A/N: WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CHAPTER: Frodo is leaving the Fellowship to venture out on his own to destroy the One Ring, but has two unexpected companions; Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship fight off the large army of Isengard Uruk-hai; A death and kidnapping.

Naruto Masashi Kishimoto and Lord of the Rings © J.R.R Tolkien. I don't own or have any affiliation with both works of fiction.

Please review responsibly and constructively. NO FLAMES WILL BE APPRECIATED!

(A/N: (5/06/2019) I wasn't satisfied with the way this chapter had been finished, so I went back and tweaked it a little. Hope you enjoy reading this chapter.)

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

"We're all stories in the end. Let's just make it a good one, eh?"
~The Eleventh Doctor (Doctor Who)

Previously…

Frodo recoils in horror when Sauron's Eye leaps towards him like a finger of light. He leaps off the seat, and tumbled down the stairs. Sauron's eye sweeps around Amon Hen like a searchlight, looking for the Ring. Frodo struggled to remove the Ring from his forefinger… and immediately finds himself lying on the summit of Amon Hen, gasping for breath.

"Frodo?" Frodo glanced up to see Aragorn and Sasuke towering over him, looking concerned.

Frodo stared at them, still very afraid and questioning everything… and everyone.

"It has taken Boromir!" Frodo told Aragorn and Sasuke. Aragorn's eyes narrowed with concern and he walked towards Frodo, worried that Boromir had forcibly taken the Ring from the Ringbearer.

"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn asked urgently. Frodo backed away from Aragorn, shocking the ranger. Sasuke remained where he was standing; he could recognise the crazed look in the hobbit's eyes. He sighed, realising that Boromir had scared him more than they realised and had broken Frodo's trust with not only the soldier, but also everyone else.

"Stay away!" Frodo warned them both. Aragorn looked hurt.

"Frodo… I swore to protect you."

"So did I." Sasuke added, look determinedly at Frodo. But the hobbit remained stubborn.

"Can you protect me from yourselves?" The hobbit retorted. Frodo uncurled his fist, and nestled in the palm lay the Ring. It glinted; gold and beautiful in the afternoon sun. Both Aragorn and Sasuke's eyes are immediately drawn to it. "Would you destroy it?" Aragorn, looking at the Ring, slowly approached Frodo. Suddenly, the three of them could hear the Ring start to whisper.

"Aragorn…Aragorn…Elessar…" Aragorn reached out his hand towards the Ring. Sasuke could hear the Ring whispering something different: "Avenger… Last of the Uchihas…" It made the boy flinch uncomfortable. Frodo did not make a move, questioning what the ranger was about to do next. Not to mention Sasuke who was carefully observing them both. With both hands, Aragorn closed Frodo's hand over the Ring and pushed it towards his chest as he kneels before the Ringbearer. Frodo looked at him with shock, then relief.

"I would have gone with you … we would've gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn reassured Frodo, loyalty as plain as the nose on his face. Frodo glanced over at Sasuke who gave a curt nod and very tiny smile, confirming what Aragorn had said.

"I know. Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand." Frodo instructed both ranger and shinobi. Both men nodded, solemnly. Sasuke suddenly cursed colourfully, and drew his katana. A blue glow attracted Aragorn's attention and he glanced down to see that Frodo's sword, Sting, was glowing an eerie blue light. He frowned and stood up, immediately drawing his sword.

"Go, Frodo. Run." The hobbit hesitated. Aragorn looked back at him anxiously as he started walking towards where Sasuke was staring at something they couldn't see, sweatdropping. "Run!"

"Go, damn you!" growled Sasuke, gripping his katana in a death grip.

Frodo runs from the hilltop. Aragorn strides over to Sasuke's side and is greeted with the sight of about 200 Uruk-hai advancing towards them. Showing no fear, Aragorn walks bravely towards them and touches his sword to his forehead. Sasuke gulps silently before adopting a vicious, steely-eyed glare that had last been on his face when he faced off against his brother and when he was fighting to keep his body away from Orochimaru. The Uruks immediately attacked, and Aragorn and Sasuke cut down several. However, they forced the both of them up the stairs of the seat.

Sasuke, having been taught and raised in the oriental-style of sword fighting, has the added handicap of element manipulation on his side, and uses this to his advantage as he summons lightning; which coats his katana blade in a crackling cover of electricity and arches a vicious, and well-aimed slice at his more unfortunate opponents, killing them instantly. Aragorn however, attacks the leading Uruk-hai like a madman, bringing two down with his sword and leaping into the ruins as others close in on him. He battles the Uruk-hai amongst the pillars and blocks of Amon Hen. But despite their obvious bravery, both Aragorn and Sasuke are quickly surrounded. Suddenly, elven arrows smash into the Uruk-hai and Legolas races out of the woods, firing his bow. Gimli leaps into the battle, wielding his axe.

"SHANNARO!"

Sasuke groans as he hears Sakura's familiar battle cry. What he wasn't expecting was the giant earthquake that came soon after. Stopping dead in their tracks, the male members of the Fellowship turned towards their token female member and dropped open their mouths in shock. Sakura had rushed onto the scene and immediately after taking out whatever Uruk-hai stumbled into her path, she had smashed her fist on the hardened earth, splitting it down the middle with her monsterous, chakra-enhanced strength.

"But … that's impossible." Legolas stammered, and looked over at a straight-faced Sasuke who appeared completely calm on the outside, but inwardly was speechless and glad that he hadn't completely suffered Sakura's wrath before they were stranded in Middle Earth.

"Did you know she could do that, laddie?" Gimli demanded, as the four of them watched Sakura single-handedly holding her own against the uruk-hai. The avenger shook his head in reply before ducking and parring an attack from yet another uruk-hai. Aragorn said nothing, but was impressed.

The men continued battling.

Frodo darted down the steep Parth Galen hillside, fleeing from the fight behind him and making a desperate attempt to reach the riverside so he could continue on his quest. And he hoped to do it before he was discovered by any of the other hobbits. Meanwhile, Sam was looking around for Frodo.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam looked around for his friend. While the leader of the Uruk-hai started bellowing his orders to his subordinates.

"Find the Halflings … find the halflings!" Naruto who was nearby, overheard this and his eyes widened in horror. He had a feeling, he knew why the hobbits were being targeted. It was time to put Team Seven's plan into motion. He just wished that he'd have had enough time. Then he suddenly got an idea and fashioned the hand signs to his favourite jutsu.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto created a clone and sent it to his teammates. He ordered the clone to give them the message that he was implementing their plan. Once the clone dispersed Naruto immediately set out to find Frodo.

With Frodo, the hobbit stumbled and fell. Recovering, he quickly crawled behind a tree. And just in the knick of time, as the sound of Uruk-hai crashing through the forest rang out.

"Frodo!" He looked around and saw Merry and Pippin hidden in a hollow, a few feet away. "Hide here, quick!" He urged his cousin, gesturing frantically.

"Come on…" Pippin agreed. But Frodo looked at his friends/cousins and slowly shook his head, he had a great sadness in his eyes. Merry's eyes widened when he realised what Frodo was about to do. Pippin looked between his best friend and Frodo, looking confused.

"What's he doing?" Merry's eyes meet Frodo's, and he nods. Understanding.

"He's leavin'." Merry told Pippin, whose eyes widened in shock and fear.

"No!" Pippin runs out towards Frodo, and darts out from underneath the hollow. Merry grabs his arm, attempting to pull him back. But it's too late, both Merry and Pippin are now out in the open. Several of the Uruk-hai who were coming down the hill, suddenly change course and start running at them. Snarling in the process. Pippin shakes with fear, until he realises that he and Merry could distract the Uruk-hai long enough for Frodo to make his escape. Merry steels his face with determination and turns his head subtly in Frodo's direction.

"Run, Frodo! Go!" Merry whispers to Frodo, who frowns at him in confusion. Merry turns to the advancing group of Uruk-hai and calls out to them. "Hey! Hey you! Over here!" Pippin catches on, and Frodo's face twists in surprise.

"Hey!" Pippin calls out.

"Over here!" Merry runs off with Pippin close behind him waving his arms about to get their attention.

"This way!" Both hobbits lead the Uruk-hai away from Frodo, who makes a break for it, running in the opposite direction. Pippin looks behind to see the fast approaching enemy. "It's working!" He announces to Merry.

"I know it's working! Run!"

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Sasuke and Sakura continue to fight the Uruk-hai. In one smooth move, Legolas stabs one of them with an arrow then shoots it out at another. Gimli wields his axe, while Aragorn stabs an uruk-hai behind Gimli. Sasuke and Sakura fought back to back with one another, defending each other's back like they used to back in the days of 'Team Seven.' Only it wasn't time to be reminiscent and Kakashi or Naruto was not within cooee of the battle. But it didn't mean that Naruto wasn't in the thick of it either. This uruk-hai was big and many, and could easily have spread out when they attacked.

"Where is Naruto when we need him?" Sakura yelled, as she swung out and hit one of the uruk-hai that ventured too close.

Merry and Pippin run across an old stone bridge. At the far end, both of them stop and see Uruk-hai running towards them. The Uruks close in, both in front and behind. One runs up to them, raising his battleaxe when Boromir suddenly comes charging in, and knocks the Uruk back killing him with his own axe. He throws a smaller knife at another as more of them close in.

Legolas kills orc after orc, and shoots down an Uruk-hai who had snuck up on Aragorn. Suddenly, the five of them hear three loud horn blasts in the distance. Legolas' eyes widened.

"The Horn of Gondor!" He declares.

"Boromir!" Aragorn whispers and desperately slashes his way towards Boromir, felling Uruk-hai in his path … while Legolas and Gimli fight a rear guard action. Sasuke and Sakura are about to join in the fray when 'Naruto' suddenly appears out of nowhere, cutting down Uruks in his path.

"Where have you been, dobe?" Sasuke demands, both angry and relieved to see that his lover was alright and unharmed. Sakura swings at him in her fury, but to her surprise 'Naruto' sidestepped out of the way. She is stunned.

"I am not Naruto." Both shinobi stare at the clone in shock.

"Where is he?" Sasuke whispers, fearful all of a sudden. The clone smiles sadly and steps back from them both.

"The boss told me to tell you that he's going ahead with the plan. He's sorry that he couldn't say goodbye to you both personally, but he hoped that you would understand, under the current circumstances." Both Sasuke and Sakura nodded, tears forming in Sakura's eyes as she knew that they might not see Naruto again … and Sasuke, was despairing because he had only spent such a short time with Naruto since he had tried to kill him and when they had reconciled back in Rivendell. The clone went to dispel itself, but then paused seeing the devastated state of his boss's teammates and decided to give them a gift. "Was there something you'd like me to pass on to the boss?" It asked tentatively.

Both Sasuke and Sakura immediately looked up with fierce determination on the faces the second the clone asked them this question. Sasuke stepped forward and immediately backhanded 'Naruto' across the face, but then immediately afterwards wrapped up the clone in a very strong, very ardent embrace that almost popped the clone out of existence.

"You be safe, don't do anything reckless or stupid. And you come back to us, Naruto. Do you understand me!?" Sakura whispered urgently in the clone's ear. The clone massaged its jaw as Sakura then turned and threw herself back into the battle, running like her life depended on it and leaving Sasuke to leave his own message.

The clone looked at the Avenger apprehensively, wondering what he had in store for Naruto, but was surprised when Sasuke merely dropped his katana to the ground – a feat almost unheard of by the Uchiha, who prized his weaponry like they were his children – and seized the clone by the lapels, bringing it in for an extremely passionate kiss. Several minutes ticked by before the Uchiha finally surfaced and brought the dazed and blushing clone close to whisper into its ear.

"We're not finished, dobe." Sasuke whispered cryptically in its ear before planting a chaste kiss on its cheek and then 'killing' it by stabbing it with his katana. It exploded into smoke.

Somewhere not too far away, Naruto suddenly jolted in shock when he felt something hard slam across his face like somebody had slapped him, hard. Then felt like his lungs were being pressed together, presumably as a result of a very strong hug. He heard Sakura's message, and frowned in confusion as he hadn't given the clone the instruction to gather messages from Sasuke and Sakura.

But then he moaned in pleasure when he felt the echo of somebody massaging his tongue with theirs and then heard Sasuke's disappointed, but pleading voice relaying its cryptic message, followed by something brushing against his cheek … and then doubling over and nearly tumbling down the steep hill when something stabbed him in the guts. He cursed Sasuke to hell and back again. Subtle, Sasuke… The stabbing attack on his stomach was Sasuke's way of demonstating his displeasure regarding Naruto's actions. He recovered, and continued running towards where Frodo will have definitely run to: the riverside where the Fellowship had abandoned their boats.

Boromir sounds the Horn of Gondor again, but the Uruks attack him. Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship fight madly to reach him, as Boromir kills two more. Merry and Pippin assist him by stabbing Orcs of their own, but Boromir notices them and frantically gestures at them to run.

"Run! Run!" He insists as the Uruk-hai leader walks into view, but Boromir fights on. Merry and Pippin stubbornly continue to throw rocks and fight using their daggers as the Uruk-hai leader aims a black-fletched bow. He shoots, and Boromir jerks backwards at the blow to his left shoulder. Merry stops in mid-throw as Boromir falls, and Sakura and Sasuke come up to the fight.

"NO!" Sakura screams when she sees Boromir, and Sasuke stares at him in horror; showing emotion for the first time since he defected from Konoha when he was 12. The hobbits look at Boromir in shock as the soldier begins to breathe hard. The Uruks come closer, but amazingly, Boromir gives a loud battle cry, rises, and swings his sword at one, who falls. The Uruk-hai leader growls and walks down the slope, lifting his bow and aiming it at Boromir who turns to look at him, as he shoots the arrow again. The black arrow flies into Boromir's stomach, and he falls to his knees again, gasping for breath.

Merry and Pippin stand in shock, with rocks in their hands.

Sakura breaks off from Sasuke's side and rushes towards Boromir, already removing her healing elixir from her weapons pack, as the soldier stared into Merry and Pippin's eyes before he gets back up and swings his sword at yet another Uruk. But the Uruk-hai leader shoots him one more time, in the chest. Boromir falls to his knees and stays there, swaying a little and blinking looking dazed and disoriented. His horn had been cloven in two. Merry and Pippin look at him, aghast, and exchange glances with Sasuke and Sakura; the latter of whom was in angry tears. All four of them take up their weapons and attack the Uruk-hai.

"Ahgh!" Merry and Pippin holler. Both of the hobbits knew that they would not last five seconds against these Uruk-hai, but they would've been damned if they stood by and cowered while a brave man died defending them. The Uruk-hai split up and half run towards Sakura and Sasuke and attack them, while the other half surround Merry and Pippin and lift them up and carry them off. Both hobbits wave their arms frantically.

"Help! Help us!"

"Merry! Pippin!" Sakura shoved aside the Uruk-hai, as she tried desperately to reach them. But the Uruk-hai were too many and they also surrounded her and – with a well-placed knife strike to her neck – scooped her too up into their arms and walked away from the area passed Boromir, who looked on helplessly. The Uruk-hai leader slowly approaches Boromir, as the soldier swallows and stares back at him.

"Boromir!" Sasuke hollered as the Uruk-hai leader paid no attention to the shinobi and snarled before pulling back his bow, ready to deliver Boromir an arrow through the heart when Aragorn crashes into him from out of nowhere and the arrow flies off harmlessly. The Leader and Aragorn fight, while Sasuke stands guard to protect Boromir. He watches as Aragorn loses his sword and is thrown to the ground; when he gets up the Uruk-hai warrior throws a two-prong shield at Aragorn, pinning him by the neck against the tree.

"NO!" screams Sasuke. The Uruk-hai raises his sword and strikes, but Aragorn manages to slip beneath the shield. Aragorn pulls out a knife and stabs the leader in the leg. The Uruk-hai roars and pulls out the knife and licks the blood from it and throws it at Aragorn who bats the knife away with his sword. Aragorn closes in on the Orc and in a flurry of swordplay, slices his arm off and then stabs him through his chest. The leader pulls himself up on the sword, closer to Aragorn, snarling. Everyone seeing this, grimaces, as Aragorn pulls his sword out of the Orc and swings it; hacking off the Uruk-hai's head. The rest of the Orc falls to the ground. Sasuke hurries over to Boromir to assess his wounds, and pauses when he realises that Sakura is nowhere to be found. "SAKURA!" He gets to his feet and starts frantically looking around to spot a possible glimpse of the pink haired kunoichi, before realising that she must've been taken by the Uruk-hai as well.

Aragorn races over to Boromir. His eyes widen when he sees his condition, and the worried and horrified looking Sasuke, still scanning the battleground in vain for his friend. He groans in dismay when he realises what had happened and immediately crouches beside Boromir who was at the moment the current priority.

"No!" Boromir is pale and bloodied. Aragorn kneels beside Boromir and the soldier grabs Aragorn's shoulder.

"They took the little ones, and Lady Sakura." He explains to Aragorn. He places a gentle hand on Boromir's uninjured shoulder.

"Be still." Boromir's eyes widened when he remembered something very important.

"Frodo! Where is Frodo?"

"I let Frodo go." Aragorn admitted, but knew that he had done the right thing in letting Frodo continue the quest without him. Boromir grimaced.

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him." Aragorn bristled but let Boromir continue his last confession.

"The Ring is beyond our reach now." Aragorn confirmed and Boromir clutched at his shoulder, desperate and in excruciating pain.

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all." Aragorn smiled sadly at Boromir.

"No, Boromir, you fought bravely! You have kept your honor." Aragorn attempts to pull out the arrows, but Boromir stops him.

"Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness … and my city to ruin." Aragorn looked pained.

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall … nor our people fail!" Boromir looked a little surprised, that Aragorn had finally acknowledged his heritage.

"Our people? Our people." He reaches out for his sword, and Aragorn places the hilt in his hand, and helps Boromir clasp it to his chest. The dying soldier smiles at Sasuke, who nods his head in respect and gratitude and then finally at Aragorn, who is on the verge of tears himself. "I would have followed you my Brother … my Captain… my King!" Boromir dies with a triumphant smile on his face. Sasuke turns away, as Aragorn touches his hand to his forehead, then to his lips in respect.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn whispers and bends and kisses Boromir on the brow. Legolas and Gimli arrive at the scene. Sasuke notices Legolas looking around for Sakura and growing increasingly worried, before he claps eyes on the dead Boromir. He looks sadly at Aragorn and Boromir as Gimli bows his head and turns away. Aragorn stands up. "They will look for his coming from the White Tower. But he will not return." A lone tear falls down Aragorn's face.

On the shore of Nen Hithoel, Frodo stands in front of one of the Elvish boats, the ring in his palm. Behind him, still running to catch up, a distraught Sam calls out to him desperately.

"Mr. Frodo!" Frodo looks to the far side of the river, lost in thought. So much has happened these past few days. Things that had been lost and gained, but it was still unknown if things were going to improve or be doomed to fail. I wish the Ring had never come to me… I wish none of this had happened… Frodo despaired, as tears fell down his face.

"So do all who live to see such times." Frodo jerked in surprise when he heard Gandalf's voice inside his head. Those words were familiar, but were they a memory? Or was Gandalf actually speaking to him from the afterlife? "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." Gandalf's words, whether or not they were real or from his imagination, gave Frodo a renewed determination. Frodo tucks the Ring inside his vest pocket. The small figure of Frodo pushing the Elvish boat into the water. Sam bursts through the trees and runs toward the lake, where Frodo is already paddling away.

"Frodo, no! Frodo! Mr. Frodo!" Sam yells at him from the shoreline. Frodo flinches, but doesn't turn back.

"No, Sam." He continues to paddle away. Sam frowns and runs into the river after Frodo. Frodo, hearing the splashing, looks back. "Go back, Sam! I'm going to Mordor alone." Sam nodded, splashing hopelessly towards the boat.

"Of course you are, and I'm coming with you!" Frodo's eyes widened in alarm.

"You can't swim." Sam starts to go under, spluttering and coughing. Frodo drops his paddle and scrambles backwards in the boat… "SAM!" He shouts, frightened for his friend's safety. He is about to turn the boat around to row back and save him, when an expected saviour appeared…. Naruto. The blonde ninja then did something that shocked the hobbit completely; walked on water like it was another stretch of land. "Naruto? How are you doing that?"

"Give me a sec!" Naruto chirped and dove straight into the lake. Sam is underwater… hands flailing helplessly as he sinks like a stone. All seems lost for Sam, until a familiar tan hand, attached to a black and orange sleeved arm grasps Sam's. Naruto pulled the bedraggled and half-drowned Sam into the boat, and then hops into it also. Frodo and Sam look at each other, out of breath, and then at Naruto in bewilderment. Tears and water are streaming down both of the hobbit's faces. Sam ignores Naruto for a few moments as he explains his actions to Frodo.

"I made a promise, Mr. Frodo… a promise: 'don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to… I don't mean to." Sam confessed brokenly. Frodo was touched.

"Oh, Sam!" Frodo laughs through his tears as both friends hug each other fiercely, then look at the blonde shinobi with confusion. "But why are you here, Naruto?" Frodo demanded.

"You don't expect me to just let you go to Mordor without me, do ya? Besides, someone's gotta protect you and help you. So why shouldn't it be me?" Naruto demanded. Frodo gave a watery smile and gave Naruto a hug as well.

"Come on then…" Frodo said, and Naruto rows the two hobbits through the water to the bank on the other side.

Boromir is laid to rest in one of the boats. Sasuke rearranges Boromir's sword so it rested regally on him, with his hand clasped around the handle; his shield was placed above his head and his split horn was placed by his side. What remained of the Fellowship, solemnly watched as the boat drifts towards the Falls of Rauros before it plunges over the massive falls and disappeared into the vapor below. Aragorn put on Boromir's vambraces; his way to keep his memory of Boromir's sacrifice alive. Legolas shoved a boat into the water, and turned towards the others.

"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." Aragorn stays put and says nothing. Sasuke stands nearby, looking melancholy; and wishing he could've done more, or even seen when Sakura had been taken with Merry and Pippin. The Fellowship looked towards the far shore and saw Frodo and Sam's small boat lying on the distant riverbank as Frodo and Sam make off into the forest beyond. Legolas looked at them with dismay. "You mean not to follow them?" Something catches Aragorn's eye and he smiles approvingly.

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." He replied. Gimli sighed heavily.

"Then it has all been in vain … the Fellowship has failed." He despaired, but Aragorn placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder.

"No, I wouldn't cast doubt just yet." Gimli looked up at the ranger but noticed that he wasn't looking at the dwarf, he was looking at something in the distance. Gimli looked and gave a triumphant chuckle.

"Well, I'd be damned!" Sasuke snapped his head towards Gimli when he made that outburst and immediately sensed a very familiar chakra burst, and turned to see Naruto standing on the opposite shore, giving them all his trademark grin before he gave a respectful salute and disappeared into the forest behind him, catching up with Frodo and Sam.

"Dobe…" Sasuke whispered. "Looks like we don't need to worry about Frodo and Sam after all." Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry, Pippin and Sakura to torment and death. Not while we have strength left." He pulls a hunting knife out of his pack and straps it on. "Leave all that can be spared behind…" Aragorn turns and stares at them all with a determination; a steely light in his eye. "We travel light. Let's hunt some orc! Sasuke, with me!" The ranger had been extremely impressed with the younger male's hussle when they were both facing off against the Uruk-hai the second Frodo had made his escape, but he could also sense deep doubt and sorrow that Aragorn could relate to and wanted to help this boy overcome it. Sasuke nodded and quickly followed the ranger without a word.

"Yes! Haha!" Gimli cheered and exchanged a challenging look with Legolas, whom he was starting to warm up to when he realised that not all elves were bad as he had been told. He charged off after Aragorn and Sasuke, with Legolas on his heels. His own thoughts upon a certain pinkette, and praying that she was alright and hopefully unharmed.

Our trio of heroes scramble onto a high ridge overlooking the dark, foreboding Emyn Muil Hillside. A distant line of Saw toothed mountains below a dark, oppressive sky. Black volcanic smoke rises from behind the mountains. It is Mordor. Frodo couldn't help but pale slightly at the view.

"Mordor. I hope the others find a safer route." Frodo fretted. Naruto clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder as Sam reassured him.

"Strider will look after them."

"Not to mention Sasuke and Sakura. Kami help the enemies who face off against them." Naruto reminded both hobbits who remembered watching both of Naruto's teammates fight and relaxed considerably.

"I don't suppose we'll ever see them again." Naruto broke away from both hobbits to get a closer look at their destination.

"We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may." Sam disagreed, smiling slightly. Frodo turned and smiled affectionately at Sam.

"Sam, I'm glad you're with me." And he walked onwards, towards Naruto and tugged on the blonde ninja's sleeve. Naruto turned and looked questioningly at Frodo. "Without the both of you … I'm not sure I would be able to make it far on my own." Naruto blushed a little at the compliment, having rarely received such confidence from any one for nearly all his life. Sam stands for a moment, and then follows Frodo down the rocky slope. Naruto's cheerful expression melted away to one of sheer determination. This quest was only just begun, and his own personal test would either make him or break him. Be with me guys. It looks like I'm gonna need it. Naruto followed Sam and Frodo on the trek towards Mordor.

Meanwhile back in the Shinobi world, a team of six that consisted of Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru, Tenten, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka and lead by Kakashi Hatake arrived on the scene where Naruto and Sakura had last been seen facing off against the notorious missing-nin, Sasuke Uchiha. What they found was not promising.

"What the hell happened here!?" demanded Kiba Inuzuka as he dismounted from his partner and friend, Akamaru. Kakashi inspected the area with a critical eye.

"I'm not sure we really wanna know." Kakashi observed, as he picked up a piece of tattered orange material. "But blood has definitely been spilled here."

"Well, where are Naruto and Sakura? They should've been here." Tenten exclaimed. Then Ino voiced the question all of them were loathed to hear:

"You don't think Sasuke killed them, do you?" She whispered, fearfully. Shikamaru shook his head; his genius mind clicking away as he tried to put together what possibly could've happened in this destroyed place.

"As troublesome as it looks, both Naruto and Sakura are definitely still alive…" Ino and Tenten sighed in relief. "But they're also not here." Tenten scowled at him

"Well, yeah. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out." The weapons mistress retorted. Shikamaru glared at her with annoyance.

"I think what Shikamaru is saying is that, Naruto and Sakura are not here because they've been taken into another dimension." Everyone, except Shikamaru gaped at Kakashi, who had his sharingan activated and glaring at specific spot off in the distance. "I sense some definite traces of a foreign chakra residue lingering here." Then Kakashi deactivated his sharingan and turned to face them all. His face looked grim. Kiba grit his teeth in outrage.

"That's impossible. I've never heard of chakra doing freaky stuff like that." Kakashi ignored him, looking disturbed. Ino frowned and walked over to the Copy nin.

"What aren't you telling us, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi sighed heavily.

"I think Sasuke was taken there too." Kiba swore, as Tenten and Ino gasped with horror and Shikamaru muttered 'troublesome' underneath his breath. "We've gotta go back to Konoha and report this." They all nodded and set off for Konoha. There was no time to lose.

A/N: And we've reached the end of this story. Thank you all for your patience, and I hope that you will be happy to learn that this is the first of three interlinking stories. The sequel to this is: The Power of Three.

Thanks everyone for reading. Hope to see you reading the sequel :)