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>>5375325
“So I take it you’ve been informed of the mission,” Konohamaru-sensei muses. “How much do you know?”

“Only that this guy’s been running loose since before the war,” Wasabi-chan shrugs.

“That, and what Shiki-kun can tell us about senjutsu,” Sumire adds.

“So what can you share?” Sarada asks you curiously. “I had no idea you were even training with that… isn’t it pretty dangerous?”

“Extremely,” you confirm. “Unless your body is compatible with natural energy, it can easily be fatal. But in exchange, the effects of using it can be dramatic.”

“I still don’t get it,” Boruto admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sounds like a lot of weird spiritual crap.”

“Boruto!” Sarada chastises her teammate.

“He’s not completely wrong,” you shrug. “The world has a vitality, a force of life all its own, and a sage is one who opens themselves to that force without losing themselves in it. According to my mom at least, it takes a certain frame of mind.”

“So this guy we’re being sent after is dangerous because he’s super powerful?” Boruto wonders.

>Yes. If he really does have a kekkei genkai that gathers natural energy he’ll be dangerous.
>Not necessarily. A vessel not fully compatible with natural energy will show its damage somehow.
>Orochimaru seems to think Jugo is dangerous. I think we need to decide that for ourselves based on what WE see.
>Other?

>>5375326
>>Yes. If he really does have a kekkei genkai that gathers natural energy he’ll be dangerous.

>>5375326
>>Not necessarily. A vessel not fully compatible with natural energy will show its damage somehow.

>>5375326
>>Yes. If he really does have a kekkei genkai that gathers natural energy he’ll be dangerous.
But then
>>Not necessarily. A vessel not fully compatible with natural energy will show its damage somehow.

He can be very dangerous, but might have serious flaws

>>5375326
“If someone were to have a kekkei genkai that lets them collect natural energy,” you reason with a frown, considering the likely effects of such a thing, “it would make them very powerful even without much training in conventional ninjutsu or taijutsu. But that power would likely come with consequences.”

“I’ve seen Lord Seventh use it before,” Konohamaru-sensei declares with a frown. “Though I’ve never seen him fight with it firsthand…”

“Really?” you wonder aloud. “I thought you fought him once during a chūnin exam?”

“Yeah, well, he only used it right at the end,” Konohamaru-sensei laughs nervously.

“And you got your butt kicked, right?” Boruto yawns.

“Actually, I won.”

Nobody believes that, but Sarada’s the first to say as much. “Wait, what? How?”

“Well, Lord Seventh wasn’t listening when Temari-san was giving the instructions,” Konohamaru-sensei recalls, “so he didn’t hear her say that to keep things fair the use of sage mode was banned. So I won by default!”

“Man, so uncool,” Boruto groans dramatically. “But I can totally see that.”

“You’re still talking about the Seventh Hokage,” Sarada counters.

“Yeah, and he’s an idiot.”

“That… wasn’t his brightest move,” Konohamaru-sensei agrees. “So to get back to the point, Shiki-kun?”

“Yeah,” you continue, “so I can see it being a problem… even if his body can gather natural energy, that doesn’t mean he can control it without some sort of long-term side effects.”

“Like insanity,” Konohamaru-sensei muses. “So it’s like that, huh?”
>1/2

>>5376557
It’s not a long trip to the village where your mission briefing tells you that this man, Jugo, has been spotted outside. Along the way the roads aren’t especially busy, and there are no obvious threats, so you feel like you can start to relax a little and enjoy the peace - like a stroll through the countryside on a nice afternoon.

>Talk a little with Konohamaru-sensei… what else does he know about this situation?
>You rarely talk with Team 3. Maybe you should make an effort to do that this time out.
>You can practice a little along the way - you feel like you’re SO close to using shiden.
>Other?

>>5376557
>You rarely talk with Team 3. Maybe you should make an effort to do that this time out.
>You can practice a little along the way - you feel like you’re SO close to using shide

Let's do a little training together

>>5376562
>>5376560
>yes

>>5376560
>>You rarely talk with Team 3. Maybe you should make an effort to do that this time out.

>>5376560
>>You rarely talk with Team 3. Maybe you should make an effort to do that this time out.

>>5376560
>>You rarely talk with Team 3. Maybe you should make an effort to do that this time out.

>>5376560
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5377320

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5377320

>>5377324
You fool

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5377320
YEET

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5377320

>>5377320
You decide to multitask, to a degree - you realize that you don’t talk with your cousins often these days, now that you’re all completing missions for two different teams, and that you really don’t know all that much about Tsubaki-kun in the first place aside from where she’s from and what she’s like in the broadest possible strokes.

It’s entirely possible that you can have that conversation while practicing the real sticking point in your work towards completing Kakashi-sensei’s shiden technique - managing lightning-release chakra flow over time. To help you in training for this, you draw your folding knife and flow the chakra through that.

“... what are you doing?” Sarada asks you suspiciously.

You simply continue to walk along with them as you maintain the flow. “Training.”

“In lightning release, right?” Tsubaki-kun muses.

You nod. “That’s right. It’s not a release I seem to have talent for.”

“I didn’t think it was that hard,” Boruto shrugs.

“That’s because it’s your affinity,” Konohamaru-sensei observes, and Boruto deflates somewhat.

“Come to think of it, I guess I kind of did cheat,” Sarada admits, alluding to her sharingan which she used against Buntan-senpai while you were all still in the academy.

“What are you trying to do?” Konohamaru-sensei wonders aloud, watching you maintain the flow. “It looks a little like chidori.”

“It’s going to be shiden,” you clarify, seemingly surprising everyone except for Tsubaki-kun, who you don’t think knows what that is.

“Get real!” Boruto scoffs. “That’s old man Kakashi’s technique, there’s no way a kid’s gonna just figure it out on their own.”

“Makoto can already do it,” you shrug. “And I understand the principles. I just need to practice.”

“Maybe you should let this one go, Boruto-kun,” Sumirin insists with a nervous smile. “I’ve found it’s best to just accept that Shiki-kun’s perspective can be… rather off.”

“She’s got a point,” Wasabi-chan agrees, sparing you a sympathetic glance. "I mean you're a nice guy and all, but let's not pretend you're 'normal', Skikkun."
>1/2

>>5378318
“So, how are you finding being a chūnin, Shiki-kun?” Sarada asks you curiously.

“I’m glad we still get to work with sensei so often,” you admit. “It’s nice to have an example of how leading a team is supposed to be done.”

Sumirin nods in agreement. “I know I would certainly miss her…”

Then it seems like she realizes how what she said could be interpreted. “I mean, that’s not a criticism! I just really like having sensei around!”

You can’t help but enjoy her momentary loss of composure. “It’s okay, I’m not offended… much.”

“It helps our training too,” Wasabi adds. “Sparring with each other is really limiting, you know? It’s nice to get something like the gentle fist style mixed in sometimes.”

“That’s probably part of the point,” you suggest. “From what I understand, a team like ours used to work much more independently. But now, jōnin can afford to spend more time with their students.”

“We jōnin aren’t in as much demand,” Konohamaru-sensei agrees. “Least, now that it’s rarer for us to be going up against other jōnin.”

“So the hidden villages used to have more jōnin,” Tsubaki-kun muses, “for the purpose of dealing with the fact that there were more jōnin?”

>Basically, yeah. Weird, right?
>The rarity of stronger opponents is a sign of the times.
>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.
>Other?

>>5378857
>>The rarity of stronger opponents is a sign of the times.

>>5378857
>>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.

I'm interested in drawing Tsubaki into the conversation. Also just more Naruto!samurai lore, those fuckers got shafted in canon.

>>5378857
>The rarity of stronger opponents is a sign of the times.
>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.

>>5378857
>>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.

>>5378857
>>The rarity of stronger opponents is a sign of the times.
>>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.
Both

>>5378857
>The rarity of stronger opponents is a sign of the times.
>My understanding is that samurai don’t think that way.

>>5378857
“And strong opponents are rare these days,” you shrug. “Sign of the times - no strong enemies, less of a need to have so many strong jōnin to deploy. There’s even been a problem finding qualified chūnin in recent years.”

“I see,” Tsubaki-kun frowns. “That seems somewhat strange to me.”

“For samurai things are different,” you muse. “I’ve had a little training in that tradition, but I rarely get to speak with an actual samurai - you know, apart from the wandering criminal type.”

“For us, any notion of ‘balancing powers’ is irrelevant,” Tsubaki-kun explains. “There is a saying in the Land of Iron - that people are swords.”

“What does that even mean?” Boruto grumbles. “People are nothing like swords.”

“Is that so?” you muse. “Tsubaki-kun please?”

“A sword is neither good nor evil,” Tsubaki-kun declares. “It can be sharpened with sufficient skill and effort, it can grow dull with age and wear. It can have flaws and weaknesses that can’t be seen, and if not properly cared for it can rot.”

“When you put it like that,” Wasabi-chan shrugs. “It’s not the way I’d phrase it, but I don’t disagree.”

“So, when a samurai trains,” Sarada seems to follow along with the discussion, “it’s about ‘polishing’ the sword?”

“Something along those lines,” Tsubaki-kun confirms, “yes. For a samurai, growing stronger and more skilled is one and the same with growth more generally. Emotional growth, spiritual growth, development of character and discipline. It is all reflected in how we wield the sword.”

>Boruto, have you really never talked with Tsubaki-kun like this before?
>I think we have as much to learn from you as you from us.
>So what have you learned about shinobi from my cousins?
>Other?

>>5380223
>I think we have as much to learn from you as you from us.
>We should talk more in the future, Tsubaki-kun. All of us.

>>5380223
>I think we have as much to learn from you as you from us.
>So what have you learned about shinobi from my cousins?

>>5380253
>>5380223
>support

>>5380223
>>I think we have as much to learn from you as you from us.
>>So what have you learned about shinobi from my cousins?

>>5380223
>>5380253
Supporting this.

>>5380223
“Our peoples still have much to learn from each other,” you muse. “I’d be interested to know what you’ve learned from my cousins?”

“I learned that I prefer the ways of my own homeland,” Tsubaki-kun replies stoically. “However… I do find your emphasis on teamwork and community to be admirable.”

“That’s an old generalization,” Konohamaru-sensei says, considering his student’s words. “But I do think it’s fairly accurate. And while I can’t speak to how widespread knowledge about shinobi is in the Land of Iron, I can tell you that most shinobi know little about the samurai.”

“I suppose there would be fewer chances for contact without any large-scale conflicts,” Sumire offers. “That’s both a good thing and a bad thing I guess.”

“That’s very astute, Sumire-chan,” Konohamaru-sensei agrees. “That earns you a Kono-stamp.”

“It doesn’t work when you do it,” Wasabi-chan grumbles.

“Yeah, you’re right.”
>1d6, high roll, best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5381234

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5381234

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5381234

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5381234

>>5381234
You don’t even get to the village before you encounter the first complication. It’s a sensation that causes you to stop in the middle of the path, brow furrowed in concentration, which your teammates and Konohamaru-sensei notice immediately.

“What’s wrong?” Konohamaru asks you curtly, perhaps sensing the tension rather than anything else.

The knife comes off your hip and opens in a flash. “Something’s coming.”

Sumire reaches the hilt of her tantō and Wasabi-chan raises her fists, while Konohamaru-sensei draws a standard mass-produced kunai. “Stay alert,” he orders his team.

“Why?” Boruto wonders aloud, though he draws a kunai with a spinning flourish as Sarada does the same, and Tsubaki prepares to draw her sword. “I mean, if it were a person you’d think Konohamaru-sensei would…”

You step forward and swing, getting a good look at what you cut from the air as you do. It looks vaguely like a duck, though with horns abve its malicious red eyes, talons, a sharp axe-like beak, and wings that look almost more like webbed hands. The knife in your hand slices the monster’s wing off and sets fire to it, and it crashes to the forest floor.

“What the heck is that thing!?” Wasabi-chan demands.

>It used to be a duck. Stay alert, there’s more of them out there.
>The least of our problems - that duck was transformed by natural energy.
>I have some thoughts, but we need to find cover - someplace defensible.
>Other?

>>5382276
>Wildlife mutated by natural energy. There's more of them, so stay alert while we find some cover.

>>5382276
>>The least of our problems - that duck was transformed by natural energy.

>>5382276
>>It used to be a duck. Stay alert, there’s more of them out there.
>>The least of our problems - that duck was transformed by natural energy.

>>5382276
>>The least of our problems - that duck was transformed by natural energy.

>>5382276
>>The least of our problems - that duck was transformed by natural energy.

>>5382276
“That’s not the worst of our problems,” you admit, watching the skies. “That duck was transformed by natural energy.”

“That duck was a sage?” Konohamaru-sensei wonders aloud.

A second duck swoops in from the tree canopy with a screech, and this time Tsubaki-kun splits it in half with a simple swing of her blade.

“Not quite,” you tell him. “This is something else.”

“Boruto, behind you!” Sarada raises an alarm, hurling a kunai at a duck that goes after your cousins. The knife scores a glancing blow, and Boruto is obliged to finish the job with a rasengan.

“I smell something upwind,” Wasabi-chan declares, sniffing at the air, having used her specialty technique already. “Ducks… cattail rushes… fish… a lake.”

“The village we’re heading for is on a lake,” Konohamaru declares.

>We should head for the lake. These things swooping out of the trees makes fighting harder.
>We should head for the village. WE can fight demon ducks, THEY might not be able to.
>These ducks are coming from somewhere. We should eliminate them at the source.
>Other?

>>5383214
>>We should head for the village. WE can fight demon ducks, THEY might not be able to.

>>5383214
>>We should head for the village. WE can fight demon ducks, THEY might not be able to.
Let the bodies hit the floor

>>5383214
>>We should head for the village. WE can fight demon ducks, THEY might not be able to.

>>5383214
>>We should head for the village. WE can fight demon ducks, THEY might not be able to.

>>5383214
“We can fight against… what, demon ducks I guess?”

“I suppose,” Sumire agrees.

“... the villagers probably can’t,” you point out.

“Let’s hurry then,” Konohamaru-sensei insists. “Keep your eyes open for more of those birds, guys!”

…

Sure enough, the simple logic holds true - the village being so close to the lake means that it too is under siege by flying, quacking monstrosities the likes of which you’ve never even dreamed of before. Twisted by exposure to energies that weren’t meant for them, the local waterfowl have begun attacking the locals. But not, you notice, as a whole… flock? Herd? Murder. It’s a murder of demonic ducks.

No, instead of a murder it’s just a small handful of ducks, not nearly as many as must live in this lake.

That’s about all you get the chance to think before they descend on you and your teammates.
>1d6, high roll of the first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5384209

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5384209

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5384209

>>5384209
The defense of the village is an almost frantic effort, since the villagers you’re trying to defend started to panic well before you arrived. However you do quite well without their cooperation, simply covering for them as they scramble for safety inside locked buildings and any sort of nearby shelter - in one case, a mother ends up sheltering with a small child in an alleyway.

“Shadow clone!”

Boruto quite loudly deploys a trio of shadow clones alongside Konohamaru-sensei, who creates a small troop worth of his own doppelgangers two of whom defend the ends of the alleyway. Not to be upstaged you create five clones of your own - one to work with you, and one each to watch Sarada, Tsubaki, Sumire, and Wasabi’s backs.

Once the fighting has concluded about a dozen demonic-looking ducks lie in varying numbers of pieces all about the village, and people start to emerge from their shelter. It’s then that you get a good look at Konohamaru-sensei’s arm.

“You’re bleeding, sensei,” Sarada observes, fishing a medical kit out of her belt pouch. “Let me…”

“Don’t touch it,” you insist curtly.

She stares at you. “Shiki-kun, I need to stop the bleeding at some point. It’d be kind of hard to do it without touching him.”

“That wound,” you frown. “Sensei, did one of those ducks cause it?”

Konohamaru nods once. “Yeah, I got a little reckless looking after that mom and kid who got trapped in an alleyway.”

“It’s been contaminated,” you declare. “I can sense the same sort of chakra that I sensed in those ducks, the natural energy that transformed them into monsters. Like an infection.”

“Well, you’re the expert in this sort of thing,” Konohamaru sighs. “So, what do you think? How bad is it?”

>I have no idea, this is SO far beyond my experience it’s almost funny.
>I guess it’s like a poison to most people. I could try drawing it out the same way.
>I’m not sure, but I have a feathered friend who may have some ideas.
>Other?

>>5385026
>I guess it’s like a poison to most people. I could try drawing it out the same way.

>>5385026
>>I guess it’s like a poison to most people. I could try drawing it out the same way.

>>5385026
>>I’m not sure, but I have a feathered friend who may have some ideas.

>>5385026
>>I’m not sure, but I have a feathered friend who may have some ideas.

>>5385026
>>I’m not sure, but I have a feathered friend who may have some ideas.

>>5385026
“I don’t know for sure,” you confess, “but lucky for you I have a feathered friend who might.”

You bite the correct thumb and weave signs with the hand on that side. “Kuchiyose: Kiburi!”

Kiburi appears perched on your outstretched finger, blinking slowly and fluffing her feathers for a moment. “Shiki.”

“Oh great, more birds,” Konohamaru grumbles.

“Kiburi,” you reply politely. “You look as splendid as ever.”

“Thank you,” she replies. “So, on to business… why is it I sense senjutsu chakra here?”

“That would be the ducks’ fault,” you explain.

There’s a brief pause. “Okay, explain please.”

…

“Well that’s suspicious as heck,” Kiburi chirps, clearly annoyed. “And that man there?”

You glance at Konohamaru-sensei. “Infected by one of the demon ducks.”

“I see,” she muses.

“Can we do anything to help him?”

“Absolutely,” Kiburi insists. “But it won’t be easy.”
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5385893

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5385893

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5385893

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5385893

>>5375325
QUEEN YOU DIRTY MOTHERFUCKER. I only JUST NOW, after literal fucking years, connected that one encounter roll in Shinigami Savant with Shiranui-ryu and that one guy's famous, and public, murder using it. AND that the sword style is the inspiration for Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, the sword style for Samurai X, which you were watching at the time.

You referenced an anime you were watching with the exact historical event that inspired the main character of the anime, you asshole. You can't just be like 'damn, wild how this Kawasaki guy or whatever uses a fast style to copy mf Rorouni Kenshin.'

Anways, autism over.

>>5386121
>You can't just be like
... well, unless you're building a time machine?
>writing

>>5385893
“What do I have to do?”

“This is what we have to do then,” Kiburi instructs you, fluttering over and perching on Konohamaru-sensei’s wounded arm. “You understand how to use the healing palm, yes?”

“I do,” you nod. “I assume that’s what you want me to do?”

She chirps and nods, and so you gather chakra in your palm, placing it over the wound so that Kiburi can transfer over to the back of your wrist - like a strange, feathery wristwatch. “You maintain the chakra flow, Shiki, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Right, so I just… stand here?” Konohamaru-sensei wonders awkwardly.

“Pretty much,” you muse. “Try not to move… moving makes it harder to handle senjutsu chakra.”

…

Several of the locals seem to take an interest in what you’re doing, but you focus entirely on the task at hand - almost a meditative exercise more than an implementation of ninjutsu technique. Slowly but surely, with Kiburi’s extensive help, you’re able to draw out the natural energy that had infected Konohamaru-sensei’s body and disperse it back into the air.

“There,” Kiburi chirps, “that should do it.”

“Do you feel better, Konohamaru-sensei?” Sarada asks nervously.

After testing his arm, Konohamaru nods. “Yeah, I do.”

He glances at you and Kiburi. “Thank you. Appreciate the assist… if it weren’t for you I think we’d have to call in someone like Tsunade-sama.”

“Pretty sure Tsunade-san doesn’t make house calls,” you muse.

“We’re bein’ watched,” Wasabi-chan tells you, nodding curtly in the direction of a little knot of villagers. “For a while now.”

An older man, who looks to be the village head, approaches from a nearby building where he had been taking shelter. He quietly disperses the little crowd before coming closer to you and your teammates.
>1/2

>>5387182
“Thank you for dealing with those creatures,” the head greets you gruffly. “I guess Tosaka-san’s decision to hire shinobi was the right one after all.”

“Tosaka-san?” Konohamaru-sensei replies. “That would be our main contact here, yes… can you tell me where he is?”

“Right here, right here!” a man with silver hair hidden underneath a shady hat calls out as he joins you. “Whew, you sure do know how to make an entrance! But, is it just kids you brought? Is this gonna be alright?”

“Shiki-kun here is a chūnin, and I can vouch for my team’s skills,” Konohamaru-sensei replies quickly.

“Ah, that’s good then,” Tosaka-san replies with an awkward laugh. “Well, now I guess I don’t have to explain why you’ve had to come out here to handle a bunch of ducks?”

… that’s not quite truthful, but it’s hard to tell if it was just misspoken or whether it’s the first sign of some other motive at work here which you aren’t yet privy to. In any event, it puts you slightly on guard in a way that the ducks, demon or no, didn’t. Unless they were given intelligence as well ducks aren’t capable of malice or deception - those things fall within the realm of humanity.

>So, would you be a naturalist then? Here for the ducks in particular?
>That’s not your interest. You’re really here because of this ‘contamination’.
>We know that a former subject of Orochimaru’s had something to do with it.
>Other?

>>5387269
>>So, would you be a naturalist then? Here for the ducks in particular?

>>5387269
>So, would you be a naturalist then? Here for the ducks in particular?

>ducks aren’t capable of malice or deception
Well that's just not true at all

>>5387269
>So, would you be a naturalist then? Here for the ducks in particular?

Ah so Shiki naively doesn't know about how sinister Geese are, poor boy's gonna learn at some point.

>>5387269
>1d6, first three

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5387927

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5387927

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5387927

>>5387927
“So I take it you’re a naturalist of some sort?” you prompt him. “Here on account of the ducks?”

“Geese, actually,” Tosaka corrects you. “An endangered species, in fact, afflicted by some sort of strange disease.”

… there’s something that he’s not saying, but again it’s impossible to tell whether this is by accidental omission or deliberate concealment. You had hoped that he would give up some sign of which it was if you’d pressed him for more details, going on the general principle that once a liar starts lying it becomes increasingly difficult to keep those lies straight. But instead, you’re simply left to your wariness.

“Ducks, geese, whatever,” Boruto grumbles, and rare though it may be you have to admit you agree with him this time. “Where’re they coming from, and how’d they get that way?”

“I’m not quite sure yet,” Tosaka admits, rubbing the back of his neck… again, you’re not sure whether that’s a deliberate lie or not. “I’m going to need your help.”

“It has to have something to do with what we were briefed on, correct?” Sumire asks you quietly.

“Yeah, this is just too suspicious,” Wasabi agrees.

>Oh, for sure. I’m just not sure how it happened yet.
>I don’t think we can jump to conclusions this early.
>There’s something else at work here. I’m sure of it.
>Other?

>>5388118
>There’s something else at work here. I’m sure of it.

>>5388118
>>There’s something else at work here. I’m sure of it.

>>5388118
>>There’s something else at work here. I’m sure of it.

>>5388118
>>There’s something else at work here. I’m sure of it.

>>5388118
“Konohamaru-san,” you turn to face the leader of team Three. “I think the first thing to do is secure a perimeter. My team will handle that.”

With your arms crossed you can hide your right hand, and send a quick signal - ‘alert’ - in such a way that no local can see it.

Konohamaru-sensei’s brow furrows slightly, and he gives you a small nod. “That sounds like a good idea. Be sure to let me know of anything unusual.”

By this he of course means to inform him at some point about what’s bothering you in this situation. “Of course. I’ll find you.”

…

Once you’re certain that the village head and this ‘Tosaka’ person are out of earshot, you tell your teammates what’s on your mind.

“Nothing this ‘Tosaka’ said was a lie, but nothing he said was entirely true either,” you tell them quietly. “So while I can say for sure there’s something else going on, I can’t say what that is exactly. Not yet.”

“So… do we deal with the naturalist?” Wasabi-chan asks with a frown.

“Or do we search the village?” Sumire wonders.

“Both approaches have their merits,” you muse.

>I think I need to coordinate with Konohamaru-sensei. Our teams will need to work together.
>The missing element is Jugo. I can’t believe his presence here has nothing to do with it.
>We should talk to the locals, on the quiet. Gather information wherever we can.
>Other?

>>5389175
>>I think I need to coordinate with Konohamaru-sensei. Our teams will need to work together.

It's never wrong to coordinate with your allies, Better to be on the same page imo.

>>5389175
>We should talk to the locals, on the quiet. Gather information wherever we can.
>If we happen to get information on Jugo on the side then so much the better.
>I think I need to coordinate with Konohamaru-sensei. Our teams will need to work together.

Our group is pretty good at the information gathering schtick, so we can do that just before regrouping with the other squad.

>>5389175
>>5389446
We should do this. Supporting.

>>5389175
“We should talk to the locals, on the quiet,” you decide. “Then I’ll go to Konohamaru-san once we have something to report.”

“We’re taking the lead?” Wasabi-chan muses.

“Sarada-chan I can see,” Sumire replies curtly, “but can you see Boruto-kun or Tsubaki-kun doing anything ‘quietly’?”

“Ouch,” Wasabi-chan winces.

“I-I mean, they’re both really reliable!” Sumire immediately backtracks. “It’s just… well… they’re less delicate?”

“Boruto-kun’s a blunt instrument,” Wasabi-chan shrugs. “That much I knew. But I figure Tsubaki-kun’s at least the type to know when she’s not suited for something.”

“Well… I guess that’s probably true,” you shrug.

>1d6, first three

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5390066

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5390066

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5390066

>>5390066
There’s very little direct evidence to be found around the village - no tracks or signs of strange behavior around the outskirts, no significant damage to be found, not even any signs of unusual concentrations of natural energy. In quietly interviewing some of the locals you get the impression that most of them are nervous and don’t want to talk to you, but that by itself tells you nothing. They share no new information about what might be going on here, who might be causing it, or who this ‘Tosaka’ may actually be. In fact it’s almost a waste of time, but for one detail.

“Doesn’t it seem like more people should be living in this village?” Sumire wonders quietly in the woods by the nearby lakeshore, well away from any eavesdroppers.

“You mean, like comparing the number of people we’ve seen to the number of houses?” Wasabi-chan asks curiously.

Sumirin nods. “That was what I thought, also based on how large many of the houses seem to be.”

“So then why are there so few people?” Wasabi-chan asks, sparing you a concerned glance. “Any thoughts, fearless leader?”

“... there’s no reason to think the attack we foiled was the first,” you realize quietly.

Sumirin seems worried by that line of thinking. “You can’t mean…”

>It’s all guesswork. We have no way to know for sure.
>Without specialist help… normal people couldn’t survive.
>Some may have been afflicted like Konohamaru-san.
>Other?

>>5391004
>Some may have been afflicted like Konohamaru-san.

>>5391004
>>Without specialist help… normal people couldn’t survive.

>>5391004
>>Without specialist help… normal people couldn’t survive.
Onions Green... I mean the ducks are people.

>>5391004
>>Without specialist help… normal people couldn’t survive.

>>5391324
Soilent Ducks!

>>5391004
“I’m concerned that might be it exactly,” you frown. “Senjutsu chakra can be deadly if the body can’t handle it, and anything that causes the body to draw it in anyway can’t be much better for you. Without specialist help… I don’t know that a normal person infected like that could survive long.”
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5392152

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5392152

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5392152

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5392152

>>5392152
“Not to scare you or anything,” you speak a little louder. “Actually I’m the one who’s worried - I worry that nobody will be honest with me until it’s too late for me to help.”

“It’s okay,” Sumire insists, her tone gentle. “We’re not mad that you followed us. Why don’t you come out and talk to us?”

The little kid did a pretty good job of staying hidden - about as well as a middle-of-the-pack academy student could do. Which is to say that you’d have to be sleepwalking not to notice them, particularly in Wasabi’s case since he was upwind from you since you left the village border. A deliberate choice of course to make it harder for anyone to follow you unnoticed, despite not seeming likely, a measure you took just as good general practice.

“Um… hi,” a young boy of no more than six or seven greets you, poking his head out from behind a tree. “You three… you’re ninjas, right?”

“That’s right,” Wasabi-chan replies with a smile. “Did you need something, kid?”

“No,” he replies, “it’s my mama. She was attacked by one of those angry ducks three days ago and now she’s sick.”

“You saw me help Konohamaru-sensei,” you realize.

The boy nods. “Can you help my mama and the others?”

“The others?” Sumire repeats.

>Can you take us there? It doesn’t matter if anyone sees us.
>I think we need to discuss this with the grown-ups.
>Can you get us there secretly? Without anyone noticing?
>Other?

>>5393131
>>Can you get us there secretly? Without anyone noticing?
>>Other?
Send Kiburi to Konohamaru's team to let them know to follow after you, leave subtle clues for them to track.

Since I don't thiiiiiiiink anyone on the other team has tracking capabilities and I'm leery to keep the party split now that we're getting deeper into this plot.

>>5393131
>>Can you get us there secretly? Without anyone noticing?

>>5393131
>>Can you get us there secretly? Without anyone noticing?

>>5393131
“What’s your name?” you ask the boy.

He hesitates for a moment. “Eiji.”

“Eiji-kun,” you continue with a curt nod. “Can you take us to where your mama is… without any of the grown-ups noticing?”

“You suspect something?” Wasabi-chan asks with a frown.

You shake your head. “I can’t rule anything out. Eiji-kun?”

Eiji-kun, whose brow has been furrowed in strained thought, nods. “I think. But we’re gonna need some help.”

…

“Okay, so you know what to do?”

Eiji-kun’s two friends, a boy and a girl his own age named Anji and Hibiki respectively, nod in agreement before darting off while your team waits with Eiji-kun between two houses… and now that you’re closer, you can feel something distinctly wrong.

The sound of firecrackers going off two streets over is your signal to move. Eiji-kun leads you a few doors over to what looks like a storehouse on the edge of town, which due to the commotion his friends caused is unwatched, and tries the door.

“It’s locked!” he declares.

“Here, let me,” Sumire insists, weaving three quick hand seals and forming a tiny ball of water at the tip of her finger. Then she pushes it into the lock - she intends to rake it, essentially using the pressure of the water to mimic the action of the correct key. Which she manages to do in seconds, and it seems like she didn’t damage the lock at all in doing so.

Inside you see exactly why this storehouse felt off to you. Behind its heavy masonry walls, which only have tiny windows near the roof to let in light, you find four people laid out on futons, their faces covered over. They’re barely alive.
>1/2

>>5393131
“Mama?”

Eiji-kun kneels teary-eyed next to a woman, his mother, who seems to vaguely recognize her son’s presence. “Eiji?”

You carefully take the woman’s wrist, feeling her skin as you do so. She’s not turning to stone, the same way you would do if you drew in too much natural energy, so what’s causing this can’t be the natural energy itself. Somehow, something is mediating here, drawing in a little natural energy slowly over time, and that mediating agent is what’s causing the observable symptoms.

Eiji’s mother is slowly changing… her skin feels more like that of a shark than a human’s, and the color has even started to go grey if your impression in the dim is on the mark. And despite recognizing her son’s arrival, you can tell that this poor woman is otherwise barely aware of her surroundings.

Wasabi-chan seems like she’s about to ask you something, but the look on your face must warn her not to.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5394229

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5394229

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5394229

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5394229

>>5394229
“Eiji-kun, we need to go,” you insist quietly.

He doesn’t respond.

“Eiji-kun,” you insist, a little louder. “The adults could come back any second, so I’m sorry, but we have to go…”

Outside you hear a conversation… one between two men. You can’t exactly pick out the words, but you don’t really need to. Just the fact that they’re coming is a problem, at least you’d assume so based on the fact that they went to the trouble to hide these people from you, especially after they’ve seen that you can help them.

“It’s too late,” Wasabi-chan hisses.

>Try to sneak out - you ARE shinobi after all.
>Storm out. Confront the village about this.
>Other?

>>5395927
>>Storm out. Confront the village about this.

>>5395927
>>Storm out. Confront the village about this.

>>5395927
>>Storm out. Confront the village about this.
You have seen enough.

>>5395927
>>Try to sneak out - you ARE shinobi after all.

>>5395927
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5397154

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5397154

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5397154

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5397154

>>5397154
You sigh wearily, already frustrated by what you’re about to do. “Alright, we’ve come this far… may as well go all the way.”

…

After quickly telling your teammates what you plan to do, you open the door to the storehouse and step out, confronting the two men who had returned to guard the entrance against… well, against people trying to do precisely what you just did.

“How did you get in there?” one of the men demands.

“There’s a door,” you assert calmly. “Do you know what’s in there?”

The two men exchange nervous looks. “How do you mean?”

“You’re deflecting,” Wasabi-chan smirks, baring her fangs slightly like a small predator that smells weakness. “I don’t have to be Shiki-kun to know why.”

“You three brats can’t…”

“Chūnin.”

The man pauses. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m a chūnin,” you repeat. “A shinobi team leader. This is my team. And you left out a pretty important detail.”

“And now you’re in trouble,” Sumirin adds. “Sorry to say it.”

…

“And that’s what we found,” you finish, having caught Konohamaru up on the situation.

“Bastards,” Boruto clenches his fists. “What kinda people…”

“Easy there, Boruto-kun,” Konohamaru grumbles.

“He has a point, sensei,” Sarada admits. “Surely this can’t stand.”

“No,” Konohamaru agrees. “No, it can’t. Shiki-kun?”

“Konohamaru-san?”
>1/2

>>5398247
“There’s a lot of things we can’t just let slide here,” he tells you. “And the fact that the danger here was kept from us despite our clients knowing it? That’s pretty low on the priority list.”

>I can’t handle this anymore. We need real experts - Naori-ue can send a shadow clone, and we might be able to get Tsunade-san or Shizune-san too.
>I think we need to focus on the wounded. That’s the worst aspect of this whole situation.
>We need to find the root of all these problems and deal with it or else it’s just going to get worse. And probably quite quickly.
>Other?

>>5398250

I think we should bring Naori in.
Training is fine and all, but people's lives are at stake here and we shouldn't risk them needlessly.

Likewise, we need to pluck this problem out by the roots, and we can't do that if we're busy struggling to heal these people.
I think we should send a message to Naori and inform her of the situation, that way these people can get healed properly and, most likely, we can deal with Jugo.

>>5398250
>>We need to find the root of all these problems and deal with it or else it’s just going to get worse. And probably quite quickly.

>>5398250
>I can’t handle this anymore. We need real experts - Naori-ue can send a shadow clone, and we might be able to get Tsunade-san or Shizune-san too.
Life's are at risk and we need an actual expert to make sure as many people as possible survive this.

>>5398250
>We need to find the root of all these problems and deal with it or else it’s just going to get worse. And probably quite quickly.
>On the Medical Front however we're going to need backup.

In the end we're the closest to the problem and have the ability to do something about it, but that doesn't mean we can't delegate.

>>5398250
>1d6 high roll first three

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5399276

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5399276

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5399276

>>5399276
You weave the familiar seals, and summon Kiburi onto a perch on your outstretched finger. “Kiburi-san, I need you to do something for me.”

“Yes?” she chirps.

“I need you to speak with Isoka-san,” you tell her, “and have the clan reverse-summon my mom, Naori-ue. I need her here.”

“I can do that,” Kiburi replies before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“You’re calling for backup?” Wasabi-chan asks with a slight frown. “I thought you did a good job with Konohamaru-sensei.”

“There’s something else going on here,” you admit with a frown. “I don’t know what it is, but I do know that I can’t unravel that mystery and figure out how to treat these people’s injuries. For that, we need experts.”

“And you prefer to have your mother arrive with more information instead of just a little faster?” Sumirin asks curiously. “That makes sense.”

“Not by that much,” Naori-ue admits calmly. “Faster I mean.”

“Hi mom,” you greet her. “How much did the shrikes tell you?”

“Only the basics,” Naori-ue admits. “What more do I need to know?”

“Something has infected several victims in this village,” you explain. “Including Konohamaru-sensei, who I treated by removing the natural energy built up within his body.”

“But you don’t know how it happened in the first place.”

“I suspect it had to do with a former subject of Orochimaru-san’s,” you explain.

“Related to the curse marks?”

“Probably.”

“That’s a problem,” Naori-ue rubs the back of her neck.
>1/2

>>5400329
You are Uzumaki Naori, and your son has brought you an interesting dilemma. You can sense that something is very wrong of course, more acutely than Shiki can - and you can tell that the problem is worse than he knows. But he did have the good sense to suspect that things were worse than they seemed, that he was missing a piece or two of the proverbial puzzle. And because of that, he called you here knowing that you’d be able to formulate a plan to help him deal with two things at once.

“Shiki, take your team and Konohamaru-kun’s team,” you insist. “Concentrate on finding the cause of this situation.”

“Konohamaru-san’s team too?” he repeats. “Why? Did I miss something?”

You shake your head. “I get the feeling you treated the symptoms…”

“... but if the curse mark is related to the cause, he might get sick again,” Shiki realizes with a frown. “Which leaves me as the only team leader we can rely on.”

“Boruto-kun isn’t going to like this…” Sumire-chan shakes her head. “Is this really going to be okay?”

“It has to,” Wasabi-chan insists curtly. “Shikkun’s the chūnin here. If Boruto-kun doesn’t like it he can pass the first stage of the exams next time.”

“Agreed,” you nod. “And if he complains tell him I gave the order, that ought to shut him up… poor kid’s still terrified of me.”

>Go grab Orochimaru. This is probably his fault somehow anyway.
>Grab Tsuna-han. She’s probably better suited to delicate procedures.
>Get them both. You know they’re oil and water but you’ll keep them in line.
>Other?

>>5400342
>>Grab Tsuna-han. She’s probably better suited to delicate procedures.

>>5400342
>>Go grab Orochimaru. This is probably his fault somehow anyway.

NGL, I really like how you're handling Orochimaru in this quest.

Undeniably under house arrest and treated as someone who committed many crimes... but everyone is aware of just how intelligent and useful he can be, so killing him out of hand feels like a massive waste when he can instead be treated reasonably well under the circumstances.

>>5400342
>Go grab Orochimaru. This is probably his fault somehow anyway.

>>5400342
>Go grab Orochimaru. This is probably his fault somehow anyway.

>>5400342
>>Go grab Orochimaru. This is probably his fault somehow anyway.

>>5400342
When your son and his team are gone, you teleport to Naruto’s office - without bothering to knock, of course. This is too important, and you’re not sure how much time you have to work with. “I’m taking Orochimaru-han into my own custody for a while, I need his help solving a problem. Lives are at stake.”

“Hey, hold on a minute,” Naruto insists from behind a stack of half-finished paperwork. “There are rules for things like this ya know.”

“Is that so,” you muse, glancing at Sasuke who’s been standing patiently over Naruto’s shoulder. “Hey Sasuke, what do you think?”

“I think we only kept him around for situations like this,” Sasuke shrugs. “Situations where something happens we may not have a satisfactory answer for.”

“Yes,” you agree immediately. “Yes, that’s exactly right. And with that, if you’ll excuse me.”

…

“Yamato-han,” you greet Orochimaru-han’s jailer. “How are you?”

“Fine, Naori-san,” the old jōnin greets you with a slight frown, hard to see through the wrinkles he’s developed around his eyes over the years. “Might I ask why you’ve come here all of a sudden, unannounced?”

“Sure,” you reply calmly. “I’m here to pick up Orochimaru-han.”

“That’s a problem,” he tells you. “Under what authorization?”

“Naruto and Sasuke,” you reply. “Well, mostly just Sasuke. And not exactly… you know, explicit. More like he just disagreed with Naruto about stopping me.”

“I’m not sure that’s sufficient?” Yamato-han tells you.
>1/2

>>5401235
“It’s going to have to be,” you insist, forcing your way past the old jōnin. “Yeah no, we don’t have time for this.”

After navigating through a complex mess of hallways you find Orochimaru in a large laboratory, evidently hard at work on some experiment or other which he sets aside upon your arrival. “I take it this is not a social call?”

“Good guess,” you reply. “So yeah, there’s something going on at a village in the Land of Rivers. It looks a lot like a curse mark that’s spreading like a disease.”

Orochimaru blinks slowly. “Spreading, you say?”

You nod. “The vector is duck wounds.”

“... duck wounds?” he repeats.

“Or geese, I honestly can’t say I care,” you offer the blunt admission of ignorance. “Either way we have several cases of zoonotic transmission.”

“Fascinating,” he muses, rising from a work stool and crossing the room to retrieve something from a metal cabinet. “This is speculation at this point, but it certainly does sound as if someone has gotten rather creative with one of my own techniques. How curious.”

>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5401501

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5401501

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5401501

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5401501
What are these rolls

>>5401530
garbage? pure shit?

>>5401530
Orochigeek

The dice wish for a goose outbreak apparently.

>>5401501
When you return to the village with Orochimaru, the scene is one of pure pandemonium.

“... well this is novel,” Orochimaru offers his thoughts, staring at the flock of birds that’s going on a rampage through the streets.

“... SHIKI!?” you shout, implicitly demanding an explanation from your son, wherever it is that he is.

“Sorry!” he shouts back, leaping through the air and slicing a demonic goose out of the air with his folding knife. “No time to explain!”

“I guess we should help the kids out,” you muse, glancing over at the spot where Orochimaru was standing a few moments ago. Now, a single, bored-looking white snake lays coiled quietly on the ground.

A substitution, you realize. Clever bastard… the speed and timing he used in the execution of that technique was nothing short of masterful.

>Kill the demon geese and get after Orochimaru.
>Interrogate the snake. You KNOW it can understand you.
>Do both. In fact, make ALL the shadow clones.
>Other?

>>5402307
>>Do both. In fact, make ALL the shadow clones.

>>5402307
>>Do both. In fact, make ALL the shadow clones.

>>5402307
>Do both. In fact, make ALL the shadow clones.

you don't just be naori and not do everything

>>5402307
You almost fall into the trap of trying to decide between helping contain the demon geese, tracking down Orochimaru, and interrogating the snake. But then you remember - you don’t need to make decisions like ‘normal people’ when you can make as many shadow clones as you’ve made on a regular basis.

“Okay,” you muse, crossing the first two fingers on your left hand. “Multi shadow-clone technique!”

And then, quite suddenly, there are one hundred more of you than there were a second before, which should be completely overkill but still it’s not like it’s any trouble. Several dozen of these clones scatter in an instant, hunting down the afflicted birds with ruthless efficiency. A few dozen more begin to search for Orochimaru, leaping from treetop to treetop and spreading paper sensing butterflies as receivers.

Then you walk over to the white snake and pick it up off the ground. “Hi, snake.”

It stares at you vacantly, so that you can’t quite tell if it’s paying attention or not.

“We need to talk.”

After a moment, the snake flicks its tongue at you. But it’s still staring calmly at you, even as your clones set to work slicing birds from the air in little clouds of feathers and blood. Okay, so maybe it’s actually listening.

“Yeah no, I need to know where Orochimaru went,” you declare. “What’s he up to? How much did he know before we even came here?”

The snake keeps staring at you and occasionally flicking its tongue.

“You can’t talk, can you?”

After a moment, you swear the snake nods its head.

… great.
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5403664

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5403664

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5403664

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5403664

>>5403664
You test a theory. “Do you understand me?”

The snake nods again.

“Can you help me track Orochimaru-han?”

The snake shakes its head… and confirms that it’s actually responding yes and no.

That’s not helpful, though it’s also not that surprising. There was no reason to think that a random white snake Orochimaru left on the ground would have the ability to track him, but it definitely would’ve been convenient.

“Do you know what he’s doing?”

The snake nods. Okay, that’s a bit of a difficulty.

“Is what he’s doing dangerous to me or to any of the people here?”

The snake shakes its head, then flicks its tongue at you. So that’s a no. But that also doesn’t tell you what Orochimaru is actually doing, or why he ran off to do it without a word of explanation to you first. Well, that just means you’re going to have to wait to find out the truth until one of your clones finds Orochimaru and swaps places with you.

>Shiki

The fight was hectic even after Naori-ue’s clones pitched in to help you. But after cutting down what felt like an endless stream of really aggressive geese, you find your team and Konohamaru-senseu’s Team 3 trying to decide what the next step has to be.

“Ultimately it’s up to you, Shiki-kun,” Sarada admits, after making it known that she wants to go down to the lake to survey the local population of geese.

>I think we should follow the ornithologist. He’s sketchy as all hell.
>I support going down to the lake. We need to see where the problem’s coming from.
>This most likely involves Jugo-san. We have to find him, sooner rather than later.
>Other?

>>5404930
>>I think we should follow the ornithologist. He’s sketchy as all hell.

>>5404930
>>I think we should follow the ornithologist. He’s sketchy as all hell.

>>5404930
>>I think we should follow the ornithologist. He’s sketchy as all hell.

>>5404930

>I think we should follow the ornithologist. He’s sketchy as all hell.

>>5404930
>1d6, taking the best three of four

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5405638

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5405638

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5405638

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5405638

>>5405638
“That ornithologist seems like someone to keep an eye on,” you declare.

Boruto glances at you. “What, Tosaka-san? He’s probably harmless.”

“Well if Boruto-kun thinks it’s a waste of time I think it’s a great idea,” Sarada retorts, setting up a mutual glare between the two of them.

“It’s possible I’m looking too much into this,” you admit, “but every word out of his mouth felt untruthful.”

“But not like a lie?” Boruto asks with a frown.

“Would that make it more like a lie of omission?” Sumire asks you.

You nod, thankful for the help. “That would be a good way to describe it.”

“Where is he now?” Tsubaki asks, and you suddenly realize that you haven’t seen him since before you snuck into the storage shed earlier.

“That’s… a good question,” you admit. “I thought he was with you?”

“He was,” Sarada insists, just as confused now as you are. “I didn’t notice him leave. Boruto-kun?”

“I didn’t see anything,” Boruto shrugs. “He probably just wandered off.”

“Well then we should find him either way,” you declare. “So if we’re done chattering, let’s get to it. Did your team bring any radio equipment?”

“We did,” Sarada replies with a curt nod. “We’ll use it to stay in touch?”

“Right.”

“Okay, then let’s do it,” Boruto declares, pounding his fist into his hand.

>We’ll go to the lake, do a complete circuit and observe the birds.
>We’ll search the forest, Team 3 can search the lakeshore.
>Other?

>>5406257
>>We’ll search the forest, Team 3 can search the lakeshore.

>>5406257
>We'll search the forest

>>5406257
>>We’ll go to the lake, do a complete circuit and observe the birds.

>>5406257
>>We’ll search the forest, Team 3 can search the lakeshore.

>>5406257
>1d6 first three DC 10

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5407355

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5407355

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5407355

>>5407355
“Team Hanabi, we’ll head up towards the mountains, search the forest,” you declare. “Team Konohamaru, I need you to search around the edge of the lake.”

“What are we looking for?” Tsubaki-kun inquires curiously. “For that matter, I think it would be helpful to know what your team will be looking for as well.”

“We need to know two things,” you decide, “and not knowing where Orochimaru or the bird-man went, their presence or absence doesn’t factor into the decision. We need to know how many potentially infected geese there are and where they are, and we need to know where Jugo is and how much of a threat he represents.”

“And you’re ordering us to walk around the lake because you don’t think we can handle a fight?” Boruto asks with a frown.

You glare at him. “I can sense natural energy. By all accounts Jugo uses natural energy. It’s the entire reason I’m here.”

“Oh, right,” Boruto replies with a flat stare. “Sorry, I honestly keep losing track of all the crazy stuff you’ve been learning. My old man hasn’t really taught me anything.”

“What about the rasengan?” Sumirin asks curiously.

“Konohamaru-sensei.”

“Shadow clones?” Wasabi-chan asks.

“Learned it on my own.”

“Lightning release?” you ask, remembering that it’s his elemental affinity.

“Thank my papa for that,” Sarada glances at Boruto. “Lucky jerk.”

… huh.

“Well, in any event it’s nothing personal,” you continue abruptly. “And it’s not like dealing with demonic geese isn’t dangerous either - actually I should order you not to get too close if you can avoid it. Not until we know more about the situation.”

“And if you see Orochimaru or that bird guy, get to a secure distance and radio it in. Understood?”
>1/2

>>5408551
It isn’t long before you and Wasabi pick up a trail, and begin to track it towards the base of a nearby set of rocky hills, of the sort that make it seem like the very bones of the earth have found a weak point where they can break through. The closer you get over about a half hour’s travel on foot, the more certain you are that you’re onto something.

This suspicion is confirmed when a hulking figure with dark grey skin and wild orange hair bursts through the underbrush, shirtless with a deranged grin tugging at his lips.

“Jugo-san, I presume?” you greet him warily, hand straying towards where you’ve been keeping your Kotetsu-knife.

He builds up tension in his legs and back… and suddenly he’s right on top of you, fist already flying. It’s all you can do to raise your knife and run some chakra into it just in time to parry, but the weight of the blow still sends you flying into a nearby tree. “I’ll kill you all!”

Your teammates instantly execute one of your many pre-arranged strategies. “Sumirin, cover!” Wasabi-chan shouts.

“Right!” she replies, weaving a few quick hand seals and pointing her fingers at Jugo. “Suiton: Suireiha!”

Jugo rounds on her next, knocking her back as well - though quick on her feet, Sumirin is able to blow a cloud of poison back at Jugo in exchange.

“Where’re you looking, punk!?” Wasabi-chan, who’s used her cat-covering already, shouts to draw Jugo’s attention towards her counterattack.

>Join in - never let Jugo focus on one of the three of you or else you’ll be in trouble.
>He’s fast, but only in a straight line. You can use that to your advantage.
>He’s not in his right mind, without any strategy - so kengen-ryu will be doubly effective.
>Other?

>>5408593
>>Join in - never let Jugo focus on one of the three of you or else you’ll be in trouble.

>>5408593
>>He’s not in his right mind, without any strategy - so kengen-ryu will be doubly effective.

>>5408593
>>Join in - never let Jugo focus on one of the three of you or else you’ll be in trouble.

>>5408593
>He isn't in his right mind, ...

>>5408593
>He’s not in his right mind, without any strategy - so kengen-ryu will be doubly effective.

>>5408593
>>Join in - never let Jugo focus on one of the three of you or else you’ll be in trouble.

>>5408593
>1d6, taking the first three
>DC: 11
>SP: 4/4

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5409376

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5409376

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5409376

>>5409376
The key here is going to be dividing his attention - with the amount of raw power you felt when he landed a blow against your guard, you know that none of the three of you can take too many hits like that and still keep fighting at full… and out of your teammates you’re the ‘tough’ one, so Wasabi-chan and Sumirin will be left much worse off for any hits landed on them.

So you guess that the only real way to proceed here is to leverage any advantage you can find, the biggest one being that Jugo-san seems to be completely out of his mind. There’s no sign of strategy here, no evidence of rational thought or discipline. You may as well be fighting a wild animal, only this animal still has the biological ‘architecture’ inside his thick skull that makes humans especially susceptible to genjutsu. And without reason, and without any real use of technique beyond what’s seemingly built into his body, it’s entirely possible that genjutsu will prove the most effective tool you can use in this fight.

“Hiken: Hibana Shisshin.”

As you flow chakra through your knife you reason that while there are some counter-indications for simply starting with the high-level kengen techniques (an elemental counter, or a high likelihood of an enemy learning of and communicating your abilities, for example) none of them are relevant here. Unlike Suigetsu-san Jugo doesn’t seem to use any nature transformations, let alone water in particular, and you get the distinct impression he won’t remember this clearly.

“Wasabi, flank!” you shout. “Sumire, cover!”

“Gotcha!” Wasabi agrees immediately, understanding the strategy as well as Sumire. As the fastest two you will both serve to trade your opponent’s attention between the two of you, with Sumire either creating opportunities for one or the other of you to withdraw for a moment if need be, or covering for any mistakes or missteps either you or Wasabi may make.

Jugo cackles madly, his body morphing seemingly to serve him better in a fast-paced close-range battle. Axe-like blades grow from his forearms and his fists increase in size, while blasts of chakra emanate from a series of vents on his back and shoulders - so that’s how he attacked you so fast before?

You and Wasabi take the offensive, attacking from each side. Wasabi draws a pair of kunai and you swing a flaming blade that extends past the point of your knife like a sword, sharpened white-hot chakra trailing petals of flame and searing into the bony arm-axe Jugo raises to parry. When you notice Wasabi falling back, kunai seemingly wrenched from her grasp by Jugo’s response, you fall back as well. That lets her set off the paper bombs wrapped around the handles without worry of harming you by mistake.
>1/2

>>5410002
>Play flanking tricks and mind games with Wasabi, keep Jugo off balance until you wear him down.
>Chip away at Jugo, but look to create an opening for Wasabi using your kengen.
>Mix the Hibana Shisshin with fūinjutsu, try to restrain Jugo together with your team.
>Other?

>>5410006
>>Chip away at Jugo, but look to create an opening for Wasabi using your kengen.
Be the annoying as fuck, but also a dangerous bait.

>>5410006
>Mix the Hibana Shisshin with fūinjutsu, try to restrain Jugo together with your team.

>>5410002
>Mix the Hibana shishin with fuinjutsu

>>5410006
>>Mix the Hibana Shisshin with fūinjutsu, try to restrain Jugo together with your team.

>>5410006
>Mix the Hibana Shisshin with fūinjutsu, try to restrain Jugo together with your team.

>>5410006
>>1d6, first three
>DC 11
>SP: 4/4

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5410332

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5410332

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5410332

>>5410332
Spend 3Sp to pass?
>Yes
>No

>>5410437
any failure ever is unacceptable and i would rather die

>yes

>>5410437
>>Yes

>>5410437
>>Yes


>>5410438
In this case Juugo would be HAPPY to oblige.

>>5410437
>>Yes

>>5410437
>SP: 1/4
>Will write in a bit

>>5410437
You decide that the best plan of action for you is going to be to blend the Hibana Shisshin with the Tenrō Fūsa - a debilitating, fiery assault that should hopefully help your team get Jugo under control. It’s not entirely clear what you should do after that, but that’s really a question for after you’ve managed to do it.

“Tenrō Fūsa!”

A pair of chakra chains wrap around Jugo’s wrist as a vicious punch narrowly misses your head, and your blade bites into his side. As he gathers his chakra the chains set a fire against his flesh, but it doesn’t really seem to bother him in the slightest.

With a shout, weaving hand seals as she leaps towards Jugo, Wasabi makes her move. “Doton: Sazareishi!”

The earth at Jugo’s feet rises up to his knees, and prevents him from turning as Wasabi ducks under the arm you’ve entrapped with your Tenrō Fūsa and aims her chakra claws at the wound you left in his side. That attack strikes deep, and your follow-on from Jugo’s opposite side puts white-hot petals of fire in his eyes. He howls in pain, and thrashes about, nearly wrenching your arms out of their sockets by your own chakra chains. But Sumire takes advantage of his bound feet and ankles to strike as well.

“Raiton: Jinraisen!”

The blast of lightning is something she’s been working on, and between the blinding flame, the nausea, the chains around his wrists, and the rock around his ankles, Jugo doesn’t even see it coming. He roars in anger, breaking out of the rock bindings.

“I’ll kill you!” he shouts again, and your Tenrō Fūsa flares brightly as he builds chakra for an attack. “I’ll take you all out with one shot!”

>Now or never: try to use the Shiden technique to counter the coming attack.
>The Kongō Fūsa can be used as a barrier - why not the Tenrō Fūsa too?
>Try to use shadow clones and leverage to make sure his attack misses.
>Other?

>>5411404
>The Kongō Fūsa can be used as a barrier - why not the Tenrō Fūsa too?
The ol' Uzumaki special

>>5411404
>>Now or never: try to use the Shiden technique to counter the coming attack.

>>5411404
>Now or never: try to use the Shiden technique to counter the coming attack.

>>5411404
>>The Kongō Fūsa can be used as a barrier - why not the Tenrō Fūsa too?

>>5411404
Still a tie. Anyone care to break it?

>>5411404
>>5411437
changing to
>The Kongō Fūsa can be used as a barrier - why not the Tenrō Fūsa too?

>>5412331
>>5412351
>1d6, first three
>DC 10

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5412361

File: jesser.gif (2.93 MB, 498x362)

2.93 MB GIF

>>5412362
FUCK

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5412361
>inb4 another 1

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5412361
natty 1, time to die

>>5412361
Okay, well you don't (and can't) pass, but you recharge SP.
>SP: 3/4
>writing

>>5412394
A thought occurs - you know that the technique it’s based on can be used for a barrier, so the Tenrō Fūsa should be able to do the same thing. Only you’ve never done that before, so when you try to raise the barrier and confine the blast Jugo is charging up to release things don’t go according to plan.

…

The pain is what brings your mind back into focus, and you realize how bad it is with a groan. Your left arm won’t do what you want, so you force yourself off the broken tree branch with your right. “Sound off!” you struggle to raise your voice.

“Oh thank goodness,” a familiar voice answers, the face slowly coming into focus.

“That’s good,” you tell Sumire. “And Wasabi-chan?”

“Worry about yourself, you jerk.”

“Second priority,” you reply curtly. “What happened?”

“That attack hit one of your chakra chains and detonated early,” Sumire explains to you, essentially forcing you down into something more closely resembling a resting position. Looking around you can see that a wide area of the forest has been blasted clear. “Jugo-san is unconscious…”

“And lookin’ a whole lot less crazy and grey,” Wasabi-chan adds. “Seems like whatever was affecting him wore off.”

You glance over to see an orange-haired man, still built solidly but much smaller now than before and lacking the strange weapon-growths all over his body.

“Yes, it seems the curse mark has subsided,” Orochimaru muses. “That’s fortunate.”

… Orochimaru?

You force yourself up onto your elbows.

>No. Nononono.
>Took you long enough.
>What are you playing at?
>Other?

>>5412463
>>No. Nononono.

File: naruto-meat-canyon.gif (2.35 MB, 498x280)

2.35 MB GIF

>>5412463
>No. Nononono.

CHAKRA
THROUGH THE KUNAI
RIGHT NOW

>>5412463
>No. Nononono.

>>5412463
>>Took you long enough.

>>5412463
>>Took you long enough.

>>5412463
>>No. Nononono.

>>5412463
“... no,” you insist, straining to get to your feet despite the fact that Sumire has evidently been working on your wounds, and takes exception to you undoing her work. “No, we’re not doing this.”

“Shiki-kun?” Wasabi-chan wonders aloud.

“Excuse me,” Orochimaru seemingly apologizes, two large white snakes striking from his sleeves and wrapping around your teammates, holding them up off the ground while he approaches Jugo. “But I have little time to explain.”

“What are you doing?” you demand, managing to struggle to your feet despite your wounds - blood trickles from the hole in your side, and the fact that your arm is broken at the wrist is painfully obvious. “Let my teammates go!”

Orochimaru draws a small cylinder out of his sleeve and removes a cap, to reveal a trio of what look like medical syrettes connected by a plastic frame. Then he jabs Jugo in the arm with the syrettes, draws blood using some sort of wind release technique - probably by creating a vacuum - and recaps them to cover the needles.

“There,” Orochimaru declares. “The next step will be to collect samples from the local geese to confirm what I suspect to be true.”

“... what?” Wasabi-chan asks blankly.

“I am confident that a curse mark of my own design could not suddenly become contagious,” Orochimaru clarifies, withdrawing the serpents that had bound your teammates. “Not everyone would just believe me if I were to say that however, which means that I need to be able to produce evidence.”

“I mean… you could have asked us?” Sumirin muses awkwardly.

There’s a long pause.

“You… didn’t even consider that, did you?” you ask curtly.

“... I need to get these back to a laboratory,” Orochimaru continues, pretending he didn’t hear your question.

“Don’t ignore us…” Wasabi-chan grumbles.

Orochimaru glances off into the forest. “Your mother should be here shortly. She has been briefly held up, though I am certain it can only be a temporary delay."
>to be continued in the next thread

>>5414799
New Thread: >>5416817