Wow.. The time has finally come. I'm so sorry for the extreme length of this chapter! Love you thanks for the reviews guys! Keep em coming, please!

"This is how it ends,

I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream.

Fading out again,

I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream.

So tell me when it kicks in.

Well, tell me when it kicks in."

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

External Affairs

Chapter 20: All Vengeance Comes With A Price

Itachi had assured Tenten that he was simply going to pick Tidus up from school, and he would be back shortly. But he asked her to stay with Sasuke should Ino show up. He wasn't lying entirely about going to pick up Tidus, however he knew Ino was not going to show up any time soon. He had to rescue her too.

He was speeding down the highway heading to Zabuza's home after calling an emergency meeting there where the other Demons of the Mist would be meeting him there. This caused for a drastic action. If his son was missing, blood would be spilled no questions asked. And if they had his little brother's wife, more blood yet would have to be spilt.

He felt his heart pounding uncomfortably in his chest, he felt it working hard. It was a little painful. After the surgery it wasn't ever the same, but it was much better than it had been before. Had he still donned his old heart, he would have certainly died the day Sasuke and Tenten had been shot. It was pounding strong, doing it's job. But his unsteady hands had to tighten around the steering wheel to keep them from shaking more.

His blood was boiling, he was close to the edge and to the point of no return. But he did not want to return. He wanted revenge, especially if his child was in the mix now. There was just no way that he would stand idly by. This meant war.

When he arrived at Zabuza's home, he was more than thankful that the rest of the crew was already there waiting for him eagerly in the living room. And when Itachi walked into the home, they all rose and gave him their full attention. They weren't sure what the meeting would pertain, they only knew that Itachi was rather frantic and avid that they all get to Zabuza's as soon as possible because there had been a major development and things would be changing immediately. They were instructed to bring their guns, their best. So that told them whatever news Itachi did have, it wasn't likely to be good.

He wasted no time explaining to them what was happening, they hadn't a second to loose in the matter. Several pairs of cold eyes fixated onto him as the group listened in. The room was silent, and eeriky awkward. They could all sense the tension and anger emanating from Itachi as he stood in the center of the room and began to speak.

"My brother has finally awakened, however I have reason to believe that Pein and his men have taken my son and my brother's wife."

Haku looked at him curiously and was the first to interject, "they have Tidus? How can you be sure?" It was a valid question, and Itachi wasn't one hundred percent sure, but he had a gut feeling and that was good enough for him. It added up, all the facts.

"I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I feel as though this is the only logical explanation for why Sasuke's wife is not answering her phone, and why she checked my son out of school today. My thoughts are that she was kidnapped by Pein's men and they forced her to take Tidus because they knew that she was family, and that she could get away with it."

"For leverage." Came Zabuza's deep voice that cut through the silence that had drown the room and suddenly all eyes were on him. He rose to his feet, towering over many and he looked at Itachi with a stern and knowing expression, placing a firm hand upon his shoulder. "That makes an awful lot of sense. You strung that together rather quickly, and if they do have your son; my grandson, and Sasuke's wife then we need to get to those two as soon as possible." His voice sounded angry, but steady. Tidus was his precious little gift from his daughter, that little boy had the ability to warm the coldest of hearts and certainly he had warmed Zabuza's.

The female in the room stood up and looked Itahi up and down skeptically. "I'm not rushing into a situation unless we know for certain that they have your kid, sorry but I'm not gonna risk it. You don't know what kind of heat they're packing. Hell, you don't even know where they are, do you? Seems to me that you need to pull yourself together." She hissed, flicking her burgundy locks over her shoulder.

"Ameyuri, if you don't want to be a part of this mission, then by all means- leave." Haku stated cooly, crossing his legs and linking his fingers together in his lap. "Mangetsu, can you track where they may be headed through Ino's cellphone if she's got it with her?" He asked as he turned his attention to the young man in the corner of the room with snowy colored hair and piercing eyes that matched his locks.

The man was silent but he nodded and looked to Itachi for further information. Itachi wasn't hesitant to offer up the number and Mangetsu made quick work of tracking her down.

"Meanwhile," Haku stated as he finally stood up. "We need to know those of you that are in, and those of you who are out because if we find out where they are, there's no doubt in my mind that we will be storming that castle right away. We need to get my sister's kid back."

The room fell completely silent, no one could even be heard drawing a breath. This only meant that they were all in.

"I think I've got her location pinpointed." Came the low, raspy voice of Mangetsu. "She's in Akatsuki territory."

The evening was wearing on, and Tenten was growing increasingly worried and hungry, not to mention tired and frustrated. Itachi hadn't returned with Tidus yet, and Ino had yet to show up either. The sun was setting in the Konoha sky as she gazed out the hospital window in Sasuke's room. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she dialed Itachi once more, though he again neglected to answer. What was going on? Why wasn't he responding to her phone calls or texts? Had something happened to him, and to Ino all in one day? She couldn't be sure, especially when neither of them wanted to pick up their phones. So she stuffed the device between her cleavage and turned around grumpily.

"Still no sign of either of them, huh?" Sasuke asked groggily, looking up at Tenten with a foggy expression on his face. Though he had been in and out of dream land for the majority of the day, he was aware enough to know that Ino had yet to stop by, especially since Tenten was acting so frustrated. Aside from that, Itachi was no longer there, meaning he was out and about and likely up to no good. Sasuke wasn't stupid, he knew Itachi had to be up to something. You don't just shoot two of his family members and expect to get away with it. That wouldn't fly with Itachi. Or Sasuke for that matter.

"I'm sure Ino has a valid reason for not showing up yet, Sasuke. Whatever that is, I'm sure she's okay." Tenten assured, offering him her best smile she could conjure up.

"So where is Itachi?" Sasuke inquired as he slowly sat up in the bed. His body was still aching, but the pain was dulled out by the medicine the nurses had administered. He felt rather well, but his mind was foggy.

Tenten went to the bed, and adjusted it so that he could sit up and lean back just a bit, so he could relax instead of work his muscles to stay in that position. "He's picking up Tidus from school." She responded, slowly with only a hint of uncertainty.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke looked directly into Tenten's eyes when he asked, quirking a dark brow or hoping he was doing so, he couldn't feel much of his face yet.

"I'm not sure. He should've been back by now." She answered honestly, averting her gaze elsewhere for the time being. If Itachi was out there and in trouble, he was going to need some assistance, right? How was she to know? Certainly he had his reasons for being a bit late. Perhaps he was picking up some food.\

"Has he tried to get back at Pein yet? You know he was the one who did this to us, don't you Tenten?" Sasuke asked her, hoping she would look at him when she replied.

"No, there's been no retaliation as far as I know. I thought it odd that he didn't try anything, but I was a little relieved. I guess the last thing we need right now is another bloodbath." Tenten stated, finally glancing back at Sasuke before taking a seat in a chair beside the rested her arms on the sides and let out a tired sigh, her mind was starting to wander, and go places she didn't want it to. She was filled with worry and concern, things were starting to look a little bleak. She didn't think Itachi had tried to retaliate against Pein and the other members of the Akatsuki, but had he and just kept it a secret from her? He wasn't really acting suspicious about things.

"I don't think he would let this slide, Tenten. And I know you know that too. It's obvious that he's been up to something." Sasuke noted as he ran his free hand through his thick black locks, grumpy to find that it was difficult to do so. His hair was dirty, and tangled and immediately he longed for a shower. Groaning lowly, he dropped his hand and looked at his perplexed sister-in-law. She was obviously in thought, deeply. She didn't seriously think that Itachi wouldn't bat an eye at such a happening? She saw first hand what Itachi had done to Orochimaru, what made this any different? In ways it was worse because her life hung in the balance this time, and not only her life, but an unborn child's life as well. So what made her think that Itachi was simply shrugging it off, letting it roll off his shoulders like nothing happened? Sasuke had been out for weeks and knew more than she did.

"So you think he's up to something?" She asked in all seriousness, pouting her lower lip and knitting her brows together as her arms crossed over her chest. She supposed Sasuke had to be right, Itachi wouldn't just let this happening go like it had never happened in the first place. But why hadn't he notified her? And of course he had kept her in the house as much as possible, blaming it on her injury of course but in all reality he was most likely scheming behind her back, and keeping her home so that she wouldn't get involved. Of course Tenten would've tried to intervene or stop him. Of course Itachi knew that she would, so she was left in the dark.

"It's likely he's up to something right now."

Ino was thankful that Hidan and Konan had not forced she and Tidus into the large building wielding weapons or spewing profanities left and right like she had expected them to. Instead they ushered the two into the place silently, and Ino kept Tidus close as they walked in. Things were much different here than they were back at Uchiha Enterprises. The first thing she noticed was that it was very dark. Once inside, they had immediately walked into what appeared to be a narrow hallway. The walls were a deep color of red, resembling the richness of blood and the floors were black and white checkered air felt dry, and stiff and it was almost difficult to draw a breath, and there were two men that stood at the beginning of the hallway, perfectly still as they observed Ino and Tidus carefully.

Ino cradled the boy close to her chest and assured him quietly that things were fine as she began to follow Hidan and Konan down the hallway reluctantly. She was feeling neurotic, anxious, frightened and more as she slowly listened to the sounds of their footsteps echoing off the narrow walls. They passed a few doors on each side, never entering into them, just walking straight. It seemed like the hallway would never end, but finally, they rounded a corner to a staircase and they started to ascend.

What could she do? There was nothing. Her hopes were that someone would take notice that she and Tidus were coincidentally missing, and that maybe Itachi was witty enough to piece two and two together. Certainly Itachi was a smart man, he had to have known she was missing, and by now it had to be evident that Tidus wasn't at school. That was the only thing she had to hope for now. She just had to keep she and Tidus safe until their rescue came. If that meant playing any of their twisted games, so be it. They would not lay a finger on Tidus. There was just no way. And something told her deep down, that Konan would not let anything happen to him either. It was a woman's intuition, she supposed, that told her that.

When they reached the top of the staircase, they walked down another hallway, but this one was even darker should that even be possible. The walls were probably black, perhaps a dark brown but Ino couldn't tell. Tidus was growing increasingly uneasy and he forced his face into Ino's chest for some type of comfort, his little body trembling with fear. All she could do was rub his back and assure him that things were fine as they neared the end of that hallway. There was a single door at the end, and she assumed this is where the 'big boss' would be waiting, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be nearly as nice as Itachi, if you could ever dare to call Itachi such a thing.

Konan was the one to swing the door open and she entered first, telling she and Hidan to wait there, and she closed the door behind her once inside.

Konan stood in front of Pein's desk, bowing deeply and waiting for him to speak. The darkness never bothered her, this was just Pein's way of life, certainly she was very used to his customs.

"Konan," His low voice billowed through the silence like red clouds of blood through deep blue waters, floating ominously but lightly.

"Sir, I have come across something that just may please you." She said, bringing her body back upright and looking at the shadowy figure behind the desk as she noticed a puff of smoke float in her direction.

"Come here." He husked, not bothering to say more. He didn't need to say anything else, not with her. Konan belonged to him, and if he asked she would do whatever it was that he asked.

Konan quickly made her way before him and sat herself on the ledge of the desk, looking at him intently with an innocent gleam in her eye.

"What is it that you think shall please me, Konan?" He asked quietly as his fingertips grazed the smooth and creamy skin of her thigh that was nearest to him and those fingertips trailed upward at a slow and painful pace.

"I brought you a gift." She stated cooly as she tried not to shudder under his light touches. "I knew how worried you were about.." She almost spoke his first name, which would've been a tragic mistake on her part, how could she be so casual about Itachi? "Uchiha."

"Hm." Pein's hand moved away from her leg, and now she had his full attention as his dizzying eyes met hers.

"Hidan had stumbled into the younger Uchiha's wife, and she tried to harm him, obviously she was trying to retaliate against us. So he kidnapped her to bring her here, but I thought we might as well take advantage of the fact that the woman was related to Uchiha Itachi, so we also got a hold of his child."

They had his son, God only knew what they were doing to him. And now they were certainly going to pay with their lives, every last one of them were sure to pay. Itachi Uchiha was outraged. The look in his eye was something deadly, enough to stop even the most hardened criminal dead in their tracks. He was ready to storm the gates of hell for his child and that is precisely what they planned on doing thanks to Mangetsu and his location skills.

It was a fleet of black vehicles racing down the highway, one right after another and when those ahead saw what was coming behind them, they immediately pulled over. The people knew what those vehicles meant. Typically it was like that when a funeral was driving through town, but at the breakneck speeds they were all driving, they knew it was a Yakuza event about to happen. No one ever questioned it, or the authority that those men had. They would never dare.

Mangetsu and Chojuro stayed behind at Zabuza's place to offer their support from a distance, hacking into the surveillance system of the Akatsuki's building so they would be able to map out the building and its security. While the rest of the men and Ameyuri went out together to strike all at once.

Itachi drove the car with Zabuza and Haku, leading the fleet behind him. His heart was thimping loudly in his ears, but he was more elated than nervous. His anger trumped over the fear, the lust for blood burning through his veins and he was desperate and hungry like a ravenous wolf. Those bastards wouldn't see what was coming, and they would probably only have mere seconds to utter prayers before they met their ends. Tenten would have to understand his actions later. He did feel bad about leaving her there with an explanation, but she would understand later. Especially when Itachi returned Tidus safely to his mother's arms.

Tenten deserved to know the truth, and she would soon enough. There were certain things a man had to do to protect his family, whether they knew about it or not. He was protecting them, keeping them safe. He was a respectable man, and he wouldn't be the same if he had sat back and done nothing about this, that was not the right thing to do. The right thing to do was to take a stand, and show the world that they best not fuck with the Uchiha family, because certainly you wouldn't make it out alive. Orochimaru didn't, and neither would Pein or any of his cronies. Death was immanent.

Haku was in the back seat getting several weapons ready and loaded, his mind only focusing on one thing. This type of activity was not new to any of them, and despite the fact that Zabuza had been in the business longer than Haku, Haku had seen more kills. He was renown. He was an assasin, a killer by trade and he enjoyed it. He had deadly accuracy, never missed once. If you were in his line of sights, you were as good as dead because he would not stop at anything if he was determined to kill, and today he was. Especially with the fact that his little sister's life had almost been snuffed out by these bastards. Certainly they would pay, and he was more than happy to deliver them unto Mr. Mayhem. It was sad, but the man enjoyed his job a little too much. That was the life he was raised into, he and Zabuza shielded Tenten from it as much as possible, but she was a smart girl. Usually she was wise to what they were up to, but fighting kept her busy enough and safe enough.

She was trained to handle herself, and Haku was trained for this. For revenge for those who couldn't claim it on their own, but had the cash to pay for it. To pay blood for blood, to get justice for families who could not get it themselves or through the law. Sometimes matters had to be handled this way, there was simply no avoiding it. It was rather refreshing to see Tenten's husband step into the roll that he was in, now a part of the clan. He wa more than family now. He was a comerade, that Haku dared not leave behind, he vowed to have Itachi's back, just as Itachi would have his own. They were ready, to storm the gates and take back what belonged to them.

"Up here on your left, Itachi." Chojuro's monotone voice rang throughthe earpiece inside Itachi's right ear. Itachi quickly turned on a dime, pulling up to a large and dingy looking building. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that all of his dreaming, all the longing for this very moment was over now. It was reality, and he was ready for it, more than ready. The fleet of vehicles followed after him, and they parked in an ominous line in front of the building, drivers and passengers getting out of the cars and heading to the doors. Itachi was the first to enter.

Two men were there at the entrance waiting but they were dead in a matter of seconds and soon, a loud ringing alarm was blarring through the hallway while lights flickered on an off like a strobe as a warning. Now Pein knew they were here, though Itachi didn't care much.

Zabuza and Haku had followed quickly after Itachi, watchin his back carefully as they sauntered slowly down the hallways cautiously. They kept their eyes peeled, knowing what subtlties to look for in case someone was lurking around and tryig to conceal themselves.

The front doors had swung shut and locked, due to the security breach, and so now it was just the three of them. None of the other members had been able to make it inside and they stood outside looking amungst themselves in despair. All they could do now was pray that their comrades would survive this.

Itachi hadn't seen him, but Haku had. And he shot the man at the bottom of the stairwell to their left without hesitation, and the man slumpped to the ground in a messy heap. Itachi breifly looked over his shoulder at Haku and gave him a grateful nod before proceeding up the staircase. They all knew to be careful, Ino and Tidus were in this building. That was what their main focus was, to get them back and into safety. Haku had stayed behind and began searching different rooms on that lower level while Zabuza and Itachi pressed on.

Itachi could feel it, the closeness as he continued up that dark staircase. He could feel his son was near, and he could feel that vengance was there just within reach. His heartrate increased, and he was readying himself mentally, he kept his shoulders high, but his knees were bent slightly he was ready for this. He was on edge, observing every single detail of this building that there was to observe.

Zabuza stopped in the center of the staircase, freezing in his steps and looking at Itachi with wide eyes. "I heard Tidus, he's downstairs right now, we have to go back." Zabuza's low and deep voice husked darkly. He needed to get back to his grandson at any cost, aside from that his son could probably use some backup. The rest of this battle was resting on Itachi's shoulders. "Go on," He urged his son-in-law. "Get what's yours. I gotta get Tidus and Ino."

Itachi gave him a breif nod before placing a firm hand upon Zabuza's shoulder and squeezed it. "Be careful, old man."

"You too, kid." Zabuza mumbled before disappearing back down the stairwell into the darkness.

Itachi looked after him for a moment until he could no longer see him, and from there he continued up the stairwell to exact his revenge.

Sasuke had given up hope, he had crashed out once more now that the day was over and darkenss had overtaken Konoha. Tenten had done her fair share of thinking, trying desperately to piece together what plan Itachi could have possibly be carrying out.

First of all, something was dreadfully wrong because her son was not here, and neither was her husband or Ino. Second of all, there had to be some connection as to why all three of them were coincidentally missing all at once. But there was simply no way that it was all coincidence. No! There just couldn't be. Tenten kissed her brother-in-law's forehead and walked out of his hospital room, mind still reeling as she tried to figure out this mess before her.

What were the facts? The first person to go missing was Ino. So why was she missing? Was this because of Pein? If so why would Pein have taken her, unless Itachi had in some way retaliated against him. Which was very possible, Sasuke had brought to light that fact. So how had Itachi retaliated then? Obviously it was subtle. And was there a connection between he and Haku? Was all of this the real reasoning behind Haku's lengthy stay in Konoha?

Brown eyes blinked rapidly in realization as the facts finally strung together for Tenten. Itachi had recruited Haku to help him exact revenge, and of course Haku would accept if it pertained to Tenten! So what kind of mess were they in at this very moment?! Her heart stopped inside of her chest and she could almost feel her organs shutting down and her body became petrified as she stood there in that quiet, dark hospital hallway.

Panic flooded her veins and pulsed through, forcing that heart to start beating again. The first stop she had to make would be the only logical one, to her father's home. She hadn't said a word, and she swore that she had just left him there sleeping, but suddenly Sasuke was right beside her, still in his hospital gown but his face was very distraught.

It was like he read her mind, he looked right through her. "I'm coming with you."

Itachi was nearing the end of that final hallway, face to face with a large burnt mocha colored door, knowing precicely what was behind it or rather whom. He knew that Pein knew he was here, and it was likely that Itachi would be shot down the moment that door swung open. So he debated only for a moment, on whether or not he would do it. But there was simply no stopping him now.

With one swift movement, he raised his right leg and kicked that door with all of his force, and it swung open in a ragged manor and he leapt to the side in case of open fire waiting for him. But there was nothing, only the sound of the door clanging away from its hinges, as darkness poured from the room. He held his breath and peered in, noticing a shadowy figure standing behind a large desk. The thick smell of alcohol and smoke filled his lungs, it was strong. The man must've been a heavy drinker. It was foolish to rush in, but Itachi did. He wasn't waiting around for a moment to come, he was forcing the moment. This was his moment.

"I figured you would come." A low voice spoke, peircing into the silence as the figure rounded the desk and stood before Itachi. No violence had broken out yet, only more silence after the man had spoken.

He was close enough for Itachi to smell the liquor on his breath. He almost felt bad for killing a drunken man, who was too slow for reaction, but he didn't go there. His hand wrapped around the man's throat and he squeezed it, crushing it beneath his strength.

The man struggled for a moment, but was quickly able to escape Itachi's grip before he took a swing at Itachi. He had a slight advantage because his eyes were well adjusted to the darkenss, and Itachi's were still doing just that. But the advantage would fade soon enough.

Itachi felt a fist make impact with his cheek, and he stumbled backward into a book case, knocking a few books loose as they fell to the floor by his feet with a thud. The man chuckled darkly in response to Itachi's clumsiness. "What's wrong, Uchiha? I've been expecting you. Did you think I wouldn't be ready for you?"

"Fuck you! You nearly killed my wife, and my unborn child. Not to mention my little brother."

"So I didn't suceed?" The voice sounded immanently disappointed, and his gaze lowered.

"Fuck no, it takes a lot more than that shit to take an Uchiha down." Itachi warned, regaining his composure and facing the man head on. Now he could see the orange hues of the man's unnatural hair, and the glimmer of the piercings in his face as small amounts of light reflected off of them. He was an ugly son of a bitch, that was for sure.

"Then one thing should have been blatantly clear to you, Uchiha. You should never have harmed Konan." The man warned as he drew a gun and Itachi heard it as he cocked it. But Itachi was quick enough to have kicked it from his hand and it toppled sloppily to the ground. He lunged toward him, gripping the back of his hair violently and cleared the desk of all the items before he slammed the man's head into it with enough force to have cracked any normal person's skull. But apparently this man had a thick one. So he had to slam it again, and again, and again until the man stumbled backward, blood pouring from the side of his face.

Itachi preferred it this way. He liked to inflict the violence himself. Guns were just too merciful. He sauntered over the man who had found his way to the ground and he knelt down to him and took a good look. "You're pathetic. Had you known what that woman tried to do, you would've done the same thing I did."

"F-f-fuck...y-you..."

"No, I'm not fucked today, you are." Itachi growled lowly, making his dominance known before he gripped tightly onto the man's jacket and hoisted him up to his feet. The man was dizzy, hardly able to stand on his own but Itachi roughly walked him behind the desk, his feet fumbling across the floor sloppily and stumbling over one another. "You messed with the wrong fucking family." Itachi hissed, drawing his face close to Pein's and making sure the man looked him in the eye before Itachi shoved him roughly through the glass of the window and watched his body plummet down the several stories until it fell to the cement below with a dull thud.

His satisfied smirk couldn't be extinguished as he stared down at the lifeless body, blood pooling out around it. Finally he had quenched it, that lust for blood that had begun to consume him from the inside out. Sasuke, Tenten they were avenged. He had done right by them, blood for blood. That's the world they lived in.

After a moment of silence, he turned his back to the window and rushed down the stairs to find his son, Ino and his in-laws.

He could hear gunfire, he could hear some screaming. His heart stopped and he forced his suddenly shaky legs to rush down that stairwell and he nearly tripped over his own feet. If is son, if anything happened to Tidus he may as well take his own life then and there. Join Pein on the sidewalk. Tenten would never forgive him should harm come to their child.

His pace quickened and he reached the end of the staircase, and rushed down the hallway to the room in which he had heard the screams. There he saw it. Konan holding Tidus in one arm as he rested on her hip, while she held a gun to Zabuza who had his arms up in defense.

"Konan!" Itachi boomed, "D-Do not shoot! Please!" He plead, slowly walking into the room and trying to look as calm as he possibly could. This could not be happening, Tidus could not see this. He didn't know where Ino was, but right now, Itachi needed to get his child to safety and try to spare his father-in-law's life.

But there was simply nothing he could do to have changed her mind, because as soon as Itachi walked into the room she fired that gun and Zabuza, the strongest man that Itachi had ever known, slumpped to the floor falling face first, blood pooling from a gunshot wound to the head.

Itachi's eyes widened and the sound that his son made curdled his blood as he watched his father-in-law die at the hands of this dispicable woman whom had done such a detestable act right in front of his child. He was going to kill her, and that was final. But he had to get his frightened child away from the manica first.

"Chi-Chan!" Tidus cried hystarically and reached for his fallen grandfather before turning his attention to his father, tears gushing from his large and terrified onyx eyes. "Daddy..." Hi whispered through trembling lips.

"Daddy's here Tidus," Itachi cooed calmly before looking at Konan and holding his hands up as a gesture of peace between he and the manical woman. "Konan, I need you to put that gun down, right now." He asked calmly and gently, though his anger was pulsing through his body. This was not the way he anticipated things to have happened, Zabuza was not supposed to die, not this way. "Come on now, let's just talk about this together, can you just put that gun down?" His voice was smooth, charming and cunning. Enough to make any woman heed to his command. It came along with being an Uchiha, though he seldom used that charm.

Konan studied him carefully, her hand that held the weapon was shaking like a leaf and she was terrified. Truly she had pulled the trigger in a panic, not meaning to shoot the man, but she did. And now the child in her arms had just been scarred for life, traumatized and she never meant to cause that amount of pain to an innocent child. Quickly she tossed the weapon to the floor, wanting nothing more than to be rid of it.

"Good," Itachi encouraged, now just put my son down."

"You-You're gonna hurt me..." She whisperd frightened as she stared at him with wide amber eyes. It was amazing how he could reduce her into a pile of mush that was terrified for her life.

"It's okay, Konan. It was an accident." Itachi assured, giving her a small smile as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes half closed to seem more welcoming.

Slowly, she lowered the boy down and he ran to his father as fast as his tiny legs could possibly carry him. He clung to his father's leg tightly, not wanting to ever let go after witnessing what this woman was capable of. Itachi would have to beg for his forgiveness, because he was only going to add to the trauma that his son would be facing on this fateful day, but in time he was sure he would heal. "Tidus, close your eyes and cover your ears."

Ino had been tied up in a room guarded by Hidan. He hadn't struk her, threatened her or even laid a finger on her. He simply paced that room to and fro, angrily contemplating what he would do with her while Konan was trying to bond with Itachi's son. He was more than angry with the wench for attempting to poison him, but he didn't have it in him to kill her. Now when he carried some type of feeling for her, be it lust or something more substantial. His pride was too fragile, he wouldn't take a woman by force. That was easy, there was no fun in that. He could have any woman he wanted that way, and that took the sport out of the chase completely. Perhaps if he treated her with decency, she would come down with a case of stockholm syndrome.

He hadn't had much of an opportunity to speak with her, or ask her why she had done it becasue the security system had been tripped, notifying him that there were intruders in the building and quickly he drew his weapon. "Stay quiet, blondie!" He warned as he looked at her over his shoulder. He stayed in his place, desperate to carry out his duty and keep her from being taken, he was sure that her rescuers had come, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

Hidan was not the type of man to flee, he was the type of man to carry out a mission even if it meant that his life would end, but this was the way the business was. There was no guaruntee for tomorrow.

Soon enough, the door to the room that he held her captive in, flung open and a dark haired man with large and decietful eyes stood there, for a breif moment and suddenly, Hidan was engulfed in darkness as his body fell to the floor.

Ino could not believe the speed and accuracy that the man before her had, he never hesitated, not one single second. As soon as the door was open, Hidan had hit the floor. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous. She didn't know if he was an ally, or if he was a foe, but when she took a closer look, she realized that he had a strong resemblance to her friend Tenten. She couldn't remember if Tenten had any other family, besides Zabuza, but perhaps this was one of them.

Haku holstered his gun and made quick work of untying the poor blonde girl before helping her to her feet and checking her over. "Are you Ino?"

"Yes, I'm Ino." She whispered with a dry voice. "A-are you here to get Tidus and I?" She inquired dumbly.

"Yes." He stated before cringing at the sound of shots being fired in the near distance. Instinctually, he stood in front of the woman, but silence suddenly blanketed the building. And after a breif moment, a second shot rang through that silence and shattered it into thousands of anxious pieces that pierced his heart and Ino's.

Quickly, he grabbed the girl's hand and instructed her to stay close to him, and behind him. He drew his gun with his free hand and rushed down the hallway until he reached the doorway that the sound had come from, and his heart sank at the sight before him.

Tenten had easilly extracted the information from Mangetsu and Chojuro for the whereabouts of her husband, father, brother, and hopefully her son and Ino as well. Sasuke had the opportunity to change while they were there into a simple grey t-shirt and black pants that belonged to her father before they raced off to their destination.

Sasuke knew he wasn't up for much strenuous activity, but should the occasion arise he would do whatever he needed to do in order to keep Ino safe, especially if what Tenten's friend's had said. They had informed Sasuke and Tenten that Itachi believed that Pein and his cronies had Ino captive as well as Tidus there, and Itachi had planned to take them all on, and bring Ino and Tidus home safely. Sasuke was praying under his breath that Itachi had done just that as Tenten flew down the highway at an impeccibly fast speed.

"Tenten, you need to slow down. Don't be an idiot." Sasuke scolded, darting a glare in her direction. "That's reckless, you're pregnant and I'm a hospital escapee."

"Ino could be in danger, Sasuke and you're telling me to slow down?!" Tenten exclaimed, this only caused her to speed up as her heart thumped hard inside of her chest. Why hadn't Itachi told her about this?! What if something happened to him!? It was her anger and adrenaline that kept her going on the road in the dark, she passed slower vehicles haphazardly and continued on as they drove in silence.

She wasn't going to let Itachi go into battle alone, sure he would be angry with her for showing up, but she didn't care. It was a risk she was willing to take, especially if her son's life was in danger. Not to mention that Ino may have very well experienced what Tenten had not too long ago. She would not be deterred, nothing was to stop her. Not even the urgings of her anxious brother-in-law who was pleading for his dear life, mumbling prayers and clinging to his seat belt.

It didn't take them long to spot the building because it was lined with all black vehicles, no doubt belonging to Haku's Yakuza clan. She whipped into the parking lot and parked her vehicle roughly, causing poor Sasuke to be jolted foreward and he grimaced and cringed as the seatbelt pushed rught up against his wound. But at this point, Tenten didn't care. She wanted to get to Itachi.

She flung herself out of the vehicle and looked around, most of the Yakuza members were outside, talking amungst themselves anxiously, buzzing with different thoughts and hopes about what may be occurring inside of that building.

Tenten rushed up to them and they all nearly fell to their faces in reverence of the dear 'Princess.' But she demanded they tell her what was happening, but none of them could. They explained that Zabuza, Itachi and Haku had all gone in first and that the building locked behind them. They didn't seem all that hopeful that any of them would make it out alive and they urged Tenten to stay back should any of the remaining Akatsuki emerge and try to fight the rest of the Demons off. But she refused.

Sasuke slowly followed her, pushing through the members and staring at the doors as if silently demandng them to come open, and they did. And that's when he saw Ino rushing out quickly and when he saw her, he nearly fell to his knees. "Ino," He whispered through trembling lips as his eyes welled up with tears and stung intensely as he fought them off.

Ino was elated and shocked to see him waiting there for her, and her heart leapt from her chest as it was filled with hope until it overflowed. She rushed to him eagerlly, arms outstreched wide and she wrapped her arms around him, disregarding his wounds as she buried her face into his chest and immediately began to sob. She felt one arm wrap tightly around her waist as the other pet her hair gently and cradled her head closely. "You're okay," She whispered.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Sasuke whispered as he placed a tender kiss atop her head and a few tears streamed down his cheeks. "I was so worried," He choked with a voice that cracked.

"Sasuke, I was afraid I would never see you again," Ino cried even harder into his chest and her grip around him tightened.

"That'll never happen, Ino. I promise." He assured.

The next to exit the building was Tidus, and he was running full speed, desperate to escape the hell that he had just endured. When he spotted his mother he flung himself into the air, forcing her to catch him and cradle him closely as tears fell from both of their eyes. "Tidus!"

"Mommy!" He cried in unison as he nuzzled her neck, wetting it with sorrowful and releived tears.

And then her heart stopped. She saw Itachi and Haku, and they were carrying a body out, that wa covered with a white drape and she knew who that body belonged to. She nearly dropped her child when she saw them. Slowly, she lowered Tidus to the ground and she looked at Itachi with a devastated expression plastered onto her broken face.

He had kept all of this from her, he was involved with the Yakuza without her concent, he had gone into the Akatsuki territory without breathing a word of it to her. And what had it cost? The life of her father. She knew without a doubt that he was gone, he was her livelyhood. The man whom had raised her to be the strong woman that she was today. And he was gone, this was Itachi's doing. "You." She growled angrily, looking right into Itachi's eyes. "My father!" She cried angrily, the sheer brokenness and anger in her voice causing the entire crowd to cringe and their hearts to break. "Daddy!" Tenten sobbed sorrowfully, doubling over and holding back the urge to vomit.

Haku and Itachi lay the body gently on the ground and looked at the woman with large and uncertain eyes, there was nothing they could've done. He was gone, and they simply could not change that.

"You kept all of this from me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, so loudly that it caused her throat to be pained.

Sasuke knew whatever was coming was not going to be good. Gently, he released his wife and slowly approached Tenten.

"He's dead now bcause of you!" She shouted again, her heart had shattered inside of her chest. She never imagined the immence amount of pain that she was experiencing right now, and she felt like her world was ending. Her anger was spiraling out of control. She lunged forward, desperate to get her hands on that man, the one who had been the cause of all of this chaos. The death of her father, her flesh and blood.

Quickly, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist and held her still, though she continually thrashed and kicked, desperate to hurt him in some way to compensate for all of the pain she was currently enduring.

"Tenten!" Sasuke exclaimed, cringing at her violent movements.

Her hair flew about and covered her face as she continued to convulse until her energy had been sapped and she went limp in Sasuke's arms. She sunk to the ground and sobbed hard in her hands, thunder rumbling up above in the clouds.

Itachi slowly approahed her, not knowing how to comfort her, but he felt so horrible for what had happened. "Tenten," He offered as gently as he could, his own heart shattering in his chest as his child watched the two of them in horror.

"Get away from me! Just stay away!" She warned viciously. "I don't want to see you again!"