The upper levels of the Golden Sanctuary were a world apart from the bustling marketplace below. Here, in the administrative heart of the Baron Twins' empire, silence was enforced by thick stone walls and the ever-watchful eyes of elite guards. The air carried the scent of aged whiskey and tobacco smoke, mingling with the faint metallic tang of blood that never quite seemed to wash away from places where power was truly wielded.
Captain Zahir stood at attention outside the heavy ironwood doors of the primary conference chamber, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Even he—head of security for the entire compound—was not permitted inside when the Barons held their most sensitive meetings. He had learned long ago not to question such restrictions. Men who asked too many questions in the Golden Sanctuary had a habit of disappearing into the Diamond Ocean, their bodies left for the sand wyrms.
"No interruptions," he said quietly to the pair of guards flanking the door. "I don't care if the entire Sanctuary is on fire. No one enters until they emerge."
"Yes, Captain," both guards responded in unison, their faces hidden behind burnished steel masks shaped like desert predators.
Inside the chamber, six figures sat around a table of polished obsidian. At the head sat Lord Treasurer Hideaki, the Barons' chief financial advisor and the man responsible for managing their vast oil fortune. His fingers were steepled before him, his expression cold and calculating behind wire-rimmed spectacles.
"The tunnel assault was a failure," he stated flatly, his voice carrying the weight of disappointed expectations. "One hundred mercenaries, equipment worth nearly half a million yen, and all we accomplished was killing twenty-three shinobi while losing our entire force. The Barons are... displeased."
To his right sat Mistress Yua, the Sanctuary's chief of intelligence operations—a woman whose network of spies and informants stretched across the entire Land of Wind. Her silver hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her dark eyes glittered with barely contained frustration.
"The intelligence was good," she insisted, her voice sharp. "We knew their location, their numbers, their defensive capabilities. What we didn't account for was their willingness to sacrifice themselves to prevent the collapse. They fought like cornered animals."
"Then perhaps we shouldn't corner them," Hideaki replied coldly. "Perhaps we should eliminate them."
Across from Yua sat Commander Brick, a mountain of a man who led the Sanctuary's standing military force—three hundred trained soldiers, not counting the mercenaries they could hire. He was missing two fingers on his left hand, souvenirs from a fight with a Sunagakure jounin years ago. The memory still burned.
"Eliminate them how?" he growled, his voice like grinding stone. "They're mobile now. Underground. We can't pin them down long enough for a proper assault, and every time we try, they make us bleed for it."
"Which is why we need to draw them out," said Hideaki, pushing a document across the obsidian table. "The Barons have authorized a new operation. Code name: Scorched Earth."
The room fell silent as the others leaned forward to examine the documents. Even through the thick doors, Captain Zahir could feel the shift in atmosphere—something significant was being discussed.
Minister Gozen, the Sanctuary's liaison to the Daimyo's court, broke the silence. He was a thin man with calculating eyes and the soft hands of someone who had never worked a day of manual labor in his life. "The Daimyo has granted us full authority to operate without restriction. After we convinced him that Sunagakure represents a threat to the stability of Wind Country, he's given us carte blanche. We can move openly now."
"What exactly are the Barons proposing?" Yua asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
Hideaki's expression didn't change. "We strike at their supply lines. Their water sources. Their informants in the villages. We make survival in those tunnels impossible. And if civilians get caught in the crossfire..." He paused, adjusting his spectacles. "Well, the Barons consider that acceptable losses in service of securing Wind Country's future."
"You're talking about poisoning wells," Commander Brick said, his voice carrying a note of something that might have been reluctant respect or disgust—it was hard to tell. "Burning supply depots in neutral villages. Killing anyone who might be feeding them information."
"I'm talking about ending a threat to our operations," Hideaki corrected. "The Barons have invested too much in bringing Wind Country under proper control. Sunagakure is a relic, a lawless military state that refuses to acknowledge legitimate authority. They must be brought to heel or eliminated entirely."
The fifth figure at the table finally spoke. Dr. Masashi, the Sanctuary's chief medical officer—though his skills extended far beyond healing. He ran the forced labor operations, ensuring that workers remained productive through a combination of medical treatment and chemical dependency. His voice was soft, almost gentle, which made his words all the more chilling.
"I can provide compounds that would contaminate water supplies without immediate detection. The effects would appear natural—disease, dehydration. By the time they realize what's happening, it will be too late to save most of them." He smiled thinly. "I've been developing these formulas for some time. The Barons were wise to request my research."
"And if Sunagakure traces this back to us?" Yua asked.
"They already know we're their enemies," Hideaki replied. "What matters is that they can't prove anything to the Daimyo or the other nations. As far as the official record shows, Sunagakure is suffering from unfortunate circumstances—banditry, natural disease, the hazards of living as nomads in the desert."
The sixth figure, Magistrate Sato—responsible for maintaining the legal facade that protected the Sanctuary's operations—nodded slowly. "I can ensure the paperwork supports that narrative. Trade disputes. Resource conflicts with local tribes. Nothing that points directly to the Barons."
"Then we're agreed," Hideaki said, not bothering to make it a question. "Commander Brick, you'll coordinate the military operations. Mistress Yua, your network will identify targets. Dr. Masashi will provide the necessary materials. Minister Gozen will maintain our cover with the Daimyo. And Magistrate Sato will ensure we remain legally protected."
He stood, and the others followed suit.
"The Barons want this resolved within three months. Sunagakure will either surrender and accept integration into our management structure, or they will be destroyed. Those are the only acceptable outcomes."
As the meeting concluded and the heavy doors began to open, Captain Zahir straightened. He caught only a glimpse of the obsidian table and the cold faces of those within before the doors closed again and the council members began to disperse.
"Captain," Lord Treasurer Hideaki said as he passed, not bothering to look at him. "Triple security on the medical wing. Dr. Masashi's laboratory is now classified as highest priority. No unauthorized personnel within fifty meters."
"Understood, Lord Treasurer."
As the officials disappeared into various corridors, Zahir remained at his post, his jaw tight. He had served the Barons for fifteen years. He had done things that would haunt lesser men. But even he recognized that something had shifted today. This wasn't just business anymore.
This was war. Total war.
And somewhere in those tunnels beneath the sands, Sunagakure had no idea what was coming for them.
Three levels below the conference chamber, in a section of the Sanctuary that didn't appear on any official maps, a different kind of meeting was taking place.
The archives were carved from solid stone, protected by seals that would trigger a cave-in if tampered with. Here, the Barons kept their most sensitive records: ledgers detailing every illegal transaction, contracts with assassins and slavers, correspondence with corrupt officials across the continent, and detailed intelligence on anyone who might pose a threat to their operations.
Archivist Tomoe, a wizened woman who had served the Barons since before they were "the Barons," moved through the shelves with practiced efficiency. Her assistant, a young man named Kenji, followed behind her with a lamp, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls.
"Find the Sunagakure files," Tomoe ordered, her voice raspy with age. "Everything we have on their leadership, their capabilities, their known agents. The council will want updated intelligence packages within the hour."
"Yes, Archivist," Kenji replied, moving toward a section marked with the symbol of Sunagakure—a stylized hourglass. "Should I also pull the files on the failed Steward? Chikamatsu Wei?"
"Everything," Tomoe confirmed. "If the Barons are escalating operations, they'll want to know every weakness, every potential traitor, every secret that can be exploited."
As Kenji pulled files from the shelves, a particular folder caught his attention. It was marked with red wax—indicating highest classification. The label read: PROJECT HOURGLASS - VILLAGE INFILTRATION ASSETS - ACTIVE.
"Archivist... we still have active agents inside Sunagakure?"
Tomoe's expression didn't change. "The Barons always have insurance, boy. Now bring me those files. We have work to do."
The lamp light flickered as they worked, and in those shadows, the true depth of the Baron Twins' conspiracy against Sunagakure began to reveal itself. This wasn't just about oil or money or political control anymore.
This was about the complete annihilation of everything Sunagakure represented—and the archives held every weapon needed to make it happen.
Captain Zahir stood at attention outside the heavy ironwood doors of the primary conference chamber, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Even he—head of security for the entire compound—was not permitted inside when the Barons held their most sensitive meetings. He had learned long ago not to question such restrictions. Men who asked too many questions in the Golden Sanctuary had a habit of disappearing into the Diamond Ocean, their bodies left for the sand wyrms.
"No interruptions," he said quietly to the pair of guards flanking the door. "I don't care if the entire Sanctuary is on fire. No one enters until they emerge."
"Yes, Captain," both guards responded in unison, their faces hidden behind burnished steel masks shaped like desert predators.
Inside the chamber, six figures sat around a table of polished obsidian. At the head sat Lord Treasurer Hideaki, the Barons' chief financial advisor and the man responsible for managing their vast oil fortune. His fingers were steepled before him, his expression cold and calculating behind wire-rimmed spectacles.
"The tunnel assault was a failure," he stated flatly, his voice carrying the weight of disappointed expectations. "One hundred mercenaries, equipment worth nearly half a million yen, and all we accomplished was killing twenty-three shinobi while losing our entire force. The Barons are... displeased."
To his right sat Mistress Yua, the Sanctuary's chief of intelligence operations—a woman whose network of spies and informants stretched across the entire Land of Wind. Her silver hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her dark eyes glittered with barely contained frustration.
"The intelligence was good," she insisted, her voice sharp. "We knew their location, their numbers, their defensive capabilities. What we didn't account for was their willingness to sacrifice themselves to prevent the collapse. They fought like cornered animals."
"Then perhaps we shouldn't corner them," Hideaki replied coldly. "Perhaps we should eliminate them."
Across from Yua sat Commander Brick, a mountain of a man who led the Sanctuary's standing military force—three hundred trained soldiers, not counting the mercenaries they could hire. He was missing two fingers on his left hand, souvenirs from a fight with a Sunagakure jounin years ago. The memory still burned.
"Eliminate them how?" he growled, his voice like grinding stone. "They're mobile now. Underground. We can't pin them down long enough for a proper assault, and every time we try, they make us bleed for it."
"Which is why we need to draw them out," said Hideaki, pushing a document across the obsidian table. "The Barons have authorized a new operation. Code name: Scorched Earth."
The room fell silent as the others leaned forward to examine the documents. Even through the thick doors, Captain Zahir could feel the shift in atmosphere—something significant was being discussed.
Minister Gozen, the Sanctuary's liaison to the Daimyo's court, broke the silence. He was a thin man with calculating eyes and the soft hands of someone who had never worked a day of manual labor in his life. "The Daimyo has granted us full authority to operate without restriction. After we convinced him that Sunagakure represents a threat to the stability of Wind Country, he's given us carte blanche. We can move openly now."
"What exactly are the Barons proposing?" Yua asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
Hideaki's expression didn't change. "We strike at their supply lines. Their water sources. Their informants in the villages. We make survival in those tunnels impossible. And if civilians get caught in the crossfire..." He paused, adjusting his spectacles. "Well, the Barons consider that acceptable losses in service of securing Wind Country's future."
"You're talking about poisoning wells," Commander Brick said, his voice carrying a note of something that might have been reluctant respect or disgust—it was hard to tell. "Burning supply depots in neutral villages. Killing anyone who might be feeding them information."
"I'm talking about ending a threat to our operations," Hideaki corrected. "The Barons have invested too much in bringing Wind Country under proper control. Sunagakure is a relic, a lawless military state that refuses to acknowledge legitimate authority. They must be brought to heel or eliminated entirely."
The fifth figure at the table finally spoke. Dr. Masashi, the Sanctuary's chief medical officer—though his skills extended far beyond healing. He ran the forced labor operations, ensuring that workers remained productive through a combination of medical treatment and chemical dependency. His voice was soft, almost gentle, which made his words all the more chilling.
"I can provide compounds that would contaminate water supplies without immediate detection. The effects would appear natural—disease, dehydration. By the time they realize what's happening, it will be too late to save most of them." He smiled thinly. "I've been developing these formulas for some time. The Barons were wise to request my research."
"And if Sunagakure traces this back to us?" Yua asked.
"They already know we're their enemies," Hideaki replied. "What matters is that they can't prove anything to the Daimyo or the other nations. As far as the official record shows, Sunagakure is suffering from unfortunate circumstances—banditry, natural disease, the hazards of living as nomads in the desert."
The sixth figure, Magistrate Sato—responsible for maintaining the legal facade that protected the Sanctuary's operations—nodded slowly. "I can ensure the paperwork supports that narrative. Trade disputes. Resource conflicts with local tribes. Nothing that points directly to the Barons."
"Then we're agreed," Hideaki said, not bothering to make it a question. "Commander Brick, you'll coordinate the military operations. Mistress Yua, your network will identify targets. Dr. Masashi will provide the necessary materials. Minister Gozen will maintain our cover with the Daimyo. And Magistrate Sato will ensure we remain legally protected."
He stood, and the others followed suit.
"The Barons want this resolved within three months. Sunagakure will either surrender and accept integration into our management structure, or they will be destroyed. Those are the only acceptable outcomes."
As the meeting concluded and the heavy doors began to open, Captain Zahir straightened. He caught only a glimpse of the obsidian table and the cold faces of those within before the doors closed again and the council members began to disperse.
"Captain," Lord Treasurer Hideaki said as he passed, not bothering to look at him. "Triple security on the medical wing. Dr. Masashi's laboratory is now classified as highest priority. No unauthorized personnel within fifty meters."
"Understood, Lord Treasurer."
As the officials disappeared into various corridors, Zahir remained at his post, his jaw tight. He had served the Barons for fifteen years. He had done things that would haunt lesser men. But even he recognized that something had shifted today. This wasn't just business anymore.
This was war. Total war.
And somewhere in those tunnels beneath the sands, Sunagakure had no idea what was coming for them.
Three levels below the conference chamber, in a section of the Sanctuary that didn't appear on any official maps, a different kind of meeting was taking place.
The archives were carved from solid stone, protected by seals that would trigger a cave-in if tampered with. Here, the Barons kept their most sensitive records: ledgers detailing every illegal transaction, contracts with assassins and slavers, correspondence with corrupt officials across the continent, and detailed intelligence on anyone who might pose a threat to their operations.
Archivist Tomoe, a wizened woman who had served the Barons since before they were "the Barons," moved through the shelves with practiced efficiency. Her assistant, a young man named Kenji, followed behind her with a lamp, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls.
"Find the Sunagakure files," Tomoe ordered, her voice raspy with age. "Everything we have on their leadership, their capabilities, their known agents. The council will want updated intelligence packages within the hour."
"Yes, Archivist," Kenji replied, moving toward a section marked with the symbol of Sunagakure—a stylized hourglass. "Should I also pull the files on the failed Steward? Chikamatsu Wei?"
"Everything," Tomoe confirmed. "If the Barons are escalating operations, they'll want to know every weakness, every potential traitor, every secret that can be exploited."
As Kenji pulled files from the shelves, a particular folder caught his attention. It was marked with red wax—indicating highest classification. The label read: PROJECT HOURGLASS - VILLAGE INFILTRATION ASSETS - ACTIVE.
"Archivist... we still have active agents inside Sunagakure?"
Tomoe's expression didn't change. "The Barons always have insurance, boy. Now bring me those files. We have work to do."
The lamp light flickered as they worked, and in those shadows, the true depth of the Baron Twins' conspiracy against Sunagakure began to reveal itself. This wasn't just about oil or money or political control anymore.
This was about the complete annihilation of everything Sunagakure represented—and the archives held every weapon needed to make it happen.