>>5967564
While you understand all that – it doesn’t apply to you.

“Raikage-dono,” you reply to the man directly, having slipped into sage mode. “I’m not here to discuss the merits or demerits of my generation. I’m here because I have firsthand information about an enemy you haven’t had a chance to fight yet.”

You let the transformation end prematurely. After a moment Darui-san seems to settle in, giving you the opening to say your piece.

“As I was saying, I’ve been dealing with Delta,” you pick up where you left off. “We fought in Konohagakure. She seemed to be trying to capture Kawaki-kun, so in order to give Naruto-san an easier time fighting I took Kawaki-kun to Amegakure using hiraishin.”

Several minds immediately start to do the math internally, and the general agreement between them is most likely that this additional piece of information puts you somewhere in the same league as Namikaze Minato, reputed to have been among the strongest shinobi in his generation.

You continue. “I met with her again after her capture, and formed a general impression of her under those circumstances. If you think it would be helpful, I can offer you that.”

“By all means,” Gaara-san insists, having remained silent thus far.

“She’s a deeply angry person,” you summarize. “Prone to lashing out at anything and everything – not a psychopath, and not always violent. But to her, the lashing out itself has meaning.”

“How did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“She’s a biological clone,” you explain. “Implanted with memories of her creator’s daughter – up to the moment of her death from chronic illness.”

“… ah,” Naori-ue muses.

“Mind sharing with the class?” the Raikage asks bluntly.

“Yeah, so it’s an identity crisis,” she summarizes. “Built right into her at a biological level… her ‘father’ let his daughter die, then treated her clone as a failure for not being exactly like her. Or something like that?”

You nod once, with a frown. “That was my assessment.”

“What’s on your mind?” Kurotsuchi-san asks curiously.

>… nothing relevant, ma’am.
>What is going to happen to Delta once you’ve decided she’s no longer useful?
>She and I were both ‘created’, so I have an interest in what happens to her.
>Other?

>>5967569
>What is going to happen to Delta once you’ve decided she’s no longer useful?

>>5967569
>>Other?
Being born for such misguided reasons and then mistreated like that? From the very start, she was never given a chance.

>>5967569
>She and I were both ‘created’, so I have an interest in what happens to her.

>>5967569
>… nothing relevant, ma’am.

>>5967569
You don’t know what to say – there are so many thoughts winding through your head that it’s tough to pick just one thread to follow. Eventually, you settle.

“I’m concerned,” you admit with a grim frown.

“About what will happen to Delta?” Naori-ue muses. As usual, straight to the heart of the matter.

You nod. “After the people in this room run out of questions, yes.”

A pause.

“Don’t all jump in at once.”

“Well, normally there’d be some consequences,” Kurotsuchi-san offers. “I’m gonna guess you’ve ‘assessed’ that too?”

After a moment, you nod again. “Think about it from my perspective – she and I were both ‘created’, but under very different circumstances and by very, very different people.”

“So you have some sympathy for her?” the Raikage asks with a frown.

“Some,” you admit. “But also, there’s a principle at work here.”

“Please clarify,” Gaara-san insists quietly. “Speak your mind.”

“My mother was essentially raised by Akatsuki,” you point out. “It wouldn’t have been easy to take a different path, but at least she was given a chance.”

“So yeah, that’s what you object to, isn’t it?” Naori-ue summarizes. “The idea that Delta wouldn’t even get a chance?”

“She’s a pain in the ass,” you readily admit. “But still, I’m not nearly cruel enough to condemn her for essentially having been born wrong.”
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5968545

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5968545

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5968545

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5968545

>>5968545
“I see no problem with that,” Kurotsuchi-san shrugs. “At the risk of sounding like you’re getting a dog or something, you’re gonna have to be responsible for it though.”

“Agreed,” Naori-ue replies curtly, though you already suspected she’d be on your side here.

“I’m inclined to leave it to Shiki-kun as well,” the Mizukage agrees.

“I find the arrangement satisfactory,” Gaara adds, tipping the balance in your favor.

You incline your head briefly, acknowledging the outcome.

“No words?” the Raikage wonders, lifting an eyebrow.

“If words alone could solve problems we wouldn’t have any,” you answer.

After a moment, he chuckles to himself. “Not a bad answer. Alright, let’s see how you handle this then.”

“Good,” Naori-ue nods. “Makoto, please join your brother for a moment.”

Your sister does as instructed, rising smoothly to her feet and taking a few steps to stand with you in front of the assembled kages.

“Now, the simple version please.”

“I fought an outer,” Makoto summarizes. “He had a nasty personality – brutish, crude, and ultimately overconfident. He wasn’t strong enough for it to be a satisfying fight.”

“At the end of the fight, as he tried to flee, his head exploded.”

“That must have been traumatic,” the Mizukage muses.

“… for him,” Makoto shrugs, instantly reminding anyone else in the room who might have been thinking along those lines that they’re not dealing with any ordinary fifteen year-old girl.

“So there we have it,” Naruto-san muses. “That gives us two points of data to compare.”

“Did your opponent use advanced shinobi tools?” Makoto asks you curiously.

You nod. “Very advanced, yes. Yours?”

“Technically advanced, yes,” she replies, “but crude in execution. Almost bolted-on.”

“Delta’s are incredibly sophisticated,” you recall. “Indiscernible when she’s not using them, but she can swiftly transform her limbs.”

“My opponent simply had a cannon with a claw hand.”

“Neat.”
>1/2

>>5969353
“That must be a difference between ‘Inners’ and ‘Outers’, then,” your sister muses. “Inners get advanced shape-changing limb replacements, Outers get the claw hand.”

“And a bomb in their brain, apparently,” you point out.

“Could it simply be that the Outer I fought often made himself a problem?”

You shake your head. “It sounds like Delta is much stronger, and I’d guess that she’s also pretty wild. So why doesn’t she have a bomb in her head?”

“Fair,” she acknowledges. “And it would be hard to believe that the opponent I fought had any specialized knowledge to divulge which your opponent would not – mine was an idiot.”

“Delta’s not exactly a genius either,” you admit. “But I suppose even if we assumed both are absolute mouth-breathers, that still doesn’t account for the difference in treatment.”

“… what if the difference isn’t between our opponents?” Makoto wonders aloud.

You catch on immediately to what your sister is implying. “You think it’s the man who created Delta?”

“It makes sense,” she insists. “Even if he views Delta as a ‘failure’, he still has incentive to put in one hundred percent with her implants. She was one of his creations from the start.”

>Then that’s all the more reason to have a nice little ‘chat’ with the guy.
>We have two points of comparison so far… not quite enough to establish a pattern.
>Open up the discussion to the Kages - who are still in the room.
>Other?

>>5970796
>>We have two points of comparison so far… not quite enough to establish a pattern.

>>5970796
>We have two points of comparison so far… not quite enough to establish a pattern.
>But still more than enough to convince me we need to have a nice little ‘chat’ with that guy.

>>5970796
>Then that’s all the more reason to have a nice little ‘chat’ with the guy.

>>5970796
>1d6
>taking the first three

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5971289

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5971289

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5971289

>>5971289
“Two points of data aren’t enough to really propose a pattern,” you observe with a frown. “We need more data for that… which is yet another reason to want to have a nice little chat with the man responsible.”

There are a few moments of silence before Kurotsuchi-san makes an observation. “That’d be pretty helpful, if we knew where to look.”

“Thank you Makoto, Shiki,” Naori-ue muses, “please settle in for now – but be ready to answer more questions if you need to.”

You offer a polite bow, before stepping back to seat yourself next to Makoto in seiza and placing your fingertips against the floor. Extending your senses, you reach out to your teammates and check in with them.

[Nothing out of the ordinary,] Hanabi-sensei reports. [Would be nice to be able to hear at this distance though.]

[Something out here is blooming,] Wasabi adds. [Other than that, I’ve got nothing.]

[No suspicious people so far,] Sumirin offers.

… you miss a little bit of the conversation between the Kages, but the gist of it seems to be that no village has much in the way of information to share and none of their leaders (aside from Kurotsuchi, who admits it up front) wants to admit that they don’t actually know anything helpful.

“So even after all this we know basically nothing,” Naori-ue summarizes with a weary sigh. “Even this Ōtsutsuki cult preacher we’ve heard about seems to appear randomly, without any discernible pattern.”

“Then it seems Shiki-kun was correct,” Gaara-san decides. “We need more data.”

You know exactly why people start to look to you – because you need data, and the only one in this room who’s managed to get one of the members of Kara to talk is you.

>I’m going to wait for Delta to come to me. That’s my current approach and I’m sticking to it.
>I’ll go talk to her again when we’re finished, but it would help if I had something to offer her.
>… I can only promise to try.
>Other?

>>5972067
>I’ll go talk to her again when we’re finished, but it would help if I had something to offer her.

>>5972067
>>I’m going to wait for Delta to come to me. That’s my current approach and I’m sticking to it.

>>5972067
>I’m going to wait for Delta to come to me. That’s my current approach and I’m sticking to it.
>One thing we do know is that they're searching for the tissues of legendary ninja, like Hashirama and Jiraiya, for their cloning projects. It may be a good idea to check various resting places for signs of tampering.
>It's also not impossible that they might target living ninjas like my mother, Naruto or Sasuke, which we may be able to use as bait to lure them into a trap.
>Orochimaru might have some insight into their thinking on this matter, as he operated similarly in the past.

>>5972104
>>5972067
This is a good point, worth checking for possible leads.

>>5972067
>1d6 taking the first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5972860

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5972860

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5972860

>>5972860
“I have an approach that I plan to stick to,” you declare, crossing your arms. “Delta’s kind of like a cat – so it has to be her idea to reach out to me or even the little progress I’ve made will be undone.”

“So… you won’t act in the immediate term?” the Raikage asks you with a frown.

“No,” you confirm. “That’s my judgment.”

“So yeah, I may actually have an idea,” Naori-ue muses, plainly moving to interrupt. “Delta-han and the Kara member I fought have something in common – in that both are clones. I suspect the man who created the former may also be responsible for the latter.”

“That seems likely,” Gaara agrees. “What else are you thinking?”

“If we’re right, and the latter was a clone of Jiraiya-han,” your mother continues, “and I think we’re right about that, then that means our enemy has an interest in obtaining the genetic information of certain exceptional shinobi.”

“They also went after a culture of Senju Hashirama’s cells,” you realize. “That makes four points of data.”

“Starting to see a ‘pattern’ then, Shiki?” she smirks.

“… how long have you suspected this?” you ask after a moment.

“Since your individual fights,” she admits.

“And you chose to say nothing?” the Raikage demands.

Naori-ue leans back in her seat. “You’re not a parent, Darui-kun. If you were you’d get it.”

“She likes watching us work things out for ourselves,” Makoto interprets into plain language.

“Yeah no, it gives me hope,” Naori-ue concludes.
>1/2

>>5974224
“So… how do we act on that?” you ask with a frown.

“Right now?” she muses. “You don’t, for now. With you and your sister’s abilities in rapid response and direct combat, it’s more advantageous to hold you in reserve rather than have you search for Kara.”

“Fair,” Makoto nods curtly.

“Any hidden village with chūnin and jōnin to spare should allocate some to intelligence gathering,” the Mizukage decides. “Particularly emphasizing the resting places of prominent shinobi who might make prime targets.”

“In the mean time, it may be useful to think in terms of forming cells,” Naori-ue decides. “Much of Akatsuki’s success was due to its ability to work in well-matched pairs – an advantage we would seem to have over Kara.”

“Because we have yet to see them cooperate,” Gaara muses. “In truth we have more indication of antagonism, particularly between Inners and Outers.”

“How would that look in practice?” Kurotsuchi asks curiously. “If I’m remembering this right Konoha did something with teams of four against Akatsuki?”

“The Twenty Platoons,” Naruto recalls.

Your mother frowns. “Ah. Yes. So yeah, I may have a different recollection of that.”

“Go on,” Naruto gestures.

“Well, so here’s what I saw,” she continues. “What I saw were unbalanced teams, where many of the chūnin members neither synergized particularly well with their jōnin members, nor added much on their own.”
>1d6 considering best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5975876
Brutal.
Naori, if you want them to learn, maybe give them a chance to accept the truth first?

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5975876

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5975876

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5975876

>>5975876
“I’m gonna guess you’ve got some suggestions,” Kurotsuchi muses.

“I’ll do one better, I’ve got an example,” your mother answers. “This generation’s Ino-Shika-Chō.”

… well, that’s only a bit of a surprise at first. But when you think about it, you kind of see her point even before she starts to explain.

“Oh?” Naruto-san raises an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware you approved of anything I’ve done so far as Hokage.”

“You wound me, cousin,” Naori-ue rolls her eyes. “Yeah no, it’s not that I disapprove of much or anything.”

“May we hear your reasoning?” Gaara asks curtly.

Your mother nods once. “Sure. Shikadai-kun is near enough to being qualified as a tokubetsu jōnin, which matches my notion that each team should have two jōnin or tokujō on it. The trio themselves work well together, Inojin-kun is a medic-nin, and Moegi-sensei is a sensor-type.”

“I would’ve bet real money you’d say one of your kids’ teams would be a better example,” Darui-san frowns. “Your reasons not to jump to that might be more interesting.”

“Yeah, so let’s take Shiki’s team,” Naori-ue decides, sparing you a glance. “You mind?”

You shake your head. “I think I already know.”

“I bet,” she cracks a grin before turning her attention back to the Kages at their table. “They’re a weird case, for sure. Their skills don’t synergize the same way as In-Shika-Chō, but they make up for it by all knowing the wave transmission method, having sensory abilities, and medical ninjutsu. Aside from their raw power, the details of their sensory techniques, and their favored elements they’re basically interchangeable.”

“Which means…”

“We’re actually more useful split up,” you complete the thought. “At least, to a degree.”

“Right on both counts,” your mother agrees. “We wouldn’t wanna break them up too much, because they’re a team that can really rely on each other and build off each other. But each of them could backfill another formation that’s one specialty short of being well rounded.”

“You’d advocate reassigning Hanabi-sensei,” you realize. “Where to?”

“The Hokage Guard Platoon,” she answers immediately. “The Byakugan princess herself, plus three experienced shinobi who can use the Hiraishin formation? That sounds like quite the team to me.”
>1/2

>>5977261
It’s hard to argue with that. The reasoning is incredibly sound. But that does leave one question in your mind.

“In that event,” you ask, “who would you place into Team Hanabi as the fourth member? Surely not Makoto, due to her knowledge of hiraishin duplicating my own, but certainly someone I know?”

“Yeah, so my decision would be Kōshū-kun,” Naori-ue reasons. “Someone you have an affinity with, very easily at the level of a jōnin, whose skills do not significantly duplicate those of any of your team’s members.”

>That’s actually an excellent team composition for the purpose. I would support it.
>I’d want to ask my team how they feel about it – and the Mizukage as well I suppose.
>I’m not so sure. Don’t you think that’s an unusually complicated arrangement?
>Other?

>Removing Hanabi in order to push Koshu
THIS SLIGHT WILL NOT GO UNNOTICED

>>5977323
>>I’d want to ask my team how they feel about it – and the Mizukage as well I suppose.
Don't want to give any intentions either way. Our team doesn't just work on ability synergies, but on trust and mutual 6nderstanding.

>>5977323
>I’d want to ask my team how they feel about it – and the Mizukage as well I suppose.
Yeah let's not mention the fact we've been going on dates, or act too eager about it.

>>5977323
>>I’d want to ask my team how they feel about it – and the Mizukage as well I suppose.

>>5977323
“I take it you want to hear what I think about this,” you muse with a slight frown. “If for no other reason than to see how others in my position might respond?”

“Please,” Naori-ue gestures for you to continue.

“I’d want to talk to my teammates,” you admit. “I’d also assume that the Mizukage and Hokage would have some thoughts of their own… since their village’s shinobi would also be involved.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” the Mizukage answers calmly. “I’m not exactly skeptical of Kōshū’s abilities, intentions, loyalties or anything like that. But I’m concerned about how coordination would work when three nations are represented on a single team.”

“Especially in a small unit a good leader’s really just a good leader, and Shiki-kun’s been a good leader,” Naruto-san observes. “I don’t really care what village he’s from.”

“Can’t speak for anyone else in this situation,” Kōshū chimes in. “But I’d follow Shikkun’s lead. I mean we’re all friends here, right?”

The Mizukage probably wants to immediately correct his daughter, to tell her that being ‘friends’ has nothing to do with the issues he has with the potential arrangement under discussion. But you get the sense that he reconsiders it after a moment, perhaps realizing in that moment that what she meant reveals something more profound about them both.

Kōshū, like her father before her, is the chosen wielder of one of the Seven. You, like your mother before you, are a Sage with a bundle of freakish techniques under your proverbial belt. In most regards, the two of you are definitely comparable to the well-known generation of Akatsuki under the man who called himself Pain. This sort of power gives the lie to any claim that your generation cannot produce shinobi who can match the standards of your predecessors.

But at the same time, there’s a fundamental break in continuity as well – the Mizukage has had to get used to trusting other villages, and you know firsthand that he’s put in the work to pursue that ideal. But that having been said, he was definitely raised in a very different environment. While he would have to fight against his training in cases like this, Kōshū has never known your village or Konohagakure as enemies.
>1/2

>>5978734
“Then let’s hear from your team, Shiki-kun,” the Mizukage nods.

[Hey, so the current plan seems to be preparing to place Hanabi-sensei into a platoon with the Hokage Guard unit,] you recount, [and to place Kōshū, the current wielder of Kubikiribōchō, into a platoon with the three of us. At least for the purposes of any response to Kara.]

[I can see the logic,] Hanabi-sensei replies. [Placing several strong jōnin into teams where various members can use hiraishin, sensing, and medical ninjutsu.]

[And because Shikkun can use it on his own our team would get two strong jōnin,] Wasabi-kun adds. [That’s the reason, right?]

[Yeah,] you reply. [That’s the reason. Same would probably be true of my sister’s team.]

[Hanabi-sensei would be moved out of our platoon because she has the byakugan,] Sumirin muses.

[That’s the rationale. The rest of us three all have sensing pretty much down]

[They grow up so fast,] Hanabi-sensei jokes. [How did Naruto-san seem to feel about it?]

[Similar to your response.]

[Ah. Well, if he decides to go with that arrangement that’s what I’ll do – I’m a jōnin before I’m your sensei, after all.]

[That, and it’s not a permanent configuration,] Sumire adds. [We will need to train with Kōshū-san ahead of any possible action against Kara, but this team composition would only apply in the instance when we are ordered to respond to that specific scenario.]

[Also true,] you acknowledge. [So it seems like there’s absolutely no opposition.]

[Fair to say, yeah,] Wasabi agrees. [Sensei… you trained us to be okay without you, right? So why would any of us have any problems with it?]

[Yeah, you’re more than prepared for this,] Hanabi-sensei replies – a note of pride coming across in her tone even after being transmitted as vibrations directly into your ear.

>My team has an excellent sensei, so we’re more than ready for this sort of responsibility.
>Our main concern is getting the training in with Kōshū. How will that be provided for?
>We are shinobi. If we’re ordered to do something we’ll accommodate those orders.
>Other?

>>5979082
>>Our main concern is getting the training in with Kōshū. How will that be provided for?

>>5979082
>>Our main concern is getting the training in with Kōshū. How will that be provided for?

>>5979082
>Our main concern is getting the training in with Kōshū. How will that be provided for?

>>5979082
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5979582

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5979582

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5979582

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5979582

>>5979582
“Our main concern is getting in the necessary training together with Kōshū-kun,” you declare, remembering at the last second to add the honorifics. “We have our own formations and tactics formed over years, so we usually even give clients on escort missions a crash course.”

“If we’re meant to fight as a team, we’ll need to do a bit more than that.”

“Understandable,” the Mizukage replies immediately. “When this meeting is concluded, I will make the necessary arrangements on our end.”

“I’ll see to the details on our end,” Sasuke-san tells Naruto-san quietly.

…

The rest of the summit goes smoothly, with most of the details emphasizing the logistics of mounting a more intensive, continent-spanning search for the elusive members of Kara and for adding protection against any sort of corpse-theft shenanigans.

When the time comes for the Kages and their retinues to leave there are some pleasantries – Kurotsuchi-san in particular takes a few moments to visit with your family, and she and your mother agree on a good time to catch up later. But the only really important part of this winding down for you and your team is that you are expected to take point on escorting those visitors back through the village to meet with their own security escorts.

Once that is finished, you’re left to meet with Kōshū at the training spot you settled on ahead of time – the Third Training Ground, a favorite spot particularly for many of the older jōnin of Konohagakure. By now Kōshū carries the Kubikiribōchō openly on her back, and once you reach the clearing at the center of the training ground she unclasps the massive blade and props it up against a nearby tree stump.

“So,” she muses, “am I right in thinking Shikkun told you everything that’s up already?”

“You are,” Sumirin replies calmly.

“Nice,” Kōshū smiles, stretching her arms high above her head. “So how’re we doing this then?”

>What better way than a series of one-on-one matches? Run the gauntlet, Kōshū.
>We’ll go over our formations and abilities. Then we take on missions together.
>We'll go over our formations and abilities. Then we'll take on another team in an exercise.
>Other?

>>5981044
>We’ll go over our formations and abilities. Then we take on missions together.

>>5981044
>>We'll go over our formations and abilities. Then we'll take on another team in an exercise.
I wanna beat up team Boruto or Ino-Shika-Cho.

>>5981044
>>We’ll go over our formations and abilities. Then we take on missions together.

>>5981044
“Well,” you muse, “we should go over our respective abilities in brief, then work out some formations starting by modifying Team Hanabi’s existing ones. Sound like a plan?”

“Very reasonable,” Sumirin replies with a nod. “I am Nagao Sumire. My specialties are in iryō-suiton, poisons, basic Konoha-style kenjutsu using shadow clones, and in my summons, Nue. My coverage nature transformations are wind and lightning.”

Next, Wasabi steps up… proverbially, of course. In reality she takes a seat on one of the stumps. “Izuno Wasabi. My specialties are medical ninjutsu, my clan’s hiden ninjutsu, and earth release. My coverage is wind.”

“What does your hiden do again?” Kōshū asks curiously. “I know I’ve seen the basics, but I’ve never really had a chance to ask about the how or why.”

“Well, we store a bunch of chakra in seals that when released give us enhanced abilities based on cats,” Wasabi summarizes quite effectively. “Better hearing and smell, a better sense of balance, sharp claws. The chakra cloak’s strength varies from person to person – mine’s the strongest in our clan’s history.”

There’s a small hint of pride there.

“Well then, I guess it’s my turn,” you sigh. “Uzumaki Shiki. My affinities are fire, water, and vapor, my coverage is lightning. I use my clan’s fūinjutsu and kengen-ryū kenjutsu styles, I can use the hiraishin, and my less-famous mom’s bloodline lets me create chakra ghost clones of myself. I also summon a giant salamander and a shrike, the latter clan I learned sage mode from.”

“How is Momo-chan anyway?” Kōshū asks curiously.

“Happy as ever, I think,” you reply. “Or homicidal as ever, I really can’t tell with him. But he’s as big as a thunder rail car now.”

“That’s… horrifying,” she admits. “I’m Kōshū. I use ice and the Kubikiribōchō, which as it turns out work really well together.”

“So do you have to use chakra to enhance your strength?” Wasabi asks.

Kōshū grins, shaking her head. “My strength’s apparently similar to Zabuza-dono’s in his prime – so nothing too extreme – but it’s mostly that I use it differently. See the hardest part about swinging something this big is getting it going, so he always used it like a guandao and kept it moving whenever he could.”

“And you don’t,” you muse. “My guess is it’s a two-body solution.”

“Right,” she nods. “Kinda like how the earth and the moon… well, ‘moons’ now I guess… are always pulling on each other. Sometimes it’s better to let the sword stay where it is and move your body to accommodate it – that way I can use its width with my mirror-ice as both a shield and a sword.”
>1d6, taking the first three

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5982811
Oh yeah, she's got both Zabuza's and Haku's gimmicks, together. Weird how that came about.

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5982811

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5982811
Just caught up from the archive. Glad to be along for the ride.

>>5982811
“Now comes the hard part,” you admit with a weary sigh. “We have to come up with some way to fight together that exceeds the sum of our parts.”

“What do you usually do?” Kōshū asks curiously.

“The usual formations,” Sumire answers. “Variations of the manji formation, line ahead, line abreast, staggered line, that sort of thing.”

“Any special formations?”

“Hiraishin hijinks,” you add, crossing your arms and considering the situation. “You can throw Kubikiribōchō, right?”

“That’s a thing I can do, yes,” she confirms.

“Then how about this as an example – I can place a hiraishin marker on your sword, so that if you throw it and your opponent dodges, I can teleport to it and swing it from behind them.”

“Huh,” Kōshū’s eyes widen slightly in surprise as she takes in the information. “That… actually sounds really useful.”

“For a hiraishin user, ‘hiraishingiri’ is a bread and butter move,” you clarify. “Most of us since the Fourth Hokage have learned to use it serially.”

“As in, repeatedly?”

You nod. “I can use it on up to five marked targets in rapid succession.”

“Anything else I need to know?”

“If you allow me to mark you somewhere on your body,” you continue, “I, or one of my shadow clones, can switch places with you in an instant. And if I touch an enemy even for an instant, I can mark them and teleport to them at any point in the future. The mark is usually permanent.”

“You can remove it though?”

You nod again.

She considers it for a moment, before turning her back to you and pulling the hem of her shirt all the way up to the base of her neck. “I assume it’s best if it’s not visible?”

Both your teammates seem taken aback at how forward this stranger, now the newest member of your extended team, is being. But if you’re being honest, it shouldn’t come as a shock. This is largely just how she is – particularly with you, it seems.

No sense asking if she’s certain. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have gone this far.
>2/3

>>5983909
You gently place your fingertips against her back, between the shoulder blades, prompting a slight flinch as you leave a small hiraishin marking behind.

“Okay,” you announce. “Done. Let me know when you want me to remove it.”

“Right,” she replies, lowering her shirt. “It sucks, but it’s hard to come up with any real strategies beyond the super ordinary without seeing any of you in action.”

“Then let’s find a mission,” Wasabi declares immediately, pushing off the stump and standing tall. “Right away.”

>We’ll try to take an escort mission. That typically requires the most coordination between teammates.
>I think dealing with bandits would be a good way to see each other ‘in action’. Sound good?
>Let’s try to accept multiple, random missions. Complete them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
>Other?

>>5982920
That doesn't happen often these days - welcome aboard my dude.

>>5984564
>Let’s try to accept multiple, random missions. Complete them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
The pmd experience

>>5984564
>Rather than missions, what if just do some high-level sparring? There's no shortage of powerful opponents for us right now.

I'm sure someone from the kage summit, maybe even Naori herself, would be willing to lend their hand for a bit.
All those super strong ninjas and no wars to fight, i'm sure they're bored enough to play with a few brats.

>>5984564
>>Let’s try to accept multiple, random missions. Complete them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

>>5984564
>Let’s try to accept multiple, random missions. Complete them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

>>5984565
Oh yeah, I hadn't been on the board since maybe 2020 and was pleasantly surprised to see you're still kicking after coming back. Had a good, long, nostalgic read.

>>5984564
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5985495

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5985495

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5985495

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5985495

>>5985495
“Let’s make it interesting,” you muse with a slight grin. “Nobody says we have to take missions one at a time.”

“… hm,” Sumire replies quietly. “I see what you mean.”

“You mean… like, a race to complete ‘em?” Wasabi asks.

You nod. “See how fast we can do them in sequence as a newly-formed team, yeah.”

“That could be interesting,” Sumire admits. “Alright, let’s do it.”

- FIRST MISSION -

“So… basically we’re capturing a cat?” Wasabi asks across the short-range radio set you’re using – since Kōshū isn’t yet proficient with the wave transmission method.

“To be fair, it’s a big cat,” you point out. “But yes, an escaped lion is in fact a cat.”

“It’d be so much easier if we could just chop it in half,” Kōshū laments. “The live capture requirement is a pain.”

>Wasabi can erase her scent. We’ll serve to drive the beast towards her, where she’ll subdue it.
>All four of us should coordinate to surround it and use fūinjutsu to restrain it.
>I can use genjustsu to put it to sleep if the three of you can drive it towards me and keep it off me.
>Other?

>>5986333
>>Wasabi can erase her scent. We’ll serve to drive the beast towards her, where she’ll subdue it.

I want to let the others shine.

>>5986333
>>All four of us should coordinate to surround it and use fūinjutsu to restrain it.

This is a team building exercise, right?
Then lets see what everyone is competent in.

>>5986333
>All four of us should coordinate to surround it and use fūinjutsu to restrain it.

>>5986333
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5986960

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5986960

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5986960

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5986960

>>5986960
“So, what did we learn?” you ask, your voice presently muffled somewhat owing to the circumstances.

“Our… timing was off,” Sumire answers awkwardly.

“I shouldn’t’ve rushed in so quickly,” Kōshū adds.

“Good, good,” you reply. “Now Wasabi, if you would be so kind as to pry this damn thing’s jaws off from around my head I’d really, really appreciate it.”

“You sure?” she snickers. “It’s a pretty daring fashion statement, wearing a lion as a hat. I’d be curious what our old classmates would think.”

“Ha ha,” you reply. “In case you couldn’t tell I’m rolling my eyes. Hurry it up, this thing’s breath stinks.”

After prying the lion’s jaws open so that you can remove your head and shoulders, you return it to the zoo where it escaped from before heading out on the next mission – escorting a film actress for a trip to a beach on the shores of one of the nearby lakes in the Land of Fire. She's not as famous as Koyuki-san, but it's still a pretty well-paying mission due to the client's notoriety and it's also quite different from the last, and will allow you to try out various defensive formations in a low-risk setting. It also doesn't involve you getting your head eaten by an angry lion, so that's also a plus.

>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5987701

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5987701

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5987701

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5987701

>>5987701
This mission goes significantly more smoothly thanks to Kōshū having time on the thunder rail ride to practice with the wave transmission method – evidently getting the hang of it shortly before arriving at the lake station. The whole way over, however, you start to get the feeling that your own presence here isn’t exactly meant to achieve the same ends as the rest of your team.

The actress, Fujimura Amane-san, is probably around the age of Mirai-dono or Hanabi-sensei, which is to say noticeably older than you but not literally old enough to be your mother. Her thick head of hair is a natural blonde, her eyes are a sparkling green, and her skin (near as you can tell without invading her personal space) is just about flawless. And as it turns out, she strikes you as a very different sort of ‘big cat’ to the last one to try sinking its fangs into you today.

“Thanks for agreeing to stay close to me today,” she muses playfully as you walk the short street to the lakeshore together. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to buy something real quick?”

“That’s fine by me,” you answer verbally. [We’ll be making a short stop. I suspect Fujimura-san will be buying a swimsuit.]

[Seriously?] Wasabi protests. [You’re telling me she didn’t bring one?]

“This one, I think?” Fujimura-san muses, leading you towards a nice-looking shop selling swimwear.

[She’s an operator, that’s for sure,] Kōshū observes.

[I know it is a little annoying,] Sumirin interjects, [but we should be careful to focus on the mission in spite of it.]

[Yeah, yeah,] Wasabi answers.

“Your teammates are quite the professionals,” Fujimura-san muses after you follow her inside the store. “One high, two on the ground, one close… you’re the same age as some of the genin I’ve been assigned before, but it’s clear you’re cut from a different cloth.”

“You make it a habit of critiquing your escorts?” you muse as she picks out a rather subtle black one-piece with a belted front and a cross-halter top, along with a thin white hip-wrap and a parasol – all coordinated, you note.

She smiles. “I pride myself on recognizing quality.”

…

You end up carrying her bags and her traveling clothes in a storage seal, as well as your own regular clothes – Fujimura-san insisted on her close bodyguard wearing something appropriate to the situation as well, and so you end up in board shorts, sandals, and a sleeveless shirt that puts several faint scars from your training on display (and, critically for Fujimura-san’s purposes, your muscles).
>1/2

>>5988903
It’s pretty obvious that part of what she wanted today was eye-candy, and while you’re probably a still bit too young for that the process by which you became a jōnin has guaranteed that you’d turn out tall and strong for your age. Because of that you’d probably draw a few eyes your way even without your proximity to a well-known actress.

“It’s cute that they’re jealous,” she muses as you walk along the beach. “Your teammates I mean.”

“You think?” you glance over at her.

“Definitely,” she insists. “Girls like them are all lovely, each in their own way. At least, that’s how I’ve always felt.”

“Girls like them?” you repeat.

“The ones with strong personalities,” she clarifies her meaning. “Sure, you could find prettier girls, or more refined future housewives. Take my advice, don’t bother.”

“That’s an unusual take, coming from an actress,” you admit.

“I’ve heard it all my life,” she chuckles. “About how you can ‘fake’ smarts, but not good looks. Clearly none of those women have ever met a professional makeup artist – in my line of work you get to realize how backwards people have it.”

“I know Koyuki-san would agree with you on that,” you admit.

“Koyuki-hime?” she repeats, adding the more ‘appropriate’ honorifics. “Ah, I remember now – your family has been friendly with the princess for a while, right?”

“That’s right,” you confirm. “I’m actually credited on one of her studio albums.”

“How did that come about?”

“Dumb luck, really.”

…

“So, it seems like you got on well with the client,” Wasabi muses after you’ve finished escorting her back to Konohagakure. “Any thoughts on our formations?”

“The chatter was a bit excessive at times,” you admit. “She could tell you were doing it.”

“Really?” Sumirin asks, clearly surprised. “I suppose she has had quite a few teams provide her with security during her career.”

“According to her we were the best,” you shrug. “Nice job adapting to our formations, Kōshū.”

“Thank you, thank you,” she replies with a smile.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5989846

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5989846

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5989846

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5989846

>>5989846
The third mission is fairly straightforward – a combat mission. A group of bandits including some former shinobi and rogue samurai has taken up residence at an abandoned shrine near the coast, within spitting distance of the Land of Waves. Since the Land of Waves is a long-time friend of the Land of Fire and has no shinobi of its own, Konohagakure’s assistance was requested. It’ll be a B-ranked mission, since taking down other shinobi is a definite part of the plan, but it’s not nearly so significant to either nation involved to rate as an A-rank mission.

“So how do we want to do this?” Sumirin asks calmly as your team approaches the target, having traveled through the night and into the next day, arriving in the area as the sun is setting. “I assume you want to wait until after dark?”

You reply with a curt nod. “I think it works to our advantage. The samurai won’t be trained in sensing techniques.”

“Will you be fine, Kōcchi?” Wasabi asks, seemingly concerned.

“Silent killing isn’t just about the killing part,” she offers with a slight sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. “If you learn it right you’ve also gotta learn how to counter it.”

“Okay, then we can do this,” you decide. “We’ll have to scout first… I’ll take care of that, then we can decide how to proceed.”

“Kuchiyose: Kiburi!”

A drop of blood and a single hand gesture summons your shrike partner, who appears perched on your upturned fingertips.

“So what’s going on, Shiki-san?”

“I need your help with scouting, Kiburi,” you explain. “I’ll use the ryūmei to accompany you – we’ll decide whether to deploy hiraishin markings once we see what we’re dealing with.”

“Gotcha,” she replies cheerfully. “Nice conditions for a little flight!”

“None better,” you smile back, weaving the necessary seals with your left hand. “Alright, I’m ready… let’s do it.”

…

From above, you can see the shrine’s layout clearly in spite of the overgrowth. It features a sandō, a ceremonial approach with two outer gates, a hand-washing station, and rows of guardian statues and stone lanterns. The inner district is separated by a wall, with one large gate serving as an entrance, with a worship hall, two administrative buildings, and an inner sanctuary. They’re all in varying states of disrepair of course, but the walls and gates were never really intended to serve as an actual series of defenses.
>1/2

>>5991226
You also send in a ‘ghost’ at ground level, which can confirm what you see from above – the location and numbers of your targets within the area they’ve chosen to defend, defined by the inner walls of the shrine. Most of them are within that walled area, with only a few pairs of sentries patrolling outside. In the forest surrounding the main shrine you note three such pairs, with two more pairs monitoring the ritual approach through the torii gates. Within the walls you count twenty people – while none of them strike you as particularly dangerous the strongest three are clearly within the walls right now.

These bandits have clearly established themselves in the worship hall and the administrative building, seeming to largely avoid the actual inner shrine – it’s not surprising, since even if this shrine has been abandoned for several years there are lingering signs that this place was considered sacred. One of those strongest three however, probably the leader of this particular group, has apparently set up camp within that inner shrine.

“I count thirty total,” you tell your teammates. “Twenty within the inner walls, the leader of which is in the honden. Six in the forest around the inner shrine in three pairs. Four along the approach in two pairs.”

>Bypassing their defenses with hiraishin gives us the greatest advantage.
>I think we can split up and sweep the ones outside the walls quickly.
>Take the ones along the approach out loud, draw the rest into an ambush.
>Other?

>>5992789
>>Take the ones along the approach out loud, draw the rest into an ambush.

>>5992789
>Take the ones along the approach out loud, draw the rest into an ambush.

>>5992789
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5994099

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5994099

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5994099

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5994099

>>5994099
There’s a pretty good opportunity here – if you attack the teams outside the inner wall it’s a pretty good chance many of the others will come running in a panic. And when they do, you’ll be able to predict their response and take them down much more easily. Killing of course isn’t really something you’re keen on with any of these people aside from their leader, who according to your intel should be a former chūnin from Iwagakure. While you’re not too worried, there’s a chance that he could surprise you if given the opportunity. So in that case, you’re not inclined to give him that opportunity.

“We’ll draw some of them out into the open,” you decide. “Split them up and take them out a few at a time.”

“Sounds good to me,” Wasabi smirks, cracking her knuckles in anticipation.

…

The first two don’t stand a chance.

Wasabi and Sumire both move too quickly for your enemies to react, with flawless and quiet takedowns from behind followed by knockout blows to the head. You and Kōshū do the same to another team of two, with you covering a man’s mouth and getting him into a headlock while Kōshū simply smashes the broad side of Kubikiribōchō into the other in complete silence.

Once the bait is prepared, you tie the men up and leave them out in the open to be discovered by one of the pairs from the forest, who come out to look for them after a little while.

The response is every bit as frantic as you had imagined, with bandits hustling about and trying to keep their voices down while ‘stage-whispering’ at each other in the dark. When a small group gets isolated, which you can see from above where Kiburi is still patrolling the skies, you call Sumire and Wasabi’s attention to them.

[Wasabi, close them in. Sumire, gas them… non-lethal paralysis, please.]

[Gotcha.]
[Understood.]

You can hear angry shouting when the plan goes into motion, which turns to alarm, then panic, and finally silence.

[Four more down.]

Another group of four wanders too close to you and Kōshū, which ends badly for them after you draw your own sword.

“Hibana Shisshin.”

The kengen immediately throws off their balance and ruins their coordination, and when you’ve drawn their attention Kōshū begins to silently take them out with just the unscrewed hilt of her own sword, using it like a short staff.
>1/2

>>5995277
End them rightly!

>>5995277
Eventually they seem to get wise to the fact that they’re being toyed with – but it takes them sixteen bodies before they get there, leaving them with just fourteen left. Where once they outnumbered your team by more than seven to one you’ve cut that to just over three to one in a matter of minutes. Facing that level of effectiveness even a trained monkey would eventually figure out that they need to change tactics.

The remaining bandits withdraw to the main worship hall, which should have quite a bit of space and open lines of sight, and to the rooftop of the administrative building, which gives them a position from which they can overlook the area around the worship hall.

Their leader on the other hand finally leaves the honden, armed with a large cleaver-style sword, in an obvious bid to regain control over the situation.

>If you take out the leader, any remaining resistance will crumble all on its own.
>This is perfect. Let Sumire gas them, give you the antidote, and move in to detain them.
>Use clone techniques, stealth, and taijutsu to keep whittling away at their numbers.
>Other?

>>5996103
>>This is perfect. Let Sumire gas them, give you the antidote, and move in to detain them.

>>5996103
>>This is perfect. Let Sumire gas them, give you the antidote, and move in to detain them.

>>5996103
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5996808

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5996808

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5996808

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5996808

>>5996808
The poor fools have only trapped themselves – with walls surrounding them, it saves Wasabi the trouble. All she needs to do is barricade them in, and let Sumire work her magic. Wasabi uses earth release to build up a stone wall in the front gate, while Sumire uses three water clones to exhale non-lethal paralyzing gas from the tops of the perimeter walls. Her original body places her antidote water jellyfish on each of your backs, but needs to take a brief break from having used several complicated techniques in such quick succession.

[We’ll take it from here,] you decide, weaving a few quick seals and summoning Momo with your other hand.

“Momo-chan,” you insist sternly. “I want you to watch out for Sumirin. Can you do that for me, buddy?”

The giant salamander barks like a (train-car-sized) puppy, raising one forelimb to its head in imitation of a salute. As usual… you’re not sure he really understands the gesture, but you’re reasonably confident it means he’ll follow your order. So you feel like you can leave this situation to him while giving Sumirin a breather.

[Alright, hold on,] you tell the others, who place their hands on your shoulders. [I can see three of them are still standing.]

…

Of course, it’s the three strongest of your opponents who were sufficiently prepared and nimble to put on combat respirators – the burly man with the cleaver sword, a curly-haired kunoichi in a flak jacket and hakama, and a male samurai who uses a full-face mask like the ones common in the Land of Iron. The kunoichi wears hard-knuckle gloves, while the apparent samurai carries two swords of a style typical of the Land of Iron – slightly shorter than typical uchigatana, with reduced hand guards.

>Split your team to match weapon types – large sword, regular sword, and empty hand.
>Focus on the man with the cleaver, who you deem to be the strongest of the three.
>Take a formation where you can rotate opponents, keep them guessing.
>Other?

>>5997815
>>Take a formation where you can rotate opponents, keep them guessing.

Continue training teamwork

>>5997815
>Take a formation where you can rotate opponents, keep them guessing.
Shiki could literally just put the hiraishin on them and stick a paper bomb to their backs, but this is for teamwork training

>>5997815
>1d6 best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5999042

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5999042

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5999042

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5999042

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5999042

>>5999042
In truth, you could pretty easily end this battle by using hiraishin to plant blasting tags on each of your enemy’s backs, or just go into sage mode and punch each of them once. But that’s not the point of the exercise. The point isn’t to complete the mission as quickly and easily as possible, it’s to work on your teamwork.

So you settle on a more complicated strategy than was truly necessary, just to try and force a series of situations that demand the sort of teamwork you want to see.

At first you divide your opponents in the ways that make sense at face value – Wasabi facing off with the kunoichi, Kōshū fighting the shinobi with the cleaver sword, and yourself facing the samurai. The matchups seem almost fair at first as you position yourselves carefully. Then, when the opportunity seems right, you make your move.

[Wasabi, go!]

In an unexpected move you and Wasabi trade opponents, with you parrying the kunoichi’s kunai with your sword and kicking her in the ribs to give Wasabi an opening to launch an attack against the samurai’s facemask. She grabs hold of one of the two filters and yanks it free before darting behind the samurai, who manages to parry her second strike but acts too late to prevent the theft of part of his gas mask. He backpedals, trying to replace the filter before he breathes in too much of Sumirin’s poison, and in that moment you and Kōshū have an opening to make your next move.

[Kōshū, now!]

You’ve strayed near to your new teammate, near enough to duck under the Kubikiribōchō as she swings it at the kunoichi who Wasabi had been fighting, while you parry the cleaver blade of her previous opponent. In an unusual move Kōshū steps up onto your bent left knee, striking downwards at the kunoichi and breaking her weapons.

Meanwhile you go on the offensive against the cleaver-armed shinobi, getting his sword into a close bind so that you can use a technique against him.

“Kōtengyū.”

An acidic needle hits the structural weak point of the cleaver – the point where the base of the blade narrows drastically to a rattail tang.

[Wasabi!]

The shinobi winds up his blade and swings it with a loud curse, only to see it snap against Wasabi’s tight guard as she closes the distance on him like a raging bull.

The kunoichi looks up at Kōshū from the ground, who winds up the Kubikiribōchō over her head menacingly.

After replacing his filter from a pouch on his belt, the samurai raises his eyes to see you bearing down on him, hands at your sword’s hilt and saya in preparation for nukitsuke.
>1/2

>>6000126
You draw.

Because the samurai has misjudged you, he finds himself closing the distance with his blade already raised to strike down at your head, intending to cut you by flowing chakra through his sword to employ hadan from just outside your reach. But instead, he finds you doing the same on your nukitsuke, angling kissaki slightly higher than usual to trace an arc that intercepts his wrists an instant before he brings his own sword down.

Kōshū’s opponent makes an attempt to counterattack with a small burst of compressed air needles, only to find your teammate missing – having flowed ice-nature chakra through Kubikiribōchō to form a mirror sheen on the side of the blade, she actually used the reflection to ‘throw’ herself a short distance in an instant.

The heavy blade bashes the kunoichi across the back of the head, sending her sprawling flat on her face.

A cleaver sword snaps at the hilt against the hardened arm guards that protect Wasabi’s wrists, and she braces herself for a moment since she’s too small to actually stop such a powerful blow cold. She ducks the follow-through kick before sweeping her opponent’s leg, and by the time he rolls back to his feet Wasabi is ready for him.

“Katon: Gōkyakyu no jutsu!”

To his shock, Wasabi – using her chakra cloak – simply punches through his fireball and lands a powerful blow squarely in the middle of his face.

…

Surprisingly, nobody died here.

Sure, the samurai lost both his hands, the kunoichi ended up so badly concussed she briefly forgot her own name, and the boss lost several teeth and probably won’t ever have a straight nose again, but that’s better than death. Even the samurai will probably get his hands reattached owing to how clean the cuts were.
>1d6, taking the first three

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>6000896

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>6000896

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6000896

>>6000896
“… okay, what’s this?” you ask with a slight frown.

There’s a picture of a girl a few years your junior on Naruto-dono’s desk, with blue eyes and pale blonde hair tied in a side-tail to her left side. It’s clear that he has a mission in mind for you and that the mission involves this girl, but it’s not been explained so far what that mission actually is.

“This is Yukiwari Kae-hime,” the Hokage explains. “Princess of the Land of Bamboo, a small country inside the Land of Rivers that has friendly relations with both the Land of Storms and the Land of Fire. A few days ago her father shared with us through our respective daimyō that he feared a coup plot was in the works.”

“So if I had to guess,” you muse, “you’re about to order my team to keep her safe?”

Sasuke-san takes over for the details. “That’s correct. She’ll be placed into the Academy as an exchange student for her own safety while the Land of Bamboo conducts its internal investigation – I insisted on that you take on this mission because you’re the strongest jōnin we have available who could pass as a student, and who has experience not only with VIPs, but with hereditary royalty.”

“Koyuki-hime,” you realize. “I understand.”

“So we are to be distant cover?” Sumirin guesses.

Sasuke-san nods. “Right. I want you, Wasabi-kun, and Kōshū-kun to keep a watch on the Academy, on Kae-hime’s residence, and on her usual routes through the village.”

“This is an S-rank mission,” Naruto-dono adds. “Not only is it politically sensitive, you’ll have to be watching at all times for any assassins that may have managed to infiltrate the village.”

“You may have to act on instinct, Shiki-kun,” Sasuke-san tells you. “There may not end up being time to think about it.”

“Understood.”

“Does she know?” Wasabi-kun asks curiously.

Kōshū-kun frowns at the lack of an immediate answer. “She doesn’t does she?”

“No,” Naruto-san informs you. “Her father thought it better… I kinda get where he’s coming from, ya know?”

>Then I’ll be the one to tell her when we meet with her. Children aren’t so fragile as adults seem prone to believing – and we ALWAYS figure it out eventually.
>I’ll explain to her that we’ll be her security, but it’s not my place to disagree with her father’s parenting. So we’ll keep the sensitive details to ourselves.
>It’s going to be difficult, but I think it’s possible we can keep our identities secret from her even while serving as her bodyguards – if you think it’d be advantageous.
>Other?

>>6001768
>>It’s going to be difficult, but I think it’s possible we can keep our identities secret from her even while serving as her bodyguards – if you think it’d be advantageous.

>>6001768
>Then I’ll be the one to tell her when we meet with her. Children aren’t so fragile as adults seem prone to believing – and we ALWAYS figure it out eventually.
Dont treat kids like idiots, especially if you want them to grow up and become responsible adults.

>>6001768
>Then I’ll be the one to tell her when we meet with her. Children aren’t so fragile as adults seem prone to believing – and we ALWAYS figure it out eventually.

>>6001768
“Then I’ll be the one to tell her,” you decide calmly. “Children aren’t as fragile as their parents usually think, and we always figure out the truth eventually anyway.”

“… are you sure that’s the right thing to do?” Naruto-dono asks with a frown.

“His reasoning isn’t wrong,” Sasuke-san observes. “While it does ignore the parent’s feelings, you can’t say differently about the alternative and the child’s feelings.”

“So you’re drawing an equivalence,” Sumire summarizes.

Sasuke-san nods silently.

“I’d agree if it weren’t for one thing,” Kōshū replies, her eyes narrowed dangerously. “The power imbalance. Children just have to trust their parents until they can be self-reliant, and once lost that trust is hard to get back.”

“In any event,” you declare, “it’s easier to guard someone who’s aware of the fact that they need to be guarded – we don’t need the little princess doing anything reckless on our watch.”

“Now that, I think we can see eye-to-eye on,” Naruto-dono sighs wearily. “Okay. If this is what you, the jōnin we’ve given the mission to, believe is necessary I’ll handle any problems it might cause. Just be sure that it’s worth it, okay?”

You bow your head politely. “Naturally, Lord Seventh.”

…

The next morning, bright and early, your team is walked into a small manor on the edge of one of Konohagakure’s several public parks – all the while examining possible security issues, and finding at least a few that will have to be addressed. A man with the high collared formal jacket of a butler, but the expression and gait of a trained shinobi, walks you to a room where you are finally introduced to Kae-hime.

The girl sits in a small sofa across a low table from you, and instead of taking a chair you take to seiza.

“You may sit in a chair if you like,” she insists, glancing at you quizzically. “This is hardly a formal occasion.”

“I was raised in a very formal household,” you admit. “Seiza suits me fine.”

The ‘butler’ takes up a position behind the sofa as Kae-hima continues. “Very well. I find it unusual that a shinobi of this village would be so insistent on a morning meeting like this. May I ask your business?”

“I was only waiting for you to,” you admit. “I’m here to explain a few things to you, to make this process easier.”

“What process?”
>1/2

>>6001768
“My name is Uzumaki Shiki. I may not look it, but I’m a jōnin,” you introduce yourself, “on indefinite assignment from Amegakure.”

Kae-hime takes a moment to glance at her butler. “Batora-san, what does that mean?”

“It means he’s a high-ranking shinobi,” the butler explains carefully. “Amegakure is a village in the Land of Storms – their shinobi are well known for their high standards and standoffish attitudes, and while their village has a checked past they’re currently a major player in the system of international alliances.”

“As he says,” you nod. “Tomorrow, I will be enrolled in the Academy – again – under a false name and using the transformation jutsu to hide my appearance.”

“… why?”

“Because you were sent here for your own safety, Kae-hime,” you tell her with a slight frown. “Your father chose not to tell you, but there’s some unrest brewing in your home country. As a precaution, you were enrolled in the Academy here as a visiting student.”

“If things don’t go well, it’ll be my team’s job to keep the Fire Daimyō’s promise to your father, and ensure your safety.”

… there it is. The look of slow-dawning comprehension.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>6003114

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>6003114

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>6003114

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6003114

>>6003114
“… is my father in danger?” she asks tensely.

“Yes,” you reply curtly, to the butler’s apparent surprise. “More so than someone in his position is always in? I can’t say. I haven’t been told anything about your homeland’s investigation into the problem.”

The news has to be upsetting to the little princess, but to her credit she struggles to maintain her calm anyway. “I see… and so you are meant to protect me in the mean time? You can’t be more than a few years my senior.”

“You’re right about my age,” you concede. “But I can assure you, I wasn’t promoted to jōnin because of my name.”

Batora-san offers his own interpretation. “Genin and chūnin have a pretty wide variety of ability levels. But jōnin are set apart as the very best. They lead other shinobi on dangerous missions, complete sensitive assignments entirely on their own, and serve as teachers and advisors within the hidden villages.”

“And you have not just one but two on this assignment,” you add. “Not because you’re in that much danger mind you – but because Kōshū-kun and my team happen to be training together for a specific mission.”

“If I may, Yukiwari-hime,” Batora-san insists before focusing back on you. “Do you have any more specific plans for how your team will conduct your mission?”

>Unfortunately, I can’t say that you’re above suspicion at this point.
>The rest of my team will set up indefinite observations of key locations.
>We’re going to be a little more active in screening for intruders.
>Other?

>>6004651

>Unfortunately, I can’t say that you’re above suspicion at this point.
>We’re going to be a little more active in screening for intruders.
>And i will be staying by the princess' side from now on.

>>6004651
>>6004656
Yeah, i like this selection.

>>6004651
>The rest of my team will set up indefinite observations of key locations.

Why even tell him he’s technically under suspicion? That’s tipping our hand if he really is against us.

>>6004651
>The rest of my team will set up indefinite observations of key locations.

Yeah, can't reveal too much.

>>6004651
>The rest of my team will set up indefinite observations of key locations.

>>6004651
“The princess here may know you,” you answer with a slight frown. “Or she may think she does. But either way, I know that I don’t know you – and that means you aren’t above suspicion. So I won’t be telling you my plans at this time, other than to say that I’ll be staying close to Kae-hime myself for the duration of her stay and that my teammates will be monitoring from a distance at all times.”

“If her safety is truly your priority, that assurance should be sufficient.”

It’s not all that surprising that he immediately albeit begrudgingly agrees – as a former shinobi whose goal is to look out for Kae-hime his response would have to be agreement, since he should know full well that the degree of protection you and your team can offer is much greater than him alone. But as a former shinobi working his way into the royal family’s good graces his response would have to be the same, since raising a stink about the arrival of a jōnin recommended by both the Hokage and by Uchiha Sasuke would be suspicious.

Despite the fact that you can’t really be sure either way, you do get somewhat of an impression that he’s not hiding anything.

“Very well,” the former shinobi nods. “I’ll leave it to you.”

…

The next morning is the first day of classes for the new term at the Academy, and you’re there – now looking more like a photograph of yourself from back in your own Academy days, albeit with much more common black hair and brown eyes to avoid being identified. It doesn’t work on Anko-sensei of course, but she knows not to say anything.

[3 – 14]

The room is already half-full of students by the time you arrive at your assigned class – room number 3 – 14, at the north end of the third floor. That suits you just fine.

[Do you have a clear view?]

[Yes, I do.]

Sumire is watching from a nearby vantage point – you don’t try to look for her, but you know that she’ll have chosen a rooftop where she can remain out of sight, and can see both through your classroom window as well as down to the school’s main entrance, which you’ve told Kae-hime to always use when arriving at school and departing.

Kae-hime is already among the students present, who all turn to look at you when you arrive – as is Himawari-chan. The latter approaches you with a cheerful smile. “Hello. Have we met before?”

“It’s possible,” you reply, holding out your hand for a shake. “My name is Fujimura Kagerō.”

“Uzumaki Himawari,” she answers, taking your hand. “Nice to meetcha, Kagerō-kun!”

“Ah, Lord Seventh’s daughter,” you pretend to realize only now. “So that’s why I felt like I knew you.”
>1/2

>>6006390
Next you turn to Kae-hime, intending to fake an introduction. “And who might you be?”

At the same time, you tip Himawari off. [Please don’t say anything, Hima-chan. This is Shiki… if you can hear me, brush the hair on the right side of your face.]

Himawari calmly does as you instructed as Kae-hime refuses to shake your hand. “I am Yukiwari Kae, princess of the Land of Bamboo. I will be here as an exchange student, so please take care of me.”

[Hima-chan, I’m posing as Kagerō for a secret mission. That’s why I look familiar. Please don’t tell anyone.]

“I see,” you nod, continuing your conversation with Kae-hime at the same time. You bow politely. “My apologies if I came off as rude, Yukiwari-hime. I hope we can become friends while you are here in our village.”

“… that is my hope as well,” she replies politely.

It seems like a pink-haired girl tries to interject herself into your conversations, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Anko-sensei and a new teacher, whose name is apparently Kaka Hana – who you decide on the spot will now be Hana-sensei.

The latter steps up, and after some awkward hesitation introduces herself and the plan for the year – beginning with introductions, a review of the year’s curriculum, and laying out expectations and policies. All dry stuff, sure, but pretty important to get out there up front so that all the students will be on the same page from day one. As meek as she seems at first, Hana-sensei does at very least seem to have a pretty expansive understanding of the basics and a solid talent for teaching those basics.

Day one ends with a course of basic training exercises.

… you’re going to have to try MUCH harder than you did during your own Academy days not to stand out too much.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>6006414
>It seems like a pink-haired girl tries to interject herself into your conversation
Oh hey, a random pink haired girl or a daughter of Sakura that I dooooon't think has been mentioned before?

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>6006414

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>6006414

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6006414
This doesn't bode well

>>6006414
You think you do a pretty good job covering your own butt here – aided by the fact that Hima-chan is an emerging terror in terms of her taijutsu.

Weapons training is pretty easy to thread the literal and proverbial needles so as to come out as third-best in your class, since you’re so intimately familiar with the basic shinobi tools that you can get a kunai to bounce off a target on demand, or miss with a shuriken in a convincing way. In terms of kenjutsu you can hold back enough to convince a bunch of kids that you’re not a national-level expert, and in kumite sparring your spatial awareness, speed, and coordination put you in complete control against anyone you’d be paired against except Hima, who actually surprises you a little despite being familiar with Hanabi-sensei’s talents.

Ninjutsu is… harder.

You can’t actually ‘hold back’ here in a way that’s convincing, because at a certain point either the technique works or it fails, and the very least amount of chakra you can dedicate to the task is still sufficient to make it work. And so instead you stick to the basics, showing off the most simple clone technique and withholding elemental transformations entirely (since even genin should only be starting to explore them and not mastering multiple techniques).

For genjutsu, you demonstrate a relatively simple bell-illusion technique meant to disrupt a target’s equilibrium. Of course you can’t show anything more significant than that, since it’s already very close to being the best anyone in your class can manage and is far better than most.

“T-thank you all for your cooperation,” Hana-sensei stammers slightly at the conclusion of the tests.

“Sensei,” one of the boys in the class asks, raising his hand but not waiting to be acknowledged. “Why exactly were we doing all this?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked,” Hana-sensei replies patiently. “I wanted to know where all of you were starting off – because some of you, like Himawari-kun, come from families where you’ll have been taught a lot already. Some of you have hiden abilities. Others don’t.”
>1/2