AN:

Thank you Deadzepplin, DreamingIn2Eternity and Immortalis Cruor Elf for reviewing my previous story. Also thank you to atwistedconundrum for putting me on their author alert's.

This story was not late, it arrived precisely when it ment to. Sorry for the long wait. I had a lack of inspiration and right now I have a nasty cold so I feel like sh!t. Expect slow updates for this story and keep in mind that this is not my job.

Is it too late to do a disclaimer? Everyone already knows that I am just an inquisitive fan of both these series.

Those Who Wander are Quite Lost Part III

Almost There and not Yet Back

"Are we there yet?" grumbled Anko from Cookie.

"For the last time, no!" cried Rin, exasperated. The shinobi had decided to join Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer, Thèoden, Legolas and Gimli on their trip to Isengard. The petite medic sulked slightly, not pleased with the seating arrangements for the journey. Obito and Kakashi had their own wargs, while Susano'o had his Seabird summon. Hoshi rode with Susano'o for the first three hours, switching with Kuro when the group stopped for lunch and other matters.

"We still have plenty of distance to cover," added the tall boy, who was perched behind Aragorn.

Anko looked crushed. "Wha-wh-what?" she sputtered. "But I'm bored!"

Rin rolled her dark eyes. "Can't you play I Spy or sing a song?" she asked her fellow kunoichi.

The Snake Sannin's student frowned in concentration. "I spy something brown,"

"Your warg," answered Rin.

"The dirt," said Hoshi.

When she shook her head, both shinobi tried again.

"Rin's hair,"

"Hoshi's hair,"

Grinning, Anko again shook her head.

Rin sighed. "Aragorn's boots?" she asked, beginning to give up.

"The horse?" Hoshi guessed hesitantly.

The kunoichi shook her head, but gave them a hint. "You were the closest when you were guessing hair," she said with a smirk.

"My hair," interjected the ranger with a faint smile on his lips.

"Ding Ding Ding,we have a winner!" declared Anko. "So now it's your turn,"

Aragorn blinked. It appeared that he wasn't expecting to join their game.

"I spy something red,"

Rin frowned in concentration, looking for anything in that color.

"The fan on Obito's back," she guessed. Aragorn shook his head.

"Eomer's armor?" guessed Hoshi. The ranger nodded, smiling slightly.

Hoshi grinned broadly and took his turn. "Alright, I spy something blue..."

"Sayonara, aenaku natta tte

bokura wa tsudzuki ga aru kara.

Kimi no inai sekai datte

hashiru yo

itsuka no itami mo

koete!"

Obito, Kakashi and Minato-sensei had been exchanging songs with Legolas and Eomer for most of the ride, despite the fact that they weren't the best singers. Both blondes ended up recieving the translation seal on their ears to understand the songs, which they found to be quite odd.

"Unlike us, your songs do not tell the history of your people," said Eomer as the travelers entered a forest. "So then what purpose do they serve in your land?"

Obito shrugged. "Entertainment, I guess. Music is usually used to set a mood or to express feelings,"

Legolas's eyes brightened with understanding. "So that is why your songs speak nonsense!" he cried.

Gimli, who had listened to all the songs without the benefit of translation, snorted.

"They all sounded like nonsense to me," he muttered.

Legolas shook his head. "They are marvelous works of poetry, using metaphors and words to express feelings and events," he praised.

Obito raised an eyebrow and Kakashi shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Umm, Thanks," Minato-sensei looked rather embarressed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't feel that we did the songs justice," he mumbled.

"Why not?" asked Eomer, wearing an interesting mix of curiosity and confusion on his face. "Your singing voices are not half-bad,"

"You guys were singing?" called a hurt voice. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Obito looked up between the branches to see his cousin, Kuro, and Susano'o, jumping from tree to tree.

"You were up on a bird," said Kakashi tonelessly.

"But still..." whined the Uchiha. Susano'o raised a bandaged hand, cutting his teammate off.

"Isengard is just up ahead, and I think we are in for a surprise," he remarked before bounding ahead.

"A surprise? What kind of a surprise?" Legolas wondered aloud.

Minato-sensei chewed his lip for a second. "If it has anything to do with Orochimaru, count on it being gruesome,"

Obito was unable to surpress a shudder from running through his body. He had heard tales of the Snake Sannin's bloodlust and sadisim on the battlefield from his father. Nobody who fought with the Legendary Ninja was quite the same afterward, bar his original teammates.

Legolas paled significantly while Gimli and Eomer seemed unphased.

"Then let us hope the surprise has nothing to do with him," stated Gimli as the group began to exit the forest.

Merry had decided that this day was one of the best days of his life. He and Pippin, with the Ents, had defeated Isengard and locked up Saruman in his tower. To celebrate the victory, the two hobbits had found a pantry full of good food, ale, and best of all, Longbottem leaf. Oh, and they ended up befriending a giant purple snake, but that was a minor detail.

«"Your kind is very strange, Hole-dweller,"» the serpent mumbled, having listened to the tale of his and Pippin's adventures up to this point. «"My summoner would like to learn more about your kind,"»

Merry had not yet met the so-called "summoner", and was not eager to meet him. The snake, or Manda, had placed its head near the stone wall that both hobbits were reclining on, smoking the lovely pipeweed. Merry was just about to start a tale about a prank he performed in his youth when the whinnies of a horse drifted into his ears. Laughing, Pippin lifted his stein in a salute to Gandalf and the others who were drifting out of the forest.

Standing up, Merry removed the pipe from his mouth and said:

"Welcome, my lords to Isengard!" he gestured to the tower behind him. Gandalf seemed to be stunned, looking at the fortress with disbelief.

"Damn, they leveled the place," muttered a female voice. Merry picked out the speaker as an unfamiliar shinobi, who was sitting on a dog-like creature.

"I think you might need to look up the definition of 'level', my friend," returned Hoshi in a low voice.

"Young rascels!"cried Gimli, Pippin as saluted the dwarf with his pipe. "

"We are stitting," replied the younger hobbit. "On the field of victory, enjoying some well-earned comfort. The salted pork is perticularly good,"

Gimli's anger disappeared. "Salted pork?" he asked.

Manda gave a snort, causing the new arrivals to jump and turn their attention to the purple snake.

«"You know nothing of good meat,"» he grumbled. «"Give me a toad and twenty human females any day!"»

At that, Aragorn and two blonde men had their horses take a step back, a well hidden look of fear in their eyes.

"That will do, Manda," commanded a silky, venomous voice. Merry whirled around to see a man that was paler than death, with long black hair and sepentine eyes. "Since you didn't do the job I asked of you, you shall not receive your payment. Go, before I decide to explore your innards,"

Hissing angerly, the colassal serpent disappeared with a puff of white smoke. The man turned to the company, wearing a genuine smile.

"As Merry said, welcome to Isengard,"