Sakura looked down at the still water, for a moment seeing nothing but her own reflection. Her brows creased slightly as a shadow seemed to grow from the centre, expanding and shifting into shapes, sounds and pictures. She leaned closer, trying to see more clearly as the vision slowly swam into focus.

Her breath caught.

She was watching her own funeral.

Sakura stared into the Mirror, barely breathing.

Naruto, dressed in black, stepped up to the pyre. For a long moment she stared at the photo of his pink-haired teammate. It was the photo taken a year and a half ago, when she made chuunin, she looked so happy. Tears ran unchecked down his face, as he reached out, a white flower in his hand…

She realised with a jerk that the photo was recent, and everybody was the same age. This wasn't "What will be" but rather "What is" – they only thought she was dead. And while it was good to know that her real funeral wasn't going to be happening anytime in the near future (at least, so she hoped) it wasn't a particular comfort to know that her friends certainly thought so. She watched as Ino sobbed heavily onto Shikamaru's shoulder, who barely succeeded in holding her up. Naruto was still standing at the pyre, hand outstretched and unmoving.

I'm not dead Dammit! I'm here!

Had they given up on her so easily? Sakura's hands clenched around the rim of the basin.

At this point, the gennin-Sasuke-stalking Sakura would have sat down and cried, given up and possibly found some other broody avenger to chase after instead. The chuunin-more-mature-but-still-kinda-teary Sakura might have lashed out at something, cried a bit, tried a bit harder before giving up and made a new life for herself as a medic. The tried-to-kill-Sasuke-got-sent-to-Middle-Earth-And-Kicked-Ass Sakura expressed her feelings in one eloquent sentence.

Like Fuck.

She glared at the vision of Naruto, daring him to put down that flower and walk away into a life without her. That wasn't the Naruto she knew, and like hell was she going to believe some water in a pool could tell her she was forgotten.

Naruto watched a tear fall from his nose and land with a splash on the flat black stone. He had yet to drop the flower. People were starting to whisper. He glared through his tears at the shiny black surface, seeing his own reflection looking accusingly back at him. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

'I'm not dead Dammit!'

He caught his breath, staring at the stone. Was he…hearing things?

"Sakura-chan…?" He whispered. He could have sworn that just for a second, he saw Sakura's reflection looking up at him, daring him to give up on her. Just for a second.

His hand clenched around the flower. Naruto didn't care if his mind was playing tricks on him, his heart was clearly telling him something and like fuck if he wasn't gonna listen.

He slammed the flower down with an audible smack.

Naruto turn slowly to the assembled ninja, looking up with red eyes that dared them to disagree.

"She isn't dead."

"Naruto…" Ino tried to intervene, voice gentle and broken.

"She. Isn't. Dead." Naruto's voice held such conviction that nobody could find it in their hearts to interrupt. "She's just lost. And I am going to find her. One way or another."

Sakura watched in slight wonder as Naruto stalked away, determination flashing in his eyes, and the vision swam and faded. She stepped back from the Mirror to find Galadriel staring at her with something akin to awe. Sakura huffed irritably.

"If you wanted to know, you could just ask." She levelled a snarky scowl at the elf, who had the grace to look mildy apologetic.

"I apologise, it is something of a habit."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Are…all your people like that?" Galadriel asked a little hesitantly.

Green eyes fixed on her with an unreadable look.

"Like Naruto? No." She stated bluntly, but broke into a bittersweet smile soon after "But we try to be."

Sakura sunk into her own thoughts, looking absently at the pedestal and the Mirror. The way that vision-Naruto had almost mirrored her own thoughts was…vaguely disturbing, but by no means was she ready to give up on going home. Hell, that experience only made her more determined to do so. She snapped her head to the Lady, and the elf was curious to see the suddenly calculating look she received.

"Gandalf wasn't the only Wizard in Middle Earth," she started, voice shrewd, and she glanced at the Mirror, "nor was his the only magic I dare say."

Galadriel's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Surely you are not about to give up on your quest. Did you not vow to protect Frodo?"

"Of course not," Sakura snorted, "My 'quest' just happens to include possible trans-dimensional travel at the end of it. Now, my Lady, what do you know about Magic?"

'Straight to the point.' The elf mused, before she turned and walked away from the pink-haired child and to the entrance of the clearing.

"An eye for eye, so they say child," she smiled with just a hint of a smirk on her lips, "Walk with me."

And so it went. Every step fired off another question, or another answer.

Sakura learned of the Wizard Order, of which the head was the recently traitorous Sarumon the White.

Galadriel was intrigued to learn of the strange abilities of the warrior's in Sakura's homeland, and the many ways in which their power was used. She had never heard of a more amazing, or harsher, place in her significant existence.

Sakura found out that Wizard magic and Elf magic operated in very different ways. It was unlikely that the elves could help her, but finding a wizard who would, and who was powerful enough, would be difficult indeed.

So she needed a wizard. Gandalf was gone, and by the sounds of it the only other who was strong enough was an evil backstabbing bastard. Wonderful. This sentiment, when relayed to Galadriel, brought about first a laugh and then a mysterious smile from the elf-woman.

"Men desire power, and evil men more so. A man whose eye is clouded is easily led blind."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, dismally noted on the side that she'd been doing that an aweful lot lately, and then raised the other as well. Trust an elf to come up with a cryptic statement like that. But even so the elf had a point. The Wizard clearly sought power. She was powerful. He had already been bought by such promises once, which told her he was greedy and that could be used. If it came down to it, Sakura wasn't above outright trickery. She smirked at Galadriel, for once not giving a damn that the woman could see right into her thoughts. Let her see. Sakura had a plan, and a target, and that made it a mission.

Mission Get-Home-And-Kill-The-Bad-Guy-While-You-Do-So.

The elf looked amused, and she shrugged. She'd think of a better name later. At least was a start, and even if it wasn't the best plan it was a chance. A chance was all she'd need.

Of course, first there was the whole protecting Frodo, throwing the evil jewellery into a volcano and save the world thing to deal with first. More Naruto's field of expertise really but she'd have to make do. She shook the rather random thoughts out of her head. There was time for moping and grieving later, but now she was in Mission Mode, someone needed her and she had a promise to keep.

She parted ways with Galadriel some time later, with a renewed sense of purpose and determination shining in her eyes.

Look out Middle-Earth, Haruno Sakura is ready to Kick some serious Ass.