Satetsu was at the head of a long table that seemed to drink the light of day. Before him, hovering just above the polished tabletop, floated a complex, shimmering construct wrought from his unique Iron Sand.
Tiny, magnetically controlled particles flowed like liquid mercury, forming a detailed, three-dimensional map of Sunagakure and the Land of Wind borders in general. It showed key strategic points marked with minuscule, glowing sigils of chakra-infused sand. The low, omnipresent hum of the manipulated metal was the room's bass note.
Gathered around the table were Suna's pillars:
Ebizo, elder brother to the absent Chiyo. His eyes, sharp as flint, scanned the Iron Sand map with a hawk's intensity. He wore simple, practical desert robes, a stark contrast to the Kazekage's formality, a large scroll partially unfurled beside him.
There was also Fukuda whose forehead protector gleamed, his posture military-precise. He represented the newer generation of commanders, his gaze flickering between the map and the Kazekage, analyzing, and calculating troop movements in his mind.
The Head of the Scorching Sun Clan Yakumi, a tall woman with skin like tanned leather and eyes like chips of obsidian was also present. Her crimson headscarf was pulled low, shadowing her brow, and intricate gold cuffs adorned her wrists. She exuded a quiet, simmering heat, her clan famed for fire release techniques crucial in desert warfare.
Sajin, the head of the Whispering Dune Clan, an older man was also present. His movements were minimal, almost imperceptible, his clan specializing in stealth, reconnaissance, and debilitating sand-based genjutsu.
His presence was like a cool draft in the stifling room.
Shiroi Kiba, the commander of the Suna's ANBU was also in attendance. He stood slightly apart, near the chamber's only entrance, a silent, watchful sentinel. His stillness was absolute.
"The primary thrust," Satetsu's began. A section of the hovering map pulsed a dull crimson – the border shared with the Land of Rivers. "Must come from the East. Konoha probes constantly, testing the ceasefire like jackals at a wounded gazelle."
He gestured, and a cluster of tiny iron sand figurines, shaped like stylized shinobi, condensed near the pulsing border. "The Scorching Sun unit, bolstered by two platoons of regular forces under Commander Fukuda's direct oversight, will fortify the Sandstorm Pass. Yakumi-san," he turned his grey eyes to the clan head, "Your clan's formations will be essential for area denial against their larger numbers. Can you deploy the full complement within a week?
Yakumi inclined her head slightly, "The fires are stoked, Kazekage-sama. A week is achievable. However," her voice was low, "sustaining them for prolonged engagements under the open sun will drain even my strongest. We require guaranteed water rations prioritized for our sector."
Ebizo's finger tapped a point on his scroll, "Water allocation is critical across all fronts, Yakumi-san. The Land of Rivers infiltration units report Konoha diverting two major tributaries upstream." He adjusted his spectacles, "The Whispering Dunes," he nodded towards Sajin, "have identified potential sabotage points. Sajin-san, can your specialists ensure those diversions... revert?"
The thin man seemed to barely move, yet his voice, when it came, was a dry whisper that seemed to emanate from the very walls. "My sands can find the cracks in their stone. Disruption is possible. Silence... less guaranteed."
His implication was clear: sabotage might be traced back.
"Understood," Satetsu interjected smoothly, his Iron Sand map shifting, particles flowing like dark water to highlight the northern border with Earth Country. "Traceability is a secondary concern. Primary objective: secure water flow. Discretion preferred, but not paramount."
His eyes hardened. "Now, the northern front. Iwagakure." The mention of the Earth Village caused a subtle shift in the room.
Fukuda's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. The ANBU Commander's masked head tilted a fraction. "The ceasefire with Iwa is... fragile. More an absence of active boulders than a true peace." He condensed another cluster of iron sand figures, these bulkier, more solid.
"Initial intelligence suggests Onoki is massing forces near the Canyon. We cannot afford to be blindsided."
Fukuda leaned forward, "Kazekage-sama, I recommend deploying the Gecko Unit. Their abilities are ideal for reconnaissance in the canyon."
The Scorching Sun Clan Head shifted, "Reconnaissance is wise, Fukuda-san. But strength deters. Stationing a visible force from the Battalion near the Oasis would signal resolve. Onoki respects only power displayed, not power hidden."
"Power displayed consumes resources we cannot spare if Konoha presses hard in the East," Ebizo countered.
"The Blistering Dunes are our strategic reserve. Committing them north risks leaving our flank exposed. Better the unseen eye of the Whispering Dunes and the Gecko Unit for now. If Onoki moves aggressively, then we unleash the Dunes."
He sighed, "If only Chiyo were here. Her insights into Iwa's political currents, her... unique perspective on Onoki..."
Satetsu's focus sharpened on Ebizo. "Her absence is noted. Where is Chiyo?"
Ebizo's wrinkled face tightened with a flicker of something unreadable. "She sends her regrets, Kazekage-sama. She is... preoccupied. With Sasori." He paused, choosing his words with care under the Kazekage's unwavering gaze. "Something... happened to the boy. She is attending to him."
A ripple of surprise passed through the council. Sasori, Chiyo's grandson, was a prodigy, already whispered about in the Puppet Brigade barracks. For Chiyo to prioritize him over a war council spoke volumes about the severity of this 'something'.
Satetsu's grey eyes held Ebizo's for a moment, a silent question hanging in the air. Ebizo offered only the slightest, almost imperceptible shake of his head.
"Very well," Satetsu stated, "We proceed without her input for now. Fukuda, deploy the Gecko Unit to the Canyon. Sajin, coordinate with them for the initial stealth overwatch. Yakumi, prioritize your deployment schedule for the East. Ebizo, reassign Water Allocation Teams 7 and 9 to support the Scorching Sun positions. Shiroi Kiba," the ANBU Commander snapped to sharper attention, "Increase surveillance on all known Iwa diplomatic channels and merchant caravans entering the Land of Wind. Look for anomalies, hidden troop movements disguised as trade." He gestured, and the intricate Iron Sand map began to dissolve, the tiny figures melting back into the swirling mass above the table.
"We adjourn for—"
"THUD-THUD-THUD!"
The heavy, reinforced stone door of the chamber shuddered under a series of frantic, hammering blows.
Not the coded knock of an ANBU, but the raw, panicked pounding of someone overriding protocol. Every head snapped towards the entrance. The ANBU Commander, Shiroi Kiba, flowed soundlessly from his post, hand resting on the hilt of his tantō.
The low hum of the Iron Sand spiked into a sharp, agitated buzz as Satetsu instinctively reformed a portion of it into a shimmering, razor-edged disc hovering protectively near his shoulder.
Before Shiroi Kiba could fully interpose himself, the door burst open with a protesting screech of stressed stone. Rasa stood framed in the doorway.
His chest heaved, his eyes were wide with shock and burgeoning fury, his usually immaculate sandy hair was dishevelled, and a sheen of sweat plastered strands to his forehead despite the chamber's coolness. He clutched a torn, ragged scroll in one trembling hand, its edges fluttering like a wounded bird.
"Kazekage-sama!" Rasa's voice cracked. He stumbled forward a step, ignoring the poised ANBU Commander, his gaze locked desperately on Satetsu.
Satetsu rose slowly from his seat, "Rasa," his voice was dangerously quiet, the single word carrying the weight of a landslide. "Explain. Now."
Rasa lifted the ragged scroll, his knuckles white. "An eagle! From Iwa!"
He thrust the scroll towards the Kazekage, his voice rising, thick with disbelief and outrage. "It bears the Tsuchikage's personal seal! It... it accuses us, Kazekage-sama! It accuses Sunagakure of treachery!"
The chamber froze. Ebizo's spectacles slipped down his nose, forgotten. Fukuda half-rose from his seat, hand instinctively dropping to his kunai pouch. Yakumi's obsidian eyes blazed. Sajin seemed to melt further into his robes, becoming almost invisible. Shiroi Kiba remained a statue, but his gaze was fixed on Rasa and the scroll.
"What accusations?" Satetsu demanded.
Rasa's chest hitched. "It claims... it claims we placed a genjutsu on Gani! Onoki's daughter! During her mission here!" A collective intake of breath hissed through the room.
Genjutsu on the Tsuchikage's bloodline? An act of unspeakable audacity and aggression. Rasa wasn't finished, his voice trembling with fury. "And... and it accuses us of destroying one of their distribution villages! In the Land of Earth! Utterly annihilated! They claim it bears the marks of our techniques! They call it an act of war! They demand immediate reparations and the head of the perpetrator... or they will consider the ceasefire void!"