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>>5555611
The robber is visibly stunned by this development.

“You turned out to be a hard nut to crack,” Hanabi-sensei muses with a confident smile. “Thank you for the assist, Shiki-kun.”

“What… the hell…” the man gasps for air, staggering towards the wall of the car. “Are two shinobi… like you doing here?”

“Just plain bad luck,” Hanabi-sensei replies before finishing the job with a senbon to his neck.

The researchers, who have been backed against the back wall of the train car, seem to finally get some of their nerve back now that what looked to be the “boss” is down for the count. One of them steps forward as you quickly tie your downed opponent up.

“Ninpō: Hainawa!”

Like a slithering snake, the rope does seemingly on its own what would traditionally have taken four men trained in hojō-jutsu to accomplish. The elaborate knotwork secures the man’s arms and pulls them tense around the neck, without strangling him, and steel threads woven into the rope itself ensure that from the position you force his limbs into he won’t be able to break it on his own.

“What’s he doing?” the researcher asks Hanabi-sensei. “And how’s he doing it?”

“Chakra flow through the rope,” Hanabi-sensei explains, “following a traditional tie used in hojō-jutsu, the martial art of ropes.”

“I didn’t know that was a thing.”


“The samurai preserved it since it fell out of use at the end of the warring states period, until Ryūzetsu-sensei of Amegakure revived it.”

>I’ve finished with this. Sensei, can you take out the remaining bandits from here?
>Give me directions, I’ll deal with the rest up close just in case they have hostages.
>With all this damage, one of these raiders is going to come to check it out.
>Other?

>>5555614
>>Give me directions, I’ll deal with the rest up close just in case they have hostages.

>>5555614
>>Give me directions, I’ll deal with the rest up close just in case they have hostages.

>>5555614
>>Give me directions, I’ll deal with the rest up close just in case they have hostages.

>>5555614
>1d6
>best 3 of 4

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5556399

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5556399

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5556399

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5556399

>>5556399
“Even if the others haven’t taken hostages,” you muse, “having too many people in your line of sight would make it harder for you, wouldn’t it sensei?”


Hanabi-sensei nods in agreement. “Yeah. My technique’s chief virtue is penetration, not guidance like Hinoko-san’s chakra needle.”


“But you can still see through walls, and we have a two-way radio set,” you observe. “I can go on the offensive while you guard the package. Just feed me information.”


It seems she was already thinking along those lines, since she fishes her own earpiece and throat microphone set out of her sleeve even before you’ve finished your suggestion. “Agreed. I’ll leave the rest in your hands, Shiki-kun.”


…


After setting up your own communications equipment, you begin your journey towards the back of the train - ten cars with six other train robbers in them, and one hundred and seventy-two passengers who are effectively being held hostage. Judging by their leader it would be a little too much to kill them all you realize, so you elect to incapacitate them instead if you’re given the opportunity to do so.


[The first car has two hostiles in it,] Hanabi-sensei informs you. [One near the front end, one near the middle. Both are standing in the aisle and should be obvious.]


Is that so… you rely on the ryūmei to verify the information, sending a fragment of your soul through the door to ‘possess’ a passenger on the other side. Once you have your own ‘eyes’ on the first set of enemies you make your move… by kicking in the door.


“What the…”


The robbers on the other side of the door are immediately drawn in by your flashy entrance, and suddenly their focus is solely on you rather than on any of the other passengers. And since you know the distance already you can rush in to meet the first one with confidence, while his own reaction is sloppy even for someone as obviously out of their depth as he is.


The knife-thrust is easy to read, and your right hand locks tight around his wrist as you step in closer to pinch his throat between the fingers of your left hand. With that leverage you immediately take control, and start marching him forcefully towards his compatriot.
>1/2

>>5558117
“S-stay back!” the second robber tries to order you, eyes darting between you and a nearby passenger who is cowering against the nearest window. Not hard to tell what he’s thinking, and also not hard to stop it before it happens.

The instant you’re close enough you open the spacing up, release the first robber, and plant your foot firmly in the small of his back. This sends him toppling headfirst into the second man, throwing them both wildly off-balance and making it easy to finish the job. Your second kick hits the second man in the jaw, sending him crashing backwards to the floor, and just as the first man starts to regain his balance your palm finds his face. Hooking your right leg behind his knee gives you more than enough leverage to slam the back of his head into the nearest seatback.

You use the hainawa technique again to bind both of them before they come back around, and look around the car to make sure all the civilians are unscathed.

“Looks good, sensei,” you report. “No serious injuries here.”

[That’s good. Proceed through the next car, there are two more in the car behind it.]

You do as instructed… and find that you have to waste time assuring the passengers you’re trying to pass that you are, in fact, here to help them rather than rob them.

[They’ve been alerted somehow,] Hanabi-sensei informs you.

“Someone probably missed a radio check-in,” you guess. “While I was wasting time talking I’d guess.”

[You’re probably right, but it can’t be helped now.]

>The next set of them will be coming forward to check, so set up an ambush for them.
>Better to head outside the train and go get the last two. These next two will be heading towards Hanabi-sensei.
>These guys haven’t been too impressive. Take the initiative again by using shadow clones from outside the train.
>Other?

>>5558125
>Ambush
>Hide a couple of transformed shadow clones among the passengers

>>5558125
>>Better to head outside the train and go get the last two. These next two will be heading towards Hanabi-sensei.

>>5558125
>>These guys haven’t been too impressive. Take the initiative again by using shadow clones from outside the train.

>>5558125
>Better to head outside the train and go get the last two. These next two will be heading towards Hanabi-sensei.

>>5558125
>>Better to head outside the train and go get the last two. These next two will be heading towards Hanabi-sensei.

>>5558125
“Sensei, I’m going to bypass these next two, but lead them towards you with a shadow clone,” you declare, forming the left-handed seal and creating a shadow clone before heading for the nearest window. “We’ll deal with them simultaneously.”

[Alright,] she agrees. [May as well wrap this up quickly, before they get any smart ideas.]
>1d6
>best three of four

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5559914

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5559914

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5559914

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5559914

>>5559914
You don’t get much chance to practice train-walking, but with proper chakra control it’s not that difficult to make your way to the rear car despite the air speed around you. Without Hanabi-sensei’s x-ray vision it would be a little harder to assault the interior of the car with such confidence, so instead you play off their apparent lack of training and experience with the kind of prank-like move you’d imagine Boruto might use.

“Hey!” one of the two shouts when he sees your shadow clone leaning down over the edge of the car’s ceiling to peep through the window. “There’s a brat genin our something out there!”

“Get him!” the other shouts, and both congregate near that window.

“Here!” you shout, swinging down from the other side and through the window in a spray of glass.

The two split up again as you land between them, and both take swings - the kunai in one of their hands meets your knife and slides off in front of you from the right, and from the left you catch a left hook with your wrist and shoulder before twisting your arm into a lock.

“What!?” the man to your right demands. “What the hell you gonna do now, smartass!?”

“This!” you reply, drawing chakra into your mouth. “Suiton: Tenkyū!”

The needle of compressed water and chakra hits the man in his knee, and you draw your right leg up to deliver a stomping kick that collides with his sternum. Then your plan is complete, as your real body breaks down the rear door to this last trailing car and delivers a senbon to the back of the last man’s neck. His eyes widen in surprise for a moment before your second shadow clone pops, leaving you to calmly walk up and restrain him as he falls inelegantly to the floor. You quickly do the same to the man whose kneecap you shot with a water needle before, and with that the two in the last car are down and out.

You give it a few moments, and eventually you get a call from your sensei. [I see you’ve taken those two into custody.]

“I assume you’ve done the same?” you muse.

[Just now.]

“Nice,” you reply. “Shall I bring the others up so we can keep an eye on them?”
>1/2

>>5560734
[That makes sense, we’ll keep them near the package.]

“Right, see you in a few minutes then.”

…

“So what is this artifact we’re escorting anyway?” you ask curiously.

The seniormost researcher, a man with a salt-and-pepper beard dressed as though he’s trying much too hard to look “normal”, smiles. “Ah, now we’re in my area of expertise!”

Then he launches into an explanation. “This artifact was recovered from a settlement which, according to local lore, must predate the arrival of the Sage of Six Paths!”

He removes from the suitcase in front of him - not, you note, the one on the rack above - a carved figure of a turtle, about life-sized. “Legend has it that there was once a settlement on a now-dormant volcanic island off the coast of the Land of Fire, which was destroyed by an eruption that covered the whole island in ash. It was abandoned for generations because the locals thought the place cursed. But the Sage taught them that the volcanic soil was rich for farming, and so the people returned - and now that island is home to internationally-recognized vineyards.”

“And so…” you gesture for the man to continue.

“This artifact was found in some sort of a structure which had been clearly destroyed and covered over by ash,” the researcher concludes, “meaning that it must have come from a complex society which predates the era of the Sage of Six Paths.”

“Which puts it in the time of Kaguya-hime,” you reason.

“If not earlier,” the man replies. “In either event it would be the oldest known art object discovered in-situ since the beginning of modern archaeological research.”

>A turtle? Not a rabbit?
>... okay so what is it?
>Kaguya’s era, hm? What else is known about that time?
>Other?

>>5560932
>A turtle? Not a rabbit?

>>5560932
>>Kaguya’s era, hm? What else is known about that time?

>>5560932
>>... okay so what is it?

>>5560932
>>A turtle? Not a rabbit?

>>5560932
>>A turtle? Not a rabbit?

>>5560932
>Kaguya’s era, hm? What else is known about that time?

>>5560932
“... a turtle?” you wonder. “Not a rabbit?”

“It’s true that Kaguya-hime had a cult presence around that time,” the man muses thoughtfully. “But near as we can tell this was not what we would call a ‘devotional piece’ - it doesn’t seem to include any obvious religious iconography, and its form doesn’t suggest any sort of ritual purpose.”

“It’s actually kind of reassuring to know that even back then people made things for no reason other than to make them,” you decide with a grin.

“Most people don’t seem to think much of it,” the researcher admits. “So it’s nice to hear an appreciative voice.”

…

The researchers make it the rest of the way to Konohagakure without further incident, and you and Hanabi-sensei hand off the prisoners at the station to be taken in for questioning. Which leaves you to take the rest of the day to relax. Or, so you thought.

“Was there something else, sensei?”

She pauses for a moment - with someone who tends to be as straightforward as Hanabi-sensei, that’s never a good sign. “Shiki-kun, have you given any thought to replacing your sword?”

>No… should I have?
>I don’t particularly feel like it.
>Do you have something in mind?
>Other?

>>5562956
>>I don’t particularly feel like it.

>>5562956
>>No… should I have?

>>5562956
>>No… should I have?

>>5562956
>I don’t particularly feel like it.

I like the knife and chain style.
If we need it longer, we can do that with chakra flow.

>>5562956
>I don’t particularly feel like it.

>>5562956
>No… should I have?
>What did you have in mind?

>>5562956
“I’ve never particularly felt like it,” you admit. “Why, should I have?”

Hanabi-sensei sighs. “Listen, Shiki-kun. I’ve seen you fight a few times since your sword broke, and you’re a good knife-fighter. I’d even say you’re good at taijutsu across the board - but when it comes to swordplay “good” falls way short of the mark. You’re a fantastic swordsman, Shiki-kun, and as your sensei I want to see you reach your full potential.”

“I have a weapon,” you remind her. “The knife I carry was made from that old sword.”

“I’m aware,” she nods. “It was a generous gesture and it’s quite a fine weapon. But at least in my mind, it would be like if Koyuki-hime took up drawing instead of acting and singing - she might turn out to be good at it, but it’s hardly the best use of her talents.”

… hm.

She knows you can practically hear it in her voice already - “after all, weren’t you the one who said you chose to be a shinobi because it was the best use of your talents” is what went unsaid just now. And she’d be right to say it, because words to that effect really did come out of your mouth not all that long ago.

“It’s hard to explain,” you admit. “But I can almost feel this blade’s desire to be a sword again when my chakra flows through it. It’s not like it’s aware, not like Naori-ue’s sword is, or like Samehada. It’s just a feeling I get sometimes.”

“It can be a sword again,” Hanabi-sensei points out. “Enough material remains to use for a new blade using the old chakra metal.”

She has a point again.

Enough remains of your previous sword in good enough condition for the old steel to be cut into pieces, homogenized with the addition of new carbon at a forge, then used as the hard steel in a new blank. This would be either the outer jacket steel (‘kawagane’) in a simple two-piece kobuse-style billet, or as the edge steel (‘hagane’) and the mild kawagane side-pieces of a more complex hon-sanmai (‘true-three-part’) style billet. The latter is how the sword was originally forged.
>1/2

>>5564480
“I know that look,” she smirks. “That’s the look you get when you’re thinking something through to its logical conclusion… you’re considering forging methods that could be used to do what I’m talking about, right?”

You nod. “I have one concern.”

“Whether there’s a shintō smith capable of working with such material without ruining it?” Hanabi-sensei muses.

“Exactly.”

“There are one or two,” she informs you. “I can have my father make the necessary arrangements, if you’d like. Or you could ask Naori-ue, who probably also has the same contacts.”

“Naori-ue isn’t exactly a collector,” you admit with a slight chuckle. “She has the only sword she’d ever want, I think.”

“And who can blame her,” Hanabi-sensei agrees. “Umekiri-maru is about the finest example of a kotō blade as you could ask for, and what’s more it belongs in your clan.”

>I think it may be the right thing to do to have this sword reforged.
>Let me think about it. I’m still not entirely sure, personally.
>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.
>Other?

>>5564494
>>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.

>>5564494
>>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.

We have to be discerning about this. Picky as hell.

>>5564494
>>Let me think about it. I’m still not entirely sure, personally.

>>5564494
>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.

>>5564494
>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.

>>5564494
>I would want to speak to the smith first. It’s important to me.

>>5564494
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5566157

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5566157

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5566157

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5566157

>>5566157
“I’d like to speak with this smith first,” you decide. “If that won’t be a problem. It’s important to me that if we do this properly, if we do it at all.”

In answer, Hanabi-sensei pulls out her phone and taps in a number. After a moment, she speaks. “Father. Apologies for the abrupt call, but would you be able to arrange a conversation between one of my students and Masamine-san?”

A pause.

“Great, I’ll give you his number,” your sensei continues, before giving your contact details to her father. “Thank you very much. Is dinner still on for friday?”

…

A few minutes later, your own phone rings. You answer.

“Hello? Is this Masamine-san, the swordsmith?” you ask.

“It is,” an older gentleman’s voice answers, gruff and direct. “This is Uzumaki Shiki-san?”

“Correct, sir,” you reply politely.

“I hear you may have a project for me?” he muses. “Tell me about it.”

“I have a kotō blade that once belonged to Hanzō-dono,” you explain. “It was badly damaged on a mission.”

“High quality?” he replies.

You nod, despite the fact that he can’t see it. “Yes, chakra steel. Not a masterpiece or anything, but a good sword.”

“Hanzō had good taste, so that tracks,” he tells you. “And you want the material saved?”

“Yes,” you confirm.

“Why?”

After a moment, you explain it to him as best you can. “It feels like it wants to be a sword again.”
>1/2

>>5567279
“I see,” he replies calmly. “So it is a fine blade with good seasoning… that means it readily accepts your particular chakra.”

“I get that feeling, yes.”

There’s a pause. “Then this is what I would propose to do. To recover the blade I would first have to cut it into smaller pieces, fill it with powdered chakra metal, and use a series of hot cuts and folds to homogenize the new billet. Some would consider a fancier construction and a complex billet, but I would use the basic kobuse-welding technique - that way the strong metal which responds so well to your chakra will comprise the entire jacket, and only the soft inner core will be new.”

“So, would you be interested in letting me do this?”

You glance at Hanabi-sensei… recalling what she told you, this smith is particularly well-known in the Land of Iron and his work is widely respected. In fact, one of only a handful of meitō produced in the last fifty years was his work. So if anyone can help your old sword to become something on par with what it once was, if not better, this would be your best guess.

>Okay, I agree.
>I’ll need some time to consider it.
>It sounds expensive.
>Other?

>>5567301
>>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301

>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
>>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
>>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
>>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
>>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
>Okay, I agree.

>>5567301
“I agree,” you decide. “I want you to reforge what’s left of my sword.”

“Very good,” Masamine-san tells you over the phone. “I have one more question for you.”

“Yes?”

“Your blade,” he asks. “Describe its original condition to me.”

“It’s a Kotetsu,” you reply. “Notare, with active ashi.”

“I will do my best to respect its original appearance,” he informs you.

“And what about the cost?” you ask.

“That typically depends,” he admits. “I intend to charge this as a repair, not as a new commission, for one thing. And my rates from there depend on what I think of the client.”

“You charge more if you don’t like the client?” you muse.

“Not exactly. I charge less than my starting price under certain situations,” he clarifies. “In your case, I appreciate your clan’s commitment to the traditional arts, including the martial arts as well as swordsmithing. I also appreciate your dedication to seeing a fine old blade renewed.”

“Thank you,” you reply politely. “Shall we make arrangements?”

…

By evening, you’ve settled matters with Masamine-san and all seems well. Well, that is, unless...
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5568482

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5568482

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5568482

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5568482
Happy to see Shiki getting a sword again, never liked how he ended up with a knife.

>>5568482
It’s evening when you sense that something is amiss in the village, and you soon get a message that leaves you troubled - as a chūnin, you’re registered with Konohagakure’s emergency alert system so that you can be called into action at almost any time. Getting an alert message calling you to the gate into the village is definitely a bad sign, and so you quickly don your flak jacket and throw your short-sleeved coat on over it.

“What’s going on?” you ask a pair of chūnin who you pass in the street.

“That Ōtsutsuki’s been sighted!” one replies. “Apparently a patrol got taken out, so we’re all meant to be on alert.”

“Whose patrol?” you ask.

“No idea.”

…

The next day is exceptionally tense - uniformed patrols of chūnin and jōnin roam the streets, and there are whispers among the civilians you see who are trying to go about their daily business.

“So whaddya think?” Wasabi-chan asks you over lunch. “I mean, you’ve actually fought the guy.”

“I don’t know what to think,” you admit. “Other than just assuming he’s going to make a move soon.”

“Do you have some idea what he may be after?” Sumirin asks curiously.

You nod. “He’s been trying to steal tailed beast chakra.”

“So he’s after the nine tails chakra,” Wasabi-chan fills in the blanks. “You think he figures if he gets that he can use it to beat your mom?”

“That wouldn’t be unreasonable,” you agree. “Yugito-nee, Fū-nee, and their tailed beasts being under Naori-ue’s protection would make it hard for him to act - after all, he remembers how it went last time he fought Naori-ue.”
>1/2

>>5570519
“So we’ve got a mission,” you muse, setting aside your phone. “The Kazekage heard about an artifact recovered recently, and sent someone to meet with the researchers studying it here.”

“Not a great time for it,” Wasabi-chan observes.

“Maybe,” you agree. “But they’ve been pretty coy about their reasons for taking an interest.”

“You suspect there is some specific motivation for this?” Sumirin guesses.

“That’s right,” you confirm. “We’ll meet them at the station in an hour.”

…

After finishing your lunch, you head to the thunder rail station. As people leave the train, you and your team wait for a shinobi… and when she steps off onto the platform it becomes obvious who the Kazekage has sent.

“Welcome back,” you greet Kōshū with a wry grin. “If the Kazekage was just going to send you right back here again so soon, he could’ve just let you stay here instead.”

“It was a last-minute decision,” Kōshū sighs wearily. “You two been keeping busy I hear?”

“Solo training,” Sumire replies curtly.

“I was working on my clan’s ‘ultimate’ technique,” Wasabi adds.

…

The Konoha Archaeological Research Institute is in a new building in the sprawl up above the Hokage Monument, and after flashing your credentials a few times a researcher brings out several objects from the ancient site they’ve been working on.

“So, what’re you looking for?” Wasabi-chan asks curiously.

“I’m not sure yet,” Kōshū admits, examining the objects on the table in front of her.

>That turtle statue is the piece Hanabi-sensei and I had to escort back to the village.
>I’m curious to see a map of where these objects were recovered from.
>Examine the artifacts up close, hands-on. Any detail could be relevant.
>Other?

>>5570572
>>That turtle statue is the piece Hanabi-sensei and I had to escort back to the village.

>>5570572
>>That turtle statue is the piece Hanabi-sensei and I had to escort back to the village.

>>5570572
>>I’m curious to see a map of where these objects were recovered from.

>>5570572
>>That turtle statue is the piece Hanabi-sensei and I had to escort back to the village.

>>5570572
>I’m curious to see a map of where these objects were recovered from.

>>5570572
>That turtle statue is the piece Hanabi-sensei and I had to escort back to the village.

>>5570572
“That turtle statue is the piece sensei and I escorted to the village,” you observe.

Kōshū turns her eyes to the piece in question, and takes it in her hands. She examines it closely, eventually turning it over and running her nail across some incised markings on the underside.

“This pattern,” she muses. “Have you seen it before, Shikkun?”

You shake your head. “No. Not to my knowledge.”

“Why?” Wasabi-chan frowns. “Have you?”

Kōshū nods solemnly. “Yeah, I have… on other Ōtsutsuki artifacts.”

“So you don’t think it’s part of Kaguya-hime’s cult following, but an artifact of the actual Ōtsutsuki themselves?” you ask.

“I suspect so.”

“Wait, back up a minute,” Wasabi-chan insists. “I know we all know there’s a bunch of these guys out there now, but you’re saying there was more than one here on earth a long time ago?”

“It would seem so,” Sumirin muses. “Wasn’t there a civilization on the moon related to the Ōtsutsuki clan?”

“Descendants of Hamura-dono,” you clarify. “One of Kaguya-hime’s two sons.”

“So were there others like Kaguya here?” Wasabi-chan presses, her interest clearly piqued now.

You shake your head. “I don’t know. The records of the Shrike clan only go back to the time of the Sage of Six Paths.”
>1/2

>>5572185
“What we do know now,” you sigh, “is that there are others like her. Kōshū-kun, where is it you’ve seen this symbol before?”

“In photographs of old ruins on the moon,” Kōshū tells you. “It was a file my uncle showed me to prep for this.”

So… it’s an artifact from the Ōtsutsuki clan, huh? And context places it at an age which likely predates the Sage of Six Paths, implying that the clan had more of a presence on your world than just Kaguya.

>I need to report this to Naori-ue. She may have some thoughts of her own.
>So… why would the ancient Ōtsutsuki need to have a statue of a turtle?
>So, who’s up for a little experimental archaeology?
>Other?

>>5572648
>>So… why would the ancient Ōtsutsuki need to have a statue of a turtle?

>>5572648
>>So, who’s up for a little experimental archaeology?

>>5572648
>I need to report this to Naori-ue. She may have some thoughts of her own.

>>5572648
>I need to report this to Naori-ue. She may have some thoughts of her own.
Naori is 100% the otsutsuki guy
Got an otsutsuki thing? You go to her.

>>5572648
>>I need to report this to Naori-ue. She may have some thoughts of her own.

>>5572648
“I should talk with Naori-ue about this,” you decide, drawing out your phone and placing the call. “Hi mom. We’ve got something interesting here, care to…”

An instant later you sigh, and hang up. “Hey, is this really okay? You’re a village leader, right”

“Yeah no, it’s quite literally no trouble,” your mother explains, before she catches a glimpse of the artifacts on the table and who else you’re with. “Ah.”

“... ah, you say?” Sumirin wonders aloud. “Ma’am, do you recognize any of these objects?”

“Shiki, can I talk to you for a moment?” your mother asks. “Alone, please?”

“Yeah, fine,” you agree, and Naori-ue places her hand on your shoulder. An instant later you’re back home, in Naori-ue’s office overlooking the garden of your family home in Amegakure. “Something bothering you, mom?”

“Yeah,” she admits. “How much do you know about temporal paradoxes?”

“I know that you’re just about the only human who’s ever had the chance to cause one,” you grumble. “Beyond that, not much more than the typical overview we all got in academy.”

“So yeah, about that,” Naori-ue admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Here’s the thing… I know you and your teammates are close and all, but when the time comes you’re gonna have to split up and go with Kōshū-kun. Otherwise it’s not gonna work out.”

“Why not?” you wonder.

“Because that’s the way it already happened,” she clarifies.

… oh.

“I… wow,” you stare at her. “So… whatever’s going to happen is going to happen soon-ish?”

Naori-ue nods. “Yeah. And I have one more piece of advice - trust me.”

“... trust you?” you repeat.

She nods again. “Trust me. You’ll understand, I promise.”
>1/2

>>5575044
When your mom returns you to where you were, it’s with a knowing glance. “So yeah, I’m trusting you to handle it, Shiki.”

“Yeah,” you agree. “Not a problem.”

“So what was that about?” Wasabi-chan asks you curiously.

“That’s sensitive,” you admit. “Sorry, but this time I can’t tell you anything… major, world-ending sort of stuff.”

“You’re not kidding, are you?”

You shake your head.

“Well, thank you for the explanation,” Sumirin shuts her eyes, offering you a slow nod. “Then we will simply have to trust you. Now in the mean time, what else can we make of this?”

…

Eventually you heave a sigh. “Let’s go get something to eat. This isn’t going anywhere.”

The sun has already started to dip closer towards the horizon when you get the call, halfway into a thunder burger - all active-duty shinobi in the village are to be put on alert.

>Take your team and find Hanabi-sensei. Explain as much as you can to her.
>Send your team to report to Hanabi-sensei. You have your own mission now.
>Hold back for a moment - you know something’s about to happen, just not what.
>Other?

>>5575153
>Send your team to report to Hanabi-sensei. You have your own mission now.
We should probably act as closely as we can to how we would if we didn't know what we know.

>>5575153
>Send your team to report to Hanabi-sensei. You have your own mission now.

>>5575153
>Hold back for a moment - you know something’s about to happen, just not what.

>>5575153
>>Hold back for a moment - you know something’s about to happen, just not what.

>>5575153
>Hold back for a moment - you know something’s about to happen, just not what.
No haphazardly adding variables to time shenanigans,

> when the time comes ... go with Kōshū

Hmm, this is the second time Shiki heard this.

>>5575961
cuz its the second time Naori's said this. Is she shadowrunning her son's relationships, hmm?

>>5575153
>>Send your team to report to Hanabi-sensei. You have your own mission now.

>>5575153
It’s a tough call, which is why you choose to hang on for a moment - you’re not quite sure where you’ll have to go or when you’ll need to be there. But your teammates have no such uncertainties to deal with, which means they can go about responding to the situation as it unfolds.

“Wasabi, Sumire,” you decide calmly, “I suspect the genin are going to be called together to be deployed as a group. I’d like you to take the lead on that.”

“... take the lead?” Sumire repeats.

You nod curtly. “The two of you may as well be chūnin, so it’d be best if you could be with them. I think Hanabi-sensei will agree.”

“Alright, then leave it to us,” Wasabi replies confidently. “Y’know, whatever it turns out to be.”

“Thanks.”

Before you separate, you give each of your teammates a high-five in passing.

“So,” Kōshū asks you curiously, “where does that leave us?”

>I’m not sure, but I’m told you and I need to be together for whatever comes next.
>We should contact my sensei, see if we can’t get a clearer understanding of the situation.
>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.
>Other?

>>5576374
>>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.

>>5576374
>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.
>Just one thing before hand. Stick close to me, alright? I promise, it'll make sense later.

>>5576374
>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.

>>5576374
>>We should contact my sensei, see if we can’t get a clearer understanding of the situation.

>>5576374
>>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.

>>5576374
>>I have a feeling that if we start poking around we’ll figure this out.

>>5576374
“If we start poking around we should find something,” you muse.

“What makes you think that?”

“A little bird told me,” you shrug. “Anyway, we have to stick together.”

“... a little bird?” Kōshū repeats skeptically.

…

As it turns out, all you need to do is wait and the action comes straight to you. While the genin go out to help the regular forces track down Mirai-san (who has gone missing) and the Ōtsutsuki (who is probably to blame), the latter as it turns out has been sneaking his way into the village while the chūnin and jōnin are distracted. It’s a basic strategy but often still effective, which is why it’s still considered a strategy and not mere stupidity.

And tailing behind the Ōtsutsuki…

“Well, looks like a party,” you ask with a smirk. “Mind if we join in?”

“Trick question,” Kōshū-kun smirks. “Don’t care.”

“Put the turtle down and step away,” you order the Ōtsutsuki.

“Shiki, what’re you doing here?” Boruto-kun demands.

“All this commotion outside just seemed a little too much, you know?” you reason. “So same reason you two are here, Boruto-kun, Sasuke-san.”

“Well, tough luck,” Urashiki chuckles. “Because it’s already too late. I’m going to take the nine-tails’ chakra and there’s nothing you can do to stop it…”

He disappears into what looks like some sort of distortion…

“What does that…” Sasuke begins, before shouting at Boruto who simply charges blindly into the distortion. “Boruto-kun!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Boruto shouts.

“For once I agree!” you grab Kōshū-kun by the waist and throw both of you at the distortion.
>1/2

>>5577681
The scuffle and the subsequent fall blur much of your memory of what happens next. All you remember is that the turtle talks, and that it’s a complete nerd. You learned all that in some sort of extradimensional pocket space, which seemed to be like a bubble surrounded by flowing time, and it was during the scuffle over the turtle that you were ejected with Kōshū-kun.

The fact that you hit your head immediately afterwards is the reason why the details are so fuzzy, of course.

“Well, isn’t this interesting?” a female voice muses… at once familiar, yet different.

“Where am I?” you ask.

“Yeah, so with a friend, I think?” the voice offers.

… the face you meet is almost exactly like that of someone you were just speaking to earlier today, but there are subtle differences. Her eyes are mismatched for one thing, and while it’s difficult to say exactly what makes you think this you get the impression that this person has experienced fewer things to challenge her basic world views. Not in the sense of changing her mind about things, you have no doubt she’s experienced plenty of those moments. But you don’t get the impression that her fundamental understanding of reality has been broken as many times as Naori-ue’s has - or rather, as the Naori-ue you know.

“Uzumaki Naori-san,” you greet the woman politely. “You don’t know me, but…”

“Yeah no, you’re my son from the future,” she replies. “With Ryūzetsu-han, by the look of it… curious how that works, but that’s a question for later.”

“Um… Shiki-kun,” Kōshū-kun mutters warily. “Isn’t this sorta thing… you know. A huge damn problem?”

>Well, my mom already knew a little about this whole thing. So it’s okay. Probably.
>Putting that aside for a moment, the fact that we’re here is a problem. Suggestions?
>Explain the situation to this Naori - the clone who stayed in Rōran, you realize.
>Other?

>>5577794
>curious how that works, but that’s a question for later
Orochimaru. Nuff' said.
>>Explain the situation to this Naori - the clone who stayed in Rōran, you realize.
oh this clone is already a threat to the timeline, doesn't matter if she knows too much

>>5577794
>>Explain the situation to this Naori - the clone who stayed in Rōran, you realize.

>>5577794
>Explain the situation to this Naori - the clone who stayed in Rōran, you realize.

>>5577794
>>Well, my mom already knew a little about this whole thing. So it’s okay. Probably.

>>5577794
>>Well, my mom already knew a little about this whole thing. So it’s okay. Probably.

>>5577794
“Normally,” you admit. “But Naori-ue in our time already knows a lot of this. At some point, the shadow clone we’re speaking with rejoins the Naori-ue who’s probably working for Akatsuki right now?”

You glance to the shadow clone for confirmation, and she nods. “Something like that.”

“Anyway, she told me to trust you,” you explain, “so I’m going to. But I need to know something - how old would you be right now?”

After confirming that you’re currently in the first month or so of Tsunade-san’s tenure as Hokage, you begin to share the details that this Naori needs to know.

“There’s an ancient clan called the Ōtsutsuki that are after the tailed beasts in our time,” you explain, summarizing a lot of this as much as you can. “One of them used a tool that displaced several of us in time because the Naruto-san of the future is too hard to deal with.”

“So this man is here to attack Uzumaki Naruto as a child,” Naori nods in understanding. “Yeah no, that’s a problem.”

“No kidding,” you frown. “What you know in our time is that Kōshū-kun and I ended up here.”

“And I probably haven’t told you much else?”

“I figure it was to keep me from telling you anything too constraining,” you offer. “Make sure that your own decisions from now can be your own.”

“Probably true,” she agrees. “So anyway, here we all are.”

“Here we all are,” you nod.

“So what do we do now?” Kōshū-kun presses with a frown. “We still don’t know where Sasuke-san and Boruto-kun ended up… hell, we don’t even know when they ended up.”

“Uchiha Sasuke-kun?” your mother’s clone recognizes the name.

You nod. “The same Sasuke, yes.”
>1/2

>>5578926
“If Naruto-san is the target then everything that’s going to happen will happen in Konoha,” you decide. “Does that track?”

“Yeah, so that’s pretty ironclad,” Naori agrees.

Kōshū shakes her head. “How? Isn’t the whole place on like a war footing or something right now?”

Naori looks at her quizzically. “Not so much, really. Why?”

“I thought back then… or rather now… everyone was pretty much always at war with everyone else?”

“Yes, but that’s hardly a problem,” Naori clarifies. “Since the Fifth Hokage was declared security has returned to a more normal state.”

“Do you have a way to get in?” you ask.

This alternate version of your mother considers the question, before shaking her head. “Yeah no, if you mean a hiraishin marker or something along those lines the answer’s no. But there are other ways.”

“Genjutsu?” you ask her.

She shrugs. “Worked for Itachi-han.”

“Then what?” Kōshū asks.

“Yeah, so I play the part of a goze,” Naori decides, “which is a role I’ve played before.”

“What instrument?” you ask curiously.

“Shamisen and vocals,” she tells you immediately. “You’ll need contacts to hide those lovely things,” she adds, waving her finger vaguely in the direction of your eyes. “But you can easily play the role of my nephew… your parents are on a long business trip across the sea, trading in exotic lumber.”

“And me?” Kōshū presses, a little surprised at the speed Naori is making things up.

“You will play the role of my assistant,” she decides. “You help with everyday tasks as my ‘eyes’.”
>2/3

>>5580727
“That seems like a solid plan to me,” you admit.

“So yeah, I have to ask though,” Naori answers with a slight frown. “What do you wanna do when you get there?”

>We have to find Sasuke-san and Boruto-kun. There’s nothing else we can do before then.
>We have to locate Naruto-kun first. We have no idea when our enemy will get here.
>Securing lodgings should come first. We’ll need a long term base of operations.
>Other?

>>5581062
>>We have to locate Naruto-kun first. We have no idea when our enemy will get here.

>>5581062
>>We have to locate Naruto-kun first. We have no idea when our enemy will get here.

>>5581062
>We have to locate Naruto-kun first. We have no idea when our enemy will get here.

>>5581062
>We have to locate Naruto-kun first. We have no idea when our enemy will get here.

>>5581062
“We have to find Naruto-san,” you decide. “We don’t know when the Ōtsutsuki will get here, or whether Sasuke-san and Boruto-kun will even be here first.”

“You think we may be the only line of defense?” Kōshū asks you candidly.

You nod. “I think we have to assume that.”

“So yeah, would them getting here first change your plans?” Naori wonders, considering the possibilities.

In response you immediately limit those possibilities with an admission. “No. I don’t know enough about Sasuke-san to plan around him, and Boruto-kun isn’t capable enough to warrant it.”

“No?” Kōshū-kun muses. “Why’s that? My uncle seems to think pretty highly of him.”

“His skills would be impressive even at chūnin,” you admit, “since he has the rasengan and two chakra natures under his belt, and can be pretty clever sometimes. But his chakra and physical abilities are only average, his endurance is lousy, and most of the time he acts like a spoiled brat even while on missions.”

“Then we shouldn’t bother waiting on them,” Naori agrees. “We’ll put our own plans into motion immediately.”

…

You are a shadow clone of Uzumaki Naori, one who was left stranded in time during the succession crisis in Rōran. Since then you’ve been trying to do as much good as you can while avoiding history’s gaze, which mostly means working to protect the people and culture of Rōran - which your history hardly missed, but which now survive without having affected too much too heavily.

But right now, it falls to you to help your future son and his friend save Uzumaki Naruto, currently a runt genin, from some sort of ancient threat that can time travel with the help of, according to your son, a turtle.

The first step is going to be walking through the An gate, early on a foggy morning. Your face is hidden by a cloth mask that covers your eyes, and though you can feel your way along easily enough you let it look like Kōshū-kun is guiding you.
>1/2

>>5582067
There are two chūnin on guard this morning at the entry station, and one of them speaks to you directly.

“Please stop right there,” he insists. “I’m sorry, but we need to verify your papers.”
>1d6, best three of four
>DC: 9

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5582241

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>5582241

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>5582241
Nothing to see here officer.

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>5582241
Nothing to see here officer

>>5582241
It takes a few moments longer than it should, probably because you’re so woefully out of practice with genjutsu, but you do manage to put the guards’ lights out on the spot without any trouble and erase their memories of ever having seen you. In seconds, you’ve successfully infiltrated Konohagakure.

“That went smoothly,” your son muses, evidently pleased at what for him must be a turn of events. “So, you’ve been here and now before. Where would you go to find Naruto-san?”

>This early in the morning? Probably the sad, messy cube he calls an apartment.
>He could be training. His team typically used the Third training ground for that.
>It may already be time for his morning ramen. Maybe try Ichiraku when it opens.
>If we got really cheeky we could ask Tsuna-han and erase her memory afterwards.
>Other?

>>5583175
>>This early in the morning? Probably the sad, messy cube he calls an apartment.

>>5583175
>>This early in the morning? Probably the sad, messy cube he calls an apartment.

>>5583175
>>It may already be time for his morning ramen. Maybe try Ichiraku when it opens.

>>5583175
>This early in the morning? Probably the sad, messy cube he calls an apartment.
100% he ain't waking up before his alarm goes off

>>5583175
“My guess,” you offer, “is that he won’t be awake before his alarm on a weekend.”

“So he’ll be in his apartment?” Shiki-kun asks.

You nod. “Almost certainly.”

“So, where does…” you can tell that Kōshū-kun practically bites her tongue for a moment. “Where does Uzumaki Naruto-kun live in this time?”

…

They both look stunned when you lead them to the building where Naruto lives - a low-budget complex that looks to be mostly studios and one-bedroom apartments, and not particularly large or nice ones.

“So yeah, this is the place,” you announce. “I think you’ll find that Naruto-kun is here.”

“You can tell?” Shiki-kun asks you curiously.

You nod. “For sure. I have a question for you though…”

…

You are Uzumaki Shiki, and you’ve been faced with a decision - after leaving the apartment building, your mother has just asked you what you want to do now.

>I think we need to track him for the next few days, at a distance.
>Now that we know he’s here we need more information about the state of the village.
>We could use some help with this if our mutual friends don’t show up.
>Other?

>>5584174
>>We could use some help with this if our mutual friends don’t show up.

>>5584174
>>We could use some help with this if our mutual friends don’t show up.

>>5584174
>>Now that we know he’s here we need more information about the state of the village.

>>5584174
>>Now that we know he’s here we need more information about the state of the village.

>>5584174
“There are two things we need more than anything else,” you decide with a slight frown. “We need more information on the current state of the village, and we need a plan to deal with the problem that assumes we won’t have Sasuke-san’s help.”

“So yeah, I may have an idea,” Naori-san smiles confidently. “Just do what I say.”
>1d6, best three of four

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5585257

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5585257

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>5585257

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>5585257

>>5585257
As it turns out, Naori-san’s plan is both excellent and somewhat terrifying. She selects a large-ish onsen ryōkan in the hot springs district, which you recognize the location of due to the fact that the geothermal heat sources haven’t moved despite the fact that literally every single building here is going to be destroyed in a few years. Then, she positions herself near the entryway and gets out her shamisen.

You stand back and listen to her perform for a while - her voice is still as remarkable as it is in the time and place from which you know her, and her playing is still as technical and as nuanced as you remember it being. She plays a mix of more popular songs, fast and energetic, and the slower, more contemplative traditional pieces based in the deep history of aristocratic poetry. Naturally she draws quite a crowd, and no small amount of business for the ryōkan she chose, which of course comes with a fair amount of payment from delighted patrons.

Then, amid significant applause, she moves to another ryōkan to play.

By the third stop word seems to have gotten around of a wandering blind musician of exotic beauty - that last part is what she said was going to work to your benefit. This is the terrifying part.

“Oho!” the white-maned man exclaims, stroking his chin as he watches from across the street. “She’s just as beautiful… I mean, as talented as people are saying!”

“Hey… is this alright, ya know?” the blonde-haired kid in the violently orange track suit next to him asks skeptically. “You’re not gonna get us kicked out of another place today, right?”

“Oh, that’s a small price to pay for such valuable research!” the man with the mane insists. “We’ll talk to her once her set is finished!”

So that’s Jiraiya of the Sannin? The legendary third member of a team that once included Orochimaru and Tsunade-hime? He seems… almost too much like a normal, albeit singularly pervy, older guy. But according the both Naoris you’ve known so far in your life, he’s a Sage of respectable skill and power despite his rather loose adherence to the supposed rules of shinobi conduct.

“So, you want to meet my aunt?” you interrupt from behind him. He turns his head and glances at you - no longer clad in your chūnin uniform and wearing no headband, you’d probably look like a nobody to most people.
>1/2

>>5586981
“I’d certainly like that,” Jiraiya admits with a sly smile. “If you don’t mind me saying so I can see the resemblance.”

“She’s my father’s sister,” you lie, before introducing Kōshū. “This is her assistant.”

“Kyohō,” she lies with a smile. “She took me in when I was little.”

“So where’re you guys from?” Naruto-kun wonders aloud. “I’ve never heard of anyone like your aunt around here, and we’re down here all the time-”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure we’re both curious!” Jiraiya interrupts before Naruto can say any more. “Would you mind?”

“Rōran,” you tell him. “My family are friends of the queen, since back before the war.”

“Rōran?” Naruto wonders. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s a kingdom surrounded completely by the land of Wind,” Jiraiya summarizes patiently. “Instead of a daimyō they have a queen, Sāra-jo’ō, who led them during an attack by the Land of Water before you were born.”

…

You are Naori, or at least one of the two Naoris that currently exist in the world, and your plan is going smoothly so far. You’ve just wrapped up your show, and you’ve settled into a tea garden at the last ryōkan you stopped at for a meal. As planned, Shiki and Kōshū have brought you an important guest.

“Hello, Jiraiya-san,” you greet him politely, forcing a change to your speech to hide your identity. “Please, have a…”

“Ninpō: Ranjishigami no jutsu!”

Jiraiya’s hair surges towards you, easily trapping you in what feels like bundles of steel wires - Kōshū makes the beginnings of a move, though Shiki warns her off of it.

“Moving a bit fast, aren’t we?” you muse calmly. “Normally a man should buy a lady dinner first before tying her up.”

“Who are you really?” Jiraiya demands with a frown.
>2/3

>>5586982
“One who is not to be trifled with,” you reply, dispelling the shadow clone. After a moment of surprise Jiraiya retracts his hair, perhaps realizing your next move a moment too late.

You emerge from Naruto’s shadow, and calmly place a kunai to his neck from behind. “Checkmate.”

There’s a moment of silence before Jiraiya speaks, through which Naruto stands completely motionless - not even breathing. “Why don’t we dispense with the posturing, then?”

“Agreed,” you reply, lowering your knife and stepping away from Naruto, who scrambles away from you.

“Hey, what’s the big idea, pervy sage!?” he demands. “How can you just stand there actin’ all calm at a time like this!?”

“I sensed no bloodlust,” Jiraiya explains. “All this was designed to get my attention… so here we are. Mind letting us in on whatever it is that’s going on here?”

“To answer your question,” you reply, “I am Lady Sāra’s shadow.”

“That doesn’t…” Naruto begins.

“Ah, I understand,” Jiraiya nods.

“Literally how!?”

“In Kirigakure, the stories say that the queen of Rōran’s shadow is deadly,” Jiraiya explains. “That someone - or something - protects her from it. Now that we know the who, would you mind if I asked you the why?”

>We came here based on a credible tip that there was a threat to your village, so we’re investigating. I wanted to speak with you so Konoha would know of our mission, unofficially.
>We picked up credible information from a confidential source that a certain organization would be making another move against Uzumaki Naruto - your student and ward, I believe?
>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.
>Other?

>>5586985
>>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.

If we can't trust Jiraiya what are we even doing here? I'm a little worried this might be giving away too much information, but I'm willing to believe he can keep it on the down low.

>>5586985
>>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.

>>5586985
>>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.

>>5586985
>>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.

>>5586985
>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.
If we can't trust jiraiya then i'm not having fun anymore

>>5586985
>>A pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is after Uzumaki Naruto. His exact motives are a mystery, but his intent is to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast.

Lets not insult his intelligence or rather his instincts.

>>5586985
“We have credible information that a pale-skinned man with strange abilities and the byakugan is going to move against Uzumaki Naruto-kun,” you declare in a low tone. “The means and source are confidential, you see, and there are some details missing. But I think you know what his objective is - to capture Kurama, the nine-tailed beast, and use its power to some unsavory end.”

“Byakugan?” Jiraiya muses. “That’s a strange little tidbit, I was under the impression that there weren’t any outside Konoha?”

“Apparently there are at least two,” you reply.

“What sort of strange abilities are we talking about here?”

Shiki-kun speaks up. “Levitation and space-time techniques for one thing. He can also steal chakra with a special weapon he carries, and can use that chakra to recreate its owner’s techniques.”

“He may have other abilities that we don’t know about,” Kōshū adds.

Jiraiya seems to weigh his options for a few moments of silence while Naruto watches him nervously. Eventually, he reaches some sort of conclusion.

“So why approach me about it?” Jiraiya asks you with a keen stare.

>Because I know why Naruto-kun is so important to you. I know you’ll work with us.
>Your reputation for working outside normal channels precedes you. You’ll keep a secret.
>You’re Naruto-kun’s guardian. Even if you decline our help you should know.
>Other?

>>5588266
>>Your reputation for working outside normal channels precedes you. You’ll keep a secret.

Secrecy is the important thing imo. Preserve the timeline as much as possible to avoid accidental fuckery.

>>5588266
>>Your reputation for working outside normal channels precedes you. You’ll keep a secret.

>>5588266
>>Your reputation for working outside normal channels precedes you. You’ll keep a secret.

>>5588266
“You have a reputation for working outside the usual channels,” you insist with a slight smile. “I think you can even keep a secret from the Hokage, if the reason is good enough.”

“And you want your involvement kept secret?” he asks you.

“From the Konoha elders? As much as possible,” you continue. “And I should think you would too. Or would you prefer that Danzō become involved?”

Jiraiya laughs for a moment. “Wow! The only other woman who ever twisted my arm that hard was Tsunade!”

“Then I’m in good company,” you smirk.

“How do you think we should proceed?” Shiki-kun asks you curiously, having wisely kept out of your discussion with Jiraiya save for the few moments where his insight was genuinely required to make this whole arrangement believable.

>I can hide in your shadow, Shiki-kun. Until then, you can train with Naruto-kun and Kōshū-kun.
>We keep up our guise as traveling performers, and Jiraiya has Naruto-kun monitor us as ‘training’.
>We wait, for the time being, out of sight and out of mind until the last possible second.
>Other?

>>5589589
>I can hide in your shadow, Shiki-kun. Until then, you can train with Naruto-kun and Kōshū-kun.
Time shenanigans be damned, i want to have fun

>>5589589
>>I can hide in your shadow, Shiki-kun. Until then, you can train with Naruto-kun and Kōshū-kun.

>>5589589
>>We keep up our guise as traveling performers, and Jiraiya has Naruto-kun monitor us as ‘training’.

>>5589589
>>We keep up our guise as traveling performers, and Jiraiya has Naruto-kun monitor us as ‘training’.

>>5589589
>>>We keep up our guise as traveling performers, and Jiraiya has Naruto-kun monitor us as ‘training’.

>>5589589
“We should keep up the pretense,” you decide.

“In that case,” Jiraiya frowns, “we’re going to have to take this to Tsunade.”

“Why?” Kōshū asks, not liking that idea in the slightest and making no attempt to hide it. “You know we just went to a lotta trouble to avoid that?”

“This is a bad time,” Jiraiya admits. “To make a long story short we had a high-profile defection just a little while ago, so the whole village is a bit on-edge.”

Ah, that’s right… it was about now that Sasuke went missing from the village, you remember that from your first time through these events. It was when you were young - or rather when the original version of you was a teenager, and hadn’t accidentally gone back in time yet.

Your head hurts a little after all that, but that's just in the nature of time travel.

“I understand,” you decide. “So you want me to remain visible.”

“It would raise fewer questions that way,” Jiraiya counsels you. “Take it from me.”

“Well, that’s part of why we sought you out in particular too,” you admit. “We’ll take your advice.”
>To be continued in the next thread

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