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He'd always known that many in Sunagakure still held Rasa in high regard, secretly resenting his—removal.
If he could—marry Temari? The age gap was—considerable, but he'd—treat her well. Marrying Temari would silence those dissenters.
They wanted to restore the old ways. But if Rasa's daughter became his wife—what grounds would they have for opposition? Would they dare challenge him with—two children as leverage?
A cruel smile twisted Baki's lips. He summoned his guards, instructing them to—attend to the children. Then, he headed for the Kazekage Tower.
Gaara's training as a jinchuriki would take time. He lacked the necessary control. Even with Shukaku sealed within him, he was prone to—episodes.
He'd wait.
Baki's first act as Kazekage was to purge the opposition. Those who disagreed with him were—relegated to insignificant positions.
The Kazekage Tower was now his. Except for a few disgruntled Shinobi protesting on the streets, all dissent was silenced. An air of—uneasy peace settled over the village.
As he entered the meeting room, the chatter intensified.
"The Kazekage's—funds are—insufficient. We need to—increase revenue," one of the Thirty-Two suggested.
The same amount of wealth, but with a new leadership, it wasn't enough.
"We've exhausted all—legitimate options. Further—measures might—cause problems. We lack a—justifiable pretext."
"Raise water prices?"
The Konoha-Suna Trade Route had solved Sunagakure's water shortage. Cheap water flowed through the newly constructed pipelines, managed by the Suna Water Company.
"No. We've already increased water and electricity prices by thirty percent. That's—risky. We've practically—emptied the villagers' pockets."
3,300 ryō.
That was the average annual income of a Sunagakure household, barely enough to cover basic living expenses.
Rice, oil, salt, water, electricity—all controlled by the Kazekage Tower.
With a few—adjustments, they could make the villagers' lives—difficult, leaving them with no time or energy for—dissent.
By pushing their expenses towards that 3,300 ryō limit, they maintained control.
Any further increase—could spark a rebellion.
3,300 ryō was the limit for ordinary villagers, not for Shinobi.
The extra taxes collected from the villagers were—redistributed. A large portion went to the Thirty-Two, the rest—elsewhere.
This was the foundation of Baki's power.
He listened to their discussion, his patience wearing thin.
He was a warrior, not a—bookkeeper. Why was he dealing with such—trivial matters?
He'd listened to Kosaka Kaoru and his ilk drone on about finances before. Now, with Kosaka imprisoned, he still had to endure this?
What was the point of his coup? Had those stockpiled weapons been for nothing?
Thump—
He slammed his fist on the table, silencing the room.
"I didn't bring you here to discuss—household budgets. How do we seize Konoha's assets in Sunagakure? How do we send our Shinobi to Konoha and—Iwagakure? That's what I want to hear."
"But—we need money, Kazekage-sama. The village's coffers are empty."
"Then—find some! Stop worrying about—petty expenses! Do you think the villagers' complaints are louder than—explosive tags?"
"What good are our weapons if we don't use them?"
"Do you think the villagers' complaints are louder than—explosive tags?!" Baki's voice boomed, his ruthlessness silencing the room.
The elder who'd just been complaining about the budget gulped, realizing Baki wasn't bluffing.
He recalled an article from Iki, about—Uzushiogakure's—unique customs.
Blocking sunlight? Charging fines for—airing out bedding?
Though—absurd, the idea was—intriguing.
And while Sunagakure didn't have grass, they had—sand.
"I have—a plan," the elder announced.
"I think—Sunagakure's citizens shouldn't be allowed to—block the sand's access to sunlight! We'll—fine them! No, not a fine, a—tax. A Sunlight Tax."
"A Sunlight Tax? What's that?" Baki asked, intrigued. The name itself sounded—ingenious.
"No—objects on the sand. No covering the ground. If they do—we tax them."
Baki's eyes widened. Was this—genius?
Sunagakure was mostly—sand. Practically every villager would have to pay this tax.
"Wouldn't that be—too much?" Even Baki, a warmonger, hesitated.
"The Sunlight Tax is just the beginning. It's about setting a precedent. It'll—please Konoha, encourage them to invest, and lower their guard. They're always preaching about—peace and respecting life."
"So, we'll give them what they want. We'll show them how much we value life—by taxing sunlight. And while they're distracted, we'll—expand our military, train more Shinobi, and prepare for—the inevitable conflict with Konoha."
"That's my plan."
"Excellent! You'll be in charge of implementing the—Sunlight Tax." Baki was impressed.
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