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>>4196533
Shinnō begins to mould more of this ‘dark chakra’ of his, such that it pours out of him like black smoke. At his summons the cocoon begins to form new tendrils, wrapping and eventually absorbing him as he continues to laugh.

Unlike the others, you remain up high, watching what happens from the end of the hallway as Shinnō further explains his plans, like a stock villain from a badly-written radio drama.

“Did you really think I would risk my life over something like a flying fortress!?” he laughs madly. “Did you think it something so powerless? No… this Angkor Vantian is a powerful weapon, one capable of bringing devastation to the Five Great Nations in a flash!”

“BEHOLD!”

The whole of Angkor Vantian rumbles for a moment, and a pulse of chakra runs from the bound “zero tails” into the walls… the script lights up in glowing green. Then the rumbling stops as the chakra is released.

…

You watch as a powerful blast of chakra completely annihilates the remains of the fleet anchored just offshore, where it lies already ravaged and helpless by Shino’s bugs. There’s not a trace of it left above water once it’s over… just a steamy, boiling patch of saltwater that takes a few moments to begin to cool.

Shikamaru, Kakashi, and the rest of their team stare in complete disbelief.

“What… the heck was that?” Shikamaru asks no one in particular.

“… I have to go,” you declare, abruptly dispelling yourself.

…

Your mind is suddenly flooded with memories of an aerial battle on paper wings, of tracking a team through the forests with Kakashi, the sight of a fleet of troop carriers being half-devoured by bugs, and of the Angkor Vantian’s blast wiping out the rest of that fleet in a flash of light, leaving nothing but steam and static.

“Hah!” Naruto laughs derisively. “What was that, a misfire?”

It takes you several seconds to shake the disorientation and for the wave of exhaustion to pass… you take a food pill to try and counteract the effects while Naruto and Sasuke fight a pointless little skirmish against the tendrils of the zero-tail’s cocoon, hoping to stimulate yourself just enough to make it through the next few hours.
>2/3

>>4196535
The answer to this problem is obvious of course… if the zero-tails absorbs chakra, absorbing natural energy will probably be fatal to it. So all you need to do is let it take the natural energy you gather through Umekiri and watch it kill itself. Problem solved… without it Angkor Vantian will never be able to function again. The ruins themselves can be dismantled at your leisure.

But the problem is that once you pursue that strategy there’s no going back. You’ll only have a fairly brief window of time to escape Angkor Vantian before it falls from the sky.

>Do it now. In Sage Mode you’re quick enough to deal with the consequences.
>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.
>Just wait and see what Naruto and Sasuke can think up… or rather what Sasuke thinks up and Naruto joins in on.
>Other?

>>4196537
>>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.

>>4196537
>wait until. ..

>>4196537
>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.

>>4196537
>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.
Outside of that just observe and be ready to do your thing when the shadow clone pops.

>>4196537
>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.

>>4196537
>>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.

Stock villain of the week is clearly enjoying himself. It would be criminal to cut things so short, let's use this time wisely while he overindulges in egomaniacal catharsis.

>>4196535
>Wait until you hear back from your shadow clone that’s with Amaru.

>>4196537
You are Raishō Naori’s shadow clone, left by your original to speak with Ryūzetsu.

“Don’t think of it as an Akatsuki hideout,” you tell her, in a private meeting in the keep of Hozuki castle. “It’s my hideout. The rest of Akatsuki will neither use it nor even know about it.”

“I’ll inform the senior council that I’ve given my blessings,” she replies wearily, setting aside the map you’ve used to show her the exact spot you were considering.

“You don’t actually approve?” you frown.

Ryūzetsu sighs, settling into her chair. “I approve of you… none of us have forgotten your help in ending our civil war with so little bloodshed. That debt of gratitude will go a long way, but Akatsuki has become a divisive topic. And not just in our village. I think you’ll find many of the smaller nations are also… conflicted.”

You hang your head for a moment, taking a deep breath before settling on honesty. “Yeah, no… I… may be taking my own precautions at the moment. Putting a hideout in your nation is one of those precautions.”

“Akatsuki is… coming apart at the seams,” you confide in her. “My actions in the next few weeks may determine which of those seams tear and which ones hold.”

“I understand,” Ryūzetsu nods curtly. “Say no more.”

…

You are Raishō Naori’s shadow clone, created specifically to follow this girl named Amaru into the lower levels of Angkor Vantian to rescue villagers she believes are being held there: survivors of the attack you noticed the aftermath of through the shadow clone that chased after this whole mess from the Hot Water hideout.

For a moment your head swims as the details of the shadow clone in the Land of Grass reintegrate themselves with your memories… you recall her conversations with Ryūzetsu and the construction of the Grass hideout. The details are very similar to the one in the Land of Hot Water, though in this case you selected an island in the middle of a long, shallow lake. Due to its small size and challenging terrain no one lives there, which makes it a perfect spot to put a small safehouse. No gardens here though… too small for that. Instead you built a small outdoor courtyard.

The only exceptional detail is that on a whim, it seems your clone placed a Hiraishin marking on the floor of the largest room, which she designed like a dojo. It’s nearly thirty feet across and enormously intricate, and it will take you a substantial series of hand seals to use it, but if it works it should make it easy to withdraw to any of your hideouts at a moment’s notice.

“Are you okay?” Amaru asks, stopping in the middle of the corridor.

You nod curtly. “Just a bunch of memories from a shadow clone… totally unrelated. Sorry, let’s keep going.”
>1/2

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>>4196703
I keep forgetting when I've chased down an image to go with a description. This is what I imagined the island to be like.

>>4196703
“It has to be somewhere in this direction...” she guesses.

You raise an eyebrow. “Based on what?”

She pauses. “I just figure a dungeon should be somewhere low, right?”

“Good a guess as any,” you admit. “I’ll scout down this corridor.”

You send some paper butterflies out, spreading them throughout the lower levels of Angkor Vantian as you and Amaru progress deeper into the structure of the fortress.

“Something bothers me...” she admits after you no-sell a group of Sora-nin who don’t even manage to get off a shot with their kunai launchers before you beat them unconscious with your saya.

“Yeah?” you ask. “Try this hallway… what is it?”

“How are you that strong?” she asks you. “And how exactly do you know Naruto? He didn’t seem happy to see you, even when you were… defeating that man.”

“You mean ‘Shinnō’?” you muse. “He might have had a strong body, but he had a weakness of spirit… he was never a match for me.”

“And Naruto?” she presses. “How do you know him?”

>We’re technically ‘enemies’ due to how things have worked out. It’s nothing personal.
>We’re acquainted. If you want to know, you might want to ask him when this is over.
>Akatsuki is after the tailed beast sealed inside of him. I’m a part of that organization right now.
>Other?

>>4196746
>He's my cousin, technically. We're in opposing groups for the moment, but i've never once considered him an enemy. He's not a bad guy, but unfortunately he sees me as one.

>>4196750
Seconding

>>4196746
>We’re acquainted. If you want to know, you might want to ask him when this is over.

>>4196746
>>4196750
Seconding

>>4196746
Seconding this too >>4196750

>>4196746
this: >>4196750

>>4196750
>>4196746
I Second this

>>4196746
>>4196750

>>4196746
“We’re survivors of the same shinobi clan,” you explain, “who are in opposing factions at the moment. I don’t see him as an enemy per se, and he’s a good guy even if he’s a bit thick… but he probably sees me as an enemy.”

“Then why are you helping him?” she asks curiously.

“Same reason I sometimes end up fighting against him,” you muse. “Because I think it’s the right thing to do at the time… you hear that?”

“Yeah, do you think that’s what we’re looking for?” Amaru wonders, her untrained ears finally picking up on the thrumming sound quite distinct from the rest of the background noise.

“Down there,” you point to a set of stairs leading to a lower level.

In a new corridor you find several holding cells, with metallic bars and glowing symbols on the walls.

“Don’t touch,” you caution Amaru before she can try grabbing hold of the bars behind which dozens of people sit miserably on the floor… one of whom is Hyūga Hinata, looking like she’s been away for several days straight.

“… Amaru-kun? Naori-san?” she wonders aloud. “This cell… it’s...”

“… draining their chakra,” you complete the thought. “I’m watching it happen.”

“How do we stop it?” Amaru demands, looking around the room.

“I don’t know how it would respond to me attacking it,” you admit.

Amaru points up to what looks like some sort of device built into the ceiling, with a small glass center like a recessed light bulb. “What about that?”

“Think you can grab on if I gave you a boost?” you ask her quickly.

She frowns. “I might...”

“No,” you interrupt her. “Can you or can you not?”

After a moment of surprise, she nods curtly. “I can.”

You smile and take a knee, holding your hands together to give her a place to step. “Then let’s not waste any time doubting ourselves and do it.”

“Right.”
>1/2

>>4196972
After Amaru shoves a scalpel into what turns out to be some kind of circuit, the bars lower into the floor and the symbols on the walls stop glowing.

“Nice,” you commend her, catching her as she falls and putting her feet-down on the floor. “Let’s get these people up and moving, try and find a launch catapult upstairs.”

“A launch catapult?” she repeats as she helps an old man to his feet.

You nod as you create a few more shadow clones. “Yeah… from what I’ve seen all the technology those Sora-nin use must be based off the technology they found here. So their flying machines should be compatible. We’ll find one and take it for our own use.”

“What about Naruto?” Amaru demands as you scrawl across a sealing tag to contact your real body.

“I’m a step ahead of you.”

…

“They’re evacuating the civilians...” you muse, having watched both Naruto and Sasuke get themselves captured. “Great news… but too slow.”

You tell your clones to hurry it up.

“So… it seems one of you is not a fool!” Shinnō crows delightedly from within the zero-tails cocoon.

“Maybe,” you shrug. “You’re certainly not one to judge either way.”

“Oho?” he cackles. “And why is that?”

“Because only a fool would listen to a fool,” you taunt him.

“Perhaps I was wrong!” he snaps. “Surely you can’t think it wise to taunt me!”

“Why not?” you shrug. “You haven’t given me any reason to respect your abilities.”

>Watch how this goes… Sasuke is planning something.
>Try to keep Shinnō distracted enough not to use Angkor Vantian’s weapon again.
>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.
>Other?

>>4197028
>>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

>>4197028
>>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

>>4197028
>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

After dealing with Shinno, mention casually to Sasuke and Naruto that what took them so long.

>>4197028
>>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

i don't trust him to not get vengeful at a moments notice

>>4197028
>>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

If I have to hear him say “fool” one more time...

>>4197028
>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.
Guy's a fuckin' nutjob, let's just end this.

>>4197028
>>Just turn the bastard to stone already. Your clones should be about done.

>>4197028
To put this thing to an end, you do something you’ve avoided up till now: you use the shunshin technique and thrust Umekiri straight into the cocoon.

“So you are a fool!” Shinnō roars. “If you had a technique like that you should have used it...”

“If I had, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” you observe calmly as the nature energy begins to show an obvious effect.

“What are you doing?” Shinnō begins to panic as the zero-tails begins to rapidly turn to stone. “What is this? How dare you do this to me!?”

“I am an ultimate being! I have attained the ultimate power! I will not be destroyed like this...”

His words cease as too much of the cocoon and the monster inside it have solidified, and the process accelerates all the way out to the ends of the strands holding it in place. Then with a twist of your blade you shatter the entire thing, right out to the ends of the ‘hands’ holding Sasuke and Naruto as well as the strands connecting to the walls.

No sooner are Naruto and Sasuke on the floor than you’re back up the walls.

“We need to go,” you insist, “now. The chakra the zero-tails had already fed into Angkor Vantian won’t last forever.”

“What happens when it runs out?” Naruto wonders aloud as he follows you and Sasuke up the wall.

The floor shudders, and you hear a noise that seems to emanate from the entire fortress… it almost sounds the exact way you’d expect ‘deceleration’ to sound.

“We fall,” you reply simply.

…

Sasuke elects to run down a transverse corridor, towards one of the ends of the fortress, using a chidori stream to collapse the corridor behind him… it seems that he really doesn’t want anyone following him, and you can see why. Naruto immediately tries to batter his way through the obstruction with a rasengan.

“Naruto!” you bark. “We don’t have time, the others are holding up on you!”

You end up dragging him by the scruff of his neck, eventually reaching a platform where a flying machine is waiting, loaded with the villagers from down below along with Hinata and Amaru. You run over to the flying ship to give it the once-over a second time.

“Everything secure here?” you ask. “Hinata, you figure out how the controls work?”

She nods once with a little sound of affirmation. “I think so.”

“You think?” you begin, “or you...”

The platform you’re standing on shakes as Naruto pulls a lever to launch the survivors down the catapult, then uses a rasengan to break the catapult platform off.
>1/2

>>4197893
You manage to spring through the air and float the rest of the way to the flying ship even as Amaru shouts at Naruto, who heads for the far end of the ship… he’s still chasing after Sasuke, and by running along the outside he hopes to reach Sasuke before he can arrange his own evacuation. As usual, he’s too stubborn and focused on the sole task he can envision before himself to consider anything else… including his own safety.

Angkor Vantian shudders again.

“Hinata,” you order from atop the ship’s wings, “bring us about, hard left and up one hundred meters.”

“I… I can’t!” she admits, “there’s not enough chakra!”

“Try now,” you tell her after establishing a chakra flow directly to the machine’s engine… by stabbing it with Umekiri.

“I… I have control back!” she realizes aloud, “pitching up and left fifteen degrees… I think is what these instruments say.”

“Dammit, Sasuke,” you mutter as you reach a position where you can see the end of the fortress. You can see someone gliding away from the end of the fortress on malformed wings, as Naruto gets ready to jump himself… clearly there are no escape machines at that end of the fortress, so he’s grabbed one of the personal flying kits.

The fortress continues to slow down, losing some of its altitude and crumble from the ends…

“Automatic power conservation?” you wonder aloud.

There’s a small explosion that throws Naruto free before he can don the glider wings.

“He’s not going to make it!” Amaru shouts, pulling on glider wings of her own from the back of the ship and leaping out of it without hesitation.

>Interfere, make sure they both survive.
>Don’t interfere. They’ll be fine.
>Other?

>>4197915
>Interfere, make sure they both survive.
>"You're both retarded, i'm leaving."

>>4197915
>>Interfere, make sure they both survive.

>>4197915
>>Interfere, make sure they both survive.

>>4197915
>Interfere, make sure they both survive.

>>4197915
>>Interfere, make sure they both survive.
"Why are you both such idiots?!"

>>4197915
>Don’t interfere. They’ll be fine.
They don't need a babysitter.

>>4197915
>>Don’t interfere. They’ll be fine.

>>4197915
>Don’t interfere. They’ll be fine.

Mostly fine, Naruto can't let his ass to be carried by Naori all the time.

>>4197915
That idiot… always charging in and leaving everyone around him to come up with a plan that will work. At least he has the good sense or the good fortune to surround himself with people who, with the notable exception of one Haruno Sakura, have the talents and forethought to compliment him.

“Oh, alright,” you huff, answering on one in particular as you leap out of the flying machine. “Shadow clone!”

Your shadow clone, also floating the same way you do on a paper cloak of her own, wraps you in Kongō Fūsa and slings you after them before disappearing herself. That carries you as far as a massive stone head that you can kick off of to renew your momentum, having gone the wrong way while Amaru dives after Naruto. Eventually she abandons her wings as they’re just keeping her from catching up thanks to their drag… what the hell is she even thinking?

You bite your thumb and unseal and hurl a handful of summoning paper shuriken, what must be the fastest shuriken at this point in the world, which burst into smoke.

“Kuchiyose: Nyoka!”

Your carefully-aimed volley summon Nyoka below Naruto and Amaru, who cling desperately to her back, having been given this one chance to survive their combined foolishness. She glides to the ground and shakes them off rather dismissively.

“This one is neither a pack mule nor a trampoline,” she observes wryly.

“Sorry, wasn’t any time,” you apologize, floating down lightly on your paper cloak before transforming it back into its disguised form.

“Why’d you save us!?” Naruto demands.

“Someone had to,” you roll your eyes. “You really should learn to think before acting, Naruto… and you!”

You turn to Amaru. “You should learn the same lesson. I already know he won’t.”

“You just want the nine-tails!” Naruto continues to protest.

“And it would be easier if you did die,” you frown at him. “Seriously, I’d have an easier time sealing Kurama if you were out of the picture. In a lot of ways.”

“But that isn’t the way things are.”

You can hear the sounds of Konoha shinobi approaching… one of them is a cut above the rest. Is it… Jiraiya? Where the hell did he come from?

>Get onto Nyoka’s back and escape, hope Jiraiya has no way to pursue.
>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.
>Use Hiraishin to get to your hideout, taking Nyoka with you. Use smoke bombs as cover.
>Other?

>>4198306
>Use Hiraishin to get to your hideout, taking Nyoka with you. Use smoke bombs as cover.
>Until next time cousin!
He’s known as the sage of toad mountain. Such titles are not idle things. Bail and bail now.

>>4198306
>>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.

>>4198306
>>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.

>>4198306
>Get onto Nyoka’s back and escape, hope Jiraiya has no way to pursue.

Jiraiya can't fly, and likely has better things to do than track us down. Using Hiraishin-derived techniques while the guy who taught Minato is in around strikes me as a bad idea.

>>4198306
>“But that isn’t the way things are.”

I'm not 100% clear, was that something Naori said?

>>4198306
>Get onto Nyoka’s back and escape, hope Jiraiya has no way to pursue.

Yeah time to bail, when the Konoha reinforcements are arriving. No need to be here now.

>>4198306
>Get onto Nyoka’s back and escape, hope Jiraiya has no way to pursue.
No way Jirayan didn't see those paper wings. Now Jiraya will know at least one of his students survived and taught us.

Using the Hiraishin is tempting, but it's not a trump card worth using right now. We should use it when Naori's life is clearly endangered and Jiraya is clearly here to capture us, not kill us.

>>4198306
>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.

>>4198306
>>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.

...Jiraiya isn't that scary.

>>4198336
It's no just Jiraya who is around. At least if he caught up to us while we were leaving, it would (probably) just be him.

And I'm not sure why you're using Jiraya's "scariness" as an argument? Most people who voted to leave are doing so because there is no reason to stay around. Unless you can think of one?

>>4198306
>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.
>"About time you got here Mr. Toad Sage! Had to save my idiot cousin and his fox from committing suicide AGAIN, I'm at the end of my rope! Seriously, what did you even teach him these past 2 years Jiraiya!?"

>>4198306
>Get onto Nyoka’s back and escape, hope Jiraiya has no way to pursue.

>>4198321
Yes, that was Naori.

>>4198306
>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.
>Your pupil is an idiot. Did you train him wrong on purpose? As a joke?

>>4198306
>>Just wait and see what Jiraiya does. Don’t start a chase if there’s no need.

>>4198306
>1d6, DC 10
>taking three
>SP: 6/6

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4198550

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4198550

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4198550

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4198550

>>4198550
“Hold on a moment,” you tell Nyoka. “Now might not be the right time for a dramatic escape.”

“This one can be patient,” she replies, stalking her way across the roots and stones to get closer to you instead of the other way around. “The strong one that is coming, you believe he could give chase?”

“It’s possible,” you admit. “Jiraiya of the Sannin isn’t one to take lightly.”

Nyoka lowers her head over your shoulder in a bid for your appreciation… essentially, reminding you that she’s more than earned it.

When Jiraiya finally gets to where you are his first concern is with his student, giving him the once-over after his brush with death. So once Naruto and Amaru are behind Jiraiya, he turns his attention to you.

“I suppose I have you and your summons to thank for seeing to the details,” he greets you, watching you closely. “That wouldn’t happen to be a shrike behind you?”

“This one goes by the name of Nyoka,” Nyoka replies, raising her head. “And would appreciate not being referred to as a ‘that’ by a mere toad-summoner.”

“Guess that’s all the answer I need!” Jiraiya grimaces. “Sorry if I offended you, Nyoka-san. But I have business with your summoner here.”

“I fail to see what ‘business’ we have,” you counter with a frown. “Jiraiya-sensei, the only reason I waited was because I knew you might be able to give chase… and that if you did, it might end in a fight. I’d rather avoid that outcome.”

“And you thought you could just talk it out?” Jiraiya demands, crossing his arms. “You’re not that same girl who I gave a five-minute lesson to out of a sense of responsibility anymore… you’re a member of a criminal organization that’s threatening the Leaf.”

“Who just protected the Leaf from the Land of Sky and the zero tails,” you counter. “Even after all that, do you plan to betray me for no immediate reason? Is that the way Konoha’s Sannin teach their students to behave?”

After a moment, Jiraiya shakes his head. “No… I guess it isn’t, is it?”

“Then you’ll allow me to leave?” you press.

“I have just one question,” he admits. “Just how skilled of a Sage have you become?”

>Show him.
>Tell him.
>Refuse to answer.

>>4199828
>tell him
I wouldn't mind showing it, but don't want to give to much away, this way he can inform his peers over what that means
While there still remains the possibility of us 'over exaggerating'

>>4199828
>Refuse to answer.

>>4199828
>Refuse to answer.
He can get all the information he needs to make an assumption from the Konoha Shinobi.

>>4199828
>Refuse to answer.

>>4199828
>Tell him
As what >>4199834 said. Tell him partial truth. If he isn't happy with the answer, he can connect the dots with other Konoha Jonin who have seen Naori.

>>4199828
>>Refuse to answer.

>>4199828
>>Refuse to answer.

>>4199828
I can raise the dead--no wait, I mean
>Refuse to answer
>But just so you don't leave empty handed: I found out about those students you mentioned last time we talked. Two of them are still alive, but Danzo conspired with Hanzo to kill the third. Make of that what you will.

He's bright enough to do something useful with that.

>>4199914
And if we can't fly off after being all cryptic and mysterious, giving the heroes something to ponder on for our next encounter: we are just not living la vida Akatsuki enough.

>>4199914
I don't like that plan. Konan especially mentioned not to use her paper jutsus when Sannin and especially Jiraiya is around. Telling him anything would be worse than that.

>>4199828
>>Tell him.
But ask him why he wants to know before saying anything

>>4199828
>Refuse to answer.
Ask your friends, this isn't something I do just to show off.

>>4199914
>>4199828
Supporting this, if we can save the old toad from even a small amount of his fate, I'd like to try.

>>4199920
While I agree it's risky, that was a long time ago, and we're gonna need allies. Conflict with Tobi is unavoidable, and Jiraiya is one of the most reasonable people in the entire world at this point.

>>4199920
Hmm, well No one but Naori and Jiraiya will know wtf she is talking about, and I doubt Jiraiya is going to do anything stupid that would be bad for them.

I guess the only thing that might be tipping a bit too much is the Hanzo and Danzo thing. In that case, I'd just ammend the option for Naori to use her best judgment to say that part in code or not at all.

>>4199941
>>4199914
Oh, but if we think pain can eavesdrop with the ring, do something else. Like, get even more cryptic or shoot him a micro paper senbon message or something else nigh undetectable.

>>4199828
>>Tell him.

>>4199828
>>Tell him.

>>4199828
>tell him

>>4199828
>>Tell him.

>>4199828

>>Tell Him

>>4199828
>Don't tell him about your sword.

>>4199828
“I don’t see that I have to tell you anything,” you reply calmly. “Everything you need to know has already been reported… or are you telling me you haven’t already done your homework?”

After nodding for a few moments, Jiraiya sighs. “I have.”

“And?” you press.

“… and it suggests that you’ve achieved perfect control over senjutsu,” he admits.

“See, you already knew,” you incline your head politely. “Now if there’s no objection, I’d like to go home and take a nap.”

“There will be objections,” Jiraiya admits. “Some on the council will see this as an act of cowardice, and thirty years ago I might have agreed with them.”

“What changed?” you ask. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I trained a young man who became a perfect sage,” Jiraiya explains carefully. “He was about your age. After that experience I understand more than most that if things come to blows between us there’s a very real chance I might lose.”

“I’m not going to take that chance if there’s no real need.”

“Then let’s go,” you suggest to Nyoka, hopping onto her back.

“Gladly,” she agrees, inclining her head towards Jiraiya. “Until next we meet, toad-sage.”

…

August.

Once again you find yourself called into a meeting with the rest of Akatsuki, who begin to outline the situation. There are three major assignments right now: the three-tails has been spotted in the southeast of the Land of Fire, and will require immediate sealing to secure. There are also two more ‘mundane’ missions, which include a normal bounty mission from a nobleman in Kirigakure and a request from a border town in the Land of Earth to strike across their border into Ishigakure for them… a task that the Tsuchikage won’t take on due to the fairly recent peace signed into existence between Ishi and Iwa.

>You want to seal the three tails.
>You want to do the bounty mission.
>You want to attack Ishigakure.
>Other?

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.

I don't like the Ishigakure mission. It sounds just like a war where innocent civilians will suffer. Meanwhile sealing the three tails furthers our goal.

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.

>>4200284
Link to the post friend

>>4200279
>bounty mission

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.

>>4200279
>>You want to seal the three tails.

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.
Eyes on the price.

>Other.
Did we train/achieve something during that time.

>>4200293
Thanks for the reminder :)

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.

>>4200284
>>4200344
The expression is 'Eyes on the prize', not price.

>>4200279
>You want to seal the three tails.

>>4200344
Naori would have confirmed that her version of Hiraishin WORKS, and would have been working on getting the thing refined to the point of being useful as anything other than a fast-travel location. But much beyond that, no.

File: naori_okita_comf.png (2.16 MB, 1000x1414)

2.16 MB PNG

>>4200467
Also, have a comy Naori while I work.

>>4200483
this immediately made my day better

>>4200483
“I volunteer to handle Isobu,” you declare. “Choose whichever partner you feel is appropriate.”

“Ooh! Ooh!” Tobi declares excitedly. “I volunteer to not get eaten by a giant turtle!”

“Noted,” Pain replies sternly. “Are there any takers on this particular mission?”
>1d7
>Taking the THIRD ROLL ONLY

Rolled 4 (1d7)

>>4200496

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4200496

Rolled 5 (1d7)

>>4200496

>>4200500
>Kakuzu selected
Writing.

File: kakuzu_close.jpg (147 KB, 1018x1095)

147 KB JPG

>>4200496
“I have some ‘business’ in that area,” Kakuzu admits calmly. “I’ll go.”

“So be it,” Pain agrees.

“And Kakuzu-san?” Konan-han adds in a carefully-controlled tone.

“What is it?”

“Please try to aim a little more carefully than usual,” she glares sharply at his projected image. “It would be a problem to lose another powerful member.”

“Such little faith in your own former student,” Kakuzu muses dismissively.

“I wasn’t talking about her,” Konan-han corrects him.

…

“So what business are we talking about?” you ask Kakuzu after meeting him near the bridge to the Land of Waves on the Land of Fire’s southern coast.

“A bounty head,” he clarifies. “Dead or alive, makes it simple. Should be worth the time.”

>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?
>Isobu takes priority. We can deal with your bounty afterward.
>We’ll split up. I’ll stake out for Isobu while you do what you do.
>Other?

>>4200516
>>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

>>4200516
>Isobu takes priority. We can deal with your bounty afterward.
>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

Isobu is the priority, but how quickly could the bounty be done? More funds is always more funds.

>>4200516
>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

>>4200516
>>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

>>4200516
>>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

>>4200516
>>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?

... oh. Is this when he goes after Asuma?

>>4200516
>>How quickly can you take care of that, and how urgent is it?
It’s probably Asuma’s monk pal.

>>4200516
>Other
We should at least see who it is, and if they're someone we don't know or care about and aren't necessarily a good person, we could always help him out.

>>4200516
“What’re the details,” you ask. “About your ‘business’, I mean.”

“The scum we’re after is a former Konoha shinobi,” Kakuzu informs you, taking out his copy of the Akatsuki bingo book. “Fukuda Kiyomu… worth the better part of a billion ryō.”

You let out a low whistle. “What’d thus guy do to piss the Leaf off that much?”

“He’s a traitor,” Kakuzu declares, “and one with an exceptionally dangerous set of abilities some may consider… unnatural.”

“Do tell.”

“He uses what’s called the Gojō Kibaku Fuda,” Kakuzu continues. “An exploding tag that creates more exploding tags from itself using the body as raw material.”

“Intended to be used with a reincarnated shinobi,” you guess.

Kakuzu nods curtly. “The Second Hokage was an infinitely resourceful man. To him using the bodies of the dead in such a way was… distasteful, but not somehow off-limits.”

“So how does he do it if it requires him to sacrifice parts of his own body?” you ask curiously.

“That’s the part that would disgust most people,” Kakuzu reminds you. “He is a serial killer of unmatched brutality, dismembering his still-living victims and using medical ninjutsu to attach their limbs to his own before slitting their throats.”

“So he can sacrifice them to use Gojō Kibaku Fuda while alive,” you sigh. “That is seriously messed up. So how long do you think this is going to take?”

“Not long,” he insists. “And it’s on the way. But the intel won’t be valid for long.”

You carefully consider the point… his mission is worth a lot of money for the organization, and it sounds like his target is a real asshole. Taking a guy like that out could only be a good thing for everyone concerned. But you also need to act on your own information to secure Isobu before someone else does… you know that Orochimaru has an interest, and it’s on Konoha’s territorial back porch so to speak. But there’s a good chance that Kirigakure will want to get one of its tailed beasts back as well.

“Shadow clone!”

Your clone stands next to Kakuzu. “We’ll deal with your bounty head first.”

“And I’ll go ahead to secure the area where Isobu has been spotted,” you declare.
>1/2

>>4201702
You are Raishō Naori, and you eventually arrive alone at the lake where Isobu is supposed to be hidden. Or rather, ‘alone’ in the sense that you have no teammates here with you.

Instead, you find a team of Konoha shinobi have already beaten you to the punch.

“Damn,” you grumble.

The ones you can see, out on the wide lake itself, are all kunoichi who you know: Shizune, Sakura, Hinata, and… Ino? What’s the one kunoichi in Konoha you know of who’s even more pathetic than Sakura doing here? The four are out on the surface of the lake, casting some sort of technique into the air above them… like a glowing sealing barrier of some sort.

By scouting the area carefully you detect more shinobi present, who are watching over the process… Kakashi… Kiba… Shino… Sai… Naruto.

Kiba you need to carefully avoid… the butterfly you were using has no particularly strong scent, but if you yourself were anywhere upwind of him he and Akamaru would be able to notice you. Fortunately Hinata, the one present who might have been able to notice you just by your chakra, is part of the sealing barrier team who are apparently searching for Isobu.

>Let them find Isobu for you, then swoop in at the last second to take out Ino… the obvious weak link.
>Just take Ino out now. They have you outnumbered, and a hostage situation may force them to withdraw.
>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.
>Other?

>>4201761
>>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>>Work on thinning out their guards on the shore one at a time using genjutsu and shadow clones.

>>4201761
>1d6, DC 11
>taking three
>SP: 6/6
>ES: 0/2 (0T)

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4201938
Lets kick some Konoha shinobi ass

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4201938

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4201938

>>4201965
Whoo! Good job you.

>>4201965
Clutch.

Guess we don't get to find out what happens when Ino mind controls a perfect sage in sage mode. If she even can in the first place. That would suck if it ends up an instant petrify because she has no idea what the hell to do with natural energy.

>>4202245
The QM did hint our sword might eventually able to distrupt genjutsu casted on Naori. I would not be surprised if it can also kick out chakra parasite from Naori's body.

Without its help? Assuming the possession work, Naori would probably be instantly petrified because the balance was disrupted by a noob. Not sure what would happen to Ino though. It's possible some nature energy come back with her when she leave Naori I guess.

>>4202245
>>4202295
Really fucking scary situation if that would happen. Both have the "oh fuck" realization before turning into stone.

>>4202299
There is the clause that the target has to stand still long enough to get hit, I doubt Naori would do that
The technique is better as a surprise move

>>4201938
You decide that Kiba and Akamaru are your first targets, since they have the most ways to detect you if you’re not careful. Disabling the two of them will do the biggest immediate damage to the Konoha-nin’s defensive abilities, letting you get to Naruto and Sai that much more easily. You’re honestly not sure how to handle Kakashi, but that comes later.

The first step goes off without a hitch. You come up on them from downwind, beginning with a double-layer illusory terrain technique followed by the real heavy-hitter: the Nehan Shōja technique, exactly like the one used in Konoha before Sunagakure and Otogakure attacked.

And thanks to the fact that you’re controlling what Kiba and Akamaru actually see through the experience, it connects with them just as well as it did then, leaving both of them unconscious and totally at your mercy.

You secure them with binding tags: one over Kiba’s mouth, one over Akamaru like a muzzle, one around each of their arms and legs, along with heavy chains. The seals themselves should come undone in forty-eight hours… and to make sure no one who stumbles across them tries to immediately free them, you also place a fake exploding tag or two on each.

“That should keep you,” you muse quietly before creating a shadow clone. “Now then, let’s go meet your friends.”

The two of you transform: one into an exact duplicate of Kiba, one into an exact duplicate of Akamaru.

“Hey, I think I can rock this!” you muse playfully. “Whaddya think, ‘Akamaru’?”

‘Akamaru’ barks back at you.

“You’re right,” you nod curtly. “Gotta make sure I change my honorifics… that’d give me away immediately.”

…

“Kiba! Akamaru!” Naruto greets you. “What’s up, I thought you were patrolling over that way?”

“Akamaru thought he smelled somethin’ weird,” you lie, scratching your head. “Turned out someone came fishing here, probably three days ago? Left the campsite a mess, it was the firepit he smelled.”

“Ah, guess that nose of his might be a little too keen sometimes,” Naruto jokes.

Your clone barks at him, startling him for a moment before panting, trying to look a little more friendly.

“What’s with him!?” Naruto demands.

“We’re both a little high-strung,” you shrug. “I mean, come on. Aren’t you a bit jumpy?”

“Now that you mention it,” Naruto admits. “When I’m patrolling on my own like this I can’t help thinkin’ Akatsuki might just be lurking in the bushes somewhere, waiting for me to drop my guard.”
>1/2

>>4202339
Your stalling of course gives you time to determine that Naruto’s not using his shadow clones as scouts… this one is the real body. He must be counting on Kiba and Akamaru to limit the number of directions someone could approach him from.

Too bad.

“Well, better get back to it,” you grumble. “Doubt anything more interesting than an old campfire’s gonna come up.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Naruto sighs. “Man, this whole thing’s turning out to be a real snooze.”

You place a genjutsu on him as well, one which makes him think he’s doing his regular patrol while in reality he’s just standing there in the forest, staring blankly at a tree.

‘Akamaru’ transforms back into your clone. “I’ll see to this one.”

“Right!” you reply in Naruto’s voice, having already taken his appearance. “Now then, ‘Sai’, time to see if you’re any better...”
>1d6, DC 11
>taking the first three
>SP: 6/6
>ES: 0/2 (0T)

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4202345

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4202345

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4202345

>>4202345
While your clone focuses on keeping Naruto in check, you turn your attention to Sai. Creating another clone, you take a two-pronged approach. The clone casts an illusory terrain technique while you produce two tags with anesthetic gas sealed into them. By the time he notices the genjutsu, which to be fair none of your previous victims managed to do at all, the effect of the gas has left his body too numb to move his hands and form the seal to dispel it.

That lets you chain him to a tree and leave him there gagged. He won’t present a problem to you.

Now that just leaves Kakashi and the sealing team itself.

>Wait for Kakuzu to catch up with you, then coordinate your efforts.
>Strike while the iron is hot: distract Kakashi and take a hostage to disrupt their search.
>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.
>Other?

>>4202369
>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.

>>4202369
>>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.
non lethal obviously, we don't want him killed

>>4202369
>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.

Of the remaining Konoha-nin Kakashi is the most dangerous. Taking him out will allow us to easily take out everyone else. After that we can wait for Kakuzu and search the three tails.

Hmmmm. Orochimaru had some interest in the Three-tails and he and Kabuto were able to evade our sensing. While I doubt he bothered continuing without that one little boy, I'd still like to do a quick scan of our surroundings with senjutsu.

Am I being too paranoid?

>>4202369
>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.

>>4202369
>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.
Let's shake things up. MurderKakashi

>>4202369
>>Kakashi is the only meaningful defense they have left. Eliminate him.

Does this mean aggressively KO? Murder seems like an unnecessary escalation so I’m assuming it’s my first guess.

>>4202369
>1d6, DC 12
>taking the first three

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4202764

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4202764

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4202764

>>4202764
>DC missed by 5
Your choice:
>Spend 3 SP and take 2 ES
>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES
>Spend 5 SP and take no ES
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

>>4202786
>>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

>>4202786
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

>>4202786
>>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

>>4202786
>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

>>4202786
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead
SLAP THE BUTTON!

>>4202786
>Spend 4 SP and take 1 ES

I am curious what the senjutsu win button is

>>4202786
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

>>4202786
>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead
We still need those SP and ES for Isobu.

>>4202867
some people are just retarded i guess

>>4202786
>>Punch the Senjutsu "win button" instead

are there drawbacks to this?

>>4202786
For this situation… you really have no alternative.

You’d love nothing more than to really push yourself in a fair fight against an opponent like Kakashi, but the problem with that is that there’s a good chance you might lose if you were to try it. And on this mission, sadly, you really need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

So you create two new shadow clones and take a few moments for the three of you to gather natural energy. One clone goes to the lakeshore and waits within sight of the sealing team, and one goes after where you’ve sensed Kakashi to be.

…

You are a shadow clone of Raishō Naori, using genjutsu to mask your approach as you try to catch Kakashi off his guard.

You begin by throwing a volley of poisoned paper shuriken that Kakashi dodges, almost as though he has eyes in the back of his head. So he noticed the genjutsu and already dispelled it… he’s good. Definitely a cut above anyone you’ve fought from his village. Above anyone you’ve fought in a long time for that matter.

But he dodges towards the direction you’ve chosen to attack.

“Raikiri!”

In a second first in as many seconds it seems, Kakashi actually parries your swing with his bare hand… unfortunate for him that you struck with the saya first, turning and drawing in a smooth follow-through under which he ducks only to have to block as you attack with your knee. A second replacement in a single, continuous series of strikes.

“Sage Mode already?” he muses as he pushes off to gain a little space. “I’m honored.”

“I was just thinking this would be a fair fight otherwise,” you admit. “I think you know I can’t afford that right now, much as I want it.”

“You’re after the three-tails,” Kakashi deduces, hurling a series of kunai at you, one of which has a smoke bomb attached to it.

“Isn’t everyone?” you muse, attacking him as he tries to use the cover to get to the shoreline.

Kakashi explodes into smoke as you strike him from behind with your blade, as his real body emerges from the ground. That’s pretty clever… had you not been using Sage Mode you might have been caught by that trap.

Instead you leave behind a clever substitution, shedding the paper from your cloak like a cicada casts off its shell.

“Got you!”
>1/2

>>4202879
No, there aren't. She can enter sage mode in seconds and there are no negative effects.
Maybe they forgot the encounter isn't over when these guys are defeated, i dunno. There's no reason to hold back at all.

>>4202882
As it turns out no… you don’t “got him” at all.

You attack him from what you’d anticipate being his blind spot, only to have him grab your wrist in one hand and begin forming a rasengan in the other.

You swiftly calculate the spin and power of his rasengan, and immediately counter it. The blow throws him backwards and into a tree… but the momentum helps him draw up a chain he buried under the ground, looping them around you.

Even as he crushes you…

…

… you pin Kakashi-han to the tree with a kunai to the shoulder as your clone disperses, but find that your eyes have wandered. Kakashi’s sharingan meets yours for just a second, but that second is enough for him to begin placing you under a genjutsu.

“Kyō-Tenchi-Ten?” Kakashi realizes as you use your own sharingan to reverse his genjutsu, making his body believe that it’s being wrapped by vines and roots. He immediately bites down on the inside of his lip and spits the blood at you.

In response you strike him in the gut with your left elbow, then in the face. You hear a hollow thud as the back of his head collides with the tree-trunk.

“We’ll have to do this again some time,” you smile as Kakashi’s eyes grow unfocused and begin to slide closed.

You chain him to the tree as well, like Sai before.

>Use your clone to move in on the sealing team, split them up and keep them on the back foot until Kakuzu arrives.
>Use your clone to inform the sealing team that their backup has been dealt with… if they want them back, they’ll have to withdraw.
>Take one of the chūnin hostage. No fourth member means they can’t use the sealing technique, giving your real body the opening she needs.
>Other?

>>4202970
>Use your clone to inform the sealing team that their backup has been dealt with… if they want them back, they’ll have to withdraw.

>>4202970
>Use your clone to inform the sealing team ...
Waiting for kakuzu just meano putting them in danger of whatever he does

>>4202970
>Use your clone to move in on the sealing team, split them up and keep them on the back foot until Kakuzu arrives.

>>4202970
>>Use your clone to move in on the sealing team, split them up and keep them on the back foot until Kakuzu arrives.

>>4202970
So I know people go all on about Uzumaki and Hugya genes, but can we maybe get some Kakashi?

Granted it seems like just skill with him. How do we force him to raise a child?

>>4202970
>>Use your clone to inform the sealing team that their backup has been dealt with… if they want them back, they’ll have to withdraw.

>>4203000
The man is a genius in his field, and it allows him to punch way above his weight class. I'm not sure that's replicable.

>>4202970
>>Use your clone to inform the sealing team that their backup has been dealt with… if they want them back, they’ll have to withdraw.

>>4203023
I mean, it doesn't even really translate to his own students.

>>4203044
I mean, in fairness, look at who he got to teach.

>Mr. I'm too edgy to work in a team and betray my village at the first opportunity
>Mr. I'm too dense to understand the basics of the basics
>Ms. I think holding a kunai is participation in a fight

Like at a certain point the student is just unteachable, and he somehow got 3 for 3.

>>4202970
>>Take one of the chūnin hostage. No fourth member means they can’t use the sealing technique, giving your real body the opening she needs.

>>4203023
This is Naruto the plot was supposed to be: "Even if you're a nobody you can be special!" And the hallmark nobody kid was every special horse shit ability you could stuff into a person, with the excess going to Saskue.

Comic book logic and Naruto's broken theme dictate Kakashi's competence is heritable.

>>4202970
>Use your clone to inform the sealing team that their backup has been dealt with… if they want them back, they’ll have to withdraw.

"He immediately bites down on the inside of his lip and spits the blood at you"

Guys! We saw Kakashis face!

>>4203000
Wasn't his dad like the best konoha ninja during the first shinobi world war?

>>4203338
His father was well known ninja and genius himself. Apparently saved Konoha at least once and killed Sasoris parents.

>>4203366
Yeah so maybe he’s got hax genes too since every old ninja thinks he’s his old man

>>4202970
>Take one of the chūnin hostage. No fourth member means they can’t use the sealing technique, giving your real body the opening she needs.

>>4202970
>>4203169
>>4203366
>Take one of the chūnin hostage. No fourth member means they can’t use the sealing technique, giving your real body the opening she needs.
>take the chance to peer at Kakashi's face. Give him a quick kiss
We won't get another chance

>>4204203
keep it in your pants anon

>>4202970
You are Raishō Naori’s shadow clone, and you almost forgot about Aburame Shino… your mistake.

While the real you is dealing with Kakashi, Shino will have to just deal with a shadow clone. And as luck would have it, he’s on the way to crossing Naruto’s new, genjutsu-addled course. So your preparations are to hide in Naruto’s shadow… a technique you’ve only ever heard of in theory, since it would require a silly amount of setup in practice. Why hide in someone’s shadow if you already have them so deep in a genjutsu that they have no idea you’re doing it?

But Shino’s bugs aren’t likely to be prone to genjutsu, any more than a tree or a rock would be. Their tiny brains just can’t handle the information.

So you wait in Naruto’s shadow, patiently, until Shino tries to snap Naruto out of the genjutsu you have him under.

You make Naruto think that Shino is actually your partner Kakuzu, come to take him by force… his response is predictably to create three shadow clones. You take advantage my making him think he created four by emerging from his shadow and immediately transforming yourself into a copy of him, the smoke helping you make springing from his shadow really look the part of a shadow clone.

“Rasengan!”

Another predictable attack… even Shino seems ready for it, having unleashed his bugs to absorb the attack by creating a layer between himself and the rasengan, setting it off early and taking the damage instead of him. He even shapes some of the bugs behind his shield into a bug clone, just in case… but he doesn’t move away quickly enough. Maybe to evade the real Naruto, but not you.

You drop the transformation and genjutsu for a moment… just a courtesy, really, to let Shino see who it really was who knocked him out with a solid uppercut that sends him sailing back to where Naruto’s standing, shocked at the fact that he’s been made to fight Shino. The bugs meanwhile lose all direction and disperse.

“Sorry about that, cousin,” you apologize. Naruto swings his head round just in time to watch you dispel his remaining two clones with a single blow each from your saya.

As he tries to raise his fist his eyes meet yours… specifically your sharingan.

“I had to take advantage to get to Shino,” you admit. “Seriously… those bugs are just too useful against genjutsu. But don’t worry… he knows it was me, not you.”

Naruto tries to force his limbs to move… but he finds himself quickly bound to a tree, like the others, unable to raise his hands to form seals. You do the same to Shino as well, using Kongō Fūsa to move him instead of touching him directly, carefully watching with your sharingan to ensure none of his bugs get on you. Funny… out of all these chūnin it’s the bug-user whose abilities you’re the most cautious of now. Who would have thought…
>1/2

>>4204388
You are Raishō Naori’s other shadow clone, and now is the time for you to make your move. Having gathered more than enough senjutsu chakra during your real body’s fight against Kakashi-han, you’re ready to confront the sealing team and make the sort of threat that they can’t possibly ignore.

You use the Kirigakure technique to create a thin, clinging layer of mist… far too hasty to actually impede their vision that much, but enough to make your shunshin to get out in front of them look a little more dramatic.

“Sorry for the interruption,” you bow politely, “but I really need you all out of the picture. So could you just… I dunno… go away?”

The dome of shimmering lines and script disappears instantly as one of the four kunoichi… Ino, you think… loses her focus. Shizune takes a quick leap to the back of the group and they reshuffle and draw weapons, except for Hyūga Hinata, who takes a gentle fist stance at the front of their new formation.

“Don’t even think about it, Ino-kun,” you warn the blonde-haired girl as she raises her hands. “Even if you could pull off your little mind trick on me… it’d be a shame to send you home as a statue after going so far out of my way not to kill anyone.”

Sakura seems to be the first to pick up on what you meant. “Hang on...”

“That’s right,” you nod. “I already took out your backup. Kakashi-han gave me the most difficulty, but he, Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Sai… they won’t be riding to your rescue.”

“Naruto-kun...” Hinata mutters, clearly worried.

“If you go now we can avoid fighting,” you offer, “and my partner won’t kill you. Especially Kakashi-han… a bounty head with a kunai wound in his shoulder already? I don’t think I can convince him not to.”

“Kakashi-sensei...” Sakura mutters now, just as worried now as Hinata.

“The mission is already over,” you continue. “It was over the moment I got here… surely Tsunade-han warned you against fighting me?”

In the back of the formation, Shizune grits her teeth. “She also told me how important it was not to let you get hold of the three-tails.”

“Shizune-han, your situation is really bad,” you insist. “Please withdraw. There’s nothing more that holding out here will achieve.”

>1d6, best three of four
>high roll

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4204421

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4204421

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4204421

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4204421

>>4204421
>1d6, DC 9
>first three

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4204434

>>4204434

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4204434

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4204434

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4204434

>>4204434
It seems they can’t bring themselves to trust you.

Shizune starts it by firing a set of shuriken from a launcher concealed inside her sleeve… pretty devious, but not exactly a ‘surprise’ for a medical ninja trained by Tsunade herself for so many years. They’re probably coated in poison too, for all that will do against a shadow clone.

You dodge them, and find Hinata charging in close by using that moment to cover herself. Not bad, but also not enough. She’s not even remotely fast enough… not even fast enough to pull this sort of thing off against you without senjutsu.

Using thumb strength alone you flick the copy of Umekiri forward in her saya, hard enough that her pommel hits Hinata in the pressure point immediately above the stomach. The blow is enough to momentarily stun her, and since you matched it with a forward thrust of your left arm she never quite leaves the saya… not a technique you’d ordinarily resort to, not with something so precious as the real blade. But it comes as enough of a surprise to be worth it.

You quickly perform a noto, resheathing Umekiri before slamming her saya into Hinata’s ribs hard enough that you see blood.

“Hinata!”

Ino breaks formation to go after Hinata, who can barely stay on her knees without collapsing into the lake.

Sakura meanwhile tries to attack from your left, only to find the end of Umekiri’s saya thrust up behind her tight guard and into her chin, hard enough to lift her off her feet so that a reverse roundhouse kick can send her skipping off the surface of the lake.

Finally you charge Shizune down, the image of a lightning-fast draw with Umekiri’s blade serving as a feint while you take her back, slamming the pommel into her just over the kidney. As she coughs it isn’t just blood, but poison… she uses that moment when you’re forced to take a leap back to ensure that Ino and Hinata are both out of the way, forcing herself to move with a full-speed shunshin in spite of her painful injury.

“This isn’t worth it,” you plead with Shizune. “It’s time you withdrew while your team is still able to. Please.”

After several long moments, she finally relents, still clutching her side from the unexpected kidney shot you landed. “Fine… you win.”

“Sakura, Ino… we’re leaving. Ino, help Hinata withdraw.”

“My other bodies will guide you,” you declare. “Most of your team are incapacitated by genjutsu… ignore the exploding tags on Kiba and Akamaru. They’re fakes.”

After another moment’s consideration, Shizune nods curtly.
>1/2

>>4204474
You are Raishō Naori’s real body, and you’ve just guided Shizune’s battered team to where you’ve left Kakashi.

“Take him down yourselves,” you insist warily. “No tricks. Try anything with me and our ‘deal’ is off.”

“We’re in no condition to try anything,” Ino points out.

“Doesn’t mean you won’t try,” you counter. “Especially Naruto.”

“You… may actually have a point,” Sakura admits, sitting down and taking a moment to finish knitting a broken rib.

After they manage to cut Kakashi-han down, he starts to stir.

“I… screwed up,” he mutters. “Sorry about that, Shizune-san.”

“It’s not your fault,” she replies calmly, holding him up from under his arm. “We’ve all been… humbled this time.”

“No...” Kakashi mutters in disagreement. “I should have used that technique.”

“No shame losing an unfair fight,” you shrug. “Especially not one even one of your ‘Legendary Sannin’ decided he’d rather avoid.”

“Raishō… no. Naori-san… you understand, don’t you?” Kakashi asks you. “Letting us go means it’ll be ANBU next.”

“I considered that,” you nod.

“And?” he presses.

“And I won’t regret doing the right thing,” you answer. “Now get out of here. You’re wasting time.”

After a few more moments, he nods in agreement.

…

Now, how to find Isobu? At very least you should be able to focus on areas you haven't noticed the kunoichi barrier team examining... areas of the lake sufficiently deep for something the size of a tailed beast to have hidden in.

>Start using exploding tags to flush him out of hiding.
>Just wait in concealment. He has to come out sooner or later.
>Use Kongō Fūsa chains to churn up the water, see if they hit anything.
>Other?

>>4204486
>Use Kongō Fūsa chains to churn up the water, see if they hit anything.

>>4204486
>>Use Kongō Fūsa chains to churn up the water, see if they hit anything.

>>4204486
>Use Kongō Fūsa chains to churn up the water, see if they hit anything.

Has Kakuzu arrived here yet?

>>4204486
>Scout the lake using waterproof paper fish to extend your sensing range.

Assuming we can fold paper into a fish and also know how to make it move, of course

>>4204486
Supporting
>>4204496
+
>Just wait in concealment. He has to come out sooner or later.
No sense attacking blindly in the water, it will likely just result in exhausting ourselves.

>>4204486
>>4204499

>>4204486
>>4204496
>>4204499
These

>>4204486
>1d6, high roll
>best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4204661

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4204661

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4204661

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4204661

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4204661

>>4201761
You decide to work on something new, folding your waxed paper into the shape of a fish and placing it in the water out on the lake. After confirming that it worked, you create several dozen more and have them swim through the lake while you head to the shore to wait quietly for the fish to find something.

After about six hours of slow searching you receive an update from the shadow clone who went with Kakuzu…

…

It was hardly a fight. This ‘Fukuda’ guy started off pretty strong, using a series of exploding tags that exploded into more exploding tags, just as Kakuzu had informed you. Since he jumped straight to his specialty he ends up showing it to you for nothing, since you were safely tucked away in a tree after placing him under a genjutsu.

He seemed so shocked when Kakuzu’s fist caved his chest in. You would be too if you were him… though you probably wouldn’t have sacrificed a stolen arm to take one last parting shot. Unfortunately for you and for Fukuda, the gesture is meaningless as Kakuzu seems to harden his skin somehow, like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

The explosions don’t do anything at all to him.

“I can’t believe garbage like this ended up with such a high bounty,” Kakuzu grumbles, kicking the corpse to make sure all the life really has drained from it. “Though I can’t really complain. It’s easy money.”

“Can’t you seal that into a scroll or something?” you ask, eyeing the corpse wearily. “It’s gonna start to smell.”

“If it bothers you, then you can do it,” he grumbles. “I won’t complain about that either.”

“… fine.”

…

So Kakuzu is already on his way here… well then, you’re glad that it seems the various Konoha-nin took your advice. Now you just need to wrap up before the ANBU get here to try again. You probably don’t have long.

And as it happens, you also don’t need long. Down on the bottom of the lake you find a large area that feels like the edge of a barrier ninjutsu, though you can’t tell what kind. It’s almost like…

“… some kind of spacetime barrier?” you muse. “What on earth is this?”

>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.
>Wait for Kakuzu to back you up.
>Other?

>>4204818
>Wait for Kakuzu to back you up.

>>4204818
>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.
We dont have time, Anbu is on the way. We likely know more about Spacetime Jutsu than Kakuzu does anyways.

>>4204818
>>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.

>>4204841
Only other thing I could think of is to see if we can float a clone down there to dismantle the barrier up close.

>>4204818
>>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.

>>4204818
>>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.

>>4204818
>>Poke it with a stick… and by ‘stick’ you mean ‘explosions’.

>>4204486
>“Letting us go means it’ll be ANBU next.”

Why would Kakashi suggest to someone that if they make the mistake of letting him live worse things will come?

>>4205028
It's a warning, during their exchange they were civil enough that he considered it a courtesy to inform her about what the village councils likely next move

>>4205028
I think because Kakashi has been in contact with Naori so many times, he has some modicum of respect towards her. Naori has been in position several times in which she could have killed him or members of Team 7 and other Konoha-nin, but she hasn't done so.

Kakashi knows that because his team couldn't do the mission, the Konoha council will send in the big guns (read masked jobbers) that have no qualms to hold back or respect what Naori has done or promised before.

>>4204486
You decide that now would be a good time to examine this barrier you’ve sensed, and so you send your fish down to explode all around its edges. To ‘knock on the door’, you could say.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4206172

>>4206172
dice+1d6

>>4206174
Well that's what I get for trying to roll I guess.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4206172

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4206172

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4206172

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4206172

>>4206174
options field

>>4206172
The surface of the lake roils and seethes, disturbed by the explosions below the surface. At least, that’s what does it at first. A low rumble and a larger surge of water, more like the lake is trying to raise itself out of its bed in a massive dome rather than being shaken by your little explosions, tells you that something below has taken notice of you.

You’re forced to fall back as a ‘ripple’ higher than your head pushes outwards towards the shores in an ever-widening circle, and the tailed beast Isobu breaks the surface. This thing… you’re reminded of Shūkaku even despite the obvious differences. This one is like the largest turtle you’ve ever seen, and the lake surrounding Amegakure has some big ones.

There’s no way for you to crack through its armored shell, at least no way you can think of off the top of your head, aside from the vulnerable areas on any creature such as the eyes, neck, and joints. Despite looking bad on the surface, you understand that if there’s anyone capable of taking out a tailed beast solo it’s you.

>Using Kongō Fūsa from directly above is your best chance of ending this quickly.
>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.
>Other?

>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>… try talking to it. Just make sure no one sees you do it.

>>4206255
>>Using Kongō Fūsa from directly above is your best chance of ending this quickly.

Get some variety in here...

>>4206445
i appreciate the joke and your futile stand against the waves, i applaud you anon

>>4206255
>1d6, high roll
>first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4206465

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4206465

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4206465

>>4206472
>>4206479
Hell yeah

>>4206465
“As dumb as this looks, we need to talk!” you shout at Isobu.

Isobu’s response is a bone-jarring roar, one which literally creates a shockwave strong enough to push you back across the surface of the water.

“You’re not being helpful!” you shout back.

Next Isobu launches a powerful mass of water… too slow to actually be dangerous to you, but undeniably powerful.

“Well then,” you continue, “sorry about this.”

…

“What is this?” a surprisingly normal-sounding voice greets you. “How are you here, human?”

You find yourself in a similar place to the inside of Naruto’s seal, only with fewer chains, and a three-tailed turtle instead of a nine-tailed fox. And there’s no water on the floor.

“This is different from Kurama’s place,” you muse. “You don’t sound quite so menacing, and the floor is dry.”

“I see,” the giant turtle Isobu realizes. “A sharingan… and quite a powerful one too. You’ve seen Kurama you say?”

“I have,” you confirm. “Was he always that much of an arrogant jerk?”

“Not always,” Isobu admits. “Who are you?”

“Raishō Naori,” you introduce yourself.

“I am called Isobu,” he replies calmly. “Why have you attacked me? Have you come to seal me?”

>We need your power to change the world… whether any of us are worth wielding that power remains to be determined.
>All I care about is keeping you from being used as a weapon again, by putting you inside a teapot. Sorry it has to be done.
>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.
>Other?

>>4207114
>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

>>4207114
>>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

>>4207114
>>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

>>4207114
>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

This can go either really well or really badly.

>>4207114
>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

>>4207114
>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.
>I've been trying to put a stop to these wars and I was offered a way to do so by using a BIG stick. I'm still opened to alternatives though.
Somewhat repetitive, but I wanted to clarify Naori's goal so Isobu doesn't think she just want the tailed beasts for the power itself.

>>4207114
>>I’m EXPECTED to seal you… but I’m also looking into ‘other options’. I want to know more about you and your ‘siblings’.

>>4207155
Very good point, supporting this.

>>4207114
>>4207155

>>4207114
>>4207155
supporting this