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>>4234793
When you appear in the Hokage’s office, everyone else is visibly stunned for a moment, before they leap into action. Tsunade rises from her seat and raises her fists, Shizune drops the mini pig onto the floor and draws a pair of kunai from her sleeves, and Kakashi-han raises his headband to reveal his sharingan.

“Wait!” you insist immediately, throwing your hands in the air. “Gaara-han sent me here!”

“You used the Hiraishin,” Kakashi-han realizes, pausing for a moment… it seems he was forming one-handed seals even as he pulled his headband up, no doubt getting ready to use his raikiri technique against you.

“That’s right,” you admit. “I have to speak with you, Tsunade-han.”

“What could we possibly have to discuss!?” she demands.

“See, this is why I approached Gaara first!” you counter. “Listen, I’ve defected from Akatsuki as of two weeks ago. I took Nii Yugito-han of Kumogakure with me and I’ve been keeping her safe. Akatsuki never got hold of Matatabi-han.”

All three shinobi are taken aback by the revelation, and it’s Tsunade who pushes on first. “If that’s true, then what have you been doing since then? You should have told us!”

“I’ve been training the ones who defected together with me, to form a better team to guard Yugito-han with,” you explain. “They have their own strengths, but they’re not as experienced fighting the sort of opponents who are going to come after us. My ‘real body’ is still with them as we speak.”

“A shadow clone,” Kakashi nods. “Figures. You’re one of the few shinobi your age who actually uses them this way.”

“Why are you here now?” Tsunade-han demands.

“I heard about your attempts to capture Hidan and Kakuzu,” you reply. “Seriously, you need to recall your troops and rethink your strategy before they get wiped out.”

“You know the Akatsuki who killed Chiriku?” Shizune asks skeptically.

“Of course I do,” you grumble. “What, you don’t think I worked all by myself for the better part of two years, do you?”

“Tell me,” Tsunade-han insists, resuming her seat, “why are you so adamant that we recall our teams? What do you know about these two Akatsuki that we don’t?”

…

“Right now my clone will be informing the leadership of Konohagakure about what they’re getting themselves into,” you explain over lunch on the veranda with Yugito, while Fū and Karin eat further out in the courtyard before heading back upstairs to continue with their program of light taijutsu training.

“Hidan and Kakuzu,” Yugito grumbles bitterly. “I’d kill to get another shot at those two bastards.”

>Negatory. You’re staying right here, Yugito-han.
>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.
>Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a grudge against Hidan myself, same as you.
>Other?

>>4234857
>>Negatory. You’re staying right here, Yugito-han.
They capture you, all we've done is lost.

>>4234857
>>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.
We could honestly use someone with the raw power to distract Kazuku while we handle Hidan. Trying to fight the both of them at the same time seems risky even for us. Besides, we have a Hiraishin marker on her, so we ought to be able to extract her if she gets captured again.

>>4234857
>Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a grudge against Hidan myself, same as you.

>>4234857
>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.
>If they manage to catch you or harm you, everything I have done and thrown away will be for nothing.

>>4234857
>>Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a grudge against Hidan myself, same as you.
Does this mean we’re letting her join us in fighting them? Because I want to let her join in as a gesture of good faith to reciprocate her lack of escape attempts.

>>4234857
>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.

>>4234857
>>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.

>>4234857
>>If we locate them… I’ll CONSIDER letting you help, as a token of good will.
>If they manage to catch you or harm you, everything I have done and thrown away will be for nothing.

>>4234857
Gaara why the fuck did you not warm them about this lol. What a jerk.

>>4234857
“If they recapture you then all this will have been for nothing,” you sigh deeply, considering her words more seriously than you probably should. “But seriously, I get what you mean and I feel the same way about them. So if you can send a shadow clone I’ll let you join in.”

“I… don’t know the shadow clone technique,” Yugito-han admits in a low voice. "Even most jōnin in my village don't use it often aside from certain kenjutsu techniques... which I don't use."

“Well, it’s high time you learned,” you insist, finishing off your katsu and rice.

…

Tsunade-han slams her palms on the table in frustration. “I can’t believe this!”

“What you believe is irrelevant,” you remind her. “What matters is what’s true. Even I’m not sure how to kill Hidan, and Kakuzu is… something entirely inhuman.”

“Tsunade-sama,” Kakashi insists quietly. “If what she’s said is accurate, we need to at least change the orders we’ve sent out. Prioritize shadowing these two Akatsuki and regrouping before attacking.”

“You’re certain in your assessment?” Tsunade-han presses you.

“By my estimate some of your top jōnin could beat Hidan in a fair fight, but even he’d chew through chūnin like they’re not there,” you tell her sternly. “Kakuzu is going to take multiple jōnin-level opponents to beat… or me.”

Tsunade’s expression is grim. “Shizune, how quickly can we get this intel to all twenty platoons?”

“Probably by morning?” Shizune replies, uncertain. “It depends on how widely dispersed they are and whether they’re running silent or not.”

“Get it done,” Tsunade orders. “Naori-kun, how quickly can your real body join the effort?”

“I can start from here,” you tell her. “Just say the word and I can...”

There’s a loud knock from the door.

At first no one makes any move to answer, but after a few seconds of going unacknowledged the knocking grows more insistent.

“Shizune,” Tsunade-han grumbles with a scowl. “We have company. Please let them in.”

“It sounds like you know who it is?” you wonder.

“Unfortunately I expected them.”
>1/2

>>4236031
“Shimura Danzō,” Tsunade-han grumbles bitterly, eyes narrowing in distaste. “I take it the two of you are the ones who have let him off his leash?”

“Danzō is here at our request,” an old woman with an ornate hairpin and dangling earrings insists.

At her side, an old man picks up the proverbial thread. “Had you informed us of your dealings with this Akatsuki in a timelier manner we could have offered our advice.”

“Your advice is neither required nor desired,” Tsunade-han insists sternly.

“The council clearly disagrees with your assessment, Tsuna-hime,” Danzō smirks… or rather, he does so entirely with his tone of voice, so convincingly that you can practically see it with your eyes despite his careful control over his expression and the fact that half his face is covered in bandages. “In the eyes of the council, you have overstepped your authority and placed the whole village at risk by collaborating with the Akatsuki terrorists.”

The tension in the air is so thick as to be practically palpable, a sense of bad blood generations old. Everyone seems to share a common sense of despising Shimura Danzō except for the two antiques that brought him in with them.

“And what would you have me do?” Tsunade-han demands, “torture her for information?”

“I would have her interrogated, yes,” Danzō replies evenly.

“The council agrees with Shimura-san’s assessment,” the old woman agrees. “That is why we took the liberty of contacting the Daimyō.”

“You went behind my back!?” Tsunade raises her voice. “How dare you! You’d never have done something like that to Hiruzen-sensei! And what would uncle Tobirama have said?”

“Hiruzen trusted my judgment,” Danzō insists curtly.

“So much so he put you under house arrest,” Tsunade counters. “Yeah, I can really feel the trust there.”

“And you wondered why I went to Gaara-han first,” you grumble. “This is exactly what I suspected would happen.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” the old man on the council demands.

>It means Gaara has the faith of his village elders. I find YOUR lack of faith disturbing.
>If Danzō has his way there will be no cooperation, only war. A war I plan to end on MY terms.
>Danzō knows exactly what I mean. The secrets I know could destroy Konoha from the inside.
>Other?

>>4236084
>>It means Gaara has the faith of his village elders. I find YOUR lack of faith disturbing.
regardless of what happens here now, i will support you Tsanade-hime and konoha against the 2 akatsuki we spoke of.

i want to give her the informations we already have about Danzo, now that he has gone behind her back, maybe she can find more prove than just hearsay. All that is done better without him knowing or suspecting the thread.

>>4236084
>>4236089
This

>>4236089
Supporting

>>4236084
>It means Gaara has the faith of his village elders. I find YOUR lack of faith disturbing.
Supporting this >>4236089
We have information and now Tsunade has a reason to believe us more.

>>4236084
>>It means Gaara has the faith of his village elders. I find YOUR lack of faith disturbing
“And how did you intend to interrogate a shadow clone anyway? Unless you have a sharingan under that mummy getup, I doubt you’re going to get anything out of me.”

>>4236084
>It means Gaara has the faith of his village elders. I find YOUR lack of faith disturbing.
>Other: He even had the good grace to hear me out, and as such I'm now counted amongst Sunagakure's assets. I'm providing him all the intel I have on the Akatsuki. I came to Tsuna-hime to offer the same, being that you've been on such good terms with Suna, but I suppose if Konoha would prefer to squander what graces you've thusfar earned there's nothing I can do to stop you.

Make it political, hit the council where it hurts.

>>4236202
>>4236089
>>4236084
These two I support.

>>4236202
This is bit confrontational, but pissing on the council and Danzo is a good move. Supporting

>>4236236
I think confrontational is a proportionate response right now, and I'm banking on the idea that the council will be their usual selves and be more afraid and upset at the idea that one of the other villages might actually have an advantage they don't.
And without the Council's support, Danzo is effectively toothless in this particular matter. He's the best when it comes to wetworks, but when it comes to political engagement he's a mere opportunist.

Even if they don't respond like that though, I figure Tsunade will be at least a little happy that someone gave them a little shit for once. So we're not really risking her good graces.

Did Naori ever experiment much with senjutsu and fuinjutsu? I feel like we probably could have done SOMETHING more with fuinjutsu and safely sealing older jinchuuriki, but Hell if I know what. Might be distasteful, but we might be able to finally learn more from that monk if we can lay hands on a bit of his remains.

>>4236084
>>4236089
Supporting. Firing shots at Danzo will always be ever so satisfying.

>>4236333
First thing: Naoris version of edo tensei let's them have free will, he doesn't have to tell us shit
Second: Naori has been VERY careful when and to whom she did it, it would be out of character to do it for something she could find other ways to learn
Third: the sealing of tailed beasts gets more in tangled with the host and their chakra the more time has passed, and is thus harder to separate without causing damage
Fourth: the tailed beast sealed inside can very much resist the Seperation which makes the process incredibly dangerous even for younger hosts

>>4236282
I think you are correct or on right direction. The council probably doesn't like it, but they also tie Danzo's hands same time if they don't do anything. Having Danzo and Root to have a bigger reason to be against us isn't optimal, but I think Tsunade being happy is a good enough goal in short term.

>>4236084
“It means Gaara has the support of his village and the council of elders,” you tell the old man. “Whereas I find your lack of faith in Tsunade-han disturbing.”

“Wha-we lack faith?” the old woman sputters.

“Yes,” you nod, “that’s exactly right. How am I supposed to work with Konohagakure when its leaders go behind one another’s backs?”

“What do you mean?” the old man demands. “You did the same thing!”

“No,” you correct him, “to the extent Tsunade-han collaborated with me, she did so out in the open. And most of that was just what I did myself on impulse, as this will be. I intend to fight against Hidan and Kakuzu either way, with or without your help.”

“But I thought it might be nice to at least offer a proverbial olive branch first.”

“You’re right about one thing,” Danzō insists curtly. “We don’t trust you. And if Tsuna-hime had any sense she wouldn’t either.”

“I’ve made my decision,” Tsunade declares, “we wanted information directly from Akatsuki? Raishō-san has presented us an opportunity and I intend to cultivate it.”

“Then as I was saying,” you continue where you left off when Danzō and Konoha’s elders interrupted you, “give me the word and I’ll transport myself here with my team.”

…

You decide to kill some time by stopping at a barbecue place for dinner, where you get a table all to yourself. After placing your order the staff deliver a plate of seasoned meats and vegetables for you to cook over a little charcoal grill in the middle of the table.

“Is this seat taken?”

You gesture for the woman who has addressed you to sit. It takes you a moment to place her face… it’s actually one of the Konoha jōnin-sensei, Kurenai. She sits across from you.

“Unfortunately most of the people I’m close with are out chasing those two Akatsuki,” Kurenai informs you. “And here I am, about to have dinner with one.”

“Former,” you remind her. “Have you ordered?”

She shakes her head. “I just arrived.”

“Then you can have some from my plate,” you offer, “until yours arrives. Would you mind ordering some more eel in exchange?”

“That sounds fair,” Kurenai agrees.

“Good,” you nod with a small smile.

“But the wasabi octopus balls are all mine,” she declares.

“All yours.”
>1/2

>>4236569
You offer Kurenai some of your sake, though surprisingly she politely refuses.

“Funny,” you muse, “I never pinned you as the abstinent type.”

“And I never imagined you’d be as complicated as you turned out to be,” Kurenai replies, sipping on her lightly-flavored ice water. “First joining Akatsuki, then leaving them. What exactly was your motive?”

“To create a world where children like yours wouldn’t be sent off to die for their homelands,” you insist over a little cup of sake, much to Kurenai’s shock.

“How did you...”

“I didn’t,” you quickly admit. “But congratulations, Kurenai-sensei.”

“Thanks,” she muses. “Was it that obvious?”

“It was one explanation for turning down a free drink,” you shrug.

“So why are you here?” Kurenai asks you curiously.

“To offer my assistance to Tsunade-han.”

“Really?”

You nod curtly. “Yeah, though the elders don’t seem too keen.”

“So… are you really on our side this time?” she asks, still curious.

>Yes, I'm on your side.
>For the time being, maybe.
>There are no sides this time.
>Other?

>>4236639
I am where i always was, but my perspective has shifted and the shade i was enjoying turned out to to be a shadow to dark to ignore

>>4236639
>>4236656
Supporting.
In a way, Naori has never changed sides: she's always known where she stood and sometimes that aligns with others', sometimes not.

>>4236639
>>Yes, I'm on your side.

>>4236639
>>4236656
Supporting as well

>>4236656
Supporting

>>4236639
I am backing this as well >>4236656
Naori hasn't changed sides, she knows her ideals and position. It is that everyone else around him has moved.

>>4236639
>>4236656
I love the nuance here, 100% supporting.

>>4236639
>There are no sides this time.

>>4236639
>>4236656

Little shame story-wise that we had to leave Akatsuki now that I think of it.

Binged through all of SSQ yesterday, leaving Akatsuki now felt like the best choice in terms of character considering where Akatsuki was going, along with where it will end up meta wise

>>4236656
>>4236639
Support

>>4236639
“Only in a certain sense,” you admit, turning over a skewer of saucy scallops on the charcoal grill. “Seriously, is it that hard to believe I haven’t changed at all?”

“If you haven’t changed then why?” Kurenai asks you. “Why join the Akatsuki only to leave it again like this? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Of course it wouldn’t,” you reply, turning the scallops again to keep them from burning. “Assuming you, like most shinobi in the major villages, turn a blind eye to what’s sometimes done in your interest.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” you insist sternly. “If Akatsuki held itself to the standards I thought they shared when I joined, I would never have left and we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about it. But I couldn’t keep turning a blind eye to the fact that I was wrong.”

“I’m not like you people.”

“Like us?” Kurenai scowls… apparently you touched a nerve. “You mean like our ANBU?”

You lean across the table. “Look me in my good eye and tell me you truly believe anything is justified for the sake of your own people.”

“I’m in no mood to play games,” Kurenai insists.

“Because you know that if you admit it you’re just as bad as you say Akatsuki is,” you glare at her across the scallops. “You really want to know why I left Akatsuki when I did? It’s because I quit deluding myself into thinking that having a worthy goal makes me the good guy regardless of how I pursue it.”

You put some coins on the table and stand up.

“What are you doing?” Kurenai asks you. “My order’s still not...”

“I’ve lost my appetite,” you tell her curtly. “If you’ll excuse me.”

…

It was a lie, of course.

You’re still feeling a little hungry, you’re just in a mood to be left alone rather than continue grappling with the dark side of the shinobi world, the fact that even regular missions often demand lethal force. And that’s not even touching the assassinations, the wars and conquests, the thuggery-for-hire. Some of that you even engaged in yourself as part of Akatsuki… sure, most of the victims deserved it. But maybe not all.
>1d6, taking the third roll

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4237801

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4237801

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4237801

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>>4237801
For some reason, you find that your feet have carried you to Ichiraku.

It’s a bit late in the evening for it to be busy, so the corner stool is open for you to sit atop, waiting patiently for your order of tonkotsu ramen. You can tell that Ayame and her father still recognize you, but they keep quiet, only asking your order and so on.

The most uncomfortable thing is you’re not sure why you got as angry with Kurenai-sensei as you did. Part of it is certainly your frustration at all the lingering mistrust… these are people who for the most part didn’t understand you in the first place, let alone what you’ve done since the chūnin exams. But a part of it also has to be a feeling that you’ve earned that skepticism during the time you were ‘deluding yourself’, as you said.

It isn’t that joining Akatsuki was a mistake. You still have to admit that you believe in what you thought Akatsuki stood for, what according to your mother and to Konan-sensei they once did stand for. But there must have been signs of the problems that led you to leave. Had you only noticed sooner, had you acted more decisively from the beginning, then maybe…

“Are you okay?”

Ayame almost startles you when she speaks.

“You’re not eating.”

>It’s fine. I’m just a bit preoccupied at the moment.
>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?
>I’m not okay, but it’s my problem to solve. Thanks for the concern.
>Other?

>>4237854
>>It’s fine. I’m just a bit preoccupied at the moment.

>>4237854
>I’m not okay, but it’s my problem to solve. Thanks for the concern.

>>4237854
>I’m not okay, but it’s my problem to solve. Thanks for the concern.

>>4237854
>I’m not okay, but it’s my problem to solve. Thanks for the concern.

>>4237854
>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do? Please don't answer, because it's my problem to solve, but thank you for the concern.

>>4237854
>>It’s fine. I’m just a bit preoccupied at the moment.
>>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

>>4237854
>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?
Get the point of view of a civilian about all of this.

>>4237854
>I’m not okay, but it’s my problem to solve. Thanks for the concern.
>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

>>4237854
>>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

>>4237854
>>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

This sounds like subversive dialogue liable to get her and her father black bagged late at night. Kidding aside, I’m interested in what advice she could give.

>>4237854
>>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

>>4237854
>How much do you REALLY know about what shinobi do?

>>4237854
>Am I a bad person?

>>4237854
“Ayame-han,” you muse quietly into your ramen, “how much do you know about the shinobi world?”

After her initial surprise wears off, she immediately moves to deflect. “I… I have no idea why you’d ask me of all people… I’m not even a shinobi...”

“That’s exactly why,” you insist in a low tone, taking a sip at the brothy noodles. “Because you’re not a shinobi, you wouldn’t have been raised to think like a shinobi, especially not about questions like this one. That’s part of why I enjoy chatting with you, Ayame-han… it’s refreshing.”

“So please, your honest thoughts.”

“Well...” she muses, “I don’t know that much, just that anyone ranked chūnin or above goes on more dangerous missions. I also know that a lot of the funds that come into Konoha are to retain our shinobi for times of war.”

“… and?” you press gently. “What do you know about our typical missions?”

“Genin do all kinds of missions… don’t they?” she begins. “But sometimes, there are… other missions.”

“Assassinations,” you fill in her deliberate blank. “Espionage. Kidnapping. Theft. Spying on and betraying allies. Secretly helping enemies.”

Ayame refuses to make eye contact. “I… don’t really think about it too often. I guess I’ve always known that was a part of it.”

“It is, has been, and honestly?” you muse. “It may always be.”

“You sound upset about that.”

“I am, a little,” you admit. “That’s what’s been bothering me lately.”

“So… why do shinobi do things like that?” Ayame asks you. “I want to hear what a shinobi at your level has to say.”

“Loyalty to their villages, or to their clans,” you shrug. “Or for the money. Anyways, it’s easy to think that the ends will always justify the means if you believe in what you’re doing hard enough. Case in point, Akatsuki’s leadership has been resorting to means that betray their ends. That was something I can no longer support.”

“And tomorrow, I’ll be fighting against them for the first time.”

“No wonder it bothers you,” Ayame muses quietly.

“It’s not that,” you admit. “Actually, I’ve been itching to fight these two jerks for a while now. What I’m not thrilled about is that I helped things to reach this point, all the while believing that I was doing the right thing.”

“Well, speaking as the daughter of a ramen chef,” Ayame muses, “I wouldn’t trust anyone who couldn’t admit they were wrong.”
>1/2

>>4238108
“So cheer up, Naori-san. You’ll always have a space open here.”

“Thanks,” you nod politely. “I’m glad to hear that… because I still need a place to sleep. It’s going to be a tough fight, so I could turn in early.”

Ayame fishes a keyring out of her apron. “Here. Feel free to let yourself in, I promise my dad and I can keep quiet when we come in.”

“I appreciate it,” you smile. “Oh, and I’ll also take a cup of coffee.”

Ayame looks at you in confusion. “I thought you were going to bed early?”

“I am,” you muse playfully. “I have a plan for this.”

…

As you pass the hedges in front of the next storefront over, you set the coffee cup down on the edge of the wooden planter.

“Hey, ANBU,” you declare with a smirk. “I’m turning in early, so no more free entertainment from me. If you plan to stay awake you’re going to need this.”

The ANBU who has been shadowing you doesn’t say anything, but when you glance over your shoulder he’s taken the cup.

>1d6, high roll
>taking the first three

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4238118

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4238118

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4238118

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4238118

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4238118

>>4238118
The next morning, Tsunade finds you already in her office, seated on the corner of her desk. She doesn’t really respond, at least not at first, settling behind her desk and getting to work.

“Don’t you have anything better to be doing?” she eventually asks you.

You shrug. “Not really. I assume you had further arguments with the elders?”

“No worse than your argument with Kurenai.”

You sigh. “So you heard about that.”

“I did,” she admits. “From her.”

“I… don’t disagree with what I said to her,” you admit. “Any of it. But I do regret how I went about saying it. I would… appreciate if you would convey my apologies.”

“I’ll do that,” Tsunade-han replies politely.

…

The news comes some time around lunch.

“We have word from all the teams!” Shizune declares. “They’ve been deployed assuming the Akatsuki will be collecting a bounty placed on Chiriku-dono.”

“Raishō-san,” Tsunade addresses you. “What do you know about this?”

“I only know one of Kakuzu’s bounty agents,” you explain. “Zangei. I don’t know about any of the other bounty stations in the Land of Fire. Can you help me find the others?”

Tsunade gestures to Shizune. “Please, give her the details she needs to know.”

Shizune quickly produces a map for you.

>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.
>Head straight to Zangei’s station together with shadow clones of Karin and Fū.
>Other?

>>4238271
>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.

>>4238271
>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.
Can we have each clone with a hiraishin marking so we can teleport to it?

>>4238271
>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.

>>4238271
>Head straight to Zangei’s station together with shadow clones of Karin and Fū.
>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.

Head to Zangei's station by yourself and our allies as it is the most probable location due to I presume that Zangei has the means of getting Chirikus bounty money quickly. But if Hidan and Kuzaku don't go there we send the shadow clones to scout other locations as precaution. While this means that we split Naoris chakra once, weakening us for the coming battle, we can scout all the locations quickly. With >>4238302 idea of hiraishin use, when the target is found that clone can leave the hiraishin marker nearby and dispel itself so that we know where to transport ourselves and our allies. This way we can watch all locations and react super quickly.

>>4238271
>>Use shadow clones to scout all of the bounty stations simultaneously.

>>4238271
>>4238302
support

>>4238271
What did we roll on?

>>4238271
>>4238302
>>4238320
Supporting

>>4238397
Likely the level and accuracy of intel

>>4238271
>1d6, DC 10
>taking the first three

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4239303

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4239303

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4239303

>>4239303
You rush a series of shadow clones into the field, and wait to hear back when one finds something of note. But your reasonable concern is that even with Hiraishin this information may come too late…

…

You are Raishō Naori, yes, the real Raishō Naori, her mind flooded by images and memories of checking eight different bounty stations at once. Of course the one Kakuzu went to was Zangei’s… it can’t be easy to cultivate relationships as a known S-rank criminal, so once you have a contact you can rely on why change your pattern of behavior? It’s easy to blame yourself, even if you’re well aware that you made all the technically correct decisions getting to this point.

Your real body and three shadow clones arrive at Zangei’s bounty station with not a moment to spare.

A flying kick knocks Hidan out of his ritual circle, and also causes a fair bit of blood to spray from Asuma-sensei’s lungs… he must have taken a lot of internal damage already, but you probably just managed to sneak in that blow before Hidan finished him off. The burns on his arms suggest that Hidan’s been toying with him for a while already.

“Whew!” you breathe a sigh of relief. “Looks like we made it just in time!”

Konoha’s team look completely nonplussed.

“What the hell was that for, you dumb bitch!?” Hidan shouts. “You went and ruined the whole freakin’ ritual!”

“Calm down, Hidan...” Kakuzu begins.

“Screw you!” Hidan shouts. “All I’m tryin’ to do here is have a good, clean ritual to praise Lord Jashin, and then this crazy firecrotch bitch has to swoop in and interrupt right at the climax! Do you have any idea how blue my balls are right now, Kakuzu!? Huh!? Do you!?”

“Are you finished now?” Kakuzu asks calmly.

Hidan pants for a few seconds while your team regroups. “Yeah… yeah. Hooboy, I feel a lot better!”

“Then quit with the hysterics,” Kakuzu insists sternly. “The situation has just changed dramatically.”

You tap into the communication seal markings to give your orders to the teammates behind you, envisioning how this battle is likely to unfold. Odds are good it’s going to be the first real challenge to you in a long time, so you start with your sharingan unsealed and ready.
>1/2

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180 KB JPG

>>4239348
Izumo and Kotetsu are in the middle of having their throats crushed by Kakuzu’s iron grip, and Hidan has already begun his ritual with Asuma as the intended victim. At the moment the only one who’s not in mortal danger is Shikamaru, who’s basically dry on chakra. Basically, none of the Konoha shinobi are going to be any help, and three of them will need rescue.

[Karin, in the back. Sensory ninjutsu and terrain support.]

She takes a flying leap back and forms a hand seal to follow your order and replying through wave transmission. [Done!]

[Fū, wings!]

You can hear a slight buzz as Fū’s copy of Chōmei’s wings lifts her up off the ground. [You got it!]

>Have Karin use her Bottomless Swamp technique to prevent Hidan from drawing a new circle.
>Focus on keeping Hidan busy, assign Fū and Yugito to help Karin gather intel on Kakuzu.
>Fū and Yugito can keep Hidan busy while you rescue Izumo and Kotetsu. Karin will observe.
>Other?

>>4239361
>>Have Karin use her Bottomless Swamp technique to prevent Hidan from drawing a new circle.

>>4239361
>>Have Karin use her Bottomless Swamp technique to prevent Hidan from drawing a new circle.

>>4239361
>>Have Karin use her Bottomless Swamp technique to prevent Hidan from drawing a new circle.
>Fu and Yugito focus on distracting Kakuzu while the Konoha ninja regroup.

Can Karin use bottomless swamp to submerge Hidan, then use her Fire Breathing Crane to harden the ground and immobilize him? We know he's basically immortal, but can't really use any elemental ninjutsu to our knowledge, so his only way out of that is brute force or Kakuzu. We're the only one fast enough to keep Hidan from cutting us up if he somehow has a way to make a circle even through the mud, which it would irresponsible to assume is impossible.

We only need to stall until enough backup arrives that Kakuzu either retreats, in which case we can outrun him, or there's enough of us he can't effectively counterattack.

>>4239369
>>4239361
I like this idea, she can try the second part if he gets caught, but should prioritice making sure he can't make a circle

>>4239361
Supporting this >>4239369

>>4239361
>>4239369

Supporting this

>>4239369
Fuck, I forgot that that would hit asuma as well
It won't work that way

>>4239369
>>4239387
Assuming we can do it in such a way that Asuma won't get hit, then I'll support it.

>>4239387
>>4239462
As long as hidan isn't in the circle the connection between him and asuma is broken.
As soon as karin disrupts the terrain he won't even have a circle to enter, at which point we can bind him with kongo fusa and inject him with nature energy, turning him to stone. Shatter his statue and he's dead as dead gets.

>>4239467
Sounds right to me.

>>4239467
If that's a thing, that's a MUCH better plan than mine. Alive or dead, if he's petrified, he aint sacrificing anyone. Then again, if that's how that works, I can't help but think it's gonna be dangerous as hell for us otherwise any ninja that gets in close contact with us is just insta-dead and we just...win unless they are also a sage in some capacity?

>>4239508
Not to mention doing that in front of Konoha will mark us as the single most dangerous ninja currently living in anything resembling a fair fight. They'll be gunning for us the instant akatsuki is not a problem.

>>4239515
we might get a flee on sight classification.

>>4239508
>>4239515

Is that not why "sage" is such a huge deal to begin with?

Regardless, consider that we've already done this in front of Naruto once before when the sky ninja invaded, and we explicitly told Ino back in the bathhouse it's why she shouldn't ever try to invade our head while in Sage mode or it'd kill us both.

Pretty sure it's not much of a secret, but feel free to correct me on that if I'm wrong.

>>4239546
I can confirm your second part, but injecting people with nature Chakra isn't a thing, only hyuuga can do it in a similar fashion as was described

>>4239546
I think we got away with it because someone was actively sapping our chakra when we just swapped to nature mode.

>>4239623
>>4239553
Yeah that movie villain was draining our chakra. While we can't really inject chakra fast enough, could we through some medical jutsu do it much slower. Not the most optimal way, but it could have some applications outside of fast paced combat.

I think it is a trick. More importantly the time we have should be concentrated on perfecting Hiraishin and collecting info on Akatsuki.

>>4239467
Beyond trying to petrify...has anyone tried to ensnare Hidan in a genjutsu before? Our mangekyo doesn't have tsukuyomi but just sharingan-casted genjutsu are annoying to get out of.
Am also curious how amaterasu would react with Hidan, but our mango doesn't have that either.

And Karin doesn't have the sealing chains, but how would her attacking chains hold up against Kakuzu's threads? Gonna be an interesting fight.

>>4239361
After letting myself get carried away on my afternoon jog and doing an accidental half-marathon, I'm way too tired to do an update right now. So I'll start the battle tomorrow morning.

>>4239796
Yea, they are both pretty unconcerned by physical harm. Alternatives should be used.

>>4240002
I admire your enthusiasm.

So, in lieu of an update: how about addressing the question of Akatsuki, Naori's relationship with them, and what they are likely to do now.

I'm mad dense, or maybe autistic and a stickler for details, but what precisely is the reason she betrayed Akatsuki? Don't flip out just yet, that's not the whinging nitpick that it sounds like at first blush. And I'm not suggesting there's no good answer.

But near as I can reckon: like it or not, Akatsuki was a very powerful and efficient force for affecting change in the shinobi world that wasn't tied to any one nation's interests. They were the best chance of toppling the status quo, a goal Naori seemed strongly committed to, yet gave up on. Why? Did she give up too easily? Does she see Akatsuki as worse than the great nations now?

If I had to answer my own first question, I'd say it's because she grew disillusioned with their methods and lost hope that she could change things in Akatsuki--a situation exacerbated by Tobi.

But I'm still perplexed by the rest. She has good reason to hate and distrust the shinobi nations, and the feeling is mutual. She knows that they all contain plenty of butchers and bullies and self-serving, power-hungry zealots that do things in the same vein as Hidan--or worse. Only difference is now she has less involvement.

Anyhow, the fact is Akatsuki isn't done with her yet. She put herself pretty high on Pain's priorities with the 2 tails. Unless she plans to figure out a way to safely extract and seal it, she probably isn't going to give them what they want either. Sounded impossible.

I dunno, maybe if she reverse summons herself to the forest again and uses shadow clones to rapidly research some new uber senjutsu method to do it using copious amounts of natural energy, but that's all I got.

Thoughts?

>>4239361
[Karin, mud!]

You unfurl your paper wings and send chakra to your legs as somewhere behind you Karin weaves the signs for her technique.

“Doton: Sokonashi Numa!”

The ground beneath your feet turns to mud, only your feet aren’t touching that ground anymore. Fū heads straight for Hidan, whose feet sink in almost immediately up to his ankles. Thinking quickly he thrusts his scythe into the ground and uses his upper body strength to pull himself free, then kicks off the scythe’s handle. Fū overshoots, and has to flip midair to change directions and chase him as Hidan vaults towards the roof of the bounty station, trailing a cable behind him.

Fū grabs onto the cable to try stopping him, only to find him adding his own strength to the cable’s own retraction mechanism, pulling her towards him with the scythe working itself free of the mud behind her. So she rolls out of the way and lands lightly on the rooftop, with Yugito’s shadow clone flanking Hidan together with her.

“Hey, hey, isn’t this a bit much?” Hidan muses at his situation.

Meanwhile you’ve fallen on Kakuzu, who’s forced to throw Kotetsu and Izumo aside and defend himself, hardening his arms. As you’ve done so, Shikamaru has taken a wide route around the mud and thrown a kunai on a cable, which Asuma-sensei managed to grab onto.

[He’s using earth release!] Karin informs you through the seal link. [But that’s not all he’s got!]

As Shikamaru pulls his sensei across the top of the mud, just a few feet to the edge where the ground becomes solid again, you withdraw with a powerful beat of your paper tag wings. Several of the ‘feathers’ come free as you take skyward, briefly illuminating before exploding all around Kakuzu.

Having flash-hardened the mud around him, you weave hand seals.

Kakuzu’s body rips apart at the seams, two pairs of masks rising up behind his shoulders as hair-like tendrils emerge from his mouth, elbows, wrists… pretty much everywhere. Like a cheap doll whose stuffing is coming out.

“Kasukēda!”

As the surge of water bears down on him from on high, Kakuzu counters. “Kimen no Bakuen!”

Two of the masks’ mouths open, and they fire two blasts at you which swiftly merge. One wind, and one fire which feeds off the wind. The power of the blast is enough to completely vaporize your water release attack. Luckily, you never intended to be there to take the blow.

One of the tags, one which Kakuzu didn’t notice, didn’t explode, instead adhering to the ground behind him where he failed to consider it. And it’s to that tag that your hand seals were meant to teleport you.
>1d6, best of three
>high roll

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4240923

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4240923

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4240923

>>4240923
You were already prepared to use lightning chakra flow through Umekiri’s blade, and so against Kakuzu’s earth-hardened arm, there’s not much resistance. His arm comes off without any real effort on your part, a clean cut.

Your second cut nearly takes off his whole upper torso, but somehow he manages to move quickly enough to prevent that.

“Too shallow,” you mutter, bringing your blade up to hira-seigan, blade held flat and aimed for a thrust.

You’re caught off your guard for a moment as the tendrils extend from Kakuzu’s stump and head straight for you… sidestepping reveals his true intentions, as the tendrils extending from stump and severed limb meet, and he retracts his hand. So cutting him apart is pointless… that’s good to know. You’re actually glad that you stepped aside and let it happen, since you now know better than to waste your time with anything short of a lethal strike.

[The masks!] Karin insists through the link. [Aim for the masks! Each has a unique chakra signature!]

Ah, so that’s it… the masks each contain a human heart, attuned to a different element. One uses fire transformation, one uses wind, the other two must use water and lightning, while Kakuzu’s own body is earth. They’re even conveniently color-coded, with the fire heart featuring a tiger-like face with red lips, the wind heart having a beak and teal-colored markings, and the other having dark blue and yellow markings. Those must be water and lightning, respectively.

You knew he was skilled before, and immensely durable, but now you know why… and that information gives you the beginnings of a plan to defeat him. Especially useful is your new ability to anticipate which nature he’s about to use against you.

“Sage mode?” Kakuzu muses as the nature energy you’ve had Umekiri gathering finally produces a noticeable effect. “It’s been a long time since I faced a sage… not since… Senju Hashirama, I believe it was.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?” you smirk. “So you name-dropped a kage. Good for you.”

There’s a powerful crash as Yugito’s clone becomes Matatabi…

“Wait, what!?” you realize aloud.

“You seem distracted!” Kakuzu crows, already preparing to use that fire-wind hybrid attack.

“As if!” you counter.

… he’s aiming it not at you, but at Shikamaru, Asuma, and the chūnin, where they’ve rallied away from the battle and have begun emergency medical treatment of Asuma’s wounds.

>Counter it with Ranton: Rekuyemu. At worst you can expect a massive, but indecisive, blast where they meet.
>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.
>Other?

>>4240931
>>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.

>>4240931
>>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.

>>4240931
>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.

We need to get the Konoha-nin away from here ASAP, otherwise they are just targets for Kakuzu and Hidan.

>>4240931
>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.

>>4240592
>But I'm still perplexed by the rest.
She has people that she actually likes within some of those nations too. She's been suffering lately from having to run up against the fact that many of them still think she's basically a sith lord, even though in her mind she was always on their side and going out of her way for their well being.
On the other hand, many of the people who really did get along with her back in the Akatsuki are legitimately that evil, and it briefly made her question what kind of person she really is.

>>4240931
>Use your Kongō Fūsa to erect a barrier around the Konoha-nin. That ought to protect them more reliably.

>>4240967
I guess the fact that she has friends who were legitimately hurt by Akatsuki matters. Their loss. Too much pointless, casual cruelty has cost Akatsuki its sage.

She's gotten in touch with her inner Sakura and decided that putting some kind of greater good ahead of her own feelings and the people she cares about just isn't for her. Making good people suffer for a good cause isn't her 'nindo' or whatever it was called.

Wonder if Naori will be a bit less haughty to Sakura now.

>>4241012
>Wonder if Naori will be a bit less haughty to Sakura now.
Never.

>>4241039
I expected that answer

>>4240931
>1d6, best three of four
>high roll

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4241156

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4241156

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4241156

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4241156

>>4241156
Your body moves swiftly… it would be so much easier if you could use Hiraishin to get there, but that’s out of the question. Ironically, the technique required for you to arrive there instantly is too slow at least for the time being. But with your senjutsu enhanced speed you’re fast enough to get where you need to go and erect a barrier using your Kongō Fūsa.

“I’ve got this!” you assure the Konoha-nin as the world explodes around your barrier.

[Below you!] Karin’s clone practically shouts in your ear… but the warning is too vague, and gives you too little time to realize what Kakuzu is really up to.

His tendrils explode from the ground, directly underneath Asuma’s body, and as the blast outside dissipates the tendrils lash about the inside of the dome you erected. You’re able to protect Shikamaru and the other chūnin, as well as yourself, by breaking down the barrier and using the Kongō Fūsa. But the surprise attack from below succeeds in melding with Asuma, fusing with his back… right over where his heart should be.

“Nobody move,” Kakuzu orders as even Hidan’s fight with Matatabi and Fū’s clones pauses…. Hidan having come off worse for wear in that matchup even despite his opponents’ due caution to avoid being dispelled.

“If anyone moves, Sarutobi Asuma dies,” Kakuzu declares.

You realize what has just happened. “Ah, I get it now. How much is on his head, Kakuzu? Twenty? Thirty?”

After a moment, Kakuzu chuckles. “Thirty-five. I’ll also thank you for leaping into action… had you not been so reliable the bounty-head might have been lost. It was a gamble that paid off.”

“You used that blast as a diversion,” you realize. “You played me because you knew you couldn’t win a fair fight.”

“Sage Mode is hardly what I’d call fair,” Kakuzu retorts. “I learned that the only way to fight against it is to create an advantage… a lesson I learned before you were even born.”

“Shadow brat,” Kakuzu orders, obviously speaking to Shikamaru. “Restrain her, or I’ll pull your precious sensei’s heart right out of his body.”

“Don’t listen to him, Shikamaru,” you counter, never taking eyes off Kakuzu even for an instant. “He’ll kill Asuma-han either way, but if we work together...”

“I’m already wrapped around his heart,” Kakuzu smirks, doing something inside Asuma’s chest cavity that makes the exhausted jōnin cry out in agony. “There’s no chance. Not even this half-baked Sage can save his life.”

“Your only choice is to do as I say.”

>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.
>Prepare to attack the second Shikamaru’s resolve breaks, which you think it will.
>Attack the tendrils now, see if you can take away Kakuzu’s bargaining chip.
>Other?

>>4241212
>trust shikamaru
He has shown great judgment in the past, it was the reason we thought him a better candidate for chunin than us

>>4241212
>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.

>>4241212
>>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.

damn we suck

>>4241212
>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.

Shikamaru is a smart kid, he is probably going to invent a way to defeat Kakuzu and hopefully saving Asuma with us being his weapon. Still we should prepare to use all of our skills against Kakuzu, he is the most dangerous enemy we have faced ever.

>>4241212
>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.

>>4241212
>>Trust Shikamaru to do the right thing, even if he seems to be wavering.

It amuses me that apparently we have the opposite problem Minato had with hiraishin versus sage mode. Is it really just a matter of which you get first and how that impacts your cost analysis?

>>4241223
>>4241250
Y'know, I was actually kind of afraid we'd be depriving Shikamaru of his git gud moment. Without Asuma dying, who knows if he steps up to his full potential?

>>4241212
>1d6, DC 9
>taking the first three

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4241641

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4241641
Hoping for a chance to use time stop eye.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4241641

>>4241212
You place your trust in Shikamaru to do the right thing. You know that he’s the calm, analytical type, he knows full well the sort of situation he’s in and he knows that what you’re saying is right. There’s no way he’d simply take Kakuzu at his word knowing that there’s a thirty-five million ryō bounty in it for him if he simply lies. As hard as it is on him, he has to know that the only chance to save his sensei’s life is to trust you.

You quickly realize that your trust has been placed with a desperate young man... perhaps even misplaced... as his shadow extends towards you.

It’s difficult to wait, knowing that at this moment Kakuzu is preparing to kill you the moment Shikamaru traps you with his shadow possession technique, but wait you must. If this is going to work, and you’re going to have anything resembling a chance of saving Asuma-han’s life, you can’t let anyone know what you’re preparing to do.

In the last possible moment before Shikamaru catches you, both he and Kakuzu are watching a genjutsu copy of your body thanks to the yin-transformed chakra that was flowing through Umekiri’s blade, an action you could achieve without moving a muscle. As Shikamaru begins to realize what Kakuzu was planning, that he has in essence been complicit in your murder, you’re already springing towards your former Akatsuki ally. Kakuzu meanwhile has attacked your afterimage, much faster than Shikamaru’s attempt to pin you down.

As Kakuzu realizes that his hand, propelled forward at high speed and trailing tendrils, has made no physical contact after all, he must begin to feel your blade severing the tendrils holding Asuma-han by his heart. By that point it’s already too late: all illusions are dispelled and Asuma slumps over your shoulder.

“Tch...” Kakuzu scoffs derisively. “Hidan, we’re leaving.”

Two blasts of smoke cover a pair of simultaneous withdrawals via shunshin. It takes you a second to use your sharingan to confirm that there’s no genjutsu at work here.

“Naori-san...” Shikamaru mutters, realizing now the scope of what he just tried to do as you lay his sensei on the ground next to him, your evasion having covered that distance.

“I...”

You don’t let him finish, instead backhanding him across the face. You’re disappointed, and you make no effort to hide it even as the nearest Konoha team finally arrives on site… Chōji, Ino, and two Tokujō, Raido and one other you don’t know at all.

“You wanna chase them?” Fū asks.

>No. Hidan and Kakuzu will want to lay low for now, giving Konoha’s forces a chance to regroup.
>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.
>Other?

>>4241788
>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

>>4241788
>>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

A village full of jobber, let’s just cut our ties and work full time with Suna. Anyone with talent apparently had died last generation

>>4241788
>>No. Hidan and Kakuzu will want to lay low for now, giving Konoha’s forces a chance to regroup.

>>4241788
>>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

>>4241788
>>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

Konoha continues to be a hot mess of emotional hot buttons. Danzo... has a very infinitesimally small point about leaf ninja being overly emotionally compromised.

>>4241788
>>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

Is Asuma going to die because of his injuries if we leave them?

>>4241818
He's not dead yet, and I think it'd be perfectly in character to have Karin's shadow clone remain behind. After all, it's not like Naori can't get access to immediate medical treatment even if said clone isn't along for this bit.

Oh, I thought he was going to let his shadow extend to us, pretend to complete the possession, and then when Kakuzu moved in to attack us he would be possessed instead.

>>4241919
I thought he would do the same, but his guilty reaction after suggested that he was just too strung out by the hostage situation to make a characteristically good decision.

>>4241039
Oof, the Sakura hate is real.

It's a shame that people hating her for being useless was why Kishimoto was scared to spend any time in the manga fleshing her out. Reason why we still know nothing about her family. She might have finally gotten good. But, to be fair, that's not likely.

Only good thing about Boruto is that kunoichi aren't all guaranteed jobbers only capable of winning against each other.

>>4241788
>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

>>4241788
Yeesh, Naori's not hangin' around
>>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

also here's to hoping the whole "ex-Ame ex-Akatsuki nin got betrayed by a treehugger nin" thing makes Shikamaru step up the way Asuma's death made him in canon.

Poor Tsuna-han is just surrounded by disappointments.

>>4241788
>Yes. Without the Konoha-nin getting in our way, we have a chance to take them down.

Uh oh, we should have expected this. Shikamaru was mostly out of chakra already and the Konoha-nin put their comrades ahead of mission. Still it will be interesting how Shikamaru will handle this event later on as he is going to analyze shit out of this. I kinda want to talk to Shikamaru after this mission is over.

>>4242538
tbf, "the super powerful kunoichi that was dangerous all along went with the terrorists and then switched sides to be nice with us" is a tough story to swollow in a paranoid world with to many sides

Said Kunoichi always opt for the non lethal option against you and your village, and now you just show her you’d throw her under the bus at the first possible opportunity

Gonna be fun being a konoha-nin with the knowledge that you are a likely reason why your village is on a sage with hiraishin’s shitlist, worked pretty well on Iwa

>>4242620
Actually, Konohagakure the village was always on Naori's shitlist, since they were largely responsible for what happened to her homeland and for her father's death and for Akatsuki turning evil. Also, it's uncertain but not unlikely that they gassed Tenran too.

The only] reason IC that Naori's never sought revenge is that you've typically opted to play her as someone far too conscientious for the collective guilt game.

Which isn't to say that strangling Danzo herself would be off the table, if it were possible to do so without consequence.

>>4242641
Yeah we tend to play Naori such that she's after the institution and those shaping it rather than those caught up like gears or wound-up toys.

Probably contributes to her frustration that so many people don't give her the same consideration: they don't separate how she has to act to fulfill her goals/stand by her principles with what she would like to do. Not even getting into how short-sighted, one-dimensional, and small-picture everyone tends to think.

>>4242651
agreed, I think the chunin exams and her interactions with actually pretty decent people, the attack on konoha after it and her choice regarding gaara who could be considered a WMD are what shaped her opinions and ideas the most.

>>4241788
“Karin, stay with him,” you insist sternly. “Fū, Yugito, we’re going after them.”

“Right!” Fū nods curtly. “I’m with you.”

You quickly create two shadow clones: one immediately sets off towards Konohagakure as fast as she can, the other remains with Karin’s shadow clone, taking a seat on a rock by the side of the road.

“Maybe now we can get something done,” you mutter angrily, before heading off after Hidan and Kakuzu.

As you follow their trail, you make some preparations. You create three more shadow clones and transform them into paper tags, shaping them into a part of your paper wings, and prepare a handful of kuchiyose-formula marked paper shuriken to seal into the raikō kenka markings on your left palm. After your brief engagement the order of battle should be clear.

“I want both of you to hang back at first,” you tell Fū and Yugito’s clones.

“Why?” Yugito demands. “Don’t you think we can handle it?”

“It’s not that,” you assure her. “My opening move relies on a predictable response. Once Hidan is out of the picture, feel free to join me in taking down Kakuzu.”

“Okay, Nakkun!” Fū agrees.

…

“Is he going to be...” Shikamaru begins to ask as Ino and Karin’s shadow clone work to stabilize Asuma.

“Shut up and let us work,” Karin snaps. “The sound of your voice is pissing me off… how's the pericardial tissue?”

Ino shakes her head. “There’s trauma, but the bleeding isn’t as bad as the lungs.”

“We’ll start treatment there,” Karin declares. “Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Ino nods. “But what about the spinal column?”

“There’s nothing we can do about that,” Karin decides. “Keep him still… the left lung is too mangled, let’s cut our losses and focus on saving the right.”

“I was thinking the same,” Ino agrees. “Once I staunch the bleeding, can you focus on the pericardium?”

“The heart is still working, but without oxygen from the lungs he’ll slip into a coma,” Karin insists. “The pericardium and the bowels can wait.”

Shikamaru has taken several steps away from where his sensei’s life is hanging in the balance, and abruptly realizes how close he’s wandered to your shadow clone.
>1/2

>>4242719
“How did things get this messed-up...” he mutters, still in a walking daze.

“I understand why you did what you did,” you tell him quietly, “and if it were my sensei I’d be upset too. I understand, but for now… stay away from me, Shikamaru.”

...

“We’ll be on them in a few minutes,” you declare. “You ready?”

“The moment his head drops,” Yugito confirms.

“Good,” you nod curtly. “If you ever wanted to see a sage go all-out, now’s your chance.”

>1d6, DC 10
>taking the first three

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4242725

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4242725

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4242725

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>4242725

>>4242725
>SP: 6/6
>ES: 0/2

So you have the following options:
>Spend 2SP to pass
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass
>Take 2ES to pass
>Accept the fail

>>4242739
>>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>4242739
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>4242739
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>4242739
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>4242740
>>4242742
>>4242743
>>4242744
>>4242747
>>4242739
What they said

>>4242739
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

Using the eye is now preferable so that we can get Hidan out of action as fast as possible.

>>4242739
>Spend 1SP and take 1ES to pass

>>4242739
>SP: 5/6
>ES: 1/2 (2T)
You catch up with Hidan and Kakuzu in a small clearing, somewhere off the main road from Konohagakure into the Land of Grass.

The first thing you do is throw the summoning shuriken, alongside paper ‘feathers’ folded and hardened from your wings… these include the ones that are secretly shadow clones. The shuriken all miss, veering wide but drawing Hidan’s attention before they land just beyond the edge of the forest behind him. And in that moment, Hidan catches your eye.

Bound by a genjutsu he finds himself surrounded by paper feather-blades, three of which burst into shadow clones. One parries the extended fist Kakuzu uses to try and disrupt your coordinated attack, one pins a kodachi with Umekiri’s exact form and appearance through Hidan’s right wrist, causing his scythe to stop where it is, and the third appearing behind him with a graceful midair turn.

Mere seconds into the fight, one of your clones is already sealing Hidan’s severed head into a sealing tag while you’re weaving the hand seals for stage two of your fight.

“Kuchiyose: Nyoka!”

A burst of smoke alerts Kakuzu to your plan.

“Killing Hidan was the distraction?” he realizes with wide eyes. “So you could perform your summoning?”

“What was that you said about creating advantages?” you smirk. “You should feel honored I’ve taken your advice, Kakuzu senpai”

The shadow clone with the sealing tag that now contains Hidan’s head uses hiraishin to disappear from the battlefield, and a few moments later you have the memory of her handing that tag to the real Fū back at your hideout in the Land of Hot Water.

“And now it seems I’ve been outnumbered,” Kakuzu muses, before splitting open again. This time the Fire and Wind masks appear at his left and right shoulder, respectively, while his body rather forcibly ejects the Water and Lightning, which form large, shambling bodies from the hairlike tendrils which fill Kakuzu’s body.

“Let’s try and even the odds a little, shall we?”

Yugito takes a position at your side. “I can transform into Matatabi one more time.”

>No. I want you and Fū to back each other up, and remain small, evasive targets. The more we split his attention the better.
>Do it. Fū and I will support you as best as we can for as long as we can.
>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body.
>Other?

>>4242789
>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body.
It's good to have friends.

>>4242789
>>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body.

>>4242789
>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body. And remember, don't go and die.

Giving Fū and Yugito a chance to have some form of revenge is good, but if their clones end up getting popped, it does not do anything good so remind of them of that.

>>4242794
>>4242789
Agreed, they have stay conscious of that
As well as dispelling themselves if theyou get caught or similar

>>4242789
>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body.

>>4242789
>>Do it. Each of you pick a heart and keep it occupied, I’ll take his main body.

>>4242641
In that case, can we just stop bothering to be in konoha’s orbit? I get that people are comfy in familiar blanket of canon information and knowledge, but we’re really getting to the point where it’s far more in character to just fucking cut our losses and not associate ourselves with Konoha-nin aside from....Itachi?

>>4242991
Danzo is there, and part of all this is to get credibility to pass of the information we have on him, so that something can be done about him

>>4242991
Have to agree with >>4243077
Danzo is one of the main reasons why Amegakure suffered as it didn't during the previous wars. To make sure that the future doesn't repeat, people like Danzo has to be removed. If he or his successors have ability to influence things, it is likely that Konoha will go into a war and Amegakure will turn into a battlefield yet again. At least that is the theory.

Konoha-nin can be useful allies, some of them realize our situation. If we can quide Suna and Konoha to be better allies, maybe we can stop them from fighting wars that are unneeded.

>>4242789
>1d6, DC 9
>taking the first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4243193

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4243193

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4243193

>>4242789
“Pick a heart and keep it busy,” you suggest. “I’ll handle the main body. Sound good?”

“Fine,” Yugito agrees.

Fū nods once and grins. “Let’s do it!”

Fū goes left, taking the lightning heart, and Yugito goes right, taking the water heart, leaving you to go straight up the middle.

“Donton: Doryūheki!”

“Too slow!” you counter, slicing through with lightning chakra flow.

The two masks are ready behind the wall as it crumbles. “Kimen no Bakuen!”

The combined fireball and wind blast leave you little time to prepare, so you simply change the chakra nature imbued within your blade. “Ranton: Rekuyemu!”

The blast spares you, forcing even Kakuzu to evade or risk having your attack hit him head on… even his hardened skin probably couldn’t handle it. As he recovers you’ve already produced a shadow clone, who weaves the hand seals for the Kirisame technique before disappearing. During those moments you keep up the pressure in close quarters, with your Kongō Fūsa Midare technique controlling spacing against the tendrils and quick, precise slashes with Umekiri letting you force your way closer.

It’s almost like all Kakuzu can do is keep you at bay… and then the gentle rain begins to fall, and you give him a moment to withdraw by just a few feet.

[Nyoka and I will be suppressing chakra with this Kirisame. You’ll have the clear advantage in taijutsu and genjutsu.]

In response to this new information Fū starts making heavier use of kunai attached to chakra threads, attacking from novel angles while drawing the heart-beast’s attention here and there, leaving it confused. Yugito takes a few moments caused by a steam explosion, her fire meeting Kakuzu’s water, to transform herself, bringing the clear form of the giant ghost-cat Matatabi into the world.

Those are both excellent strategies.
>1/2

>>4243449
Meanwhile you continue your assault.

Both fire and wind-nature attacks are suppressed, making it easier for you to evade or counter them, and you already had the advantage in close combat. That only leaves one question… how to capitalize?

>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.
>Use the Kongō Fūsa to create a major opening to exploit, do as much damage all at once as you can.
>Go for the head.
>Other?

>>4243494
>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.

>>4243494
>>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.

>>4243494
>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.

>>4243494
>>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.
I'd want that head so we'd have a set, but we'd like him dead today.

>>4243494
>>Use the Kongō Fūsa to create a major opening to exploit, do as much damage all at once as you can.

>>4243494
>>Take out the hearts one at a time using Kengen-ryū techniques to confuse Kakuzu’s senses.

>>4243494
>>Use the Kongō Fūsa to create a major opening to exploit, do as much damage all at once as you can.

>>4243494
>1d6, DC 9
>first three
Update that should have been with the last post,
>SP: 5/6
>ES: 1/2 (1T)

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>4244293

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4244293

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4244293

>>4244293
Again, 2 short
>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3
>Spend 1 SP and take 1 ES

>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3

>>4244316
>>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3

>>4244316
>>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3

>>4244316
>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3

>>4244316
>>Spend 2 SP to pass, going down to 3

>>4244316
>SP: 3/6
>ES: 0/2 (0T)

The key here is going to be wearing Kakuzu down… the man has five hearts and can repair damage to the rest of his body, but that just means he has five beating weak points in his otherwise unkillable body, and hitting each one of those in sequence will weaken him drastically.

The first you decide to aim for is the wind heart, marked with teal… that will leave his ‘main’ body with earth that’s weak to your lightning, and fire that’s weak to your water.

You create a series of short-lived images of yourself, afterimages and duplicates that confound any sort of focused defense. Really all Kakuzu is left with is the option to try defending all around himself using the earth-filaments that fill his body. Then you put your plan into motion, flowing lightning-element chakra into Umekiri-maru’s blade and unleashing a powerful flat thrust towards Kakuzu’s chest.

“Dōjigiri Raigen!”

At the last second the lightning chakra is expelled by yin-transformed chakra in a searingly bright flash, and you turn under Kakuzu’s arm, weaving through the bundles of his stuffing, to slash through his fire-nature mask from behind.

Or at least that’s what he thought he felt.

Mindful of the smaller, single feelers Kakuzu had extended from the main bundles for just such a trick, you used the brief surge of yin chakra carried along with the light to make him think that he felt you turn his right shoulder, when in reality you aimed your thrust to slip past the guard over his ‘true’ heart and into the open mouth of the wind-nature mask.

Kakuzu suddenly and violently convulses, the tendrils knocking you away as they flail wildly. His body forcefully ejects a mass of tendrils along with the wind mask, dripping ichor as the bundle of fibers seems to ‘die’ on the ground.

“You insolent brat!” Kakuzu growls angrily, weaving hand seals as his tendrils continue to crush the ground all around him. “Doton: Doryūtaiga!”

A massive pool of mud burbles up from the ground at Kakuzu’s feet, while he weaves even more signs.

“Katon: Zukokku!”

His fire-nature heart blasts a massive, searing-hot ball of flames that lands in front of you, spreading almost like a liquid and forcing you on the defensive.

“Kongō Fūsa!”

Your own chakra chains form a dome around you, this time extending below the ground as well to prevent another oversight like the one that nearly killed Asuma-han.

Kakuzu has completed his next technique in the time he gained by attacking with his fire heart. “Doton: Doryūdan!”
>1/2

>>4244430
The mass of compressed mud shoots through the flames, catching alight and burning like a magma bomb… and leaving you barely enough time to bite your thumb and place it against the inside of your own barrier.

“Kuchiyose: Taiyōmon!”

The wall explodes into place, itself woven into the existing Kongō Fūsa barrier… more like some kind of Taiyōfūsa Yōsai, ‘Sun-Sealing-Chains Fortress’.

But stopping this attack won’t be enough. As much chakra as you’ve already used today, you’re going to need to use a little more… and sage mode makes that less of a problem than it might otherwise have been.

You create a shadow clone, hidden behind the walls of the Taiyōfūsa Yōsai, and charge Umekiri with lightning nature chakra.

Then, as you disable your own barrier, you transform your own body into a folding Fūma shuriken made from hardened paper, which crackles with electricity as your clone hurls you through the devastation caused by Kakuzu’s attack.

…

You are Raishō Naori’s shadow clone, and you watch with satisfaction as your real body cuts through Kakuzu’s threads and splits him in half, from the crown of his head down about to his navel. But that body quickly turns to mud, and the real Kakuzu bursts from the ground, catching you in his tendrils.

“Even after all that, you fell for the same...” he begins to gloat as the real you turns in midair, arcing back on itself.

…

You are Raishō Naori, and it’s with immense satisfaction that you undo your transformation and plunge Umekiri’s crackling blade straight through Kakuzu’s natural heart. Your shadow clone pops into smoke, and you kick off Kakuzu’s back to pull your kodachi free of his body.

Landing lightly on your toes a good distance away, you watch as Kakuzu’s body convulses again, now down by two hearts. The water heart breaks off from fighting Yugito, who initially tries to chase it, only to be interrupted by a blast from the lightning heart, which gets its opening as Fū is forced to drop low to evade it.

“Zukokku! Hirūdōfū!”

The same fire blast that you defeated with Kongō Fūsa meets with a massive blast of water, bursting into a thick steam that blankets the clearing.

>Use this moment to take down the Lightning heart with Fū.
>Use your senjutsu-enhanced sensory abilities and hide in the mist to keep fighting Kakuzu.
>Use a wide, horizontal Ranton slash to absorb the chakra-laden mist
>Other?

>>4244449
>use a wide ranton slash
That way we get our allies their vision back too

>>4244449
>>Use a wide, horizontal Ranton slash to absorb the chakra-laden mist

>>4244449
>Use a wide, horizontal Ranton slash to absorb the chakra-laden mist

>>4244449
>>Use a wide, horizontal Ranton slash to absorb the chakra-laden mist

>>4244449
>>Use your senjutsu-enhanced sensory abilities and hide in the mist to keep fighting Kakuzu.

>>4244449
>Use a wide, horizontal Ranton slash to absorb the chakra-laden mist

Not the most optimal choice as while in the mist we could deliver some heavy damage to Kakuzu, but with the mist on neither Fū or Yugito can't see shit and Kakuzu most likely would manage to dispel both of them. So get the mist away and continue attacking as before. What we are doing is working.

File: Small_nation_for_scale.png (173 KB, 340x192)

173 KB PNG

>>4244449
[Jump!]

Your simple instruction, conveyed through the wave transmission seals, doesn’t tell Fū or Yugito what you’re planning to do, but it doesn’t have to. All you have to do is make sure that they’re both out of the way when you pull this trick.

[Done!]
[Got it!]

You’re not entirely sure which is which, but as you’ve just begun to release your Ranton chakra flow technique it’s basically irrelevant. All that matters is that they’re out of the way.

“Ranton: Rekuyemu!”

By turning in place and releasing the flowing blue lightning slowly, you create a ring-like pulse of chakra that builds in speed and power as it widens, drawing in the chakra-laden mist that Kakuzu created to hide in and blossoming like a slow-motion explosion as it feeds. The pulse rips through the forest beyond the clearing, and by the time it’s faded you can see the results.

Fū and Yugito have taken down the lightning heart, its mask crushed under one of Matatabi’s massive paws, and the forest is mostly gone around you, with a slow slope downwards away from where you stand. The scar may be as big as a kilometer across, and is quickly turning to a field of mud under the rainfall caused by Nyoka.

Thunder booms ominously, and a flash of lightning illuminates Kakuzu’s face, twisted by rage.

“And then there were two,” you muse.

>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.
>Take away his water heart and pin him, so that Yugito and Fū will be able to finish him cleanly.
>Without his earth heart he won’t be able to withstand your attacks. Finish him yourself.
>Other?

>>4244816
>>Take away his water heart and pin him, so that Yugito and Fū will be able to finish him cleanly.
Get that revenge, Fū.

>>4244816
>>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.

>>4244816
>Without his earth heart he won’t be able to withstand your attacks. Finish him yourself.

The fight is clearly in our favour, but I don't want to take any unneeded risks. Nyoka's storm attack thing would be neat to use, but haven't been done before so too risky. Yugito and Fū getting direct revenge would be nice, but they aren't on our level. Kakuzu knows that he is fucked so he might try something desperate. We gotta finish this professionally and by the numbers.

>>4244816
>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.

>>4244816
>take away his water heart

>>4244816
>>Without his earth heart he won’t be able to withstand your attacks. Finish him yourself.
We're already down to 3 SP, so while the natural lightning is tempting, nah not this time.

>>4244889
You're also back down to 0ES and have a mango ability that controls how things 'flow'.

Just saying.

>>4244816
>>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.

>>4244816
>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.
I'm so fucking game for this.

>>4244816
>>Try to use natural lightning generated by Nyoka’s storm. You’ve never done this, but it SHOULD end the fight in one shot.
It's like that one jutsu by Sasuke, I think it was called Giraffe?

>>4244816
>Take away his water heart and pin him, so that Yugito and Fū will be able to finish him cleanly.

>>4244816
>1d6, DC 10
>taking the first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>4246583

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>4246583

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>4246583

>>4246583
You’re in no mood to drag this out any further, and all the setup is finished. Your cooperation technique with Nyoka has reached a crescendo, having formed a powerful thunderstorm above you. Which means, of course, that the entire sky is yours to command.

You rapid-fire your way through the hand seals, and grasp Umekiri’s hilt in both hands in the hira-seigan stance. Then you charge.

Kakuzu’s two remaining masks open their mouths, charging for their attacks, but Fū sneaks in a blast of blinding scale powder that gets in his eyes and puts him off balance. That gives you more than enough time to unleash your attack.

Lightning strikes, and when it does it strikes Umekiri’s blade in a blinding flash that obliterates everything around you.

…

The rain has stopped, and the clouds are starting to clear.

Kakuzu’s body is still smouldering, the sudden surge of lightning having not only enhanced Umekiri’s cutting power to the point where her simple thrust split the earth open in a long, ugly gash even after penetrating through your foe, but also had the secondary effect of stopping both his hearts and evaporating much of the water within his body. Essentially, you flash-steamed Kakuzu from the inside.

You finish it with simple kenjutsu, from a kneeling position, delivering two simple thrusts to each mask. This is the way to ensure that an opponent is dead, while never lowering your guard. Once both his hearts have been pierced you can be certain that they’ll never start beating again.

Yugito-han’s shadow clone joins you next to Kakuzu’s corpse. “Fū’s clone was dispelled by the blast. She’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be sure to apologize to her,” you frown.

“… good work.”

“Thanks,” Yugito-han nods with a slight smile. “I’ll be sure to tell her you said that.”

“Going back so soon?” you muse.

“I want my real body to know what happened here,” she explains. “This may change how she feels about this situation. You… may have earned my trust today. Just a little.”

After a moment, you bow politely. “Glad to hear it, Yugito-han. I’ll be a little while, I want to check on Sarutobi Asuma.”

“I understand,” she returns your bow with a nod. “See you later, then.”

“Yeah.”
>1/2

>>4246636
You seal Kakuzu’s body first into a small utility scroll, but you can’t do the same for Hidan’s body… it seems that he was either incinerated in the blast that you used to clear the fog, or else it was left buried somewhere. Either way you have the head, and the body itself is lost, so you consider your due diligence to have been done.

By the time you return to where Asuma fell, your shadow clone can report that she’s left a hiraishin shuriken with Tsunade, who along with Shizune is preparing to receive Asuma.

“How is he?” you ask Karin and Ino when you return. “Can he be moved?”

“He shouldn’t be,” Ino insists, “not with the damage to his spine being as severe as it is.”

“Then I’ll use hiraishin to move him back to Tsunade,” you insist. “It won’t involve moving his position at all, so it’s perfect.”

Raidō, the man with the facial scarring on the left side that crosses the bridge of his nose, recognizes what you’re saying.

“… you know that technique?” he demands. “How?”

“I’ve been working on it for some time,” you admit. “You’re familiar with it?”

“The Fourth Hokage taught it to a few of us,” he explains. “We can only use it in a particular formation with the three of us.”

“I can only use it with hand seals at the moment,” you offer, “but I’m still figuring it out. You know as well as I do it’s not a simple technique… you agree though? That it’d be perfect for moving Asuma into the hospital where he belongs?”

Raidō nods curtly, before turning to Ino. “What she says is correct.”

“Okay,” Ino agrees. “But I’m going with him.”

“That’s fine, I just need you to put your hand on my shoulder and try not to throw up,” you instruct her. “Karin, please dispel yourself… it’ll be easier on you that way.”

“I’d been hoping to meet with Lady Tsunade,” Karin muses, “but you’re probably right.”

“I’ll try to arrange something later,” you promise. “But I think you did a fantastic job, even without having been taught by Tsuna-han.”

“A few pointers might help me heal you and the others better,” Karin observes. “So I’d be very interested in at least pursuing it.”

“I understand,” you nod and smile. “You’re very diligent, Karin, as always.”

Once she disappears, you use hiraishin to take Asuma and Ino to where Tsunade is waiting.
>2/3

>>4246680
After a brief examination, Tsunade offers her prognosis.

“I’ll have Shizune move him to the intensive care ward,” she declares, “but there’s nothing more we can do right now. Ino, you and this girl you described did surprisingly well.”

“Thank you, Tsunade-sama,” Ino bows politely. “But… does that mean...”

“I don’t know,” Tsunade admits with a sigh. “I’ve never seen such horrific internal injuries before. It’s amazing that Asuma is even alive right now. So we’ll have to keep him stable until he’s well enough to even consider further intervention.”

“I understand,” Ino bows again. Asuma is taken away, and you find yourself led to Tsunade-han’s office where she, Shizune, and Guy-sensei are all assembled.

“Now then,” Tsunade finally turns her attention to you. “Can I ask for a report on the battle?”

“No further casualties,” you reply. “Kakuzu is dead, Hidan is… well, you should see it for yourself.”

Without any further explanation you unseal Hidan’s head, holding him by his hair. At first Tsunade’s nose rankles, since all Hidan’s done at that point is hang there. But then his eyes open.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

His sudden screaming sends Tsunade reeling backwards as she kicks back in her rolling chair, shouting in alarm, and Shizune starts to shout as well. Even Guy-sensei seems disgusted, recoiling like a housewife from a mouse as he hollers his head off.

“Shut up!” you shout, smacking Hidan’s head facefirst into Tsunade’s desk. “You’re such a pain in the ass, Hidan!”

“At least you have an ass!” Hidan counters. “Get over here, I’ll bite your friggin’ jugular you sage bitch! Hey! Kakuzu! Help!”

“Kakuzu’s dead, Hidan,” you inform Hidan’s decapitated head, holding him at arm’s length.

“Normally I wouldn’t be sorry to hear it,” Hidan admits, “guy really pissed me off, you know? But right now I could really use his help! Damn inconsiderate, goin’ off and dyin’ like that!”

“Anyway, what’d you do with our bodies?”

“Yours is gone,” you tell him. “I was thinking I could either leave Kakuzu here with Konoha, or take him to Suna. Or I could take him to Takigakure as a goodwill gesture. Third option is to turn him in for the bounty.”

“That’d be poetic,” Hidan admits, “but I kinda suspect he’d appreciate that in some twisted sorta way.”

PICK ONE
>Offer Kakuzu’s body to the Suna-Konoha alliance for study.
>Take Kakuzu’s body back to Takigakure.
>Collect the bounty that should be on Kakuzu’s head right now.
>Other?

ALSO PICK ONE
>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.
>Keep Hidan’s head sealed in a scroll. That way he can’t even be reincarnated.
>Destroy the head, make Hidan dead.
>Other?

>>4246710
>>Take Kakuzu’s body back to Takigakure.
>>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710

>Collect the bounty that should be on Kakuzu’s head right now.

>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710
Take kakuzu's body to takigakure

Offer hidans head for interrogation

Try to talk to tsunade about the secrets we have on danzo

>>4246722
>>4246710
Addendum: mention that karin would be interested in pointers, and that they give hidans head to suna as well

If 2 nations are working together, then at least encourage them to continue their peace

>>4246710
>Take Kakuzu’s body back to Takigakure.
>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

Before handing out Hidan's head, maybe we should poke into his mind with our eye?

>>4246818
That sounds like a straight ticket to some serious PTSD. Will Hidan even know anything that Naori doesn't already? He's kinda just kept around as an attack dog.

Have we ever used our mangekyo?

>>4246831
Very good point. Just mention them that his body went missing, so keep good care of his head.

>>4246710
>Collect the bounty that should be on Kakuzu’s head right now.
>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710
>Collect the bounty that should be on Kakuzu’s head right now.

>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710
>>4246818
>>4246895
>>4246897
>>4246716

>Take Hidan's head somewhere far, far away, and lock that bastard away forever.

What was it we said about the shadow clone technique? Shouldn't have been invented?

Hidan's immortality is going to be an INSTANT point of interest for none other than Danzo friggin Shimura. We cannot let him have Hidan under any circumstance. Anything else is utter idiocy on Naori's part, Hidan knows nothing of value other than the very latest movements akatsuki has made, and even then, the guy never pays attention.

Neither of these immortal soldiers should ever be given to any major village, token of faith or not.

>>4246899
Hidan's immortality also isn't really ninjutsu, but a jashinist ritual performed on him by other people. Hidan himself doesn't know how it works, i'm pretty sure.

>>4246900
If hashirama cells are any indication, you can reverse engineer just about freaking anything in the narutoverse if you have the body.

>>4246901
>"T-This guy! He's got Hidan's cells!"
Aww sheit, here we go again.

>>4246903
Would you put it past Danzo? Would you really?

>>4246900
He would yapp about the power of Yashin for an hour if asked, lined with rather explicit threats about various body parts of the person asking

>>4246913
I wouldn't, but that is a level of Shadowrunning I kinda don't want to go. The missing body can be a problem in the future, but if the head goes missing or shenanigans happen, we can just save the day and then tell Konoha/Suna that they had only one job to do and they fucked up.

>>4246918
I agree, there is stuff we won't be able to control and we shouldn't make Naori to paranoid, she is already doubting a lot.

>>4246918
I'd love to not be paranoid too, but we have no real reason to trust major villages. Especially ROOT since the elders of Konoha are letting them run roughshod over Tsunade apparently.

There's also just the very personal hatred we have for the guy, locking him in a hell of our own device would put a nice bow on that relationship.

Shadowrunning would be hunting down the body.

>>4246710
>Take Kakuzu’s body back to Takigakure.
>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710
>Collect the bounty that should be on Kakuzu’s head right now.
>"It's what Kakuzu would've wanted. He finally gets a chance to collect his own bounty."

>>4246710
>>Take Kakuzu’s body back to Takigakure.
>Hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance for interrogation.

>>4246710
“That’s enough of that,” you muse, shoving Hidan back into his scroll.

“What are you going to do?” Tsunade asks you now that she’s recollected herself.

“I’m going to hand Hidan’s head over to the Suna-Konoha alliance,” you declare. “But not to you. To Gaara.”

“You’re still concerned about Danzō,” Tsunade realizes. “Aren’t you?”

“That’s exactly right,” you admit. “I can’t trust the man, and if you knew what I do you wouldn’t either.”

“I already don’t,” Tsunade shakes her head. “Trust him, I mean.”

“As for Kakuzu, I’ll turn his body in to Takigakure,” you explain. “It’ll be a nice peace offering to help smooth things over, and they might even pay me a bounty. Probably not the ‘going rate’, but still. Better than nothing… I do have one request though.”

“And that is?” Tsunade asks you curiously.

“The ‘girl’ Ino mentioned to you is a distant cousin of mine, Karin,” you explain. “She’s a budding medical ninja, but she feels she could use a few pointers… would it be okay to bring her here occasionally for lessons?”

“Lessons? In medical ninjutsu?”

“That’s right,” you agree. “Consider it paying her back for helping save Asuma-han’s life.”

“I won’t always be able to do it myself,” Tsunade admits, “but between myself, Shizune, and Sakura-kun it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thank you,” you bow politely. “Is there anything else that needs immediate discussion?”

Tsunade-han nods. “The elders would have a collective aneurysm if I told them I had one of your hiraishin markings in my office. Is there somewhere else I could put this?”

“The jōnin standby station would be fine,” you reply. “If that’s still not acceptable, then just outside Ichiraku ramen.”

“Ichiraku?” Tsunade repeats, flummoxed. “You may just be related to Naruto after all.”

“Old man Teuchi and Ayame-han are good people,” you admit, “and aside from you they’re the only people who’re pretty much always around the village that I can trust.”

“Not Shikamaru-kun?” Tsunade-han muses. “Did something happen?”

“You’ll get the report later,” you grumble. “But let’s just say he and I are back at square one, and leave it there.”

“I understand,” Tsunade nods politely.
>1/2