Cosmos Quest (Naruto/Lupin III)

[SolipsistSerpent]

Man, I still miss that one. Did Anko finally triumph and bring the narrative back to Orocchin, or was she stuck down there for eternity?

Click to shrink...

That one was awesome. Hopefully one day it will resurrect itself. And to answer your question yes, she did, but then the quest stopped updating before he did anything again.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] "We had a plan about five minutes after you left. Still gathering intel and doing some prep though. Pull up a chair teach, get into the All Knowing Sensei pose and judge us humble genin."

You and the others fill Asuma in on what's gone down and what you've learned. You wonder at first how to broach the subject of your little discovery, but when you mention that you emptied the trunks and cases into your own luggage there's a tiny flicker in his eyes that lets you know he already knew. Now it's just a question of whether or not to tell Kiba and Ami.

"And what are you doing to look into additional threats, from thieves in the wider community?" your teacher asks.

You frown. "Hm. I thought Kurioka-san ran a pretty tight ship." Or at least Oshibe-san does.

"Not in here he doesn't," Asuma says, shaking his head. "Yakuza authority ends at the walls. If the lesser gangs decide to wet their beaks at the Edajima well he'll turn a blind eye as long as he gets a cut."

"Well, that's unfortunate," you sigh. "Any chance of them being a particular challenge? If civilian taijutsu-enthusiasts can use crazy-no-way anti-chakra I'd like to know if the mobsters around here are all vampires or something."

"Just the usual mix of 'samurai', ordinary civilians and ninja washouts," he replies. "The teachers on night patrol can handle them if they catch them, but Ami, you should still make a few inquiries in town in case someone more prepared is on the way."

"Yes, sensei," she says, spine straightening.

"Well, things are looking pretty good," you say, smiling. "We're right on schedule. Kiba, do we have any specifics on the techniques Sorato's little flunkies might be using if they tag along?"

Kiba shakes his head. "No, sorry. Jounouchi didn't mention any names."

"You didn't ask for any?" you ask, surprised. And then your eyes narrow. "... Kiba. What did you do?"

"Whaddya mean?" he says defensively. "Nothin'!"

Fuck. "What did you do, Kiba?" you demand.

Ami sighs.

"I swear I didn't do anything!" Kiba insists. "That guy started it by-"

"As thrilling as I'm sure the full story would be," Asuma cuts in. "I'll second the request: what did you do?"

Kiba wilts under four sets of judging eyes. "... he guessed I was using him as a source and we had an argument," he mumbles.

"Aw, hell," you mutter. "All right, look, Kiba, if you take my shift I can go find him and smooth things over. If-"

"What does it matter?" he asks petulantly. "We're leaving tomorrow night, he's just some idiot we're never going to see again-"

"Do you listen to the words that come out of your mouth?" Ami interrupts, cradling her forehead in the palm of her hand. "No, wait, if you did you couldn't have screwed up this badly."

"C'mon, Ami, cut him some slack," you wheedle. "It's our first mission out of the village, some things were bound to go wrong."

She takes a deep breath, and letting it go, she nods. With renewed vigour, she resumes her sword drills.

"The reason it matters, Kiba," you explain with as much patience as you can muster, "is that, as you've probably noticed, this is a school where people learn how to kick asses. As we ourselves are in the ass-kicking business, it behoves us to give at least half a fuck about our fellow professionals/competition. What if we need their help again one day? What if someone sends them against us?" You wince. "Plus, I just don't wanna leave things like this. I think they seem like pretty nice guys."

"You think Sasuke is a nice guy," Kiba shoots back.

"No, Ami thinks he's a nice guy," you say bluntly. "I just happen to like him. Just like I happen to like you, even though you happen to have no goddamn filter between your mouth and your brain."

He scowls.

"As I was saying," you go on, "if you're not in the mood to be diplomatic, I can talk to the nurse, too."

"No," he objects, "that has to be me; you don't have any medical training."

"But I do," Asuma cuts in. "I'm disappointed in you, Kiba. A shinobi can't afford to let his temper get the better of him over something so minor. Or did you forget your own words to Ami earlier?"

"... no," Kiba grinds out grudgingly. "But he was talking shit about ninja and-"

"Ino, go talk to your contact, but make it quick," your sensei orders. "Ami, interview and market."

"You're the boss, boss," you say meekly, heading out. Shit, Kiba's really gonna get it.

[X] Stick around to listen in on their conversation.

[X] Asuma said to make it quick and sent you away for a reason; go patch things up with Jou.

 

[Selias]

[X] Asuma said to make it quick and sent you away for a reason; go patch things up with Jou.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Well damn, we did miss something and Asuma had to fill us in. I mean we got things mostly pretty good, but we missed.

I am pleasantly surprised Asuma told us about that possible threat, but hey, he's not Kakashi who probably woulda hung us out to dry on that note and say he forgot, if he said anything on the subject at all. And he seems to be offering to handle the nurse too? Not bad even if Kiba's getting reamed in the process. Maybe Kiba will learn from this.

And I must say, I loved the dialogue here. Nice and snappy.

[X] Asuma said to make it quick and sent you away for a reason; go patch things up with Jou.

 

[Disminded]

[X] Asuma said to make it quick and sent you away for a reason; go patch things up with Jou.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Well damn, we did miss something and Asuma had to fill us in. I mean we got things mostly pretty good, but we missed.

Click to shrink...

Meh, meta I don't expect you to read my mind, in-character you're a n00b. Asuma is favourably impressed with you guys, though there are faults in your manner that he's looking to correct.

I am pleasantly surprised Asuma told us about that possible threat, but hey, he's not Kakashi who probably woulda hung us out to dry on that note and say he forgot, if he said anything on the subject at all.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, much as I love Kakashi, he's got that genius-retardation somethin' fierce. He woulda just coldly dumped on Kiba right in front of the other two and not seen anything wrong with that, though in fairness he wouldn't be as thorough about it as Asuma's likely to be. It's verbal equivalent of the difference between having a hunk of poo thrown at you in public and getting a black eye in private.

 

[hunter09]

[X] Asuma said to make it quick and sent you away for a reason; go patch things up with Jou.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Meh, meta I don't expect you to read my mind, in-character you're a n00b. Asuma is favourably impressed with you guys, though there are faults in your manner that he's looking to correct.

Click to shrink...

Nice. I suppose this is a pretty strong showing for the first time we're cut loose.

Yeah, much as I love Kakashi, he's got that genius-retardation somethin' fierce. He woulda just coldly dumped on Kiba right in front of the other two and not seen anything wrong with that, though in fairness he wouldn't be as thorough about it as Asuma's likely to be. It's verbal equivalent of the difference between having a hunk of poo thrown at you in public and getting a black eye in private.

Click to shrink...

Both sound like very unappealing options. And while I could milk that hunk of poo joke for potty humor, I think that would be beneath all involved.

And Asuma, while likely to thrash Kiba verbally for this, is at least likely to build him back up after he breaks him down.

 

[Guile]

Presumably, genius-retardation would lead Kakashi to be utterly baffled about how Kiba could screw up this way. I mean, he's already twelve! Kakashi was punching guys in the chest so hard his hand came out their back when he was 6.

You realize, of course, that with that offhand mention of vampires I now expect there to actually be some yaks that are vampires and we have to meet and/or fight the vampires. I mean, you can't just use a Chekov's gun about vampires and not do anything with it.

[X] Yo Jou!
We should buddy up to them again. Make it clear that, yeah, its kind of in our job to be sneaky ninja bastards (though obviously some of us are better at it than others)... but we do still like them.

 

[Vindictus]

Vampire Gangs actually sound pretty interesting. I wonder how such a faction could be handled...

 

[FurikoMaru]

You realize, of course, that with that offhand mention of vampires I now expect there to actually be some yaks that are vampires and we have to meet and/or fight the vampires. I mean, you can't just use a Chekov's gun about vampires and not do anything with it.

Click to shrink...

If you want to meet the vampire yakuza, you're about twenty years too late.

 

[Vindictus]

If you want to meet the vampire yakuza, you're about twenty years too late.

Click to shrink...

... New OOC objective- Bring Yak-Ula back to life.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

If you want to meet the vampire yakuza, you're about twenty years too late.

Click to shrink...

I can taste the despair through my computer screen. Tastes...tingly?

Wait that's electricity why am I still typing-

 

[Guile]

If only we knew about the Yak-ula before, when we were choosing Ami's career path! She could have become a princess of darkness.

Eh? Eh? I bet she'd enjoy that.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] Would you be my, could you be my...?

"Oh, hey, Ino-chan. Aren't you supposed to be on duty?"

"Sensei's covering for me." You take a seat beside Jou and watch as he sands down some sort of denuded branch. "Makin' a bow?"

"Mm. Part of our survival training. Everyone learns how." He blows some shavings off of the spot he's been working on. "What's up?"

"I heard Kiba shot his mouth off again and I came by to apologize," you admit.

"Why should you apologize?" Jounouchi asks. "What're you, his sister or something?"

"Maa, ne..." You shrug. "He's my teammate, y'know?"

He sighs. "Well, you don't have anything to worry about. I'm not mad."

"I know," you nod, "but Kiba was. Sorry he yelled at you."

"Hey, it's fine," he says. "I shouldn't have needled him like that, I forgot he's just a kid."

"Well in any case, I hope you won't hold what happened against him." You grin. "If my shift hadn't been starting you could've kept talkin' to me instead."

"Right." Jou sets the bow across his knees, and looks you dead in the eye. "Ino-chan? You seem like a nice girl, and honestly I can't say anyone around here would be sorry to see the back of Shinyuu. But you can't expect me to tell you everything I know just because you asked."

You smile. "Honour among taijutsu-ka, is it?"

"Can you swear, on..." He falters for a moment. "What the heck do ninja swear on?"

"We don't, usually," you admit. "But..."

[X] The Will of Fire

[X] Your reputation

[X] Your mother's good name

"That, then," Jou says, nodding. "Can you swear that whatever you're going after Shinyuu for won't damage the school's rep?" He's trying to hide it, but he's clearly almost desperate to trust you - and, considering what you've heard of Sorato, you're not surprised; he's probably weighing in his mind which is worse, the school being closed because Sorato finally bit off more than he could chew, or Sorato graduating and proceeding to ruin any chance of the school attracting new students just by name-dropping his alma mater.

[X] Swear.

[X] Don't just swear, tell him this whole investigation was a request of Sukaha's.

[X] Tell him everything.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Ooh, update before I knock off for the night. What a pleasant surprise!

Telling him this was a request of Suhaku's is probably a load off of his mind. I assume telling him everything entails, well, all of our prep? Suppose he could offer more advice, but that is bad operational security. Just mentioning Suhaku is REALLY pressing it.

That's revealing your sources. People are less likely to step forward if we have a reputation for offering up sources. But Suhaku didn't ask for confidentiality, IIRC, and it doesn't SEEM like the kind of thing she minds.

Not gonna vote yet though. As I said, about to sleep. I'll think it over first.

Nice to see Jou ain't holding a grudge. He really does want to talk. This may be a measure of how awful Kiba really is at the social game. I mean....this guy wants our target GONE, and Kiba couldn't weasel this info out? If Kiba had given any ground it'd have all been good.

As for swearing, Will of Fire seems too broad. Swearing on our own professional rep seems much more appropriate. That is most definitely something of ours to offer up. Swearing by our mother is out of the question for me. It's like stealing your mom's jewelry to use as collateral in gambling.

EDIT: I suppose it's only appropriate to consider someone might be listening in on us, but fuck, Ino has chakra sensing and possibly Menka with her, being paranoid about observers here seems rather much.

 

[Selias]

[X] The Will of Fire

[X] Don't just swear, tell him this whole investigation was a request of Sukaha's.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

[X] Your reputation

[X] Don't just swear, tell him this whole investigation was a request of Sukaha's.

Was my gut instinct first time I read this, I'm sticking to it still.

EDIT: Assuming this investigation being a request of Suhaka's IS true, she told us to be on the lookout for Sorato, not to investigate him although that is indeed what we're doing just to be sure.

Basically, she's our source here.

Hopefully the boy can keep a secret for the night and not give anything away.

 

[Guile]

[X] As surely as I'm Ino Yamanaka the Fifth, future head of the clan, you can trust me on this.
[X] We're actually keeping an eye on him at the request of one of your teachers anyway! You don't need to worry about us being after him for a revenge-killing or on the word of his loan sharks or to make an example of him or anything.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] My words are a matter of pride

"We don't, usually," you admit. "But I can promise you," you add dramatically, "Yamanaka Ino the Fifth values her reputation highly enough that if she swears on it, she'll keep her word."

"That, then," Jou says, nodding. "Can you swear that whatever you're going after Shinyuu for won't damage the school's rep?" He's trying to hide it, but he's clearly almost desperate to trust you - and, considering what you've heard of Sorato, you're not surprised; he's probably weighing in his mind which is worse, the school being closed because Sorato finally bit off more than he could chew, or Sorato graduating and proceeding to ruin any chance of the school attracting new students just by name-dropping his alma mater.

You almost laugh. "Is that what you're worried about? This whole business got started 'cause of a tip Sukaha-san gave me."

His eyes widen. "No way."

"Way," you affirm. "I guess she didn't want to take action against him directly because reasons. Anyway," you move on, sweeping into a dramatic bow, "I, Yamanaka Ino, fifth of her name, heir of the Yamanaka Clan, swear on my reputation as a ninja that my efforts toward the apprehension of Shinyuu Sorato shall not damage the social standing of the Edajima School of Turtle Style Taijutsu." You look up. "Well?"

He nods. "All I needed to hear. Whaddya wanna know?"

As it turns out, none of Sorato's favoured kouhai are anything special. To hear Jou tell it they're all middle-of-the-pack or lower.

When you ask about Sukaha's admonition not to let the boy touch you, Jounouchi winces, and explains that the Shinyuu reputedly have a family technique that lets them infect opponents with a disease they all carry (but rarely manifest themselves) by making skin-to-skin contact. Accounts of the symptoms differ in the details, but all the rumours agree that the main result of infection is partial shapeshifting of one sort or another, deformation of the ears being most commonly reported. Apparently some of the crazier stories claim they can give people tails.

"Never figured Shinyuu'd know how to do it," Jou remarks, frowning. "His dad died before Shinyuu reached the age where you'd normally pass on special techniques like that. He does have that family library he's always bragging about, though; maybe he taught himself." Finally, he shrugs. "If Sukaha-sensei tells you it's a problem, it's probably a problem."

You nod. "Thanks for your time, Jou. I appreciate it."

"One last thing," he says, going back to his bow. "Mirioni feels awful about hitting on you; he didn't know you were only twelve 'til Kiba told us. But he's freakin' out about it right now, and he's probably still at the point where he's just praying you didn't notice and that you don't think he's some gross perv, so he's not gonna be in any state to apologize until after you've left."

You suppress the urge to angrily protest that you're practically thirteen. "Noted. Tell 'im not to beat himself up about it, yeah?"

Jou snorts. "Telling Miyamoto Mirioni not to mope about girls is like telling a dog not to bark. But I'll pass it on."

=

Where/When to next?

[X] Later tonight...

[X] A certain grape-haired sword-slinger's adventures harem anime-land

[X] An encounter with the bride

-----
Acquired: Contact - Jounouchi Katsuya.

Will of Fire would have gained you an admirer (despite its at times hilarious inaccuracies, Battle Wizards has a surprisingly thoughtful monologue from not!Sarutobi about the Will of Fire at the end of the second act that made a big impression on mini-Jou back in the day), and your mother's good name would have gained you a friend, because it drives home the fact that ninja or not, you're still a normal kid in some ways; you have a family you care about, etc.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Well drat, I never thought of it from that perspective. Darn, him as a friend woulda been good but swearing on our mom's rep still feels a bit like selling off her jewelry to a pawn shop. With the intention of buying it back before the grace period passes, but still.

Aw well, I like professionalism.

 

[Selias]

[X] A certain grape-haired sword-slinger's adventures harem anime-land

Knew it should have been Will of Fire.

 

[Guile]

Sayato is apparently a Saiyan.

Furiko, I have no idea where this arc is going.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Hymn does. I give you full permission to bug him for spoilers if you want.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

God damn it Furiko!

*runs*

 

[Vindictus]

Sayato is apparently a Saiyan.

Furiko, I have no idea where this arc is going.

Click to shrink...

No, Sayato is a secret nekomimi.

Who can infect others and turn them into nekomimi.

... Why is this considered a bad thing, again?

 

[Guile]

God damn it Furiko!

*runs*

Click to shrink...

... someone, release Pepe Le Pew.

No, Sayato is a secret nekomimi.

Who can infect others and turn them into nekomimi.

... Why is this considered a bad thing, again?

Click to shrink...

Lolcats have finally gone viral?

 

[iamnuff]

[X] A certain grape-haired sword-slinger's adventures harem anime-land


dammit, i missed my chance to vote for the will of fire.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Hell, you know what? This has gone on long enough. I'm sorry, guys, I'm skippin' to the main event; the pacing's already all screwed up, I might as well do what I can to get the plot moving.

Don't worry, you'll still get to meet Sei later on, hopefully.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

....Guess that's one way to try and breath more life back in here. Your exec decision Furiko.