Cosmos Quest (Naruto/Lupin III)

[Guile]

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."

Click to shrink...

Ha, I missed that!


>>"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.
>Was this a Jounin Quest reference?
Now that I think of it, it's a repurposed Kakashi quote, from the Wave arc, isn't it? 'Out there are people that are younger than you... but stronger than me.'

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

>>"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.
>Was this a Jounin Quest reference?
Now that I think of it, it's a repurposed Kakashi quote, from the Wave arc, isn't it? 'Out there are people that are younger than you... but stronger than me.'

Click to shrink...

Ah, tch. Never mind.





So...looked up Deidara on wikia. Looked at quotes.

(Catchphrase) "Art is an explosion!" (芸術は爆発だ!, Geijutsu wa Bakuhatsu da!).
(Before killing the Suna guards) "Look at those fools. They have no appreciation for art. You have to feel art. And true art… is an EXPLOSION!"
(To Sasori) "Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment of explosion."
(To Tobi, after he mocked how Deidara had lost his arms) "Tobi, even a Buddha loses patience when insulted a third time… One more word and there'll be no doubt about the cause of your death."
(To Sasuke) "You think you're so cool! And those eyes make me sick!! Always judging me… and my art!! You have no appreciation of the beauty of my work… and it makes me want to kill you!!"
(Last words to Sasuke) "This will be my ultimate piece of art. I'll explode. I shall die and become art itself! This will be like no explosion before it, and it will leave a scar upon the Earth unlike anything else. Then, my art will receive the admiration it's always deserved! Tremble! Be afraid! Recoil in despair! Cower in awe! And cry your heart out, because my art… is an EXPLOSION!"
(To Ōnoki after being reincarnated) "Shut up! I killed Sasuke Uchiha! And you're next, you art-hating sack of wrinkles!"



Now I'm really uneasy about sentiments that have other people judging what art is. Kinda sounds like Deidara wants his art to be admired, but hates people who dislike it because they don't understand it. The notion that his art is inherently good and some people just can't see it or are out to get him?

So not unlike a typical teenager and said teen's accomplishments, really. Some hypocrisy built in.

Noooooot sure how to handle him, but I think the first of the given choices is best so I'll give it a vote.



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

Seems to resonate with us the most. I can see Deidara nodding and agreeing enthusiastically, thinking of people seeing the explosion coming their way. Which is not good. But this feels the most real to us, of what's given.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Good to see I wasn't the only one who thought they looked alike.

Click to shrink...

I remember when I first saw Deidara I was like, "Sweet, Ino grows up to become a villain in Shippuden? Maybe she left to look for Sasuke! This is gonna be awesome!"

Our girl doesn't like his looks very much, does she?
Oh, Lupin REALLY doesn't like him.

Click to shrink...

"Demos are mostly pretty decent guys; boring company, maybe, but they don't tend to stiff you unless you stiff them first. But every once in a while you run into some guy who never outgrew the let's-tie-a-firecracker-to-the-cat's-tail phase."

Checking Google, it seems Kuyo means ritual.

Click to shrink...

All the Sound kids have emotion-based onomatopoeic codenames, I think I mentioned. Kuyokuyo means glooming, iraira means steaming with fury, and kibkibi means businesslike.

And yeah, terrorist or not, he does seem to have done a pretty good job with the kids.

Click to shrink...

Ladies love fireworks.

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

Click to shrink...

Yep. Sixteen, same age as Ira. Kuyo is probably around 14 or 15.

You know I had wondered about the name.

Is that you Zoidberg?

Click to shrink...

Nope. Repurposed the pseudonym of the creepy doctor from Memoirs of a Geisha.

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.

Click to shrink...

A mamushi is a venomous snake native to southern Japan.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

"Demos are mostly pretty decent guys; boring company, maybe, but they don't tend to stiff you unless you stiff them first. But every once in a while you run into some guy who never outgrew the let's-tie-a-firecracker-to-the-cat's-tail phase."

Click to shrink...

*raises eyebrow*

[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxps--huGKY[/embed]

Lupin would fit in the TF2 world pretty well wouldn't he?

Nope. Repurposed the pseudonym of the creepy doctor from Memoirs of a Geisha.

Click to shrink...

That...actually rings a bell. Never sat down and saw the movie, just some clips, but it vaguely rustles something up. But I'd never have guessed that on my own.

A mamushi is a venomous snake native to southern Japan.

Click to shrink...

Oh I knew that, I just wondered if you picked the name for a pop culture reason.

 

[FurikoMaru]

*raises eyebrow*

[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxps--huGKY[/embed]

Lupin would fit in the TF2 world pretty well wouldn't he?

Click to shrink...

According to my fiancé's much-treasured headcanon, the Spy is Lupin II.

 

[uju32]

He kind of is.

Click to shrink...

You really don't think highly of his sense.
The school fuckup was directly related to his pride, and every member of his team chewed him out for it, from Asuma down.
That makes an impression.
And he has Ami with him; she's the punch you if you do stupid shit person.

Besides, it takes more time to cast a genjutsu/Throw Voice, than to answer and leave fast.
For damn sure you can't argue that way.

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.

Click to shrink...

And how do you convince him different in person?

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.

Click to shrink...

You can't do any of this via genjutsu or Throw Voice.
And we might be the PC, but we're not magic.
Pride is not often susceptible to reason anyway.

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?

Click to shrink...

In canon people could clearly hear conversation going on in the stadium arena from the stands.
And could clearly follow the Kiba/Naruto convo during their fight, from up in the spectator area.
Ninja.

 

[uju32]

Ah, tch. Never mind.

Click to shrink...

Lemme point out that this Deidara is 16.
For all we know his path isn't set in stone yet, and he seems to value our opinion enough to make a scene.
Choose carefully.

 

[uju32]

I remember when I first saw Deidara I was like, "Sweet, Ino grows up to become a villain in Shippuden? Maybe she left to look for Sasuke! This is gonna be awesome!"

Click to shrink...

Hee.
I was wondering where Inoichi had found the opportunity to get it on with an Earth kunoichi.

"Demos are mostly pretty decent guys; boring company, maybe, but they don't tend to stiff you unless you stiff them first. But every once in a while you run into some guy who never outgrew the let's-tie-a-firecracker-to-the-cat's-tail phase."

Click to shrink...

Caution then.
Gotcha.
God knows we could use some S-class backup if we go looking for Weasel.

All the Sound kids have emotion-based onomatopoeic codenames, I think I mentioned. Kuyokuyo means glooming, iraira means steaming with fury, and kibkibi means businesslike.
Ladies love fireworks.

Click to shrink...

K.

Yep. Sixteen, same age as Ira. Kuyo is probably around 14 or 15.

Click to shrink...

That explains the backtalk.
More elder brother than tutor.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Also, a note for our no-doubt future match against Kibi.

It's about Throne. See, when we first got it, Furiko revealed in or out of text that Sarutobi uses it to preserve his dead comrades. They advise him.

Important thing here? The Throne is not Yamanaka only.

Also, elemental meditation (or Throne, one of the two) also made genjutsu more effective.

In summary? I would now be prepared for Kibi to know Throne and, if not use it on us, be ready for it if we use it on her. Or know the idea. So ours better be really, really good if we use it.

No, not a guarantee she has it. Just in the realm of possibility that I would consider. Apparently it was The World in the Gourd and used by people before Yamanakas, so it wasn't first MADE by the Yamanakas. It could be out there.

You really don't think highly of his sense.
The school fuckup was directly related to his pride, and every member of his team chewed him out for it, from Asuma down.
That makes an impression.
And he has Ami with him; she's the punch you if you do stupid shit person.

Click to shrink...

Definitely made an impression. Still not sure he's matured so much as become aware of his own failings and tries to correct them. Key word tries.

Besides, it takes more time to cast a genjutsu/Throw Voice, than to answer and leave fast.
For damn sure you can't argue that way.

Click to shrink...

Yes I can. We do very fast hand seals, and that way our message arrives first.

And how do you convince him different in person?

Click to shrink...

By being a pretty girl asking him to stand down because we worry about him. Multiple pretty girls, potentially. That's a balm to the pride.

You can't do any of this via genjutsu or Throw Voice.
And we might be the PC, but we're not magic.
Pride is not often susceptible to reason anyway.

Click to shrink...

I have no intention of a long debate via Throw Voice or genjutsu. Instead I intended to tell Kiba to stay up. We have something to give or tell him, something to make him hold up.

In canon people could clearly hear conversation going on in the stadium arena from the stands.
And could clearly follow the Kiba/Naruto convo during their fight, from up in the spectator area.
Ninja.

Click to shrink...

Eh, fair enough I guess.

Lemme point out that this Deidara is 16.
For all we know his path isn't set in stone yet, and he seems to value our opinion enough to make a scene.
Choose carefully.

Click to shrink...

He already went missing-nin, he clearly has some very firm opinions or has otherwise alienated himself from his home.

Set in stone, no, clearly not (hah hah puns), we could change his mindset. At the same time? It's not our responsibility to tailor our personality to solve every problem in the world.

Be careful, yeah, Deidara as a crazy-ish ally would be fun. At the same time, it will not take much effort for him to take the most distorted, horrifying view of what we tell him no matter what.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Any more straight-up votes? Right now it looks like 'the looks on their faces' and 'true artist/art' are tied.

 

[Silversun17]

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

 

[Scia]

[x]Hyms writein if that stands open for a vote.

 

[Guile]

Well, we can't make him stand down, but he is going to get his ass kicked, and he should know that.

Kiba, don't be all Rock Lee about this, okay?

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

[x]Hyms writein if that stands open for a vote.

Click to shrink...

Eh, I never made that an official vote, I'm sticking with the 'look on their faces'. It seems most genuine. And unlike the others, including my idea, can be said in a single breath. Just one sentence.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] It is not art, but heart, that wins the wide world over

"Oh, that's simple," you say with a grin. "Art is all about the looks on their faces when you pull it off."

Deidara is stunned. Kuyo blinks, and looks back and forth between the two of you, frowning.

And you join Ami at the railing.

"Why didn't you stop him?" you demand.

"He was already over the side before I realized he was actually that big an idiot!" She looks even more worried than you feel. "What does he think is going to happen here?"

"Kiba, what the hell?!" you call down to him.

"Well, I can't let you hog all the fun, can I?" he calls back up.

Holy shit, there is no way he's this stupid! What the hell is he planning?

Aw, hell. He's trying to take one for the team.

What? What for? Shit, if I meet Gaara in the finals I'm resigning!

Not Team 5, Konoha in general. He thinks he has a shot at crippling Gaara enough that someone will be able to defeat him later on.

... oh, shit, this is about what I said about the sand, isn't it?

=

"It's like he has no weaknesses," Ami says with a frown, examining your intel on the Kazekage's youngest child.

"Well, that unconscious sand-shield of his only moves at jounin-standard speed, and I'm betting it's where these rumours of 'speed-healing' are coming from; second skin of hardened sand, he can just shrug injuries off." You shrug. "Still, who cares if the sand isn't faster than us? He still is, and so is the sand when he's actually manipulating it."

"Not you," Kiba points out. "Or Neji and Lee, maybe."

Tenten frowns, but doesn't bother arguing.

"Look, Kiba, we don't know that for sure. If it were an ambush with all of us, then maybe we could pull something off," you say with a sigh. "But no one's going to surprise him in an open arena without one of those underground Doton techniques, so unless you can pull an Earth affinity out of your ass in the next three days, we're SOL."

=

... that dumb bastard.

Lupin catches the drift of your thoughts and facepalms. If it doesn't work, there goes any chance of us pulling the same surprise.

What about the consequences if it does work? Suna will go ballistic. And Gaara could die! I mean, for some kind of sand-monster he seems like a pretty all right guy.

Well, go ahead and tell Kiba all that, as long as you don't mind telling Gaara too and ruining any chance of it working.

You grit your teeth.

"Cute dog," Gaara says.

Akamaru whimpers.

Kiba just stares, hard-eyed, waiting.

"Begin!"

-BANGBANG-

The shots come hot on each other's heels.

Kiba screams in pain, clutching his right thigh, and drops to the ground. Akamaru barks in distress, hopping around him and sniffing.

"Huh," you hear Gaara say over Lupin swearing violently in your head, "wasn't expecting that. Excellent strategy, kid; if I were anyone else that would almost definitely have worked."

Kiba's bullet pops out of the gash it tore in Gaara's gut, and falls to the floor.

"It's just your bad luck that I'm me."

Whispers, everywhere at once. The fear rolling off of everyone in this room almost makes you want to throw up.

"What does he mean?" you hear Kuyo say. "Sensei, what just happened?"

Where the flying fuck did Suna get a customized M1911?!

The sand, you think numbly. He made it out of the sand.

Sure enough, the gun dissolves out of the boy's hand and arcs over his shoulder, into the gourd on his back.

"... winner, Sabaku no Gaara," the proctor says belatedly, still staring.

"Kiba!"

You all rush down to your teammate's side.

"I'll be fine!" he hollers, gasping for breath. "I can feel it, it went right through, I'll be fine."

"He's right," the chief medic just arriving says, lifting Kiba's thigh to examine it. "He won't be getting out of bed for a while, though."

"You dumbass!" you and Ami declare in unison.

Kiba grits his teeth, and intentionally lowers his voice. "Worth. it. Ino, find the bullet."

"Excuse me," one of the other medics says, pushing you aside to get your friend on the stretcher.

[X] Follow the medics so he doesn't have to be alone. Gunshot wounds are in no way fun.

[X] Look for the bullet that hit Kiba.

[X] Ask Gaara for the bullet that hit him.

[X] Go back up to the catwalk and wait until the fights are over to look for both bullets.

-----
Hand Vin the phone bill, because he totally called it.

 

[Selias]

[X] Ask Gaara for the bullet that hit him.

So, either Kiba knows something about Gaara's blood (or something like that), or the bullet that hit him isn't just sand (Glass? Maybe Gaara can control metal, as well?)

 

[uju32]

[X] It is not art, but heart, that wins the wide world over

Click to shrink...

Art and Heart - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I see you're diversifying into poetry.

"Oh, that's simple," you say with a grin. "Art is all about the looks on their faces when you pull it off."
Deidara is stunned. Kuyo blinks, and looks back and forth between the two of you, frowning.

Click to shrink...

This can only end in tears.

-----
Hand Vin the phone bill, because he totally called it.

Click to shrink...

So he did.
And Dante!Gaara fought smart, making him one of the later versions.
I wonder if that gun used gunpowder, or if it was just chakra.

And the placement of the shot was non-lethal(barring a femoral strike), which is even more argument for the sane!Gaara hypothesis.

[X]Have Menka look for the bullet.
Better senses after all, and he knows Kiba's scent.
And I think that's within normal animal range of actions.

 

[The Nobody]

[x] Have Menka search for both bullets. The one that hit Gaara first.

Also, people haven't been mentioning that Zenigata's bedtime story is Castle of Cagliostro. Most likely because that's something that everyone knows, I'm guessing.

 

[Guile]

Having Menka search for it seems smart.

Kiba did just take one for the team, let's not ask Gaara and ruin whatever plan he's got. That said, maybe we should talk to Gaara now, distract him a bit from what Mena's doing. Clearly we're into guns, but the local, shitty guns. That thing he pulled out, whatever it was, was pretty awesome.

Oh Dante, your gun is so big~, that sort of thing.

 

[Unclouded]

[X] Have Menka search for both bullets. The one that hit Gaara first.

If it gets too dangerous have him come back and search in between rounds. No sense getting him killed in the middle of a fight.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Well I feel perfectly damned vindicated in calling Kiba an idiot. So unless is something real damn special about that bullet....

Okay, the one that hit Gaara fell off. So, what's more valuable? A bullet that may have Gaara's blood on it, or a bullet made out of Gaara's sand?

Menka searching is fine.

I'd hoped for a better reaction from Deidara, but I stand by what I said. This response seemed the most Ino, the most genuine. If all that is that Deidara disagrees with our form of art, he'll probably still respect it as long as we live up to it. Because at the very least, you cannot say we don't embody that sentiment.

Frankly, if at the end of this Deidara doesn't become a serial killer that likes to see people's faces as they die, I'll say we came out ahead. I suspect he'll find some meaning in our words, although admittedly it depends on his backstory.

If nothing else, between Menka and Ino we can search for both bullets.

And now we have an idea of what to expect from Gaara. And that it is not gonna work for us. Not against Gaara. Hooooo boy.

Let's raise up a silent prayer that Gaara can't copy Pandora.







EDIT: Furiko, important question. Can Ino and Menka sense chakra in the bullet Gaara fired and that has been discharged? That would make grabbing it a lot faster.

Secondary question, since Menka's sensing does not seem as refined as ours, does that mean he has or can attain a greater range? That would be helpful.

Where is Menka anyway? On our shoulder again or elsewhere?

 

[iamnuff]

[X] grab the bullet that hit Kiba

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

And what gun is Kiba using anyway? We didn't make the fully functional revolver and I only recall us making hunting rifles.

 

[Jack Trade]

[X] Have Menka search for both bullets. The one that hit Gaara first.

 

[Guile]

Gaara is presumably still standing there. How do you guys expect Menka to go grab a bullet at his feet?

Particularly given everyone saw his human henge, meaning he's at least nin-animal intelligent?

 

[uju32]

Well I feel perfectly damned vindicated in calling Kiba an idiot.

Click to shrink...

Again, I think you're underestimating the dude.
It was a freaking unnecessary risk for an exam, but he knew he wasn't going to win.
Not after we discussed the second skin thing in front of him.
So he has a plan.

And to be fair, nothing in Gaara's threat assessment said anything about firearms.
Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve an ass-chewing.

Okay, the one that hit Gaara fell off. So, what's more valuable? A bullet that may have Gaara's blood on it, or a bullet made out of Gaara's sand?

Click to shrink...

Why not have both?
I suspect the bullet Gaara fired would give us a leg up on gun construction.
Kiba's is something different.

Frankly, if at the end of this Deidara doesn't become a serial killer that likes to see people's faces as they die, I'll say we came out ahead. I suspect he'll find some meaning in our words, although admittedly it depends on his backstory.

Click to shrink...

I suspect you're right.

And now we have an idea of what to expect from Gaara. And that it is not gonna work for us. Not against Gaara. Hooooo boy.

Click to shrink...

Poison.
Seals to harden our clothes against projectiles and also to disrupt sand control.
More speed.
Storm Release.
It'll take some doing, but we do have trumps here, especially if we get a month's prep time.
And we still have no idea if A-rank genjutsu does anything.

Let's raise up a silent prayer that Gaara can't copy Pandora.

Click to shrink...

Pandora users are explicitly vulnerable to fast moving opponents and ranged attacks.
So I doubt that's a major problem.

 

[uju32]

Gaara is presumably still standing there. How do you guys expect Menka to go grab a bullet at his feet?
Particularly given everyone saw his human henge, meaning he's at least nin-animal intelligent?

Click to shrink...

The cover for Menka so far is still somewhat intact; even the henge was plausibly an Ino technique.
He hasn't done anything yet to signify he is more than a smart animal; that was why we left him on the sidelines during the Tenten match.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Again, I think you're underestimating the dude.
It was a freaking unnecessary risk for an exam, but he knew he wasn't going to win.
Not after we discussed the second skin thing in front of him.
So he has a plan.

Click to shrink...

Having a plan =/ it's a good idea. You and I have been there before. We'll see what Kiba hoped for, but frankly this was still extremely stupid. If this were canon Gaara Kiba and everyone else in the room would be in deep shit.

Why not have both?
I suspect the bullet Gaara fired would give us a leg up on gun construction.

Click to shrink...

Compared to having Lupin himself in his head?

No, our gunsmithing SAYS intermediate, but with Lupin a revolver goes down to one time slot. Pretty sure we have everything we need, and I doubt we can replicate Dante/Gaara's trick.

Poison.
Seals to harden our clothes against projectiles and also to disrupt sand control.
More speed.
Storm Release.
It'll take some doing, but we do have trumps here, especially if we get a month's prep time.

Click to shrink...

I didn't say we can't beat Gaara, Furiko even said a rock off is a valid option. I'm saying firearms probably won't be worth very much against Dante!Gaara even if we make better ones and loads of bullets.

Pandora users are explicitly vulnerable to fast moving opponents and ranged attacks.
So I doubt that's a major problem.

Click to shrink...

Go watch the cutscene for Dante getting Pandora.

Speed is relative, and Pandora/Dante can be really damned fast. If nothing else apparently bullets are good enough against chunin, so says Furiko, but Gaara is well above that as it is. Plus there's the sand defense and general healing factor. So yeah. Worry.

 

[Torgamous]

Why are we tasking Menka with looking for the bullet that hit Gaara? There's a vote to ask him for it. I don't see how having Menka look for the bullet that hit Kiba means we can't ask Gaara for the one that hit him.

The cover for Menka so far is still somewhat intact; even the henge was plausibly an Ino technique.

Click to shrink...

Do we have confirmation of this, or has the debate so far been that you think chakra magic can do that and Hymn disagrees?
Furiko, could Menka's henge in the first exam plausibly be credited to Ino?

 

[FurikoMaru]

Furiko, could Menka's henge in the first exam plausibly be credited to Ino?

Click to shrink...

Yes. She has an Inuzuka teammate and she managed to henge herself into a freaking proctor; inexperienced witnesses are liable to believe she's perfected the henge to the point that she can do that. Experienced witnesses (Ibiki, one or two of the chuunin, Kankuro [because he was looking for it]) noticed the discrepancies between the timing of her henge reveal and Menka-Ino's and have concluded that Menka's an intelligent cat, maybe a summon animal.