"That would be counterproductive."

"Some indication of Konoha's intent would also help."

"Our intel network is still in disarray, and we haven't replaced the agents in Fire yet."

"We can't wait on external factors. We need to start from within."

"The Council isn't-"

"Then we bypass the Council and start from the bottom. Get more than whispers of what people are thinking."

"Most people don't want to talk to us. Because of- Father."

Her face twitches, briefly.

"Then go to them instead. Start the conversation."

"...You're pretty scary in your own right, you know."

"You two work that without me. I will... try a different angle."

The following day, Tsubasa and Kankurou stake out a table in a restaurant frequented by shinobi and discuss the Council's inaction in regards to the loss of the Kazekage in tones that are low, befitting the subject, but not inaudible, and in terms that suggest they don't approve.

There's a few glances, and some people are almost certainly listening in, but no one approaches them immediately.

"-if the Council isn't going to do anything, maybe we should."

"'We' as in us, or...?"

"Everyone. We're all residents of Suna. The city belongs to us as much as it does to the elders."

More people are certainly paying attention, now, though no one's unprofessional enough to blatantly let on that they're listening in.

"I doubt they'll take meddling kindly."

"If it'd mean them doing something it'd probably be worth it. We can't be the only ones frustrated with their inaction."

They bat the conversation back and forth in this vein for a while longer, until they've cast as much bait as is reasonable. Then they head off to a training ground, not taking the most trafficked way but also not conspicuously hiding their trail.

Someone who is at least doing a decent job of not looking like this was purposeful is at the training ground.

"Oh, hey," she says, looking up when they enter. She's a jounin they've seen around once or twice, who participated in the invasion and is visibly still in physical therapy for an arm injury. She's moving through exercises right now. Casually, "You're Baki's brats, right?"

"That's us."

"Baki's a hardass. Almost feel sorry for you." She grins, then, "Branching out past fighting lately?"

"Trying to, anyway."

"Good. More people need to be interested in things other than their blades, younger generation especially. Doubly so, for politics."

"It's harder to train with politics. More of a group effort sort of thing."

"That it is! There's some studying you can do, dusty old theory books and all that, but hell if I know what good it does."