This is getting out of hand... [P]

"It's designed to create jinchuuriki. Any less and a tailed beast would crack it like an egg." There's a mixture of morbid fascination and disgust in her voice. "...I've little interest in that sordid business, but it's useful. These sorts of seals create internal spaces for a bijuu and their host to interact, which is a principle I would like to apply to infiltration or spywork," she says, flipping over in her notebook to some scraps of spiraling seal formulas. "Likely with the use of shadow clones. Ideally, I would like a design a technique to allow a shadow clone to freely enter and exit a seal, perceive what is going on outside of the seal while it is inside, and for that seal to behave as the clone's source for the purpose of the half-mile distance limit."

When they ask about swords, her attention doesn't sway from her seals at first. "By commission," she grunts automatically. Her gaze rises - standard weapons shop katana, it seems.

"The swords they sell in the shops are for civilians to show off with or to serve as emergency sidearms. For anything good, you'll need to approach a bladesmith personally." She rests her cheek on her knuckles, expression vaguely skeptical at his assurance that he is a master smith, but she plays along. "The weapon specialists here are obnoxiously particular. They'll decide on a particular alloy or material or somesuch and bet their life on it," she says. "...so they provide their own materials to the smiths. That means that a lot of mines and manufacturers around here are used to shinobi coming by, and are willing to issue missions and provide materials in exchange for work."

[TWC - 2139]

Arc nodded.  He had guessed as much about the blacksmiths commissioning the creation of better swords.  He supposed that kept powerful weapons out of the hands of criminals.  It did create a bit of a struggle for him however.  He would need to gather enough money and materials to requisition the blades he needed.  


It was a bit of a surprise to Arc that Kurokabi seemed very opposed to the concept of sealing tailed beasts in a jinchuriki. The only reason he was surprised was that in this world it was a way of gaining great power.  And with Her acceptance of each ninja being a tool, Arc figured she would be more willing to accept it as a possibility to gain more power and as a tool become more useful.  However it wasn’t as simple as that.  One aspect that was different between ninja and tools was their ability to have their own opinions.  And he wanted to know more about hers.


“Kurokabi A moment ago you seemed to damn the act of creating Jinchuriki.  What in particular about it do you hold in such contempt?  Is it the thirst for power?  Or possibly the enslavement of the tailed beasts?” Arc did care about her opinion.  It was an interesting thought to him because he never really considered the possibility that sealing a tailed beast would be a bad thing.  The tailed beasts have been known to create calamity with their power on the level of natural disasters.  Which if that was controllable most people would be thrilled.  


Rook continued to work on his seals.  He began testing out some basic ones.  Sealing just a ball of paper so that if he messed up it wasn’t much of a loss.  He was tinkering with the concept of adding these physical valves and ways to interact with what was sealed inside the fuin seal while it was still in there.  The theory was kinda complicated.but it was nice to have so much advanced material to look at.  

WC: 338

"It's masturbatory trophy hunting." Mino says it dismissively, as though there's nothing more to be said on the topic. After a moment, however, she brings her hard gaze to Arcanis, studying him. Why does he care? The curiosity in his voice makes it seem as though the idiocy of creating jinchuuriki is an entirely new concept to him. Mino immediately feels responsible for disabusing him of the notion that it could ever be a good idea. "...humor me, Arcanis." Mino stands, feet of the chair grinding against the wooden floor as she pushes it back behind her, and she strides to the chalkboard. In a few swipes of the eraser, she clears space in the middle, and she takes a piece of chalk to begin a simple T-chart.

"Run me through the pros and cons of keeping a jinchuuriki in Kirigakure." She taps the chalk against the chalkboard after adding appropriate headers to each side, looking to the pair expectantly - Rook is more than welcome to participate, of course.

[TWC - 2307]

Mino runs a hand through her hair and lets out an exhale of frustration. "But you don't believe that!" she insists, and soldiers on despite Arcanis' valiant attempt to escape from this conversation. She scrawls down 'they would blow the whole place up' under 'cons' with all of the manic energy of a woman who has been up for thirty-two hours and has just downed an entire energy drink over the course of five minutes, the chalk screeching.

"You asked me a question. This is how I am going to answer it. Through a civil conversation," she says, gesturing into the air with one hand. It's likely the manner in which she approached this that alienated him, as well as her... tone. It's clearer now, however, that she wasn't angry. She was excited - she just has a very off-putting way of showing it, sometimes. The way he... pretended to fold like that, however, draws a legitimate spark of rage from her. She is sick and tired of being treated like a doddering idiot for daring to be passionate about doing things right. "...and don't you dare patronize me. You've been around for a long time, Arcanis. Please act like it. If you are going to refuse to treat me as an intellectual equal, then don't work with me at all." Then she turns her gaze abruptly to Rook, pointing at him with the chalk - and then down at the pristine piece of paper before him. "I saw that. Good work," she says, still carrying the exact sharp cadence.

[TWC - 2564]

Mino acknowledges his apology with a noise of understanding, bringing her chalk back to the board. She makes no attempt to interrupt either of them, simply following along by jotting down their notes as quickly as she can follow.

PROS
* POTENT POWER SOURCE
* JINCHURIKI IS EASIER TO CONTROL THAN BIJUU
* PROVIDES EDGE AGAINST OTHER VILLAGES
* PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT FOR JINCHURIKI
* ISLAND ENVIRONMENT GOOD FOR CONTAINMENT

CONS
* HIGH PRIORITY TARGET ATTRACTS ATTENTION
* EXPENSIVE + COLLATERAL DAMAGE

"...I'll add in one of your assumed reasons for my disdain, as well," Mino adds another bullet point to 'con'.

* UNETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

"I'm forced to admit that much of it comes down to personal opinion," Mino says, immediately calming some now that her colleagues are properly engaging. "There are a number of unknowns. It's unfortunate that bijuu are such unique creatures - I would love the chance to study a less dangerous specimen with their properties."

She studies the chalkboard for a few moments. "I will not reject any of your arguments on premise," she says. "It is a question of prioritization and risk. If I may add," and under cons, Mino writes in...

* HUMANS ARE FRAGILE

"If I may admit bias," Mino says, "I believe one of the greatest flaws of the village system as it exists today... is the lionization of single shinobi as prodigies, geniuses, as the center of gravity around which their entire community rotates around. A system held up by the strength of a single man is doomed to fail - his body will go, or his mind. How many villages have collapsed because they were constructed atop the shoulders of a single, mortal human being? How many people die for that ideal?"

Kiri may still go that way, for one. It is rising to its feet, but unsteadily. There is still plenty of time for it to stumble and fall.

"The act of creating a jinchuriki is a statement that one shinobi has been elevated above the rest. The entire village must put their trust in one individual to never falter. The jinchuriki must be perfect, or people will die." she trails off. "I'm sorry, I think I've wandered away from the point," she says, voice going a little quiet. "I really could use some sleep. I think it all comes down to... what a shinobi village is for. Who is it for? Sometimes, I believe the villages have long left behind whatever purpose they once served for the people of the world, and now they only exist to violently propagate themselves." She shrugs, tired. "If that is why we are all here, then sure, why not have a jinchuriki. Have nine."

[TWC - 2997]

Arc felt a little bad, and a little more in tune with Kurokabi-kun.  She was indeed young and had the mindset of an idealistic and strong woman.  She wanted to set the world straight.  The Kyubii to her were massive strong beasts that deserved to be free. Arc wondered if he had the power to grant a wish like that.  He certainly would if he could.  But as it was now the world was simply broken.  


“Being a shinobi is not the only way to live this life Kurokabi.  Maybe sometimes to survive it takes something other than being the strongest.  This up here,” Arc points to the chalkboard, “This is a thought pattern that was led to by the current state of things.  Power and position. Imagine a world that was devoid of politics and devoid of even civilization.  That is a world that the Bijuu would thrive in, (just realized I was saying kyubii was synonymous with bijuu, don’t mind me)  I’ve been to worlds like that.  Worlds as untouched by the plague of humanity as the stars.  Maybe there is a way to free the Bijuu?”


Rook by this point was more interested in the conversation than the fuin techniques.  “But that kind of thinking betrays a great many people in power.  In fact it would go against every notion of what it means to be a shinobi.  No one would side with that.  So we come back to the problem of living in this stained and distorted world.”

The two of them knew what a massive pressure this might put on someone, especially someone with as strong of ideals as Kurokabi-kun. 

[TWC: 3785]

Mino blinks at him in confusion. Did she... miss something? Her eyes dart to the 'unethical treatment of animals' note on the board. Ah. Her joke had not landed. Well, she had delivered it with a very straight face. To Mino, giving the same pity to bijuu as she would, say, an improperly-kept dog has inherent humor to it. She takes a deep breath... and lets out a long, tired, low peal of laughter. On a purely academic level, she mostly believes his stories, but occasionally the way he speaks really does remind her that he genuinely views her - a forty year old woman - as a child. It'd be insulting if it weren't so surreal. As the situation is, it's difficult for her to take it personally.

"It certainly isn't the only way to live,"  she allows to his first point, raising her hands in defeat. She sets down the chalk. "It's the only way to live that'll get anybody to listen to a word you say, though. Power's what matters, might makes right. And so on." Mino draws a pack of cigarettes from her pocket - a different brand than the one her clone had had before. The package looks roughed up, as though she's been carrying it around for a good while, and the packaging is distinctly Fire Country. She gently plucks one cigarette from the packaging and puts the rest back as though she's handling something precious, and she doesn't yet light it.

"I'm going home to get some sleep,"  she says. "This conference room is mine for the rest of the week, so don't worry about cleaning up. Nice meeting you, Rook."

[TWC - 3270]

Claiming 40 stats (trained at 20% discount/80 words per stat due to thread taking place in the training facility), all going into Stamina.

Claiming memorization of Arcanis' and Rook's shared chakra signature.

Putting 241 words into Mark Tracking, previously partially trained here.

Putting 262 words into Summoning Technique, previously partially trained here and here.

Putting 1000 words into Spore Release.

Putting 1500 words into Poison Mist.

Putting remaining 267 words into starting Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique.

“Yes might makes right.  But It’s not the only way to make people listen to you.  History is full of examples of the underdog coming in in a pinch.”  Arc would say almost to himself.  He gave Rook a knowing glance.  Rook nodded and gathered up his things.  Arc had work to do.  He was close to a breakthrough, he could feel it.  Rook had been quite useful so far.  And his other project was moving along quite nicely as well with expected difficulties.  


Arc and Rook followed not far behind Kurokabi.  Rook had learned quite a bit from the notes he got to look over and the first hand instruction from someone who clearly knew a good deal about fuinjutsu.  Arc had figured out a little more about how kurokabi thought and acted.  She was not at all straightforward and didn’t seem to make jokes without showing any sense of humor.  

It didn’t matter to Arc.  Humor or not he had made an impression on Kurokabi.  He was sure of it.  But she was set in the ways of this misguided world.  Arc knew he had to make some sort of change.  He just didn’t know what it was yet.  What he did know was he had to gain access to the outside world.


[exit]

[TWC: 4000]
2000 words for Arc
750 words for Battojutsu: Quickdraw
1125 words for Iai Beheading
125 words to False Surroundings

2000 words for Rook
24 stats toward chakra due to 20% training facility discount
1000 words to learn Fuinjutsu as taught by Mino Kurokabi (50% overides 20% discount)
1000 words toward Fire Element