Frostbitten Sand
The Forth Bah-Humbug

Rasa raised one arm up to cover his eyes so that the glare of the sun wouldn't prevent him from seeing Orichimaru from approaching, and his teeth ground together. Something about the situation didn't seem right, but the forth Kazekage needed to put Suna before any feelings of uneasiness as things were simply that bad for his hidden village. His hand still went down to his container of gold dust as his entire body tensed up.

The place they were asked to meet Orichimaru with just a quick glance was a place ideal for an ambush, and the dread Rasa felt grew. The sand that blew in from the top of the cave, down to where he was below scrunched under his feet, and finally the eerie voice of Orichimaru was heard. "So, we've come to discuss the plans, have we Lord Kazekage?"

The forth Kazekage folded his arms across his chest as he glared up at the man. "We have come to discuss things. What I don't understand is why you delayed this meeting. If the idea were to throw out all of the Konoha out of contention for the Chunin exams, doesn't it stand to reason we should have given orders to move against the Konoha shinobi taking the test during the second test to those still in the exams?"

Orichimaru folded his arms across his chest. "Now, now. I thought the plan was to obliterate Konoha during the Chunin exams, but that's far from a complete obliteration isn't it?"

Rasa uncapped his gold dust, and took a step back making his men take position in other places. His mouth twisted up into a frown. "The plan was to eliminate all of the Konoha genin so that everyone believes Konoha's low prices are because the quality of their shinobi is low."

The man with the snake like features let out a tisking sound, and waved a finger. "My, my Rasa. You really do think to small. It's no wonder Suna's in the financial straights it is in now." The man's mouth twisted into a nasty grin, as suddenly a giant snake appeared, and the man casually got on the snake's head. A hissing sound said other snakes were in the area. "No, my dear Rasa, the plan is to sick Suna's jinchuriki on Konoha during the third task to completely obliterate Konoha. Of course, I also knew that you wouldn't actually give such an order."

The anxiety in the pit of Rasa's face suddenly exploded, as Orichimaru started to use the other snakes to bring down the ceiling while he escaped through the hole with the other snake. The entire layout favored the traitor, and Rasa regretted going along with the council on this one. His thoughts quickly shifted to who Orichimaru wished to use. "Gaara..."

What ever he was thinking at the time simply didn't come, as protecting the men who were with him became far more important then attempting to think about the situation going on outside. The snakes were managing to collapse the ceiling on themselves as well as the Suna shinobi, and Rasa made a quick move with his gold dust hoping it would move into enough places in time. Then came the crushing pain, and Rasa found himself in complete, and painful darkness.

"Rasa?"

The forth Kazkegae felt soft hands take his own, and he found himself sitting at a cafe. His eyes blinked a couple of times upon seeing the familiar face of Karura, and one of his rough hands drifted to the top of hers. "Are you absolutely sure you're fine with this, what with me being five years your senior?"

"Isn't it now seventeen years my senior?" Karura's teasing words blinked a couple of times. "The forth Kazekage is a pervert, hitting on woman way younger then him!" The woman smiled at him. "Should I be worried that you've found another woman, or should I say women?"

Rasa removed his hands from Kurura's, and folded them across his chest. "Seriously..."

"I think Suna needs a hospital. Aren't we going to discuss said plans."

The man swallowed. "Karura, you're dead."

Karura's bright eyes twinkled as she looked him right in the eye, and she leaned into her thin fingers to hide her laughter. "What does that make you?"

"Dead as well?" Rasa's mouth opened, but the word for some reason couldn't come out.

"Remember how we first met?"

"It was to discuss the building of the hospital. You were interested in the idea, and I told my father the third Kazekage I thought it was a good idea even though the council looked down upon you because..." Rasa glanced away. "You and your brother were born outside of the Land of Wind, and were brought here by your father at a very young age. That isn't important is it."

Karura's mouth twisted up into a frown. "Rasa, that's not when we first met. Yashamaru and I finished strong in the chunin exams, and were receiving a promotion. You were there with your father when he greeted those of us who earned the rank."

"I was dressed in Anbu guard at the time..."

"And left your position to chastise one of the shinobi mocking Yashamaru and I, and your father chastised you by name, did he not."

Rasa let out a deep breath. "Could we not talk about my father? You know that it's a sore subject. He abandoned Suna."

"Isn't that what you're doing now?"

Karura's words stung, and Rasa let his tone loose at the chastising from his dead wife. "What I'm doing?"

"You're not dead Rasa, although you're right on the edge. You really should go back as there are people waiting for you."

"Waiting for me? You mean the people I failed to protect?" Rasa felt an ache in his stomach. "Just like I failed you."

"How so?"

"You are dead, aren't you?" Rasa folded his hands in front of him, and his eyes darted down. "On top of this Temari beats up every single possible suitor she could have for a possible future husband."

"Really? I think deep down you're glad that you're daughter can hold her own, and not let any man walk over her. I'm quite sure she'll find the right person when the time comes.

"Kankuro, well that child simply isn't the brightest, and all he does is collect those creepy puppets of his."

"Doesn't that have something to do with the fact you never could use puppet techniques to save your life? You are after all, quite proud of him."

"Then there is Gaara."

"What about Gaara?"

"Gaara..." Rasa took a deep breath. "I turned Gaara into a monster, and I've likely in all reality even caused his death at the hands of Konoha, what with my stupidity.

Karura titled her head to the side. "Now what happened to the Rasa from our younger years?"

"He never existed. The man you fell in love never existed, and was a fake. I'm the man who took your precious baby, your fragile little angel, and turned him into a demon."

A smile spread across her face, and Karura's eyes twinkled as she stood up, and leaned over to whisper into Rasa's ear. "You are undeniably the demon who devoured my love. Don't you think you're real worry is about whether or not Gaara's like you?"

Rasa felt the wrinkled beside his mouth twist up, and he leaned into his hands. "I wish it were that simple."

"Gaara's waiting for you."

"Gaara's dead, and for all I know Temari and Kankuro are as well."

"Then why aren't they here?" Karura pulled back and motioned to the Suna from a better time, and the small cafe he enjoyed taking her to.

"Because I sent Gaara to hell."

Karura folded her arms behind her back. "Really? From the way you're talking that's where you would go."

"Yes, but this is limbo. Gaara's already gone on, but you're trying to convince me to not go on to where ever I'm going."

"Rasa..." His dead wife walked over, and wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders. "I can't honestly convince you to go back, but I also know it's not your time love. There are things you need to do still. Even if our youngest is gone, whose going to take care of Temari and Kankuro?"

The forth Kazekage didn't respond. "There are others who are taking care of them."

Karura pulled back, and placed her hands on her hips. "Someone else to take care of them." An evil smirk spread across her face, making a shudder run down Rasa's spine. "Don't you mean Lady Tsunade? I mean, Suna's likely as you said fallen, and she's then the most likely canidate to take care of them."

Rasa stood up, pounding his fists onto the table. "Not your crazy sensei!" One of his hands cut across. "I absolutely won't let her meddle with Kankuro and Temari's well being! One of the reasons you and Yashamaru struggled with being accepted despite the fact your father was of Suna was because she took you on for a period of time! They thought Yashamaru was nuts with that medical-nin talk, and that you two had ties to outside of the village which..."

The man stopped. "Which would lead you to betray us." One hand went up to his forehead. "You never did though, despite the fact there was speculation of your mother being from Konoha, and your sensei definitely being from there. You two were always loyal to Suna."

"You know, if it weren't for her Yashamaru would never have taken the Chunin exams in the first place, and I didn't want to take them without him." Karura folded her arms behind her back, and then plucked a kiss onto Rasa's cheek. "It seems you've finally made up you're mind love. Just keep in mind I'm closer then you think. This isn't good-bye, you'll soon find out. Not like last time."

Rasa closed his eyes, his mind not wanting to deal with what he knew would be going on in the outside world. He could feel his fingers twitch as his body though began to come awake, and for a few seconds his eyes opened. At first he saw nothing, but then a familiar face with red hair, and the word love scarred onto his temple appeared above him leaning over, and...

The forth Kazekage's eyes shut before he could even begin to fathom what was going on, and soon he felt medical-nin around him, helping him to wake up. Rasa tried opening his mouth to ask how long he'd been asleep, as it seemed that he'd seen Gaara, and the boy had a growth spurt, meaning he'd been asleep for a couple of months.

Finally, one of the times he thought this he managed to lift a hand to his forehead, and let out a groan. "No, Gaara's dead because of your foolishness. You were hallucinating."

At that time Baki came into the room, and a medical-nin lifted water to Rasa's mouth. Somehow the forth Kazekage managed to speak. "Temari and Kankuro. I'd like to see them."

"I'm sorry Lord Kazekage, but neither one of them wish to see you at this point in time."

Rasa let the words sink in slowly, and then leaned back against the pillow as his body simply didn't have the energy to try and remain sitting in an upright position like he was trying. His eyes snapped shut. "Do they blame me for Gaara dying? I can't imagine why, as those three were never really close. Well, Temari and Kankuro were close, and Temari seemed to have some kind of positive effect on controlling Gaara, which is why I hoped..."

"I hoped things would change, but they didn't. Let's face the fact Gaara's not the child Karura held in her arms the day she died, so does it really matter?"