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I feel like "sabotage this high strung prodigy while working in the field, where they may assume it is enemy action" is not always going to be a death sentence but is pretty risky assignment, especially since you have to treat the target of your sabotage as a nominal ally and may not be ready for them if they decide in their head that you're a traitor or under enemy mind control or whatever. It's not a mission I'd give to anyone who wasn't expendable or nearly immortal, anyway.
 
Mother should probably learn about this. I'm really looking forward to when she is powerful enough to deal with boss-dude.
 
Jutsu

Anbu

roars

subestimated?

miserable

Capital I, trailing full stop.

I look forward to reading the fallout of this.

In my defense, this was partially written with my phone. I have no idea how anyone can write full chapters by phone... Fixed now, thanks!

I feel so sorry for these guys. Like all they had to do was sabotage one prospective Chunin and they get murdered.

Alas, to be a shinobi is to walk with death...

frankly considering her mother, they, and the Boss should have known better, oh well, nothing of value lost, looking forward to the MC burning Kusa to the ground in the future

In their defense, it almost worked.

I feel like "sabotage this high strung prodigy while working in the field, where they may assume it is enemy action" is not always going to be a death sentence but is pretty risky assignment, especially since you have to treat the target of your sabotage as a nominal ally and may not be ready for them if they decide in their head that you're a traitor or under enemy mind control or whatever. It's not a mission I'd give to anyone who wasn't expendable or nearly immortal, anyway.

Alternatively, you give the mission to someone who sould be able to handle an upstart genius you've extensively studied and who you know relies on preparation for all her nasty tricks. Her stats are well above of the curve and her pentaelemental release looks cool on paper, but nothing of that should work in a couple of prepared jounin. This situation went FUBAR without so much as a by-your-leave.

Fuck I think that's killed the story for me.

Sorry to hear that. I would love to say your gripes with the story will be addressed at some point, but it'll probably take a while -like, more like something for the sequel- and can't guarantee it'll be enough of a change to make a difference for you. Ironic though... you gave me the idea for this chapter.

Mother should probably learn about this.

It's the sort of thing that should at least be mentioned, right?
 
I loved this chapter for some reason, the only negative was when the MC started blurting out confidential info. Feels like one step closer to a 'Third Hokage letting Orochimaru go' parallel with Mother and the MC (I really need to remember what her name is, can't just say MC every time... Ran, Ran, Ran).
 
boy, those bright purple kusa anbu sure are amazing. No one have ever seen them! I hear they can even hide from orcimaru!

Boss dude *Deskplant* "For the last time, there is no such thing as kusa anbu..."
"gotcha, deny deny deny. You tell me when i rate high enough to have the security clearance to know about them!"
 
Honestly i dont know if Deny is the best option?

Claiming they died to protect her still leaves her on the hook as the team lead for their deaths.Which makes the mission a failure from a test standpoint even if she went on to complete the objectives.

On the other hand, going with her first assumption, that they were traitors makes her look even better by comparison. She defeated a gaggle of Iwa-nin and two traitors to the village! Why are they traitors you ask? Well they tried to incapacitate her during the test so they could hand her over to Iwa. Clearly. She deserves a medal!

Its not like he can admit to telling them to fuck with Ran, because that crosses Shimama, so that leaves him in the position of knowing that they got killed trying to fuck with Ran, while Ran assumes they were traitors rather than under orders. Both of them can know the 'truth' but neither knows the other knows. Boss assumes hes safe so he doesnt do anything unwise, while Ran is aware of the threat. Ran thinks she got away with it, while Boss knows she just killed two jounin who had the drop on her.

Its both more honest and produces a better result.
 
Honestly i dont know if Deny is the best option?

Claiming they died to protect her still leaves her on the hook as the team lead for their deaths.Which makes the mission a failure from a test standpoint even if she went on to complete the objectives.

On the other hand, going with her first assumption, that they were traitors makes her look even better by comparison. She defeated a gaggle of Iwa-nin and two traitors to the village! Why are they traitors you ask? Well they tried to incapacitate her during the test so they could hand her over to Iwa. Clearly. She deserves a medal!

Its not like he can admit to telling them to fuck with Ran, because that crosses Shimama, so that leaves him in the position of knowing that they got killed trying to fuck with Ran, while Ran assumes they were traitors rather than under orders. Both of them can know the 'truth' but neither knows the other knows. Boss assumes hes safe so he doesnt do anything unwise, while Ran is aware of the threat. Ran thinks she got away with it, while Boss knows she just killed two jounin who had the drop on her.

Its both more honest and produces a better result.
Objectively? Maybe. Subjectively? She thought their sabotage was an assassination attempt because she's caused so much trouble that Boss-dude doesn't think she OR her mom are worth it. Polite fiction only works if you didn't just piss the other person off enough that they're going to have you killed and damn the consequences.
 
I see a lot of people talking about the Jonin sent to fuck her over, but what if, and hear me out.SI-Chan is wrong.

See, the thing is. I'm getting magnificently unreliable protagonist vibes.
Her perspective on the world is from the perspective of a psudo-sociopathic Obsessive Compulsive bloodline. She assumes her team was lazy, when she's in fact absurd. She is perfectly ready to, and has on multiple occasions, assume everyone else is holding back. She is technically correct because she has an inhuman genetic disposition to be a Geinus of Hard Work. They don't go 100% because unlike her, they would burn out. People taking the time to be human is seen as fucking around to her.

Her obsession with the local ANBU, for example, is likley wrong. If i understand her villages situation correctly, they just don't have the NUMBERS to have a large hidden force of elite. Mother is probably the only one in the village who would qualify, and she needs to be out in the open for PR purposes.

There is a very likely scenario that she almost missed a trap, and immediately went 11/10 on paranoia. Those trap setups weren't set up by HER, so most of them are very basic. The enemy team could have SOME knowledge of traps, but doesn't go 100% every single time they set up camp, because they are normal human shinobi. Probably on the level of a Chunnin. They could have a trap master among their ranks, and that is the only reason there were traps to begin with, because most ninja may not set up lethal traps as a rule. Again, Humans being human.

The only reason she was going to an Interrogation cell was because she spilled the beans on future knowledge to someone who isn't actually retarded and can see the implications.

This isn't very organized, and I could certainly be wrong, but I just wished to emphasis the possibility.
 
There is a very likely scenario that she almost missed a trap, and immediately went 11/10 on paranoia. Those trap setups weren't set up by HER, so most of them are very basic. The enemy team could have SOME knowledge of traps, but doesn't go 100% every single time they set up camp, because they are normal human shinobi. Probably on the level of a Chunnin. They could have a trap master among their ranks, and that is the only reason there were traps to begin with, because most ninja may not set up lethal traps as a rule. Again, Humans being human.
Thing is, she identifies that one trap as a Kusa design and specialty, which makes the idea that it was a misidentification of an Iwa trap...iffy.

And the same hyper focus that makes her susceptible to being an unreliable narrator also makes it unlikely for her to misidentify a trap.
 
Thing is, she identifies that one trap as a Kusa design and specialty, which makes the idea that it was a misidentification of an Iwa trap...iffy.

And the same hyper focus that makes her susceptible to being an unreliable narrator also makes it unlikely for her to misidentify a trap.
Sure, but it would require Kusa jonin to get ahead, sneak past enemy traps, set up a badass trap (of their own make, and not of enemy make), and then sneak back without her noticing in spite of paying attention to things like when they leave. She herself then immediately turns round to make her own attack look like enemy action, so this is a thing that ninja can do.

Alternatively, enemy Nin set up lethal trap of her own villages style. Because killing an enemy with their own villages trap designs would likley be hilarious to a Trapmaker nin. Putting more effort into its make because he's amused.

It's not a theory that i'm diehard about, but I hold it in a 40% liklyhood that she's obsessively looking for deeper meaning, and not realizing that while you should be aware there CAN be deeper meaning, sometimes a spade is a spade.
 
Sure, but it would require Kusa jonin to get ahead, sneak past enemy traps, set up a badass trap (of their own make, and not of enemy make), and then sneak back without her noticing in spite of paying attention to things like when they leave. She herself then immediately turns round to make her own attack look like enemy action, so this is a thing that ninja can do.
Keep in mind, she watched the jounin sneak off for several hours the night before while she was supposed to be asleep. Thats plenty of time to run ahead, set traps and come back.
 
Objectively? Maybe. Subjectively? She thought their sabotage was an assassination attempt because she's caused so much trouble that Boss-dude doesn't think she OR her mom are worth it. Polite fiction only works if you didn't just piss the other person off enough that they're going to have you killed and damn the consequences.
That would ruin his rep and make him lose 4 jonin level nin instead of keeping her ma happy,and not admitting to sabotaging their own ninja while in the field. Possibly making himself look like a weak an petty tyrant. Especially if one of them escapes to spread lies and gains pity points.
The best way to punish her is to not promote her and to give her forced leave to recover.
 
That would ruin his rep and make him lose 4 jonin level nin instead of keeping her ma happy,and not admitting to sabotaging their own ninja while in the field. Possibly making himself look like a weak an petty tyrant. Especially if one of them escapes to spread lies and gains pity points.
The best way to punish her is to not promote her and to give her forced leave to recover.
Again, subjective versus objective. She literally just assumed he was trying to kill her when she gave him less cause than she just did.
 
There's one detail I don't see people picking on, or at least not being commented. It's not specially relevant to the last chapter in particular, but more about Ran's life and choices in general.

I'm... Half tempted to just out and say it here, because she herself isn't aware of it so it's hard to mention it in-story, but with some luck next interlude will take care of that.

... And I've made a post just to taunt you about the story. I'm a horrible author.
 
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There's one detail I don't see people picking on, or at least not being commented. It's not specially relevant to the last chapter in particular, but more about Ran's life and choices in general.

I'm... Half tempted to just out and say it here, because she herself isn't aware of it so it's hard to mention it in-story, but with some luck next interlude will take care of that.

... And I just realize I've made a post just to taunt you about the story. I'm a horrible author.
What, like the fact that she's been operating under the de facto assumption that she will leave Kusa before her second decade? The way she's seemingly internalized the notion of Kusa as an enemy village from basically day one?
 
There's one detail I don't see people picking on, or at least not being commented. It's not specially relevant to the last chapter in particular, but more about Ran's life and choices in general.

I'm... Half tempted to just out and say it here, because she herself isn't aware of it so it's hard to mention it in-story, but with some luck next interlude will take care of that.

... And I've made a post just to taunt you about the story. I'm a horrible author.
So horrible you should finish the next chapter in record time to relieve us of our suffering. :p
 
You know, if she blames the Iwa ninja for killing the examiners, people might assume that Ran managed to single handedly take out a group of Iwa ninja that killed 2 Kusa jonin. Adding to her infamy/rumors lol:D

I mean, they wouldn't be wrong? "solo killing 2 jonin" is not exactly much less of a feat than "solo killing the team that killed 2 jonin".
 
032 - My Boss Dude can’t be this petty!

032 - My Boss Dude can't be this petty!


"Let's go over it one last time." Boss Dude promises, but it's kind of lost its shine, that with it being the seventh time he says these words today. "Kasamitsu took a kunai for you, but somehow managed to power through a pierced heart for long enough to take his would-be killer with him."

"Eh, he was already pretty messed up." I wave my hand in front of my face. I know I'm being nonchalant, but I returned to the village without making stops, came to report straight from the field, I've told this tale ten times already, it's been hours and I'd really like to get back home and sleep for a week. "Jumping at me looked like a desperate gambit."

"One that paid off for them."

"They're all dead, along with all of my team, Boss." I protest tiredly. It's not hard to do, since I actually regret their deaths. Such a pointless waste… "I'd say nobody won."

"I'll have to go through the details with my advisors later." He grumbles, and it's the closest to hinting this meeting will end at some point he's gotten yet. He takes a different paper from his desk, eyeing it as he shifts topics. "And while Masanobu managed to avoid a heart injury, he also got a whole fist into his chest cavity soon afterwards, a fist that then Exploded."

"It was a big surprise, and kinda gross. I think I still have pieces of lung in my hair." Speaking of that… "On that topic, I'd appreciate the chance of a shower at some point this year, Boss."

"And yet you managed to kill them all." He presses on without acknowledging my very sensible… Nay, I'd even say 'sanitary' request.

"There wasn't all that much left over by that point." Pun intended. I was just reminded I'm gross on top of tired, sue me. "Bleeding Heart and Cool Guy did a good job before going down, I think I only survived because I was the lesser threat. And, not to polish my own horn or anything." I quickly add, intending to do exactly that. This is supposed to be a promotion review, after all. "But I am damn good in a fight."

"Yes, yes, you've given us the play-by-play already. Look, Shimada. I'll be candid with you here." I bite my tongue not to snark how that would be a first. "We wanted a clean mission for your promotion, so we investigated the field before sending you. There was no one from the Explosion Corp in their group. Their fucking exploding nin are big news, since they can take down whole villages if let unchecked, so everyone pays a close eye to them. They don't just 'appear' somewhere without half the world knowing. See now why I'm having trouble believing that part of the story?"

"Well, that's a good point..." Bullshit. If those imaginary investigators could get close enough to tell that for sure, why the hell would they send us? They could've done the mission already and saved time and resources. Not that I can call him on it. "As a counterargument, I'm going to say 'Deidara'."

"There's a slight difference between an S-rank missing-nin with support from an organization of even more dangerous monsters and a lone Explosion Corps operative you could take on by yourselves."

"My point is that Iwa can lose a S-rank threat like him. One that's known to be unstable and have destructive tendencies. One they raised themselves and they sure as hell they have a way or seven to fight against. One who goes into withdrawal unless he does something stupidly flashy at least once per month. One who has zero stealth training, by the way…" I raise a finger, a light heat on my cheeks as I realize I'm rambling. "Not the point. What I'm trying to get at is that claiming to know something for sure in this world is suicidally pretentious. Heck, I don't even know if she was really Explosion Corps or just someone with a messy taijutsu secret move."

"Well, if nothing else you've kept your story straight through some of our best non-invasive interrogation methods. Besides the disturbing fact your own participation wasn't nearly as over-the-top as I've come to expect, I got nothing to pin on you." Of course, I am— Wait, what? "So there won't be any official follow up from this incident. Regarding the possibility of a field promotion…"

I hold my breath. This is it, the moment of truth when history gets made or unmade! Will I get my well-deserved rank up? Or will I be sentenced to a very short future ending with a faceless corpse?

"Congratulations on your promotion." I hold back the urge to raise my arms and whoop, but it's a close thing. Fuck yeah! Things are still on track! All according to plan! Take that, Murphy, I survived your Madoka-damned trip-wiring ninjas of sabotaging doom! Who's laughing now? I am! Because I'm not going to die horribly!! "There's a hang on. You'll be taking a month of enforced suspension to deal with the trauma. Then it'll be solo missions until we can find a team you can fit in."

"Are you sure Boss? I can still work!" A month free of obligations followed by official leave to do missions my way… It's like it's christmas and my birthday all rolled into one. Which is starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Nothing I know about Kusa indicates medical leaves for mental reasons are a thing. Karin sure didn't get suspended for her own traumas.

"Don't celebrate so soon, Shimada." Aaaaaand here comes the other shoe. "We can't afford our shinobi to get paid for doing nothing. This is coming out of your vacation days."

"What? But I had already filed for those! It was already approved!"

"And now the approval is revoked." He shrugs. "You take your vacation now, then it is a full year of work."

"That is workforce exploitation!"

"And this is a military dictatorship, your point?"

"Can't I just give up my payment for this month?"

"No."

"But I—"

"You have your orders, Shimada. Now get out of here before I involve the Kusa-anbu!"

At that I have to leave. What else can I do? Boss Dude was clearly serious, he never involves the Kusa-anbu. Once I'm outside his office I can't help but let out an inarticulate sound of frustration.

He did it on purpose! It's not like I was trying to hide why I asked for my vacation time when I did, and he just went and overruled me just to be petty. Because he couldn't find proof I killed my team! I can't believe he was interrogating me! Can't one get away with a bit of accidentally highly treasonous manslaughter scot free anymore? What's the world coming to?

Stupid Shinobi World...


As soon as I leave the building, Karin tackle-hugs me. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm always ready for Karin's tackle-hugs, but she still manages to topple me over. I blink in confusion. This is certainly a welcome surprise, but I don't get why she would lie in ambush for hours on end until I'm done with my repor— interrogation. So why is she hugging me for dear life and trying to bury her face in my honestly lackluster bosom?

"I heard about your team." She murmurs from your chest. Oh, that would explain it. "I'm sorry."

"Eh, don't worry. I didn't know them for long and—" Wait, could this lead to a reversal of last time? "On second thought I feel terrible and might need some therapeutic cuddling."

She freezes for a moment, then all her worry dissolves into relieved giggles. "Only you, Ran." She finally says after running out of air to keep giggling. Good, this is way better than a crying Karin.

We get up and walk back home, with me being bombarded by questions all along the way. It briefly crosses my mind to find some place to eat, but truth is I'd kill for a shower about now. Yeah, I'm hungry and all, and it's always nice to spend time with Karin, but there's days old gore in my hair. Gross and unsanitary.

So we just walk home at a sedated pace. Once we arrive, there's another surprise waiting. Or rather, it's Mother who is waiting for us. Sitting at the kitchen cable, tea already serv— Huh, there's only two mugs?

"Ran, we need to talk." I don't like how that sounds. "Karin..."

"I'llbeinthebedroomgoodnightbye!" Traitor...

I sit in front of Mother and take a sip of blazing hot tea. Unlike usual, there isn't a long uncomfortable silence.

"What happened during the mission?"

The break in the pattern makes me hesitate long enough to consider lying but, in the end, I decide against it. I mean, it doesn't really serve any purpose, it's doubtful I'd get away with it and I don't really want to, so…

I tell her everything. From the slightest little detail on our way there, Bleeding Heart's casual disdain and Cool Guy's jokes, to the serious things like the trap that almost took my foot, my realization about their true purpose, my accidentally putting a kunai through Bleeding Heart's chest… or how I infiltrated a camp of missing-nin with still-drying gore in my hair to kill them all. That was kind of stupid now that I think about it, the smell could've easily given me away.

I only keep to myself the contents of my rant during my breakdown. I doubt she missed it, but she doesn't' press on it either. Instead, she remains quiet all along my tale. And for a long while afterwards.

Oh, here you are, uncomfortable silence! I didn't miss you at all!! I take another sip of tea.

"I hope you have a long term plan, Ran." She finally comments. "Because things can't remain like this."

"I… don't know what you mean?" And I don't, I hope. I mean, there's this vague suspicion in the back of my mind, but it's both impossible and carries terrifying implications, so I'll ignore it.

"After Makise died you suddenly decided to dive head-first into training and become the best kunoichi you can be. Where you used to grumble and drag your feet, you began working without pause. Where you once treated the future as something abstract that would never catch up to you, suddenly you became hyper focused. You don't pause, you don't rest." I feel my vision swim and something cold and heavy at my stomach. Because one thing is knowing something you're not happy about, and a different thing to have it ruthlessly said out loud. "I might be proud of what you've achieved, but I'm not blind to the obvious. You didn't choose this."

"It's… It's my problem, Mother." And my stupid pride still gets in the way. "I can deal with it."

"You might've weathered the situation so far, but you haven't 'dealt with it'." She chides, not unkindly. Which is really weirding me out, by the way. "So far I've let things play out, waiting for whatever your plan to solve the situation to bear fruit, but you're running out of time."

That startles me out of my self-pity. There's no way she can be referring to—

"You are frazzling, Ran. The pressure is getting to you."

Okay, that's not what I was afraid of. But what does she mean 'frazzling'?

"Little mistakes born from mental exhaustion are slowly growing worse. A trap you should've caught on sooner, a hint you failed to chase, a threat you assessed wrongly… Those are indicators of a problem that'll end killing you, if you let it fester long enough."

… Oh.

She puts her mug down, entwining her fingers under her chin in a pose reminiscing of Hokage Tsunade, or Ikari Gendo. "So I need to know, is there an endgame beyond maintaining this status quo?"

Left unsaid is the fact she'll take matters in her own hands if it isn't. This is… an unexpected hurdle. Should I insist on keeping my cards close to my chest? Having pride is one thing, but letting Mother worry to the point of distress is something very different.

Then again, by the time this is over, I'll have done way worse.

The silence stretches as I try to piece an answer together.

"I…. I honestly hadn't noticed, but it shouldn't be a problem for long." I finally say. I can't afford the risk of Mother acting before I'm ready. "I have a plan. I can't tell you the details, but give me ten… No, five months should be more than enough." Can she figure out what I'm planning just from that? Maybe, but I'll take the risk over having her lose sleep because of m—

I mean, I can't risk ruining years of planning just because Mother jumped the gun! Yeah! That's what I meant!

"You still owe me, Ran." I freeze. Out of all the times for Mother to mention the topic, this might very well be the most inopportune. "I've not forgotten, and I doubt you have either."

"Of course, Mother." How could I forget? I would've lost Karin three times over without her help, not to mention I would've probably gone out in a blaze of glory trying to either save or avenge her. Which doesn't magically make this timing not to utterly suck for discussing the topic. "Did you have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I have: Live." What? "I don't care about what other plans of goals you set for yourself. I want to know you won't throw your life away for them." The swimming vision and cold stomach comes back, this time accompanied by intense facial heat. Maybe I'm coming down with something? "Live a long, prosperous life. As your Mother, that's all I want from you."

Damnit Mother! "I… " And my stupid throat has to get a knot precisely now! "I promise I will." There's hoping she believes me.

There's another long pause, where Mother's eyes study me with an intensity that would put the sun to shame. Her glare is always piercing, but now I feel like she's examining my very soul, and judging the worth of my words. Finally, she nods and stands up, taking the empty mugs with her.

"See that you do."

I can only nod, and stand up to flee retire to my room while she cleans up the table.

"And Ran?" She stops me when I'm at the door. "I'll need to have words with our fearless leader. You might find it somehow affects your vacation times."

What have I done to deserve such a great Mother?

I couldn't fit the problem in the next interlude, so I had Mother confront her with it instead. Hopefully Ran will be a bit more aware that her decision making capabilities are compromised from now on (heh, as if). It also means the 'you can't go watch the exam' petty subplot had to be scrapped, because Mother is going to be pissed about the entire farce, and there's no way that particular piece of bullshit will stand.

It wasn't a great subplot anyway.

So! The Boss Dude will need a new office, and I might skip to the day Ran leaves for the Exam. That means Whatsyourface's (Ryūzetsu's one) Interlude
 
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Errant bracket.

Gotta say the build up for this secret plan is real, hopefully it's suitably impressive.

Thanks, fixed now.

And I hope so too. Honestly, I've agonized more than strictly necessary about it. Is it suitably surprising? Was it too predictable? Was it too out the left field? Did I give too many hints? Will it be fitting or bullshit? Personally, I think the hints are too vague and will only be noticeable in hindsight. About everything else... I have no idea, we'll have to wait and see ;)

I'm really wanting to see an interlude of MC's mother 'expressing displeasure' to Boss Man, for fucking with her daughter when she specifically told him not to fucking steep over that line

No Mother interlude in cards, I'm afraid. Because she's bullshit, and her PoV would be bullshit too.
 
I believe the plan is: "Don't get murdered by Orochimaru, and don't let Karin get kidnapped by him either."

I'm still curious as to if this was Ran being paranoid and jumpy, or if the 2 were actually supposed to kill her, or if it was somewhere in between. Boss clearly suspects something but it didn't seem to confirm anything.
 

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