A/N: What to expect in this chapter: The Council of Elrond assembles; Frodo and his friends meet Sasuke; Naruto and Sasuke reconcile and the Council of Elrond have their secret meeting.

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THE COUNCIL OF ELROND

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
~Gandalf ('The Fellowship of the Ring')

Elrond and Gandalf left shortly afterwards to attend to other business, but Naruto and Sakura were given permission to roam free around Rivendell as guests, with minimal restrictions. Both Naruto and Sakura's clothing had been taken away to be cleaned, so both were presented with clean garments to wear during their temporary stay. Needless to say, both were extremely out of their comfort zones.

Sakura was dressed in a heavy pale pink velvet medieval dress with long sleeves and matching ballerina slippers. A plaited white leather belt was wrapped around her waist. A female attendant had helped style Sakura's shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair in the same fashion as the other females roaming the halls.

Naruto wolf-whistled when he saw her.

"Wow! You look great, Sakura!"

"You don't scrub up too badly yourself." Sakura replied appraising Naruto, who was looking slightly uncomfortable in his borrowed clothing. The blonde was also 'wearing' a pout because the elves did not have any orange clothes. Instead, he was wearing an emerald green tunic with a worn black leather vest, clingy black pants and well-shined black jackboots. He wore a simple brown leather belt around his waist.

"That colour really does suit you, Naruto. You should try and buy more clothes like it back in Konoha." Naruto winced.

"I can try, but I doubt the villagers will sell any to me." Sakura's pleasant smile faded when she remembered the villagers' unfair treatment of her best friend. A fierce determined look appeared.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sakura promised, and Naruto brightened up a bit.

"I'll hold you to that!" He chirped as he linked arms with Sakura and the two of them toured the peaceful, Shangri-la like city.

(***)

At the same time, Frodo had gotten up and dressed as he walked out onto his balcony that overlooked the beautiful valley. Later, he could be found walking with Sam through the courtyard before both stumbled upon Merry and Pippin – who had found Naruto and Sakura roaming around the corridors – throwing their arms around Frodo in greeting.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Naruto greeted the oddly quiet Frodo who smiled brightly at them.

"You gave us quite a scare. How are you feeling?" added Sakura curiously as she hugged Frodo. The hobbit shrugged.

"I'm okay. A little sore, but I'll live for the most part." He admitted.

"That's good to know." The medic approved.

"What about you, Mr. Naruto? How are you feeling?" asked Sam politely, grabbing Frodo's attention. Naruto hastily dismissed their worries, but Frodo couldn't help but voice his concerns.

"What happened to you?"

"I got cut by the same Morgul blade that stabbed you." Naruto replied waving his bandaged hand around for the four hobbits and Sakura to see. There was suddenly an amused snort from above, perched in a tree.

"Typical Naruto. Treating something so life-threatening in a cavalier way." All six of them looked up to see Sasuke sitting on a branch, brooding. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Who are you?" asked Frodo, shielding his eyes from the bright morning sun.

"That's my friend, Sasuke," said Naruto, smiling when Frodo's eyes widened in understanding. He yelled back up at the Uchiha in the tree. "And didn't anybody tell you it was rude to eavesdrop, teme?" Sasuke casually dropped out of the tree and landed catlike on the ground, much to the hobbits' horror. He smirked, leaning against the tree trunk as he replied.

"Then I'd make a pretty crappy shinobi if I didn't, wouldn't I?" He retorted. Sakura giggled as Naruto rolled his eyes again and shook his head.

"Are you insane?" All three shinobi looked over at Sam who was staring at Sasuke with trepidation.

"Quite possibly. What's your point?" asked Sasuke, dryly.

"How are you not hurt? You just fell out of a 15 foot tree without a scratch!" added Merry. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I've fallen out of bigger trees," Sasuke calmly explained before turning to his former-teammates with an amused smirk on his elegant face. "If I recall, we all have?" Sakura and Naruto smiled nostalgically.

"Yeah, don't remind me. It took me forever to climb that stupid tree." Naruto grumbled, scratching at his head.

"I don't know what you two are complaining about. I found that exercise easy." Sakura bragged, earning twin glares from both Naruto and Sasuke.

"Not sure that we understand what you mean?" Frodo questioned.

"When we were younger we were asked by our teacher to climb a tree to help us with our chakra control." Sakura explained to the hobbits. They still looked confused.

"Climb a tree?"

"What's chakra?" Sasuke and Naruto turned to Sakura, who was the walking Academy buff for the answers. Sakura sighed before explaining to the hobbits.

"… The chakra was supposed to help us stay attached to the tree when we climbed it with our feet."

"That's impossible, you can't climb a tree with just your feet!" Sam exclaimed. Naruto and Sakura proved them wrong. Sasuke was growing irritated.

"Can we change the topic?"

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam was looking past them all towards a nearby clearing. All of them turned to see a bent figure sitting alone on a bench, in the sun. His little legs dangling casually as he hummed underneath his breath and smoked a pipe. Frodo brightened.

"Bilbo!" The old hobbit broke out into a broad grin as Frodo rushed forward to embrace him. The others following behind in a more sedate pace, giving Frodo the privacy to greet his uncle first. Naruto and the other hobbits could all see that Bilbo had aged significantly since they had last seen him.

"Hello, Frodo, my lad!" Bilbo greeted warmly as he hopped off the bench, leaving a thick leather bound book beside him.

"Bilbo!" Bilbo glanced over Frodo's shoulder and saw the three shinobi standing there. Two smiled down at the heart warming scene; one looking indifferent as usual.

"Naruto! Sasuke! How are you both?" Naruto and Sasuke exchanged confused glances.

"I'm good, thanks, Bilbo."

"Hn."

"And who's your lovely friend?" Bilbo indicated Sakura who blushed and smiled warmly at Bilbo.

"Sakura Haruno."

"Lovely to meet you, dear." It was then that the younger hobbits and the shinobi decided to give Frodo and his Uncle Bilbo some privacy, and all withdrew. The sounds of horses arriving drew the attention of the three shinobi who saw elves, dwarves and men dismount and glance about curiously. It was clear that the subject of the meeting was being kept under wraps. None of them knew if that was a good thing or not.

As they turned away and retreated elsewhere, a certain kunoichi missed the curious gaze from two of the guests whom had just arrived…

(***)

It was the perfect opportunity for the former team seven to reconcile after their brief disagreement in Naruto's room. Too bad Sasuke wasn't in the mood to cooperate, too too bad Naruto wasn't taking this shit lying down, and too too too bad Sakura was getting tired of refereeing their ridiculous feud.

"What is your problem, Sasuke!?" Naruto roared, grabbing his lover by the lapels and holding him close. "You've had your revenge against Itachi, what more do you want!?"

"Stop! Please!" Sakura begged, stuck in the middle as usual. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrists, trying to break the blonde's hold without hurting him.

"How much more blood needs to be spilt before you're satisfied?" Naruto demanded.

"Things changed." Sasuke explained calmly, "You wouldn't understand."

"Then help us to" said Sakura, "Tell us how things have changed after you killed Itachi."

"Itachi told me that he wasn't responsible for the massacre. The real perpetrator was an ancestor of ours that we thought was long dead." Sasuke reluctantly admitted.

"Who?"

"Madara Uchiha." Sakura's eyes widened in shock, while Naruto cursed under his breath.

"The Co-Founder of Konoha?"

Sasuke nodded.

"That's impossible!"

"Thank you for stating the obvious."

Now that the truth was out, Naruto felt slightly guilty for reacting the way he did. But it didn't stop him feeling hurt that Sasuke was willing to withhold this information from them. Naruto sighed, feeling resigned and simply walked away leaving Sakura looking on worried, and Sasuke deep in contemplation. That night, Naruto sat on a tree branch reflecting on how the return of Madara could potentially affect the way his life and relationship would turn out if he stayed with Sasuke. It was just one thing after another, and he was growing tired of the disappointments and the sleepless nights worrying about whether or not they were ever going to bring Sasuke back after all was said and done.

But Naruto, true to form, was stubborn and didn't care how long it took. He loved Sasuke unconditionally and unquestionably. Even before they become lovers and were still just best friends and rivals. Naruto just wished it didn't hurt so much every time he failed or was rejected by the one person he trusted.

"Didn't think brooding was your shtick, dobe." The blonde glanced down to see Sasuke leaning casually against the tree trunk and looking up at him with deep concern in his bottomless black eyes.

"You lied to me." Naruto whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You lied when you said that when you defeated your brother and come back to me that day at the Valley of the End." Sasuke froze.

"I didn't think you remembered. That was so long ago." Naruto jumped down from the tree and scowled angrily at Sasuke.

"Yeah, no kidding." He turned and strode away. "Should've known your words meant bullshit." Sasuke flashed over to the retreating blonde and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Oh c'mon, Naruto, be fair. Orochimaru was brainwashing me from the start. If it wasn't for his fucked up influence I would've kept my word and come back to you." Naruto still wasn't convinced and he took back his wrist heading straight for a nearby gazebo, which overlooked a small, stone bridge.

"Yeah, trying to gut me with your sword and punching me in the face REALLY says 'I love you'." Sasuke forcibly turned Naruto to face him and backed him up against the wall of the gazebo.

"Declaring my love for you was not a lie, Naruto. No matter how hard Orochimaru tried, he couldn't stop me from admitting that." Naruto tried to look away from Sasuke but the Uchiha gently grabbed Naruto's chin and made him look him in the eyes. "I couldn't sever our bond, Naruto. No matter how hard I was pushed to."

Naruto could see no lie in Sasuke's eyes. Or in the kiss that the Uchiha gently engaged him in. He didn't fight the feelings of joy and happiness igniting like a flame within his heart as he participated willingly in the kiss. But he still couldn't ignore the misgivings he felt that Sasuke was just saying what he thought Naruto wanted to hear, so that when they finally returned to their world Sasuke would abandon them and go off again.

"How do I know you won't ditch us at your next opportunity?" Naruto whispered.

"You don't." Sasuke smiled sadly, "You just gotta trust me." Naruto nodded, unconvinced but decided it was better to let it go for now. He hugged Sasuke tightly, breathing in Sasuke's unique scent. He looked up slightly and noticed a very tender moment happening on the stone bridge in the distance.

"Looks like we weren't the only ones with the same idea."

Sasuke looked over at where Naruto was looking and recognised Arwen locked in a tender embrace with that ranger, Aragorn. He didn't like it, but decided to let it slide. He had heard from Arwen about Aragorn and knew that the ranger would rather die than cause harm towards the Elven Princess. Both Naruto and Sasuke retreated back to their rooms, questioning what the Council of Elrond had instore for them the following morning.

(***)

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a blunt kunai. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke walked groggily towards the Council chamber with a nervous looking Frodo in tow. The hobbit seemed to be fidgeting with the Ring in his pocket once again so Naruto discreetly reached out and laid a hand on Frodo's shoulder in support. Frodo looked up gratefully at Naruto, nodding his head in reassurance before the blonde took away his hand.

"I don't believe we've met."

Sakura was stopped by a tall dirty blonde haired man with a beard and moustache. "May I enquire as to your name?" He raised her hand to his lips brushing against her knuckles with a kiss. Sakura's face remained blank, but she was itching to wallop this man for touching her without her permission.

"You first." She retorted. The man was slightly taken aback by Sakura's answer, but recovered easily.

"Very well. Boromir of Gondor, milady."

"Sakura Haruno."

"What an unusual name. Does it mean anything?" He inquired with an interested leer on his unkempt face.

"Of course it does. But you will never know."

Sakura smiled sweetly at Boromir before brushing past him and moving on with a smirking Naruto and a glaring Sasuke who stared at a stunned Boromir, unimpressed with his attempts to flirt with an uninterested Sakura. The chamber was almost full by the time Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke had taken their seats and Boromir had recovered and taken his, trying and failing to avoid looking at a smug Sakura.

Elrond rose from his seat and addressed the room.

"Strangers from distant lands … friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor," began Elrond greeting everybody with a sober expression on his 'young' face. The council of free-peoples of Middle Earth included Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, an Elf named Legolas, twenty other elves, dwarves and men, a calmer looking Frodo and three attentive and alert shinobi who stuck out like sore thumbs and grabbed the attention of nearly everyone in the room because of their strange foreign clothing.

"Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite … or you will fall."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

What a cheery topic…

"Each race is bound to this fate … this one doom…" Elrond turned to address Frodo who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Elrond smiled encouragingly. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The hobbit slowly rose to his feet and stepped forward towards a stone Pilinth smack bang in the middle of the room. Hesitating for a split second, Frodo placed the Ring on the Pilinth and walked back to his seat; sighing with relief after doing so. There was scattered silent chattering as everyone focused on the tiny golden Ring.

"So it is true!" whispered Boromir, looking and sounding shocked.

"Sauron's Ring! The ring of power!"

"The doom of man!"

Boromir was looking suspiciously gleeful. A fact that Sasuke was quick to point out to his former-teammates. Which was why none of them were surprised when Boromir suddenly stood up, drawing everyone's attention.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He approaches the Ring on the plinth. "Isildur's Bane is found." His hand is inches from the Ring before Elrond leaps up sharply scolding him.

"Boromir!"

Suddenly Gandalf rises to his feet chanting harsh words as he went, as though herding Boromir back to his seat. The three shinobi looked around in confusion as everyone winces and cringes at every word that was spoken by Gandalf. Thunder crackles and the sky darkens as everyone looks around in fear and horror. As Gandalf finished chanting and Boromir takes his seat, Elrond sits up straight on his throne and glares disapprovingly at Gandalf who looks remorseful but defiant.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Gandalf turned and addressed Elrond, his voice raspy from the force of the words and the language.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!" He turned and glared sternly at Boromir who despite looking afraid, still acted as though all his Christmases had come at once. "The Ring is altogether evil!" And he returned to his seat next to a pale, shaken Frodo. But Boromir couldn't resist stirring the pot.

"It is a gift … a gift to the foes of Mordor!" He protested, earning scandalised glances from everybody in the room – including the shinobi who were the ones with the least amount of knowledge about the Ring – and the earning another wave of mutters. "Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay … by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe."

Is he for real? Naruto thought incredulously, as he exchanged glances with both Sakura and Sasuke. Both were disgusted with the man's conduct.

"Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy … let us use it against him!" Finally, Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He got to his feet.

"Are you really that big of a moron?!" He yelled, earning a half-amused, half-disapproving glance from Elrond.

Naruto ignored him.

Aragorn apparently agreed with Naruto – only he used a different vocabulary than the headstrong ninja.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can." Boromir turned to look at both Naruto and Aragorn, apparently annoyed that both of them dared to correct him. "The one Ring answers to Sauron alone … it has no other master." Boromir looks at Aragorn, coolly.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" He sneered.

"Probably more than you, that's for sure…" muttered Naruto under his breath, and grunted when Sasuke's elbow jabbed him in the ribs. Legolas chose that moment to intervene.

"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir turns sharply and stares at Aragorn in disbelief, while Frodo and the shinobi also stare at him questioningly. Aragorn looks pained and Boromir addresses him again.

"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Legolas smiles triumphantly.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." There's a stunned silence before Aragorn, trying to defuse the situation, spoke calmly to Legolas in Elvish.

"Havo dad, Legolas*" Boromir looks unimpressed and turns to return to his seat.

"Gondor needs no king."

Gandalf stands.

"Aragorn is right … we cannot use it." Elrond who had been massaging his temples to stave off a throbbing headache during the argument and unmasking of Aragorn's true identification, addressed the seriousness of the situation.

"You only have one choice… the ring must be destroyed." There was a finality in his voice. Frodo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as a dwarf named Gimli suddenly drew his axe and got to his feet.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

But before anybody could stop him, Gimli suddenly rushed forward swinging his axe down on the Ring. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had been fully expecting to see the Ring cloven in two. They were not prepared for what really happened: instead of inflicting damage upon the Ring, Gimli's axe shatters with a deafening crack! The force of the impact caused Gimli to fall backwards, and he stares in disbelief at the Ring which remained untouched. Not even a dint or a chip upon the band.

"Frodo?" Sakura frowned when she saw the little hobbit wince and slump in his chair, clutching at his forehead. She gets up from her seat and hurries over to him. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. Frodo weakly nods, but his eyes remain firmly clamped on the Ring.

Elrond sighed with exasperation.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom … only there can it be unmade." He explained.

"Well that certainly complicates things." Muttered Sakura, sardonically. Elrond nods in agreement.

"It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." There was a stunned silence as every person sits with downcast eyes.

"In the immortal words of Shikamaru: 'troublesome'." Quipped Naruto. This was silently seconded by both Sakura and Sasuke who sat in contemplation. The task that Elrond had just described sounded like the average shinobi A-ranked mission; easily accomplished by somebody like Kakashi or Jiraiya without batting an eyelid. But for a chunnin and a couple of chunnin-level genin, this could prove to be a challenge.

Boromir quietly addresses the council.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful."

"'Great Eye'? What nonsense is he going on about?" whispered Sasuke to Naruto, who expected a smartass answer from the blonde, but when he received none he turned to see what was the matter and was shocked to see that his boyfriend had gone ashen and looked horrified.

"Naruto? What's wrong?"

He didn't answer. Naruto recalled seeing something sinister back at Bag End when he had attempted to pick up the ring after Bilbo had very reluctantly dropped it upon his departure. He now had a name for the image of a red eye he saw for a split second in his mind … and he was not in a hurry to see it again. It became apparent that Boromir was not done with his description of Mordor.

"It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust … the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." Boromir shuddered, "Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

"I call bullshit on that," Sakura disagreed, from where she stood supporting a pale looking Frodo. "It is entirely possible." Legolas smirked at Sakura's crude words, impressed by her attitude.

"I agree," Sakura, surprised by the support, glanced at the elf in disbelief. She blushed when Legolas winked at her before frowning at Boromir and retorting further.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed." Gimli slouched forward on his spare axe and eyed Legolas distrustfully.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" He inquired scornfully. Naruto got to his feet to toss his hat into the ring.

"Well if not him, then the three of us definitely." He indicated him, Sasuke and Sakura confidently. Gimli eyed him curiously and chuckled without humour.

"Sorry lad, but you and your friend over there are still children. And a task such as this is no place for a young lass."

Instantly Sakura flashed over to Gimli brandishing a kunai at the shocked dwarf's throat.

"Care to try again with your tongue still attached?" Sakura snarled, taking umbrage at being cast aside just because of her sex. Gimli gulped. There was clearly more to this particular lass than meets the eye.

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir inquired, ignoring the conversation playing out not too far away from where he was sitting, and sounding slightly hysterical. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Gimli backs away from the sharp kunai, and protests.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" He snarled. Legolas sneered.

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

Frodo watched as the previously calm and seemingly peaceful discussion about the Ring suddenly escalated into a storm of arguments around the room. Suddenly all he could hear was the sound of his heart thudding in his ears, as well as an eerie hum which was coming from the ring. He never noticed that Sasuke was also watching the ring with a calculating look as well. He started breathing rapidly, horrified by a particularly gruesome vision of dripping ruby red blood and tongues of fire. By the sheer strength of will, Frodo gets to his feet and speaks out with a strong, clear voice:

"I will take it! I will take it!"

The arguing dies down as all eyes swivel towards the hobbit, standing determinedly with a fire in his eyes.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor." He declared. Gandalf looks anguished. This was not a task for a hobbit to undertake. But it appears that Frodo could not be convinced otherwise.

"Though … I do not know the way." Frodo admitted sheepishly, his unexpected courage faltering. Gandalf smiled sadly, before rising to his feet.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn had been silent during the arguments, choosing not to get involved. But he was impressed by the act of bravery shown by the most unlikely candidate to volunteer his services to get rid of a highly dangerous and coveted weapon. He smiled and got to his feet.

"If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He kneels before Frodo and grasps his hand in sign of allegiance. "You have my sword." He was followed swiftly by Legolas.

"And you have my bow."

"And my axe."

Legolas groaned with annoyance, but wisely held his tongue as the dwarf took his place beside him. Boromir still saw this entire task as a fool's errand, but he was determined not to show cowardice and disgrace his father and the whole of Gondor. So he too rose to his feet and strides towards the hobbit, who looked at him warily.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Boromir looks towards Elrond and Gandalf who eyes him suspiciously. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." Frodo appeared flustered and grateful that he had the Greatest Fighters in all Middle Earth standing at his side, apparently prepared to lay down their lives for him so that he could toss a simple gold ring into molten rock. He didn't know whether to laugh or feel worried that he might have acted too quickly.

"Here!" Elrond jumped and spun round, narrowly avoiding a collision with Sam who had popped up from behind a bush. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" He announced stubbornly to the gathering of amused elves, dwarves and men.

"No, indeed … it is hardly possible to separate you … even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond smiled warmly at Sam who flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Oi! We're coming too!" Merry and Pippin darted out from behind nearby columns that they had been hiding behind and ran up to the group of seven, standing firm beside Frodo. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." Merry declared, clamping an arm around Frodo's shoulders in what he supposed was a supportive gesture.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission … quest …. thing…." Pippin's words mystified nearly everybody, and Naruto had to fight to stop himself from bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. Merry pretty much summed up what everybody was thinking:

"Well, that rules you out, Pip."

Elrond was just about to wrap things up when he was unexpectedly interrupted.

"I'm game! What say you, S'suke?" The Uchiha smirked when Naruto hooked an arm casually around Sasuke's shoulder and 'escorted' him over to the assembled group.

"This should be fun."

All, except for Gandalf and the four hobbits, were surprised that nobody was bothering to stop two obviously young boys from going to their deaths. Even more so when Naruto looked over at Sakura and said:

"You comin'?"

"Lady Tsunade on a sake bender couldn't stop me!"

This time voices roared in outrage, which only strengthened Sakura's rage at how sexist this world truly was.

"I really must protest, Lord Elrond," began one of the elves. "You cannot allow this young girl to go on this perilous journey. This is not a task for—"

"I am so glad I'm not you at the moment." The elf turned and addressed Naruto who had interrupted him. He was about to ask why when he noticed Sakura who had turned puce and was glaring viciously at him. The saying: 'if looks could kill' had never been so real at that moment.

"You're on Sakura's shit list!" chirped Naruto, in a sing-song voice. Elrond smiled unsympathetically.

"It appears I have overlooked something crucial about our 'young guests'" He gestured towards the three shinobi. "These 'children' are more than capable of defending themselves. Dare I say, they perhaps are even stronger than Aragorn and Boromir combined?"

"How is that possible?"

"They are, simply put, warriors or trained assassins from another world. They have been trained in combat from the age of—" Elrond looked at the three of them for assistance.

"Five" answered Sasuke.

"Eight" chimed in Naruto and Sakura. Jaws dropped. Elrond surveyed the group of assembled men, dwarf, elf, wizard, hobbits and shinobi thoughtfully.

"Twelve companions … so be it." He smiled with pride and reverence. "You shall be the 'Fellowship of the Ring'". He announced.

"Great. Where are we going?" asked Pippin.

Everybody face-faulted.

A/N: Two updates in two days! WOO! I'm on a roll :D Thanks to the two readers who reviewed my previous chapter. I'm very happy for at least one!

Hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter, and hope it sparks more reviews. TTFN xx