Into the Dungeon

The prison was darker than he remembered.

Gaara's footsteps echoed in the long stairwell, each one leading him down to the dungeon, he'd explored several times as a child.

Something about the cold, looming place, so far separated from everyone else, called to him.

"It's probably because you had a prison within yourself. It felt homey." Rin's voice came to his mind.

That seemed like something she'd deduce.

Her lovely, knowing eyes made his heart ache; they held that incredible talent of seeing through him- even when he was trying to hide.

His hand came to the stone wall, running along the worn cracks and he tried not to think about her.

If this were indeed someone from her village and they were connected to the attack, that knowledge would hurt her. How could he employ more drastic interrogations without causing her pain?

Gaara shook his head, clearing the image of her sad face out of his mind.

Now was the time for his leadership skills, especially with the council watching his every move, not to be concerned with her feelings.

Certainly not over the safety of his village.

When his feet found the bottom of the staircase, he was greeted by two armed guards and only a bit of light from their torches, to pierce the suffocating darkness.

They both bowed low. "Lord Kazekage! What do we owe the honor?"

"I'm here to speak with the captive."

The guards looked at each other and back at him. "That may be difficult, sir."

"Why? Has he refused to talk?"

"Not necessarily refused..."

They moved aside, so he could get a closer look.

Gaara took one of their torches and bent down, trying to peer through the darkness.

A man laid curled up on his side, his back to the cell door.

Though the blinding white hair would suggest otherwise, he wasn't that much older than Gaara, maybe only a year or two.

"I am Lord Gaara. Fifth Kazekage of the Sand Village. I have some questions for you."

The prisoner sat up from his position, with a groan, and turned to face him, the torch light bright in his eyes.

Gaara pulled it away slightly. "I understand you were caught outside the gates, with no paperwork for entry and when you were asked to provide your reasoning, you stayed silent. Later that night, there was an explosion, damaging our southern wall. A Sound headband was found at the scene, just like the one you have on."

The prisoner's hand went to his headband, tapping it and then resting in his lap, as if waiting politely for Gaara to finish.

The Kazekage cleared his throat. "You can understand our suspicions and why you've been detained, yes?"

He nodded.

Gaara blinked, waiting for him to say something.

When no answer came, his brow drew together. "If you can just tell us the reasoning behind your visit to the Sand and what happened to your passport, we'll set you free. I'd like to believe this is all a misunderstanding."

The prisoner didn't respond and one of the guards slammed a hand against the bars.

The rattling clang echoed through the prison. "You will speak when the Kazekage addresses you, scum!"

"That isn't language isn't necessary, sergeant. We don't yet know if he's responsible for the attack and I'm not going to assume anything."

"Yes sir. My apologies."

Gaara looked back to the prisoner. "Well, what have you to say? Why won't you defend yourself?"

The man tilted his head and held up one hand, his finger curving in a beckoning motion.

Gaara leaned closer, the light from his torch illuminating the worn-looking face before him.

The prisoner smiled and opened his mouth, the nub that was his missing tongue, reflecting wet in the firelight.

He snapped his teeth at the Kazekage and broke out into a fit of chilling laughter.

The prisoner grabbed his sides and curled in on himself, a high-pitched giggling shaking him like a rattlesnake's tail.

Gaara stood up from his crouch. "He's mad."

The guards shuffled away from the cell door, as if he could magically escape and take them.

Gaara shook his head. "Keep him under close watch. I'll return with a solution."

"Yes sir!"

He turned to go back up the staircase, the haunting laughter chasing his steps through the darkness.

The door slammed shut behind him and he leaned against it, letting out his breath in one long exhale, rubbing a hand across his face.

The crazed look in the man's eyes; the sunken, sallow face and missing tongue, were enough to turn his stomach.

Gaara saw torture before, in fact, he himself was the cause of more than one dismemberment, but that was in the past.

He'd tried to distance himself from it as much as possible, but the bloody thoughts always remained.

"I did far worse."

No, he wasn't going to allow himself to travel down that destructive road. He had far bigger issues to deal with, than self-pity.

Gaara left the prison behind him, walking through the streets of his village in broad daylight.

A few members bowed when they saw him, though he found such protocol uncomfortable.

There was a distinct feeling of unrest in their faces and he felt it with each foot fall, even though no one was brave enough to question him, out-right.

No one, except one small girl, he recognized as one of his favorites.

She watched him pass, face down, actively avoiding her gaze.

Up until her tiny hand caught his coat. "Lord Fifth?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to greet her. "Hello, Hana."

Her gaze shot away quickly, clearly pleased he remembered her name.

Her foot worked its way into the dirt. "I have a question."

Gaara waited for her to ask it, but she didn't.

"Yes? What can I help you with?"

Hana looked around at the passing villagers and waved for him to come down to her level.

He tried not to show how awkward he felt squatting down for a five-year-old to whisper something to him, but he did, all the same.

Hana's hand came to his shoulder, her other fanning his ear, so no one could hear her question. "Lord Gaara... are we gonna be okay?"

His surprised face turned to her. "Of course. Why wouldn't you be?"

The small girl worried her fingers, biting her bottom lip. "Papa says there was an attack from the Sound Village. They're bad guys, aren't they? We're gonna be okay, right? You're gonna protect us.... right?"

His heart melted at the question and the scared look in her eyes.

Hana was such a happy girl, usually. She always greeted him on his evening walks with sweets and stories and he repaid her with any sand creation she could imagine.

Without thinking, he shifted, so that he was on bended knee, one arm crossed over his chest like a knight.

His head bowed before her. Protocol be damned.

"You have my word, Hana. If I have to, I'll gladly give my life to protect you. I'm the Kazekage and you are one of my people, part of my family. Don't worry another moment about it. I'll protect you, little flower, no matter what."

Hana's face turned a bright red at his words.

Gaara's hand stretched out in front of her and the sand twisted into a small rose.

He placed it in her grasp and patted her head.

The squee of happiness was enough to melt anyone who heard it, as she ran to show her parents the newest gift the Kazekage made her.

Gaara nodded to the pair of adults, who watched him warily, before heading back to the courtroom.

He sat in his big chair with a pensive look, summoning his siblings to advise him.

Temari answered quickly, as she always did, but Kankuro was nowhere to be found.

His eyes took in his sister and asked the question, he didn't have to say out loud.

Temari sighed, casually leaning against her fan, with a hand on her hip.

The tone of her voice let him know their earlier disagreement was forgiven. "He went back to the Oasis to retrieve Ms. Ito's things. She's staying in the mansion."

Gaara leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the villagers, who were quickly working to repair the wall.

Already, they'd made impressive progress. If there was one thing the people of the Sand were good at, it was prevailing against the storms in life.

He was proud of them.

However, he knew they were distrusting by nature. Hana confirmed that rumors already began to spread and if they were suspicious of the Sound, he couldn't guarantee Rin's safety.

"That's for the best. She'll need her supplies for her journey home."

"What?"

Gaara looked away from his sister. "I know my people. Their fear runs deep, despite the progress we've made. I can't protect Rin and fight for my village at the same time. She needs to go back home, before any harm comes to her."

"Did you speak to the prisoner?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to release the rising tension. "More or less. His tongue has been cut out and he's insane."

"Huh..." The Captain began to pace the length of the room, her hand to her chin.

Gaara peeked open one eye to look at her. He knew that stance. "Temari, what are you planning?"

Her fierce strides came to a halt. "So, we have a mad man, who doesn't speak, but is our only lead, yes?"

"Yes."

"And, we also have a guest within our walls, who has the ability to enter the mind of others."

Gaara stood up from his chair. "You can't be suggesting..."

Temari's eyes held him. "I'm not suggesting anything. I'm laying out the facts. If Rin Ito can use her jutsu, we can find out what the Sound is planning and if another attack is coming. More and more, this information is pointing to this prisoner being the culprit. He knows something."

"I can't ask her to do that."

Her eyebrow raised. "So, you'll put her discomfort above the safety of your people?"

He crossed his arms, stance unwavering. "I'll find a way to protect them without subjecting her to that. Her jutsu is used for relaxation and healing people, not for being a weapon of war."

Temari mirrored his movement. "There are times when being a leader means making the hard decisions. You know the council will suggest the same thing when they hear of the prisoner's... affliction. Wouldn't it be better to speak to Rin yourself, before that happens?"

The logic was there, as always.

In some cases, Temari's strategic mind was as formidable as his sand.

He wanted Rin as far away from the village as possible, even if it killed him to think of going to his room alone.

However, if by some miracle, he could convince her to look into the prisoner's mind, there would be hope for his people and it would also absolve her of any rumors of involvement.

It was too big of a risk, not to take. Even if she may hate him for subjecting her to it.

Gaara rested his hands on the table. "Fine, please send an invitation to Ms. Ito for me."

"An invitation to what?"

"If I'm going to ask her to do something completely against her ethics, I might as well treat her to dinner first."