>>3969392
>two updates this morning, one a couple of hours from now
>two more updates this evening
That's more or less the schedule I think I can maintain for the next few weeks: two every morning, two every evening.

>>3969392
>I can wait until Kakashi-han is able to receive the message. Nothing against you, but he’s a known quantity.

>>3969392
>>Any clues as to where Jiraiya-han left for? He mentioned a candidate for Fifth Hokage.
>>I can wait until Kakashi-han is able to receive the message. Nothing against you, but he’s a known quantity.
>>I can wait for Jiraiya-han to return.

Basically if he tells us where he is we go after him, otherwise we wait for whomever is available first between Kakashi and Jiraiya.
I don't think we should take a mission since it might delay us further. We could check on Ayame in the meantime?

>>3969392
>>Any clues as to where Jiraiya-han left for? He mentioned a candidate for Fifth Hokage.
>I can wait until Kakashi-han is able to receive the message. Nothing against you, but he’s a known quantity.

>>3969392
>>Any clues as to where Jiraiya-han left for? He mentioned a candidate for Fifth Hokage.

>>3969392
>>I can wait until Kakashi-han is able to receive the message. Nothing against you, but he’s a known quantity.
I think we should take the opportunity to train with Nyoka while we have the downtime.

>>3969392
“Nothing against you personally, Asuma-han,” you bow politely, “but Kakashi-han is a known quantity for me. I can wait until he is able to receive the message.”

“As for your team, Ajisai-han,” you turn your attention to your companions, “I leave it up to your discretion. I’m sure you have things you’d rather be doing than hanging around waiting with me, and I could also use this time myself to train… which means I won’t even be waiting with you.”

“I see,” Ajisai nods in understanding. “You intend to train with your summons?”

“I made them a promise,” you explain.

“Then let’s meet in Ame,” Ajisai decides. “I will inform the higher-ups.”

“Thanks, Ajisai-han,” you bow to your friend and rival.

“Not a problem,” she replies with a sigh. “Just don’t go getting too far ahead of me.”

No promises, you think to yourself. In the last month and a half or so you’ve made massive strides, and you haven’t seen any of your fellow Amegakure genin even remotely keeping pace with that. Maybe at some point you should take some time to train with Ajisai and the others, get caught up in more than one way, but taking her to the Shrike summoning realm is likely to end poorly… by all indications Ajisai might not even be able to breath the air there.

After your companions depart for Amegakure, you speak again with Asuma-han. “How is Kakashi’s condition? Can you give me an idea how long I have to wait?”

“A few days perhaps,” Asuma shrugs. “He’s conscious… some of the time.”

“Well, that gives me some time,” you nod, before biting the tip of your thumb and flashing through the hand seals.

“Kuchiyose: Kijani!”
>1/2

>>3969609
A burst of smoke heralds the raven-like shrike’s arrival, and the large bird perches nearby on a signpost over what looks like a flower shop.

“You summoned me, Lady Naori?” he greets you with a bow, spreading his six feet of wing ever so slightly as he lowers his head.

“A named summoning...” Asuma-han mutters, picking up on the fact that you summoned Kijani by name instead of simply calling upon a contract.

“I did,” you confirm. “I’d like you to take me to Lady Nyoka, please. I did after all make her a promise.”

“Understood, Lady Naori!” Kijani crows. “So I will now do my duty… behold! The one thing this dirty old bird is good for!”

The world around you disappears in a puff of smoke, or rather you disappear from it along with Kijani. Your new surroundings are familiar, including the oppressive weight of the air filling your lungs… feeling almost like you’re drowning on dry land.

“I have brought our summoner, Lady Nyoka,” Kijani bows to the massive form of Nyoka. “I take my leave.”

“Many thanks to you, Kijani-san,” Nyoka returns the bow before turning to you. “This one has plans for you, Naori-san.”

“What sort of plans?” you wonder aloud, taking a seat near Nyoka’s perch.

“Grand ones,” she replies cryptically. “But above all else, this one wishes to see you harness the force of Natural energy. She speaks of becoming a sage, the first great Sage of the Shrike clan in many centuries.”

>A Sage?
>That certainly does sound grand… and time-consuming.
>Well, I can remain here for three days.
>Other?

>>3969628
>A Sage?

>>3969628
>A Sage?

>>3969628
>A Sage?

>>3969628
>A Sage?

>>3969628
>>A Sage?

>>3969628
>A Sage?

>>3969628
>>A Sage?

>>3969628
“A Sage?” you repeat. “I have to admit, I have no idea what that even means.”

“A Sage is a being capable of utilizing natural energy, the background energy which flows throughout the world, to augment their own chakra,” Nyoka explains to you patiently. “The practice of humans using this ability traces its roots back to the days of the Sage of Six Paths, who was the first.”

“That old fairy story?” you wonder aloud. “I never considered anything about it to be factual, you know. Most people don’t.”

“The Sage of Six Paths once walked these lands,” Nyoka insists. “When this one’s grandmother was still young and my mother not yet born.”

You shake your head in disbelief. “Yeah, no, I’m sorry… but I’m having a little trouble believing that.”

“This one supposes that is inevitable,” Nyoka admits. “There is one direct piece of evidence that you might examine… the Taiyōmon.”

“The Sun Gate?” you repeat. “What is that?”

“An ancient artefact of our clan,” Nyoka explains, “within the custody of Zenkibō, the great Tengu of the Shrike clan. He will judge whether you are worthy of summoning it, in his own way, however this one’s true goal is only for you to see it.”

“You will understand when you do.”

>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.
>Is there some other training I can do in the short term?
>Other?

>>3970359
>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.

>>3970359
>>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.
no time like this time

>>3970359
>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.
Is this gonna be like orochimaru's triple gate summoning skill?

>>3970359
>>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.

>>3970359
>>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.

>>3970359
>Then I will go immediately, if you will tell me where I must go.

>>3970359
“Then tell me where I must go,” you reply calmly. “I’ll see what it is you want me to find and determine for myself.”

“Then go to the mountain,” Nyoka tells you, gazing at a stony peak across the wide valley where the Shrike clan lives. “Near the top is a shrine, where Zenkibō lives. You will know him when you see him… a being who unlike this one and Isoka combines features of a man with those of a bird, as though perpetually halfway through a transformation between the two.”

“Sounds charming,” you frown.

Nyoka can only chuckle. “Just wait until you meet him.”

>1d100, best of three

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>3971032

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>3971032

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>3971032

File: cropshrine.png (1.28 MB, 1187x499)

1.28 MB PNG

>>3971032
It takes you several hours of hacking your way through the depths of the overgrown forest to make any appreciable progress towards your goal. But the next morning, after a restless night spent in the hollow of an old tree, you feel yourself starting to slowly start a climb uphill. Scrambling over rocks and roots, you’re forced to pick your way carefully as you go, even more so the higher up you manage to get.

Eventually you find what actually resembles a path, overgrown of course. It must have been rather fine stonework, once upon a time. Now it’s more root and moss than stone.

At the shoulder of the mountain you find what you’re looking for: a stone torii gate looms out of the forest, the path running between its pillars.

>1d6, DC 10
>Taking first three

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3971118

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3971118

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3971118
bless me with good rolls oh many sided gods

>>3971118
>Pass
>SP: 6/6
Will resume tomorrow morning.

>>3971125
You’re somewhat relieved that you sense Zenkibō before he makes himself known, by calling out from the trees rather than appearing before you.

“I see Nyoka-dono has found one which excites her,” the tengu greets you in a loud, cawwing tone.

“Has she spoken with you?” you ask of the forest.

“Were she not excited she wouldn’t have sent you here,” Zenkibō replies. “I trust you know who I am?”

“I know your name,” you correct him. “But I know neither your person nor your purpose, and I gather that’s not the meaning behind my visit.”

“The Taiyōmon?” he asks.

“The Taiyōmon,” you agree, confirming it. “Where might this gate be found?”

“Within the honden of the shrine,” Zenkibō informs you. “I grant you special permission to enter the sacred precinct where normally a human would be killed for trespass. You shall have to tell me what your impression of it is.”

You pass through the haiden, the prayer hall, which strangely is open to the air. Its floor is stony and its pillars evenly spaced, with no walls keeping the forest and the hall apart. Next is a space between haiden and honden, an open forest garden where flowers and flowering trees have been encouraged to take root in almost haphazard fashion. But here you can sense artifice to the ‘nature’… there is definitely a structure between evergreen, spring flower, summer flower, and fall colors. It must be a place of great beauty regardless of the season.

Now you come upon the main hall, the honden, which is a totally different sort of structure. In fact, with its height it seems to you more like a rather large tahōtō: a two-story amalgamation of a pagoda and a stupa, within which generally rests a sacred treasure.

With a distinct feeling of trespass despite Zenkibō’s words, you let yourself in through the small door on the ground level.
>1/2

>>3971706
Within the dimly-lit interior, you find yourself face to face with a stone wall… no, not a wall. A great stone gate, standing freely and surrounded by the walls of the tahōtō. Your first impression is that it’s truly massive, probably around ten meters high by seven wide, formed of two structural pillars on the sides and a lintel across the top, filled in by irregularly-shaped but tightly-fitted stone blocks.

>1d6, high roll
>Taking the first four and dropping the worst

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>3971708

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3971727

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3971708

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3971708
dropping huh

>>3971737
Unfortunately this does not count, as it's linked to the wrong post.

I don't have ALL that many rules, so the ones I do have I feel like I have to stick to. So gimme one more roll.

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3971708

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>3971708

>>3971737
>>3971751
Well it was almost as good.

>>3971744
To be fair, you don't have any rules posted.

>>3971761
True, but like in this case he mentions it and the person or someone else rolls one more
So no big deal

>>3971779
Yeah, never hurts to have them posted though.

>>3971708
So this is the Taiyōmon… the entire thing is covered in relief carvings, made from three-meter-thick limestone by the look of it. The carving is magnificent, but much of it is totally incomprehensible. The footings of each of the stelae on the sides is a large skull, its features visible not only on the ‘front’ and ‘back’ but on the ‘left’ and ‘right’ faces as well. So it seems this ‘gate’ was always meant to be free-standing, rather than being part of a wall?

The ends of the lintels are also readily identifiable, being shaped like jaguar heads with looped openings through their clenched jaws, but less clear are the meanings of the carvings on the stelae above their footings. These consist of roughly rectangular glyphs, each as big as your head, with multiple visual components mixed into them. You see shrikes, natural phenomena like the moon or trees or mountains, and a plethora of chimaeric beasts which blend features of different animals into something that if it exists you’ve thankfully never seen.

It’s the lintel, however, which has the most to say.

The central motif is a sun, identifiable by its rays, comprised of many individual glyphs which seem to represent celestial objects and constellations. On each side is a scene, for a total of four ‘panels’, which feature a total of four identifiable figures. One with a third eye and small horns on his forehead, one with rather handsome albeit plain features and magatama carved into his clothing, and the other seems to be the brother to the former… but in his eyes are…

“Sharingan?” you mutter, recognizing the three-tomoe design from Sasuke and Kakashi-han’s eyes.

That’s its own separate question entirely.

The fourth figure is a shrike, with magnificent plumage to rival Nyoka’s and a feathered crown around its head. In the first panel the three humans… or rather near-humans… are together with the shrike hovering above them. The one with the plain features walks in one direction, the Sharingan-wielder walks in the other. To the right the Sharingain-wielder fights giant boars alongside the shrike, a losing battle by the look of the boars’ ferocity. But on the side directly opposite that, almost like a mirror, the other brother cooperates with the shrike to destroy a debris dam on a small river… the river’s flow bringing back flowers and trees to what appears to be a wasteland.

In the final panel the Sharingan-wielder is absent, and the shrike is ascendant… this time not over the horned, three-eyed man as before, but soaring triumphantly over the problem-solver from the previous panel.
>1/2

>>3971785
To be honest I do not see the point of the linking rule. They asked to roll and its clearly the correct dice and and the amount of dice. It's not pre rolling before QM saked or anything else scumy. The rule just seems pointless honestly.

>>3971799
I've abided by this rule for five years or so, ever since the fast-paced days of /tg/ when four people could post in the span of a minute or two and you'd need to determine which ones counted. That's less common here, but I've still seen votes go that fast, so I abide by the rule because I don't know when it might actually come into play again.

It's also kinda the way voting has always worked, since before I started as a qm, so there's that.

>>3971798
Running your fingertips across the surface…

“It was pecked?” you wonder aloud at the texture, but there’s no doubt about it. Some shrike must have pecked these carvings out of the stone in these precise shapes and depths using nothing but their beak, many years ago by the feel of the surface which has been smoothed by time.

“It’s an incredible object,” you admit once you leave the treasure hall. “So much effort went into it I could hardly believe what I was seeing.”

“What you saw is the story of the first great sage of the Shrike clan,” Zenkibō explains, still refusing to show his face. “In the waning days of the Sage of Six Paths, he called upon our ancestor to help teach his two sons… the great Shrike sage afterward formed a contract with the Sage’s younger son, binding our clan to his descendants’ call, when their need was dire.”

“As thanks for their assistance, the Sage of Six Paths taught our clan the means to utilizing Senjutsu, or sage-chakra, which only a few among us have since mastered… as unlike the Toad clan we lack a specific training aid to attain the form.”

>So your first sage used Senjutsu to carve this gate?
>What was this gate, originally? Why was it filled in?
>Somehow, I think I’m starting to actually believe you.
>Other?

>>3971811
>>So your first sage used Senjutsu to carve this gate?

>>3971811
>>Somehow, I think I’m starting to actually believe you.

>>3971811
>>So your first sage used Senjutsu to carve this gate?
>>What was this gate, originally? Why was it filled in?

>>3971811
>So your first sage used Senjutsu to carve this gate?

>>3971811
>>So your first sage used Senjutsu to carve this gate?

>>3971811
>What was this gate, originally? Why was it filled in?
>Somehow, I think I’m starting to actually believe you.

>>3971802
I have to agree withe other guy. Who cares that there are 5 or even 10 rolls when QM asked 3 as long as they are what the QM asked for. First 3 count others are invalid first come first served I never saw the point of such hair spliting even back then.

>>3971910
Doesn't matter either way. Queens quest, Queens rules. It only changed the result by one anyway and correct me if I'm wrong but it has saved us in the past as well.

>>3971811
>>What was this gate, originally? Why was it filled in?

>>3971799
Back when it was on /tg/ you would have cases where people would vote for a previous post, but the QM's new post would slip in before hand. There was also a lot more random rolling back then. The rules helped to clarify so that there wasn't bitching happening.

To be honest I do not see the point of not following the linking rule. They asked you to link the roll, that way it's clearly the correct dice and the correct post. It's not random rolling. Not doing what the QM seems pointless honestly.

>>3971811
Did we ever doubt this half Shrike man? He could pretty much say anything and we would probably believe him.

>>3971811
“So, I’d guess this ‘first sage’ used Senjutsu to help carve this gate?” you muse.

“Not quite,” Zenkibō replies calmly, his voice still impossible to trace. “The great sage merely added the carvings… and it is because of the enhancements granted by the Sage state that such a feat was even possible in the first place.”

“You mean that the gate existed before?” you wonder aloud, the question on your mind even more pressing now. “What was it for, and why was it filled in?”
>1d6, high roll
>best three out of the first four linked

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3972772

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3972772

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3972772

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3972772

>>3972772
“The Taiyōmon is an object of unparalleled defensive capabilities,” Zenkibō informs you. “Not only in terms of its physical properties, but its metaphysical properties as well.”

“How do you mean?”

“The gate exists in the physical world,” he continues. “But it also exists in Jōdo, the Pure Land. It also exists in Rengoku, Purgatory.”

“Even in the event that its physical presence in this world is destroyed, it cannot be destroyed truly unless it is also destroyed within the other two realms. That means it can be summoned over and over again, even in multiples if the summoner has the skill and the chakra.”

“It exists in multiple worlds?” you repeat skeptically. “How is such a thing even possible?”

“The details of the workings of reality are often a mystery to those of us who view those workings from within,” Zenkibō observes keenly. “But simply because a thing seems unlikely does not mean it is not possible. When a thing defies your understanding, reconsider the premise you have based that understanding upon and you will learn more about the world.”

“You mentioned that the Taiyōmon can be summoned?” you realize. “Can you teach me?”

“I can,” Zenkibō informs you. “And I will. It will take no time at all… however, you must first face three trials. I will of course judge your performance.”

“Do you wish to face these trials?”

>Yes
>Not now

>>3973071
>>Yes

>>3973071
>Yes

>>3973071
>>Yes

>>3973071
>>Yes

>>3973071
>Yes
we triple rashomon, baby!

>>3973071
“I do.”

“At the back of the shrine grounds you will find a continuation of the path you followed here,” Zenkibō tells you calmly. “Follow it. You will know the first trial when you see it.”

He’s right, of course. After half an hour of scrambling over what passes for a trail, you reach the first obstacle: a thirty-foot cliff. The trail leads straight to the base of it, and a chain is anchored near the top. You gather that the first test demands climbing this cliff, which is simple enough.

The only tricky spot is trying to get around the overhang to grab the chain. But from that point onward it’s not difficult. Hardly fit to be called a trial.

“As a shinobi recognized by Nyoka-dono, I did not expect that to be difficult,” Zenkibō muses from the forest canopy. “The next one will be more… interesting.”

You continue forging your way through the forest, the terrain growing far more treacherous with each passing hour. The sides of the mountain grow straight out of the earth and into the sky in many places, their faces nothing but bare cracked rock.

At a flat section of trail that crosses the top of one of these outcroppings, you’re met with a fluttering of feathers and the sensation of an iron grip holding you by the head. A sense of vertigo, and you realize that you’re facing straight down the face of a sixty-meter cliff face that ends in a pile of broken boulders.

“This is the Nishi no Nozoki, the Insight from the West,” you hear Zenkibō’s voice from right behind you… it’s the Tengu who is personally tangling you face-first over the cliff. “Confess, and I shall judge.”

Confess… confess what? Your fears? Your personal faults? Your mistakes?

>I’m terrified of making a choice that my mother would be disappointed in.
>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
>I tend to look down on people I think of as ‘weak’ or ‘unprincipled’.
>Other?

>>3973249
>>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
>>I tend to look down on people I think of as ‘weak’ or ‘unprincipled’.

>>3973249
>>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
Might be best to start here.

>>3973249
>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
really, all three would be good to get off our shoulders.

>>3973249
>I’m terrified of making a choice that my mother would be disappointed in.

>>3973249
>Confess… confess what? Your fears? Your personal faults? Your mistakes?

>>3973249
>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.

>>3973249
>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.

>>3973249
>I’m terrified of making a choice that my mother would be disappointed in.
>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
>I tend to look down on people I think of as ‘weak’ or ‘unprincipled’.

>>3973249
>I’m terrified of making a choice that my mother would be disappointed in.

>>3973249
>>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.

>>3973249
>>I’ve never properly faced the death of my teammate in battle.
all of these options are integral to naori's faults, however I feel they are not the entire story.

>>3973249
“I...” you begin, struggling with the concept slightly. “I never properly faced Ukemi-han’s death. I never admitted to myself why it bothered me so much.”

“Clarify.”

“He died without living up to his potential or achieving his dreams,” you continue, gazing down at what would certainly be a lethal fall unless you could come up with a solution in record time. “Yeah, he was my friend too, so I’d have been upset anyway… but that’s what terrified me most about it. I didn’t want to end up the same way, but I realized at the time I was powerless to stop it… so I’ve pushed myself hard ever since to improve. Faster than any other genin in my class, far beyond the abilities of ‘normal’ people.”

“But since I’ve been doing it out of fear I’ve never really felt proud of it. I even start fearing that it might not be enough. But that just means I throw myself into harder training, and work on more powerful techniques.”

“Fear is not a sin,” Zenkibō’s voice practically booms behind you. “Did you perform rites for this friend of yours?”

“I did.”

“Will you honor his memory?”

“In my own way,” you offer, “I think that’s what I’ve been doing.”

“Not through fear,” Zenkibō insists. “You say you felt powerless to prevent such a thing from happening again. Continue gaining power, and sharpening your skills. Realize your potential not out of a fear of failing to do so, but in order to honor those who never managed.”

“Do this, and you will have done your duty to them. Do you understand?”

“I do.”

“Now tell me, do you fear what you see before you?” he asks.

You consider your answer carefully. “A little. But it’s more like a potential problem to solve… and it’s not why I said what I did.”

“Clarify.”
>1/2

>>3973647
“The point was to confront something I had failed to before,” you reason. “And so you would judge my response. I have nothing to fear from the fall.”

“Not quite true,” Zenkibō admits as he pulls you back from the precipice, where you fall onto your backside. You can finally see him… a creature six or seven feet tall with the head of a black-feathered bird and wings for arms ending in two fingers and a thumb around the middle of their length. His lower body is that of a man clad in a white sleeveless haori and black hakama… at least, it’s mostly that of a man. From under the hakama emerge talons rather than feet: powerful, steely claws in which you were grasped mere moments ago.

“How do you mean?”

“If I judged your answer inadequate I would have dropped you,” Zenkibō informs you. “What is a trial without consequence?”

“You would have let me die?” you ask, more curious than angry now that the danger has passed.

The great tengu shrugs. “Whether you survived or not would be up to you. Quick-thinking would have demonstrated your skill as well as your composure in the face of death, earning you the right to my reconsideration. However you were half right… you had nothing to fear from the fall, but only if I approved of your answers.”

“I understand,” you nod.

Compared to the second trial, the third is nothing. You simply have to cross above a high cliff with several stony projections that require you to leap parallel to the wall, or else run along it using chakra flowing to your feet.

>1d100, best of four

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>3973650

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>3973650

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3973650

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>3973650

Still need one more roll.

>>3973650
Will update later this morning.

File: yakushima-japan-view-from(...).jpg (60 KB, 800x500)

60 KB JPG

>>3973689
“Congratulations,” Zenkibō greets you at the peak of his mountain. “In the first trial you demonstrated your abilities… even with the use of chakra physical strength was required to reach the top of the cliff. In the second trial you demonstrated your mental and emotional strength, in confronting not only the possibility of death but your own failings. In the third trial, where your chakra was required… were your chakra not strong enough to make the leaps or else to run along the cliff, and were your chakra not compatible with the natural energy of this place, you would not have passed.”

“These three trials prove to my satisfaction that you are worthy of becoming the next Sage of the Shrike clan, and of summoning the Taiyōmon. May it defend all that which in your judgment you must defend, for as long as your strength will allow you to call upon our clan.”

“Summon Kijani.”

Cutting your fingertip, you dutifully oblige the great Tengu and call upon the scroll-bird, who extends his neck to reveal your contract.

太
陽
門

Zenkibō writes the name in a flowing style on the scroll, before signing it as a keppan, a blood-oath. To the left of it he scrawls his own name in a much smaller script, as though authorizing it.

“You should take the time to familiarize yourself with the chakra required to summon the Taiyōmon,” Zenkibō tells you. “Learn well the minimum amount, and know that increasing the chakra will summon the Taiyōmon in a larger size, up to three times its normal dimensions. Summoning three copies will take further training… unfortunately you will have to learn this for yourself.”

“I understand,” you bow politely. “Thank you, Zenkibō-han… I’ll remember what I learned here.”

“Very good,” Zenkibō returns your bow before taking off into the forest and disappearing once more in a flutter of wings.

“You should return to Nyoka-dono,” he advises you. “Tell her what you have seen, and what you think of it.”

You head back down, and across the valley, to where you left Nyoka’s perch now nearly three full days ago.

“I should be returning soon,” you admit to the great resplendent shrike. “Thank you for having me, Nyoka-tono.”

“It was a pleasure,” she inclines her head. “So, what did you think of what you saw? This one is curious.”

>I know your clan produces Sages. That reality is enough.
>I believe you have an ancient tie to the Sage of Six Paths.
>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.
>Other?

>>3973805
>>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.
It is all a bit much, ancient legends prove true in a sense, I will see what more there is to uncover

>>3973805
>>I believe you have an ancient tie to the Sage of Six Paths.

>>3973805
>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
>I believe you have an ancient tie to the Sage of Six Paths.

>>3973805
>>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
>>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
>>I know one version of the ‘Truth’. What I believe may change as I learn more.

>>3973805
“I now know one version of the ‘truth’,” you reply carefully. “I believe that what is recorded on the Taiyōmon represents an important event, for certain… but I have no context for that information. This would literally be the first evidence I’ve ever seen that would confirm that the Sage of Six Paths was a real historical figure.”

“So as for what the Taiyōmon ‘means’, I’ll have to determine that for myself in time.”

After considering your response, Nyoka inclines her head politely. “Of course, young one. After all, this one’s information comes second-hand as well, so a certain amount of faith is required. For one not raised with this traditional knowledge, a degree of scepticism is understandable.”

“I’m sorry, Nyoka-tono,” you apologize.

Nyoka briefly ruffles her feathers, settling in on her perch. “Nonsense. If this one had been summoned by a kunoichi who took everything at face value it would be cause for concern. Faith… nay, your trust will come with experience, of that this one is confident.”

“So, that concludes our training I’m afraid,” you sigh. “Is there anything else you’d like me to focus on until I can return again?”

“Water release and Lightning release,” Nyoka insists sternly. “Without these two, you will not be able to harness this one’s full power. However this is not a task for three days’ time: an ordinary shinobi might take years to master both.”

“Given the speed of your improvement and the fact that you need not transform the chakra yourself in order to cooperate together with this one… only manipulate what this one can produce for you… please return here in three months’ time, Naori-san. It is this one’s belief that you should be ready by then.”

You bow deeply. “Thank you.”

Nyoka returns your bow. “Of course, young one. Now go forth, and show the world what Zenkibō-san has taught you.”
>1/2

>>3974359
Kijani returns you to Konohagakure, in an open field: a training ground, you realize immediately. You have no idea what the situation with Kakashi-han might be at this point, nor do you know whether Jiraiya-han might have returned. But you do have an assignment from Zenkibō…

>Practice summoning the Taiyōmon for the rest of the day, then find accommodations for the night.
>Head to the hospital, see if you can arrange to speak with Kakashi-han yet.
>Head to the jōnin ready room, ask around to get a better idea of what you may have missed.
>Other?

>>3974365
>>Practice summoning the Taiyōmon for the rest of the day, then find accommodations for the night.
while it's fresh

>>3974365
>practice
Makes perfect

>>3974365
>>Practice summoning the Taiyōmon for the rest of the day, then find accommodations for the night.

>>3974365
>Practice summoning the Taiyōmon for the rest of the day, then find accommodations for the night.

>>3974365
>>Head to the hospital, see if you can arrange to speak with Kakashi-han yet.

>>3974365
>1d6, high roll
>taking the first three

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3974538

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3974538

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3974538

>>3974538
Now give me the following:
>1d100, high roll
>best of two

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>3974590

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>3974590

Oh dear lord those rolls.

>>3974639
It seems like every time we make a powerup roll, the dice gods reward Naori with resplendent gifts of bullshit ninja magic

>>3974590
You toy around with the summoning technique, in a rare success managing to do it on the first try. The Taiyōmon takes a significant amount of chakra to summon the first time, but you whittle away at that requirement with a few subsequent tries.

A thought occurs to you.

It should be possible to devise a seal for this as well, marking it onto one of your paper anken. In fact, it should be remarkably similar to the markings for Raikō Kenka… at least that’s where you thought you could start. As it turns out you need to construct a new design from scratch, based solely on your understanding of how you’ve directed and controlled chakra with previous seals.

And so you scrawl through several possible permutations before coming to a conclusion: a seal which, between three marked paper shuriken, can serve as an array to perform the Summoning technique.

You seal three pre-prepared anken into your Raikō Kenka seal.

Then you bite your thumb.

“Kuchiyose,” you call out as the trio of anken strike the dirt, “Taiyōmon!”

Shockingly enough… it works.

This is going almost suspiciously well.

“That’s pretty impressive!” a familiar voice greets you.

“Anko-sensei?” you muse, dispelling your anken along with the gate. “You caught me when I wasn’t paying attention.”

“There were some reports of someone using the training grounds,” she explains. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

"Ranged summoning... you've really improved in such a short time. It's incredible."

>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.
>Ask about ‘other news’, like Jiraiya-han’s comings and goings, that sort of thing.
>Just make nice, don’t bring up business. You still don’t know who to trust.
>Other?

File: Naori_Pokeball_Anken.png (4 KB, 370x355)

4 KB PNG

>>3974970
Pic related.

>>3974970
>>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.

>>3974970
>>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.
Did we just accidentally learn the Flying Thunder God technique?

>>3975007
This is SEVERAL very difficult steps shy of that, but it's not entirely dissimilar.

>>3974970
>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.

>>3974970
>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.

This is a innocent question, I'd rather give the scroll to Kakashi. Anko has been nice but there's no real reason to spill the beans considering Konoha isn't going to make any moves until Jiraiya is back.

>>3974970
>>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.

>>3974970
>Ask about Kakashi-han’s condition. A Tokubetsu Jōnin should know something.

>>3974970
“I aim to impress!” you reply cheerfully, taking a seat on a nearby tree stump. “I heard from Asuma-han about Kakashi-han’s condition… has he improved in the last few days?”

“Yeah, nothing’s gonna keep that guy down for long,” Anko smirks, crossing her arms as she converses with you but refusing to sit. “I hear you had some business with him?”

You nod quietly. “Sort of… my business is really with Jiraiya-han, but in his absence I can trust Kakashi-han with the information.”

“You’re in luck, kiddo!” Anko informs you with a wide grin. “Jiraiya-dono’s on his way back… with the Fifth Hokage, if you can believe it!”

“The Fifth?” you wonder aloud. “That’s awesome for you guys and all, but who is it?”

“Tsunade-hime,” Anko replies.

Tsunade… the third of the legendary Sannin, alongside Jiraiya and Orochimaru. So she is to be the next Hokage? You have to wonder how she’ll feel about Jiraiya’s little backroom dealings with the elders of Sunagakure on the subject of their former teammate. It could be that she has strong feelings, but it’s hard to say which direction those feelings might lean given that Orochimaru has just recently killed their former Sensei and attacked their village.

She may feel somewhat more restrained in some regards, or her anger may be that much stronger for their previous association. Both are equally reasonable and which it is that Tsunade feels will be determined solely by the sort of person she is.

It’d be an interesting litmus test for assessing the new Hokage’s character.

“I can arrange a meeting if you’d like,” Anko offers, snapping you out of your own thoughts.

>Please arrange a meeting with Kakashi-han.
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message is ultimately intended for Tsunade-tono.
>Other?

>>3975469
>>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>Please arrange a meeting with Kakashi
We can ask him for advice on this, but getting the message through jiraiya would be best

>>3975469
>>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
>>I’d like to speak with Kakashi-han, but the message should be delivered to Jiraiya-han.

>>3975469
“Of course I wouldn’t mind speaking with Kakashi-han,” you admit, “so I’d appreciate your help in arranging that. But I think if I have the option to take this message directly to Jiraiya-han I should do so.”

“If he went outside the regular channels it’s probably a good idea to let him decide what to do with it,” Anko shrugs, apparently agreeing with your point. “Come on, let’s see if I can talk our way past the med-nins.”

Anko leads you back into the main part of the village, to the hospital. True to her word she fast-talks the medical ninja who insist that Kakashi-han should still be resting, insisting that it’s better to let the foreigner conduct her business than to obstruct you just so Kakashi-han can ‘rest’ for a few more minutes. She also argues that nobody’s under any impression that he’s actually resting anyway, because jōnin have mostly forgotten how to ‘turn their brains off’ while they’re awake.

Eventually she gets you into the ward, and gestures for you to go in without her.

You knock on the frame of the door. “I hear you got your butt kicked. Must have been a heck of an opponent.”

“You have no idea,” Kakashi-han muses, setting aside a book… one of Jiraiya-han’s you recognize. “I suppose you’re not just here to visit?”

“Actually, I’m here to return a message to Jiraiya-han,” you sit down in a chair which the room has come furnished with as Kakashi-han sits up in bed. “As someone who knows him I thought I’d check in on your condition, and ask for advice.”

“Oh?” he muses behind the mask. “I wouldn’t have imagined you’d be the type to ask for advice.”

“Yeah, no, I’ve been known to sometimes,” you admit, “especially when the difference in perspectives might help.”

“Well then, what do you want to know?”

>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?
>What sort of a person is this Tsunade-hime?
>What is your impression of Orochimaru?
>Other?

>>3975720
>>What sort of a person is this Tsunade-hime?

>>3975720
>>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?

>>3975720
>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?
>What sort of a person is this Tsunade-hime?

>>3975720
>"What kind of shinobi handed you your ass on a platter?"

>>3975720
>>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?
>>What is your impression of Orochimaru?

>>3975720
>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?
>What sort of a person is this Tsunade-hime?

>>3975720
>>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?

>>3975720
>Who was Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from?

>>3975720
>1d6, high roll
>taking the first three

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3975998

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>3975998

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>3975998

>>3975998
>9 (Moderate)
“Who is Jiraiya-han trying to hide this from, anyway?” you ask curtly. “Who would actually think that avoiding the war Orochimaru was trying to engineer from the start is a bad thing?”

“Unfortunately people like that do exist,” Kakashi-han sighs, shutting his visible eye. “There was once a rogue faction within our ANBU, for example, which would conduct missions independently of the Hokage.”

“If that had happened in Amegakure they’d all be dead,” you observe.

“I don’t doubt it,” Kakashi agrees with a chuckle. “That Hanzō has quite the reputation.”

“So the Third overlooked them?” you prompt him. “I’d assume it was on certain conditions.”

Kakashi-han nods in agreement. “When the Root finally went too far, Lord Third put his foot down. That organization is officially disbanded… though its members are mostly still alive. The alternative was to tear the village apart over it, which would have been counterproductive.”

“So this ‘Root’ is what Jiraiya-han was concerned about,” you summarize. “Presumably because they’re the most likely to take action instead of just exception?”

“You’ve got it.”

“I see,” you nod thoughtfully. “Good thing then that I decided to hang onto the message from Sunagakure. I wouldn’t want to drag anyone into something like that without good cause… potentially even without their knowing.”

“Though, you may want to present the information directly to the new Fifth Hokage,” Kakashi-han suggests, turning his good eye to look into yours. “It’s likely she’ll want to pursue reconciliation as quickly as possible. What you’ve got there is the best way to do that, I think, so I hope you intend to stay around.”

>I’ll do that. But until they arrive I intend to keep a low profile.
>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.
>Where are your students, Kakashi-han? I see little evidence they’ve visited.
>Other?

>>3976043
>I'll do that, keep a low profile.
>where are your students?

>>3976043
>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.

>>3976043
>>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.

>>3976043
>>3976050
Supporting.
We should just train with nyoka in the forest until they return, where nobody can bother us.

>>3976043
>>I’ll do that. But until they arrive I intend to keep a low profile.

>>3976043
>Where are your students, Kakashi-han? I see little evidence they’ve visited.

>>3976043
>>Where are your students, Kakashi-han? I see little evidence they’ve visited.

>>3976043
>>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.

>>3976043
>Where are your students, Kakashi-han? I see little evidence they’ve visited.

>>3976043
>>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.

>>3976043

>I’ll do that. But until they arrive I intend to keep a low profile.
>I have a friend here I can maybe stay with, so that’s fine.

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35 KB JPG

>>3976043
“I have a friend who I can stay with,” you admit, “so I intend to keep a low profile until Jiraiya-han and Tsunade-tono return. But when they do, I think I’ll follow your advice.”

“As for you… have your students visited? I see no evidence to suggest so.”

“Sakura did,” Kakashi-han explains, indicating the fresh flowers on the window sill. “Naruto’s off with Jiraiya learning who-knows-what, and Sasuke… well… he’s in the hospital too. Long story. Best not to bother him.”

>Tell Kakashi-han you’ll follow that advice too, then find Ayame to maybe arrange a couch to sleep on.
>Tell Kakashi-han you’ll follow his advice, go find Sasuke anyway and see how he’s doing.
>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.
>Leave, do some quick research on where Kakashi-han lives, and break into his flat. He’s not using it anyway.
>You'd bet Anko-han has a place you could crash.
>Other?

Missed out on the Tsunade/Orochimaru fight. Shame.

>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

>>3976765
>>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

>>3976765
>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

Let's see if we can get some info, then we can go pick on him some. Dude needs to get bullied by someone other than the bad guys.

>>3976765
>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

>>3976765
>You'd bet Anko-han has a place you could crash.

>>3976765
>>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

>>3976765
>>Tell Kakashi-han you’ll follow that advice too, then find Ayame to maybe arrange a couch to sleep on.

>>3976765
>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.
So much brooding!

>>3976765
>Ask Kakashi-han why ‘checking on him’ would be the same as ‘bothering him’. It’s not like you’re Naruto or something.

>>3976765
>1d6, DC10
>Taking first four, dropping the lowest

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3977242

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3977242

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3977242

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3977242

>>3976765
“Why would dropping by to check on him bother him?” you wonder bitterly, crossing your arms in a huff. “Wait… has he lumped me in the same category with Naruto just because I’m an Uzumaki too?”

“It’s nothing like that,” Kakashi-han chuckles, “so don’t take it personally. Sasuke has just… been through quite a bit recently.”

“What, starting with the invasion?” you wonder. “Don’t tell me...”

Kakashi-han nods thoughtfully. “I think it bothers him a little that you were able to fight evenly with Gaara after his transformation… but I know it bothers him that Naruto could do the same.”

“But that’s not all there is to it?” you press firmly.

“That’s a lesson those two are both going to have to learn sooner or later,” Kakashi sighs, laying his head down on the stack of pillows behind him that he was propped up on when you came in. “It’s impossible to hide anything from a girl.”

“You’re right of course. Sasuke also ran into the same shinobi who beat me. Predictably, he didn’t do too well.”

“So basically he’s on a losing streak,” you summarize. “And as the last of his clan, it’s not just his pride in himself that takes a hit from that.”

Kakashi nods. “That’s about the size of it. If you really wanted to talk with him he’s just down the hall. I can’t stop you. But if you do go I’d want to ask you to be… well, as not like Naruto as you possibly can.”

>Maybe I’ll skip that. I don’t know that anything I could say would cheer him up.
>I’ll be thoughtful about it, but leaving him to brood won’t solve anything.
>I can only promise to be genuine. What that means depends on how pathetic he’s being.
>Other?

>>3977290
>I’ll be thoughtful about it, but leaving him to brood won’t solve anything.
Imagine if sausage had just one friend who wasn't retarded.

>>3977290
>>I’ll be thoughtful about it, but leaving him to brood won’t solve anything.

>>3977290
>>I’ll be thoughtful about it, but leaving him to brood won’t solve anything.

>>3977290
>>I’ll be thoughtful about it, but leaving him to brood won’t solve anything.

>>3977290
>1d6, high roll
>considering the first four, dropping the lowest
Some day it'll be first four, drop the highest. But that's not today.

>>3977290
>I can only promise to be genuine. What that means depends on how pathetic he’s being.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3977407

rolling

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3977407

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3977407

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3977407

>>3977407
>15 (Miracle)
>Writing

File: __uchiha_itachi_naruto_se(...).png (411 KB, 433x650)

411 KB PNG

>>3977457
Taking your leave of Kakashi-han, you head down the hall until you find Sasuke’s room. The door is open, so you knock again at the frame as you find the patient staring pointedly out his window.

He turns to you with a glare, which softens somewhat when he realizes it’s not a typical visitor.

“Why are you here?” There’s only the slightest hint of accusation there, more along the lines of suspicion.

“I’m doing a diplomatic mission for Jiraiya-han,” you explain succinctly. “I didn’t account for him leaving the village, otherwise I’d have taken my time.”

“He took Naruto with him,” Sasuke grumbles.

“And you had to stay here,” you sigh, setting in the guest chair. “What happened to you, anyway?”

“My brother happened,” he tells you bluntly. “Don’t look at me like that… Naruto already knows anyway, and it’s not like that loudmouth can keep a secret. Youd’ve found out sooner or later anyway.”

“So there’s two Uchiha still alive,” you realize in a quiet tone. “Was he… the one who did it?”

Sasuke nods glumly. “Yeah. Yeah he was. After all these years, I thought maybe I’d narrowed the divide… gotten closer to him. But he’s still terrifyingly strong. I was totally outmatched in every regard.”

An older version of Sasuke… taller probably, but with that same dark hair and those dark eyes, eyes that look… kind of like the one stuck in the left side of your skull, if you’re being objective about it.

“This brother of yours,” you begin carefully. “He sounds like a dangerous opponent. How will I know him if I run across him on a mission?”

“He looks like me, but older,” Sasuke admits wearily. “Tall, dark hair and eyes… he was wearing a black cloak with red clouds.”

Like Tenshi-sensei’s, you realize. And a man with the Sharingan in both eyes… the red eyes you remember from when you were half-dead after fighting Raiga. Is it possible that this brother of Sasuke’s is the same one who saved your life, and implanted a replacement eye into your head? If so, does that make your left eye…

“You seem distracted,” Sasuke observes.

>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.
>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?
>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.
>Other?

>>3977530
>>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.

>>3977530
>>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.
>>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?

>>3977530
>>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.

>>3977530
>>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?

>>3977530
>>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.

>>3977530
>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?

>>3977530
>>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.

>>3977530
>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?

>>3977530
>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.
>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?

>>3977530
> Just a stray memory

>>3977530
>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.

Sauce needs not know about it.

>>3977530
>>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.
>>Sasuke, how well can you keep a secret?
It may not be necessary, but we should tell him anyway.

>>3977530
>>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.

I've already voted but sauce is kinda in a fragile mental state ATM. Unfortunately I don't think there's really much we can do to stop him from trying to go to Orochimaru at this point, and telling him that we maybe might kinda be liked by his brother is not gonna make him trust us any more right now. Not to mention if he spills the beans Konoha is gonna at best have some very hard to answer questions and at worst might have our eye for it.

>>3977625
When ISN'T sauce in a fragile mental state?

>>3977530
>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.

>>3977530
>>It’s nothing. Just a stray memory from a bad day.

>>3977636
Fair, I'll amend that to: Sauce is in his most fragile mental state.

>>3977530
You're like 12 and you thought you narrowed the divide?

>>3977530
>I may have met your brother before, at least in passing.

>>3977737
Pretty sure Itachi was stronger than him at half that age.

>>3977749
Yup. ANBU at 11, ANBU captain at 13.

>>3977530
>1d6, high roll
>taking the first three

>>3977895
Dice+1d6

Don’t mind me, I’m just fantasizing about your cooler older brother

>>3977901
Wrong field, my anonymous friend.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3977895
this diceroll is bound to be cursed. And I can guarantee you that the next two dice rolls will be low.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3977895

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3977895

>>3977906
>>3977910
>>3977914
I think we just made a mortal enemy.

>>3977944
Not if we use shonen points to force him to be our friend.

>>3977956
even with all 6 SP spent to bump the results to 12 if King allows it, he's still gonna give us a stink eye and try to yank out our replacement eye when he gets the chance. his level of HATE is legendary. But most likely, King will continue on with the update with the consequences in mind and won't give us the chance to spend shonen points. Besides. it seems like Shonen points are for combat, not social.

>>3977956
I don’t think we have enough sp to talk-no -jutsu our way out of this awkward situation.

I don't think we'd be talking about the eye? I don't think the "can you keep a secret" vote won. I figured the way the other 2 votes were worded we'd at worst mention him saving our life

>>3977956
>>3977967
It's practically Miracle grade difficulty when it comes to getting the edgy bomb to calm down and think rationally

Well on the bright side, I'm pretty sure we're stronger than him at the moment, and he's injured so he can't try to kill us on the spot.

>>3977956
No SP on 'high roll' situations, only with a DC.

>>3977895
“I may have met your brother in passing,” you admit. “He matched your descrip...”

You don’t even finish the sentence before Sasuke is on his feet, weaving hand signs. He probably intends to threaten you for more information, you realize: but only after you’ve instinctively drawn Umekiri from her half-gilded scabbard and swept her edge past Sasuke’s hands. He pulls them away to defend himself, your movement having been deliberately slowed to give him time, and as your follow-through you grab him by the collar and slam him back into the wall.

“Calm. Down.”

Your words come as an order, the tip of your sword now aimed straight for the base of Sasuke’s throat.

“I’ll explain the situation for you,” you tell him, “but if you try that again I put you down. Those aren’t terms, they’re reality. Clear?”

After a moment, the heat goes out of Sasukes’ glare. “Crystal.”

You release your grip and sheath your sword. “Good grief, and here Kakashi-han was concerned that I was going to start something… what a joke.”

Sasuke sits down on the edge of his bed and waits for you to begin.

“We were on our way back from a non-combat mission in the Land of Iron,” you explain, “which coincided with a border skirmish between Iwagakure and Ishigakure. What we found was that one of the former Seven Swords of the Mist was using that conflict to sate his bloodlust without arousing too much suspicion… what’s a few more dead in a war anyway?”

“Get to the point.”

“The point is that our team was drawn into the slaughter,” you continue. “Two men in dark coats with red clouds turned up just in the nick of time… evidently they were after the bounty on Kurosuki Raiga and the Kiba.”

“We just got lucky… anyway, one of the two was a man with dark eyes, dark hair… a little like you, but older.”

“Did he have markings under his eyes?” Sasuke demands. “Like he was chronically fatigued?”

You shake your head. “I passed out from blood loss right afterwards, so I have no other memories.”

A few moments of glaring, he mutters at you. “So, that eye… the one that was transplanted into you...”

>I didn’t know at the time who it was, and even if I did I wouldn't willingly bring it up.
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?
>Even if I thought that’s what it was, I’d be the one asking YOU why he did it.
>Other?

>>3978013
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?
>Even if I thought that’s what it was, I’d be the one asking YOU why he did it.

>>3978013
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?

>>3978013
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?

>clearly not a sharingan

>>3978013
>>Even if I thought that’s what it was, I’d be the one asking YOU why he did it.

>>3978013
I wouldn't really say we got lucky either we got fucked

What color is the new eye again?

>>3978013
>>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?
>Even if I thought that’s what it was, I’d be the one asking YOU why he did it.

>>3978042
Sane color as other Uchiha eyes.
>I'd look horrible with an eyepath anyways.

>>3978013
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?
>Even if I thought that’s what it was, I’d be the one asking YOU why he did it.

>>3978013
>Clearly it isn’t a Sharingan. Look at Kakashi-han’s case. He can’t ‘turn it off’, right?

We didn’t even mention about eye transplant, is the sharingan that distinct even inactive?

Either way if Sauce blab, we just become super high value target on the konoha bingo book with doujutsu and secret technique of Konoha

>>3978167
He probably guessed based on our scar and mismatched eyes. Is it considered heterochromia if one eye is an implant?

File: naori_red_mood_Scar.png (474 KB, 600x600)

474 KB PNG

>>3978167
It's clearly a different color for one thing, as Naori's natural eye color is red, and there's a bigass scar across it. She's also mentioned it before.

>>3978256
I know it doesn't actually work this way, but looking at this pic I can't help but imagine Itachi's relatively small eye growing to fit our massive anime girl eye socket.

>>3978263
Another terrifying power of the sharingan

>>3978013
“Clearly it’s not what you think it is,” you observe, challenging Sasuke to look closely at your left eye. “Kakashi-han’s sharingan can’t ‘turn off’, right?”

“That’s why he keeps it covered,” Sasuke confirms.

“If Kakashi-han couldn’t come up with a more elegant way to control it than just covering it up, after… what, how many years?” you shake your head dismissively. “How could I do it?”

“I don’t know,” Sasuke admits. “It’s clearly one of our eyes, that much is clear to me now. But perhaps it was from one of our clan who never awakened their sharingan? It’s possible I guess… I don’t understand what Itachi was thinking at any stage in the process, but that’s not new.”

“I suppose you could say I never really knew my brother.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” you admit. “Now, what do we say?”

“I apologize for trying to threaten you,” Sasuke admits calmly.

“Apology accepted,” you nod politely. “Now then, I’m… not exactly a therapist. But if you want to talk about anything while I’m here?”

>1d6, high roll
>Taking the first four, dropping the highest

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3978317

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3978317

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3978317

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3978317

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3978317

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3978317

We ARE exactly a therapist apparently...

>>3978317
>dropping the highest
This makes me sad

>>3978317
Maybe we should ask how the Sharingan works
how to unlock it and what it does
you know, just in case

>>3978317
“You’re not even from my village,” Sasuke challenges you. “Why should I expect you to care?”

“It’s because I’m not from your village,” you counter. “I don’t have any preconceptions about your clan or any of its members. I’m the only impartial audience you’re likely to get.”

After a few moments, Sasuke makes his first admission. “I’m pissed off because I wasn’t able to do anything. Not when Itachi killed our whole family, not when Orochimaru was trying to kill my teammates, not when Gaara was going to kill my teammates, not when I met Itachi the second time while he was trying to kill my teammates.”

“For all my big talk it was the Anbu who saved me. Then it was Kakashi who beat Zabuza, Naruto who beat Haku, Naruto who stood up to Orochimaru again, Naruto and you who fought off Gaara, Jiraiya-sensei who drove Itachi off… for all my talk, what have I actually done?”

“I once called Sakura even worse than Naruto… turns out I’m right there with her.”

You remain quiet for a few moments after he finishes before speaking. “You done?”

“… yes.”

You smack him on the back of the head.

“What was that for?” he demands.

“You’re what, thirteen?” you ask sharply. “You’re a genin. We were all rookies at one point, we were all part of a team. I’m at a point now where my original teammates aren’t active anymore, and where I’m strong enough to lead three-man teams. That’s how it works.”

“You may be an Uchiha, you might even be someone who could be called a prodigy. But even prodigies have to work their way up from the bottom like everyone else.”

“I couldn’t beat Zabuza?” you continue. “I couldn’t beat Raiga either. But we both survived, which is a victory in itself. You even made it through with both your teammates alive and in one piece. You couldn’t beat Orochimaru? Try ‘I survived Orochimaru’. You couldn’t beat Gaara? Try ‘I survived Gaara’.”

“Sometimes just getting through a fight you shouldn’t even be in in the first place is good enough,” you conclude. “You survive, you learn, you improve, and next time it goes better.”
>1/2

>>3979257
“At that rate I’ll never catch Itachi,” Sasuke grumbles. “And if I can never catch up to him I’ll never be able to avenge my clan. It’s what I’ve lived for.”

“Yeah, no, my parents didn’t come back from the dead or anything when the Third Hokage died,” you observe. “It’s not gonna help your clan even if you managed to stick a kunai between your brother’s ribs right now.”

“So why are you trying to kill him? Is it really for your clan? Or is it for you?”

Sasuke’s eyes widen, then just as quickly narrow. “What, you think I’m being selfish?”

“I do,” you nod. “All revenge achieves is self-gratification.”

“So you’d rather let my brother live after what he’s done?” Sasuke demands.

You shake your head. “I said no such thing.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“That revenge is a shitty thing to live for,” you counter sharply, before biting your lip. “I apologize, I shouldn’t have sworn at you just then.”

“But you think my way of living is wrong?”

“The old saying is that ‘those seeking revenge should dig two graves’,” you shake your head. “It’s not for me. I don’t think your sensei or your teammates would agree with your revenge either, if you asked them about it.”

“Well, to be fair,” Sasuke sighs, “Sakura would agree to whatever I told her anyway, and Naruto’d probably disagree just as quickly.”

“Ah, so she’s that type,” you grumble. “Figures.”

>So, what are you going to do?
>What you do with your life IS up to you though.
>Go talk to Kakashi-han, and more importantly LISTEN to him.
>Other?

>>3979272
>What you do with your life IS up to you though.

>>3979272
>Go talk to Kakashi-han, and more importantly LISTEN to him.

>>3979272
>>Go talk to Kakashi-han, and more importantly LISTEN to him.
>I was in a pretty rough place after Raiga, one of my team mates died and the other was crippled for life. My teacher helped me out when I needed it, and unless I've misread Kakashi totally wrong, he'd be happy to help you as she helped me.

>>3979272
this: >>3979325

>>3979272
>>Go talk to Kakashi-han, and more importantly LISTEN to him.
>I was in a pretty rough place after Raiga, one of my team mates died and the other was crippled for life. My teacher helped me out when I needed it, and unless I've misread Kakashi totally wrong, he'd be happy to help you as she helped me.

>>3979325
Support

>>3979272
>>3979325
Supporting this so damn hard.

>>3979272
>I was in a pretty rough place after Raiga, one of my team mates died and the other was crippled for life. My teacher helped me out when I needed it, and unless I've misread Kakashi totally wrong, he'd be happy to help you as she helped me.
>Go talk to Kakashi-han, and more importantly LISTEN to him.

>>3979272
“I know I can’t make you do anything,” you admit. “For sure. But when you get a chance you should have a talk with Kakashi-han… and more importantly, I think you need to listen. He’s been where we’re at before.”

“How can you tell?” Sasuke asks, narrowing his eyes skeptically.

“Consider this,” you muse aloud, turning to leave. “Where do you think Kakashi-han got his sharingan?”

As Sasuke’s eyes widen in surprise, you shrug. “See you around, Sasuke ~”

From there, you reckon, it all comes down to what Sasuke himself decides: whether he wants to continue the lonely path of vengeance, or find a reason of his own to live. It should be interesting to see either way.

You decide to call on Ayame in the evening, admitting that you hadn’t thought ahead far enough to book a hotel room given how your current mission and your training have gone.

“So let me get this straight,” she frowns. “You had three days to wait, and instead of relaxing like a normal person… you had yourself summoned to a death forest who-knows-how-far away to train by yourself?”

“I wasn’t alone,” you defend your decisionmaking. “I was with my summons the whole time. They’re nice, you’d like them.”

“Oh? Is that so?” she muses. “And what sort of summons do you have?”

“Shrikes,” you inform her.

“Ah, the birds infamous for pinning their prey to spikes and leaving them to die,” she claps her hands.

“They’re lovely,” you insist with a frown. “We have a mutually respectful partnership and their table manners are impeccable.”

After a moment, Ayame chuckles to herself. “I know I grew up in a hidden village, but sometimes shinobi confuse me… giant murderbirds with table manners...”

“General rule of thumb is that a random summoning will take the summoner to a ‘compatible’ partner,” you explain. “So it’s not a surprise that my contract would be with a clan whose members are at least a little like myself.”

“I see,” she nods. “I apologize for making assumptions.”
>1/2

>>3980017
Ayame lays out a spare futon for you in her room, and slides the window to the balcony open to let the moonlight and the warm night air in. It’s incredibly comfortable, but the faint hum of the street noise is no substitute for the soft white noise of the rain falling outside.

You soon hear Ayame’s faint, rhythmic breathing as she falls asleep, though you’re kept up later with your mind full of thoughts.

Eventually you notice your fingertips probing the scar below your left eye…

>A problem for another time.
>Try to use your sensory technique to examine your own eye.
>Try to direct chakra flow to your left eye, see what happens.
>Other?

>>3980039
>>Try to use your sensory technique to examine your own eye.

>>3980039
>Try to direct chakra flow to your left eye, see what happens.