A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back to The Prophecy of Team Seven, I hope readers everywhere are enjoying this story :)
What to expect in this chapter: Aragorn is desperately raising against time to save an ailing Frodo who had been stabbed by a cursed Morgul blade, but he has also overlooked something just as serious in the process. We will be meeting Arwen, who will help our heroes with their dilemma with the assistance of a mysterious stranger. This will lead to a race towards Rivendell fraught with danger at every turn, before a reunion in Naruto's room.
Please enjoy :D
NARUTO AND FRODO'S 'HORRIFYING ADVENTURE'
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift; that's why it's called the present." ‒Chinese Proverb
With every step he took, Naruto was finding it harder and harder to breathe.
Not for the first time, he was blaming the Kyuubi for his current misfortune. If that stupid fox were here, he wouldn't be struggling to hold on to consciousness. He was just amazed he was holding out better than Frodo was. The poor hobbit looked like he was deteriorating by the minute.
"Naruto, keep up. C'mon!"
Sakura hastened him, more concerned with Frodo than Naruto's supposed dawdling at present. The blonde made no reply. He was too busy looking down at the gash on his wrist from where the Ringwraith leader's sword had nicked him in the struggle. Instead he grit his teeth and soldiered on. Aragorn was leading the group, jogging grimly as he carried an ailing Frodo on his back while Sam, Merry and Pippin were running to keep up with him. Each hobbit was holding a flaming torch for protection in case the Ringwraiths reappeared.
"Hurry!" urged Aragorn. But Sam could see the hopelessness of their situation.
"We're six days from Rivendell."
You can't be fucking serious! Naruto thought angrily as he leaned against a nearby tree, breathing heavily. Aragorn chose not to acknowledge Sam's outburst.
"Hold on, Frodo." He whispered to the gravely injured hobbit on his back just barely holding on to consciousness. He thought he heard Frodo mutter Gandalf's name feverishly in despair.
(***)
By the time the group made it to a Forest clearing where a bunch of large stone trolls stood randomly together, Naruto was about ready to give up the ghost. He had a cold sweat and was paler than he usually was. Naruto looked over to where Frodo had been laid down by Aragorn. Like Naruto – only Frodo was a little further along than the ninja – he was pale and his brow was beaded with sweat. When Frodo opened his eyes, Naruto was horrified when he saw Frodo's normally blue eyes were clouded and red-rimmed. He dreaded to think what his looked like.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked fearfully. Aragorn who was looking out into the darkness, turned and addressed Pippin gravely.
"No. He is passing into the shadow world, he will soon become a wraith like them." He replied.
Naruto laughed humourlessly.
"Is that all? I thought we were gonna suffer a worse fate…"
Aragorn froze at his words.
"What do you mean 'we'?" asked Sakura as she turned and really took a look at Naruto, before she gave a horrified scream at his condition.
A distant cry of a Ringwraith carried through the air. Aragorn cursed and moved to catch Naruto who finally gave in to his injury and fainted into Aragorn's arms. Merry and Pippin rushed over, both looking stricken while Sakura followed in tears as she helped Aragorn lay her fallen friend next to Frodo. The Ranger searched for any sign of injury on the foolish boy and finally discovered the deep cut on the blonde's wrist. How he hadn't bled out by now, he had no idea.
"Naruto, you stupid idiot!" She wailed when she saw the wound, "why didn't you speak up earlier!?" Frodo gasped in sudden pain, causing Aragorn to get up and pace agitatedly. Now he had two of his charges down for the count and no way of getting to Rivendell fast without spreading the poison further.
Then he got an idea.
"Sam," he turned to the worried gardener and beckoned him closer. "Do you know the Athelas plant?" Sam gave him a blank look.
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"Kingsfoil? Aye, it's a weed." Sam confirmed, looking no less confused about why Aragorn was suddenly asking questions about his gardening knowledge.
"It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!"
Sakura made to get up and follow them, but Aragorn raised a hand to stop her.
"No stay here, Sakura. You need to protect the rest of them." Sakura hesitated. "We'll be back shortly."
He disappeared into the forest with Sam hot on his heels. Both desperately searched around the dark forest floor for the Athelas plant. Suddenly Aragorn spots what he is looking for: a small, white flowered plant. Immediately he drops to one knee and taking a small hunting knife, starts cutting and pulling it from the ground. Something cold and sharp touches his neck and Aragorn freezes.
"What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?"
Aragorn slowly looks up, being mindful of the sharp blade underneath his chin. He immediately sees a tall, elegantly dressed young woman with long waist-length black hair, pointed ears and blue eyes staring back at him. He sighs with relief, but he has no time to greet her properly. The elf-woman seemed to sense the seriousness of the situation as the amused smirk drops from her face and she replaces her sword back into her holster.
"What is it?" She demands calmly, "maybe I can help."
Aragorn nods.
"I've got two critically injured persons that I need to get to Rivendell urgently. A hobbit called Frodo Baggins and a young boy called Naruto." He explained. Not needing any more information, the elf-woman immediately retreats to where her horse is idly waiting.
"There's no time to waste then."
(***)
Sakura crouched between both Frodo and Naruto, both breathing hard and looking desperately sick.
"Hold on you two. Don't you dare give up!" She begged.
"Who are you?" demanded Pippin, drawing Sakura's attention.
Standing beside one of the stone trolls was a tall, cloaked stranger brandishing a sword. The way he held the blade indicated to Sakura that he knew what he was doing and probably wouldn't hesitate to cut them down if provoked or given the chance. The stranger didn't reply to Pippin's question which raised a few red flags for Sakura.
She narrowed her eyes.
"He asked you a question." Again they were ignored. This struck Sakura as very familiar, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. The sound of approaching horse tracks put Sakura, Merry and Pippin on alert before a woman riding on a large white horse rode up and dismounted heading straight for the mysterious hooded stranger.
"Stand down, Téril*"
She spoke quietly to him, and the stranger nodded once and stepped aside just as Aragorn and Sam returned with a large amount of the Athelas plant in their possession. The woman, whose name was Arwen, then walked towards the stricken two and crouched between both Naruto and Frodo, looking extremely worried.
"Naruto?" She addressed the blonde, "Frodo?" she laid her hands on both of their foreheads.
"Who is she?" whispered Pippin.
"She's an elf." Replied Sam, who passed his handful of Athelas to Aragorn. Arwen turned her head towards Aragorn who now approached Frodo and Naruto popping two of the white flowers into his mouth and chewing them up.
"They're fading… they're not going to last. We must get them to my father."
Aragorn nodded wordlessly as he pulled the mushed up flower paste from his mouth and smeared it over both Frodo and Naruto's wounds. Both of them winced and shuddered violently the moment the paste touched their skin. "We have been looking for you for two days." Aragorn briefly appraised Téril before turning his attention back to his medical treatment.
"Sakura"
Aragorn summoned the pinkette to his side as he picked up Frodo's limp body, "help me get Naruto onto the second horse." Sakura nodded, and seized Naruto underneath the armpits. But it was clear that despite her monstrous strength, budging Naruto when he was this weakened was a very difficult task. Which was why it was such a shock when Téril quickly came over and helped her.
"Thank you." She mumbled.
Téril merely nodded and both of them half-carried, half-dragged Naruto's semi-unconscious body towards a second (only just noticed), brown horse.
"Where are you taking them?" asked Pippin, suspiciously. His question was ignored. Aragorn was having a discussion with Arwen as he settled Frodo on the white horse.
"There are seven Wraiths behind you, where the other two are, I do not know." Arwen confirmed. Aragorn glanced over at where Sakura and Téril had finally finished wrestling Naruto onto the brown horse. There was something very dark about this individual that Aragorn didn't agree with, and made a note to question Arwen's instincts when they were alone together next.
He sighed and turned back to Arwen, speaking in her tongue.
"Dartho guin Berain … rych le ad tolthathon.**" Arwen frowned as she grabbed the reins of her horse.
"Rochon ellint im.***" Aragorn clamped his hand over Arwen's, apparently trying to reason with her. Sakura and the three hobbits could sense that Arwen was very stubborn.
"Andelu I ven.****"
"Ae anthradon I hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon." Arwen insisted, which seemed to frustrate Aragorn further. Not to mention Sakura.
Can't those two see the longer they argue, the shorter time Naruto and Frodo have?!
Just as Aragorn was about to open his mouth again, Arwen reached for his hand and looked deep into his eyes. Sakura could've sworn that he heard Téril snort in annoyance when his mistress did this.
"I do not fear them." Arwen whispered tenderly.
Aragorn hesitated again, before realising that he had no choice. There was more than just Naruto and Frodo's lives at stake, and he had to make a decision now. He chose, and helped Arwen onto her horse behind Frodo and watched as Téril mounted the other horse, supporting Naruto.
"Arwen, ride hard. Don't look back." Aragorn urged her. Arwen nodded, supporting Frodo with one hand and she signalled for Téril to follow her.
"Noro Lim, Asfaloth, Noro Lim!*****" She whispered urgently to the horse and both she and Téril took off like a shot, much to Sam and the other hobbits dismay.
"What are you doing!? Those wraiths are still out there!" snarled Sam.
Sakura and Aragorn ignored him, in favour of watching the two horses retreating off into the night carrying their precious cargo with them.
(***)
Night turned to day as Arwen and Téril sped through the forest and then the open land with their burdens bouncing and swaying in front of them. Arwen wore a steely, determined expression on her lovely flawless pale face. As the white and brown horses charged through the Pine Forest, two Ringwraiths emerged from the trees giving chase to Arwen and Frodo, but seemingly ignoring Téril and Naruto. Arwen gritted her teeth and urged both the white and brown horses to greater speeds. The two horses speed out of the pine trees, with four more Ringwraiths joining the chase galloping down the hillside. Five more Ringwraiths appeared from different directions, making a total of nine Ringwraiths now pursuing Arwen and Téril.
"Noro lim, Asfaloth! Noro lim, Cainar!" yelled Arwen frantically turning her horse and leading Téril's around a couple of sharp turns before eventually leading the Ringwraiths to the Ford of Bruinen.
Without hesitation, both horses leap into the shallow water and thunder across the Ford. The nine Ringwraiths pull up short of the Ford, showing hesitation about entering the water. Asfaloth and Cainar make it to the other bank, and Arwen and Téril pull up and turn to defiantly face the Ringwraiths.
The leader sneers at Arwen.
"Give up the Halfling, she-elf!" Arwen's lovely face hardens before she draws her sword and yells back to the Leader.
"If you want him, come and claim him!" She yells.
The leader shrieks angrily, before drawing his sword and leading his fellow Ringwraiths across the Ford. The water immediately starts flowing faster, and Téril could've sworn that he could hear a distant rumble. He watches with concern as Arwen waits until the last minute before sitting up straight in the saddle with her arms raised and starts chanting in Elvish:
"Non o Chithaeglir, lasto Beth daer: Rimmo nin Briunen Dan in Ulaer!
Non o Chithaeglir, lasto Beth daer: Rimmo nin Briunen Dan in Ulaer!"
The ground suddenly trembles before a mighty roar fills the air. This momentarily stirs both Naruto and Frodo as they weakly look up to see a vast torrent of Water flooding down the river towards the Ford, as though a dam had suddenly broke its restraints.
Am I dead or dying?
Naruto questions as the rushing water appeared to take on the form and shape of dancing white horses with frothing manes all stampeding towards the nine frightened Ringwraiths who had just realised that they had been duped. They scream in horror as the deluge swallows them up, and drags them down the valley away from Arwen and Téril.
Suddenly, both Naruto and Frodo cry out before losing consciousness.
"No! NO!" Téril cries out as he dismounts and drags Naruto off the saddle and lies him on the pebbly riverbank. "Don't you dare, dobe! Not when I've just found you again!"
Téril threw back his hood revealing that in fact it was actually Sasuke Uchiha, who was now fighting back tears.
"Don't give in … not now!" urged Arwen who was hovering over Frodo.
But neither the blonde nor the hobbit responded, making Arwen and Sasuke fear the worst. Arwen gathers Frodo up into her arms, and Sasuke rests his head on Naruto's chest as both struggled to hold back their tears and their despair, feeling Naruto and Frodo's lives slipping away…
What grace is given me, let it pass to them. Let them be spared. Save them… Arwen prayed.
-:TWO WEEKS LATER:-
Naruto flinched as a bright light shone directly into his eyes, rousing him from a deep sleep. He yawned and turned his head, realising that he was resting on what he believed to be this world's most comfortable bed he had ever slept in. He grinned and went to roll over and resume sleeping, when he realised that his left hand was being weighed down by something warm and heavy, which apparently had been crying due to the wetness he could feel against his skin.
"What the?"
He turned his head towards the something and saw a bright, bubble-gum pink head sleeping fitfully in a slumped seated position.
Ouch. That can't be good for her back…
Naruto mused before he decided to let Sakura know that he was awake. He gingerly wriggled his hand.
"Sakura? Wakey wakey…" He crooned childishly.
Sakura stirred and groaned before sitting up and blinking in the morning sunlight. She turned her head slightly and winced when she pulled a muscle in her neck. The pain was forgotten instantly when she realised Naruto was awake. A huge, overjoyed smile spread across her face and she went to wrap him up in a bear hug when her neck spasmed again.
"Ow…" She winced, and Naruto smirked. However the pain reminded Sakura about why she was in this room in the first place and instead she smacked Naruto over the head with her fist.
"Geez, Sakura. I was wounded remember?" Naruto complained, but mellowed when he saw the ferocious expression on the girl's face.
"If you ever do anything as stupid as you did by not telling us when you were injured again, you will think that those Ringwraiths are cuddly little kittens compared to what I'll be." She chastised him, "you scared the shit out of all of us!" Naruto looked shamefaced.
"Sorry, Sakura. I didn't think—"
"No, you didn't. That's one of your problems, Naruto." Sakura agreed with him, causing Naruto to be taken aback at her frankness. "You can't afford to be reckless." Sakura then gently approached him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving him a relieved hug. "I'm just glad that you're okay."
Naruto smiled and returned the hug before Sakura got to her feet and walked for the bedroom door.
"Eh? Where are you goin'?" Naruto frowned, feeling a little hurt that Sakura was leaving so soon.
Sakura smiled reassuringly.
"Don't sweat it, Naruto. I'm just gonna tell somebody that you're awake now. Back in a sec!" and she quickly darted from the room leaving Naruto sitting up against the headboard and the opportunity to inspect his room.
It was a generous size, with lots of delicate wall carvings and a fantastic view of a medieval courtyard, a sturdy looking stone bridge with more delicate detailing, and a beautiful natural waterfall. Dotted here and there, and even in this room were stone statues of what he assumed were elves in long, flowing gowns and long hair. Everything had intricate detailing and was extremely elegant and old-fashioned.
"Glad to see you're not dead, dobe…"
Naruto froze and turned his head towards the door where his mouth fell open.
"Sasuke."
"Hey, Naruto. I've missed you."
Relieved, happy tears filled Naruto's eyes as Sasuke stepped away from where he was leaning against the doorframe with his arms casually crossed over his chest and approached his secret boyfriend with a genuine smile on his normally brooding, stoic face. Both boys clutched each other tightly in a hug, both aware that anybody could walk in should they do anything that even hinted that they were in a romantic relationship.
"Where the hell have you been all this time?" Naruto demanded, once they dissolved their embrace but didn't altogether break their physical link with each other. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Right here, dobe. Should've thought that it was obvious." Naruto flushed but refused to comment, instead focusing on what his boyfriend was wearing.
"What happened to what you usually wear?"
Sasuke glanced down at his clothing: the raven wore a dark blue long-sleeved medieval tunic top with intricate buttons all the way to his throat, a black leather belt strung about his waist and a pair of very tight black trousers that left little to the imagination. On his feet were a pair of slightly scuffed, but well-worn black jackboots. But Naruto noticed that Sasuke still had his weapons' pack strapped to his upper right thigh like always.
"The clothes I wore back in our world were beyond repair. The elves gave these to me to wear instead." Naruto nodded.
"Tell what happened when you first arrived here in Middle Earth." Naruto asked quietly. It was very clear that the Uchiha had changed a lot since the last time he and Sakura had seen him back before they came to Middle Earth unexpectedly. He was calmer, and a lot less angry and murderous.
Sasuke sighed.
"I'll tell you when Sakura gets here. I don't want to have to repeat myself more than once." Naruto agreed, seeing the logic in Sasuke's words. There was a knock at the door, and Sasuke indicated for Naruto to wait momentarily while he hid. Both could sense that Sakura was behind the door, but it obvious that Sasuke wasn't quite ready for Sakura to see him just yet until he could judge that she wouldn't jump him the moment she saw him.
(***)
"Come in!" Naruto called, once Sasuke was in position. The door opened and in stepped Sakura accompanied by Gandalf.
"Ah, Naruto my lad. Good to see you've recovered." Gandalf greeted him as Sakura casually bounded over to Naruto's bed and hopped up to sit next to him, leaving the chair free for Gandalf.
"Uh, thanks sir." Naruto replied. "But why didn't you meet us back in Bree?" Gandalf's warm smile dropped slightly. Frodo had asked him the exact same question when he had visited him.
"I'm sorry, but I was delayed by unfortunate circumstances." Gandalf replied rather cryptically. Sakura and Naruto (and Sasuke from the shadows) frowned. They hated cryptic.
"But that's all in the past. Right now, we are focusing on you." That was then Gandalf frowned sternly at Naruto who shrank back slightly at the glare on the old wizard's face.
"As I'm sure your lovely friend has presumably told you (Sakura blushed at the compliment), you had us all worried about you. That was very irresponsible of you not to speak up the moment you were injured by that Ringwraith's sword. Both you and Frodo were lucky we got to you in time. A few more hours and both of you would've been beyond our aid."
Naruto gulped, not realising how serious this really was, and he had to force himself not to look at Sakura or give away Sasuke's position to see their disapproving expressions.
"Fortunately you're an extraordinary youth, Naruto. Most shinobi are. Whatever gods you have on your side proved that you had tremendous strength in you." Gandalf gave Naruto a grandfatherly smile. The blonde smiled back, but one thing was still nagging at him.
"Where exactly are we?" He asked.
"We are in the House of Elrond, and it is 10:30 in the morning on October the twenty-fourth." Gandalf replied, but looked taken aback at the dismayed expression on the blonde's face. "My dear boy, what is the matter?"
"I missed my birthday…" Naruto mumbled sadly. Gandalf frowned slightly.
"Oh, pity. When was your birthday, and how old did you turn?"
"October the Tenth. I turned 16, sir." Naruto replied rather dejectedly. Gandalf smiled.
"Well, many happy returns. It still amazes me how old the three of you really are." From the shadows Sasuke flinched. "Yes, young man. I know you're there." Gandalf raised his voice, much to the confusion of Sakura and the chagrin of Naruto. "Come on out!"
Sasuke slowly made his way out and stood up against the wall, ignoring the stunned look on Sakura's face.
"And what might your name be?" asked Gandalf politely, but warily. He could sense what Aragorn had been talking about when he described this young boy to him. But while the dark aura seemed ominous, Gandalf reasoned that it was just how the boy was. Sasuke frowned guardedly.
"Sasuke Uchiha." Gandalf smiled.
"Pleasure." There was a soft knock at the door. "It is most fortunate that both you and Sakura are here now, as we can discuss how the three of you came to Middle Earth." The door opened and in stepped an unfamiliar elf with a stern but otherwise kind and wise face. He was dressed regally which the three shinobi suspected that it meant that he was an extremely important entity here.
"May I introduce you to Lord Elrond." Sakura and Naruto immediately bowed in respect, like Iruka-sensei had taught them to do when they were introduced to anybody of royalty of similar. Elrond chuckled.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. Sasuke has told me lots of stories about the both of you." He smiled politely.
"All good things, I hope." Quipped Naruto, who groaned when Sakura elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Elrond and Gandalf pretended they didn't see this, as Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's sharp wit.
"Of course."
Elrond took a seat next to Gandalf beside Naruto's bed and gestured for Sasuke to do the same. "Now, Gandalf tells me that you've come here from another world, is that correct?" The three of them nodded. Elrond looked slightly troubled.
"We just want to know why this has happened to us." Sakura added. Gandalf nodded.
"Yes, this is a very unusual circumstance. But I'm afraid getting you home but might be a lot more difficult than expected." Naruto and Sakura's faces fell, while Sasuke just looked emotionless, but his former teammates could tell that he was just as disappointed as they felt.
"Don't despair. My heart tells me that your journey here was no coincidence. You have a part to play here, it's just not known what that purpose is." Elrond explained. Sasuke frowned.
"How can you know that?"
"Lord Elrond has the gift of foresight. He can look into a person's future and see every possible outcome." Gandalf said. "Perhaps, it would benefit you all if you explained exactly what transpired before you came to Middle Earth, and what happened afterwards."
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged hesitant glances between them before they reluctantly began their tale: about how Naruto and Sakura were assigned to a mission to find and bring back Sasuke, since it had been rumoured that he had found his brother, Itachi, and was facing off against him for the last time. They had been instructed to use force if necessary should the troubled young Uchiha resisted in any way.
"We charged at each other with the intention to kill, when there was this random white light that appeared out of nowhere." Said Naruto, which earned a frown from Elrond and Gandalf. The blonde was about to add that he had had that dream about Galadriel before the three of them had even begun their fight; but something (or rather someone) made the blonde conveniently choose not to divulge this fact at present.
"That's right. I remember being blinded by that powerful white light and then it felt like something was pulling me towards it." Sakura still couldn't get over the fact that they had been about to kill Sasuke before anything of this happened.
"Next thing I knew, I was falling from the sky and I woke up here." Finished Sasuke, which grabbed the attention of both Sakura and Naruto.
"Speaking of. You never told us what happened." Sakura pointed out.
"Yeah, teme! Spill!" demanded Naruto, rudely. Sasuke glared at his lover and his former fangirl before asking permission from Elrond and Gandalf to continue. It was granted and Sasuke sighed with annoyance before beginning his story.
CHAPTER GLOSSARY
*Téril – means 'Avenger' in Elvish. (Arwen's nickname for Sasuke (explained in the next chapter))
**"Dartho guin Berain … rych le ad tolthathon." – "Stay with the hobbits ... I'll send horses for you." (Aragorn to Arwen)
***"Rochon ellint im." – "I'm the faster rider" (Arwen to Aragorn)
****"Andelu I ven." – "The road is too dangerous." (Aragorn to Arwen)
*****"Ae anthradon I hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon." – "If I can cross the river, the power of my people can protect them." (Arwen to Aragorn)
******"Noro Lim, Asfaloth, Noro Lim!" – "Run fast, Asfaloth, Run fast!" (Arwen to her horse, Asfaloth)
A/N: What to expect next chapter: Sasuke tells Naruto, Sakura, Elrond and Gandalf what happened to him when he first arrived in Middle Earth. Then Sasuke gets introduced to Frodo and his friends, and the Council of Elrond starts gathering. And Sasuke and Naruto share some alone time (about the same time that Arwen and Aragorn have theirs).
Can't wait to see how this chapter is received. This is the first time I've actually been inspired to finish writing a crossover without losing track and quitting halfway through. Please keep up with the reviews.
TTFN!