Cosmos Quest (Naruto/Lupin III)

[Jack Trade]

[X] Okay, that settles it. No Lupin, not even one that's technically a Yamanaka, is publicly losing to a Zenigata, not even an unprecedentedly pretty one.
-> [X] Slip the cuffs.
--> [X] If she wants us to take her seriously, that's what we'll do.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Furiko's Omake Theatre~!​

Warning: Sappy pointless crap.

The Tale of the Wandering Investigators

The lab is collapsing around you, but for some reason your legs won't work. You're stuck there, staring at the spot where he just disappeared.

Jigen ricochets a bullet into the booth that takes Dr Crab in the eye. Goemon finally finds the weak point of the laser and reduces it to scrap.

It's only you and Fujiko who've frozen in time.

"... Lupin..."

For once, she actually looks her age.

There's a hand on your arm.

"Oi, tottsan, we've got to go."

... you're not fooled for a minute!

"Getcher hands offa me, you lug! Where'd Lupin go?"

Jigen manages to get you in a full nelson and starts hauling you toward the exit. "This whole place is about to go up. We need t-"

You throw him - though not without a wheeze; you hate getting old. "LUPIN!"

"Zenigata-no-tottsan!"

"Didn't you hear what that old buzzard said?" You point at the glowing archway at the back of the mad scientist's office. "The laser uses the same energy as that damned portal! Dematerialized? Bull! Why have a door of the stuff right at your desk if all it does is kill people?" You jump up to the ledge and scramble around to the sidedoor, forcing it open with a kick. "He was gonna use it to escape! To wherever he sent Lupin!"

"Pops, you can't!"

You swallow your fear, and, clear-eyed, rush through the portal. "MATTE, LUPIN!"

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you are in hot pursuit.

=

"It's not worthless junk! It's the symbol of an officer of the law!"

"Then why are you selling it? Take the money and get outta here before I call the watch, ya rummy."

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you are officially on your last ryo in a country where law-enforcement is handled primarily by magic assassins, snooty court officials, and chop-sockey martial artists.

Not that different from home, except now you have no job and you're down to your last four bullets. You almost wish you had been disintegrated.

"Lupin, you monkey-faced bastard... when I find you I'm gonna..."

Do what, exactly? Breathe on him and expect him to pass out from the fumes?

You're a joke.

=

She is six years old and much thinner than she should be.

"Don't make a fuss now, missy; we're here to help. We run a rest home for little ladies like you - ya get to wear pretty clothes, learn a trade, and work with lots of important people."

"Hey, it beats sleeping out here in the open, right? Why, some ruffian could just come along and-"

"Oof!"

Your gun has long since run out of bullets, but a jitte never needs reloading.

"Let the girl go."

"Fuckin' cocksucker-!"

Slow. They're both too slow. But then, after all this time, so are you. You come away from the fight the victor, but with a large gash in your arm. Cursing, you take a seat to clean up the wound. Removing your coat, you offer it to the young girl with the wide grey eyes. She takes it, but doesn't put it on. She looks almost as frightened of you as she did of those two little gangbangers - and you can't really blame her; the windows in the high street have shown you what you look like these days. You wouldn't trust you either.

"... are you a shinobi, mister?" she asks.

You scoff. "Nope. I'm something better." You try to smile reassuringly. "A policeman."

She looks confused. "... is that like a spy?"

"What? No!" You hiss as you dab at the cut, and think about how to explain it to her. Saying 'it's like being part of the watch' is not going to be reassuring to anyone who has actually met a member of Tanzaku Gai's watch.

"... I find bad people so that they can be punished," you finally settle on.

"Is the pay any good?"

The question blindsides you completely. "Pay?"

"I need to get a job so those guys don't come back," the girl says matter-of-factly. "Yaya-nee said if I have a pimp or a connection to one of the families the small fry will leave me alone. I thought I could work at the messenger service with her, but the Kurioka family blew it up last week. So do you have to be an adult to be a policeman?"

=

You are Kiki, and you are resolved to be the best damn assistant policeman in the world.

But that doesn't mean you don't want a bedtime story.

"Maa, Kiki-chan, I'm not very good at making up stories."

"Just tell me a true one, then."

So he does.

A half-hour ticks by. You're all snuggled down in the ratty blanket, struggling to stay awake. You know you want to hear the end.

"... but the brave policeman told the princess, 'No. He stole something very special indeed - your heart.'"

"... 'nd then what happened?" you mumble.

Heh. He makes silly hand-gestures when he gets into it. "And then the policeman chased off after the naughty thief!"

"Did he catch him?"

The old man looks sad. "No. He never did manage it."

"Poor policeman..." You yawn, and roll over. "'nks for the story, pops."

=

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you hate being called a bounty hunter.

There may not be an INTERPOL outpost anywhere in this miserable world, and you may not have your badge anymore, but it makes no difference. Now more than ever, you need to remember who you are.

"No, stop, Kiki!" You wrench the sword out of your assistant's hands. "We're bringing him in. That's final."

"You saw what he did!" she screams.

"And that's why we have to take him in," you reply sternly. "If we shoot him down like a dog, we won't be anything other than a stronger pack of dogs muscling in. A police officer upholds the law and enforces it, but only the people can decide who lives and who dies."

"What 'people', Dad?" Kiki demands. "Take a look at the world around you and tell me where these wise, wise people supposedly are."

You can't forget where you came from. But your daughter can't ignore where you are now.

Not one of the criminals you capture have seen a dark-haired foreigner in a Water Country-yakuza jacket with an obnoxious giggle doing impossible things.

Eventually you stop asking. It hurts not to know, but it hurts more to hope.

=

It springs from small things.

"Excuse me, ma'am? You dropped this back there."

"Oh, my goodness! Thank you so much, young lady."

"Not at all!"

It isn't constant; in all honesty, there are times when you just want to shake her. Especially lately - Kiki makes a very flighty teenager, perhaps to make up for her serious-faced childhood.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Raiko-chan! If he wants to sit and simmer like a big baby because you aren't ready to give it up yet, let him! A woman's gotta have her pride, you know! If he really cares about you he'll understand."

There were days, early on, when you'd try to leave her behind. You'd meet someone with a good steady business and a friendly family, or that martial artist couple with the dojo, or even that one old woman with a house the size of an airport, who needed some child, any child to inherit her money so it didn't revert to her brother. True, that last one turned out to be some kind of ghost looking for a new body to possess, but on the surface the offer had sounded pretty good.

"Holy shit, she just took out Pacchi and Kucchi at once! Get her!"

She always caught up with you. Always said the same thing: "Man, you must be getting old. How could you forget your assistant?"

There are so many things you know you can't give her.

"HALT! In the name of the law!"

So many things you wish you could give her.

"Aw, Dad. You know you've already given me everything important."

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you are so proud of her.

=

"I don't like him."

"Well it's a good thing you're not dating him, then."

You never like them. Kiki's boyfriends are all cut from the same cloth; new money, usually friends of whoever's hired you, almost offensively handsome, smooth in their speech, and always dumping her for the next pretty face to come along. A pack of male Mine Fujikos, all of 'em.

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you'd probably be an overprotective father if your little girl didn't have you wrapped around her finger.

=

"She's beautiful," you say, tears welling up.

"You really think so?" Kiki asks, looking the baby over with a wrinkled nose. "I think she looks sort of like a squashed melon with hair."

You are Zenigata Koichi, and you are a grandfather.

=

It was a cheap funeral. You and your dad were never exactly high-rollers.

"It's a civilian position, officially, but we always prefer it to go to someone at least competent."

A desk job is the last thing you want. You remember the times you had to go undercover as an office lady to get the necessary intel and try not to gag.

"It should provide you with more stability than you've had up 'til now," he continues. "You'd be assured your daughter would be getting the best education possible, as well."

The man's words are kind, but he couldn't sound more bored by them if he had the hiring script right in front of him.

"I accept," you say, because with a three-year-old in your arms and empty pockets what else can you say?

You are Zenigata Kiki, and you are the Konoha Military Police's new civilian mediator.

=

You are Zenigata Kiki, and your daughter is very upset.

"Tenten," you say with a sigh, propping yourself up in your hospital bed, "there's nothing to do about it. We don't have a family registry, so we don't have any legal claim to the name Zenigata."

"Then can we get a family registry?" she asks. "Please, Mom? It can be my birthday and New Year's present!"

There haven't been many of those lately. With the dissolution of the Keimu Butai, you've been forced to take a position as a file clerk at the library. It paid less, but with Tenten still on a scholarship it wouldn't have been too bad, until you got sick.

"It isn't that simple," you say. "Grandpa didn't have any family members except for us, and we aren't even blood-related to him."

"You always said that didn't matter," your daughter says, wilting visibly.

"It shouldn't," you say, rolling your eyes. "It didn't before we came to Konoha. But ninja like to keep accurate records, and just going by the records, you and I don't have a last name and that's that."

She looks completely crushed.

"Oh, Tenten, the records don't mean anything." You wipe her eyes. "No one calls the Sandaime Hokage by his name, do they? It's always 'the Sandaime' or 'Hokage-sama'. Just because you have to start out with one name, that doesn't mean you can't earn another one."

"Like you?" she asks.

"... yeah," you say, a small smile on your face. "At least, I hope I earned it."

=

"Yosh! We shall begin with self-introductions! Will it be ladies first, then?"

"My name is Tenten! I enjoy fortune telling, practising fuuinjutsu, instant ramen with the blue label, and visiting my mother's grave! I dislike instant ramen with the red label, criminals, and people who look down on me. My dream is to make Konoha a safe and happy place for everyone who lives here, to re-establish the Konoha Military Police, and to become worthy of my family name."

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

God damn. Although if Tenten always introduces herself that way because of pride then how have we not heard this...

Still, damn. Not what I expected. A bitter surprise.

You should probably fill in all of Zenigata's lines with blue, you missed some I think.

One hell of a look at the rest of Zenigata's life though.

 

[FurikoMaru]

God damn. Although if Tenten always introduces herself that way because of pride then how have we not heard this...

Click to shrink...

Ah! Thank you for reminding me I left the rough draft version of the line in! Fixed. The colour-coding too.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

What about these?

It springs from small things.

"Excuse me, ma'am? You dropped this back there."

"Oh, my goodness! Thank you so much, young lady."

"Not at all!"

It isn't constant; in all honesty, there are times when you just want to shake her. Especially lately - Kiki makes a very flighty teenager, perhaps to make up for her serious-faced childhood.

Click to shrink...

Also, it looks like we have Zenigata's Interpol pin in our hoard. I'd almost forgotten, but hadn't made the connection to the other world bit. Looks like we'll be giving that to Tenten sometime after the finals.

Damn, when Lupin and Ino put facts together they'll be crushed. So close, yet so far.

Then again, there is Edo Tensei. Prooooooobably not something we should hope for though. Although if anything would snap Zenigata out of zombie stupor, it'd be Lupin running through his field of vision.

....Holy shit, Throning Tenten with Zenigata in our head? Hooooooooooly shit. Just....holy shit.

 

[FurikoMaru]

What about these?

Click to shrink...

Those are Kiki as a child interacting with a woman who's dropped her wallet.

Also, it looks like we have Zenigata's Interpol pin in our hoard. I'd almost forgotten, but hadn't made the connection to the other world bit. Looks like we'll be giving that to Tenten sometime after the finals.

Click to shrink...

I've been planning this a long time.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Those are Kiki as a child interacting with a woman who's dropped her wallet.

Click to shrink...

Gotcha.

I've been planning this a long time.

Click to shrink...

I'm sure you have.

Honestly, that was probably a better find than what would have led us to Hirashin.

 

[FurikoMaru]

By the way, you can have those shout-outs.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

You know, it's kinda disappointing how in all of these reincarnation quests, the reincarnatees who have long standing rivals? Never seem to have them reincarnate with them. I was looking forward to having Lupin and Zenigata having another go at it in this life. And if Lupin's got a super special bloodline, toss one at Zenigata!Tenten and continue the chase.

Shame. Damn shame.

Plus there was a Sam Vimesy feel to Zenigata and I am a sucker for His Grace Samuel Vimes.

By the way, you can have those shout-outs.

Click to shrink...

*raises eyebrow*

That....puts me at 2 and 2/3 Z-Slashes, if I've kept count right.

Huh.

So, given the current write-in, would we need a Z-Slash for Lupin to win and give Tenten flashbacks to stories of a thief doing impossible things? Lupin isn't exactly in his proper body right now.

 

[FurikoMaru]

You know, it's kinda disappointing how in all of these reincarnation quests, the reincarnatees who have long standing rivals? Never seem to have them reincarnate with them. I was looking forward to having Lupin and Zenigata having another go at it in this life. And if Lupin's got a super special bloodline, toss one at Zenigata!Tenten and continue the chase.

Click to shrink...

At first Tenten was just going to be Zenigata reincarnated. But by the time I remembered to implement the idea Ino had already been taking the upper-year taijutsu classes for a while - she would definitely have noticed. So I modified things, had Tenten come up from the generic classes the hard way, and made her an adopted-descendant instead.

Besides, this is more feels-y for me, 'cause I really do get the impression that Lupin's one of those characters that lives forever, and Zenigata is one of those characters that has kids that chase oh dear god they're Dracula and the Belmonts. ._.;

So, given the current write-in, would we need a Z-Slash for Lupin to win and give Tenten flashbacks to stories of a thief doing impossible things? Lupin isn't exactly in his proper body right now.

Click to shrink...

You wouldn't need it to win, but a flashback-trigger has consequences I'm not sure you're ready to deal with.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

At first Tenten was just going to be Zenigata reincarnated. But by the time I remembered to implement the idea Ino had already been taking the upper-year taijutsu classes for a while - she would definitely have noticed. So I modified things, had Tenten come up from the generic classes the hard way, and made her an adopted-descendant instead.

Click to shrink...

DAMNATION!

Argh. Just....argh. You couldn't have had them just notice each other anyway, or was it too late by then?

Besides, this is more feels-y for me, 'cause I really do get the impression that Lupin's one of those characters that lives forever, and Zenigata is one of those characters that has kids that chase oh dear god they're Dracula and the Belmonts. ._.;

Click to shrink...

Eh. It's certainly more feels-y for what happened to Zenigata in the end but goddamn. Such a missed opportunity....Zenigata chasing Lupin through multiple lifetimes would have been so much more epic, especially if they each become more badass with each incarnation because stealing and policing is who they are and what they do and they never need to do more than knock the rust off of what they do and who they are before they're up and at it.

Doesn't hurt that I have a very strong affection for such themes.

You wouldn't need it to win, but a flashback-trigger has consequences I'm not sure you're ready to deal with.

Click to shrink...

Outed as a reincarnation in a public setting....yeah, probably not I suppose. So what, does Lupin winning or not come down to the roll of a dice? Or is it, "Lupin will win, but him winning may have consequences for us?"

 

[FurikoMaru]

DAMNATION!

Argh. Just....argh. You couldn't have had them just notice each other anyway, or was it too late by then?

Eh. It's certainly more feels-y for what happened to Zenigata in the end but goddamn. Such a missed opportunity....Zenigata chasing Lupin through multiple lifetimes would have been so much more epic, especially if they each become more badass with each incarnation because stealing and policing is who they are and what they do and they never need to do more than knock the rust off of what they do and who they are before they're up and at it.

Doesn't hurt that I have a very strong affection for such themes.

Click to shrink...

I could change it, I suppose, if enough people prefer it that way, but I really think what decided me ultimately, even above the plothole, is the fact that Zenigata wouldn't have become a ninja. He fucking hates it when the local constabulary give up and call in mercenaries or mafia hitmen to take out Lupin, so why would he ever become one? I just think I should respect his pride.

I suppose he could have been some civilian guy you meet on a C-rank, but people read a Naruto quest for ninja-on-ninja-stuff.

So what, does Lupin winning or not come down to the roll of a dice? Or is it, "Lupin will win, but him winning may have consequences for us?"

Click to shrink...

Lupin will win. If he reveals his identity to Tenten on top of winning, then consequences will never be the same.

Goddamn it, now I wanna write a Lupin and Ganimard reincarnation quest where they still chase each other around.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

I could change it, I suppose, if enough people prefer it that way, but I really think what decided me ultimately, even above the plothole, is the fact that Zenigata wouldn't have become a ninja. He fucking hates it when the local constabulary give up and call in mercenaries or mafia hitmen to take out Lupin, so why would he ever become one? I just think I should respect his pride.

Click to shrink...

Daaaaaaah.....I suppose that's a fair enough point, if his morality isn't compatible with the ninja. Could be a "Reform from the inside" motivation to make the world something better, but it's a fair cop, pardon the pun.

Shame. Props to Tenten and all, but I think I'm always gonna be looking at her and thinking of what could have been.

I suppose he could have been some civilian guy you meet on a C-rank, but people read a Naruto quest for ninja-on-ninja-stuff.

Click to shrink...

Eh. I suppose. Wouldn't quite be the same without a level playing field.

Lupin will win. If he reveals his identity to Tenten on top of winning, then consequences will never be the same.

Click to shrink...

Point taken. Tenten probably wouldn't want to associate with us, for starters, make people wonder how much of us is Ino and how much is Lupin, are we a bizarre sleeper agent, nature of thought concealment and now our mental roomie....oh well.

Goddamn it, now I wanna write a Lupin and Ganimard reincarnation quest where they still chase each other around.

Click to shrink...

Reincarnate them into twin brothers/sisters?

 

[uju32]

Tenten has issues.
Really.
You don't see her bugging Neji with this.

The Tale of the Wandering Investigators

Click to shrink...

The Tale of the Wandering Jew?
Doomed to wander the Earth until the Second Coming?

"I need to get a job so those guys don't come back," the girl says matter-of-factly. "Yaya-nee said if I have a pimp or a connection to one of the families the small fry will leave me alone. I thought I could work at the messenger service with her, but the Kurioka family blew it up last week. So do you have to be an adult to be a policeman?"
=
You are Kiki, and you are resolved to be the best damn assistant policeman in the world.

Click to shrink...

Kiki's Delivery Service.

I guess this is what happens if you fail to set up your delivery service: yaks try to recruit you into a brothel.

"Holy shit, she just took out Pacchi and Kucchi at once! Get her!"

Click to shrink...

I don't recognize this.
But it smells like a reference.

I guess two out of three aren't too bad.
Brings me up to 2 1/3 Z-slashes

You never like them. Kiki's boyfriends are all cut from the same cloth; new money, usually friends of whoever's hired you, almost offensively handsome, smooth in their speech, and always dumping her for the next pretty face to come along. A pack of male Mine Fujikos, all of 'em.

Click to shrink...

He didn't have a very good impression of Fujiko-san, did he?

 

[FurikoMaru]

The Tale of the Wandering Jew?
Doomed to wander the Earth until the Second Coming?

Click to shrink...

THIMBOLITHM!

He didn't have a very good impression of Fujiko-san, did he?

Click to shrink...

Well, Fujiko's fun and everything, but it wouldn't be my first choice to let my daughter to date her. That bitch can wait her turn.

 

[uju32]

THIMBOLITHM!
Well, Fujiko's fun and everything, but it wouldn't be my first choice to let my daughter to date her. That bitch can wait her turn.

Click to shrink...

Heh; Lupin was quite the hot property wasn't he?
Fair enough.

My vote:
[X] Okay, that settles it. No Lupin, not even one that's technically a Yamanaka, is publicly losing to a Zenigata, not even an unprecedentedly pretty one.
-> [X] Slip the cuffs.
--> [X] Go to town; she wants to be taken seriously? Okay.

She is due for a tongue-lashing, but certainly not here; venting like that gives your possible opponents more data to plan against you.
And what's this Hymn was saying about us passing up Hiraishin?

 

[Selias]

Very nice. Now I'm especially glad that I didn't vote to take a fall. Can you imagine how pissed she'd be if she found out that we let her win?

 

[FurikoMaru]

Please don't sleep yet, everyone. The next update is underway.

 

[Selias]

That reminds me. You hit the 200 mark, a few updates ago.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Please don't sleep yet, everyone. The next update is underway.

Click to shrink...

Eh, I might stay up another 15 min, otherwise I'm probably gonna be in dreamland soon.

 

[uju32]

Please don't sleep yet, everyone. The next update is underway.

Click to shrink...

Okay.
Not feeling sleepy anyway.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] Somebody that I used to know

Well, you're officially through throwing underhand. A normal teenage girl who bit off more than she can chew is one thing; tottsan's damn granddaughter is quite another.

You're almost giddy with nostalgia.

The lady wants to play at the Olympic level? Show her what a gold medallist can do.

You jump out of your sandals and shimmy both hands out of the cuffs, and dive for the spiralling scrolls on the ground. You aren't as good with practical sealwork as Ino, but for this you don't need to be.

With a flick of your wrists, the scrolls switch position.

The spiral disappears. The scrolls tumble to the ground.

You leap, scoop Tenten into your arms, and land, laying her on the floor with one of her own kunai at her throat.

Her eyes are huge in shock.

"Welcome to the big leagues, Zenigata-nee-chan," you say with a grin.

And they close in shame.

"Winner, Yamanaka Ino."

"Hey," you say as the medics come in to look her over, "about the haiku-"

"What about it, Ms Milky Way?" she says sullenly.

"Oh, is that how you took it~?" you ask airily, mockery as light as a feather duster. "Nee-chan! I expect more of you! You can't expect to beat me without looking underneath the underneath."

Despite the circumstances, she looks curious, if in kind of a frowny way. "Underneath what?"

"How to put it~?" You pause, partly for effect, and partly to think of bullshit. "I guess the main theme is... an explosive meeting, and a change of position."

"... a change?"

"Of course!" You're on a roll now. "The simple way to read the poem is that the stars destroy the flowers that're trying to imitate them, but that's amateur hour compared to what it really says." You cough self-importantly and adopt a lecturing pose.

"Naturally, the poet first emphasizes the fragility of the flowers, their delicacy, and contrasts it with the burning power of the distant stars. However! The thematic associations are wrong for the flowers to represent the opponent and stars to represent the poet. Firstly, do flowers and stars literally encounter one another? An absurd notion! And the two of us! Am I not Yamanaka Ino, of the Yamanaka Flower Shop? And are you not Zenigata Tenten, a heavenly girl with a heavenly name?" You wink.

"Get to the point," Tenten growls, staring in concern at her ankle as woman in white works on it.

Good idea. Ino'll have to re-emerge soon.

"My point is this." You cross your arms, and lean against the wall. "Stars are explosions that give life to flowers, and flowers in turn give that life back, when the die, to continue to fuel the universe. The universe then uses that energy to make new stars." You let a small smile creep across your face, and you close your eyes; gotta play up the mysterious angle. "So, what the poem means by stars and flowers 'meeting', is that in a nebula, a celestial cradle for all life, that which was once a flower achieves its true beauty." Aaaand now for a hit of intensity; eyes open, looking softly into hers. "Nee-chan... no, Tenten. There can be no mistake. Through collision, by countering one another as do the energies of the nebula, we two flowers shall achieve our full bloom in the sky. Forever."

You could fry an egg on her face.

God bless you, Carl Sagan.

"... w-why do you always have to be so damn hip?!" she demands, jabbing a finger at you, still blushing. "It gives me the creeps, the way you smooth-talk everyone!"

"Maa, perhaps I was mistaken then," you say, strolling over to the staircase. "Get well soon, nee-chan."

Gained: Eternal Rival: Tenten

=

You come to on the way up a staircase, and almost lose your footing as a result. You grip the railing hard.

What the hell...? Did we win?

Oh, did we ever. Guess who her grandfather was?

Before you can reply, you notice the two female Oto-nin waiting for you at the top of the stairs.

"Incredible!" the kid gushes, hopping up and down. "That was so cool, Konoha-nee-chan! You're almost as badass as Karin-nee!"

The older girl is in tears as you reach the landing.

"Ino-sensei," she says passionately, grabbing your hand and holding it in both of hers, "words cannot... you... such a beauteous proposal, so moving...! You must meet Sensei immediately!"

... what the fuck did you do?! D :

Set the world back on its proper course, of course. >

[X] Meet their sensei. It'll just take a sec.

[X] Uh, with what you know about their sensei? No. How about no? Does no work for them?

-----
And now you know the reason I wrote the haiku that I did, and why there was more than one way it could be taken. My humanities fu is strong.

Dunno how I should do the other matches. What kind of choices do you guys expect? Who to cheer on, what to say to people who lose, what?

 

[mkire]

remind me if you would please: What does ino know about the sound team's sensei?

Also, that omake hit my feels good.

 

[FurikoMaru]

remind me if you would please: What does ino know about the sound team's sensei?

Click to shrink...

I haven't mentioned it yet, but Ino did bring it up at the intel-sharing session, off-screen.

That's the thing about taking the 'intel' and 'research' options; Ino knows stuff, but you won't unless you ask.

And sometimes even if you do ask I'll fuck around with you.

But not this time. It's totally Deidara.

 

[mkire]

I haven't mentioned it yet, but Ino did bring it up at the intel-sharing session, off-screen.

That's the thing about taking the 'intel' and 'research' options; Ino knows stuff, but you won't unless you ask.

And sometimes even if you do ask I'll fuck around with you.

But not this time. It's totally Deidara.

Click to shrink...

Then what does Ino know about their sensei?

 

[Silversun17]

[X] Meet their sensei. It'll just take a sec.

[x] intel update on the sensei from the GM for the players

 

[uju32]

[X] Somebody that I used to know

Click to shrink...

Gottye.

You jump out of your sandals and shimmy both hands out of the cuffs, and dive for the spiralling scrolls on the ground. You aren't as good with practical sealwork as Ino, but for this you don't need to be.
With a flick of your wrists, the scrolls switch position.

Click to shrink...

Huh.
Just moving the scrolls deactivated the technique? That's one hell of a weakness.
Or did he pull something else?

I did notice his surge of nostalgia; at least some things don't change.

"How to put it~?" You pause, partly for effect, and partly to think of bullshit. "I guess the main theme is... an explosive meeting, and a change of position."

Click to shrink...

That's one way to clean up after Ino, I guess.

You could fry an egg on her face.
"... w-why do you always have to be so damn hip?!" she demands, jabbing a finger at you, still blushing. "It gives me the creeps, the way you smooth-talk everyone!"
"Maa, perhaps I was mistaken then," you say, strolling over to the staircase. "Get well soon, nee-chan."
Gained: Eternal Rival: Tenten

Click to shrink...

And I see Kiki's weakness for smooth talkers was passed on to her daughter.
As well as large helpings of her grandfather's ham.

"Incredible!" the kid gushes, hopping up and down. "That was so cool, Konoha-nee-chan! You're almost as badass as Karin-nee!"
The older girl is in tears as you reach the landing.
"Ino-sensei," she says passionately, grabbing your hand and holding it in both of yours, "words cannot... you... such a beauteous proposal, so moving...! You must meet Sensei immediately!"
... what the fuck did you do?! D :

Click to shrink...

That's MY reaction.
PROPOSAL?
To who? When?
Who is Inoichi going to have to cut?

And is it just me, or are the Sound girls laying it on a little thick?
And Karin-nee?
When did Stalker-nee-chan get cool?

[X] Uh, with what you know about their sensei? No. How about no? Does no work for them?

Click to shrink...

???
WHO is their sensei?

PS
Am I the only one who noticed that Tenten likes ramen?
And it did occur to me that one letter in the English version of the haiku would have changed the meaning significantly.
To wit:

Rain over a blooming field

Explosives flood

The Milky Way

 

[FurikoMaru]

Huh.
Just moving the scrolls deactivated the technique? That's one hell of a weakness.

Click to shrink...

There's a reason she didn't activate it until you were cuffed in place.

And I see Kiki's weakness for smooth talkers was passed on to her daughter.

Click to shrink...

Don't raise your kids on Lupin stories. That's the moral to take away from this.

That's MY reaction.
PROPOSAL?
To who? When?
Who is Inoichi going to have to cut?

Click to shrink...

Tenten, apparently. )

And is it just me, or are the Sound girls laying it on a little thick?

WHO is their sensei?

Click to shrink...

These two questions are related to one another. Though I find it distressing how few of you bother to highlight text.

PS
Am I the only one who noticed that Tenten likes ramen?

Click to shrink...

A staple of any Zenigata's diet; the ICPO doesn't cough up more than it has to for living expenses.

I'm actually torn between wanting to write a Naruto/Lupin III crossover where Naruto becomes Goemon's apprentice and one where he gets dumped on Zenigata instead. Perhaps I shall blend the ideas.

 

[katreus]

@FurikoMaru - Thanks so much for that update. I was feeling so depressed (from another story) but this update made me grin and cheered me up.

That being said, I think I want to know what Ino knows about this sensei before deciding on whether to meet him or not.

Edit: Also, this match certainly plays into the Mist kids' expectations.

 

[Selias]

[X] Meet their sensei. It'll just take a sec.

Ha! Tenten was corrupted by Gai! So, we're her hip rival, then?