Cosmos Quest (Naruto/Lupin III)

[FurikoMaru]

Nor would I expect Ami to be paired against another swordsperson this early either.
Mirror matches first out the gate do little for me

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Aw. I was gonna let you guys test-drive the cute kenjutsu girl. Fire vs Water!

@Furiko
On another note, I was reading some of the previous updates again.
Uchiha Hiraku totally stole his brother's eyes, didn't he?
That was why Chiaki's injuries were described as grievous, and why it was considered an offense worthy of kicking him off the contract by Tsumujikaze.

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Yep. Initially I was going to come right out and say so, then I remembered Ino was a toddler and decided a nice kitty would tone that shit down.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Aw. I was gonna let you guys test-drive the cute kenjutsu girl. Fire vs Water!

Click to shrink...

What, Ami vs Suigetsu?

...Ami wouldn't lose?!

If that's the case, then holy shit. Well, go for it. I would think that's a match that could be saved for the finals, but maybe Ami can go all out here, and fight Dante!Gaara in the finals. I doubt she has enough juice to fight both, she can't cheat like us.

 

[Guile]

I never did really understand the prelims to begin with. Why are twenty contestants for the tournament a bad thing? They're all pretty talented people here, I can't imagine they'd put on a boring show.

 

[FurikoMaru]

What, Ami vs Suigetsu?

...Ami wouldn't lose?!

Click to shrink...

Her loss is way more likely than yours was against Tenten, but if you don't mind hardmode for a few updates...

I never did really understand the prelims to begin with. Why are twenty contestants for the tournament a bad thing? They're all pretty talented people here, I can't imagine they'd put on a boring show.

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The same reason movies used to stay under the three-hour mark. Ya gotta keep those butts in those seats, not off havin' a pee.

 

[Guile]

The same reason movies used to stay under the three-hour mark. Ya gotta keep those butts in those seats, not off havin' a pee.

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Pfft. If it was MY ninja village, I'd make it an all day event. With frequent potty breaks.

And a clown.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Her loss is way more likely than yours was against Tenten, but if you don't mind hardmode for a few updates...

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*blinks*

I'm frankly amazed she has a significant chance of victory at all. I figured Suigetsu tutored by Zabuza was beyond even her.

I'll....leave it to your discretion. We do have Z-Slashes, I would be willing to toss one for a significantly awesome Ami fight, but Ami is not as hyper-capable as Ino. Still pretty damn good, but...

Yeah, you decide what's best. Ami making a splash by knocking Zabuza's apprentice out of the prelims is DAMN impressive. Mist will be pissed if it happens, but can't say Ami didn't earn it. And it'll rock Neji's world.

Pfft. If it was MY ninja village, I'd make it an all day event. With frequent potty breaks.

And a clown.

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The Village Hidden in the Circus would be a terrifying village indeed.

*shivers*

The mimes.....

 

[uju32]

Baki.

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Okay.

A doctor at the hospital who wants the A&DM Department issue resolved quickly and who has better things to do than come watch a bunch of genin slapfight each other.

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I've known a few doctors in my time, and almost all of them would be along for the show.
Provided there was free food

No.

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Huh.
I would have sworn.....

Turn-ons include blowing shit up and debating aesthetics. Turn-offs include things/people that just won't blow up and damn amateurs who don't understand that shinobi are supposed to be artists above all. Long-range fighter, only been in the Bingo Book a short while, noted for the speed at which he can level a small town and the sheer glee he expresses at doing so.

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Oh, we're gonna get along like a house on FIRE.

Aw. I was gonna let you guys test-drive the cute kenjutsu girl. Fire vs Water!

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*raises eyebrow*
I defer to the GM, of course; if you think it'll be entertaining, sure.
I'll even throw a Z-slash into the pot if necessary, if it'll help Ami pull an upset.
The fact that it'll blow the pants off Neji is just a bonus.

Yep. Initially I was going to come right out and say so, then I remembered Ino was a toddler and decided a nice kitty would tone that shit down.

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Fair enough.
It struck me as an odd thing for an Uchiha to do for no apparent reason, and no sanction.
Wonder if the guy's still wandering around in a black cloak....

Ino should probably ask Sasuke to check the family files; Uchiha-on-Uchiha violence might have a bearing on the Itachi situation.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

I find it amusing that uju and I have practically identical sentiments on Ami vs Suigetsu.

 

[uju32]

I find it amusing that uju and I have practically identical sentiments on Ami vs Suigetsu.

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I like this Ami.
With a little luck and a lot of work, she's leveraged a talent for bladework into a major threat
I wouldn't like to watch her get steamrolled.

And it would be a useful message, as a reminder to everyone else that Konoha's scariest ninja often come from nowhere, that nothing is sure, and buffing Asuma's rep as a teacher, which should help his cred with his father and his girlfriend both.

And it leaves Haku to go all out to uphold Mist's honor, which should lead to even more interesting fights.
As the dark horse no one saw coming.
>

 

[Serous]

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

 

[Vindictus]

I don't even know if I have a Z slash, but if I do then I'd throw it in on the chance of having Ami get a win.

Upside that some people have missed- Suddenly, Gaara sees Ami as a fellow user of the 'See problem, apply sword liberally' methodology. Which could lead to shenanigans, depending on how it gets played.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] A familiar Zero

"Of course," you say. "I've heard a lot of interesting things about him."

Like the fact that someone thought it was safe to entrust their children to him, apparently.

"Sensei!" the girl says, dragging you by the hand over to a blond, smiling young man who doesn't look that much older than she is. "I've brought her."

You notice the Konoha jounin-sensei turn en masse to stare at the pair of you.

"... wow. Ino has a nuke-nin older brother, too? She and Sasuke are more alike than I thought."

Ami cuffs Kiba in the head without a word.

"Sensei is not a missing-nin!" The teenage Sound girl looks scandalized.

"Anymore," the boy on the team mutters.

"He's a jounin of Otogakure," the girl continues, glaring at her teammate.

"And we're probably not siblings," you add, "unless those pupils are a henge."

"Oh, but we are siblings."

Deidara of the Bakuton isn't a bad-looking boy, but his looks would be greatly improved if he lost that "Get In The Bag, I'm Taking You Home With Me" grin.

"All artists are brothers in spirit," he says, in what he probably hopes is a cool and aloof manner. "Ojou-chan, you have a rare potential for true artistry!"

"Oh yeah? Thanks," you say mildly, wondering if it's really a good thing that a freaking terrorist admires your work.

No, trust me, it isn't. You might want to let Gai know that Tenten's at risk for being kidnapped; that's usually how this kind of thing goes.

Seriously, what did you say to her?

Tell you later. He's still talking.

"Have to tell ya, I was worried this exam would be a complete drag. But ya really livened things up, mn!" He lays a hand on the older girl's shoulder. "I look forward to seeing you fight Kuyo in the finals."

The girl nearly swoons. Total sensei-crush, there.

"Ah, Kuyo-chan is it? Pleased to meetcha." You cock an eye at the littlest Oto-nin. "And who might you be?"

"You can call me Kibi, Konoha-nee-chan!" She waves to the boy leaning on the railing. "Onii-chan! Come say hello!"

"I'm Ira," he says, then turns back around to watch the fight. "Nice to meet you."

"Next match," the proctor calls, "Sabaku no Gaara vs Inuzuka Kiba."

Oh, shit, Kiba, forfeit! Forfeit forfeit forfeit! You turn to head back over to your team.

"Wait!"

A hand frantically grabs your arm, and you feel warm lips on its palm. Suddenly the three Konoha jounin are not-at-all casually standing around the two of you.

Deidara lets you go, embarrassed, but asks urgently, "Tell me, Yamanaka Ino: what is best in art?"

And despite the fear you feel for your teammate, you pause.

Man, you seriously wanna talk aesthetics with a nitro fetishist? Are you my reincarnation or Goemon's?

[X] "Art is all about the looks on their faces when you pull it off."

[X] "Maa, it's not really about what's best, y'know? I think art exists wherever people want to acknowledge it. Without an intelligent audience, it just isn't art."

[X] "What's most important is not that people be able to say, 'That's a real artist'. What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'."

[X] Lupin's right; piss on this guy, Kiba's about to get himself killed!

[X] Write in

-----
Y'know, I'd really like to see a reincarnation quest where Deidara's reborn as Louise.

 

[Vindictus]

[X] "What's most important is not that people be able to say, 'That's a real artist'. What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'."

Y'know, I'd really like to see a reincarnation quest where Deidara's reborn as Louise.

Click to shrink...

And damnit, now so do I.

Also, on that subject the title's a reference to FoZ I think.

 

[Selias]

[X] "What's most important is not that people be able to say, 'That's a real artist'. What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'."

 

[Guile]

(x) it's like flowers, you know? Nothing lasts forever, so you've gotta make a splash that'll be remembered
Now if you'll excuse me, my favorite audience is gonna get his dumb head chopped off

 

[Unclouded]

[X] "What's most important is not that people be able to say, 'That's a real artist'. What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'."

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Hmm. Some choices may actually influence Deidara, others will just make him acknowledge that we have our own style.

If we take the first, all about the looks on people's faces? He'd probably see it as that's just what we personally aim for. Instead of boom, a reaction.

Anyone seen Johnny Fox the Sword Swallower? One of his routines is describing how much he likes to see the looks on people's faces as he does outrageous magic tricks or swallow swords. And screwdrivers. And giant solid metal spoons. All for the jackasses who think, "It's a just trick sword!"

So I think Deidara could relate to that. Although if he were influenced by it, he'd probably think about the look on people's faces right before he blows them up.

What's interesting is that the 'canon' answers for Ino all involve other people. She's an actress, through and through. It just isn't the same without a crowd. Whether she's judging the looks on other people's faces, or exulting in the reactions of others.

Huh, were I inclined to wax philosophical, Ino is what she does. To borrow some metaphor I heard somewhere, a person can't look upon themselves and judge. They need to see themselves reflected in the eyes of others.

Ino is vain, and loves to see herself and all she does, and thus adores an audience focused on her her her!

Shame I can't think of a pithy way to put it. Maybe:



"An artist cannot judge their self, yet a true artist is the art they create. The only way to see oneself is to witness how others see your art." Your voice drops to a stage whisper. "And I am a total narcissist. Buh-bye, I like your hair!"



And come to think of it, I think I recall some old cultural idea from a book I once read (fictional, but I recall it being praised for good depiction of samurai culture) that a cat was the reincarnation of a vain noblewoman. Which is also appropriate for Ino, given her themes and cat association. We are rather vain, I think.


But I'm not daring enough to make that my actual vote.

You can't get EVERYONE to agree on what art is either. Maybe the unattainable dream is to make something so grand and magnificent that everyone acknowledges what you've done is art?

I think the, "Art is everywhere and everything, if you're willing to look for it," is the truth. Making magnificence out of the mundane is a mark of true talent. But would Deidara agree?

I think it's safe to say that whatever we say, Deidara can take it to a worrying distorted extreme.

 

[mc2rpg]

(x) it's like flowers, you know? Nothing lasts forever, so you've gotta make a splash that'll be remembered
Now if you'll excuse me, my favorite audience is gonna get his dumb head chopped off

 

[uju32]

[X] A familiar Zero

Click to shrink...

Louise, obviously.
But Vindictus already grabbed this.

You notice the Konoha jounin-sensei turn en masse to stare at the pair of you.
"... wow. Ino has a nuke-nin older brother, too? She and Sasuke are more alike than I thought."

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I can hear the collective "Are you INSANE?" from over here.
Good to see I wasn't the only one who thought they looked alike.
And lol!Kiba; no brain to mouth filter, as usual.

"Oh, but we are siblings."
Deidara of the Bakuton isn't a bad-looking boy, but his looks would be greatly improved if he lost that "Get In The Bag, I'm Taking You Home With Me" grin.

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Our girl doesn't like his looks very much, does she?

"All artists are brothers in spirit," he says, in what he probably hopes is a cool and aloof manner. "Ojou-chan, you have a rare potential for true artistry!"
"Oh yeah? Thanks," you say mildly, wondering if it's really a good thing that a freaking terrorist admires your work.
No, trust me, it isn't. You might want to let Gai know that Tenten's at risk for being kidnapped; that's usually how this kind of thing goes.

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Oh, Lupin REALLY doesn't like him.
Lol at the kidnapping comments though; the picture of Tenten as a damsel in distress is hilarious.
Wouldn't wish it on her, but it wouldn't make it any less funny.

"Have to tell ya, I was worried this exam would be a complete drag. But ya really livened things up, mn!" He lays a hand on the older girl's shoulder. "I look forward to seeing you fight Kuyo in the finals."
The girl nearly swoons. Total sensei-crush, there.

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Checking Google, it seems Kuyo means ritual.

And yeah, terrorist or not, he does seem to have done a pretty good job with the kids.
And the fact that Ira feels comfortable with backtalk suggests it wasn't accomplished by being a martinet.
Dude may have more people skills than it would first appear.

And given that Sound trusted him to represent them in their first official outing....

"You can call me Kibi, Konoha-nee-chan!" She waves to the boy leaning on the railing. "Onii-chan! Come say hello!"

Click to shrink...

Reference GET: Kibi is a tiny fish found in the regional cuisine of Kagoshima.
Wonder why she insists on calling us Konoha, instead of our name; I feel there's something we're missing....

A hand frantically grabs your arm, and you feel warm lips on its palm. Suddenly the four Konoha jounin are not-at-all casually standing around the two of you.
Deidara lets you go, embarrassed, but asks urgently, "Tell me, Yamanaka Ino: what is best in art?"

Click to shrink...

So he does bear the kinjutsu.
I was wondering.
And yay for Konoha solidarity!

*snip*
[X] Write in
-----
Y'know, I'd really like to see a reincarnation quest where Deidara's reborn as Louise.

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I was going to vote option 2 when it occurred to me that we might as well dare him to come up with ever crazier stunts to draw our attention.
And that might well piss off the sensei-con as well.
I get the feeling that the wrong vote might have MAJOR repercussions down the road.

SO I'm going to think on this a bit.

How OLD is Deidara here, anyway? Because if we're going with canon, he should be ~16.

 

[Vindictus]

Just caught a second reference- "What is best in art" is a Conan expy.

With that in mind, I need to change my vote.

[X] "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Eh, I wonder, could we do a quick genjutsu or use Throw Voice to get Kiba to hold his horses for a bit? Or to our friends to tell them to hold Kiba down and not let him get to the arena? We don't want to really get tied down talking and giving a speech while Kiba may be running to his doom.

Yeah, us showing Throw Voice will probably tip off to the girl we did Gaara. Eh. Not something I want put out there, but she likes us now so we can probably spin it right, congratulate her for entering despite our bit of heckling.

 

[uju32]

Eh, I wonder, could we do a quick genjutsu or use Throw Voice to get Kiba to hold his horses for a bit? Or to our friends to tell them to hold Kiba down and not let him get to the arena? We don't want to really get tied down talking and giving a speech while Kiba may be running to his doom.
Yeah, us showing Throw Voice will probably tip off to the girl we did Gaara. Eh. Not something I want put out there, but she likes us now so we can probably spin it right, congratulate her for entering despite our bit of heckling.

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No Throw Voice, thanks; no tipping our hand to Kuyo.

Is Kiba foolish enough to go up against Gaara DESPITE our intelligence briefing though?
And Anko's warning?
Do we not trust his ass enough?

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

No Throw Voice, thanks; no tipping our hand to Kuyo.

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I'd happily let that slip, or just use False Surroundings, if it made sure Kiba did not go down. Kiba's life is more important than tipping our hand.

Is Kiba foolish enough to go up against Gaara DESPITE our intelligence briefing though?
And Anko's warning?
Do we not trust his ass enough?

Click to shrink...

I would trust him, except apparently Kiba and Ami were right next to us, given their dialogue here. So Ino wouldn't be worrying about Kiba unless he were no longer there.

So yeah. I'm worried he just might go for it.

 

[Vindictus]

I'm inclined to trust that Kiba is either a) Not that stupid or b) Hiding something awesome up his sleeve.

[Gets a flash of Kiba attempting a 'Why don't you just shoot him' on Gaara]

... Well, given OOC we know that Gaara isn't going to flinch at headshot, maybe we shouldn't trust Kiba's risk-reward rationalizations...

 

[Jack Trade]

[X] "Art is all about the looks on their faces when you pull it off."

 

[uju32]

I'd happily let that slip, or just use False Surroundings, if it made sure Kiba did not go down. Kiba's life is more important than tipping our hand.

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Kiba is not an idiot.
Prideful yes, but not an idiot.
And he already knows our opinion about going up against Gaara; we made it abundantly clear.
The only difference it would make would be if we were physically present beside him, as opposed to yelling/passing a message from across the room.

I would trust him, except apparently Kiba and Ami were right next to us, given their dialogue here. So Ino wouldn't be worrying about Kiba unless he were no longer there.
So yeah. I'm worried he just might go for it.

Click to shrink...

Not the impression I got; remember, the jounin all had to turn so there's significant distance.
And Ami is right there as well to cuff him alongside the head.

But we can get clarification from the GM.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Kiba is not an idiot.
Prideful yes, but not an idiot.

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He kind of is. See him at that taijutsu school, he constantly shoves his foot down his mouth, apparently isn't learning from THOSE mistakes given repeat offenses. He's not a complete moron, see med training and sucking up to apologize, but the brains of our team he is not. And pride in itself is pretty damned bad in this case because he can be goaded. Gaara is Dante, you really think Gaara won't try calling Kiba out for being a chicken/pussy? Attack Kiba's pride and I can easily see him jumping down.

Especially after our performance. He might tell himself he'd forfeit if it got bad, but I can't see him standing down quietly after we practically got a standing ovation.

And he already knows our opinion about going up against Gaara; we made it abundantly clear.
The only difference it would make would be if we were physically present beside him, as opposed to yelling/passing a message from across the room.

Click to shrink...

Talking to him and dismantling his reasons for fighting would probably help. Yeah, I'd like our friends to be doing this in our place, and for Asuma to convince Kiba not to do it. I'm not prepared to count on it, given what this scene sounds like.

Not the impression I got; remember, the jounin all had to turn so there's significant distance.
And Ami is right there as well to cuff him alongside the head.

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And yet Kiba is close enough for us to apparently hear him clearly. In fact the Oto team can hear him clearly and responds as if he's in the conversation. Or are they gonna be shouting at a person a fair distance off?

Sounds close enough to me.

But we can get clarification from the GM.

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It would help.

 

[Torgamous]

If we take the first, all about the looks on people's faces? He'd probably see it as that's just what we personally aim for. Instead of boom, a reaction.

Anyone seen Johnny Fox the Sword Swallower? One of his routines is describing how much he likes to see the looks on people's faces as he does outrageous magic tricks or swallow swords. And screwdrivers. And giant solid metal spoons. All for the jackasses who think, "It's a just trick sword!"

So I think Deidara could relate to that. Although if he were influenced by it, he'd probably think about the look on people's faces right before he blows them up.

Click to shrink...

The "when you pull it off" bit is important, I think. It's about the moment of completion, something that's over in an instant and will never never happen the same way again. I think Deidara could relate to that, since there's likely a reason he doesn't just spend his days setting off explosions at a safe altitude. Art requires that something be destroyed, and for us that "something" is the audience's expectations.

I don't like "What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'", and I doubt Deidara will either. Rather than destroying expectations, it's based on pandering to them, at least in the "what is art" sense. It doesn't leave much room for misunderstood artists, which Deidara presumably considers himself to be unless this world has widespread recognition of explosions as art.

"I think art exists wherever people want to acknowledge it" is kind of lukewarm. While it is true in a very literal sense, it doesn't appear to say as much about our own approach to art as the other options do.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Jigen ricochets a bullet into the booth that takes Dr Crab in the eye.

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You know I had wondered about the name.

Is that you Zoidberg?

He hops out of the way of your fan with a noise of surprise that mirrors your own. "Oi oi oi, I surrender! It's just me."

Click to shrink...

This isn't a shout-out (I think), I just wanted to point out that Lupin is one block of curdled animal milk away from being a Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey.

Shit that's a mamushi she's actually threatening to kill me holy god her eyes are beautiful what the hell is wrong with me?!

Click to shrink...

This is a wild stab in the dark from a stray wikipedia article I saw. Warriors Orochi?

If this is right I really do not deserve this one, Mamushi is apparently a character and was redirected to the series. I dunno.

"My mom says it's important to remember as a ninja that there's always someone in the world younger than you who's also stronger than you," Kiba remarks.

Click to shrink...

Was this a Jounin Quest reference?

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

The "when you pull it off" bit is important, I think. It's about the moment of completion, something that's over in an instant and will never never happen the same way again. I think Deidara could relate to that, since there's likely a reason he doesn't just spend his days setting off explosions at a safe altitude. Art requires that something be destroyed, and for us that "something" is the audience's expectations.

Click to shrink...

Hmm. I think you're on to something there.

And honestly, this, of the canon options, is the most 'Ino/Lupin' of them, or that's what it sounds like to me.

I don't like "What matters is that people can say with confidence, 'That is a true work of art'", and I doubt Deidara will either. Rather than destroying expectations, it's based on pandering to them, at least in the "what is art" sense. It doesn't leave much room for misunderstood artists, which Deidara presumably considers himself to be unless this world has widespread recognition of explosions as art.

Click to shrink...

....This, is an excellent point. I can still see it be, "Something so great everyone agrees on it, breaking through all tastes and expectations," but you have a good point.

"I think art exists wherever people want to acknowledge it" is kind of lukewarm. While it is true in a very literal sense, it doesn't appear to say as much about our own approach to art as the other options do.

Click to shrink...

And I'll agree with it being lukewarm. It's the least exciting. True, but bland. More of a monk-ish attitude.

I wonder if Deidara would call us out on that....