(no subject)
[OOC: Use the word and you're going to have a twigged-out Kazekage down your throat. XD]
The scene that Gaara beheld upon entering the lobby was one that he had never before assumed would greet him after a descent of the staircase that had become so familiar to him as of late. Certainly, he often met messenger nin either in his office or in the actual lobby, but rarely were they battered, beaten, and holding a stubbornly defiant boy with them.
Had he been another man, Gaara would have mistrusted his eyes and been forced to look twice to be certain that the scene before him was an actual truth. Though time's ugly hand had certainly wrought its changes on the features of the captured nin, his physical appearance was still unmistakably that of the once most spoken-of genin from Konoha.
Uchiha Sasuke.
A face that he had not entirely cleansed his memory of, but one that didn't often revisit his thoughts. Like a bad memory, the time that he had spent likening himself to the dark-haired youth was a period that Gaara often felt was better forgotten than dwelled upon at length. Perhaps the only thing they had ever had in common was long diminished in at least Gaara, and now, he looked upon the Uchiha as a former nin of Konoha, a threat to his country, and a wounded boy.
Aside from that, he did not feel even the most faint glimmer of recognition. He could no longer look into the Uchiha's dark, slanted eyes and see a mirror of his own; no more could he recognize himself in the set of his shoulders, his proud, angry, defiant stance. They were opposites now.
Perhaps they always had been.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, as they were not of the utmost importance at the moment, Gaara swept the figure before him from foot to the tip of his hair in one quick, precise motion. He was injured and likely exhausted; though most would assume that, given the conditions, he would be of little trouble, Gaara knew better.
A person such as Uchiha Sasuke was prone to desperation. In those times where he was wounded or cornered, Gaara was willing to assume that he would react instinctively, giving little thought to actual caution or statistics. Already Uchiha had proven to be the sort of person who could disregard every semblance of safety for his own personal gain when he had decided to join Orochimaru.
Gaara fully expected the boy to attempt escape, perhaps even in a violent fashion, and he was inclined to believe that it would be entirely unpredictable. By remaining in Gaara's care, Uchiha was in more danger than if he were to roam freely, because he was contained in one place where it would be easy for an enemy to locate him and attack.
Likely, Uchiha would be willing to do anything to prevent that from happening.
It worked in his favor that Gaara was almost equally reluctant to let the fact that he was contained in Suna become widespread. The last thing that he wanted was Orochimaru looming over him from one end, Konoha from the other, both wanting this boy back. It would put him in a difficult position, and open Suna to danger that was, at this point, entirely unnecessary.
If there was going to be conflict and battle over this boy, this remarkably unremarkable specimen of a shinobi, Gaara wanted to be able to warn his people beforehand. The threat of Orochimaru was a heavy one, and not one to be underestimated. Before he allowed anyone to know of Uchiha Sasuke, he wanted to be certain that Suna could defend itself from a stronger opponent than the Sound.
If necessary, Suna would be prepared to defend itself from Konoha. Not that he expected his ally to attack, but when subjects as sensitive as this came up, it was best to be prepared.
Eyes flicking to the faces of the Sand nin, he murmured, "Tend your wounds in the hospital. You are all dismissed."
It was not a motion of arrogance; the nin needed to have their wounds tended. Gaara needed to speak with Uchiha Sasuke. He was confident that he would be able to contain the youth if necessary, and he knew very well that it was more likely he would be given information by Uchiha if it was just the two of them discussing.
Not that he expected much.
As his nin departed, Gaara lifted one hand and gestured for sand to wrap itself tightly along Sasuke's legs and arms, preventing him from performing seals or running.
Turning his back to the Uchiha, Gaara began to ascend the stairs in silence, the cocoon of sand pulling his charge along behind him with faint rustling noises.
The scene that Gaara beheld upon entering the lobby was one that he had never before assumed would greet him after a descent of the staircase that had become so familiar to him as of late. Certainly, he often met messenger nin either in his office or in the actual lobby, but rarely were they battered, beaten, and holding a stubbornly defiant boy with them.
Had he been another man, Gaara would have mistrusted his eyes and been forced to look twice to be certain that the scene before him was an actual truth. Though time's ugly hand had certainly wrought its changes on the features of the captured nin, his physical appearance was still unmistakably that of the once most spoken-of genin from Konoha.
Uchiha Sasuke.
A face that he had not entirely cleansed his memory of, but one that didn't often revisit his thoughts. Like a bad memory, the time that he had spent likening himself to the dark-haired youth was a period that Gaara often felt was better forgotten than dwelled upon at length. Perhaps the only thing they had ever had in common was long diminished in at least Gaara, and now, he looked upon the Uchiha as a former nin of Konoha, a threat to his country, and a wounded boy.
Aside from that, he did not feel even the most faint glimmer of recognition. He could no longer look into the Uchiha's dark, slanted eyes and see a mirror of his own; no more could he recognize himself in the set of his shoulders, his proud, angry, defiant stance. They were opposites now.
Perhaps they always had been.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, as they were not of the utmost importance at the moment, Gaara swept the figure before him from foot to the tip of his hair in one quick, precise motion. He was injured and likely exhausted; though most would assume that, given the conditions, he would be of little trouble, Gaara knew better.
A person such as Uchiha Sasuke was prone to desperation. In those times where he was wounded or cornered, Gaara was willing to assume that he would react instinctively, giving little thought to actual caution or statistics. Already Uchiha had proven to be the sort of person who could disregard every semblance of safety for his own personal gain when he had decided to join Orochimaru.
Gaara fully expected the boy to attempt escape, perhaps even in a violent fashion, and he was inclined to believe that it would be entirely unpredictable. By remaining in Gaara's care, Uchiha was in more danger than if he were to roam freely, because he was contained in one place where it would be easy for an enemy to locate him and attack.
Likely, Uchiha would be willing to do anything to prevent that from happening.
It worked in his favor that Gaara was almost equally reluctant to let the fact that he was contained in Suna become widespread. The last thing that he wanted was Orochimaru looming over him from one end, Konoha from the other, both wanting this boy back. It would put him in a difficult position, and open Suna to danger that was, at this point, entirely unnecessary.
If there was going to be conflict and battle over this boy, this remarkably unremarkable specimen of a shinobi, Gaara wanted to be able to warn his people beforehand. The threat of Orochimaru was a heavy one, and not one to be underestimated. Before he allowed anyone to know of Uchiha Sasuke, he wanted to be certain that Suna could defend itself from a stronger opponent than the Sound.
If necessary, Suna would be prepared to defend itself from Konoha. Not that he expected his ally to attack, but when subjects as sensitive as this came up, it was best to be prepared.
Eyes flicking to the faces of the Sand nin, he murmured, "Tend your wounds in the hospital. You are all dismissed."
It was not a motion of arrogance; the nin needed to have their wounds tended. Gaara needed to speak with Uchiha Sasuke. He was confident that he would be able to contain the youth if necessary, and he knew very well that it was more likely he would be given information by Uchiha if it was just the two of them discussing.
Not that he expected much.
As his nin departed, Gaara lifted one hand and gestured for sand to wrap itself tightly along Sasuke's legs and arms, preventing him from performing seals or running.
Turning his back to the Uchiha, Gaara began to ascend the stairs in silence, the cocoon of sand pulling his charge along behind him with faint rustling noises.