Frostbitten Sand (Naruto Fanfic)

Frosty Reception

Rasa sat up, a cold sweat dripping down his back and arms as his entire body ached. One hand reached up to cover his eyes, his body leaning over, and the man's breath coming in heavy breaths. A knock came at the door, and a nurse peeked into the room. "Lord Kazekage? Are you all right?"

"I'm just stiff, and sore." The man looked down at his lap, his eyes closing as Rasa attempted to erase the image from his dreams from his mind, but the image wouldn't leave even when he swallowed. In his dreams he saw Gaara in front of him, blood dripping for from his forehead, asking why the man hadn't protected him.

The nurse, however, did not back down. "Are you sure Lord Kazekage? You look very pale. I could go and get you something to kill the pain."

"No. Dulling the pain just dulls the mind. I need to have my senses about me, so I can take care of my duties." Rasa continued to look at his lap, his mouth twisted into a frown. "Gaara? Why hasn't he come back to visit me again."

"I was under the impression Lord Kazekage, that your son was forbidden from coming to lesson any emotional strain. Not just for yourself, but your son."

Rasa pulled one leg up in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. His mouth didn't open to say anything, but his mind went rather fast. "That makes a lot more sense then the way Baki put it. This said..." The man finally spoke again. "Gaara is doing alright though?"

"Lord Gaara? He's been doing quite well while you've been in a comma. You could say he's a different person."

"I see." The man looked at the bed. "So he doesn't need me. Still, I can't shake that feeling." Rasa's hand clenched around his pant leg. "Still, I'm going to be released today." The man heard the woman clear her throat, and his head darted up. "What?"

"Why don't I go ahead and get the head medical-nin for you."

The woman left, and Rasa found himself lost in his own thoughts which resulted in him not seeing the medical-nin coming into the room with another person. "Is there anyway Lord Rasa, that I might be able to talk you out of going home just yet?"

"There are things I need to do." The forth Kazekage noticed the man was accompanied by Baki. The look the other shinobi gave him told him that the man was far from pleased. "Something is bothering you Baki?"

"You've not exactly given us much time to plan for your transfer from the hospital to your home. I'm not even able to give your children time to prepare."

"I'm wanting to see with my own eyes how Kankuro and Temari are doing, but apparently I've also been forbidden from seeing Gaara." Rasa watched Baki's mouth open up. "You don't have that right."

"Lady Temari requested Lord Gaara not see you for the time being. She asked me to avoid him as much as possible, so that I'd be unable to pass on your request for him to come and see you."

"Besides that, I've also noticed no other patients on the floor, as well as the Anbu at the entrances. The entire floor is under lock down, not being used to it's fullest extent. I'm under the impression the council is attempting to keep the fact I've woken up under wraps, so if I leave when people don't expect, it is for the best, and the floor can be reopened for proper use."

Baki stared at Rasa for a few minutes. "Perhaps you should set aside thinking in a political manner, and instead be a bit more concerned about your own needs."

"I think you know full well why I can not." Rasa stared at Baki for a few minutes, but couldn't figure out why the man was so willing to push, where at one point in time he was not."