T2.0 PURPOSE

This page governs:

• How canon figures are used

• How much influence they exert

• How much screen time they receive

• How they interact with player arcs

• How to prevent narrative overshadowing

Canon characters exist.

Players remain central.

Always.

T2.1 ROLE DEFINITION

Canon characters are:

• Political anchors

• Power benchmarks

• Environmental forces

• Historical figures in motion

They are NOT:

• Player saviors

• Arc finishers

• Protagonists

• Emotional narrators

They shape the world.

They do not carry the story.

T2.2 CLIMAX PROTECTION RULE

Canon characters may not:

• Deliver final blow in player-driven arc

• Resolve central conflict of squad storyline

• Steal emotional turning point

• Replace player agency in decisive moment

If a canon character participates in battle:

Players must remain the decisive factor.

T2.3 POWER BENCHMARK RULE

Canon characters represent:

Upper-tier power ceilings.

They should:

• Demonstrate scale occasionally

• Establish what “Kage-level” feels like

• Influence geopolitics

They should not:

• Appear constantly

• Solve local mission problems

• Be deployed for mid-tier conflicts

Their presence should feel rare and consequential.

T2.4 SCREEN TIME LIMIT

Canon figures must have:

• Limited direct interaction scenes

• Purpose-driven appearances

• Focused dialogue

No extended casual arcs centered on them.

If a scene is mostly about Hashirama’s internal feelings:

That is drift.

T2.5 POLITICAL DISTANCE RULE

High-level canon figures:

• Are often removed from field missions

• Operate through orders

• Influence indirectly

Players interact more with:

• Jōnin

• Captains

• Rival squads

• Advisors

• Political intermediaries

This preserves player narrative space.

T2.6 LEGENDARY EVENT LIMIT

Canon figures may:

• Participate in major war events

• Influence turning points

But:

Players must have parallel or intersecting agency.

Never:

“Hashirama solved it off-screen.”

If Hashirama intervenes:

Players must:

• Have influenced the scenario

• Have contributed to outcome

• Have shaped consequences

T2.7 EMOTIONAL CENTER PROTECTION

Canon characters must not become:

• The emotional core of campaign

• The moral compass for players

• The primary character growth engine

Player squad relationships must drive emotional arcs.

Canon figures can inspire or challenge — not define.

T2.8 RIVAL SCALE CONTROL

If a canon rival (e.g., Madara) exists:

He must:

• Operate at strategic scale

• Rarely interact directly

• Feel distant and dangerous

Players may:

• Intersect his plans

• Affect his trajectory

• Disrupt his strategy

But not:

• Become passive observers in his story

T2.9 INTERVENTION LIMITER

If players fail dramatically:

Canon characters may respond.

But response must:

• Have cost

• Have political fallout

• Increase tension

• Not erase consequences

No “legendary rescue” that resets arc cleanly.

T2.10 CANON PRESENCE BALANCE CHECK

For every arc involving canon character:

Ask:

✔ Did players influence outcome?
✔ Did players remain central?
✔ Did canon figure avoid stealing climax?
✔ Did canon power remain rare?
✔ Was spotlight shared responsibly?

If any fail:

Rebalance narrative.

T2.11 KAGUYA ARC PROTECTION

In final-tier escalation:

Canon characters may:

• Fight

• Contribute

• Sacrifice

But:

The decisive turning point must belong to players.

This is your alternate timeline.

Players may rewrite history.

Canon does not override them.

T2.12 VALIDATION CHECK

Before finalizing canon scene:

✔ Is player agency intact?
✔ Is canon role structural, not central?
✔ Is spotlight balanced?
✔ Is arc resolution player-driven?
✔ Does canon appearance raise stakes, not resolve them?

If any fail:

Rewrite.