Konoha

Uchiha Complex-Kitchen

May 9th

10:49 PM

Sasuke's POV

To say that I was pissed the fuckoff would be a major understatement. To say that I was hurt emotionally also didn't capture the gravitation of this situation. I sighed, cutting cruelly at an innocent potato that had done nothing wrong- other than of course been in the kitchen while I was mid-tantrum. I thought to myself, going over recent events. He showed up here a week ago, as if he'd never left at all- then took me out to eat.

It was the strangest meal we've ever had together. It was oddly numb, in fact I don't think I'll ever be able to say where we were or what we ate. I don't even know how it was communicated that we'd go to dinner. We had just sort of known that we needed to have time together, and we found a way to do so.

We didn't speak, but the silence was different. It wasn't the semi-comforting silence in which we couldn't lie. It wasn't the honest silence. It was as if we both wanted desperately to speak, but had no idea what to say so we didn't.

Then, after dinner, we both sat in the courtyard. I don't know how long we sat there, but we fell asleep like that. With Itachi leaning against the pillar, and me slumped onto my own knees. I wake up two hours later with his jacked draped around me. He was gone.

He's still gone. I got him for one fucking week and then he left again. Who does he think he is to just pull at my heartstrings like that? Doesn't he know that I give a fuck about where he is? At least last time he had the decency to let me know where he was going. Apparently now I don't get any information at all.

I glared at the potato on the cutting board. I had intended to chop it for stew, but it was minced into such small pieces that I gave up and threw it out. I wonder if that's what my heart looks like. All shredded and useless- perhaps that's why Itachi feels no hesitance in throwing it out. It's not fair though. How can he loath me for being such a disgrace when he's the one who disgraced me?

Before the thought is even complete in my mind I feel myself being yanked away from the counter and thrown violently onto the table. How on earth could I have had my guard down long enough for some one to sneak in and attack me? No, wait... I know these hands.

I look up to see Itachi hovering over me angrily. He sighs and sits down next to me on the table. Oddly enough, I'm unconcerned with his attack- instead I find myself worrying over what our mother would do if she saw us on her furniture like this.

"Aniki. We should get off the table, Okaasan is gonna murd-"

"Why, Otouto? Why do you care about the fucking table more than you care about yourself?" He spits out in fury.

I have absolutely no idea what's wrong with him, and I know it shows on my face. I just look back at him in confusion. On one level, I'm ecstatically happy that he's showing some emotion towards me... and still, I wish that he would display his more passionate side in a kinder way.

"Uh, I don't care about the table! I would just very much appreciate if I didn't have to scrub the toilet in the master bathroom for the next six months!" I argued, knowing that our mother tended to come up with especially tedious punishments for this sort of thing. Itachi looks at me for a second as if he doesn't know what I'm talking about then he growls angrily and smacks me across the face. I wince, bringing my hand up to the painful spot- but knowing that secretly I'm delighted that he touched me.

"I'm not talking about our mother! I'm talking about foolishly letting yourself be spied on at night! What if someone was plotting against you?"

My heart skipped a beat a the thought that he might have been watching my little late-night sessions. "You've been..." I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

"What? Me? NO!" He sighed, stepping off of the table and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustrated thought. "That would be a complete violation of your privacy, Otouto. Of course I'd never to do something like that." He said kindly, looking at me with hurt eyes.

Oh lord, now he thinks I don't trust him or some nonsense like that. Silly Nii-San. In his wildest dreams he'd never imagine that I secretly want him to spy. Okay... maybe in his wildest dreams... I'm sure he must at some point have had a dream in which I desired him in such a way or else he'd never have come to me that night in the first place. He was so desperate then, so frail, and damaged and weak. I can't help but wonder how long he'd been carrying that weight. How long he'd known he felt that way and not acted on it. Then, everything changed. It began with one simple kiss, from my lips to his. I still remember the shocked look on his face, the way his eyes looked down at me seductively. I still remember his hands on my skin, tracing my- wait a minute... If he's not spying on me then who the fuck is?

"If not you, then who?"

Itachi frowned, unwilling to tell me who this mystery master of espionage was. "Well?"

"... Don't worry about it... just please take better care of yourself, Sasuke. I can't stand the thought of losing you."

He can't stand the thought of losing me? That sends butterflies through my stomach. "Aniki, when you leave... you're not... you're not with-"

"I'm done with that organization. You're my top priority right now."

Otogakure

Orochimaru's Hideout- Dining Hall

May 8th

6:30 PM

Narrative POV

"Orochimaru-Sama! Thank you so much for having us here!"

"Of course, it's the least I could do." The snake-like man replied, humbly bowing his head to the childish masked figure that had addressed him. "Everyone, please help yourselves."

"Itadakimasu!" Tobi exclaimed gleefully, reaching for his chopsticks and attacking the food so quickly that by the time everyone looked over to him, they could only catch a slight glimpse of his chin as he was already putting his mask back into place.

The others went on with their meal, eating in peaceful silence until Orochimaru turned towards a particular red-eyed comrade. "Itachi-Kun, you haven't touched your food at all, is there something wrong?"

Sharingan eyes rose from the plate to look at his host calmly. "Yes, this food is poisoned. If you would be so kind as to fix me a plate that won't cause my body to be immobile for the next three days, then I'd be glad to break bread with you."

The Sanin let out a wheezy cackle and smiled widely at Itachi. "It's impolite to examine your food with those eyes of yours. I'm beginning to think that you're not a very hospitable guest."

"You're not a very cordial host." was the weasels monotone reply.

"Yah~! Don't fight! Ita-Sempai, you can have half of Tobi's food!" the goofy lollipop resembling man cut in frantically, as if he would be greatly embarrassed by a brawl.

Kisame's eyebrow twitched at his fellow Akatsuki member's whiny drawl. He could feel more than hear that Zetsu was lingering behind them. The other members hadn't been invited to this particular gathering. In fact, Kisame himself wasn't really invited, but his partner had insisted on his presence. Apparently Itachi didn't trust being alone with Orochimaru, Tobi, and Zetsu- which the shark found to be very odd.

Itachi glared over to where Tobi was sitting. The orange-faced individual was bouncing hyperactively and trying to pass Itachi his plate.

Itachi frowned. "It's bad enough that you're behaving like a child. If you insist on living through personality number two today, then I have no desire to speak with you."

Zetsu sniggered in the corner, another wheeze of laughter was heard from Orochimaru, and Kisame merely looked confused.

Tobi giggled delightedly, not phased at all by Itachi's distaste for him. "Ita-Chaaaaaan! Be nice to Tobi! Tobi knows a seeeeeeeecreeet!"

That caught Itachi's attention. He realized that perhaps his choice to bring Kisame was foolish- no, it wasn't. It would be quite unwise to let his guard down around "Tobi" alone, much less Orochimaru and Zetsu. However, he couldn't speak freely with Kisame around.

"What secret?" he asked, in what he knew sounded like a carefree tone.

"An Uchiha family secret!" Tobi replied excitedly, rising from his seat to bounce over to Itachi's side.

"You've already told me what you know of Uchiha family secrets."

"Hai, Tobi told you a BIG secret, desu ne? But! Tobi has been spying, Ita-Chan! Tobi knows anotherrrr oneeee!" The man taunted happily.

This even caught Orochimaru and Zetsu's attention. They too had thought themselves to already be fully informed.

"Hn. Whatever." Itachi replied calmly, giving his glass of water a careful examination before deeming it untainted and taking a sip.

"Oh come on, Itachi, do play along!" Tobi insisted. "It's a really juicy one! It's about your brother!"

Less than a second later Tobi found himself pinned up against a wall, with mangekyou eyes glaring deeply at him. He chuckled a little at that- they both knew that Itachi was no match for him, but he decided he'd play along and take a little beating.

"What do you know?" the weasel growled furiously.

"Little Sasuke gets so cold and lonely, even on hot summer nights. He begs silently for his Nii-San to come warm him up." Madara whispered poetically, letting go of the act for a moment, so that Itachi would know that his words should be taken seriously. He laughed as Itachi grasped hold of his neck and choked him.

"You're lying." Itachi stated firmly. "Stop trying to play with my head, and tell me the truth."

Madara couldn't help but smirk from behind his mask. "Don't use the lies you tell yourself to decide what's true and what's not. You know I'm not lying."

Itachi let his arm go limp against Madara's neck. "If I catch you spying on my brother again, I will not hesitate to kill you." each word darted out of his mouth like venom, and Madara had to admit that in that moment, he was actually somewhat intimidated.

Itachi glanced around the room one more time before leaving. His father was right. He had no business here. If he hurried, he could be back home by the next night. Back to his warm bed, back to loving eyes... back to Sasuke.

What an idiotic brother he had. Itachi literally hated Sasuke for getting himself into so much trouble.

A/N: I hope that wasn't TOO confusing... I know it's weird that I went back in time during the second half, but it was a little necessary, so gomen!

PLEASE REVIEW! I almost didn't post this chapter because there were so little reviews for the last one...

Love you!

-Beloved