Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Lord of the Rings, or any of the mentioned places and characters.

This story is dedicated to Kyra and Yui! I hope you like it, girls!

The Journey through Middle Earth

Chapter 1

A new mission

Team 7; Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke. For your new mission you have to leave Japan and go to 'Middle Earth'. In Rhudaur, next to the Misty Mountains, is the city of the Elves, called Rivendell. There is a meeting. This is a simple C-ranked mission, but could also turn out in a serious A-ranked mission, so that's why I send this team. I trust you all. Kakashi is on a mission, my apologies; he cannot come with you. In this letter, I included two maps; the first how to get to Middle Earth, the second from Middle Earth itself. This mission will be further explained by Lord Elrond, who awaits you in Rivendell.

Good luck,

Gondaime-Hokage, Sannin Tsunade.

"It sounds like it's going to be a long mission." Said Sasuke, while observing the two maps and the letter from Tsunade.

"Finally! I've waited forever for a new mission!" Naruto punched exited in the air, Lee-style.

"Oh shut it Naruto, our mission weren't that bad." Sakura played a little with her soft, pink hair while frowning at the blond.

"But, Sakura-chan-"

"Aint I right, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

They bowed over the letter again.

"She didn't say when we had to leave." Noticed Naruto.

"Probably we have to go right now." Sasuke replied coolly. "It's called pure logic, dobe."

"I'm not a dobe, you TEME!"

"Guys!"

Naruto and Sasuke both looked at their fellow teammate.

"Let's go home, gather our stuff, and meet at the gates when ready." Sakura suggested. "As Tsunade-shishou said, this Elrond person will tell us more, so let's meet up with him in Rivendell."

"Middle Earth is far away." Sasuke observed the first map. "It'll take us a long time to get there."

"I know," Sakura continued. "That's why we can better leave now. If there is a meeting we have to attend, we would look real polite if we were late."

"… I don't understand that." Naruto said slowly. Sasuke sighed deeply.

"It's sarcasm, dobe, sarcasm."

"Don't call me a dobe!"

"You'll be careful?"

"Yes, mom."

"And you promise you'll write me?"

"If I can, yes, mom."

"And-"

"I have to go mom!"

Sakura picked up her bag and got ready to leave. She gave her mother a quick hug before leaving. Her mom was a real sweet person, but she could be just too caring sometimes.

Noticing evening was falling already, she hurried to the gates. Surprisingly, she was the first one. Sasuke always was there the earliest.

Ten minutes later, she saw Sasuke walking up to her, his backpack on his back, his hands in his pockets.

"Naruto isn't here yet?" He asked.

She shook her head, causing her pink bangs to shake with her movement.

Sasuke found himself looking at it before looking off and glaring at nothing.

'What was that?' He wondered. 'That… feeling?'

"And this, and this, and this… DONE!"

Naruto stood up and swung his bag around his shoulder. He looked around one last time. He was going to miss his house.

He closed the curtains, but reopened them again, glancing outside.

"It's that dark already!? I'm LATE! They're going to kill me! Whaa!"

With that, he closed his curtains again, so fast he almost ripped them off, and stormed out of his house.

"Took you long enough, Naruto!" Sakura yelled when she saw the orange spot hurrying towards them in the darkness.

"Sorry! I just forgot the time and things and I was… yeah never mind. Let's go dattebayo!"

With that, Naruto ran past them and took off. Sakura sighed.

"Well… Let's follow him."

"Hn."

After weeks of travelling, they started to notice they were getting somewhere.

"See?" Sakura pointed at the map from Middle Earth. "We could take the boat, cross the sea, then take the Greyflood River into the land, which'll lead us straight to Rivendell."

Sasuke nodded. "We'll do that. How long do you thing we'll be in the boat?"

Sakura raised her shoulders and picked up some bread. "Depends on our speed. Naruto, what are you doing?"

The two turned around to see Naruto turning his bag upside down.

"I can't find my nightcap!"

"We don't have time for your stupidities. We have to leave." Sasuke glared at their friend and stood up. He threw the bucket with water over the fire they were sitting around.

He and Sakura picked up their bags and walked on.

"H- Hey, wait!" Naruto rushed after them. "Where are you getting a boat?"

"Maybe at the coast?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura giggled softly.

"Don't laugh at me Sakura-chan!"

"I wasn't!"

"Why were you laughing then?"

"Cause Sasuke-kun did something funny!"

"But-"

"We can take that boat there." Sasuke pointed at a harbour, interrupting his teammates.

They all turned to see a small boat lying at the coast, with one cabin to sleep in, and the steering wheel on deck.

"We cant, that boat is someone's property, we aren't thieves!" Sakura said disgusted. Naruto took her wrist and dragged her after Sasuke and himself.

"Oh come on Sakura-chan, it isn't stealing, it's borrowing!"

"Borrowing? You know as well as I do that that boat isn't returning!"

"… Well it's still not stealing."

"Yes it is!!"

"Just shut up and help us, Sakura." Said Sasuke. 'Damn, these two are always arguing about nothing!' He thought annoyed.

Let's not tell Sasuke about his arguments with Naruto shall we?

The boys hopped on the boat and looked how it worked.

"We need a key to start the engine." Said Naruto.

"Look in the cabin." Suggested Sasuke. "Maybe they keep a spare key."

Naruto pulled the door open and came in a small room. The curtains were closed. A bench filled up the sides.

"Underneath the pillows." Muttered Naruto to himself. He lifted up the cushions on the wooden benches to find a closet build in the benches. He pulled the first one open.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Sasuke heard Naruto yell. The Kyuubi-boy came running outside again, with a key in his hands.

"Good. Give it to me." Sasuke stretched out his hand and Naruto gave him the small key. "Here goes nothing."

He tried it. Luckily, the engine started working.

"It works!! Sakura-chan!! Look it works!!"

No response.

"… Sakura?" Sasuke walked to the edge of the boat. No Sakura.

"Damn, she's gone." Said Sasuke to Naruto.

"What? She can't be gone." Naruto joined Sasuke. "SAKURA-CHAAAAAAN?"

"Yes?"

The boys jumped in the air of shock and turned around, finding Sakura behind them.

"Damn Sakura where were you!?"

"Yeah!"

"No time, we have to go RIGHT NOW!" With that, the kunoichi turned around and started steering the boat. Naruto and Sasuke shot each other a glance.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Sasuke asked surprised.

"Well, the owner is coming this way."

Immediately, the boys – again – looked out. Indeed, a fat man was running towards them in the distance. He seemed to be yelling but was to far away to be heard.

"We don't have to worry." Naruto said snickering. "That guy runs ten feet in one hour."

Sakura sighed deeply. "That's not the point, I don't care if he's slow, but he can get close enough to see us clearly and recognise us, or walk around and tell people about us so we can't get anywhere anymore when we come back."

"… She has a point there." Sasuke said slowly. Naruto nodded, even though he still didn't understand.

"Man this is getting boring." Naruto watched the sunset as Sasuke was at the wheel this time. Sakura was inside the cabin for already an hour straight. "Can't we go any faster, teme?"

"No you dobe, and besides, we're in the middle of the ocean. We have to be careful."

"For what? Fish?" Naruto laughed loudly.

Sasuke decided not to respond.

"Are we there yet?" Complained Naruto again.

"I told you ten minutes ago, and ten minutes before that, and ten minutes before that, and again, ten minutes before that, and so on, that it'll take us more then a couple of days to arrive there." Snapped Sasuke.

They hadn't slept since two days ago and the disadvantage was getting on to him. His eyes were closing slowly, but he shook his head, trying to get the sleep away.

The following snoring from Naruto didn't help at all.

"Must. Stay. Awake." Sasuke groaned sleepy. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if he fell asleep. They'd get totally on the wrong direction.

"Here, let me take it over."

Sasuke looked up, hearing the soft voice. Sakura was standing next to him.

"I'm fine." He muttered.

"You're not, you have to sleep. I just slept an short hour, I'll manage." She smiled and took the steering wheel. Sasuke sighed.

"Okay, fine." He walked off and opened the door to the cabin.

"… Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"… Thanks."

Before Sakura could realize that the great Uchiha Sasuke had thanked her, he already went inside and closed the door behind him.

Damn, first chapter and I hate it already -.- I never like to begin a story, that's why it's so crappy. I promise it'll get better!

Explanations: Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke are all 16 years old. Sasuke did go to Orochimaru but he returned – later told in the story.

And yeah, already the tiniest hints of SasuSaku in this! I couldn't resist, damned.

Well, what do you think? Please review.

-xxx- NarutoXHinataPie