Open Stewards of the Sands: Shadows and Alliances

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The silence that followed Kohana's challenge stretched like a pulled wire; taut, dangerous, ready to snap. Shin remained on his dais, the golden cracks along his skin pulsing with a rhythm that matched his heartbeat. For a moment, he looked every bit the wounded leader his sister had just exposed him as: tired, cracked, bearing scars that glowed like warnings everyone could see but no one had dared name.

Until now.

He took a slow breath, and when he spoke, his voice carried none of the formal authority he'd maintained throughout the council. This was rawer. More honest. The mask of the Kazekage slipping to reveal the man beneath, the one who'd shared consciousness with the woman challenging him for thirty-one years.

"You're right."

Two words. Simple. Devastating in their honesty.

"You're absolutely right, Kohana. About all of it." He descended from the dais, each step deliberate as he moved to stand not above the council, but among them. "I called you here, gathered every clan in Sunagakure, spoke beautiful words about unity and equality and shared purpose..."

He paused for a moment, his eyes moved away from Kohana and began to scan around the room.

"and then tried to shield you from the very truth that makes this unity necessary. That was... that was cowardice dressed as protection. And my sister—my conscience, as I call her—just stripped that pretense away in front of everyone."

His blue eyes found Kohana's crimson ones across the table. "Thank you for that. Truly. Because if I cannot be honest with the people I'm asking to stand beside me, then this covenant is already broken before it begins."

He turned to address the full council, his voice gaining strength even as vulnerability remained in every word. "Lord Kyouketsu asked how many bodies to prepare for. Lord Hokkyoku asked what these plans actually involve. Lady Kohana demanded to know the full scope of what I'm asking you to commit to. These are not just reasonable questions—they are the only questions that matter right now, and you deserve answers."

Shin's hand moved to his chest, where the golden cracks were most concentrated, pulsing beneath his robes like a second heartbeat.

"These marks... they're from the battle on the surface. When I—no... when we faced the mercenary forces that were discovered to be employed by political advisories known as the Baron Twins. The cost of that victory was... substantial. I pushed my chakra system beyond its limits, burned pathways that may never fully heal, because the alternative was allowing the Baron Twins' army to slaughter everyone on the surface and cave in our village to kill every man, woman, and child within our borders."

He paused, and something like pain crossed his features—not physical, but something deeper. "But that's not the worst of it. The worst is what we learned from these forces before he... before the end. The Baron Twins aren't just wealthy mercenaries with a grudge. They're not simply external threats we can defend against with walls and warriors. I believe they've been systematically infiltrating Wind Country for years. Steward Wei was just one puppet—one highly placed, devastatingly effective puppet—but he was not alone."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as the implications settled over the assembled clan heads.

"The merchant class that Lord Michino removed from power? Many of them were already compromised, either through bribery, blackmail, or replacement."

His eyes narrowed across the table to truly pick up on the subtle reactions of what he was about to say..

"I fear that the infiltration may have extended beyond just the Merchant Clans. "

I gesturento Lady Chiyo.

"But fret not, using the network and intelligence gathering skills that Lady Chiyo has accumulated will provide beneficial to rooting out any and all traitors within our walls."

Shin paused before continuing on.

"That said, the attack on the surface wasn't meant to destroy us, not solely, it was meant to force us to resurface to do repairs, to expose our location so the Twins could bring their full military might upon us. They want Wind Country's resources, its strategic position, and they're willing to genocide an entire hidden village to claim them."

Shin's gaze swept across the council, meeting each representative's eyes in turn. "The six days I mentioned... that's how long we have before the Baron Twins' main force should be able to move on the attack again. They're bringing an army—not mercenaries this time, but actual military forces purchased from failing nations, augmented with missing-nin, war criminals, and weapons that should never have been created. Intelligence suggests somewhere between fifteen hundred to two thousand combatants, supported by siege equipment, and chemical weapons."

The silence that followed was absolute. Even Yamashiro Takeru's flames had stilled.

"We cannot fight that force head-on. We would lose. Sunagakure's entire active shinobi population, even supplemented by every civilian who can hold a weapon, numbers perhaps eight hundred combat-capable individuals. The math is not in our favor. Which is why..." He took a breath, and the golden cracks pulsed brighter. "...we're not going to fight them head-on."

Shin moved to the table, placing both hands on its surface as he leaned forward. "The plan requires three simultaneous operations, each dependent on the others, each requiring absolute coordination between clans that have never worked together at this scale. This is why I need unity. Why I need your cooperation. Why I need you to trust not just me, but each other."

He straightened, and his voice took on a commander's edge, no longer just the Kazekage making requests, but a strategist laying out the only path to survival.

"Operation One: The Tsuchigumo Clan, working with the Takahashi engineering corps, will create a false village at our last known surface coordinates. Barrier networks that mimic our defensive signatures. Puppet constructs that register as human chakra signatures to long-range sensors. Takahashi-designed explosive traps integrated into Tsuchigumo webbing to create a killing field that looks like a legitimate settlement until the moment the Twins' forces commit to full assault."

His gaze found Amaya. "Lady Tsuchigumo, your patience and preparation will save us here. We need your barrier network so convincing that the Twins' scouts report back with absolute confidence they've found us. And we need it completed in four days—the remaining two are for evacuation and final preparations."

"Operation Two: While the Twins' forces assault the false village, the Hokkyoku Clan will guide our actual village deeper into the desert using routes only they know. Lord Kaze, you said your people know every hidden passage within five hundred miles, we need those passages. Every single one. Because we're going to move Sunagakure to a location even I don't know yet, somewhere so remote that by the time the Twins realize they've been deceived, we'll have disappeared like we never existed."

He turned to Kaze. "Your autonomy, your nomadic lifestyle—this is where it becomes our greatest asset. You don't need rigid command structures because you've been navigating impossible terrain your entire lives. I'm not asking you to plant roots. I'm asking you to teach an entire village how to move like you do."

"Operation Three: The Renmei Clan will work with the Kyouketsu and medical corps to create a resource cache system along our evacuation route. Lady Mizuki, your water distribution expertise becomes mobile, not maintaining static systems, but creating portable reserves that can sustain eight hundred people on the move for weeks if necessary. Lord Shigure, your clan's knowledge of preservation, of making the dead serve the living, translates to making supplies last far longer than they should. Every drop of water, every scrap of food, every medical supply, rationed and distributed with precision that keeps us alive in the deep desert."

Shin's voice softened slightly. "And Lord Yamashiro, your Unity Ceremony isn't just symbolic. It's essential. Before we begin this evacuation, before we disappear into the desert, our people need to see their leaders standing together. They need to believe this is possible. Your sacred flames, binding every clan to shared purpose... that becomes the spiritual foundation that keeps us unified when everything else is chaos and fear."

"And outside of these major operations i will be sending out platoons of our most talented shinobi to gather information of their headquarters hidden away in the Golden Sanctuary. "

I look to Lord Michino before continuing.

"and by the end of that sixth day, a squad of our own will lay waste to the Baron Twins, or die trying. This mission will not fail because it cannot. Not if we desire to survive the week. "

He turned back to Kohana, and something raw entered his expression, grief and hope tangled together.

"You asked why I chose you, sister. Why I would send my fury, my sword, my wrath to sit at a diplomatic table. This is why. Because when I laid out this plan to myself, when I calculated the risks and the costs and the probability of success... I knew I needed someone who would call me out if it was madness. Someone who knew how I think well enough to see the flaws I was hiding from myself. Someone who loved this village enough to demand better than beautiful lies."

The golden cracks pulsed, and his voice dropped to something almost innocent like a child looking for permissions despite the public setting. "You said I'm not strong enough to protect everyone anymore. That because of the choices I made, you can't be my shield the way you were for thirty-one years." He paused, and tears threatened at the edges of his eyes. "You're right. I'm not strong enough. I never was. The difference is that now, I'm finally admitting it. I need help. I need all of you. Not as subordinates following orders, but as partners who can see what I'm missing, who can challenge plans that won't work, who can demand the truth even when it's uncomfortable."

He straightened, addressing the full council once more, catching his breath to calm his emotions. "So here is the complete truth: This plan has approximately a forty-two and a half percent chance of success. If the Twins' scouts see through our deception, if they track us during evacuation, if our supplies run out before we can establish a new sustainable location... we fail. And failure means the complete annihilation of Sunagakure no Sato. Not defeat. Not occupation. Annihilation. The Baron Twins don't take prisoners. They don't negotiate. They erase obstacles and take what they want from the ashes."

The silence was crushing.

"That is what I'm asking you to commit to. That is the price of this covenant. Not your loyalty to me, I don't want that. I want your expertise, your innovation, your willingness to make this plan better than forty-some percent. Because together, pooling every clan's unique capabilities, maybe we can push those odds to fifty percent. Sixty. Maybe even seventy if we're very lucky and very good."

He straightened, blue eyes meeting each representative's gaze in turn.

"The floor remains open. Question the plan. Find the flaws. Tell me what I'm missing. Challenge every assumption. Because that's how we turn forty percent into survival. That's how partnership works. And that's the only way Sunagakure no Sato lives to see another generation."

The Kazekage stood among them, no longer above, no longer shielded by formality or beautiful speeches. Just a man asking for help. A leader who finally admitted he couldn't do this alone.

Waiting.

For questions. For challenges. For the expertise and innovation that might just turn desperate odds into actual hope.

The golden cracks pulsed with each heartbeat, a constant reminder of costs already paid and prices yet to come.

But for the first time since the council began, Shin looked not like a Kazekage bearing the weight of command, but like a partner ready to listen.

 

[Kyuji]

Seated in my position at the table, I would listen to everyone speak that chose to give some response to "Kazekage Shin" and allow their words, their feelings, and emotions to seep into me as they all had valid perspectives from their positions in the country. My attention would be caught entirely though by the blonde bearing armor similar to my own that I would learn was Kohana. She was a little firecracker and she looked very similar to the "Kazekage" and Rin, my daughter - hopefully a coincidence on the daughter part and something did not happen to my child or Uka that someone used to their advantage. Maybe, it would be wise after this meeting and hopefully the meeting after this with the "Chikamatsu Shin" to check if I could get into contact with Rin and Uka even though Lady Yanshi was not the biggest fan of another woman having a kid with me from my past. Life was strange like that sometimes, but at least I didn't do anything else to receive the wrath of Lady Yanshi - at least that she was aware of.

Once, the Kohana individual calmed herself down in her seat and the atmosphere got thick like a delicious cake, "Shin" would speak to everyone in the room to cut the tension. He would get down from his position above everyone - smart move by the way as nobody was above anyone else in this room - and speak to them as equals, laying out his plan to handle the imminent threat. His plan was solid overall, but any plan could be torn apart if one was to really break it apart. From what it sounded like, a lot of people were going to die if they are killed as the probability of success was less than half unless the entire village would be able to work together which everyone in this room would know that there were always people against any cause.

In any case, I was the one with the least amount of knowledge due to my incident in the Red Light District that sidelined me for eons so the information being provided was appreciative at the very least. I would look directly at "Shin" and speak with a serious tone in my voice: "Are you planning to join us in the fight? You expect every clan here to contribute to this cause and the majority of the village will also be aiding for the survival of our home. As your alleged 'sensei', I would expect a former apprentice of mine to be leading from the front and not the back. We are going to lose people - it is inevitable with any conflicts at the magnitude that you spoke of. But if we are outnumbered as you say, we need to all be ready to get involved and be willing to risk our lives to protect this village if the plans you laid out fall through or we are snuffed out. That includes you."

I would look at Kohana after I spoke and give her a simple nod - I am glad she lit the fire under the Kazekage's ass regardless of him being a faker or Shin. I would need to speak with her later as well and catch up to ensure Shin was Shin and Kohana was, well, her own being now since she wasn't before. As I said before, life is strange. Returning my gaze to "Shin" I would leave him with one last comment: "You are being realistic with your estimation of success before we work together and if we work together. If you speak to the public, be more confident in us succeeding or fear will run rampant which will result in a drop in morale or panic."

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Harupia was always a well-mannered man. While his father drilled him in the arts of ninjutsu and combat, his mother made sure he was prepared for the less direct parts of the life of a Shinobi and a Noble. Moving elegantly, he ensured his posture was always correct, avoiding any awkwardness or strain that could occur during long periods of discussion. This allowed him to maintain polite conversations while also spotting subtle details about how the other person felt. While he did have his rebellious streak of trying to do his own thing, he did come to appreciate and remember all the lessons from both his parents. And this event was truly a testament as to why, for so long, he would have rather jumped into the maw of Barnyx than try to play politics.

It wasn’t all bad at the start, as people arrived and mingled with one another, greeting each other. Seeing his friend Sosuke was a balm for sore eyes, though also it was also a bit sobering, the engineering Shinobi not doing much to hide his age (not that Harupia was doing so fully consciously…). Lady Kyuji was an old Ally he hadn’t seen in years…which was the same for many, sadly. There were also many people he did not know from the other clans, which meant learning a lot of names quickly. Shin was gracious enough to not mention the rumors of his apparent lineage to loudly…Tho he imagined it was mostly because there were other matters on the agenda.

And then it started. Shin stated his plans and his plea. Things were dire, but they needed to fight back, united on equal ground. Than each clan started to speak in turn, airing their support, their grievances, their demands, stating how they’ll be the ones to make sure this change was pure and not a stunt. He understood the sentiment; every clan wanted its people to have the best lives they could. And some seemed genuinely enthusiastic, but some seemed all to eager to take jabs at the other clans. And he knew he needed to try and not glaze over with his eyes and remember all of this, and he was dreading it. He felt his mother's comforting hand on his shoulder as she smiled at him, the smile having a mix of understanding and amusement. When Kohana spoke to her brother, it did break the monotony a bit.

There was a moment of lull, which offered some solace but also made his nerves spike a bit as he could guess what was coming. And just as he expected, he heard the shuffle behind him as his father stood up, not quite as large as a Toranao and slightly weathered with age, but still clearly a warrior as he looked around with his one eye before saying, “They say too many cooks can spoil the broth…and this kitchen does seem awfully crowded right now. I see all the representative of the clans invited to the gathering have their heads full of ideas of how things should be, and still find the time to take a few stabs at the old order. Warning us of the consequences if this whole thing turns out to be some elaborate ruse. Should we perhaps discuss the consequences of a Clan failing to uphold their part in this new order?!” his voice boomed with a pointed glance at Takeru.

“The separation between clans wasn’t some arbitrary line drawn by the strong kicking down the weak. It was a united front formed when the desert was a hostile force that needed to be tamed. Many of our clans were here since ancient times, but ours were the clans that stood here the longest, the pillar upon which any village stood. Those who tamed the desert and helped shape its land, make it sustainable for others to live in...those who guided us with their wisdom and expertise in science and technology. The sturdy bulwark upon which our enemies crushed themselves, and those that mended our broken warriors," he spoke, waving his hand twaords his own family, the Takahashi, Toranao, and then Chikamatsu

He would pause, and his wife Kohana, would rise, elegant as ever, always the advisor to the head of the clan, the flower to his thorns “Was the way things were set perfect? Obviously not. Is straying from the way in which our village survived and thrived for ages the right answer? I honestly am not sure. In this new crisis were facing, perhaps this change will be good, or it may lead to inner turmoil which will weaken us further. And none of us wants that. If this new order it work, it will need a united voice, and a way for all of us to work together. We all know, as much as I try to rein him in, my Husband is quite the stubborn warrior, but the Sunaku does know time flows, and as the sands of time fly, some things become weaker, while others grow stronger”.

Harupia took a deep breath, knowing what was coming, his parents standing behind him. His father took of his robe, the ceremonial mark of the clan head, as he said, “I’m still kicking, but I’m no spring chicken. Perhaps I’m a bit to dusty to lead the clan on this new road…but I know someone who’s got the body, mind and spirit wit the energy to do just that”. Harupia couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, given his own worries about ageing. He felt both his parents wrap the robe on his shoulder as Shigeo said “While there will be an official village statement, In front of the Gathering of Noble Clans of Suna, I declare I resign my leadership of the of the Sunaku clan…and per tradition and agreement with my Clans council, I appoint my Son Sunaku Harupia as the new head of the Clan”

Harupia took a deep breath, feeling his parents' hands on his shoulders. His father gripped firm, his mothers more gentle, but both reassuring in a way. This was something he always dreaded…but he spent so much time trying to find ways to help the village while being on itys fringe…perhaps now, he could truly do the work needed to help best he could. As his parents sat down, He stood up “I imagine this might be seen as theatric curveball to some, but the reason my family and I decided to do this now is as a symbol of committing to the change. I take this position not just because of birthright… as many can attest, I never asked to be given high ranks. But Suna is my home. I’ve seen it's at its most beautiful…I’ve seen it torn apart by the Cabal, the Daimyo, the Barons… I think we are all tired of running, and this is my way to commit to the good of us all. I acknowledged there is many misgivings in how the Noble Houses treated the remaining ones, and that we all have our own visions and ideas as to how best run things. I don’t know the right answers, but I want to listen, to talk, to plan, and to create something better. The Sunaku Clan and I are willing to work our hardest to ensure the village can once again claim its place on the desert as it was always meant to be,”

All of this transpired right before Shin started addressing those gathered here, the clan head's his sister. Harupia stood through the speech, watching him relay the situation as it was, the risk they were facing, the timetable, and the plan he had to try and work against it. Every piece of information he had available, the reason for his wounds...and then something more. The brief moment of vulnerability. Once again, he imagined Shin as the young genin playing somewhere in the village with his twin sister, and himself, a young carefree Jounin, focused on using his sand for art... The boy was scared and needed help. And he did not help him. He kept the village safe, he defended it time and time again... but his mind was still somewhere in the wild, imagining some sort of what-if. He could have been here, guiding the younger Shinobi, helping build the village up more. and in truth, he didn't want that curious carefree part of him to die; he was curious about the world, its people... but maybe if he focused more in the past, if he stood by the village when it needed him... Shin may have been healthier, happier...friends that are gone would still be here. Those were all what-ifs. Maybe one day, he could afford to let sorrow consume him along with a good liquor or two...but that would have to wait. For the moment, he said, "Not one man could shoulder this kind of burden alone Shin.. but where many would be crushed by the weight, you nearly stumbled and carried on, and you're still standing," he said, admiration in his voice for the young man before adding "As far as your plan, the construction of the tunnels and false village, setting up caches, moving the villagers. Feels like a lot of ground and sand to love through...so my question is" he paused turning towards the other clans before finishing "How can the Sunaku Clan aid you all in your tasks?".