Naruto Bros on the Road

[ankokudaishogun]

Naruto's and Sasuke's CHA should be reversed, with Naruto having some "Ninja Jesus's Talk no Jutsu CHA+20" bonus throw kicking in during fights and Sasuke should have a passive CHA +5 bonus on women and male homosexuals.
Canonically, Sasuke's the "natural leader" all girls find attractive(even Temari), while Naruto is mostly seens as a moron... until a fight kicks in then he suddenly develops tons of charisma.

Likewise, Naruto should have a "Thinking out-of-the-box INT+10" bonus throw or something

Ideally, Naruto should have relatively lower stats(except CON and LCK) with quite a number of bonus throws, while Sasuke should have higher stats(except sad CON and LCK) without bonus throw

 

[Shirotsume]

That actually makes sense. Low overall stats, but like +20 boost to all saves.

 

[Masterly]

Well the thing about Sasuke is that his charisma comes solely from his looks and intensity. As far as social interactions go, he's got the charisma of a hammer.

Not even a particularly well crafted hammer.

It's always been my policy to arrange stats (assuming d20 stat scaling) into three distinct categories. If 18 is the highest you can achieve naturally, then you break up the 18 into three general spheres. 6 is very good, and 1 is all but a lack of the trait.

Social Interaction

Magnetism

Appearance

Sasuke ranks very high in the latter two but when it comes to his ability to interact with his peers, his development and growth was all but retarded by his brother's actions. 1-4-6 would make a very attractive character who naturally draws attention his way but comes off as needlessly cold or even distant in conversations.

Naruto on the other hand would be something like 4-6-3. He comes off as boisterous and annoying but that kind of energy is strangely infectious if you spend enough time around him for it to infect you. And believe me, you will be infected.

It's not perfect but I figured I would at least try to explain away my decisions for their respective charisma.

 

[Knyght]

A strange direction, this discussion has taken. It makes me think of Naruto and SasukeÆs combined charisma creating a following as they travel.

Played around with some of the ideas that popped up:

- An alternative divergent has Sasuke make it to the correct room the first time around and literally drag Naruto out of the hotel. Naturally, Itachi and Kisame hunt them down but this buys time for Jiraiya to arrive before anyone gets hurt.

- Jiraiya takes the pair of them into brothels for shits and giggles. HeÆs mainly meeting various contacts (with some vice on the side) but he figures itÆd be a good way for them to loosen up; Sasuke with his generally uptight nature and Naruto with his hypocritical prejudice against perverts. Maybe they could pick up some knowledge from the customers and workers or improve their observational skills.

- Getting into trouble with local yakuza. They met a yami-nin from Iwa in canon; perhaps that could evolve into something bigger this time depending on what they were doing there in the first place.

- Tsunade and Shizune could have or are planning to visit Yugakure which had stopped being a proper ninja village and had become open to tourism. Hidan isnÆt a member of Akatsuki yet and it could be unfortunate timing if they are at the village when he goes rogue.

- The group make it to the capital of the Land of Fire, making it just in time for the festival of the daimyoÆs birthday. Jiraiya is obviously welcomed by the daimyo to attend and the chances of Tsunade being at a party like this is likely. Of course, tragedy strikes and the daimyoÆs daughter is kidnapped and in need of saving.

 

[mortalone]

Well the thing about Sasuke is that his charisma comes solely from his looks and intensity. As far as social interactions go, he's got the charisma of a hammer.

Not even a particularly well crafted hammer.

It's always been my policy to arrange stats (assuming d20 stat scaling) into three distinct categories. If 18 is the highest you can achieve naturally, then you break up the 18 into three general spheres. 6 is very good, and 1 is all but a lack of the trait.

Social Interaction

Magnetism

Appearance

Sasuke ranks very high in the latter two but when it comes to his ability to interact with his peers, his development and growth was all but retarded by his brother's actions. 1-4-6 would make a very attractive character who naturally draws attention his way but comes off as needlessly cold or even distant in conversations.

Naruto on the other hand would be something like 4-6-3. He comes off as boisterous and annoying but that kind of energy is strangely infectious if you spend enough time around him for it to infect you. And believe me, you will be infected.

It's not perfect but I figured I would at least try to explain away my decisions for their respective charisma.

I think you're underestimating Sasuke a bit and overestimating Naruto in charisma.

I presume that we are talking Pre-TS Naruto here since that is when this story takes place. He is short, rude, crude, and desperate for attention to the point where he does things that garner negative attention. He's socially inept, calling people names even when he does not know them well (Fuzzy Brows, etc). He is not someone seen as a leader and IIRC Shikamaru even makes a crack about how Naruto is the type who would never be a storybook hero (I think during Forest of Death). He's not physically attractive -- at least not yet, not as a 12-13 year old.

The bottom line is, other than his Ninja Jesus moments Naruto is terribly lacking in charisma. Those Jesus moments come from his ability to "see through the darkness" and connect with the dark feelings someone has. Then literally beat those feelings out of said person.

I'd give him:
Social: 1-2 (rude and disrespectful, does not follow social graces at all)
Magnetism: 3-4
Appearance: 1-2 (at this age -- it's implied he is much more attractive Post-TS)
Total: 5-8

Post-TS would be more like:
Social: 2-3
Magnetism: 4-5 (again, not counting Ninja Jesus mode)
Appearance: 3-4
Total: 9-12

Sasuke on the other hand might be rude and hard to cooperate with towards his peers, but his "too cool for school" attitude is at least partially fanon in origin. For example, if you go back to chapter 538, you'll see that every rude action Sasuke takes is actually a response to Naruto, who is acting like a complete and total jackass. In appearance there's no question of Sasuke's rating, and when it comes to magnetism, everyone tends to be drawn towards him and focus on him.

Social: 2-3 (lacking in teamwork and respect, but at least understands social graces)
Magnetism: 4-6
Appearance: 6
Total: 12-15

 

[Shirotsume]

You're rating Sasuke's CHA stat, pre OR post timeskip, as better than POST TIMESKIP NARUTO?

Dude. I hope you never DM anything in your life.

 

[mortalone]

Again, Naruto's apparent charisma comes from his ability to "see through the darkness," which is really a special skill, NOT an innate element of charisma. I thought it was already established that when Naruto goes Ninja Jesus he receives a HUGE bonus to charisma. Minimum of +12.

The only reason his charisma is so apparently high in Post-TS is that he's constantly in positions of "seeing through the darkness." The current war, Kyuubi, Nagato, even to some extent Chiyo (who was touched by Naruto's dedication towards Gaara and reflective over her own mistakes) and Sai (seriously Danzou, you're putting someone who doesn't understand emotions in the same room as Naruto? You Nuts?). All of these moments were won by Naruto "seeing through the darkness." Never did social ability or appearance ever remotely play a role, and even magnetism wasn't really important in what he did.

This is the problem with a Dark! or Gray!Naruto. Even if you bump up the social stat, if you take away Naruto's ability to be that light in the darkness then he's no longer able to sway people. At all.

 

[Shirotsume]

He has a naturally high CHA stat to begin with. You're acting like Naruto has never inspired/led anyone who wasn't evil and needed a Bright Slap, which is outright bs.

Hell, look at the entirety of the Shinobi Alliance. You are VASTLY underrating Naruto here, and vastly overrating Sasuke.

You're literally acting pants on head retarded here, and making up shit that never happened.

Again, never DM anything, or your players or going to walk out on you.

 

[Masterly]

- An alternative divergent has Sasuke make it to the correct room the first time around and literally drag Naruto out of the hotel. Naturally, Itachi and Kisame hunt them down but this buys time for Jiraiya to arrive before anyone gets hurt.

I like this idea. When Itachi and Kisame finally catch up Sasuke remembers what Kakashi said about the Chidori being a sword to protect his friends and uses it as a last ditch effort to fend off Akatsuki. But in a departure from canon, the person who catches Sasuke's wrist is Jiraiya.

 

[Shirotsume]

- An alternative divergent has Sasuke make it to the correct room the first time around and literally drag Naruto out of the hotel. Naturally, Itachi and Kisame hunt them down but this buys time for Jiraiya to arrive before anyone gets hurt.

I like this idea. When Itachi and Kisame finally catch up Sasuke remembers what Kakashi said about the Chidori being a sword to protect his friends and uses it as a last ditch effort to fend off Akatsuki. But in a departure from canon, the person who catches Sasuke's wrist is Jiraiya.

I was trying to think of a way Jiraiya could do that without having Sasuke flip shit.

I would say something like "Come on kid, you can't kill your brother by rushing in with someone else's prized jutsu. Where's your pride?"

But, well, Uchiha.

 

[Knyght]

That seems like a strange thing to say to any ninja. For Jiraiya, perhaps he just grabs Sasuke's wrist, throws him back to Naruto and tells them to stay put/gtfo with some Serious Face to seal the deal.

 

[Masterly]

That seems like a strange thing to say to any ninja. For Jiraiya, perhaps he just grabs Sasuke's wrist, throws him back to Naruto and tells them to stay put/gtfo with some Serious Face to seal the deal.

Pretty sure this is all Jiraiya would need to stop Sasuke. The guy is one of Konoha's Three Legendary Ninja for a reason and Sasuke being a much better student than Naruto would realize very early on just how much more powerful the guy is than him.

 

[ankokudaishogun]

He has a naturally high CHA stat to begin with. You're acting like Naruto has never inspired/led anyone who wasn't evil and needed a Bright Slap, which is outright bs.

Hell, look at the entirety of the Shinobi Alliance. You are VASTLY underrating Naruto here, and vastly overrating Sasuke.

You're literally acting pants on head retarded here, and making up shit that never happened.

Again, never DM anything, or your players or going to walk out on you.

He has a naturally high CHA stat to begin with. You're acting like Naruto has never inspired/led anyone who wasn't evil and needed a Bright Slap, which is outright bs.

Not EVIL but people with his same negative feelings.
Still, Neruto isn't taken seriously by his own friends, unless it's something really serious. He _IS_ half a joke most of the time.

He _CAN_ be cool and charismatic but it is not his "standard". Just think Gaara's reaction: he ignored Naruto for Sasuke. That's pretty much the standard for them.

Hell, look at the entirety of the Shinobi Alliance. You are VASTLY underrating Naruto here, and vastly overrating Sasuke.

which part of the "Ninja Jesus" bonus part did you miss?

I was trying to think of a way Jiraiya could do that without having Sasuke flip shit.

I would say something like "Come on kid, you can't kill your brother by rushing in with someone else's prized jutsu. Where's your pride?"

But, well, Uchiha.

it works. Just have Jiraiya KOing Sasuke once he start using the cursed seal. Which, in turn, might spark Jiraiya's interest in it, maybe because he did sense senjutsu chakra from it.

 

[Masterly]

What is Sasuke's favorite childhood story was Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

And he meets Jiraiya with this in mind.

 

[wingthesword]

What is Sasuke's favorite childhood story was Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

And he meets Jiraiya with this in mind.

I think you mean "what if'?

 

[Masterly]

What is Sasuke's favorite childhood story was Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

And he meets Jiraiya with this in mind.

I think you mean "what if'?

Sure, that works too.

 

[ArchfiendRai]

Tempted to give this a shot, tbh.

Not sure where I would take it, or how long I could make it, seeing as how I am inexperienced in actually finishing longer stories.

However, a Naruto and Sasuke bro fic has intrigued me for a long time, and I had been planning on before, though it was quite different. (Again, inexperienced with longer stories.)


Any of the author's on the board have any advice for me?

 

[Knyght]

Write regularly, avoid adverbs, focus on character development and interaction, don't make it a training fic, be original and don't suck. :lol:

And if I was doing this, I'd treat this an whole fic i.e. start with the divergence, end with the road trip's conclusion.