreciate it, Gaara-han. What else?”

“We’ll probably have no problems cooperating,” A-tono growls, “though I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the proximity of the battlefield to our own borders. What about Otogakure?”

“It’s not a real village,” Tsuna-han observes, “and never was. I doubt Orochimaru would be willing to commit any forces to helping us out even if it ever were.”

“And there’s another issue we haven’t spoken of yet,” Mei-tono interjects. “I can’t speak for any of the other hidden villages, but the number of shinobi that have gone missing since the end of the war is rather alarming.”

“That was always a problem with Kirigakure,” Tsunade-han frowns, “but I had hoped with the end of the ‘Blood Mist’ era that would change.”

>Mei-tono, have you done any research into the backgrounds of your missing shinobi?
>I assume all the major villages are having this problem since the end of the war?
>Where are they all going, if they’re abandoning their villages like this?
>Other?

>>4995796
>>Where are they all going, if they’re abandoning their villages like this?

>>4995796
>I assume all the major villages are having this problem since the end of the war?
>Where are they all going, if they’re abandoning their villages like this?

>>4995796
>Where are they all going, if they’re abandoning their villages like this?

>>4995796
>>4995905
This, maybe mention diplomatically that we had a similar issue in ame

>>4995796
>>I assume all the major villages are having this problem since the end of the war?

>>4995796
- Six Months Later -

“So how have you been?”

You’ve been seated in a small cafe with Ajisai, ready to get caught up on the madness of the last few months spent teleporting all around the shinobi world, shouting factual information at people from time to time. There has been surprisingly little real progress, with a lot of talking and negotiations but little commitment at this stage. The two things the great villages are cooperating on so far have been killing Zetsu clones and tracking missing shinobi, with joint task forces having been pulled together for each ongoing problem.

“Fū and Chōmei are doing well,” you muse. “They sent a very nice letter from Takigakure... I don’t think they’ll stay there of course, but it’s good for Fū to go back for a while.”

“And Ryūzetsu?”

“We had dinner last night.” You don’t mention that you also told Temari about that development, or that she handled it with an impressive grace. “We’ve also investigated a few ruins together, though she’s had to stay at the prison quite a bit lately.”

“Have you seen much?” Ajisai pursues the point. “About the Ōtsutsuki I mean?”

“Very little,” you shake your head, rather disappointed to have to admit it. “The clan’s footprint is still there, but there’s no cohesive story there to follow so far. But I did learn that the Kaguya clan broke away from the other Ōtsutsuki descendants several hundred years ago – they had very few ties to any of this aside from their genetics.”

“And so why is all this abandoned?” Ajisai frowns. “Weren’t they supposed to be among the most powerful beings in the world?”

“For sure,” you admit, “they were once. But their decline was probably inevitable, as ninshū as a concept lost out to ninjutsu as a concept. It only survives anymore in certain monastic creeds.”

“How’s the new house?” you ask.

“It’s nice,” she smiles, “thanks. I’m still getting settled in.”

This ‘new Amegakure’ that has been taking shape follows the twin canals into which you rerouted the river is something quite different from the towers and catwalks of the old one where you and Ajisai grew up. Your own contribution was merely to set the design precedent with three adjacent ‘machiya’-style plots, one a private home eight meters wide, one a kenjutsu dōjō six wide, and one an urban family shrine six wide, along with the main street along which the rest of the village will grow.

Ajisai’s new home is next to the shrine, while Konan-sensei’s is next to the dōjō.
>1/?

>>4997105
“Feel free to come over,” you offer. “You’re always welcome.”

The home you built is one carefully arranged, with each area moving back from the entryway, small internal gardens, and reception room being increasingly private – next the private sitting room and kitchen, with bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor. Furthest back is the largest bedroom and an adjacent study, facing onto a carefully-planted garden and a half-covered onsen, surrounded by moss, hydrangeas, hōzuki, maple shrubs, and a dwarf cherry and a dwarf plum. Quite a lot packed into such a small area, a daimyō’s viewing garden in miniature.

“I don’t know,” Ajisai taunts you. “Could I get past the door?”

Amid the new onsen ryōkan being built, the cafes and restaurants and shops, the lowrise apartments and parks being built upriver and further away from the canals, there’s a twenty by twenty-four meter black hole facing onto the canals.

“Always,” you shrug as the tea and snacks arrive, along with a third party who comes in off the sidewalk and leaves her parasol on the rack.

“Apologies,” Konan-sensei offers as she sits. “The meeting ran long.”

“That’s fine,” Ajisai shrugs. “I figured it might.”

“It’s still so strange,” she admits. “No towers, and it looks so much more... like a village.”

“For sure, I’m glad people seem taken by it,” you muse. “I split the canals that way on a whim – I liked the idea of a green strip through that island, and the bridges across the canals, and I just thought covering the walkways along the island might be nice.”

“I had no idea those would prove to be popular.”

“People prefer being dry, I guess,” Ajisai suggests. “And looking at pretty things.”

“So how did it go?” you ask.

“We finally have some answers to the question you asked almost six months ago,” Konan-sensei informs you. “We know where many of the defectors have been going, and motions are being made to act on it.”

“Is that so?”

“Many are fleeing the five great nations entirely,” Konan-sensei explains. “Others have begun to turn to terrorism in many of the smaller nations.”

“I’ve heard a little about it from Ryūzetsu,” you admit. “There have been a few small attacks even there, and in the Land of Bears as well. I’d hate to think what would happen in areas where our allies have a strong presence.”
>2/3

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>>4997113
“There’s one case to suggest it,” Konan-sensei informs you with a slight frown. “The Land of Waves has had very little shinobi presence from the Land of Fire or the Land of Water – and terrorists calling themselves the Ryūha Armament Alliance have been causing civilian casualties.”

“Are these guys cultists or missing-nin?” Ajisai wonders.

“Mostly the latter,” Konan-sensei answers, “though their public statements have expressed a sympathy towards Uchiha Madara’s plans and an antipathy towards the new Shinobi Union that borders on cult-like.”

“And so what is the news?” you ask. “What is the Union planning to do about it?”

“Konoha’s ‘Team Seven’ succeeded in destroying the Alliance’s headquarters and capturing its leader, a man by the name of Garyō. Which is where you come in.”

“Me?”

Konan-sensei nods. “Konoha suspects retribution… most likely, an attack on an ostensibly civilian target or else an escape attempt. Kakashi-san believes there is a way they could try for both.”

“That would be a tempting opportunity,” you agree. “What is it?”

“The Land of Waves and the Land of Fire are jointly testing a new design for an ‘airship’,” Konan-sensei explains. “A similar vehicle to the ones used by the Land of Air which you fought some time ago, only operable by non-shinobi.”

“Yeah no, I’m familiar with the theory,” you admit, “but I thought it was deemed impracticle?”

“Evidently this design has been deemed very much practical,” Konan informs you. “And I want you to be on board it for its maiden voyage, as an undercover security asset.”

>Okay, I’ll do it. But I’m working alone on this one.
>Okay, but I’m picking my team to come with me.
>I don’t like it – what does Amegakure get out of it?
>Other?

>>4997136
>>Okay, but I’m picking my team to come with me.

>>4997136
>Okay, but I’m picking my team to come with me.

>>4997136
>Okay, I’ll do it. But I’m working alone on this one.

>>4997136
>>Okay, but I’m picking my team to come with me.

>>4997136
So who other than Team Kakashi, any of the Kages, or Ryuzetsu do you want? I'll be picking two of the best/top suggestions and updating when I can.

>>4997901
Fuu, because Fuu.
Maybe Temari, because she's an expert with wind?

>>4997906
>>4997901
Last call.

>>4997901
Fuu and Temari, also.

>>4997901
“Okay,” you agree, “but I’m taking a team and I’ll be choosing the members of that team.”

After considering your insistence for a moment, Konan seems to relent. “I hope you’re not about to ask me anything too unreasonable.”

...

“So yeah, this may be a little unreasonable,” you address your team a few days later, “but I promise I chose both of you for a reason.”

“Okay, what exactly is that reason?” Temari asks you skeptically.

“You can use your fan to fly,” you insist, “and you’re one of the best wind release users I can think of. Fū, you can fly too and you have magnet release. That may actually come in handy.”

“Why’s that?” Fū wonders. “What’s this mission that’s so important?”

You take out a scroll from a pouch inside your obi and unroll it, depicting the plans for the airship Tobishachimaru – two long, hard-sided cylinders filled with helium cells and control surfaces, with a large passenger cabin slung underneath with four motors for thrust.

“... an airship?” Temari cocks her head. “That’s interesting. Has it actually been built?”

“Ready to fly,” you nod, “and we’re going to be on the maiden voyage... hopefully without need.”

“I mean I’m not gonna say no,” Fū admits up-front, “but why?”

“Because a group of terrorists calling themselves the Ryūha Armament Alliance are going to hijack it and crash it into Hōzuki castle,” you explain, “to try to free their leader who’s imprisoned there. At least, that’s what Hatake Kakashi-han seems convinced.”

“So that’s the reason,” Temari sighs. “I follow your reasoning now.”

“I’ll be sticking to Kenjutsu,” you declare your intent, “to minimize risk of collateral damage. Fū, I think you should restrain yourself as well. Remind me, Temari, how’s your taijutsu?”

“Average,” she sighs. “After Baki-sensei died I learned the Kaze no Yaiba he was so fond of, but I’ve never actually fought with it.”

“I trust you know better to carry your fan openly,” you prod.

“Of course. I’ll keep it sealed onto a tag under my clothes.”

“It wouldn’t exactly be great inside a flying vehicle,” Fū muses. “But I guess there’s no rule saying we HAVE to fight inside?”

You nod. “So yeah, use your best judgment if it comes to that.”
>1/2

>>4999037
There was a lot of work to get you to this point, where you and Fū are standing in a short line to board the Tobishachimaru holding the appropriate documents dressed like desert royalty. Airy, loose-fitting robes with fine embroidery, along with the sort of caps with trailing fabric to protect your neck, give you the appropriate appearance. A chūnin from Konoha is looking at the documents that you handed him, and isn’t quite believing it.

“So the two of you are from the royal house of Rōran,” the ninja stares at you.

“That’s right,” you confirm. “Myself, and my little sister.”

“Hiya!” Fū greets him cheerfully.

If he’s looking for any evidence of a forgery he’s wasting his time – these documents are actually genuine, made for the purpose under Queen Sāra’s direct and specific orders. It’s not even technically a lie that you’re affiliated with the royal house in much the same way that a patron deity or some sort of ‘guardian angel’ would be.

“You aren’t on the passenger manifest,” the chūnin insists curtly.

You reply with a practiced frown. “Is that so? Strange, since we came all this way at Lord Sixth’s request.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it, ma’am,” he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. If your name isn’t on the list, your name isn’t on the list. This isn’t exactly a pleasure cruise.”

Eventually, Kakashi-han comes over to see what the disturbance is – and rallies brilliantly.

“Is there a problem here, Komushi-san?”

“Lord Sixth,” the chūnin snaps to attention. “We have two people here with apparently legitimate documents from the queen of Rōran?”

“Apparently?” you huff.

“That’s a funny way of saying you don’t believe us,” Fū muses playfully. “You can just say it you know.”

“Ah, so these are our two princesses,” Kakashi-han nods thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, it seems that the updated passenger manifests haven’t gone out like they should have – one risk to keeping something like this a secret, you understand.”

>Make a big deal of it for show. You’re princesses now, after all.
>Make nice with Kakashi and make sure you can see Temari get through.
>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.
>Other?

>>4999275
>>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.

>>4999275
>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.

>>4999275
>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.

>>4999275
>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.

>>4999275
>>Play into the role – Kakashi can apologize by introducing you to the airship’s designer.

>>4999275
“I do understand,” you confirm with a placid nod. “But an apology hardly seems adequate.”

“Oh?” Kakashi-han muses as the chūnin holds in a blustering retort – if only just managing to keep a straight face. “And what else is it you think I can do to improve your mood – and make this little misunderstanding go away?”

“I’d like you to introduce me to the builder,” you muse. “The person responsible for the construction of this... vessel.”

“I see,” he nods politely. “Well I can probably make that happen, he’s an old acquaintance who sort of owes me his life after all. I assume that you’re here to assess the potential of the technology, so that Rōran will be able to decide whether to build an airship terminal?”

“Why would that...” the chūnin frowns.

“That’s exactly right,” you smile. “My, aren’t you the perceptive one... Queen Sāra suspects that air travel for the masses could well allow for trade with the west, across the deserts which normally would be impassible.”

“And Rōran would be in an excellent position to be the first stop in that new trade route,” Kakashi-han muses behind his mask. “Where else would such a hub connect, I wonder?”

“The Land of Wind, most likely near Sunagakure,” you reply without missing a beat, “the Land of Earth, with the location being negotiable, and the Land of Storms, near Amegakure.”

“I hear they’re building a new village center there,” Kakashi-han offers some seemingly idle chatter as he leads you away from the security checkpoint. “Their village leader has become a good friend.”

“Well,” Fū chimes in, “we’re always fans of international cooperation!”

“Not always,” you smirk, shooting Kakashi a knowing glance. “But sometimes it makes me happy to see.”

“Temari is already here,” Kakashi-han drops his voice once he thinks you’re out of anyone’s earshot. “Konan-san gave me early warning.”

“That’s good, for sure,” you reply quietly before approaching an older-looking man with a full grey beard and frameless spectacles, and a dark-haired boy perhaps a little younger than Naruto.

“Tazuna-san, Inari-kun,” Kakashi-han greets the duo, who have been watching the passengers board from a distance. “I have a few guests here who would like to speak with you.”

“And who might these two be?” the older man narrows his eyes.

“Princess Hikari,” Fū lies.

“Princess Setsuna,” you add. “From the Kingdom of Rōran. Sisters, in fact.”

“You don’t look like it,” the young man muses.

“I dye mine,” Fū lies again. “It’s a phase, but I’m having fun with it while it lasts.”
>1/2

>>5000363
“In any event, I would be interested to hear your thoughts about this machine,” you press, “as the mind behind it, you must surely have a unique perspective?”

“I never really thought about it until it was done, kinda like the Great Naruto Bridge,” the older man confesses.

The younger shakes his head. “I’m a little worried it’s going to lose a lot of people their jobs.”

“Why?” you ask. “I would imagine that there would be an opportunity.”

“What about the porters and caravaneers?” the younger man insists. “The sailors, the shipbuilders, the bridgebuilders?”

“What makes you think that those things will disappear?” you counter. “Or that those professionals can’t transfer their skills, or that the business-owners can’t manage a transition to a different means of operation?”

“What makes you so confident they can?” he frowns.

“Because Rōran has had to adjust to much starker changes,” you insist. “I believe that we should seek to do the most good for the most people, while mitigating any bad that might happen to the few along the way – or would you disagree?”

“It’s rarely so simple I’m afraid,” the older man sighs wearily.

“It’s not that hard,” Fū counters. “People just have to agree to do it is all.”

“Which is the hard part,” the older man insists.

“It can be difficult when some people would rather it be the most good for the people who get more out of it to begin with,” you admit. “Something to consider, I suppose.”

>Press for the technical specifications?
>Get onboard, start by making a scene in the main cabin.
>Get onboard, begin by casing the entire vessel.
>Other?

>>5000514
>Press for the technical specifications?

>>5000514
>>Press for the technical specifications?

>>5000514
>Press for the technical specifications?

>>5000514
>Get onboard, start by making a scene in the main cabin.

>>5000514
“So what precisely are we looking at?” you ask, actually somewhat genuine in your curiosity. “I would hope the lifting gas would be helium?”

The older man, Tazuna-han if you’re getting this correct, nods. “Of course. That was actually the most expensive part of the whole design process... it’s what we needed funds from the Land of Fire for.”

“Two rows of gas cells,” the younger man, Inari-kun, adds. “Fourteen on each side. The bottom of each cylinder is where the passengers stay, with windows along the lower sides. The cabin runs down the midline too.”

“That’s mostly for crew and cargo,” Tazuna-han clarifies. “Forty tons of cargo and a hundred and twenty passengers, with a crew of forty – though without all the fuss we went to for the passengers we could probably carry four times the cargo.”

“All that fancy wood, furniture, and supplies,” Inari-kun shrugs. “The people themselves may be light, but I’ve learned from all this that the idea of ‘traveling light’ is kind of a joke. No part of any of this is ‘light’, really.”

“How fancy?” Fū asks with a sly look.

“The fanciest,” Tazuna-han assures her. “We knew our first effort was going to have a lot of wealthy and important folks aboard, so we went a little crazy.”

“Speed and range?” you press carefully. “Could it cross the western desert, for example?”

“Yeah, but it’d probably have to stop in Rōran,” Inari-kun admits. “Hearing that should make you pretty happy.”

“You’re a perceptive one,” you nod. “Now, since we have that little detail out in the open, a question about the structural properties of your design, if I may?”

There’s a noticeable pause before Tazuna-han replies. “Strange for a princess to get interested in engineering questions, but okay. Shoot.”

“In Rōran we have a lot of high winds,” you explain, “along with the threat of dry lighting strikes. So I’d like to know what the main materials are and how many main structural braces hold the two nacelles together.”

Another pause. “Twelve for each side, made from aluminium, offset slightly so they could be welded directly together around two shared longitudinal ribs. The skin is rubberized cloth, so it’s fairly well lightning-proofed.”

Twelve shared ribs... twenty-four explosives placed at those junctions would completely separate the internal structure of the nacelles, destroying the airship. You’d be willing to bet there’s a magic minimum of explosives that could produce the same results, but you’re not a ‘minimum force’ kind of girl where explosives are concerned. You’d be willing to bet someone with a bit better knowledge of the internal structure of the airship could make that calculation accurately.
>1/2

>>5001682
Once you’ve learned everything you might need to keep the airship from being destroyed en route to its destination – which you’re not even totally sure what that is right now – you decide to say your brief goodbyes and head up the ramp and into the underslung cabin together with Fū. The other passengers definitely turn their heads when you arrive at the top of the stairs. You flag down a chūnin.

“Excuse me,” you ask politely, “but could you point me and my sister to our cabin?”

...

“It’s actually pretty nice,” Fū admits, finding the bed a delightfully comfortable place to wait. “Windows are a bit weird though.”

Since you’re on the outer port side of the ship, you have an excellent view out the windows – which are bizarrely placed lower on the wall.

There’s a knock at the door to your cabin, and you open it for Temari to slink inside before closing the door behind her.

“You weren’t seen?” Fū muses.

Temari shakes her head. “No, we’re okay. Most people seem to be on the promenade deck”

“So, what’s the plan?”

>Bombs along the structural braces seems the most likely.
>I think they’re going to take hostages, likely on the promenade.
>The engine room and bridge are really all they need.
>Other?

>>5001734
>I think they’re going to take hostages, likely on the promenade.

>>5001734
>I think they’re going to take hostages, likely on the promenade.

>>5001734
Bombs along the structure semm the most likely

>>5001734
>>Bombs along the structural braces seems the most likely.

>>5001734
“So yeah, we need to plan around two possibilities,” you offer your observations. “The possibility that their goal is to threaten the whole airship, or to threaten hostages.”

“You were in Akatsuki,” Temari prods you. “How would you or your former comrades have handled each of those?”

“Depends on who you’re talking about,” you shrug. “I’d be more likely to take the hostages myself, and the best place to do that is on the promenade deck. Keep everyone in one large space where as small a number of people as possible can see them.”

“And the braces?” Fū chimes in.

“Blasting the transverse rings where they meet above the promenade would be the most effective way of ensuring the airship is totally destroyed,” you explain. “I would only target the upper joints, allow the weight of the rings and the hull to pull the whole vessel apart. That’s twelve explosives in total.”

“So we need to do three things,” Temari summarizes. “First, detect the explosives. Second, clear the explosives before they can cause irreversible structural damage. Third, deal with the hostage situation somehow.”

“That’s a big thing to leave to a ‘somehow’,” Fū observes.

“We’ll sort out the bombs first,” you insist curtly. “Temari, do the chūnin aboard this ship know you’re here, and who you are?”

“They do,” Temari nods.

“And is that public or secret?” you press.

“Secret,” she clarifies. “You want me searching for the bombs?”

“I was thinking that, yes,” you admit. “Fū and I made too big of a scene trying to board, so it’s more likely our absence would be noticed.”

“So what’s the plan?” Fū presses again.

>I think we need to get ourselves ‘captured’, until we know more about the terrorists.
>I think we can go ahead and drop the cover as soon as the terrorists make their move.
>We both know the shadow clone technique. We’ll use the clones as observers.
>Other?

>>5002649
>>I think we need to get ourselves ‘captured’, until we know more about the terrorists.

>>5002649
>I think we need to get ourselves ‘captured’, until we know more about the terrorists.

>>5002649
>I think we need to get ourselves ‘captured’, until we know more about the terrorists.

>>5002649
>>We both know the shadow clone technique. We’ll use the clones as observers.

>>5002649
>I think we need to get ourselves ‘captured’, until we know more about the terrorists.

>>5002649
“Well there’s one good way to do some reconnaissance work,” you muse with a little smirk in Fū’s direction.

“... why do I not like that look?” she pouts.

“Because you get me,” you insist. “But yeah, no, I think we need to get ourselves captured.”

“What?” Temari asks flatly.

“What better way to ensure we’re in the room with the hostages?” you observe. “I don’t need to move to sense, neither does Fū. So why not?”

“I’m not sure what to think of the fact that you could probably pull that off,” Temari sighs. “Okay, so let’s be sure we have this all in order – I go up into the hull structure to dispose of any bombs I find, while the two of you get captured as hostages.”

“Unless they just start killing,” Fū shrugs. “I’d imagine Nakkun wouldn’t stand for that.”

“You’re right,” you agree, “but only because I’ve trained to fight from seiza.”

...

You put the plan into motion just before dinner is supposed to be served – in the main dining room, which is most likely the only time all of your fellow passengers are going to be in the same place. It’s a decent enough meal considering you’re five hundred meters above the ground, with three courses each of which offers three different options including one vegetarian course for each in the series. Even the silverware and the china have clearly been carefully thought out to present the possibilities of air travel in the best possible light.

What happens over dessert is definitely not good for that presentation.

Several masked figures – you count five men and one woman – burst into the dining room in a perfectly timed assault that coincides with small battles that break out all over the airship between the terrorists and the chūnin.

“Everyone stay where you are!” one of the men roars, holding a kunai in his left hand. “Keep your hands where we can see them!”

Fū takes one last bite of her dessert before obeying, keeping her hands raised.
>1/2

>>5003631
You can sense the battles wrapping up quickly – it seems there were a few casualties elsewhere in the airship, but you can tell that Temari managed to evade the terrorists who have been sweeping through and rounding up passengers and surviving chūnin guards. As those guards, the passengers, and the crew are taken out of the picture you start to get a much clearer grasp on how many terrorists you’re actually talking about.

Four are on the bridge, and four are with the main power plant supplying power to the airship’s engines. Two are in the cavernous nacelles along with the gas cells, and four have remained with the passengers, for a total of fourteen. But there’s only one more reasonably strong chakra present in the airship that’s unaccounted for, which is located in the passenger cabins.

You send a vibration to Fū, who despite her hands being bound behind her back as yours are can pick up the message easily. [Fourteen total – four here, for in the engine room, four on the bridge, two in the nacelles. One unknown in the passenger cabins.]

She sends a quick message back to you. [Can we take ‘em quickly?]

[Not until Temari clears the explosives,] you reply. [I also want to know about that straggler. Strange that these bunch would miss that.]

“One of these bastards got Kugo!” one of the terrorists spits, aiming a kick at a downed chūnin on the floor. “Let’s just do ‘em now, Rahyō!”

“No!” the other man barks, ripping off his mask to reveal dark hair and a dark beard. His outfit is blue, and he’s wearing it over chainmail. The way his coat hangs suggests he has a hidden tantō somewhere under it. “We need them alive if this is going to succeed.”

“But Kugo...”

“Tell you what,” Rahyō makes an offer. “If anyone steps out of line here, we kill the chūnin first. And you can start with this guy. Fair?”

“Yeah, hear that?” the man tells the whole room. “Any of you step outta line and we’ll kill these chūnin!”

“Leaving them how they are is going to kill them anyway!” a voice chimes in.

“Who said that!?” the man demands angrily. “Who said that!?”

Nobody says anything.

“Okay,” Rahyō muses, before freezing the wounded chūnin solid. There are several screams, so Rahyō raises his voice again. “Quiet!”
>2/3

>>5003654
Ice release... so probably a missing-nin from Kirigakure, if history has taught you anything. The ice release users there were very badly treated, and many had to flee during Yagura’s reign and the ‘Blood Mist’ era. As for the other chūnin, the lone voice that spoke up was correct – some of these shinobi might not survive if this situation drags on too long. That chūnin was practically a mercy-killing as it was.

One more, the fifteenth, soon appears in the dining room. That chakra signature belongs to a woman, with white garments and long, curly brown hair that reaches her shoulders. “What happened here?”

“Discipline happened here,” Rahyō shrugs. “We need to keep these people in line somehow, Kahyō-chan.”

So... two siblings? That suggests this Kahyō was probably using her ice release at a distance. It’s surprisingly well organized, though against chūnin it was hardly a test of tactical acumen. It also suggests, at least based on your own observations over the years, that they have a personal reason for doing this. Or, at least that one of them does.

Luckily for you, the newcomer Kahyō passes quite close to you.

>Speak up. In situations like this one of the hostages tends to step up and that’s you right now.
>Say nothing. Just wait and make sure these hotheads don’t kill anyone else – covertly, of course.
>As soon as Temari reports that she’s handled the bombs, turn the tables on your ‘captors’.
>Other?

>>5003667
>>Speak up. In situations like this one of the hostages tends to step up and that’s you right now.

>>5003667
>Speak up. In situations like this one of the hostages tends to step up and that’s you right now.

>>5003667
>>Speak up. In situations like this one of the hostages tends to step up and that’s you right now.

>>5003667
>Speak up. In situations like this one of the hostages tends to step up and that’s you right now.
>Try to get them to monologue, buy Temari some time

>>5003667
>>5004051
this

>>5003667
“What do you want?” you demand in a carefully controlled tone.

Kahyō stops and responds with a sharp stare. “What do you mean?”

Interesting response.

“Why should we tell you anything?” Rahyō demands.

“You were the ones who got us involved,” you point out. “And you clearly have a reason. Call explaining it to us practice.”

“Yeah,” another voice chimes in. “We deserve...”

“Shut up,” you interrupt curtly. “The last thing we want is for these people to feel like they’re losing control, so one person gets to talk – and that’s me. Not you.”

“And who decided that?” Kahyō wonders aloud.

“I did,” you reply. “If you have a problem with that, by all means make a different selection.”

For a few moments Kahyō considers your words carefully, evaluating you in silence before nodding to her brother.

“We’re with the Ryūha Armament Alliance,” Rahyō declares firmly. “We took over this airship as part of a plan to free our leader, who was targeted by the Five Great Nations as a threat to their dominance, and imprisoned in Hōzuki castle.”

“And what is this ‘Ryūha Arma-whatever?” you press. “I’ve never heard of it, so I don’t know what it means that you’re working for them.”

“Let me,” Kahyō speaks up, her tone chilly. “My son, Hakuhyō, also had ice release as I do – we always worked hard to keep it a secret after leaving Kirigakure. But Hakuhyō was only a child, and didn’t understand. When he and his friend were playing in the forest one day and were attacked by giant wasps, my son defended the boy.”

“And the locals found out,” you guess.

“When I found him he needed help,” Kahyō continues.

You can’t help but frown. “And no doctors would help him, just because he had a kekkei genkai?”

“That’s not it,” Kahyō insists. “There were no doctors. The Allied Shinobi Forces hired them all away.”

>And so this justifies threatening innocent lives... how, exactly?
>Your son sounds like a good kid. I wish more people were like him.
>I’m not exactly an objective observer here, so I won’t share my judgment.
>Other?

>>5004898
>>And so this justifies threatening innocent lives... how, exactly?

>>5004898
>I'm sorry that happened to your son, but i don't see how it justifies threatening innocent lives, nor the conduct of your men here.

>>5004898
>And so this justifies threatening innocent lives... how, exactly?

>>5004898
>>And so this justifies threatening innocent lives... how, exactly?

>>5004898
“So you believe that justifies threatening innocent lives... why, precisely?” you frown. “There are children aboard this airship too.”

Kahyō’s expression hardens. “We plan to eliminate the corrupting influence of money from the world – this is totally different.”

“Because of what you say you believe in,” you summarize.

“It really isn’t,” Fū insists quietly.

“What was that!?” Rahyō demands angrily. “Say that a bit louder, I couldn’t quite hear you, but it sounded like you were mouthing off just now!”

“Rahyō, don’t let it get under your skin,” Kahyō presses sternly.

“No, I’ll speak up,” Fū counters. “I said there’s no difference here. You’re upset cause the Allied Shinobi hired all the doctors and your son died, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Did it occur to you that those doctors being on the battlefield might’ve saved thousands of lives?”

“Of shinobi,” Kahyō observes. “Shinobi who were prepared to die and chose to fight despite the risk. That’s not the same as an innocent child.”

“So innocent children don’t deserve to die,” Fū summarizes.

“Right.”

“But you’re putting these folks at risk right now!” Fū continues to summarize. “To be fair that’s totally different from what the Allied Shinobi did – they put your son in danger without knowing it. For you putting people at risk is the whole point, isn’t it?”

Without a single word Rahyō resorts to violence, crossing the room to kick Fū in the side of the head.

“Stop!” you demand angrily, throwing yourself between Fū and her attacker before the second blow falls and taking it yourself. “I’m the older sister. I’m responsible for her.”

“Sis...”

“Don’t ‘sis’ me,” you grumble... she may be acting, knowing full well you can take this without it even really bothering you, but the glare you’re throwing Rahyō’s way is the real deal.
>1/2

>>5006074
After several blows to the head, which do little more than mess up your hair a little, Kahyō’s protests finally convince Rahyō to stop. You glare up at Kahyō from behind your bangs.

“... do you feel better?”

She winces, taking a half-step back – like you’d just smacked her across the face.

“Of course you don’t,” you sigh, putting your head down on the floor.

Rahyō may have started taking it out on the other passengers were it not for the fact that one of his fellow terrorists came up to him and told him bad news in a low tone. “One of the passengers is missing – we suspect she’s a jōnin from Suna.”

“I’ll lead the search group,” he replies, also in a low tone, before leaving the room.

Kahyō, in the mean time, takes a seat next to where you’re laying on the floor next to Fū, pretending to be hurt worse than you are.

“No princess has eyes like that,” she tells you quietly. “The look you gave my brother when he hit your little sister sent chills down my spine... me, a former jōnin. Who are you, really?”

>Uzumaki Naori. You’ve probably heard the name.
>Someone who knows what you’ve been through.
>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.
>Other?

>>5006095
>>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.

>>5006095
>>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.
No one cared of who I was until I put on the mask... or something.

>>5006095
>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.

>>5006095
>>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.

>>5006095
>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.

>>5006095
>>What’s important is what you’re going to do next.

>>5006095
“I’m here on the behalf of the Kingdom of Rōran,” you reply quietly. “But that’s not important. What’s important is what you intend to do next, Kahyō-san.”

“What do you mean?”

“They say that the endings are in the beginnings,” you muse. “But that’s not always true. In this case, your decisions will determine how this situation ends.”

“Should I read that as a threat?”

“Consider it an offer.”

“Why are you doing this?” she demands. “That still doesn’t make sense to me.”

You shut your eyes and roll onto your back, simply getting a feel for your surroundings as the terrorists search for Temari. “Would you believe me if I said there was no particular reason?”

“Not in the slightest.”

>It’s harder to solve a problem when an ideology is what’s driving things.
>I’m sizing all of you up. Nothing more to it than that.
>It’s because the way you are now is like how I used to be, years ago.
>Other?

>>5007066
>>It’s harder to solve a problem when an ideology is what’s driving things.

>>5007066
>It’s because the way you are now is like how I used to be, years ago.

>>5007066
>>It’s because the way you are now is like how I used to be, years ago.

go forth Naori, drop some experience on their ass

>>5007066
>It’s because the way you are now is like how I used to be, years ago.

>>5007066
>It’s because the way you are now is like how I used to be, years ago.

>>5007066
“The way you are now reminds me of how I once was,” you explain. “That’s why I chose to wait, for the time being.”

“To wait?” she repeats. “To what end?”

“To give you the courtesy,” you offer, “of letting you make the decision. There’s still time – no one else has to die.”

...

Mere minutes later, you overhear a conversation outside of the room where all the hostages have been held – Temari managed to disable every single explosive tag placed by the terrorists in the Tobishachimaru’s main lifting structures and disappear. You can feel what they can’t, which is that the way Temari evaded them is by hiding on the exterior of the airship’s hull where there are scant few people who could even pursue her.

“Let’s not get cute with the hostages,” the voice you know to be Rahyō’s, suggests outside. “We’ll proceed with the next phase once we reach Kusagakure.”

Meanwhile, you begin making your own preparations – moving sealing tags marked with hiraishin formulae all over the dining room where the passengers have been brought to. Each is hidden somehow, either behind some physical barrier or using yin chakra flow to hide them behind a simple but powerful genjutsu.

As you place the thirty-sixth seal, you receive an update from Fū through the wave transmission technique. [Temari says we’ve entered the Land of Grass.]

[Tell her to stand by,] you frown.

>I’m going to take the hostages out of the equation before Rahyō does anything to them.
>Give me a few more minutes to work on Kahyō. I’ve been getting through to her.
>I’m going to announce who I am. See if I can get the terrorists to back down.
>Other?

>>5008071
Can we place hiraishin tags on/near each of the terrorists and move THEM rather than the passengers?
Once they're teleported away, we can just handle them however we please.

i'm also slightly curious as to what exactly happens when a human who can't handle it does actually enter the shrike forest

>>5008086
In theory yes, but they're all over the airship right now - which means it's a long distance to cover with genjutsu without making any mistakes or having anyone notice.

The advantage to doing it in the dining room is that all your targets are rigth there, easy to tag while covering your tracks.

>>5008104
Would we have to do it all at once?
I mean, if all the terrorists in the dining room disappear at once, would anyone notice until they try to communicate and don't get a response?
But once they're gone, we could make a shadow clone and deal with them remotely while the original clears out the remainder.

And if anything happened, we still have markings in the dining room to get the passengers to safety.

>>5008071
>>Give me a few more minutes to work on Kahyō. I’ve been getting through to her.

>>5008071
>>I’m going to take the hostages out of the equation before Rahyō does anything to them.

>>5008071
>Give me a few more minutes to work on Kahyō. I’ve been getting through to her.

>>5008071
[Give me a few more minutes with Kahyō. I’ve almost gotten through to her.]

...

You can sense that there are things going on around the dining room, preparations being made, but you know no further details. That’s not what you’re waiting for in any event, since you’ve been spreading the hiraishin tags while waiting for Kahyō to work her way back around the room to you.

“So, a terrorist reminds you of yourself,” she muses quietly. “Who did you lose, then?”

“My mother,” you explain. “Complications from poison gas inhalation.”

“And your response?”

You consider your answer for a moment – or rather, you consider whether you should answer this at all.

[I joined Akatsuki,] you tell her, using the wave transmission method to keep your response unheard to the other passengers, and especially the other terrorists. [At least, until I realized how far my own philosophies had diverged from Pain’s.]

Her voice goes even quieter. “You’re that Uzumaki girl?”

“And a friend to the Queen of Rōran,” you reply. “That much was true.”

“Then you could have broken free and killed us all,” she observes. “At any time.”

“Still on the fence about that,” you advise her.

There’s a pause.

[So,] you continue, [you can trust me when I tell you that there are better ways to honor Hakuhyō’s life.]

Kahyō chews her lip anxiously, your words resonating with her in some way. You suspect that since the death of her child, she hasn’t had anyone speak to her like this about it. Yes, from a perspective of wanting her to make a specific decision, but also from a position of understanding and patience despite the fact that she and her brother’s band of terrorists are a clear and present danger to innocent people.

You also suspect Fū’s bluntness had an impact. No honeyed words or reassurances, no mental gymnastics to convince her that what’s obviously wrong is secretly right.
>1/2

>>5008831
The wheezing of a nearby child interrupts you.

Kahyō glances up, and walks slowly towards the child and his mother, who’s trying to simultaneously help and hush the boy. The mother starts to panic as Kahyō draws near.

“He needs help!” Fū insists loudly.

“Please,” the mother pleads as Kahyō places two fingertips against the side of her son’s neck. “Please, my son has asthma... if we could get him to his father we could get him the medicine he needs, but like this...”

“Your husband is a doctor?” Kahyō asks.

“Yes, yes!” the woman insists. “In the Land of Waves...”

“My son died because your husband wasn’t there,” Kahyō frowns. “Along with all the doctors.”

“Please,” the woman continues to plead tearfully. “Please, he’s just a boy. He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“What the hell is going on here?” Rahyō demands as he returns. “I thought we agreed to keep these people quiet?”

“The boy is seriously ill,” Kahyō insists. “He’s in respiratory distress, his airways are swollen. His heartrate is too fast too... if he doesn’t get help he’ll die.”

“Then he shouldn’t have been here,” Rahyō shrugs. “So long as he dies quietly, it’s not our problem.”

Kahyō for her part seems quietly stunned by the callous response. “Brother, you can’t mean that.”

“What matters is what we’re gonna do to those bastards,” Rahyō insists.

“Let the kid go at least,” Kahyō persists. “There’s no need for this.”

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” Rahyō demands.

>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.
>Break free and confront Rahyō. The ideal situation is still that as many people walk away alive as possible.
>Contact Temari, have her cause enough of a distraction to defuse the situation.
>Other?

>>5008856
>>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.

>>5008856
>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.
>"I've heard enough. You can make your own decisions, Kahyō. Your brother has clearly made his."
>Give Rahyō the meth spider no jutsu treatment

>>5008856
>>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.

>>5008856
>>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.

>>5008856
>>Break free and confront Rahyō. The ideal situation is still that as many people walk away alive as possible.

>>5008856
>Okay, that’s enough of that. Break your bonds and get the passengers to safety, then return to subdue the terrorists.

>>5008856
“Yeah no, that’s enough of that,” you declare aloud, rising to your feet and tossing aside the flimsy bindings that had gone around your wrists earlier in this whole ordeal. “Let’s go, Fū!”

“Right behind you!” Fū assures you as she pops the bindings around her wrists as well.

The next few seconds you only get in brief flashes, at least at first. You create three shadow clones that each move to a different hiraishin marking, touch one or two of the passengers, then teleport them to a staging area at the Land of Grass lakehouse marking. Then they return, doing the same thing again – a few times just in the first second.

Aboard the Tobishachimaru you see Fū punch a man, then you see the man hit the far wall. You also see a brief struggle between Rahyō and Kahyō, which the former breaks away from to weave a few hand seals.

“Sorry, brother,” Kahyō apologizes as she forms a single seal.

You don’t really see the next few seconds clearly, but there’s a rumbling aboard the Tobishachimaru as you’re clearing the last two dozen or so hostages.

“What was that?” you ask Kahyō while Fū continues to beat the remaining terrorists senseless.

“My comrades in the engine room set off their explosive vests,” Rahyō explains, shivering and having ceased to fight back. “Even if you turned against me, Kahyō, we’re going to crash this monstrosity into Hōzuki castle!”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Fū muses as your clones teleport the beaten terrorists down to the prison.

Temari comes crashing in through one of the windows, having glided a short distance with a pair of hand fans she had hidden on her person. “Hey, we’re losing altitude here!”

“The engines are gone,” you explain, “and I’m willing to bet several helium cells are leaking.”

“So what next?” Temari asks.

“You’re going to prison,” one of your clones insists, grabbing her by the shoulder and teleporting away. Clones do the same for Rahyō and Kahyō, and your real body for Fū, while your last clone leaps from the open window and float up the side of the falling airship to land on top of one of its nacelles.

Then the Tobishachimaru crashes into the sea, well off the coast of the Land of Frost. After a few seconds, the memory of an impossibly massive explosion reaches you from your clone.

...

“I could’ve died if I’d gone instead,” you realize. “Where the hell did that explosion come from?”

“It exploded?” Ryūzetsu frowns, having already placed Tenrō sealing marks onto her new prisoners aside from Rahyō and Kahyō. She places her fingertips on Rahyō’s head.
>1/2

>>5010031
“Take it off!” Kahyō pleads quickly. “Take off that seal right now, it’s going to kill him!”

By the time she’s done speaking Ryūzetsu has already removed the seal, and Kahyō weaves a few seals herself as she explains. “I have a technique, the Jisarenhyō, that forces a target to put all their chakra into keeping their body from freezing from the inside out.”

“So when the Tenrō went on over it,” Ryūzetsu realizes, “your technique was forcing him to use his chakra, which triggered the Tenrō. I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

“I should have said something sooner,” Kahyō bows deeply, “the fault was at least as much my own. You can place your seal again, he won’t be using his chakra while he’s unconscious.”

“Well then,” Ryūzetsu muses as she places the mark on Rahyō’s singed body, “Fū, would you mind getting a doctor up here?”

“Sure,” she replies, sparing a glance at Rahyō. “Guess it’s better if he doesn’t die, even if he’s a jerk.”

...

“So what’s going to happen to me now?” Kahyō asks you as her brother is eventually led away.

>You go to prison, at least for a little while. That’s just how this has to go.
>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.
>I’ll talk to the Kages about your situation, see if we can come to an understanding.
>Other?

>>5010043
>You go to prison, at least for a little while. That’s just how this has to go.
>>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.

>>5010043
>all of the above

>>5010277
As an addendum
That is because while we think she should get her a reduced sentence going to prison would show her willingness to repent to the kages who would ultimately decide her early parole.
To investigate the extra explosives is a given.

>>5010043
>>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.

>>5010043
>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.

>>5010043
>>You go to prison, at least for a little while. That’s just how this has to go.
>>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.
>>I’ll talk to the Kages about your situation, see if we can come to an understanding.

>>5010043
>You go to prison, for a long, long time. That’s just how this has to go.
>What happens next is I figure out what idiot stored explosives on that airship.

>>5010043
You consider the question for a moment. “You go to prison, at least for a little while. That much is out of my hands. But I’ll need to speak with the Kages anyway, so it may come up.”

“What do you need to talk to them about?” Fū asks curiously. “The explosion you mentioned?”

You nod. “Yeah no, there’s no way helium could explode like that. Not even the fuel it was still carrying could have accounted for it. Some mouthbreather was shipping high explosives on that airship along with the passengers and I want to know who it was.”

...

“Ōnoki-han?” you exclaim loudly from the background in what is now Kakashi-han’s office. “You’re the mouthbreather?”

“Watch what you call me,” he grumbles. “Though I admit I can see why you would be frustrated. We were trying to keep the explosive powder’s presence onboard the airship a secret, the same way the Hokage tried to keep the risk of terrorism a secret.”

“You knew about the airship in the first place,” Kakashi-han counters. “That was supposed to be a secret too. But you want us to believe you didn’t know the Ryūha Armament Alliance intended to launch an attack?”

“Our intelligence system is focused on larger threats like the other hidden villages,” Ōnoki scoffs. “Not on small-fry like terrorist cells.”

“Yeah no, so you both made mistakes,” you frown. “My first point is that we can’t have this sort of thing happening again – we need to agree to keep hazardous materials and passengers on separate craft if this is going to become a regular thing. And to keep airship travel safe, my second point is we will have to have a much higher degree of cooperation between nations.”

“Nations,” Gaara repeats over the screen. “Not villages.”

“That sounds troublesome,” Mei-han sighs. “Even if everyone here agrees on it, the daimyō may be a different story.”

“No civilians died this time,” A-han observes. “But had it not been for the timely – and repeated – use of hiraishin by someone already aboard that would not have been the case. If they didn’t die in the crash they would have died in the explosion.”

“That hardly seems better than having to cooperate with other daimyō,” Gaara muses. “I think we should advance this straight to the daimyō of our respective nations.”

“Isn’t that somewhat premature?” Mei-han frowns.

“Your nation has larger and faster passenger ships on the drawing board,” Ōnoki observes. “Likewise we already know that the Land of Lightning and Land of Fire are testing locomotive designs based on the ones used in the Land of Snow.”
>1/2

>>5010960
“So yeah,” you butt in, “I think we all understand that international cooperation is the best way to handle this situation, and that it’s best to get out ahead of the problem before too many people die because of it.”

“So what will we do with the surviving terrorists?”

“While no passengers were killed and only a few were seriously hurt,” Kakashi-han muses, “several of our chūnin were killed. I take it you have some thoughts on the matter?”

“One of them, Kahyō, stood out,” you admit.

“I had heard something like that,” Kakashi-han nods in understanding. “Play this out for me. Who is she, what stood out to you about her?”

“Part of it will sound familiar to Mei-tono,” you begin. “An ice-release user who fled to the Land of Waves – her son died when no doctors were there to treat him during the war. Her brother was the leader of their cell, and she ended up turning on him.”

“Why?” Kakashi-han presses patiently.

“Because when someone else’s child’s life was on the line, she followed her conscience.”

“And what would you suggest we do with her?” Ōnoki wonders. “The others will die in Hōzuki castle.”

>She has a technique that would make her a useful warden. I only ask that you consider it.
>Vengeance is something we need to avoid from now on. Have her serve some time then let her go.
>I suspect that Yukigakure could use some of her expertise to adjust to its new situation.
>Other?

>>5011006
>vengeance is something we need to avoid from now, ...
Also have her learn a new skillset before release, reformation not just punishment

>>5011006
>>Vengeance is something we need to avoid from now on. Have her serve some time then let her go.
>>I suspect that Yukigakure could use some of her expertise to adjust to its new situation.

Combine these two. Time to reflect on her mistakes, and a clear future path.

>>5011006

>She has a technique that would make her a useful warden. I only ask that you consider it.

>>5011006
>>5011059
Support

>>5011006
“So yeah... vengeance over that sort of thing is something I feel is best left in the past,” you admit with a frown. “I’d rather see her abilities put to use instead.”

“I assume you already have an idea in mind,” Kakashi-han nods in agreement. “Why don’t you start considering yourself a full participant in these little discussions from now on? When you have an idea, go ahead and speak your mind.”

“The Land of Snow suddenly has less snow,” you explain succinctly. “Its shinobi rely on pre-existing ice and snow in the terrain to defend their home. I think having a talented hyōton user could help its hidden village adjust to the change.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Mei-tono frowns. “It seems that you’re putting an awful lot of trust into both your prisoner and Yukigakure.”

“I did the same with defectors or survivors from Otogakure,” you shrug. “Placed them in Hoshigakure. Both of them have done well there, completely earned the trust of their new home – and I think giving them the chance was the right thing to do.”

“Well, it’s hard to argue with that,” Ōnoki shrugs. “The sheer, overwhelming idealism of it all.”

“So is that a yes or a no?” you raise your eyebrow. “Because that sounds a lot like a yes.”

...

“So this is what’s going to happen,” you tell Kahyō calmly. “The Kages have seen fit to send you to Yukigakure to serve out your sentence.”

Kahyō stares at you in surprise. “... why?”

“Because Yukigakure needs you,” you explain calmly. “They don’t have anyone who can use true hyōton, and you’re no longer a citizen of Kirigakure, so in theory you have no conflicting loyalties. Yukigakure keeps its eyes on you, so the Kages will be satisfied.”

“From there, what you do with your life is up to you.”

She sighs. “No easy answers... huh? You’re much harsher than my brother ever was.”

“To have any value the answer has to come from you,” you insist. “That’s what I think.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”
>1d6, taking the best three of four

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5011853

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5011853

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5011853

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5011853

>>5011853
Shin-Amegakure continues to develop, and the trend of shinobi defections continues to evolve into a genuine problem. More and more, the neighborhood around where you routed the river becomes the trendiest, with excellent cafes, restaurants, and traditional shops, as well as a cluster of theaters, public onsen, and ryōkan. On the adjacent streets you and Konan-sensei need to make it a point to set aside parcels for small parks and more easily-affordable apartment blocks, along with space for retailers that will stock things like groceries and clothes at sensible prices.

Two features have stood out, the first of which is that at one end of the main street you’ve placed the entire old temple from its former location across the lake, in the old village. The unsealing of the oversized fūinjutsu scrolls you placed the structures into is treated as something of a public spectacle, and for the increase in foot traffic they receive the monks offer to keep your old room open and free for your use any time, for anything you can think of.

The second feature is the parcel set aside for a transportation hub a little ways from the center of town – one of the first designs for an airship terminal, which will connect initially to Rōran, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Fire. You also leave space nearby for a train station, the main line for which will run south into the Land of Rivers and north into the Land of Grass, eventually reaching the Land of Snow in the far northeast. It’s your understanding that Koyuki-hime is having a similar station and airship terminal constructed as well.

The airship terminal and train station in Shin-Amegakure will also be served by a single line that will run from outside the center of the village to the waterfront, as well as a line that will connect Shin-Ame with the old village on the far side of the lake. Several of the larger towers are already being bid on for renovation into industrial facilities. Just a year after the war, and the pace of change in Amegakure is a thing to behold – already, you’re starting to see actual tourists in Shin-Amegakure, which would have been unheard-of before the war, under Nagato or Hanzō.

...

“Welcome back,” Ryūzetsu greets you warmly in your sitting room. “That’s an interesting outfit.”
>1/2

>>5012722
Last month Ryūzetsu finally handed off day-to-day operations at Hōzuki castle to her three top students, who will together serve the role of wardens. From now on she’ll serve as a consultant to Hōzuki castle, and has been offered the position of Amegakure’s Vice Chief of Corrections – a division which doesn’t actually exist yet. Her role will be to design and plan for both the corrections department, including a secure prison near the train station, and the new customs and immigrations department, which will be folded in with the two fire departments and the police department under the Chief of Security.

“So yeah, I got it in the west,” you shrug, before removing the woven poncho. “They have this sport on the other side of the desert, like fast wrestling but with a lot more aerial moves. And masks.”

You just got back from a trip across the desert that took three months – a month to get there, two months for ‘fact-finding’, and about two seconds to return. It’s a nice enough country, good food, kind people, a rich culture and history, and no shinobi.

“Masks?” Ryūzetsu repeats skeptically.

“It’s fun, come on,” you sigh. “I see you moved in smoothly enough.”

“I hardly own anything,” she shrugs. “You got a few messages by the way.”

“Is that so?”

The two messages turn out to have been fairly recent – Konan-sensei warning you of some international grumbling regarding Akatsuki’s ties to the leadership of Amegakure, calling into question whether Amegakure itself bears responsibility for Akatsuki’s actions under Nagato and Obito, and whether people like you should get a ‘free pass’ for having simply followed orders. It sounds like a pain in the ass.

The other message is from Konohagakure, mentioning a covert mission across the eastern sea and beyond the Land of Water, to the coast of the Land of Silence. Shikamaru has led a small team to investigate the rumors that rogue shinobi from the hidden villages have been gathering there, since Sai has since gone missing there.

>Time to tie off this whole Akatsuki business once and for all.
>Sounds like Sai needs your help, and bad.
>Other?

>>5012731
>>Sounds like Sai needs your help, and bad.

>>5012731
>>Sounds like Sai needs your help, and bad.

>>5012731
>Sounds like Sai needs your help, and bad.

>>5012731
>Sounds like Sai needs your help, and bad.

>>5012731
“Yeah no,” you muse, creating a shadow clone. “I’m going to delegate this one. If Konan-sensei needs me she won’t hesitate to come find me, but it sounds like an old war comrade is in some serious trouble.”

“You’re sending the clone?” Ryūzetsu muses. “That’s unusual.”

You put on some tea, pull out a few cushions, and grab a likely-looking book from a shelf in the back sitting room, facing onto the garden and the pool of hot water on your property. “When it comes time to act I’ll do it myself, of course. But I could use a little relaxation.”

While your shadow clone goes to Konohagakure to collect what information Kakashi-han can offer about Sai’s mission and condition, your real body rests, listening to the rain falling on the water and leaves with a book, a cup of steaming tea, and good company.

...

“So I hear that Sai may be in trouble,” you greet Kakashi-han cordially. “What can you tell me?”

Kakashi lays a file on his desk, and opens it for you to view – the image of a mediocre-looking man with styled hair greets your eyes, along with some words that you ignore in favor of Kakashi’s thoughts.

“Gengo, self-appointed daimyō of the Land of Silence,” he explains calmly. “Formerly associated with Momochi Zabuza and his coup attempt, has been a missing ninja himself ever since. He’s evidently started his own nation by overthrowing the previous leadership of the Land of Silence, making it a nation led by shinobi, for shinobi – or so he insists.”

“You doubt his motives?”

“It’s easy to speak in ideals when you’re unchallenged.”

You nod. “Point. So you sent Sai to investigate?”

“And assassinate if possible,” Kakashi clarifies. “We lost contact with him three days ago under mysterious circumstances, with his last few messages gradually losing their coherence. We suspect some form of genjutsu or brainwashing at play.”

“So yeah, who were you planning to send?” you ask.

Kakashi opens another folder – Nara Shikamaru, agent Rō from Konoha’s ANBU, and Hinoko, named here as Soku.

“You recruited Hinoko-kun,” you observe.

“You know her?” Kakashi-han muses. “Yes, she was... well, a borderline candidate. I wasn’t sure I wanted to recruit someone of her age.”
>1/2

>>5013428
“So what do you think I can add to this?”

“I suspect you have strong feelings about assassinations,” Kakashi-han admits carefully, folding his hands in front of him. “But if our suspicions are correct, Gengo is a man of no scruples who has been emboldened to the point of recklessness by his own recent string of successes.”

You frown, but nod. “Go on.”

“Feel free to investigate yourself,” Kakashi-han offers, “so long as you do so carefully. Feel free to leave things, at least initially, to Shikamaru and his team. But please, travel to the Land of Silence and be prepared to capture or assassinate Gengo – which I suspect you will eventually come to agree must happen.”

>I’ll speak to Shikamaru and his team immediately.
>I’ll shadow Shikamaru and his team, and only step in if I feel it becomes necessary.
>This ‘Gengo’ managed to piss me off without ever meeting me. So don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.
>Other?

>>5013434
>I’ll speak to Shikamaru and his team immediately.
Might as well let that old water run under the bridge

>>5013434
>>I’ll speak to Shikamaru and his team immediately.

>>5013434
>>I’ll speak to Shikamaru and his team immediately.

>>5013434
>I’ll shadow Shikamaru and his team, and only step in if I feel it becomes necessary.

>>5013434
You decide to go straight for Shikamaru and his team – one, Rō you would deduce by process of elimination, doesn’t immediately recognize you except by the reactions of his teammates. The second, Shikamaru, seems immediately uncomfortable with your arrival. But the first one to speak is the one who now goes by...

“So yeah, it’s cool to see you again and all?” she greets you. “But like, why are you here?”

“The Hokage asked me to be here,” you reply with a polite bow. “Is it ‘Soku’ now?”

“That’s like, just a codename,” she admits. “It’s for people who don’t get to use my real name.”

“Do I get to use your real name?”

“Do I get to use yours?”

“Hinoko-kun, then,” you muse, before glancing at Rō. “That would make you Rō.”

“That’s correct,” he nods curtly. “And you would be?”

“Uzumaki Naori.”

His eyes widen slightly. “Okay, that means things have escalated.”

Shikamaru coughs into his hand. “Okay, so what’s Kakashi-dono’s intention with you here?”

“To back you up,” you clarify.

“I dunno,” Hinoko sighs. “Doesn’t that kinda make it sound like he doesn’t trust us?”

“He trusted Sai,” you shrug. “Didn’t do him any good. He trusts you, but he’s sending me to make sure what happened to Sai doesn’t happen to you.”

“So, what do you think about the mission, Shikamaru?”

“I have no idea,” Shikamaru admits, causing his ANBU teammates to simply turn and stare. “But I know Sai – trustworthy, committed, skilled. What I can tell you right now is something happened to him out there. Gengo must be using some sort of technique to control people, probably based on genjutsu if I had to guess. And he must be at least pretty good at it to get Sai.”

“So let me ask you,” he continues, “you’ve already got a plan, right?”

>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.
>I was in Akatsuki – my “defection” could actually prove to be believable.
>Depends. What do you think would be useful?
>Other?

>>5014266
>>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.

>>5014266
>>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.

>>5014266
>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.

>>5014266
>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.
inb4 everyone asks how old we are

>>5014266
>>Yeah, I hide in your shadow like I hid in Queen Sāra’s for like twenty years.

>>5014486
Naori baachan

>>5014266
“The Rōran anomaly isn’t supposed to be public knowledge,” you muse playfully, “but you should know that for the twenty years I was following Queen Sāra I got quite good at hiding myself in her shadow. So yeah, no, I think it’s time to dust that skill off.”

“So your plan is just to hide in one of our shadows?” Rō asks skeptically. “That doesn’t seem like a lot of backup.”

“Actually,” you correct him, “I plan on hiding in Shikamaru’s shadow in particular.”

“I figured you’d be going there with this plan,” Shikamaru nods. “Okay, I think that’s a great way to handle things.”

“Yeah, I’d hoped you’d follow me,” you sigh, satisfied with the outcome. “For now I’ll be the one to follow you – I’m a shadow clone by the way – and I’ll switch out with the real deal once we get a little closer to the target. Questions?”

“Yeah, so like,” Hinoko frowns, “just how old are you if you were on a twenty-year mission?”

“I turned twenty this year,” you explain. “The Rōran anomaly was just that – anomalous. Curated memories from a time-traveling shadow clone don’t count.”

“If you say so,” Rō shakes his head. “I only understood some of that.”

“I only understood it because they taught us in academy,” Hinoko admits with a frown. “But isn’t that, like, super-dangerous?”

“Yup,” you nod. “So, Shikamaru, are you ready?”

“Actually no,” he admits. “There’s something I need to do first... private, you know?”

You shrug. “Okay. When do you want to depart?”

“Tomorrow morning,” he tells you.

...

You meet Shikamaru the next morning, sliding into his shadow before his team sets out to the east. They head straight for the coast of the Land of Fire, near where Uzushiogakure once was, and board a ship bound for the easternmost island in the Land of Water. There’s a little bit of small talk that you have very little interest in, mostly just the sort of inane ‘getting to know you’ stuff that people fall back on when they have nothing else to talk about and really have no need or desire to really get to know each other.
>1/2

>>5014972
At the last island Shikamaru has his team swap outfits for civilian clothing, then books passage on a small boat to the Land of Silence.

...

“So that’s like the least welcoming welcome I’ve ever had,” Hinoko muses under her breath after your boat puts into harbor the next morning.

The port town is drab, a low point where two seacliffs give way to a little valley with a river running through it that people have built houses around. The people here aren’t exactly rude per se – you know Amegakure has that reputation by comparison – but instead they all seem to be the sort of people who are much too focused on their own affairs to even socialize, let alone actively care about anyone else’s problems.

You send a few vibrations her way. [I’ve seen worse.]

“That’s still totally freaky,” she grumbles. “So what’s the plan, Shikamaru-san?”

“The capital is inland a little ways,” he muses as you follow the road out of the port town. “We’ll head there first, scout any defenses, and come up with a plan to infiltrate.”

>I can handle the scouting for you if you’d like.
>I’m hands-off for now. Wouldn’t want to tip the enemy off.
>Might I suggest speaking with some of the locals?
>Other?

>>5015062
>>Might I suggest speaking with some of the locals?

>>5015062
>I can handle the scouting for you if you’d like.
>Might I suggest speaking with some of the locals?

We can scout with paper butterflies while they talk with the locals.

>>5015062
>>I’m hands-off for now. Wouldn’t want to tip the enemy off.

>>5015062
>I’m hands-off for now. Wouldn’t want to tip the enemy off.

>>5015062
>>Might I suggest speaking with some of the locals?

>>5015062
>Might I suggest speaking with some of the locals?

>>5015062
“So yeah, may I make a suggestion?” you offer from the shadows. “Try speaking to some of the locals. I can at least secure and monitor the area for you while you do it.”

Shikamaru considers it for a moment, then seems to agree. “Okay. Do you need me to do anything?”

“Yeah no, we’re already out of sight here,” you muse, and several black origami butterflies emerge from out of Shikamaru’s shadow before fluttering away. “I’ll look ahead if you’d like?”

“Go for it,” Shikamaru immediately agrees. “Honestly? I’ll take as much information as I can get.”

...

“So like, we’re definitely being followed,” Hinoko mutters.

“I was hoping we’d at least make it to the first village,” Shikamaru grumbles.

Rō glances down at you. “Did you miss something?”

“No chance,” you insist. “They probably made us not long after we got off the boat.”

“Anything else we need to know about?” Shikamaru asks. “Anything that’d help us deal with this?”

“Nothing you three can’t already tell,” you insist, “there’s two of them, chūnin or low jōnin level. Not a threat, but a problem if they report in – or not.”

“But there’s something else.”

“What is it?” Shikamaru asks you.

“It’s ‘silent’ here because it’s dead still,” you explain. “Dense foliage, relatively high humidity, but absolutely no natural wind movement.”

“None?” Rō repeats. “That seems unlikely.”

“It’s true,” Shikamaru agrees curtly. “I’m a Nara, I’ve been trained to track the movements of shadows including the ones cast by trees. And the trees aren’t moving at all.”

“So that’s cool and all, but how does that help us?” Hinoko presses.

>We can use sound-based genjutsu more easily here, to misdirect our followers.
>We can guess that’s why Gengo came here, and how he influences people.
>It’s probably not immediately relevant, unless Shikamaru can do something with it.
>Other?

>>5016339
>>We can guess that’s why Gengo came here, and how he influences people.

>>5016339
>We can guess that’s why Gengo came here, and how he influences people.

>>5016339
>>We can guess that’s why Gengo came here, and how he influences people.

>>5016339
>We can guess that’s why Gengo came here, and how he influences people.

>>5016339
“It helps because now we know why Gengo came here,” you explain, “and how he can control people. This place would be unusually good for using sound-based genjutsu to maximum effect.”

“Okay,” Hinoko repeats, “but how does that help us right now?”

“It doesn’t,” you admit. “It’s not that difficult of a decision, you either kill your tails and hide the bodies or you evade them somehow.”

“Yeah, so like, I vote kill them,” Hinoko insists curtly. “It’s way easier and quicker.”

“But then we have two missing shinobi,” Rō observes quite correctly. “That would give away that there are enemies present here.”

“Both perspectives are correct,” you admit. “So yeah, I could definitely just march right in and kill everyone in my way. But is that the best way?”

“Probably not,” Shikamaru admits calmly. “I think we can probably take these two down and use a memory erasing seal. Anyone have any thoughts to the contrary?”

“I think it’s a good plan,” Rō agrees.

“It’s like the beginning of a plan,” Hinoko counters. “I can use my chakra needle to knock people out, but does anyone here actually know how to use a memory erasing genjutsu? Cause I sure don’t.”

“Rō?” Shikamaru glances at the other ANBU.

Rō shakes his head. “No.”

“Naori?”

>Nope. You guys are on your own.
>You put them out, I’ll handle the rest.
>Other?

>>5017295
>You put them out, I’ll handle the rest.

>>5017295
>>You put them out, I’ll handle the rest.

>>5017295
>You put them out, I’ll handle the rest.

>>5017295
>You put them out, I’ll handle the rest.
shikamaru shouldn't suffer for one mistake forever
it was a big mistake, yes, but he's had an opportunity to grow past it. we should give him the opportunity to prove that he has.

>>5017580
we aren't both sides have agreed that it happend, but both sides also ahve to work to get over it.
It just will never be the same as before, distant friendship at best

>>5017580
i genuinely don't remember what he did

>>5017800
He tried (ineffectively) to turn on Naori when he thought Kakuzu was about to kill Asuma. Basically, he panicked.

>>5017295
“You put them out,” you sigh, “and I’ll finish the job... you know I could teach one of you how to do this, it’s not all that hard.”

“I’m no good at genjutsu,” Rō admits.

Hinoko shrugs. “I dunno if I’m any good at it, but I’ll like... try to learn it later? Cause this isn’t exactly the time.”

...

The two shinobi trailing Shikamaru’s team don’t stand a chance.

They wander into the trap, crossing Shikamaru’s shadow stretched across the forest path like the shadow of a tree and stopping midstride. Mere seconds later Hinoko puts a chakra needle into each of them, and they drop in place. Then Rō lifts the bodies and carries them both off the path, while Hinoko and Shikamaru erase the tracks.

Then it’s your turn.

“So yeah, it’s been a while,” you muse. “I’m going to start now. What memories do you want me to give them?”

“Something innocuous,” Shikamaru suggests. “Just make sure they don’t have any memory of tailing us.”

You oblige, forging a memory that instead of spotting Shikamaru’s team and tailing them they took the afternoon off and drank a bit too much, before getting turned around in the woods and sleeping it off. That should explain it all, right down to the splitting headaches Hinoko says they’ll have when they wake up tomorrow morning.

“You know, the first time I did this was during the chūnin exams,” you muse.

“Oh yeah?” Shikamaru replies. “Is that so? Who were the unlucky guys who got it?”

“Could have been anyone,” you muse. “And they would never know.”

Shikamaru glances down at the shadow where you’re hiding. “Wait... you can’t be serious.”

“And they would never know,” you repeat.

As you sense a little alarm from Shikamaru, you make an admission. “It was how I rescued my cousin Karin out from under her former handler’s nose.”
>1/2

>>5018193
There’s a pause. “Sorry for jerking you around.”

“Nah, I get it,” Shikamaru admits calmly as he and Rō position the shinobi. “It’s a little weird though.”

“Oh?” you reply. “How so?”

“Because it’s almost like how people who actually get along behave,” Shikamaru admits.

>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.
>I’m still a little mad but I’m not going to risk your life over it.
>Don’t look too much into it.
>Other?

>>5018210
>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.
>I never really disliked you. It just hurt at the time.

>>5018210
>>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.

>>5018210
>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.

>>5018210
>>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.
>>I never really disliked you. It just hurt at the time.

>>5018210
>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.
>We should talk it all the way through later.

>>5018210
>Consider it a clean reset. I think it’s been long enough.

>>5018210
>consider it a clean reset, it has been long enough. So long that everyone involved learned something from it and the only one that didn't is now even dealer than before.

>>5018442
fuck, i meant 'deader'

>>5018210
“What you did may not have been personal,” you admit, “but it felt personal for sure. It stung for a long time afterwards, and it was easier to just avoid dealing with the anger I felt. But yeah... if I hesitated for any reason it’d put your life and the lives of your team in danger. And that’s unacceptable.”

“So consider this a clean reset, as if you and I just met this morning. And I’ll do the same.”

After a few moments of careful consideration, Shikamaru nods in understanding. “Alright, I get it.”

“So what’d you do?” Rō asks.

“Not now,” Shikamaru insists curtly.

...

Other than the occasional patrol, you don’t really see much in the way of obvious defenses all the way until you reach your eventual goal – the capital city of the Land of Silence, just a few miles inland from the port. It looks surprisingly like the Land of Iron in terms of how everything is organized, or rather how it’s disorganized, with mixed-use properties all packed in together. Shops, workshops, private residences, all packed in together and repeated with only minor variances block to block.

There’s a castle here too, set on a familiar-looking raised stone foundation with cut blocks at a forty-five degree incline, and relatively lower walls with a square tower at each corner. One of these is somewhat larger than the others, and is probably the keep.

“So like, how many of these guys are ninja?” Hinoko whispers.

“Not in public,” Shikamaru mutters back.

“Those men in dark coats,” Rō muses. “Everyone is giving them a lot of space.”

“It’s the only thing that seems like authority here,” Shikamaru muses. “And they seem to be some of our missing shinobi.”

“I recognize one,” Rō insists quietly. “Missing Konoha ANBU, a guy who killed a bunch of his comrades during the war.”

>Let’s go introduce ourselves.
>Let’s go introduce them to our fists.
>Shikamaru? How do you want to play this?
>Other?

>>5019271
>>Shikamaru? How do you want to play this?
His mission, we're just here to make sure he doesn't get mind whammied. Can't do everything forever, gotta make sure he can make the calls.

>>5019271
>>Shikamaru? How do you want to play this?

>>5019271
>Shikamaru? How do you want to play this?
Yep, his mission. We're just here as backup.

>>5019271
“So yeah, I’m just here to back you up,” you admit from Shikamaru’s shadow. “So that’s exactly what I’ll do regardless of what plan you decide on.”

“Thanks, Naori-san,” Shikamaru nods curtly.

“Even if it’s stupid.”

“... thanks, Naori-san.”

“Any time!”

...

The Konoha team isolates the former ANBU in an alleyway with two of his fellow flunkies, who all draw tantō from under their cloaks.

“What have we here?” the ANBU smirks. “A bunch of trespassers!”

Then all three freeze in place.

“What the...”

The two others go down near-instantly, one dropped by Hinoko and the other by a hard blow to the face from Rō.

“You’re one of the Nara clan,” the ANBU realizes aloud. “Well that sucks.”

“Minoichi,” Rō growls. “Why are you here?”

“Ah, if it isn’t Rō!” Minoichi sneers. “I’ll just bet you’d like to know!”

“Yeah, that’s like exactly what he asked?” Hinoko rolls her eyes. “Duh?”

“I was being coy, you idiot!” Minoichi snaps back. “Who is this kid anyway?”

“That’s ‘Soku’ to you, loser,” Hinoko counters, before glancing at Shikamaru. “Please tell me I can just deal with this guy now?”

“Not yet,” Shikamaru insists. “We need to at least try to interrogate him.”

Minoichi snorts, his derision plain to see. “Yeah, good luck with that buddy. I may have left the village but I was still ANBU – we’re not what you’d call the cooperative types.”

>Maybe not, but he DOES seem like a talker. Urge Shikamaru to let him do just that.
>Forget that, just jump in there and take the information you need.
>You may not have the Tsukuyomi, but you can do a pretty good approximation. Probably.
>Other?

>>5020374
>You may not have the Tsukuyomi, but you can do a pretty good approximation. Probably.

>>5020374
>>Maybe not, but he DOES seem like a talker. Urge Shikamaru to let him do just that.

>>5020374
>You may not have the Tsukuyomi, but you can do a pretty good approximation. Probably.

>>5020374
>>Maybe not, but he DOES seem like a talker. Urge Shikamaru to let him do just that.

>>5020374
>Maybe not, but he DOES seem like a talker. Urge Shikamaru to let him do just that.

>>5020374
>You may not have the Tsukuyomi, but you can do a pretty good approximation. Probably.

>>5020374
>he does seem like a talker

>>5020374
>You may not have the Tsukuyomi, but you can do a pretty good approximation. Probably.
If this dude can suffer through naori's fake tsukuyomi, i'll be fucking shocked.

>>5020374
Currently tied, gonna wait a bit longer here.

>>5020374
>1d6, best three of four
>DC 12

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5021938

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5021938

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5021938

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5021938

>>5021938
You decide to use the moment to experiment with one of your favored kegen techniques, taking the basis of the Tsubame-giri to its very limits.

[It may not be Madara-han’s technique that manipulates time,] you muse in his direction with the wave transmission method from Shikamaru’s shadow, [nor is it Itachi’s tsukuyomi that gives absolute control over the perception of time. But at very least I’ve learned from the best.]

Instead of dulling Minoichi’s perception of time, such that 0.016 of a second feels like a full second has passed, you enhance it so that the passage of one second will feel like one minute. He cannot truly speak like this, his thoughts being far too sluggish to keep pace, but he tries anyway.

“Whaaaa...”

“Yeah no, don’t even bother,” you interrupt as his word draws out over a few seconds. “All you need to know is that for every second that passes, you experience it as one minute. I can probably manage this for five minutes, meaning that you will experience it as five hours.”

“What would you like for us to do with those five hours?” you continue. “It has to be something I’m familiar with – being cut by a sword? Being electrocuted? Burned? Bones broken? So many choices... but we have plenty of time to try them out.”

Then you relinquish control of his sense, and he gasps loudly for air, glancing around in a panic as the sense of being burned disappears.

“What the hell was that!?” he demands fearfully. “I heard a voice!?”

“So like, that’s not a great sign,” Hinoko muses. “What kinda voice are we talking about here? The ‘inner monologue’ kind or the ‘booming voice of God’ kind?”

“It was a woman!?” Minoichi proclaims. “Why was there a woman threatening to burn me for five hours!?”

“... like barbecue?” Rō wonders aloud.

“I like barbecue,” Shikamaru chimes in.

“Same,” Hinoko adds.

“Me too,” you offer your own thoughts.

“That’s the woman!” Minoichi whimpers. “Are you actually here woman!?”

“... nope.”

“Oh, that voice,” Shikamaru muses. “I’d listen to her if I were you.”

Then you use the same trick to draw out his perception again. [Answer all of Shikamaru’s questions.]
>1/2

>>5023010
“Okay, okay!” Minoichi declares, “I’ll tell you whatever you want!”

There’s a long pause. “Okay,” Shikamaru-han eventually replies. “So let’s start with this: why did you defect from Konoha and come here?”

“Because the daimyō are full of shit and Gengo-sama is the only one doing anything about it,” Minoichi explains quickly. “We’re going to overthrow the daimyō and make it so the shinobi will rule.”

“You think that’s wise?” Shikamaru presses.

“Wise hasn’t got anything to do with it – we’re the ones who’re strong, we’re the ones keeping the daimyō in power. So why keep the daimyō around?”

“So that’s a fair point and everything,” Hinoko admits, “but for some reason this ‘Gengo’ guy is the one you wanna follow instead?”

“Of course!” Minoichi insists.

“But like, how’s he any better than the daimyō?” Hinoko presses. “Or the Hokage for that matter?”

“Irrelevant,” Shikamaru insists curtly. “This ‘Gengo’ guy, where can we find him?”

“The castle,” Minoichi tells you. “But even if you’ve got some kinda demon shadow or something you’re not gonna be able to beat him... because whether you like it or not he’s right. Gengo-sama’s not just a man – he’s a movement.”

>Knock Minoichi out and erase his memories.
>Put Minoichi to use as a genjutsu-controlled puppet.
>This is a matter for Konoha – leave it to them.
>Other?

>>5023177
>Give Shikamaru a list of options and defer to his judgement
Once again, his mission.

>>5023216
>>5023177

>>Give Shikamaru a list of options and defer to his judgement
Supporting

>>5023177
>This is a matter for Konoha – leave it to them.

>>5023216
>>5023177
its his mission, its a konoha matter, no real reason to do anything unprompted

>>5023177
>>Put Minoichi to use as a genjutsu-controlled puppet.

>>5023177
[He’s one of yours,] you admit directly to Shikamaru. [So yeah, it’s your call what to do with him.]

Rō, in the mean time, puts Minoichi into a headlock.

Hinoko watches curiously. “So like, what’re you...”

With a single sharp movement Rō twists and snaps Minoichi’s neck.

“What the hell was that!?” Shikamaru demands.

“ANBU has had a kill-on-sight order for Minoichi since we determined he might still be alive,” Rō explains simply. “My apologies, but that order still stands.”

After a moment Hinoko sighs. “You know, it’s a pain but he’s like... not wrong?”

“So you killed him,” Shikamaru frowns. “Just like that?” Without saying anything to me about it?”

“What would you have said about it?” Rō asks.

Shikamaru takes a moment. “I’d have told you not to.”

“Exactly,” Rō insists. “And am I right in thinking that Hinok-”

“Soku,” Hinoko corrects him tersely.

“Soku-san would follow your orders knowing that ANBU has that standing order,” Rō continues. “So I acted, so that Soku-san would not be put into the position of having to disobey a standing order.”

“I don’t agree with the outcome, but he has a point,” you admit. “And this isn’t the time for disciplinary action.”

“That much is definitely true,” Shikamaru admits. “Alright then, so we’ll forget about that for now. We’ve got three cloaks to use, let’s secure these other two idiots and put them to use.”

...

You soon arrive at the castle, in the middle of town. It’s a typical lowland affair, with a comparatively flimsy three-tier structure placed atop a stone rampart. It’s impressive in size and detail, but you could take this castle by yourself in a matter of minutes – so it’s not impressive from a military standpoint in the slightest.

“You’re the outside expert,” Shikamaru muses. “Which would you do – infiltrate the castle, gather information from the other guys in cloaks, or try to figure out Gengo’s schedule and movements?”

>Personally? I’d infiltrate the castle. No substitute for getting in there.
>Can’t get enough information, and you already have the disguises.
>Gengo is the only objective that matters. I’d focus on that exclusively.
>Other?

>>5024347
>Personally? I’d infiltrate the castle. No substitute for getting in there.
>There's no shortage of shadows indoors. We could infiltrate together while the others watch over the outside. Using your shadow jutsu i can move around extremely easily, and then i can use hiraishin to teleport us at will. Easiest infiltration of your life.

>>5024347
>>Personally? I’d infiltrate the castle. No substitute for getting in there.

>>5024347
>Personally? I’d infiltrate the castle. No substitute for getting in there.

>>5024347
>>Personally? I’d infiltrate the castle. No substitute for getting in there.

>>5024347

I'd love to hear how various interested parties feel about how things have turned out, romantically.
Poor shikamaru screwed himself, temari and ayame got left behind and hinata/tenten never really got considered.

Where are they all at right now? What are their thoughts on naori, and the people they'll potentially get with?
What about their clan heads, or the partners they missed out on?

So many what-if's, and squandered opportunities, i know i can't be the only one thinking about it.

>>5024952
agreed, i'd also be curious how tenten and neji are getting on, since they didn't get a chance in canon.
if we get any answers on what queen thinks abou it that woud be great and appreciated, but not necessary

>>5024963
I'd also love to know who might have been interested in naori, even if naori didn't/would never give them a second thought.
Who's got an unrequited crush?

>>5024347
“Personally?” you muse. “If this were back in the Akatsuki I’d infiltrate the castle, snap Gengo’s neck, and leave before anyone knew I was there. But right now... yeah, no. It’s still hard to argue with the merit of getting eyes on something yourself.”

“So like, for what it’s worth I agree,” Hinoko chips in. “We’ve got the outfits we’d need to get close.”

“How are you both at infiltration?” Shikamaru asks.

“Average,” Rō admits.

“Actually?” Hinoko muses. “Pretty good, I’m told.”

“Can you use any ninjutsu for it?”

“I can use the Meisaigakure,” Hinoko replies.

Shikamaru nods. “Good, because I don’t think I can use my shadow control to hide three people.”

“I’m good like this,” you muse.

“So the plan is to have Soku-san move alone to cover us?” Rō muses. “That could be risky.”

“Naori-san? Can you place a hiraishin marking on Soku-san?”

“I just did,” you admit.

...

You follow along with Shikamaru as he extends his shadows to help hide Rō, while Hinoko covers them from the rooftops. It’s a solid plan for infiltration given what the team has to work with, and with the northeast corner of the castle now shadowed it gets them up and into the superstructure several meters above the town’s streets. According to the plan Hinoko remains outside the castle as coverage while Shikamaru and Rō proceed inside to look for Gengo.

The search proceeds quickly... because Gengo is upstairs, right in the first place Shikamaru and Rō look.

“Hello there, strangers,” he greets you from a floor chair, reaching his hand down behind the side of the arm. “What business brings you here?”

“Looking for you, actually,” Shikamaru admits. “We were wondering if you could tell us where a friend of ours disappeared to.”

“Ah, you’d be talking about Sai,” Gengo muses calmly. “I think you’ll find that he’s just fine.”

“Yeah, well if it’s all the same I think we need to ask him ourselves,” Rō insists.

“That can be arranged,” Gengo replies.
>1/2

>>5025427
You had a bad feeling about this whole setup, and when Sai comes walking in the door it becomes clear that you were right to suspect something like this.

“Sai!” Shikamaru exclaims. “Sai, come on, we’ve gotta get out of here!”
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5025447

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5025447

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5025447

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5025447

>>5024952
If I can phonepost today I may do this on my lunch break.

>>5025768
Sweeeeet

>>5024952
>Ryuzetsu: "I'm a little surprised... but that can be a good thing sometimes."
>Temari: "I was a little disappointed, but I wish her the best."
>Sakura: "She what? With who? I never knew!"
>Ayame: "Good for her. I hope Kusagakure doesn't give them too much trouble - that whole thing sounds really frustrating."
>Naruto: "... didn't something like this happen in one of Pervy Sage's books?"
>Sasuke: "So she was bisexual the whole time... huh."
>Shikamaru: "I'd be a little interested to know what Naori-san's plans are for kids - since she definitely already has a plan - but it's not really my business."
>Hinata: "I... but they're both... that was an option?"
>Hanabi: "... is it too late to get Hinata interested in girls instead?"
>Konan: "I wonder if a dress or a kimono would be more appropriate for what she has in mind... maybe I should buy one of each just in case?"
>Choji: "Man, what a relief. I did NOT need my dad bugging me about that."
>Tenten: "See, Neji? People our age are starting to talk about this kind of stuff, so why can't you?"
>Neji: "Curse you, Uzumaki Naori. Curse you for putting ideas in her head."

Hanabi what the fuck

>>5025924
She and Hinata got a bit heated over Naruto flaking on his family even in canon, and in this continuity things with the Hyuuga are still a little fucked since Naruto and Neji never fought.

>>5025915
>Ryuzetsu didn't realize she was in the line up until it was to late
>Temari taking it like a champ, good for her
>No surprise, the two never actually talk about anything ever
>one of our best friends, i think, should really meet with her and definetively invite her and her dad to any relevant ceremonies
>not like that Naruto you idiot
>reasonable response
>intelligent and grown up response, good on him
>clueless hinata is clueless
>gotta agree with >>5025924 here, dafuq? Naruto ain't that bad.
>way to dignified, konan is best after all
>Poor Choji knew he wasn't even close to an option, also grow up already man!
>Tenten is still on the prowl, good luck girl
>god damn it man, sees in every direction but can't get in touch with his own emotions *shakes head*

>>5025940
The byakugan can look in any direction... except for "inward".

>>5025915
Nothing from Kurotsuchi eh, ah well. Pretty reasonable responses all considered.

>>5026217
We did have that "Are YOU into me too?" moment with her so long ago.

>>5026217
>>5026272
>Kurotsuchi: "So what, am I not good enough for you or somethin'? Nah, just messing with you... but seriously, was it my hair?"
>Darui: "... nice."
>Chojuro: "Well, I mean... it's not the call I would've made. But it wasn't my call, so yeah, I guess it really doesn't matter?"
>Gaara: "On behalf of my village, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. May your lives together be long and blessed."
>Kankuro: "Hey, congrats."

>>5026465
>>Gaara: "On behalf of my village, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. May your lives together be long and blessed."
Code for "I will reluctantly forgive you for breaking my sister's heart."

>>5025447
“Why are you here, Shikamaru?” Sai asks, watching almost blankly.

“We’re here to help you!” Rō interjects. “You went silent, and now we find you here acting all chummy with the target?”

“I don’t really recall asking for your help,” Sai replies with a vacant smile.

“As you can see, your ‘friend’, you called him?” Gengo muses. “He doesn’t seem to want your help... but I can honestly say I could. Both of you.”

Both... that’s good. That suggests he doesn’t know you’re here, or that Hinoko is slinking around outside.

“Not interested,” Shikamaru replies flatly.

“I think you should listen to him, Shikamaru,” Sai insists.

“No sale,” Shikamaru declares, spreading his shadow out across the floor and freezing Gengo and Sai in place... but not following through.

“You’re a smart young man, Shikamaru-san,” Gengo muses politely, like poison in your ears, remaining calm despite the shadow possession having taken effect. “You can see it as well as Sai here did, as well as the others did. You know it already.”

“That the daimyō are ruining everything,” Rō nods curtly. “We got that.”

“That’s just the beginning,” Gengo declares. “People like the two of you should be the ones leading. You, Rō you’re more experienced than any daimyō – you’ve seen how the world works. Shikamaru, you’re smarter than any daimyō, you know that you would make better decisions.”

“Just imagine what we could do together! We could accomplish such great things!”

The shadow possession technique starts to slip as Gengo’s words start to have an effect.

>Interrupt, take Gengo’s head.
>Hit Gengo in the throat to end his technique.
>Signal to Hinoko.
>Other?

>>5026517
>>Signal to Hinoko.

>>5026517
>>Interrupt, take Gengo’s head.

>>5026517
>Hit Gengo in the throat to end his technique.

>>5026517
>>Signal to Hinoko.

>>5026517
>Hit Gengo in the throat to end his technique.