Hey there! Here is chapter three at last! Sorry for the lateness :S But anyway, hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Three: The Plan Begins

"I knew how it felt to be another one in need

In need of someone to show the way

Until you saw a part of me that nobody else could see

And my life hasn't been the same…"

In a cold cell, Ike was thinking on what happened about two hours ago. Why the hell had his eyes burned so much? And not just that, what was it that he felt all of a sudden? When his eyes burned and they looked back at the Uchiha, it was almost like hypnosis. He couldn't stop looking at the crimson eyes of Itachi until he was on the floor in pain. It was just so strange, the feeling he had when his eyes burned, he felt he had so much power at that moment.

The green haired man was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming to the cell, only when the doors opened did he looked up to see who it was.

His eyes widened.

There was just no way, who was this woman? She's so beautiful! He has seen many pretty women, a lot. Especially him, who's always looking around for a pretty sight, this was one he hasn't seen before. Her blue hair looked like silk, shiny and smooth; her eyes were a gorgeous ruby red; the shape of her face made her look almost delicate and even though she's wearing a cloak, he can notice her body is just as perfect.

The blue haired beauty entered the cell and closed the entrance behind her. She looked back at the prisoner and narrowed her eyes at his gray ones when she noticed he was staring. He seemed to notice and cleared his throat.

"Ike, right?" Konan's smooth voice asked.

"Yes?"

"We have decided to spare your life but only if you accept our terms." She talked slowly in a low voice, her ruby orbs looking directly at his own gray ones.

"And what would those terms be?" The green eyes asked the same slow way she talked.

"Konan walked closer to him and his eyes widened slightly. She was just so beautiful even closer and it just made him want to reach out and touch her hair along with the paper flower she had. When she was close enough, the blue haired beauty leaned closer to the side of his face and whispered in his ear:

"Join us."

His cerulean orbs snapped open all of a sudden after listening to a thunderous sound. He stood up with one swift movement and rested his hand on his kunai holster. In the distance, he could make the sounds of someone running away with high speed. Immediately, he masked his chakra hoping to be doing it right, and silently jumped from branch to branch thinking on what could possibly be happening. The last time he was awaked, he was speaking with the elder Uchiha brother who had suddenly knocked him out cold after saying something about him being lucky. For the looks of it, he was because he was still alive after being captive in the Akatsuki's hands.

The blonde ninja came to a halt when he saw a trail of trees on the ground. This must be what had caused the great crashing sound that had woken him up earlier, something must've happened. It looked like when Sakura-chan practiced with her monstrous strength that always intimidated anyone, even Sasuke who said she was even more annoying with it.

He could sense no one near the area now so he jumped off the branch to inspect more thoroughly the scene. His mind wandered on thoughts about his friends. Were they safe, hurt, lost, alone,? He wondered how Ari-chan, she was a girl alone in this place and Ike-teme. He's still at the Akatsuki base! Naruto remembered all of a sudden. What am I going to do? I cant go back there and try to save, besides, I don't even know where that place is! The teme's brother must've brought me here after he knocked me out.

"Ari?" That voice brought him out of his thoughts.

When he looked to the side, he saw the form of a young man on the floor. He looked disoriented somehow, like someone who had just woke up from a strange dream and maybe he was in a dream.

"Hey, are you alright? Who are you?" Naruto asked as he got closer to help the young brown haired man sit up. He waited until the guy opened his eyes and completely woke up from his fainted state.

"Huh? Who the hell are you?" The green eyed boy asked flatly at the blond in front of him. The last thing he remembered was being with Ari, staring at something moving in the shadows of the trees. Then that something happened to be a someone as far as he remembered, and he had been pulled from the wrist by Ari and they both practically flew across the forest until…a big collision and a great pain and then blackness. Yep, that was it.

"I'm Naruto, and you?" The blond said as he stretched his hand to help him stand up.

"Naruro? Stupid name you have." The Uzumaki's eye twitched but he smiled and tried his best not to punch the guy.

"I've been told that before." The brown haired man looked at him and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm Dart. Where's Ari?" He said as his green eyes scanned the area.

"I don't know, I just found you here on the floor. Was Ari here too?" Naruto looked around as well and tried to sense for someone else presence but to no avail.

"Wait, you know Ari?" Dart asked.

"Yeah, it's a long story really." Naruto scratched his head and the green eyed man in front of him raised a brow but he didn't asked again.

"What happened here? This place is all messed up." Naruto asked walking to the side, inspecting the broken tree beside him.

"We were being followed by someone and then we crashed, I blacked out and here you are. That's all I remember."

"You were followed? Then if Ari isn't here… maybe she was taken! We have to find her!" Naruto exclaimed upset by the possibility of Ari being hurt or worst.

"And you're just going to leave me here? At least tell me where I am." Dart asked with an upset tone himself.

"I don't know exactly, but I guess I'll have to take you somewhere safe too… Aaahhhh, alright. Let's get going then!" The hyper blond shinobi said as he jumped to the branch of one of the trees. Dart's eyes went wide.

"How did you do that?" He screamed in amazement.

"What? Get here? I just jumped. C'mon, let's get going already!"

"I can't do that! You're crazy, who or what are you?" Naruto looked down at the brown haired guy and he understood as he took in how he was dressed.

"Ohhhh you're from the other dimension, that's why you can't do it." He jumped back down and next to Dart who still had wide eyes.

"I guess we'll have to walk. Follow me and don't worry, as long as I'm here, you'll be just fine." Naruto said proudly while nodding to himself. By now, Dart was more scared of how his mental health would be affected than his physical one as long as he stayed with Naruto.

Sasuke Uchiha has been worried much times, more than he wants to admit. He has been worried for Naruto a lot of times, worried for how his idiocy will get him in a kind of trouble that he wouldn't be able to get himself out of easily; trouble where he would not get amused when Tsunade or Kakashi lectured him for doing another prank; or trouble that would even cost him his life. He's been worried for Sakura too, when she got in the way between him and Gaara during the Chuunin exams, when she got taken as hostage by him, when she almost died because of that. When she fought for herself in the second Chuunin exams or when she had to go on missions without them because her medical skills were needed. She was like his little sister after all, of course he cared for her.

But Sasuke Uchiha has almost never been desperate. Much less worried AND desperate and right now, he was just like that. He learned it's a feeling he hates, despises and wants to make it stop as soon as he can. He knows how to do that though, of course he does. He has to make sure the source of his worry and desperation is safe and how can he do that? By looking and finding that source, easy enough. Yeah, right.

Natas was looking at the dark haired young ninja in front of him. He has been silent the whole time since they started walking and he was obviously immersed in his own thoughts. The hazel eyed was asking himself what things have happened between those two because it's obvious Sasuke is clearly not the romantic, love crazy, emotional and sensible type of guy that lets feelings like love or caring take over him easily. Of course, the Uchiha would never admit that he actually has feelings for his best friend, ex sister in law, Ari. But it's crystal clear for Natas that Sasuke Uchiha has fallen over heels for the purple eyed woman.

They've been walking for over two hours now and still nothing is heard or seen, just the green of the forest and the sound of animals and the leaves moving with the wind. Sasuke found himself thinking the same phrase the shadow manipulator says most of the time. This is so troublesome. But he added something extra at the end: This is so troublesome and frustrating.

"Sasuke-teme!" That voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

Why now? Why him?

Finally!

The young pink haired kunoichi released a sigh of relief as the Hokage Tower came into view. Automatically, her speed accelerated in anticipation and in worry for her friends. The faster she got there, the faster they could think on something to do about the situation they were in. Behind her, Ino and Kakashi followed accelerating their pace as well with the same anxiousness.

Inside the Hokage office, Tsunade found herself drinking yet another bottle of Sake and holding Report papers in the other one. She had been sending different ANBU teams to different directions in search of Team Seven but all of them have been null.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm sure they are alright wherever they, probably Naruto will burst in any minute now to explain everything." Her assistant, Shizune, tried to calm down the fifth but to no avail, on the contrary. It apparently got her worst because she gulped down an even greater amount of Sake.

"I don't care Shizune! They have been missing for two weeks. You have any idea what two weeks are?" The blond Sannin stood up abruptly and smacked her hand down on the table with her signature strength, making Shizune jump back a little even though she was used to it.

Suddenly the door burst open revealing an out of breath Sakura with just as same out of breath Ino and Kakashi behind.

"Tsunade-shishou!" She bowed slightly and entered the room to stand in front of the fifth's desk followed by the other two ninjas behind her.

"Sakura!" The Sannin almost jumped from where she was standing behind the desk to hug a surprised Sakura across it.

"Where the hell were all of you? I was about to catalog you all as missing-nin who decided to follow the Uchiha's footsteps! You have no idea what these last two weeks have been like for me."

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, but if you allow us to explain-"

"Of course you will explain, you will give me a full report right now." The blond Sannin said as she sat back down on her chair.

"Very well. We were training in the forest two weeks ago and I was showing a new teleportation jutsu to Naruto and Sasuke when Naruto decided to do it by himself. Of course, he made a mistake and we ended up in another dimension where ninjas do not exist." Kakashi said and looked at Sakura and nodded.

"When Naruto did the jutsu, Hinata, Ino and myself were very close by and Hinata happened to see the exact hand signs Naruto used before they disappeared. We decided to perform that Jutsu ourselves though we had to do all of us together due to the amount of chakra that was needed. As a result, we ended in the same dimension as them and after following their chakra traces with Hinata's Byakugan, we were able to find them all." Sakura finished and later Ino started speaking.

"But when Hinata found Naruto, he had already made some friends so he brought them along. Their names are Natas, Jack, Ari and Ike and after explaining our situation, they agreed to help and let us stay in their homes until we were able to go to some people who knew much about jutsus in that dimension. And that's how we were able to perform the jutsu to return back home. But…We believe we didn't came alone." Ino said looking at both Sakura and Kakashi.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked narrowing her eyes.

"The ones who helped us were trapped in the jutsu as well. It was all an accident."

The fifth focused her gaze on the three of them and got their faces full of sadness and worry.

"Was this 'accident' caused by emotions?" Sakura widened her eyes and looked at her Shishou while Kakashi sighed slowly.

"Tell me everything that happened with those four people."

"Dobe"

"Teme"

"Dobe"

"Teme"

Both best friends kept on going with their very interesting conversation while Natas and Dart looked at them with raised eyebrows until they noticed the presence of each other.

"Dart?" Natas asked and Dart blinked.

"Nats?" Both men got closer to each other while the other two kept on their exchange of insults.

"What are you doing here? I thought it was just Jack, Ari, Ike and me."

"Ike and Jack are here too? Wow, that jutsu thing must've been strong to get all of us at the same time." The green eyed said a little surprised.

"Yeah, but I wonder how the others are. I just hope they were lucky enough to appear with someone from here." Natas said looking at Sasuke and Naruto.

"Well, not me or Ari. We were both alone and we got attacked by someone. That's the last time I saw her before waking up and being found by that blond idiot." Dart tilted his head to Naruto's direction.

"So maybe that someone got her?" Natas asked and Dart shrugged his shoulders.

In that moment, they noticed the interesting conversation was over and both were looking at Natas and Dart, specially Sasuke who had an almost terror filled gaze.

"Attacked? By who? When? Where is Ari?" The Uchiha got in front of Dart and started asking him questions without even given the green eyed a chance to answer.

"Calm down teme, let him answer." Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to stop him. The dark haired young man sighed and looked back at Dart, waiting for an answer.

"We were in the forest and Ari noticed we were being watched and all of a sudden she grabbed my wrist and we started sprinting through the forest. Then I noticed a figure was following us but I wasn't able to see clear and the only thing I remember is she crashed against something and I was sent flying somewhere and I fainted. When I awoke again, Naruto was there."

"And that's all?" The Uchiha asked.

"Yeah."

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. This was great, now he was more frustrated and worried. Whoever attacked them had Ari by now as hostage or worst… He didn't even wanted to think about it. He had to look for her, there was no time to go back to the village. But if he stayed with the Dobe and the other guys, they will just slow him down, maybe Naruto not much though.

"Naruto, I need you to go back to the village with Natas and… the other guy. When you get there, tell the Hokage what's going. I'll go find Ari."

"What? I want to find Ari too! I'm going!" Naruto tells his best friend.

"Don't be an idiot. You'll just slow me down. Besides, we have to make sure those two are safe and the only way is by taking them to the village. I'll look for Ari meanwhile and then you can come with reinforcements to help. We have to think well what we're doing, Naruto."

The Uzumaki's lips thinned as he looked down to the floor, concentrating and giving thought to what Sasuke had just said. He was right though, it's better if they make sure Natas and Dart are safe and then they can go searching for Ari.

"Alright, teme. I'll take the guys back to the village while you search for Ari-chan, but I'll be back before you know it." With that, the best friends shook punches and Sasuke disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Her breath was heavy and fast as she stopped running to lean against a tree. She moved her head to the side to see if someone was following but there was no one there, so she let her body fall to the ground in exhaustion. Her eyes watered slowly and soon she found herself sobbing lightly. Ari was scared but at the same time, she was grateful that she was still alive. Dart. She was worried for him, he was left unconscious at the mercy of that criminal, of that monster.

Itachi Uchiha.

Even the name sent shivers down her spine. Sasuke and Naruto had mentioned him and only Naruto had told her what he had done. When she went to ask Sasuke, all he said was that he will get his revenge by killing him with his own hands. She thought that maybe they were exaggerating somehow but after being in front of him, his powerful aura was overwhelming. She was sure anyone can be able of sensing it.

What should she do now? She was alone in a place she didn't knew, a place where the only people that could help her where not close by and she could be attacked at any moment. Ari was starting to wonder what did she ever do to deserve this.

By now, her eyes were starting to close on her own accord though she tried her best to resist. I can't fall asleep now, not here! It's far too dangerous…

But she felt her mind was already starting to drift away to other thoughts. Thoughts that revolved around a black, spiky haired guy with onyx eyes. She started to remember how his lips on hers tasted, how warm his hands felt and how his breath sent shivers down her spine. She must've been thinking very hard about that because the last thing she remembers before her eyelids closed was the face of that very same Sasuke Uchiha, leaning over her along with the sound of his voice calling her name.

"Ari!"

Amazed.

That was the only word he could find to describe how he felt after what had just happened. He had done what he was asked to and released the Jinchuuriki in the middle of the forest. While he was doing so though, he had sensed some chakras and had gone out to investigate their source. That's when he found two strange people who's clothes reminded him of Ike, a young man and a young woman. The man looked like any normal guy but the girl's chakra was different. It was more powerful somehow.

Then she had stopped and looked at his direction and that's when their eyes met, fearful lavender and cold crimson.

For the first time, Itachi Uchiha had frozen when those eyes found his and more so when she had grabbed her friend and started dashing through the forest. It took him 5 full seconds to react, and other 5 to think on what happened and start running after them. It didn't took long to find them and pass to stop in front of the girl, making her crash against him and be thrown some distance away.

He waited for her to wake up and stand up but then he saw she was injured, must've been due to the crash. Her eyes searched to where her friend was before and she started to stand up when she couldn't find him. He talked to her to get her attention and her eyes widened instantly. She was obviously scared, terrified in fact, but then her eyes changed to anger which surprised Itachi much. And she had said his brother's name, which meant she knew him, who knows if they knew each other closer than he thought because she blushed once he asked what was her relation with him.

Then her chakra had taken action, starting to flow to her legs and hands, but what surprised Itachi is when the chakra went to her eyes. Why would it go to her eyes? That was something that caught his attention, but when he got closer to try something else, all he knew was he was flying backwards, breaking the trunks of the trees. He had lost consciousness for a few moments but came back fast. The first thing he noticed being he was alone and that the girl had ran away, taking the chance of knowing more about her abilities but now, he should inform Pain about the situation. It looks like Ike wasn't the only one from another place to have arrived…

She was alright, except for a bruise that would go away soon but what brought him tranquility most all, was her being safe and here she was.

He had started looking for her and only some ten minutes later, he had heard noises of someone running through the forest. After deciding to see who it was, he had found her lying next to a tree and immediately he went to her side. She had just passed out when he called her name and carried her in his arms. Sasuke decided to let her rest and that's how he came to the decision of staying in a small hotel in the nearest town.

Now he was looking at her form resting on the bed. He listened to her steady breathing, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she did. Sasuke knew as he watched her sleep, how much she meant for him and he was going to protect her no matter what. That girl had changed him so much, who would've thought that the great Sasuke Uchiha would change so much for a girl? If Naruto wasn't so oblivious, he would've noticed this but its Naruto we're talking about after all. The blonde would be laughing so much. Good thing he doesn't know. But it's hard still for Sasuke to accept it.

The brunette girl was starting to recover consciousness and Sasuke got closer to the bed. Her lavender eyes opened slowly and searched her surroundings. They stopped on Sasuke's form and she smiled lightly while Sasuke did the same.

"Ari, you alright?" The Uchiha asked slowly and Ari nodded her head.

"Sasuke, you found me." She smiled once more and made a movement to sit up. Sasuke helped her by holding her arms and gently pulling her to a sitting position. She said a small thank you and sighed.

"Did you found a guy named Dart?" She asked concerned.

"I found him and Naruto before finding you. They're both on their way to the village along with Natas." He smirked at her sigh of relief.

"Good. So they're safe. And what about the others?"

"We haven't known anything about them yet. After Naruto gets back to the village, he will report everything and they'll probably start searching." Ari looked down and nodded slowly then she looked around the room with her sight.

"We're safe here." Sasuke said after she looked back at him.

"Alright, I'm glad. I don't want to keep running away."

"Who was that attacked you earlier?" The brunette's eyes widened after the question and she averted her gaze from his. The Uchiha noticed so he grabbed her chin lightly to tilt her head back to his direction. There were tears welding up in her lavender orbs to which Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Who was it?" He asked again, his voice more serious this time.

"I-It was… Your brother." The onyx orbs widened for an instant and narrowed instantly while his lips formed a thin line. Ari looked down to the floor as one tear ran down her cheek but Sasuke noticed, and held her face in place, looking towards him.

"What did he do?" His voice in a menacing whisper asked.

"N-Nothing. I escaped and I got hurt in the way."

So it wasn't him who did it. Sasuke thought a little relieved but still, it didn't took away the fact that he was indirectly responsible for her being hurt. He didn't know why, but the idea of Ari having a minor bruise just… pissed him off.

His thoughts were broken by a low whimpering sound coming from the girl in front of him. She was sobbing lightly, her face wet with tears.

"I'm so glad t-that you c-came Sasuke…" And the next thing he knew, that girl was between his arms. His heart skipped a beat as he felt her warmth once again. It had felt like forever since the last time he had hugged her like this even though it was just hours ago.

"Don't worry, you're safe now, Ari."

Yes, I'm safe. The lavender eyes filled with tears opened slowly and looked upwards, at Sasuke's own onyx ones. She smiled softly and he returned it with his own signature smirk. They stayed like that for some seconds, each immersed in the other's eyes. There was no need to talk because they could know what they were thinking by looking in their own orbs and that's why they both knew what they wanted.

He was walking along the dark aisle, his steps silent and calm like always. Strands of ebony hair moved on his face as he walked, covering slightly his glowing crimson eyes as they looked to the ground. He was still immersed in his thoughts until he heard other pairs of footsteps coming to his direction.

"Sasori, my friend. I know you consider my art just as worthy as yours, you are just too stubborn to admit it, hmm." A man with blonde hair and blue eyes said to his red haired partner. The ebony haired man almost rolled his eyes when he heard their voices. Sasori and Deidara where always like this, they were always discussing which one's "art" is better. He didn't care a thing for it of course, as long as it worked it didn't matter what it was called.

"Keep on dreaming Deidara, I don't like art that is just a waste of time because you know I don't like to waste it."

"Yeah yeah, you don't like to be kept waiting, hm?"

The pair looked up to the front when Itachi got closer. Deidara did a sound with his tongue and Sasori just nodded like the Uchiha did.

The Sharingan user was well aware of Deidara's resentment against him and knew that he wanted to get a rematch anytime soon. It wouldn't matter much because by then, Itachi would probably be far away from this world.

The door to the room of the person he needed to inform to was a few steps away now, so he took in a breath and extended his hand to open it. As always, everything was dark and if it weren't for his sharingan, it would've been a little hard to see well. He closed the door behind him and waited for that voice he detested so much to speak.

"Itachi, here you are. I suppose you completed the assignment."

"Yes." Was all Itachi said.

"Good. Then what brings you here?" That cold, detestable voice asked.

"I believe I have met the other one."

"Ohh, the other one ehh? This is interesting. I remember very well that night, a little over 18 years now. Do you remember it, Itachi?" The Uchiha remained quiet, deciding not to answer though he did remember everything as well. It was some few nights after his little brother was born.

"Then you know what needs to be done. Do whatever you must, I'm leaving it in your careful hands, Itachi."

"And after it's done?" Itachi asked as he turned to the door.

"Just entertain yourself with that one until you receive any orders. Be sure to not let her escape."

The Uchiha closed the door, leaving behind the dark room and that unworthy person who he detested and would gladly take his life. He would've done so before if it weren't for the fact that it wouldn't be so easy to do it by himself. That cold hearted traitor would soon fall, he knew it. Itachi had already everything planned and that old empty shell of a man would die once and for all.

Yay! Another update (finally) Sorry, I know I'm taking a lot of time to update but college has left me with no time plus i have other responsibilities -_- But here it is! Hope you guys liked it and please leave a review if you like it or not :P Thanks for reading, See ya!