THE FARM || ITASASU

Part 9

A/N: Don't kill me yall, I still have so much life ahead of me.

The days that followed were like a ticking clock, each second louder than the last, the tension in the farmhouse thickening by the hour. Sasuke found himself avoiding the others, especially Sasori, whose every glance felt like a reminder of the puppet strings he seemed to have attached to them all. It was as if Sasori had been waiting for this moment, the final piece of a puzzle he'd been assembling in secret.

Itachi, on the other hand, grew even more distant, retreating into himself, his expression more guarded than ever. Sasuke could see the strain in his brother's eyes, but every time he tried to get close, to breach the walls that had risen between them, Itachi would slip away, leaving him with nothing but silence and unanswered questions.

One evening, after yet another strained dinner where barely a word was exchanged, Sasuke found himself standing outside the farmhouse, staring up at the sky. The stars were bright, but they offered little comfort. He could feel the storm brewing, the inevitable confrontation that was coming, and he knew it wouldn't end well.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see Sasori, his ever-present smirk plastered on his face, his eyes gleaming with that unsettling mix of amusement and malice.

"Enjoying the quiet before the storm, Sasuke?" Sasori's voice was silky smooth, dripping with a mockery that set Sasuke's nerves on edge.

"What do you want, Sasori?" Sasuke's tone was sharp, his patience wearing thin.

Sasori tilted his head, his smirk widening. "Oh, nothing in particular. Just thought I'd see how you're holding up. After all, things have been... tense, haven't they?"

Sasuke clenched his fists, his temper flaring. "If you've got something to say, just say it. I'm tired of your games."

Sasori chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "Games? Oh, Sasuke, this is no game. This is life. The sooner you realize that, the better. But if you really want to know... you should probably ask your brother about the real reason he allowed you to stay here."

Sasuke froze, his heart skipping a beat. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Sasuke," Sasori purred, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You didn't really think this was just about giving you a place to stay, did you? Itachi isn't as altruistic as you think. He's hiding something—something that involves you, and it's not what you'd expect."

Sasuke's mind raced, the doubts and fears that had been plaguing him since the kiss now flooding back with renewed intensity. He wanted to dismiss Sasori's words, to write them off as another one of his manipulations, but something in the way Sasori spoke, the cold certainty in his voice, made it impossible to ignore.

"What do you know?" Sasuke demanded, his voice tight with anger.

Sasori's smile widened, but he didn't answer. Instead, he simply turned and walked away, leaving Sasuke standing there, seething with frustration.

That night, Sasuke lay awake in bed, his thoughts churning, unable to shake the feeling that everything was spiralling out of control. He needed answers, but the only person who could give them to him was Itachi, and Itachi had been nothing but evasive.

As dawn broke, Sasuke made up his mind. He wasn't going to let this continue. He would confront Itachi and force him to give him the truth, no matter what it was.

****

Sasuke's resolve solidified as he stalked through the farmhouse, seeking out Itachi with determined steps. The tension between them had reached a boiling point, and he was done with the secrets, done with the lies. He found Itachi in the small kitchen, quietly pouring himself a cup of coffee. There was an eerie calm to his movements, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in Sasuke's chest.