Secret Memories (Naruto Fanfic)

Council's Meddlings

Everything in Suna...

Rasa couldn't help but notice how things remained the same despite the fact he found himself without Karura, nor could the auburn haired man feel as if he, as the Lord Kazekage, was expected to act as if nothing changed. A dull thudding emotion flitted around in the back of his head, the agitation at not being able to react to the situation he and his wife found themselves in draining him emotionally. "Shinobi aren't supposed to feel emotion, so why am I complaining?"

Emotionally though the young Kazekage thought differently.

"How can I be expected to act like everything is normal, when there wasn't a time when I was Kazekage, and I wasn't with Karura." The man leaned back so his auburn haired locks hung down touching the back of his neck, his eyes and mouth feeling dry, his frustration at the situation not fading as time passed. His calloused fingers touched the top of the desk, hoping one of the elders from the council wouldn't come into the office to lecture him.

Into his view came a piece of paper in someone's hand, making Rasa sit up so his forehead smacked against the piece of paper, one corner of his mouth twitching. His calloused hand reached up to grab the piece of paper from Yashamaru, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the soft smile spread across his brother-in-laws lips. Opening up the letter didn't bring any kind of pleasant feeling, and instead the auburn haired man felt like a rock settled into his stomach. He held the letter up to Yashamaru. "This isn't funny."

"Isn't funny." His brother-in-law took the letter from him, Yashamaru's indigo eyes tracing the words in the letter, making the smile slowly fade from his lips. "Sorry, but..." A laugh escaped the man's face, and the young sandy haired man let the letter drop down onto the desk. "It is funny. You walked right into that one you know."

"Exactly how am I to reply? Karura's wanting an answer."

"Tell her the truth like I told you to." Yashamaru leaned over sideways, letting the palm of his hands support him by resting on the top of the desk. Even the young sandy haired man's face remained sideways, the smirk on his lips refusing to fade away this time.

"As if she'd believe me. As if she'd want to be with me, of all people." Rasa's brown eyes looked at the annoying letter, and flicked the fold of the paper with his finger, sending the paper to the other side of the desk. The Lord Kazekage leaned back so his brown eyes looked up at the ceiling, his mind attempting to think of a way to respond to what Karura wrote. The way they expected him to act, and the way he wished to act seemed so far away, and even farther away was figuring out how to deal with the situation.

The auburn man didn't know this feeling of utter exasperation could even grow farther, but the next few days while he walked around Suna to get an idea of how the villagers were doing made him realize the situation could indeed become worse. The whispers of two women stopped him short, more so from what they said then the fact they were randomly gossiping about things.

"How can the Lord Kazekage walk around as if nothing happened?" These words from an older woman, a woman Rasa recognized as an associate of Lady Chiyo made him stop in his tracks, his auburn head of hair turning so his brown eyes could look at the woman.

"You know full well that situation, Gaara's birth, it's taken it's toll on the Lord Kazekage, otherwise we would have had a funeral a lot sooner. He still believes she's alive, so having a funeral..."

Rasa's head titled to the side, his mind trying to figure out what the women met, the sudden sickening feeling in his stomach upon realizing created a drain of heat from his face. One calloused hand reached out, "now hold on, Karura isn't..." The Lord Kazekage found his words freezing in his throat so he couldn't get even that part out, as the two women noticed him standing there, and gave the auburn haired man looks of utter pity. Confusion also thundered around in his head as to why the two women would think such a thing.